Washington Wedding Day Best Photographer of 2024 (formerly known as Seattle Bride Magazine)
The start of the new year is the indicator that great things are out on the horizon. It is now time for one of my favorite new year traditions. The voting of Washington Wedding Day‘s “Best Of” awards for the year ahead!
Washington Wedding Day hosts an annual competition to determine the “best of” vendor of each category for the wedding industry. Just like the previous 2 years, my name is in the running again for the Best Photographer of 2024!
When voting is closed (this year, it’s February 2nd) and the ballots are read, they host a big celebration where they officially announced all of the winners!
Washington Wedding Day Best Photographer of 2024
As a featured photographer in two physical Seattle Bride Magazines, I’ve been seeking to be a finalist. Well, let’s dream bigger – the WINNER – I’m been seeking to be the winner of this award for 3 years running. This year might be that year, with your help!
As a wedding photographer, we focus so much on telling the story that is unfolding in front of us. We try to create space where our clients can feel like themselves. We want to allow their authenticity in real moments shine through. 100% of time, we are intentional in each moment we capture. To be recognized in a contest like this is a honor. A lot of us feel like moments like these are only made for us in our dreams.
CLICK HERE TO CAST YOUR VOTE FOR WASHINGTON WEDDING DAY BEST PHOTOGRAPHER OF 2024!
Last year, my husband, Nathan Ochoa, owner of Ochoa Wedding Films, was a top 3 finalist for Best Videographer of 2023! INCREDIBLE, right?? He fell short of the main title, and that’s just an indicator that EVERY VOTE COUNTS.
I have had the honor of being a part of the wedding industry for over a decade. 5 of those years being in the PNW. I feel privileged to have had the opportunity to work and become friends with many talented Seattle-based wedding vendors.
Last year, there was a name change of Seattle Bride to Washington Wedding Day. Now, we are looking at vendors outside of the Seattle area, too!
Below you’ll find my top picks for some of the categories in the competition. In case you need some additional guidance! I’m not doing this to sway your vote or to rig this competition at all, promise. Just helping spread the love.
Remember, every vote counts, and each person can only vote one time. Because of this, I want to make sure I can share the love to all of these other amazing small businesses who deserve the recognition, too! If you have the time, I ask that you fill out multiple categories when you vote.
Inspiring weddings happen because of the inspiring teams behind them.
Feeling nosey? Check out my list for the best of 2023 awards!
You can use my list below to help in your decision. Who might deserve the recognition and added celebration this year? That choice is totally up to YOU. I know some of you may only have a quick moment and can only put in your vote for someone you already know (which is why you might be here right now). That’s totally okay!!
If that’s you, feel free to scroll right on to Best Photographer 2024. You can simply put your vote in for me, TMinspired Photography and Ochoa Wedding Films for best Videographer.
Now, on to my picks for Washington Wedding Day’s Best of 2024! These are in no particular order. I have the categories lined up with what you’ll find in the voting poll. We’ll look at Seattle-based vendors first, then move onto the rest of the state.
To cast your vote for Washington Wedding Day’s Best of 2024 wedding professionals, click here
Remember, voting is limited to one ballot per email address. Let’s play fair, friends.
Seattle Based Wedding Planner:
- Modern Aisles, Elyse is by far the most genuine planner I’ve worked with this past year. Celebrate all heritages and love stories. Encourages couples to do things in their own way that is in alignment with their values.
- The Social Co., the winners of last years “best new vendor” award, these gals absolutely deserve the title of best planner after the hustle they’ve shown since they started. Each member of their team works diligently to plan every single event as if they were their own.
- Gian Events, the queen herself has entered the chat. These girls love to design glamorous events, filled with sparkle, lights and dazzling details to create jaw-dropping reactions by the guests and the client.
- Elevated Events by Tosha, Tosha and her team believe wedding planning is more than timelines and checklists. It’s about being a guide, friend, and confidant. Tosha’s collaborative planning approach ensures every detail is taken care of while still having a lot of fun along the way!
- Designs By Ashlie Smith, Ashlie is ready to transform your dreams into reality. Her team offers wedding planning and coordination. They also can help take your vision and turn it into a full designed event to make an unforgettable experience for your guests.
- Emerald Engagements, just imagine a day free of stress where you’re able to enjoy every tiny moment. Carly and her team work hard to help your ideas become a reality to create the wedding of your dreams.
My top picks for the Washington Wedding Day’s Best of 2024 ballot:
Seattle Based Floral Designer:
- Love Leigh Blooms, “lovely blooms” by my girl Leigh. There are a few vendors who stand out to me by their hustle in the industry and Leigh is one of those vendors. I went from not knowing her to seeing her everywhere. When I got the chance to know her personally, we quickly became friends. She’s out there making her dreams come true and I respect the hell out of that.
