Mode Weddings ~ Photography for best friends in love

Start your new life together by helping a special woman in need - we’re auctioning our wedding photography services for your special day ~ bid today ~ auction ends at 5 pm (PST) on Valentine’s Day!

One special wedding is going to celebrate not only the joy of the relationship between bride and groom, but also celebrate life itself, as a ‘vehicle of giving’ to help a beautiful, kind and generous, artistic soul conquer cancer for herself and her daughter- will it be yours? $1700 - the starting bid for Bill and me - Mode Wedding Photographers - to photograph your wedding and we’ll donate 100% of the highest amount bid to Sharlane, a single mom, artist and giver, in need of help while she works to claim her title of ’survivor’. $1700 might seem like a random place to start, but it’s a very special number to me - I hope you’ll read my story, and I hope you’ll be moved to join us in this project to give love and support to Sharlane.

Seventeen Hundred Reasons

Thursday, April 12, 2001 was the day I learned I was battling cancer. I was a single mom, in my 30’s and was in my third month of unemployment after a layoff.  The day actually started out great - a few days earlier I’d accepted an offer for a new job - a cut in responsibility and pay, but the proverbial ‘foot in the door’.  My kids were on spring break, so we’d decided to celebrate in one of our favorite ways - driving to the coast for an afternoon picnic on the beach. Feeling fine, I breezed out the door with the promise that I just had this quick check in with my surgeon - to make sure my incisions were healing well and likely remove sutures - and then I’d get back home, pack our lunch and we’d be off for a day of sand, water, and if we were lucky, maybe even a little sunshine. After all, the biopsy had been more of a precaution - just a measure to rule out any worries, as my symptoms were not typically associated with cancer and I was healthy, fit, and considered ‘too young’ for breast cancer - “odds are 1 in 10,000,” had been the surgeon’s words.

Well, as you can likely guess, the appointment turned into more than I’d expected - much more - as I learned this day would bring the most dreaded moment I’d ever face - having to go home and tell my three children, “I have cancer.”  But, that grueling task and its emotional fallout; and the loss of body parts that seemed so directly connected to my womanhood, and recovery, treatment, follow-up surgeries - those are all stories for another day.

Today I’ve promised to tell you the reason - the ‘1700 reasons’ Bill and I arrived at $1700 as our starting point in the auction of our photography services for your wedding, and why we hope you’ll consider bidding to receive them. After reading that little ‘intro’ to my cancer story, I’m sure you can see why Sharlane’s story has touched me in such a personal way.  A single mom, while not “un” employed, Sharlane is self-employed - so her situation is basically the same as mine was - to step away from work to fight her cancer means no income to continue to support herself and her sweet little girl.  Make no mistake - cancer COSTS.  We all can relate to the emotional and physical costs - but with or without medical insurance, and in addition to the resulting lack of income, fighting cancer costs alot of dollars, too.

Less than four weeks after my bi-lateral (double) mastectomies, and against the wishes of my doctor (typical recovery time was a minimum of six weeks), I caved to pressure from my new supervisor and started my job. I was only able to work half time for the first several weeks. So - significant cut in pay plus a half-time schedule….you get it…not alot of physical or financial resources to support my family of four.  That wasn’t all - employment policy on the new job prevented me from using any sick leave benefits until I had worked full time for six months - so - add several dr visits per week into the mix, as well as seven weeks of daily radiation treatments … every dr visit, every radiation treatment - was unpaid leave.  Then there was the issue of the change to new medical insurance - including all new deductibles to satisfy out of my own pocket, and it seemed like, no matter how many times I called and provided the new info, it never reached the hands of the person filing claims…which resulted in tangled stacks of unpaid bills and denied claims. I got to the point of not wanting to answer my telephone as there was always some collection person on the other end saying something like, “we’ve billed your insurance company twice and they have denied the claims - your bill is now past due, and for the week of x-date to x-date, you owe us $21,700 for radiation oncology.” ….and on and on it went. Yes, cancer costs - and it doesn’t wait till you’re back on your feet, or through with treatment, or fully recovered…  Yes, eventually those situations were resolved, but the constant threats to my credit, along with my at best ‘limping’ income, took their toll. Please know - I know that I am lucky - no chemo, lots of loving friends and family, and I won the battle - these are facts that make me grateful every day.  But these details I’m sharing are real - and no matter how hard you are battling, or how exhausted you might be, or how much you wish you could give what little energy you have to your family instead of worries about money - they rear their ugly heads and demand that you deal with them.  Cancer costs….and the light bill, grocery bills and rent still come due.

