Vashon Island Ferry Engagement || Molly + Doms
There’s something so special about seeing the white and green ferry boats carving their way through the waters of Elliot Bay, headed to one of the many islands littered throughout the Puget Sound. Growing up in the desert of Southern California has given me such an appreciation for these whimsical old boats, so any chance I can ride one is a happy day for me, and I learned that Molly and Doms shared the sentiment. The ferries played a special role in their relationship - it’s where they got engaged. These two have been together for over 10 yrs, after meeting on the literal dance floor at a mutual friend’s party. Molly was a college friend of mine, so when she reached out about their summer wedding I was thrilled. Though it had been years since we’d connected, our day together felt as easy as a day with old friends; both molly and doms are the two kindest people, and Molly’s also one of the funniest and kept me laughing my head off.
We decided on the Vashon ferry for its laid back vibe, and a few key destinations - Point Robinson and Snapdragon Bakery & Cafe. Though the ferry ride itself is a quick 15-20 minutes, you can capture a lot if you’re willing to hustle. It was clear right off the bat that I wouldn’t need to do much directing with them; they were willing to be silly, emotional, connected and completely open to all of my direction and prompts from the get-go - basically the dream for a photographer.
Once we reached Vashon Island, our first destination was Snapdragon Bakery, a cozy local vegetarian spot to snag some coffee and pastries before we hit the beach. We ended up finding a corner table tucked away near the fireplace and spending an hour or so chatting. It’s rare that i get the chance to spend so much one on one time just talking with my couples, so this session felt extra special to me. After getting our coffee fix, we headed down to Point Robinson to pop some celebratory champagne and explore the old lighthouse and beach, and then it was back to the ferry for us!
To cap off a perfect morning, we spent our last ferry ride taking in the views, then popped over to Lincoln Park once we’d landed back in West Seattle. Doms and Molly had mentioned to me in our initial consultation that they owned a tandem bicycle that had belonged to Dom’s grandmother and were hoping to incorporate it into the shoot, possibly while wearing matching outfits. I am ALWAYS onboard for fun, personalized ideas like this - and Lincoln park was the perfect place to take it for a spin (granted it didn’t want to do much spinning when it came down to it 😂). I loved my morning with these two, and am so looking forward to their wedding later this year.
Enjoy, and if you have any questions about photoshoots on the ferries, get in touch!
