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FREE WEDDING GIVEAWAY 2011 *PINNED POST*

*** THIS IS A PINNED POST. SCROLL DOWN FOR THE MOST RECENT POST! ***

A couple weeks ago I was looking at some of my photography friends blogs, just admiring and gaining inspiration from all the fabulous work out there. I then came across the sweet and talented Stephanie Fay and saw she was doing a FREE Wedding Giveaway for the 2011 year! I immediately thought this was a BRILLIANT idea and knew I just had to do something like this for a special couple out there!

So it’s official all you newly engaged couples out there…I’m doing my very first FREE Wedding Giveaway for the 2011 year! I am so excited about this I can hardly wait to see all the couples who apply! So I thought I’d make this contest a little challenging but still really fun. I want all of you to exercise those creative muscles!!!

Here is the contest:

* As a couple, I want to hear your story. Every couple has their own unique story, so be as open and honest as you’d like! I truly want to feel like I already know you two, even before I ever meet you! Tell me why winning this contest is important to you! Send your email to tonhya{@}tonhyakae{dot}com

Here are the rules and requirements:

* The couple MUST be getting married in 2011.

* The contest is only applicable to new inquiries.

* I have to be available on your wedding date.

* Please provide WHERE and WHEN your wedding will be as well as the VENUE the wedding and reception will be held at. If you do not know this information, please DO NOT apply. You MUST know these details before applying.

* Please also send me a photo of you and your fiance for the final winner announcement!

* The wedding can be ANYWHERE. Yes, I said anywhere! (If the wedding is outside of the Seattle Area, all travel expenses must be paid for by the bride and groom.)

* The chosen couple will receive: 7 hours of wedding coverage, a second shooter, DVD of originals for printing and viewing, and a personal online gallery for viewing, purchasing, and sharing images with family and friends! (Upgrades can be purchased.)

* The last thing you must do is leave a comment on this post listing your NAMES, WEDDING DATE, and LOCATION.

Well friends, that is pretty much it! Pretty simple right?! : )
The winning couple will be chosen by me and will be based on the most deserving story and most creative video. The winning couple will be announced November 1st, 2010. I already know this is going to be a tough decision because I know so many of you out there deserve this! So I have something special to offer EVERYONE who applies for this contest. Even if you do not win, I will be giving those who applied a 10% discount on any of my wedding packages! I can’t wait to hear from all of you, feel free to email me with any questions.

Happy Friday!

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September 1, 2010 - 3:28 pm Tracy Cowan - Sounds like fun! We're in... Zach & Tracy getting married September 10, 2011 at the Cowan Estate Vacation house in Grandview WA :)

August 26, 2010 - 11:21 am Lauren - This is such a great gift that you're offering! My fiance Scott and I are getting married July 23, 2011, in Petoskey, MI.

August 25, 2010 - 9:17 pm Heather - i am getting married oct 1st, 2011 to my fiance' jason. we are on a very tight budget and will not have a wedding photographer, this would truly make our day to have our ceremony captured by you! our ceremony will be outdoors on our family's farm, in south western virginia

August 24, 2010 - 12:09 am Melissa Linn - This is such a blessing to whoever wins! I hope you enjoy reading everyone's stories! We are Melissa and Kevin, getting married July 23, 2011. The ceremony is at Word of Life Church in Marysville and the reception is at Normanna Lodge in Everett.

August 19, 2010 - 8:09 pm Amy - Such a wonderful contest! I just entered. We are Amy & Patrick, 05/14/2011, Page Springs, Arizona.

August 19, 2010 - 7:51 pm Kirsten - What an amazing gift to whoever is lucky enough to win it. Cody and Kirsten. Sept 4th, 2011 at the Thornewood Castle.

August 19, 2010 - 7:49 pm Kirsten - What an amazing gift to whoever is lucky enough to win it.

August 18, 2010 - 2:19 pm Ellen - Ellen & Clarke, May 29, 2011 in Santa Barbara, CA. Thanks!!!

August 16, 2010 - 11:12 pm Lily - So excited you are offering this giveaway! We are Tony and Lily. We are getting married on April 23, 2011 in Los Angeles, CA

August 16, 2010 - 9:39 pm Bettina - What an awesome gift you're offering to some lucky couple!! We'll be turning in an entry as well! We're Bettina & Mark, 10/29/2011, Old Ranch Country Club in Seal Beach, CA.

August 16, 2010 - 6:25 pm Jessica - What an amazing giveaway! I just turned in my entry. We're Jessica and Chris, 10/22/2011, Seattle City Hall/Mashiko.

August 10, 2010 - 1:34 am Julie - Great Idea!!!

August 6, 2010 - 11:22 pm Capri - Such a great idea.. I'll tell people I know!!

August 6, 2010 - 5:58 pm Jessica Smith - This is such a good idea!

STAY MOTIVATED. STAY INSPIRED. STAY TRUE.

What a week it has been! I am so ready to get away this weekend and some time with people I adore in the middle of nowhere.
But there is still lots to do when I return!