- Goldenrod Floral, Carlee creates gorgeous, whimsical floral designs that make me swoon. When I was planning my beloved 1970’s styled shoot, I knew Carlee was my gal to make my dream a reality, and I wasn’t wrong.
- Anthera Floral, I’m always excited to see what Melissa has next in her creative brain. Her work is led by color and texture, and inspired by the way flora naturally occurs and thrives in the wild.
- New Leaf Floral Design, Camile is flower-obsessed in the best way possible and it shows. She creates the most whimsical, bouncy floral designs that I really love.
- Moon Flower Design Co, Sam wants your wedding flowers to feel like you, but also create something you’ve never seen before. She loves pushing the boundaries and thrives on creating artfully designed, thoughtfully curated combinations of flowers and foliages.
- Tangled Roots Floral, Adina truly creates ethereal, romantic and joyful designs. She is deeply rooted in community, seasonality, and creative expression using flowers as a medium. Based in Bellingham, you can enter her name in the OUTSIDE of Seattle section.
Seattle Based Photographer:
That’s when you can just put TMinspired Photography, babe. I am here to make the ethereal magic happen with warmth and effortless joy. I would really appreciate your vote of support. Thanks for your consideration in nominating me to win the Washington Wedding Day Best Photographer of 2024 award.
Seattle Based Catering:
- Table 47 Catering, absolutely fresh to the core and full of flavor.
- Cameron Catering, innovative menus inspired by the changing seasons.
- Ravishing Radish, warm hospitality, sophisticated presentation, and the fresh flavors of the PNW.
- Herban Feast, a finalist in last years awards! They will help you create your own unique menu and bar service with the freshest, seasonal ingredients prepared onsite.
Seattle Based Cake & Dessert:
- Lady Grey Seattle, who creates jaw-dropping designs that are also delicious.
- The Sweet Side, last years winner and absolutely deserving of reclaiming the title another year in a row!
- Honey Crumb Cake Studio, offers sustainability of ingredients and compostable packaging while still WOWing you with their desserts.
- Lady Yum, amazing macarons. Seriously, the best I’ve ever had. I may or may not still have dreams about them.
Did you know I also keep a list of Recommended Vendors on my website?
Seattle Based Entertainment:
- Blue Wave Band, they pride themselves on knowing what to play and when to play it. It isn’t enough just to fill your dance floor – they actually want you to love the music! Every song from the start of the day until you drive away together as a married couple can be tailored especially for you.
- Orion Entertainment, David and I have worked a few Seattle events together. He works very closely with his clients when it comes to the creation of their wedding playlists. He also emcee’s which I think is super valuable. They also won an award last year for best photo booth!
- Integral DJs, their passion for music and skills are reflected in fun and energetic mixes. They seamlessly blend classics with forgotten favorites and current hits.
- DJ Rocryte, works on KUBE 93.3fm. Definitely knows how to get the party going. He’s got the experience, knowledge, and the energy to help your guests party all night long.
- Bamboo Beats, I’ll never forget the wedding I worked where the couple wanted a mash pit in the middle of the dance floor. Let me just say, this DJ really delivered.
Now onto the STATE WIDE category of the ballot.
You can still utilize the list above. For the additional categories found in this section, you can find my picks as follows:
Rentals:
- Vintage Ambiance, for all the vintage finds your heart desires.
- Wander Rentals, a warehouse full of options to make your event beautiful and feel effortless.
- Pedersen’s Party Rentals, friendly and efficient, full-service event rental company.
- Hosted Modern, takes a minimalistic approach, putting emphasis on the uniqueness of individual pieces, rather than clutter
- CORT Party Rentals, I feel like I work nearly every wedding with them. They’re great to work with! Take a look at what they did for this backyard wedding.
- Simply Unique Event Rentals, are always on the hunt for unique and versatile items that are trending. This allows their inventory items to be be tailored to your distinct style.
Invitation Designer:
- Créé+Co, Everything she does is elegant and swoon-worthy.
- Marsupial Papers is here to bring you color. Originally found on Etsy I fell in love with their foil work and use colors. Something I am looking forward to seeing more of in the wedding world.
- Sablewood Paper Company, winner of the 2023 awards. Offering all inclusive invitations from start to finish.
- Olympic Place Prints, an invitation designer and calligrapher. She strives to make every detail, from the custom calligraphy to the wax seal, to be a reflection of who you are.
CLICK HERE TO CAST YOUR VOTE FOR WASHINGTON WEDDING DAY BEST OF 2024!
