Indoor Wedding Archives - Blog - Kip Beelman Photography

Alex + TerranceGolden Gardens Bathhouse WeddingSeattle, WA

March 26, 2013

Alex + Terrance did it in front of friends and loved ones last fall while rocking a rainy Seattle day for a beachy Golden Gardens Bathhouse wedding shindig with an edge. It was an action packed day dodging raindrops and celebrating with sand between our toes.

I was joined by Huy Nguyen (honcho at Foundation Workshop, Fearless Photographers and Love Unscripted) as a very, very capable second photographer and it proved to be a great experience working alongside him and a great asset to Alex and Terrance’s image collection.

My coverage started off in the Ballard neighborhood with the girls having hair and make-up done in a friend’s home. It was a cozy little bungalow that provided a homey, comfortable vibe. Huy started off an apartment on Capital Hill belonging to a friend and was on hand to photograph plenty of Xbox and consumption of spirits by the guys 😉

After a 1st look at Golden Gardens Bathhouse where Terrance got to see Alex in her beautiful family heirloom bridal gown for the first time, the couple and bridal party ventured to King’s Hardware in the heart of old Ballard to make use of the covered outdoor patio and establish a fun and relaxing mood with some bourbon cocktails, a great idea.

We next headed back to Golden Gardens to take some portraits incorporating the beautiful fall foliage and then ducked inside to ready for the ceremony. The bride’s brother was stationed in Istanbul and joined us live via FaceTime. One funny moment during the ceremony was when Terrance grabbed an instant camera to snap a few photos of Alex… I don’t think she knew that was coming and her expressions were priceless.

Style points for this wedding were: A time capsule of anecdotes and well wishes by guests, mojitos, some seriously tasty pie in lieu of cake, limbo dancing, their pugs cutting loose on the dance floor with a rainy nighttime portrait and wet sparkler send off. The best.

A bride with red hair has her long hair strewn over her face during hair styling from her Golden Gardens Bathhouse wedding to reveal only her nose ring and lips with bold red lipstick A 2-up diptych of a brides velvety, orange high heels atop a pumpkin on the left and a garden gnome statue with her garter on the cone hat on the right photographed during prep for a Golden Gardens Bathhouse wedding A bride departs her getting ready location and descends steps in her unique family heirloom wedding gown holding a vintage parasol from Bella Umbrella en route to her first look for her Golden Gardens Bathhouse wedding A bride and groom pose side by side while looking at each other for their Golden Gardens Bathhouse wedding holding vintage parasols from Bella Umbrella A bride and her bridesmaids interact casually with big smiles on the patio of King's Hardware in Ballard before their Golden Gardens Bathhouse wedding The maid of honor for a Golden Gardens Bathhouse wedding sips a mojito at King's Hardware in Ballard while her elaborate chest tattoo is highlighted A detail from a Golden Gardens Bathhouse wedding requesting guests to fill out cards stating what they love about the bride and groom for the purpose of a time capsule A 2-up diptych of Golden Garden Bathhouse wedding details featuring a sign and sparklers indicating a sparkler send off at 9:45pm on the left and the bride's DIY floral and decor of votives and vintage glassware on the right A groom takes a time out from his Golden Gardens Bathhouse wedding ceremony to snap a few instant camera photos of his bride A couple dance their first dance at their Golden Gardens Bathhouse Wedding with an intimate, moody black and white photo Mouths are agape and arms outstretched in an effort to catch the tossed bouquet at a Golden Gardens Bathhouse Wedding A groom tows his bride during their Golden Gardens Bathhouse wedding sparkler send off in the rain

Golden Gardens Bathhouse Wedding Details

Venue: Golden Gardens Bathhouse
MOH: Caitlin Shipley
BM: Adam Critzer
Officiant: John Meyer
Bridal Gown: Family heirloom
Florals: The bride
Coordination: The bride
Catering: Larry’s Smokehouse
Parasols: Bella Umbrella
Photography: Kip Beelman Photography

Jillian + MichaelClise Mansion WeddingRedmond, WA

February 27, 2012

A few weeks ago I had the honor of photographing a Clise Mansion wedding for Jillian and Michael in Redmond, WA alongside my dear and talented friend Kristen Tourtillotte. It was a soggy Pacific Northwest day that could not dampen our spirits.