Photos to be edited, posts to be blogged, albums to be designed, emails to be returned, dreams to be dreamt, goals to be made, tea to be sipped…so much to do and so little time! Well before I get too ahead of myself, I thought I’d share this fun (and somewhat embarrassing) video that Jordan of NicholeJordan Photography created during a little photography shoot-out. This shoot-out was pretty fun! Jessica Feely, her husband, Nichole and Jordan, and myself all got together to have some fun and create images that we could use however we wanted. This was so great for me. I definitely needed this little break to just clear my head, create, and be surrounded by people who just get me. I would love to continuing doing this with other artists.

Below is the video, and I’ll also post some images we took!

Here are some of the photos I took of everyone!

Oh, by the way…this is one of my favorites images.

Just rockin’ out. No big deal.

Another favorite of mine. ♡

Jordan is pretty much a rock star.

So I was definitely the fifth wheel on this little photo extravaganza, but after some of the photos I captured with these two awesome married couples…
I couldn’t complain. ♡

Hello gorgeous people.

Fierce. ♡

One of my favorites of these two love birds.

♡♡♡

Jessica is full of personality, I love this series of her!

Here are some of the photos Nichole and Jordan took of me that I just love. You guys rock.

And here are some photos that Jessica took of me! Love her stuff. : )

Lovin’ this group shot!

This was so much fun and was a great outlet to just release any stress and just simply create. It’s so important for artists to do this for themselves.
Stay motivated. Stay inspired. Stay true.

September 3, 2010 - 12:26 pm nichole - YAY!!! I was so happy to find this post this morning!! You are such a rock star! I love the images you got! :) This must not be a one time thing! :)

SNEAK PEEK / KATIE & JOEL

Here are two of my favorite shots from Katie and Joel’s Engagement shoot!
I had so much fun with these two and can’t wait to blog their full post! But until then…enjoy these two gems.

Leave these two some L.O.V.E. ❤

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September 2, 2010 - 11:14 pm Laura - I love them! When will the rest be up?!?! I can not wait!

September 2, 2010 - 9:18 pm Katie - Thanks for the sneak peek Tonhya, they look great! You know I'm looking forward the rest :)

September 2, 2010 - 8:52 am Dennis Bullock - love it!

STEPHANIE REEDER / ANYTIME SESSION

Meet Stephanie Reeder.
Stephanie and I hit it off immediately! Like I said in her Sneak Peek post, once she pulled that antique chair out of her trunk, I was smitten. : )
Stephanie is not only a fun, stylish lady, she is also an awesome photographer in the Olympia area. I was so happy when she contacted me to take some updated photos for her to use for her website/blog/business! I can’t wait to see how she uses them.

Thank you Stephanie for traveling up here for your shoot! I had so much fun and so glad to have made a new friend.
Enjoy!

I love everything about this picture.

Seriously Stephanie? Stop being so pretty. : )

Another favorite.

I love that Stephanie was up for letting go and havin’ a little fun!

Loving all these colors together.

Love these!

And of course we had to show Stephanie’s love for photography!

Thanks again Stephanie for choosing me as your photographer! : )
If you are interested in booking your own Anytime Session, please email me at tonhya{at}tonhyakae.com

September 2, 2010 - 1:01 am Monic' Dion - So pretty :)!!!! Love the country feel!

September 1, 2010 - 10:38 pm Jeramie Shoda - These are so good! Mostly because you finish with her and her Nikon :)

September 1, 2010 - 10:16 pm Celine - What a small world! Nathan and I just met Stephanie Reeder last weekend because she was photographing a wedding we went to down in Olympia. Your pictures are amazing, as usual!!! :)

September 1, 2010 - 2:09 pm nichole - Beautiful! I just love the light! Great job lady!

September 1, 2010 - 2:06 pm Jonna - so cute! Perfect location and clothing choices - love it!

JESSIE & JAMES / MARRIED.

Jessie and James are my kind of people. They are loving, funny, relaxed, and truly care about the important things in life. Their main goal for this wedding was to create a day that not only they would enjoy, but that their friends and family could be a part of completely. Everyone at this wedding was seriously smiling ear to ear the entire day. So much love was put into this wedding, and it was clearly visible. When I met Jessie and James for their engagement session, I immediately knew that their wedding day would be awesome. Jessie isn’t the typical girl who had been planning her wedding day since a little girl. She only had a few requests which were having her wedding at her Aunt and Uncle’s backyard and to be surrounded by dahlias of all different shapes and sizes. A simple girl, and this is what I love about her!

Thank you Jessie and James for letting me be a part of your special day and for completely trusting me. I am in love with so many images from your day. Not only because of visual reasons, but simply because I know the love behind these photos is so genuine and true.

And a shout out to my friend and awesome second shooter, Jeramie Shoda. He seriously rocked it and I am so thankful to have had him helping out!
Be sure to check out his awesome work. : )

Jessie’s dress was beautiful. The detailing was incredible.

