20 years ago today, Philip, Austin and I gathered in front of a cozy fire in our home in the south Capitol neighborhood. Snow had been falling most of the day, and a glowing, silent landscape had emerged. My sister Melissa and Philip’s good friend Scott stood as witnesses for us, as we fumbled our way through a ceremony. The snow had prevented the officiant from making it to our home, and so we were on our own. We smiled, laughed and raised our champagne glasses, toasting one another. We then headed out into the still evening for a walk through the wintery scene, our first walk as a “married” couple and family. We began our relationship as friends, and it soon blossomed into something more, and before we knew it, we were young parents full of hope and feeling we could conquer the world. And so, 20 years later, we still feel like those young parents, full of hope. Only now it is tempered by the sweet contentment of the many memories we have shared, but still full of hope for many more to come. I am so grateful to have a partner who is not only my friend, but who is truly my biggest fan and supporter. I love you Philip, and I love the life we have created together. Happy Anniversary…
Where did the last 20 years go? Anniversary, Olympia, WA
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She was worth the wait…
The had some of the funniest touches during their wedding. Guests were entertained before the ceremony with a multi-media show–a slideshow and mini movie that had people laughing one minute and tearing up the next. Well done!
There was a break in the sprinkling rain and we dashed outside to capture some autumn afternoon photos. 
The perfect amount of sun popped through to help make parasol magic.
And the fall colors soaked up every ray of sun and sent the glorious honey filled tones right back to me.
Jamie shared one of his favorite passages. Lovely to see such deeply spiritual people.
And one last moment with her Dad before heading down the aisle. Nothing but smiles…
Heading into the reception, we had to stop for a quick twirl : )
And the last shot of the night reveals the silly side. Danielle and Jamie kept the stoic expression despite the frivolity around them. Way to pull that shot off! Loved LOVED capturing your day. Can’t wait to see what the future holds for you two… xoxo Cortney
Matt’s childhood baby bonnet was tucked into Missy’s bouquet. 
And the Rock of Gilbrater, a family heirloom, found it’s place around Missy’s neck after spending some time with Moet & Chandon…
Missy’s Dad quickly teared up seeing her in the gown.
And family members were lovingly adorned with bursts of fall color.
Everyone needed just a smidge of lips…
And the nervous bride took a moment before heading out to the dock to see her groom.
Just a tiny bit happy…
And a tiny bit nervous…
And then a LOT happier…
Her God-daughter was the picture perfect flower girl. Those curls could possibly be illegally adorable.
And the groomsmen, well, they were ready with their “Fire Powah”
A dash of Charlie’s Angels.
And how often do you have Secret Service men as your groom attendants?
These tackle ball fans paid tribute with their cake. USC and WSU colors fit perfectly with the fall theme.
And an adorable harpist set the tone for cocktail hour by the water.
The night wore on and true colors began to emerge…a sense of humor is an absolute necessity when entering marriage. Can I get a HOLLA? Congrats Missy and Matt–enjoy California but you’ll be back… : ) xox Cortney
When planning an outdoor wedding in the Northwest, there is one gamble that looms large…the weather. Jeff and Kelly had a wonderful, intimate September wedding with close friends in their secluded slice of heaven, nestled in the forrest. 
Just one little tweak to their plan, rain. But as true Northwesterners, the rain was simply a well moisturizing addition to the fun of their celebration. 
Kelly walked shyly down the aisle as raindrops softly fell around her.
As she took her place next to her teary eyed groom, it was as if they were the only two people in the world. They did more than smile one another, they radiated love. 
It was such a sweet ceremony, with a quick retreat down the aisle guests made their way to the shelter of the tents, decorated in perfect fall fashion.
I was so glad we had the barn to setup the photo booth area. 
As the evening drew to a close, Jeff serenaded his lovely bride, all as the rain continued to softly fall. Congratulations Kelly and Jeff! Thanks for allowing me to capture the sweetness… xoxo
Make your way into Sweet Life to get the look book, which will be available in a few weeks– but since I know waiting is difficult, here is just a little taste of the goodies you can find in her store. Ridiculously beautiful clothes! I wouldn’t wait to outfit yourself in holiday finery though–she carries limited selection–which is why you’re guaranteed to have unique pieces. But don’t wait!
Jamie is one of those fresh faced natural beauties. She recently became a doctor of veterinary medicine–I can’t imagine a more loving Doc! 
So surrounded by her ponies at her parents farm, on one of the hottest days in August, Sam and Jamie said heck yes I do! Rolling golden fields were a heavenly backdrop for photos. I could have swam through them!
