Sami + Brandon // Ace Hotel Session // Seattle, WA

Yes, epic mountain-top adventures are amazing and shooting on the city streets is dope as hell... but there's something so special, so totally captivating about a couple wanting to celebrate the more quiet, slow-paced and intimate aspects of their relationship. 

These two decided to turn their Seattle trip into part vacation, part in-home photo session, and I personally could not be more here for that. They opted for the late check out at The Ace Hotel , so I was able to show up in the just in time to capture all the hazy morning coffee + cuddles. 

Allow me to introduce you to Sami & Brandon.
(BTW- I know it's totally casual or whatever, but these babes got ENGAGED today!!
Do you die? I die.)

Brandon + Sami, thank you for letting me spend the morning with you and document something so tender and real. Your love is a beautiful, inspiring thing and I am so damn happy you two are tying the damn not. All the congratulations to you both!

Jaimie + Curt // Edgy & Chic City Reception // Seattle, WA

PART 2/2: 

Party time! Two weeks after their mountaintop elopement, it was time to bring family and friends into the picture. Jaimie + Curt rented out The Good Bar in the iconic Pioneer Square neighborhood. In true Jaimie-fashion, the already gorgeous space was decorated with moss and succulents, geometric gold figures with cascading blooms, brass frames holding photos from the elopement, palo santo as gifts for the guests, and skulls on tables with airplants flowing out the eyes. Minimal, edgy and a little weird. 

The party was all about merging the community of people who've adored and supported the both of them over the years; to collectively celebrate Jaimie and Curt's union over all the good things in life: stiff cocktails, good conversation, delicious food and of course- dancing.

Mid-reception, I decided to take the couple on a stroll around the city. They embraced the rain and held each other close as we explored the neighborhood.

From the ledge of a mountain to the slick city streets, their love shines so bright. 
ok sure, that may sound cheesy as hell, but like, look at them. It's fucking true! TRUUUU. 

The remainder of the night was full of laughter, whiskey and big group hugs. 
All the essentials.

That's all folks. 
Thanks for reading! And for the couples out there who are doing love/weddings differently, I'd LOVE to work with you. Shoot me an email. Let me tell your story. 

xoxo, 
Alex

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VENDORS // 

Slinky Silk Slip Wedding Dress 
Curt's All-Black Pant's and Dress Shirt
Curt's Black Garnet Ring
Jaimie's Natural-Cut Garnet Ring
Skull Jewelry
Flowers by Seattle Florist Angelene of The Flower Lab
Venue and Catering by The Good Bar

Jaimie + Curt // Sunrise Elopement on Rattlesnake Ledge // North Bend, WA

PART 1/2:

Jaimie and Curt's love story is one worth telling. Beyond the incredible eight year partnership and life they've built together, these two have such a strong point of view when it comes love, intention, design and style, and their wedding was a perfect marriage (lol) of each of these elements coming together. 

J + C have such a unique way of loving and living that neither bothered with the sometimes overwhelming traditional expectations that come along with a planning wedding. Doing it their own way was the only way, right from the start. They didn't give a shit about a fancy cake, first dances, garter tosses, or playing hostess with the mostest to distant cousins and aunts they've never met before.

They wanted it to be intimate. Intense. Selfish, even.
Just the two of them, no distractions. 

Come wedding day, they scooped myself and their officiant, Ian, up around 5am and off we went, driving down winding, dimly lit roads until we made it to our destination: Rattlesnake Lake.

Jaimie hiked up the cold, dark mountain in her slinky silk slip dress wrapped in fur as Curt lit the way in his suit and headlamp (such combo, v PNW). We made it to the top and were greeted by a cool breeze, gradient blue sky and a wild, expansive view.  

Curt and Jaimie stood on ledge and exchanged their vows. They were quiet, full of heart and extremely intimate and vulnerable... things you only feel comfortable saying to your person when no one else is around (another benefit to eloping).

As if on cue, mid-vows, the sun peaked over a mountain in the distance and shattered the darkness with a glorious, warm glow. 

We spent the morning eating doughnuts and drinking champagne, all sprawled on the rocks, soaking up one of the last sunny days of the season. The two bust out a celebratory wedding joint to smoke (modern love: what a glorious thing) and we capped the adventure with a jam session. Curt played some blues guitar while Jaimie sang from her heart, tapping a tambourine rhythmically on her hip. 

The newlyweds had the whole rest of their day to spend relaxing and embracing their love and togetherness. 

I'll close this with a quote; one that unknowingly made it in both Ian (the officiant's) reading and Jaimie's vows.

“You are not two people. And you are not one person. You are an experience.”

I cannot emphasize it enough. At the end of the day, your wedding day is about you. It's not about your pleasing all your family and friends, living beyond your means or making yourself crazy over designing something perfectly pinterest-worthy. If those elements of a wedding are what make you happy, then fucking go for it. But as with everything, always be sure to ask yourself - is this what WE want. Does this represent our love? Is this fulfilling or draining? 

The beautiful thing is there are no rules here! I love that as time goes on, the cultural shift in weddings is becoming more focused on celebrating couple's own unique flavor, love and doing it your own way vs. perpetuating tradition for the sake of keeping things the same. What are your thoughts on the matter? Are you all about tradition, blending traditional and non-traditional, or do you like totally breaking the mold and shaking things up.  Would absolutely love to hear your opinions! 