I love Jessie’s reaction to seeing herself completely ready! So cute.

While I was hanging out with the girls, Jeramie took some awesome photos of the guys getting ready.

I was in love with this backdrop for their “First Look”. It. Was. Perfect.

I have so many favorites of Jessie and James…

I love this shot Jeramie took. Everything about it makes me smile.

Jessie’s ring was actually James’ great grandmother’s from Holland. So special.

Love. Love. Love.

Okay, this is probably one of my favorites from the day.

Jeramie’s angle. Love it.

Jessie, you are stunning!

♡♡♡

One of my favorites of Jessie, she is just glowing!

I could not have asked for a better location. This place was so dreamy.

I loved this antique chair they incorporated into their wedding.

Love these two shots Jeramie captured. He is pretty much awesome.

Such a fun, loving group of girls!

And such an awesome group of guys too! (they look so cool huh?!) : )

Ceremony time!

I love, love, love this photo.

Such a beautiful backyard wedding!

Yay! ♡

Ok I must say that Jessie and James had the best decor for their wedding. All they wanted was their day to be colorful, relaxed, and intimate…I’d say they accomplished just that. : )

Best dressed little girl ever. So cute.

So many fun and creative details! ♡

Okay, I’m sorry but I could NOT get enough of this little guy. He was just loving all the camera action!

Alright, so for all of you who were not at this wedding…this was probably one of the funniest moments of the day. Totally unexpected, but awesome. This little girl ran right in during the Garter Toss and stole the garter from the guys. She could not have been more excited about this haha!

I loved what Jessie changed into for their exit. So summery and fresh. : )

Alright folks, hands down my favorite image of the day. And possibly one of my favorites of this whole year. I love how simple this shot is, but knowing there was so much emotion behind this photo just makes my heart warm. (sigh…♡)

I hope you all enjoyed this wedding as much as I did!
And once again Jessie and James, thank you so much for choosing me as your photographer. It was a complete honor to be a part of your special day.

And here are all the people who made this day possible:
Wedding Dress: Oleg Cassini from David’s Bridal
Hair: Jennifer from Salon Enve in Everett, WA
Bridesmaid Dress: Suzi Chin Maggie Boutique from Nordstrom
Menswear: Suits from Men’s Warehouse
Caterer: Celebrate! Catering from Everett, WA
Wedding Cake: Karl’s Bakery, Everett, WA
Florist: The Petal and The Stem from Mill Creek, WA
Photography: Tonhya Kae Photography
Second Shooter: Jeramie Shoda

September 2, 2010 - 1:37 am Cece - Ooh, beautiful job, I love the colors... what a gorgeous day! I esp. love the one of them outside the tool shed. Nice seeing you on Monday - hope you got something out of going! :)

August 31, 2010 - 4:52 pm nichole - Lady! You are such a ROCK STAR!! I love it! All of it!

August 30, 2010 - 3:35 pm Michael Movsyesov - Wow! So many awesome images and such a beautiful couple. You totally rocked this :)

August 30, 2010 - 12:18 pm Jonna - You didn't warn me to grab tissues! I was shedding tears by the fist look! This wedding was perfect - beautiful couple, intimate, location, details, and your photos are so so rich -- perfect for remembering every detail for their entire lifetime. I can see Jessie one day sitting in the front row under an umbrella as an old woman watching her daughter/in-law wearing her ring someday. She'll have these photos to share.

THE START OF A GREAT WEEKEND.

Let me start off by saying, YES. Yes, I am actually blogging about shoes. It’s true.

Now I really have a love/hate relationship with surprises. I mean I love actually being surprised and opening unexpected gifts, but then after you’re all happy and giddy you get that guilty feeling. You know the one I’m talking about right? RIGHT. Well regardless if I’m the only person who has this love/hate relationship with surprises, let’s just say that right now it’s just love. : ) Yesterday I got a random knock at my apartment door, which NEVER happens so I was a little startled at first. Well turns out that the friendly UPS man had a delivery for me! I of course stopped everything I was doing, which at the time was baking cinnamon rolls…yea, I know…I actually stopped making cinnamon rolls to open an unknown box. Crazy. Well inside this box was a brand new pair of beautiful Toms…from someone who treats me way too well. And OH, how my feet do love them…

Right now I definitely love surprises. : )

toms

So that one surprise pretty much made my weekend…but ON TOP OF THAT…one of my best friends and I got hooked up with 2 VIP tickets to the Keith Urban / John Mayer concert at the Gorge! Is this really happening?! I couldn’t ask for a better weekend. Oh..and ON TOP OF THAT…I get to see my beautiful family! Ok ok I’ll stop all this crazy talk…I’m just REALLY excited!

And since all blog posts are better with a little eye-candy…

XXX _JOHN MAYER GAP 1669.JPG

Have a great weekend everyone! : )

August 28, 2010 - 2:37 pm Jonna - I want some surprise shoes! ;) Hope they get you where you need to go - enjoy the concert!