A Gift from an Angel

So, there I sat on my front porch one afternoon, after months of scrambling and juggling to try to cover all my financial bases.  I’d been a good girl and had the recommended rainy day savings account, but the months of unemployment followed by the cancer battle had burned through every cent.  On this day, I was facing a new grueling task - my rent was due and for the first time ever in my life, I was going to have to call the landlord and tell him I wasn’t able to pay. I felt so defeated - my goal, in addition to survival - and reassuring/restoring confidence in my children that their mom wasn’t going anywhere - had been to come through this battle with grace and dignity.  The phone call looming over my head did not feel graceful or dignified, and I wasn’t sure what I would do if I couldn’t afford to rent a house for my kids and me.  I sat outside, knowing that as soon as I went inside, I needed to take the responsible step and make that call….I realized, “Hey, I haven’t gotten the mail yet today - there’s one more reason to stall another minute or two….”

As I walked back toward the house from the mailbox, I went through the stack of ‘usual’ mail - bills of course, junk adds, and then I came to a 5×7 manilla envelope.  It was lumpy, ya know, like it contained more than a card or letter; my name and address were handwritten on it and there was no return address.  I opened it and found a card - on the front was a photograph that anyone living in our area would recognize - it was the old brewhouse - the original brick building, full of old-time character, on the land that eventually became the home to the Olympia Brewery.  Inside was a handwritten message from an angel:

“Dear Ms Wheeler-

Please receive this gift as an encouragement and as an expression of God’s love and provision for you.  The prompting to give this came in a time of prayer.  Receive it and use it where you have need.  Who do you thank?  Give thanks to Him who is our maker.

You may have occasion to be a vehicle of giving to others in the years to come.

I believe you will.

You are greatly loved by the Father of Creation.”

There was no signature.

With chills running through my whole body and my heart pounding, I looked inside the manilla envelope again and found two smaller envelopes - I pulled them out to find that each of them contained a stack of 5’s, 10’s and 20’s - in all, $1,700….$1,700!!  Enough to pay rent, buy groceries and catch up on a few other bills - $1700 - enough to know that I would scrape by, and be able to make it through a few more weeks of short paychecks until treatment was over and I’d be mostly able to work full time.  $1700 - a gift of relief, a gift of confidence that I would win this battle with cancer, a gift of the ability to support my family. I studied the handwriting for days, weeks, months, years - it was unique and I have memorized what it looks like - always watching to see if I can spot the same writing from anyone whose path crosses mine.  So far, the identity of my angel is still a secret - as much as I would love to thank that person, part of me is glad that I haven’t solved the mystery - as obviously it was my angel’s desire to remain anonymous.

Today is the first time I have actually pushed myself to put pen to paper -  or fingers to keyboard - about my cancer, or about the story of this amazing gift. As I write, I’m realizing that - as much as I’ve worked to be the “vehicle of giving”, as my angel wrote - in the back of my mind I was afraid that letting go of how closely and privately I held this story would mean letting go of the confidence it bestowed. But that was not true. Today I realize that I was just waiting for the right time to share it. Today is a good day - make that a GREAT day - today I am excited because, like my angel said he/she knew I would, today is the day I get to pay it forward - I can’t tell you how much I have been looking forward to this day. Today my heart is overflowing with even more appreciation for my angel, because today I am receiving yet another gift from him/her - the chance to help someone who is in the same situation I was.