Besides being 6′ 6″ and a former Seattle Seahawks tight end, Michael and his boys are huge lovers of Mountain Dew. I think there may be more Reservoir Dogs portraits of the lads with their Dew than traditional groomsmen images.

It turns out too that Jillian is a mighty good singer and as coincidence would have it, the male lead singer of the band was none other than James Cowan – A man I’m quite familiar with having spent hours and hours recording his sweet voice in the studio. The best part yet? Jillian jumped up and killed one song with the band. Awesome.

The Clise Mansion is best utilized for small, intimate weddings that are looking for a bit of a traditional feel. The floor plan is a little difficult with half of the action in one side of the building and the rest split to the other half, but not stuffing the place to the gills provides for great mobility and a nice experience. The surrounding grounds and Marymoor park provide excellent photo opportunities for portraits of the couple, family and wedding party.

Keep your eyes peeled on Kristen’s blog as she’ll be sharing tons of portraits, details and great moments as the primary photographer. Here are a few frames from my coverage that caught my eye and who doesn’t love a little rain hitting their lens when trying to hand hold a 70-200 1/6th of a second (Windmill shot).

Groomsmen having a laugh during preparations for a Clise Mansion wedding A groom beams while a groomsman laughs riotously during prep for their Clise Mansion wedding A view from the floor looking up at the vibrant green bottles of Mountain Dew being clinked together in toast after preparations at a Clise Mansion wedding A colorless silhouette of a bride and groom nearly touching noses before their Clise Mansion wedding A bride and groom share a casual laugh before their Clise Mansion wedding An intimate black and white moment with a smiling bride gazing into her groom's eyes with his hands lovingly on her face just ahead of their Clise Mansion wedding A father kisses his daughter moments before they walk down the aisle at her Clise Mansion wedding The first kiss from a Clise Mansion wedding The witnesses signing the marriage license while the the new bride and groom look on at their Clise Mansion wedding A woman in the background cries on the shoulder of a man while the bride and groom have their 1st dance during a Clise Mansion wedding The bride is bathed in blue stage lighting with arm outstretched and belting with the band during her Clise Mansion wedding A soggy, rain splattered night shot of a windmill on the property of and ajacent to a Clise Mansion wedding

Clise Mansion Wedding Details

Wedding venue: Clise Mansion
Lead Photographer: Kristen Marie
Second photographer: Kip Beelman
Band: Oncore
Catering: Twelve Baskets Catering

Amy + MatthewSorrento Hotel WeddingSeattle, WA

November 14, 2011

Since I was also married at the Sorrento Hotel in Seattle, I am pretty familiar with all of the wonderful options for wedding photography here, and I always enjoy the chance to return to the scene of my wedding day. Sorrento Hotel wedding photography combines romance and elegance, history and the promise of the future.

This small, intimate wedding took place in a luxury Sorrento Hotel rooftop ceremony where guests enjoyed incredible views of the Seattle skyline along with the bride and groom’s touching vows.

The reception felt more like an elegant sit-down dinner with 40 great friends that just happened to be preceded by a wedding ceremony, making this a night to remember.

For more than a century, the chic and historic Sorrento Hotel on Seattle’s First Hill has been a place “where memories are made and traditions are born.” The hotel includes rich Italian architecture, warmth, music, beauty and activity. It is also known as one of the finest locations for Seattle wedding photography and I am thrilled to have my own Sorrento Hotel wedding photos to look back on and to be invited to share in the tradition with newlyweds celebrating their special day here.

Part of what elevated the event to Style Me Pretty status was the incredible flowers by Seattle event design and floral boutique Finch & Thistle by Rachel Bowes.

This was a wonderful day full of wonderful people at a wonderful venue… I’m so happy and honored that I was included in the festivities. Below is a brief selection of some of the images that set the tone and tell the story of the day. Please also visit Style Me Pretty and show your love in the comments section. Thank you!