Nickole and Clarence get married at the Marysville Opera House

On October 1, 2017 Nickole and Clarence were married at the Marysville Opera House.  I arrived at the Opera House several hours before the planned ceremony time so I could get some dressing room photos of Nickole and her bridesmaids, and the plan was for the whole wedding party to go to a nearby park for photos before the ceremony.

The day of the wedding the weather was somewhat in question.  It had been rather wet the day before, but the forecast looked like we might luck out.  As it turned out the weather was pretty much perfect, mix of sun and clouds but not a drop of rain, with very pleasant temperatures.

Getting Ready at the Opera House

I had not been to the Opera House for about 10 years and I was very curious to see if it had changed in that time.  I was very happy to find that it is virtually the same beautiful building that I remembered.  The Opera House was built in ~1910 and while the exterior is nothing special, the interior is very nice (as you’ll see from the photos).  Beautiful wood floors, and a balcony and stage that show a hint of the history of the building.

There is a small cottage next door where Nickole and her bridesmaids Sylvia and Sam were getting ready.  When I arrived Nickole was just finishing having her hair done, and I hung out and got photos of the ladies before they changed clothes.  Then I moved back to the Opera House and got photos of Clarence and his groomsmen Andy and Kim as they were helping set up the room.

Once Nickole was ready we did a “first look” for Clarence and Nickole in the yard next to the cottage.  I love these sessions, it is always such fun to see how the bride and groom react!

Photos at Jennings Park

Now it was time for me and the wedding party to make short drive to Jennings Park for some outdoor photos.  I had never been to Jennings Park before and had no idea what to expect.  I was very pleasantly surprised!  Jennings Park is beautiful and had a lot of different backgrounds for us to play with for photos; a playground, a very nice garden and a pond.  Some of the flowers in the garden were even still blooming!  We explored the park for the better part of an hour and got a lot of fun photos.  Quite a few of which you can see posted below!

The Wedding Ceremony

After finishing our very enjoyable photo session at the park we made our way back to the Opera House to get ready for the ceremony.  By now most of the family members had arrived as well as some of the guests.  Nickole and Clarence had done something that I wish I saw at more weddings, and for the early arrivals (as well as the wedding party) there was a snack bar set up inside the Opera House with a variety of tasty munchies and beverages.  While the guests visited and had some appetizers we gathered the two families together on the lawn next to the cottage and got a nice selection of family photos.

Nickole, Sam and Sylvia all moved back into the cottage while the Opera House slowly filled with the guests.  Once it seemed that everyone had arrived the wedding party and parents of the bride and groom gathered on the balcony, and the ceremony began.  Clarence escorted his parents to their seats, and Nickole was accompanied by both of her parents as she made her way down the aisle.

The ceremony was officiated by Julie Cooper, who I thought did a marvelous job.  And in what seemed like no time at all, Clarence and Nickole were officially married.  The wedding party recessed back down the aisle, and it was time for the party to begin!

The Reception

Because the caterer needed to turn the floor where the ceremony was held into the dining area, the guests all moved to the balcony while the tables were being set up.  More appetizers and drinks were available and everyone quickly got into a party mood.  The wedding party had moved outdoors with some of their friends, so we got a few quick group photos.  And because the sun had decided to make a brief (and very quirky) appearance I grabbed the newlyweds for a few more photos to take advantage of the nice lighting.

Once the tables were all in place and the buffet had been set up, everyone enjoyed a great meal.  The caterer was Alexa’s Catering of Bothell, and the food they provided was wonderful.  One of the percs of being a wedding photographer is all the great food I get to sample, and Alexa’s food was delicious!

While the guests enjoyed their dinner Nickole and Clarence made their way among the tables, greeting their family and friends (and giving me a chance to get some nice photos at the same time).

Next up was toasts, and then it was time to cut the cake.  I loved the wedding cake topper, showing a couple kissing while their dog looks on.  Originally the plan had been for Clarence and Nickole’s dog to be at the wedding but that idea was changed at the last minute.

And now it was time for the first dance for the newlyweds.  Nickole and Clarence took the floor first for their first dance as a married couple.   Nickole then danced with her father followed by Clarence sharing a dance with his mother.  Once these traditional dances were finished the dance floor was opened to the rest of the family and guests and things really got rolling.  DJ Moose Moran from Whidbey Island was in charge of the music.  I have worked with Moose many times, and he always does a great job of keeping the music playing and the dance floor full, and this wedding was no exception.  Moose kept the party rolling until it was finally time to leave, after one outstanding bash!

Enough from me, now you can check out some photos from the day.  This is only a small number of all the photos taken, if you’d like to see more leave some comments and I just might add more.