What You’ll Receive

$1700 - the starting bid for Bill and me - Mode Wedding Photographers - to photograph your wedding anywhere in the country and we’ll donate 100% of the highest bid to Sharlane, a single mom in need of help while she works to claim her title of ’survivor’. In exchange for the highest bid, and in addition to that warm fuzzy feeling you get when you help someone, you’ll receive our professional wedding photography services including:

• Our double-date style engagement session
• Two photographers (Bill & me) all day on your wedding day (anywhere in the US!)
• Private online gallery for viewing/ordering images
• DVD containing engagement and wedding images, with personal printing rights

One special wedding is going to celebrate not only the joy of the relationship between bride and groom, but also celebrate life itself, as a ‘vehicle of giving’ to help a beautiful, kind and giving, artistic soul conquer cancer for herself and her daughter- will it be yours?

Want to get to know us before you bid?  Leave a comment - we’re happy to set up a phone consult, iChat or meet in person - we’d love to get acquainted and hear about your plans!

How to Bid

$1700 - we’re starting at a dramatic reduction of our typical pricing - we hope you’ll bid, and keep bidding, so that together we can give Sharlane not only our support, but our confidence that she can win this battle. To bid, please add a comment to this post with your wedding date and bid amount - we’ll email you privately to get your contact info (name, address, phone)   If we are already  booked for your date, we will notify you immediately and offer the option to withdraw your bid.  If you should be outbid, we will notify you so that you may increase your bid.  The bidding will close at 5 pm (PST) on Valentine’s Day, Sunday February 14, 2010.  We will notify the high bidder via phone and post the results here.

Thank you for letting me share this story with you.  Please bid now! Your partnership in our project to help Sharlane means the world to Bill and me!

With love and hope ~ Erin

For more info about Sharlane and additional ways that you can help, please click We Heart Sharlane

*Please note: winning bidder must sign our photography services agreement

Update!! The bidding has begun!!

Thanks, Stephanie, for being awesome and posting the starting bid of $1,700 ~ do we hear $1,800?

Talk about stars in your eyes….Lindsay fell for Jason back in high school - well, she didn’t actually fall, but she does admit being so distracted by his first “hello” that she walked head-on into a cement post! ;-)  That moment must’ve put stars in Jason’s eyes, too - he asked Lindsay out, and what started as a - let’s say “memorable” - high school moment led to a connection for life.

Twelve years, a house and a dog later, Lindsay & Jason ‘finally’ (according to their circle of friends who claim they have ALWAYS been perfect for each other) chose to get married in a beautiful candlelit ceremony in Olympia.  The day started with Lindsay and her bridesmaids enjoying an excellent spa experience at Premiere.

Then it was off to the State Capitol building, where Jason got his first glimpse and a quiet moment with his gorgeous bride….

Their private moment didn’t last long

In true Olympia-in-the-fall fashion, the weather was a mix of clouds, sunbreaks and showers - with timing more perfect than anyone could ask for, as the wedding party and guests arrived at the Heritage Room, this rainbow appeared

Colors for the wedding were sophisticated in classic black and white, with a touch of yellow.  Flowers by Erin & Company provided a hint of art deco flair to the elegant decorations.

A prominent feature that brought plenty of smiles as guests entered was this photo from Lindsay & Jason’s high school Homecoming dance - little did they know that the theme, “Forever”, was going to hold so much meaning for their future!

In celebration of that prophetic high school dance theme, Lindsay and Jason each surprised the other with the inscription “Forever” engraved inside their wedding rings.

After the ceremony, the staff of Occasions Catering provided a fabulous and colorful feast, and top-notch service to a packed house throughout the evening.

Toasts were entertaining, as lifelong friends of the bride and groom took turns sharing tales of those high school days and of times since - touching, too, to hear that the common theme among them honored the fact that both Lindsay and Jason are the kind of people who help their friends stay optimistic when it counts - so much heartfelt and genuine happiness shared!

Check out the Signing Book that we created with images from their engagement session - now it’s a keepsake filled with heartfelt messages from friends and family on their wedding day!

So, Lindsay and Jason, is this better than dancing at Homecoming?

Lindsay & Jason thought a photo booth would be a fun addition to their reception - they were right!  Friends weren’t the only ones lining up all evening

And Pedro Serrano of S&S DJ Show did such an excellent job of keeping the crowd moving that no one wanted the evening to end!

