The Wedding Ceremony at the Yakima Area Arboretum

In August I made the drive from Seattle to Yakima, my first visit to the “Palm Springs of Washington”, for Aimee and Kevin’s wedding at the Yakima Area Arboretum. The Arboretum is a gorgeous setting for a wedding, with plenty of space for portraits, the ceremony, and small events area for a reception.

When I arrived, Kevin and I walked out to the Japanese Garden while Aimee finished getting ready. We began with a traditional first look, which went off beautifully. I like to leave it up to the couple as to whether or not we include a first look, and Aimee really wanted one — and I’m so glad she did. There was real emotion in this first look.

After an emotional first look we moved to take a few informal portraits. While I work mostly in the documentary style, I still build in some time for portraits — those classic posed shot that will hang on the wall for years to come.

With our portraiture time reaching an end we prepared for the ceremony itself, Aimee was whisked off in a golf cart by the Arboretum staff for a hair and makeup touchup which I took detail shots of the ceremony location. The bridal party hung around as the guests took their seats and happily chatted.

The ceremony itself was beautiful, officiated under a large tree with the bride and groom flanked by their wedding party.

The reception followed immediately at the Arboretum’s event space. A seating area with tables and chairs was setup on the patio outside, and guests were able to enjoy food, drinks, and dancing as the sun set on a gorgeous late summer evening.