Hey friends! If you’re new here, I’m Kaitlyn, the lead photographer and videographer behind Skyewater 💙 We specialize in calm, connected, and water-centric elopements and small weddings for couples getting married in the PNW. A bit more about me:
💦 I feel most at home when I’m on, in, or near the water. The photos above were taken on a recent retreat on the coast of Oregon, which is where I first fell in love with the PNW and knew I’d end up living on the West Coast someday. I was born in Florida, spent two years in Reno for grad school, and after living in Colorado for seven years, Washington State is now my home.
🎨 I consider myself a creative first and foremost; no matter where life takes me, I know I’ll always be doing something creative. I grew up studying art, primarily drawing and painting, but also have written lots of poetry and someday hope to publish a memoir.
💍 I am married to an incredibly supportive and thoughtful person, Vaughn, who I’ve been with for over 14 (!) years now. We now live in West Seattle near Alki Beach.
🏳️🌈 I am queer. It’s taken me many years feeling comfortable enough in my own skin to be able to say that aloud, but it is a part of who I am and I truly believe the world is a better place when we all feel welcomed, supported, and loved.
📸 I am incredibly grateful to have documented 200+ couples on camera over the last decade, and I don’t plan to stop any time soon. I connect most with others who also value sustainability, inclusivity, and slowing things down to make wedding days feel more at ease. I even recently started a podcast with talented filmmaker Kaylyn of @wanderingwildflowerfilms called @outsidetheframe.podcast where we’re shaking things up in the wedding industry to focus more on bringing the things we care about to the forefront of our work.
Thank you so much for being here. ✨
There aren’t enough words to describe just how epic Renee + Preston’s elopement in the Bahamas was this past weekend. Stingrays, snorkeling, sunshine, turquoise waters, happy tears, family hugs and laughs, and one of the most badass couples we’ve ever met. Here’s the first few favorites we just couldn’t wait to share 😍
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#fearlessphotographers #adventureelopements #underwater #underwaterportrait #bahamas #islandlife #wanderingweddings #elope #underwaterphotographer #floridaelopement #floridaelopementphotographer #islandelopement
My top tips for finding a stellar vendor team to work with, and the first one is rarely on how-to articles: finding vendors aligned with your values. Not only is today (and honestly, every day) Earth Day, so this feels fitting to chat about right now, but if you care at all about the environment, I promise celebrating your wedding sustainably is much easier than you might think! Sustainability is one of my core values, and a big reason why I keep recommending everyone check out our @emeraldhourorg vendor directory when looking for eco friendly vendors. Happy #earthday friends! 💙
Anlan’s response: “There was a reason you were the first vendor we picked, I’ve always known you were the one to do TreeHouse Point justice.” Which is such a huge compliment because I didn’t know if anyone can quite capture what it feels like to be there! Such a stunning day for this intimate wedding among the trees 😍🌲
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Vendors:
@treehousepoint@willow.wisteria.events@pnwofficiant@nolas_events@sweetescape_wa
Iris & Gold
Valentinas Florals
Karr Productions
Eastside Drives
Postcards from the Last Frontier: this time last year, we were headed to Alaska to document Bailey + Mason’s elopement, from stargazing and northern lights chasing to helicopter rides, mountaintop vows, and glacier landings. Join me in saying happy (early) anniversary to these two! 💙🚁
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#alaskaelopementphotographer #alaskaelopementvideographer #helicopterelopement #alaskaweddingphotographer
Surprise proposals are always exciting to document, and this one was my first challenge to document one at night! Randy and Sophie were at the ballet, while their families helped him plan a surprise waiting for Sophie outside: a heart of rose petals and lights with a view of the Seattle Space Needle where he proposed once the ballet was over. Her family said she always has a sixth sense when surprises are coming, but I think they really pulled this one off! ❤️
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And we still practiced LNT: candles were battery powered (with a remote! I want these 😆) and all petals were cleaned up after.
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#spaceneedle #seattleproposal #downtownseattle #seattleproposalphotographer
I love that smaller, more intentional weddings are becoming the norm — it also means they’re often having a smaller footprint on the earth! We’re excited about the upcoming 3rd Annual Sustainable Wedding Show on April 12th, hosted by @emeraldhourorg and can’t wait to see you all there!
My love for waterfalls goes way back to my childhood, visiting my grandparents in North Carolina every summer. They’ve always seemed like such a powerful, majestic force, one of the few settings that quiets my anxious mind. People still ask me, “Why Washington?” when I say I’m originally from Florida. It’s places like this, Snoqualmie Falls, tucked in a gorge among some of the greenest forests I’ve ever seen, and less than an hour from the waters of Puget Sound where the ferries and whales give me so much joy. I’m not ever going to argue with people who choose to live elsewhere, I just want everyone to feel this: living in a place you feel connected to, that makes you feel grounded, alive, and grateful. Wherever that is for you, I hope you find it if you haven’t already. 💙
Although I love how quickly and easily the internet gives us the chance to meet new people, I still truly love getting to connect one-on-one with people in person. This weekend, I’ll be going way outside my introverted comfort zone to participate in the @seattleweddingshow (say hi at booth 1515!) but I am hoping my little corner of the room offers a space of calm to think outside the box. Because yes, you can have both an adventure for private vows and a wedding reception (or some other combination that feels just right to you!). Get 50% off your ticket using code SWSSPF - see you there!
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#seattleweddingphotographer #seattleweddingshow #washingtonweddingphotographer #seattleelopementphotographer
As a follow up to my post yesterday on finding joy when we need it most, I wanted to share some of my favorites from this incredibly joyful and emotional wedding. Dominique and Josh were smiling nearly the entire time and I always feel so honored to be the one to document days like this.
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Venue: @evergreenmeadowsvenue
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#seattlewedding #seattleweddingphotographer #washingtonwedding #joyfulwedding #washingtonstateweddingphotographer