Thanks Lindsay and Jason - your story is such a special one and we are thrilled that you chose us to capture the moments of your big day with you.  Hope you’ve enjoyed the preview - we can’t wait to show you the rest!

The awesome vendors:

Salon: Premiere Salon and Spa

Venue: Heritage Room by Occasions

Catering: Occasions Catering

DJ: S&S DJ Show (Pedro Serrano)

Flowers: Flowers by Erin (no website? let us know.)

Hotel: Phoenix Inn

Officiant: A Time Like This (Gina Newberry) Gina is awesome - we highly recommend her!

A chance meeting turned into happily ever after :)  Jeremy was in the service, stationed in Hawaii when he and his buddy spotted a couple of cute tourists and decided to say hello.  Megan told us that she knew that very moment….no doubt in her mind…Jeremy was ‘the one’.  And she was right Several years - and twists and turns of life’s paths - later, on a lawn surrounded by blazing summer colors and their closest family and friends, they exchanged their vows.

Megan started her day in a spacious suite at the Suquamish Clearwater Resort.  We were impressed by how calm Megan was - her great planning left her plenty of time to relax and enjoy time with family and friends who popped in as they arrived and checked into the hotel.

Unimpressed by all the company Megan and Jeremy’s son Garrett napped through much of the preparation.

Stylist Joseph Randall, of Joseph Robert’s Salon & Massage in Olympia, was awesome to work with - he literally worked non-stop from before noon until we all left for the wedding.  Clearly in his element, he added an air of warmth and fun while creating elegant styles for not just Megan, but her bridesmaids, her mom and Jeremy’s mom, too!  Between Joseph and Sequoia Leopold, the highly skilled make-up artist/owner of My Flawless Tan, the bridal party and the moms looked absolutely stunning as they left for the wedding.

As Megan and ‘the girls’ headed out to the Lodge, the guys were already there, getting ‘gussied up’ themselves.

Too cool crew - that’s Josh in front, looking forward to being a part of his dad’s wedding

Just a short ferry ride from Seattle or a scenic drive along the Kitsap Peninsula from Tacoma, the Kiana Lodge is a little slice of heaven. Tucked in amongst a gorgeous stand of old growth fir and cedar trees, the lodge is surrounded by acres of manicured gardens and overflowing with summer color, and has the added “ahhhhh factor” of an amazing Puget Sound waterfront view.  I heard unofficially that the lodge employs 7 full-time gardeners to maintain this PNW paradise - and I believe it!! The rustic elegance of the Kiana Lodge atrium, combined with the beautiful arrangements from Bella Signature created such a breathtaking atmosphere for the delicious dinner ahead!

No matter where you happen to be standing, Kiana Lodge provides an awe-inspiring view in every direction!

Have I mentioned how much I LOVE my job?? … of course, one of my favorite moments at any wedding is the opportunity to be there when the bride and groom get a first glimpse of each other!

After spending the day with Megan, I didn’t think she could be any more radiant - but then came her turn down the aisle…she gave the sun a run for its money ;)  Chamber music provided by South Sound Strings was the perfect accompaniment to her glowing entrance.

As Jeremy read the heartfelt vows he’d written to Megan, I don’t think there was a dry eye in the place - so eloquent.

After dinner, the party moved over to the lodge.  This quiet and tender moment was followed by lots of crazy fun on the dance floor

Apparently, good friends and good times run in the family - even Megan’s grandpa was tearin’ it up!!

Meanwhile…. Jeremy and ‘his boys’ stole a few moments to chill out on the dock….

A sunset walk on the beach gave the newlyweds a reason to sneak away for some quiet time.

Megan and Jeremy - hope you are having an awesome time in Mexico!  Thanks for letting us be a part of your incredible day - we’re looking forward to getting together after you’re home, so we can show you the rest of your images!