Thanks to Daniel Schales and his sweet vintage Polaroid! Love it!
The food was incredible but the performance was even more fun. Thanks Dad for kicking off the week with a bang!
On Tuesday we ventured out at 2:30 AM to see the sun rise on Haleakala. Despite the nauseatingly early start and winding roads, it was one of the highlights of the week for me. How often do you see the sun rise ABOVE the clouds. The elevation was around 10,000… and seriously cold! But once the sun began its ascent, the crowd grew quiet and we all were humbled by the brilliant beauty. Such simple things we can so easily forget to appreciate, the rising of the sun. Deep breath.
On our way back to Kahana we stopped in the upcountry for some breakfast and heard “Somewhere Over the Rainbow” FOUR times, in less than an hour. I love that song and apparently so does everyone else in Maui…but one does reach a point of oversaturation. Good thing the veggie eggs benedict was so freakin delish.
Back from the sunrise, it was off to the beach again!
And time to be buried…
Or enjoy the fact that your cousin is completely vulnerable…
Line up the boogie boys.
We took a boat trip out past Lanai for a snorkling excursion. Let’s just say that most of the Green family does NOT have sea legs… We were joined by a massive group of spinner dolphins who would race the boat. I was positioned on the bow and managed to get this crazy shot–they were so fun to watch! And the snorkeling was great due to one word: CHUM.
Back to the resort for a bbq. Who wouldn’t want to eat a happy burger? Especially when you’re serenaded with “SOMEWHERE OVER THE RAINBOW”!! Yes, again…
While traveling, its important to frequent the local watering holes… just doing our part.
What is more fun than a 6 foot waves knocking you into the sand? Having your cousins along side…
Waking up from a sandy nap.
Yes, we did the fam photo timer…
The last night, Eva was more than ready to be home.
The majority of the fam left on Saturday while we stayed on for a couple of side trips. Before heading into the upcountry of Makowao, we stopped to visit Budha in Lahaina.
And we couldn’t leave Lahaina without sampling just a bit more shave ice–this one topped with adzuki beans and sweetened cream from Local Boys on Front Street. ( 
Budha in Paia greeted us…
After a long luxurious swim in the pool at the pool at the Banyan Tree House B&B ( 
We drove up to the north shore and snorkeled a bit at Shark’s Cove. Luckily there were none of it’s namesake present…
We decided to spend our last night in Honolulu. I wanted to check out a photography exhibit featuring never before seen photos of Amelia Earhart at The Royal Hawaiian hotel along Waikiki Beach. The drive in from Kailua was peppered with rainshowers and rainbows. Strange juxtapostion of old and new…
And enjoyed the Scratch Mai Tai and a Virgin Pina Colada at The Royal Hawaiian hotel ( 
And now here’s where the story gets sad and a little scary… Em turned 13 a few days before the trip and has been begging for a phone. So we surprised him with a super sweet iPhone. He was in heaven! On the very last night while walking along Waikiki, he made an ill-fated decision to do a sweet par cour maneuver–which landed him on the only exposed lava rock on the whole stretch of Waikiki. With a 1 1/2 inch gash that probably should have been stitched or butterfly taped at the least, we attempted to rinse the gory gash out at the water faucet, yeah that sand was not going anywhere… It was nearly 9 pm and we were at least 40 minutes away from Kailua where we were staying. We had almost reached the car (which was about a mile away) when a wide-eyed Em asked me, “Mom, do you have my phone?” We blinked at one another, I swore (sorry) and took off back to the beachfront hotel where we last remembered having it, retracing our steps and scouring the beach. No luck. I called the phone again and again–which went straight to voicemail, and then called AT &T to suspend the phone. Thankfully he had a security lock on it, but most likely it met it’s demise in the water. I was mad for about 10 minutes, and then I switched to feeling just as heartsick as Em was. I reminded him that although it was a super sweet awesome phone, it was still just a phone and could be replaced. It was a total bummer. So I called our hosts to let them know why we were running so late, when my phone died, battery done. Great. We were in Honolulu and I had been depending on my phone for directions… OK, I think I remember how to get back there. I would NOT advise driving around in a bright red mustang, especially when you are lost in Honolulu. We were in some sketchy and scary parts of that city. Needless to say, we made it back, dressed the wound, comforted Em and tried to get some rest before our flight the next morning.
We decided to visit the Valley of the Temples to calm down from the previous evenings events. It was nice to sit in the quiet beauty.
