Summer + Michael | An Elegant Point Defiance Zoo and Aquarium Wedding
It’s pretty much a PNW Wedding Photographer’s bucket list item to photograph at the Washington Aquariums. I had the honor of photographing this Point Defiance Zoo Wedding before the original North Pacific Aquarium closed for good.
I’ve always considered it an incredible honor when a friend asks me to photograph their wedding. I’m definitely not the type who would rather attend a wedding than capture it, and let’s be real—if I ever end up at my own wedding (Update: It did, I didn’t have my camera, but you can see it here.), you can bet I’ll have a camera in my hands, no matter what anyone says. It’s just who I am.
But this wedding? This one was special. I had been waiting years for it.
A long awaited wedding…
I met Summer back when I was in Girl Scouts with her sister, Tiffany. Years later, when she was graduating from Bonney Lake High School, her dad asked me to take her senior photos. I had just started my business, and she was the first senior I ever photographed. They insisted on paying me—with a Red Robin gift card. And let me tell you, that was the best dinner I ever earned. Over the years, Summer and I became real friends, and through her, I met some truly wonderful people. Watching her grow into the incredible woman she is today has been a privilege. So, when she asked me to photograph her Point Defiance Zoo wedding, I was ecstatic—and had to try really hard not to cry. (Because yes, I might look like a total badass, but inside? 100% marshmallow. 😜)
Summer introduced me to Michael around 2012 or 2013. I’d already heard plenty of stories about him, but when I met him in person for a session, I wasn’t prepared for how quiet and reserved he was. He barely spoke, maybe cracked one joke, and kept things super low-key. I just couldn’t get much out of him. But now? Oh, now I can’t get him to stop talking! The second I walk up, the banter starts, and their Point Defiance Zoo wedding was the complete opposite of that very first session.
Their Point Defiance Zoo love story
What stood out most at their Point Defiance Zoo wedding was how Michael supported Summer. Anytime a tiny hiccup popped up, he was right there with a reassuring word, a comforting touch, or a joke to keep her laughing. You could tell that nothing else mattered to him except marrying her. Honestly, I think he would have been just as happy getting married in street clothes on some random corner—he just wanted her. His love for Summer was so tangible, and let’s just say I had a very hard time keeping my emotions in check around these two.
Their Point Defiance Zoo wedding was a perfect reflection of who they are. From the dreamy notes of Somewhere Over the Rainbow filling the air to the chef’s kiss bacon-wrapped dates at the reception, every detail was them. Summer looked like a Disney princess in her stunning dress—but in true Summer fashion, she rocked light blue Converse underneath. Their ceremony at the North Pacific Aquarium was intimate and magical, with rose and greenery garlands even dressing up the shark teeth displays. But let’s be honest—what’s a Point Defiance Zoo wedding without animal encounters? Guests got to meet Siesta the Sloth and an adorable little hedgehog during the reception, making their day even more unique and unforgettable.
It was an absolutely incredible wedding, filled with love, laughter, and just the right touch of wild. I’ll forever be thankful I got to be a part of it.