And a shout out to other great vendors that were part of their special day, but aren’t pictured in this post:

Jeweler:  Jared

Cake:  Blackbird Bakery, Bainbridge Island, WA

DJ/MC:  Brett Ness, Poulsbo, WA

Travel:  Carlson Wagonlit

Erin & Bill

We were thrilled when Bill’s long-time friend, Chad, called to say he’d proposed - and even more excited when he followed that up with the idea that he and Shawna wanted us to photograph their big day!

Over the past several months we’ve shared alot of fun, food and laughs with these two - Chad is an avid photographer whose day job involves project management at Intel, and Shawna works in the trenches, battling for teens to stay healthy and alive, as a drug and alcohol counselor for a local school district.  Of course these two best friends are crazy-in-love, but I was also struck by the solid foundation of their relationship - built on their joint commitment to family and friends, their church, and to just plain ‘doing the right thing’….it also doesn’t hurt that they know how to crack each other up ;-D

Shawna and ‘her girls’ started their day with hair and makeup at Brassfields Salon and Day Spa in University Place - the atmosphere was lively, fun and well organized - they were working with 3 wedding parties that morning!  Still, they were attentive and accommodating - no one felt rushed and they did an excellent job of helping Shawna, Elaine and Holly look and feel gorgeous

The wedding was held at Believers’ Fellowship ,  in Gig Harbor - Chad & Shawna are regular members there.  Friend and Pastor, John Pleau, conducted an outstanding celebration of their marriage, sharing not just scriptures and vows, but tales of personal lessons learned and a few funny stories about Chad & Shawna, too.

The moment both had been anticipating for so long - I don’t think either of them was breathing here

First sight between Dad and daughter was such an emotional moment.

Shawna and Chad did an amazing job of planning ahead to prepare for the day - leaving themselves plenty of time to just relax and hang out with close family and friends before the ceremony….we LOVE that!

Of course the tireless efforts of church-wedding-coordinator-extraordinaire, Rita Ness, were a major key to keeping details of the day on track!

The look on Chad’s face says it all, doesn’t it?

A quite moment of prayer before the ceremony

A sneak peek while excitedly waiting their turn to walk down the aisle

Chad’s grandparents wore quietly proud smiles through the entire day.

This hug between Father of the Bride and Groom - how many emotions can one moment contain?

After the ceremony, we had fun whisking the bride and groom away from the church and to McCormick Woods golf and country club in Port Orchard - what a gorgeous venue for their reception!  Since the four of us arrived early, we were able to sneak out onto the golf course and grab some fun shots of the newlyweds

DJ Mike Bozinski of That’s Entertainment is awesome!  He was super entertaining and kept everyone informed - and made sure they had fun - during the reception.

Chad’s brother, Josh, kept us all laughing all day.

Hand made by their brides - Shawna chose to follow a tradition created by Chad’s parents and, later, Josh’s bride as well - She made Chad’s ring with her own hands! (and a little help from Chad’s father Dave)

The get-away car - a stylish end to a stylish day

We hope you guys are having an awesome time in Florida - see you soon!

~Erin and Bill

Becky and Everett have such a great group of friends and a fun loving family - we couldn’t help but have fun at their wedding!  Both the ceremony and reception were held at the Masonic Center in Olympia. Our day started at the Allure Salon, a bright and stylish salon in West Olympia.  I stayed and captured the fun with Becky and her good friend and bridesmaid, Sara - while Bill headed out to catch up with the guys.

After Cyndi did an awesome job of styling Becky’s hair, the bride herself jumped into the role of stylist to Sara…

Even Tumwater’s finest joined in to wishing the best to Becky and Everett - after ‘congratulating’ Sara on her amazing NASCAR-like driving skills, that is..the photojournalist side of me wanted so much to jump out of the car and document the entire encounter from a better vantage point, but I thought that might inspire the officer to write his comments, instead of his “wedding day gift” of a smile and friendly warning

Becky and her bridesmaids continued getting ready at the Masonic Center.  Meanwhile, on the other side of town…..best man and life long friend to Everett, Eddy Ellis (a professional fighter) offered up his United Training Center gym as a perfect location for the guys to gather, get dressed and toast the upcoming events of the afternoon.