Signage & Calligraphy:
- Honest Calligraphy: Taylor is a powerhouse. Beautiful designs with such a timeless and yet modern aesthetic.
- Scripted Sketches, not only has gorgeous calligraphy designs but also offers venue illustrations. LOVE.
- Grand Mason Goods, collaborative and go-getters. This powerhouse couple loves to celebrate love and bring your vision to life!
Bar Service:
- The Mini Bar, a new ADORABLE mobile bar cart. It is small enough to fit indoors (a win for most event spaces), but big enough to make a lasting impression.
- Hitched Mobile Bar, their love for people, community-building, and delicious drinks, are at the heart of who they are and at the core of every decision they make.
- Cocktail Collective Mobile Bar, new in the industry and ready to deliver exquisite drinks and friendly service. They love making every guest feel welcomed and every host at ease.
- Kitsap Bartending Services, help ensure that all of your event bar needs are on-par with every other stage of planning. Not just an add-on service that becomes a second-thought. They also offer The Bustender, a mobile bar.
Videographer:
- Ochoa Wedding Films, here I am, just a girl standing in front of you, asking for you to vote for my husband. He was a finalist last year, which was just his first year being full time with videography. I’m so proud! He deserves to take the crown, for sure.
Washington Wedding Day Best Photographer of 2024
Photo Booth:
- Orion Entertainment, David won this award last year and absolutely deserves to win again!
- Shutter Bus Co., always a treat when I see them at a wedding I’m working. Consistent and such a fun design.
- The Snap Bar, a Photo Booth setup that anyone would recognize as a good time. The GIFs are super fun, too!
- 321 Foto, this women owned company has multiple photo booth options and this really rad 360 video cam which is my new favorite thing for receptions.
Ceremony Music:
- Puget Sound Strings, beautifully classic while still offering current and relevant music options.
- Michael Benson Band, accommodating to the newest hits, the variety is endless for Michael and his group!
Bridal Boutique:
Ah, so many greats: The Dress Theory, Blue Sky Bridal, Brides for a Cause, A&BE Bridal, I Do Bridal.
You can actually read about these shops and check out my whole list of faves via this blog post.
Menswear:
- Sew Generously, amazing bespoke custom suits.
- Indochino, a popular choice for many suits I’ve photographed this year.
Jeweler:
- Anueva Jewelry, a crazy talented jewelry designer. Inspired by nature and antique vibes. Jennifer creates fine jewelry using ethical gems and recycled gold.
Hair & Makeup:
You really can’t go wrong with any of these talented gals. I’ve personally worked with them, whether in styled shoots, real weddings, or by personally booking them for my own use! They all deserve to win this award!
- Michelle Wight Hair & Makeup
- Sarah Ren Makeup & Hair
- I.M Artistry
- Seattle Beauty Boss
- LiSun Goh Beauty
My picks for Washington Wedding Day’s best of 2024 awards:
Officiant:
- Another One Ties The Knot, Cherise is one of a kind and such a lovely soul. She won last year and is deserving of a back-to-back win.
- PNW Officiant, Hillary works close with you to craft a memorable wedding ceremony that compliments you and your love story!
- Tapestry Event Company, not only does Kate and her team plan weddings, but they also are some of the most personable officiants I’ve worked with.
- Officiant Grace, the most genuine and sweetest human. Within just a few moments of meeting her you can feel her deep passion for people.
Venue categories:
Oh man are there so many good ones to choose from! I’ve been compiling all of my favorites into sections throughout my blog posts. If you really want to dig through to find some inspo, check out these posts:
- Best Seattle Wedding Venues
- Best Forest Wedding Venues in Washington
- Best Camping Wedding Venues in Washington
- Best Tacoma Wedding Venues
And my overall blog post, Washington Wedding Venues, which helps you sort my location!
Best New Wedding Business:
I love this category because there are so many new inspiring stories to follow!
- Lovely Letters by Amanda, who helps write wedding vows and speeches.
- Wags Down the Aisle, Adrienne is an amazing wedding-day dog sitter for your favorite pup.
Best All-Around Vendor:
- You can just go ahead and put TMinspired Photography here too. Let’s just go for it!
OKAY, THAT’S IT! Phew, we made it!
Thank you, thank you, thank you. Not only for your time to vote for me as Washington Wedding Day Best Photographer of 2024, but also for your support in my business. If you told me when I was 18 when I photographed my first wedding, that this is what I’d be doing full-time. It was a dream of mine to be surrounded by fellow creatives, pursuing this passion of ours that runs deep into our core. Look, 18 year old me. We did it.
Finalists will be announced in May and winners will be revealed at our Best of 2024 Awards Gala on Tuesday, July 23rd.