Thanks for reading!
xoxo, 
Alex

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VENDORS//
Slinky Silk Slip Wedding Dress 
All-Black Pant's and Dress Shirt
Curt's Black Garnet Ring
Jaimie's Natural-Cut Garnet Ring
Skull Jewelry
Flowers by Seattle Florist Angelene of The Flower Lab

Jessica + Schu // Babes in Love // Bainbridge Island, WA

These two. 
It was seriously such a delight to spend an otherwise gloomy Friday riding windy ferries, getting caffeinated while eating slightly stale pastries and exploring Bainbridge Island with these angels. Two total babes who are so fierce, so genuine and so totally in love. 
It may sound weird, but it means something a little extra when I can document folks who are a bit hesitant to be in front of the camera, because god damn do I relate. But when we are able to break down barriers and quickly get to that good, real shit... that's everything. The beautiful, the silly, the weird, and everything in between. It's not about "picture perfect" (wtf is that even), it's about telling your story and allowing me in so I can show you just how fucking glorious you are. 

Let meeeee! 

Babely // Sponsored Goodies: PART I // Seattle, WA

Babely was a dream of a day- from the baller mimosa bar in the a.m., sassy photo sessions in the afternoon, to the the candle-lit dinner in the evening. Beyond the hard work and dedication of our team, so much of what made the day as special as it was were the contributions given to us by our incredibly generous sponsors. We were fortunate enough to have so many phenomenal brands and businesses send killer products our way that I'ma have to break this blog post into two parts, just to keep it (relatively) cute and short. 

So without further ado, let me introduce you to the bossy brands we whole-heartedly love and appreciate. 

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PRESSED JUICERY: The folks at Pressed Juicery sent us an enormous box of fresh pressed juices. I never knew juice could make a gal so happy, but no lie, it felt like freaking Christmas opening the box and finding such a wide assortment of vibrant colors and juice flavors that I previously never knew existed. Who knew juice could elicit such damn pleasant response?!  
The morning of Babely, we separated out the citrus varieties and set up the bougie-est mimosa bar I ever did see. The rest of the flavors kept our ladies hydrated, healthy and happy throughout the day. These guys have some of the most unique, inspired and delicious juice combos- I'm craving some right now, just thinking about it. 11/10, would recommend.  

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HAND AND HIDE: The talented humans at Hand and Hide truly blew us away with the beautiful leather goods that they individually MADE. BY. HAND. These guys create with quality and longevity in mind (which is perfect for me considering I'm a destructive monster that breaks everything, but that's beside the point). They sent a variety of stunning leather products, including a key caddy, keychains, earbud wrap cases, iphone charger wraps, and (not pictured, but super rad) beer holders. 

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MINIMALIST. BOUTIQUE SKIN CARE: Where do I even begin with Frankie of Minimalist. Boutique Skin Care. What a woman. This hardworking, bad ass New Zealand mama and entrepreneur creates some of the most luxurious, delicious, all-natural skin care products around that will blow ya damn mind. Beyond her passion and expertise in this field, she exudes warmth and kindness in such a way that instantly draws you in. Not only to I love and want to use her products for the rest of my life, but I also want to give her a hug and be her friend. 
Frankie went above and beyond and we could not be more grateful. For our ladies, she sent The Super Serum she makes, and for our team, she sent The Mini Kit , all of which are packages in such a deliciously beautiful way. Thank you Frankie, you're a true babe and lady boss in our eyes. 

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RUSTED VASE CO: The incredibly talented, gem of a woman Carlee of Rusted Vase Co. reached out to the Babely team early on and kindly offered to partner with us. It was amazing to give her a loose vibe and color pallet, and see the places she took it. Her arrangements were modern, understated, a little sexy and totally transformed our space.  Thank you for being such a bad ass and taking the time to collaborate with us during your busiest season... your blooms and big leafy greens elevated the space and took things to a whole other level. 

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BIG SPOON ROASTERS: Because we all a little nutty on the Babely squad, it seemed appropriate to team up with the kings of nut butter- Big Spoon Roasters. We were so excited to receive a big ol' box filled with what I believe to be the best flavor combo ever - their almond ginger nut butter.  I've had it on toast with bananas and honey, put it in my smoothies and straight up eaten it right off the spoon. However you use it, it's obvious this North Carolina company packs big flavor and a whole lotta love into each jar, and we are hooked. 

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ROBINSON PAPERIE: The lovely, creative Camille of Robinson Paperie hooked. us. up.
Not only did she knock our menus, day-of schedule and hand-lettered place settings out of the park, but she surprised our ladies with the raddest paper goods, including sassy prints (I have one in my room reminding me that I am one badass bitch) and darling cards. Her work is playful, but elegant and exudes personality and refinement. Her work helped create such a polished tablescape and experience for our that we were/forever will be totally obsessed with. 

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That's all she wrote. For now. 
Sincerest thanks to all of our phenomenal sponsors. You truly shaped and elevated our ladies' experience, and we are forever grateful.  I can't wait to share more pretty things and bad ass businesses and brands with part ii of this blog series. 

Until then, thank you for reading. <3
For those who are interested in learning more about our upcoming Babely in March of 2018, feel free to reach out to babely@alejandramaria.com for all the juicy info!

Cheers bbs, 
-Alex