Just four short weeks ago, this beautiful, young couple was joined by family and dear friends as they shared a special day of committing to each other…for a lifetime! Sydney and Tobin became husband and wife and I don’t think I’ve seen a couple that has wanted that more, that were more committed and excited to join together as one! Of course, I must admit, I’m a tad biased as Sydney is my niece, my brother’s youngest and I was so excited to be able to share in this very special day with all of them! They were married on a hot day in The Dalles, OR, but it certainly could have been hotter and there wasn’t much wind (which can be a problem there), and there weren’t any fires (they came two weeks later)…so it was obviously a very blessed day for them to have such great conditions and to have so many people be able to share in their amazing day! Sydney is a bit social, well okay, a LOT and makes friends with just about everyone she meets…hence, 12 bridesmaids! 😉 Although the largest wedding party I’ve ever photographed, it was probably the most fun group, they were laughing and giggling most of the time and the whole group was willing to do just about anything…I had such a great time with this wedding party and love going through all of the photos – it really was a blast! Sydney and Tobin are now settling into married life in Moscow as Sydney returns to finish her last year of college and Tobin applies to Vet school…and I know that life ahead of them has great things in store…there will be bumps and turns they might not expect and challenges, but that is what commitment is all about, learning how to navigate these things together, working to grow your relationship and make it ever stronger! I’m so excited to see where they will be in just 5 short years…and can only imagine the stories they will have to share from their adventures together! (WARNING: there are a LOT of photos here…I just had too many I wanted to share. so you are warned to settle down and get comfortable while you go through these!!)
Laundry day!! Pretty nice looking laundry, isn’t it! 
Sydney actually had two wedding dresses, both were custom made in the Philippines earlier this year when she was living over there…the one on the left was worn at the reception…both were stunning on her!!
A little prayer before everything began…
Such a gorgeous bride!!!
Okay…on the count of three, girls, PINCH someone’s butt…ONE TWO THREE….GO!
Talk about a veil!
Beautiful mother of the bride, Betsy, has a little time with the girls before heading to get things done!
We were lucky enough to take the wedding party photos on my brother and sister in-laws property, over looking the Columbia River and this one with a view of Mt. Adams in the background.
Absolutely gorgeous…Sydney was glowing!!
First look…Tobin had to come find Sydney…it was very touching!
Talk about a GREAT looking wedding party!!
Proud (and emotional) dad…he’s truly blessed with two amazing daughters!!
Do I really have to let her go?! 😉
Ha…if you know this family at all, you would know they like to have fun and goof around a lot, this was all in jest and we had some fun with these “shots!” LOL
Last minute details…one of the maids of honor, big sis, Sam, gets flowers ready for the flower girls!
The reception was help at The Dalles Readiness Center, a brand new facility, which was perfect for this large event and we had some amazing views from the deck outside…what a great location!
You might notice the cake in the center of the table…each table had their own cake, each made by mother of the bride (Betsy)…a lot of work and let me tell you, it was DELICIOUS…and what a great way to keep the tables together for a nice visit…during the evening!
Testing out the dance floor before the ceremony…looking great!
As I said…great views!!!
Adorable flower girls and ring bearer…and all so sweet!
Sydney and Tobin are blessed to both have amazing and supportive parents!!
Here comes the bride…
Wow, look at everyone!!
A peek at their “getaway” car before they head in to the reception…it’s pretty spectacular!!!!
And a special cake for the bride and groom!!
Very proud dads….
The first dance…
Anniversary dance…and the winners, Mel and Jackie Schmidt…married 55 years (I believe!)…and dear family friends!
Oh my, it really was a blessed day with a sunset like this!
What a fun reception…Tobin’s dad called for some swing dancing and the room was all up moving!!
A little uncertainty about who really caught the bouquet…so just share it…four more weddings ahead?!?
This was crazy…when it was time, they were out of there, about as fast as they could go…too darn cute!!
Mr. and Mrs. Tobin Kalebaugh
What an amazing day it was, Sydney and Tobin, I wish you years and years of happiness and joy!
During a visit to my brother and his family a week ago, I was able to spend some time with my beautiful niece, Sydney, and some of her lovely friends for a “girlfriends” session. We met up and headed downtown on this glorious winter afternoon. It was close to 50 degrees and the skies were mostly clear and delightful…talk about a perfect time to photograph some of the nicest girls…it really couldn’t have been any better!
Wow, I must say this is one of my favorite sessions, but I want to preface it with the fact that this is my niece, so I’ve had more freedom with her session and we have PLAYED a lot with our time together. We started out in my studio a month ago, then the next day moved to the “graffiti garages” in Tacoma and the last stop (about a week ago) was in The Dalles, Oregon, where she lives and is a senior at The Dalles-Wahtonka High School this year. So, there is a lot of variety in her photos, but that is a good way to describe Sydney. She is the youngest, her older sister is a junior in college, so Sydney is the last at home and is enjoying her senior year, having lots of fun with friends, working hard in her classes, taking some college courses, playing sports, involved in the ASB, and is a member of the 4H (won the top award for her goat at their county fair)…this girl is the whole package! She has goals for her future, ideas about what she wants out of life, plans for the next steps and yet, still realizes that she can balance all the parts of her life to make it work. Can you tell that I think pretty highly of her? Well, I do…and that is not to say that her older sister (Samantha) is not just as amazing, because she is…their parents have done an incredible job raising two beautiful and well adjusted girls who will both be very successful in whatever they do in life!