Becky swore Bill into seeing to it that the guys only had one shot each - but no one made any promises about the size of the shot glasses!

Everett was so excited to see Becky - we had a hard time getting him to keep his back turned until ‘the moment’. As soon as the first glance happened, though, any tensions of the day just melted away and their souls were visibly refreshed - these two so truly belong in each other’s company!

They say if you look up and to the left, you won’t cry, right?

A traffic-stopping crew…. literally….we appreciated the patience of the drivers who allowed Bill to get a few shots of the guys strolling down the street.

Becky pinning flowers on Everett’s mom, Vicky.

Everett and family friend Joe (the officiant) in the shadows, just before the ceremony started.

Quyn was the cutest 3 year old flower girl ever!

Dennis had a quiet proud smile all day - he beamed as they came down the isle.

After a great meal catered by the Budd Bay Cafe, it was time to toast the newlyweds.  Eddie’s words were few, but filled with meaning that everyone could share. Stephanie, the Maid of Honor and close friend to Becky since childhood, and Dennis, Becky’s dad, each spoke as well.  I have to admit - my eyes still fill with tears when I remember Stephanie telling the story of the day that Becky said, “I think Everett might be the one.”

It came as no surprise to us that Last Call Entertainment did an awesome job with the DJ duties - having worked with them before, we know they’re great. Chris and his crew made sure that everyone had plenty of chances to hit the dance floor and this crowd really appreciated that!

Becky’s brother Chris and her mom striking a pose for the camera ;-)  Bill passed the camera to Chris and got him to shoot the next shot of us with Becky and Everett - Thanks Chris!

A huge thanks to Becky and Everett - being a part of your day and witnessing the amazing love you share was an honor we’ll always treasure!

~Erin and Bill

While outside, “the winter storm of a generation” (so dubbed by local newscasters–check out those icicles hanging from the eaves of the church, below!!) spread swirling snow over trees, lawns and roadways already covered in layers of ice, Kandie and Rick became husband and wife in an intimate ceremony warmed by love and best wishes from their closest friends and family members.  Their wedding day, seven years in the making, was not about to be outdone by challenging winter driving (and walking, for that matter ) conditions!

We’ve had the great pleasure of getting to know Rick and Kandie through their engagement shoot and working with them to finalize plans for how the story of their wedding day would unfold.  They are easy to like - kind, casual, fun-loving and very much in love. It is clear that friends and family mean everything to this amazing couple - Kandie’s brother and sister and Rick’s daughter and son were the attendants.  Music was performed by Rick’s brother and close friends, and Kandie’s niece not only created the bridesmaids’ jewelry, but also joined her twin sister in a piano duet to accompany Kandie’s walk down the aisle.

The quaint Hidden Creek Community Church in west Olympia was the perfect setting for the day.  We enjoyed an opportunity to work once more with Associate Pastor Sheri Morgan, who also serves as their cheerful wedding coordinator. :)  Pastor Keith Krell provided  such a touching ceremony -  it’s obvious that he, too, was overjoyed for his friends Kandie and Rick.

The reception was filled with emotion as many guests stood to toast the bride and groom and the ‘official’ joining of the two families -  and of course not missing the chance to rib Rick and Kandie about how long they’d all been waiting for them to tie the knot ;)  Pellegrino’s Tyee Grill in Tumwater served an awesome lunch. Of course one of the most eagerly anticipated moments of the day came when the wedding cheesecake, created by Desserts by Tasha Nicole, was served ;-p  Kandie was their first bride ever to request a cake top styled like evergreen cones!

After the party, the newlyweds headed off into the ’snowset’ for some well-deserved time at their favorite gorgeous getaway, Cannon Beach, Oregon.

Cheers to you, Kandie and Rick!  Thank you for allowing us the privilege of documenting your wedding story.

Thanks!

~Erin and Bill

Update:

Here’s a little video I made during the toasts (the clicks are when I took a still picture, the new Canon camera allows for taking video ‘around’ still images but it pauses when a still photo is taken):

Rick and Kandie Toasts from Bill Cawley on Vimeo.