Anacortes Summer Wedding

There are some weddings that feel less like a work day and more like spending time with people you love, and Erika and Peter’s Anacortes Summer Wedding was absolutely one of those. Over the years, these two have become such dear friends to me, which made documenting their day at the Port of Anacortes Transit Shed even more special. I wasn’t just watching a beautiful celebration unfold—I was watching two people I care about step into a new chapter, surrounded by the people who love them most.

Their Anacortes Summer Wedding took place at the historic Transit Shed on the working waterfront at the Port of Anacortes, right on the dock over the water. The event center sits along the Guemes Channel and has long been known as a favorite spot for weddings and community events, with room outside on the dock for ceremonies and plenty of space inside for a big reception and dance floor. You can hear the water beneath the pier, watch boats glide by, and feel that soft marine breeze that makes an Anacortes Summer Wedding feel so quintessentially Pacific Northwest.

From the start of the day, there was this calm joy in the air. Erika was absolutely glowing—equal parts excited and peaceful—and Peter had that mix of nerves and happiness that you can’t help but smile at. They are such an easygoing couple, and you can really see how much they ground each other. Their Anacortes Summer Wedding was filled with personal touches, thoughtful details, and so many little moments that felt uniquely “them.”

One of the things I loved most about this Anacortes Summer Wedding was how much they prioritized time with each other and with their people. Erika and Peter built a timeline that allowed for real breathing room—time to laugh with the wedding party on the dock, time to step away for portraits along the waterfront, and time to simply stand together and look out over the water, taking it all in. The Transit Shed’s location on Pier 1 meant we had endless options for photos: the dock, the water, the boats in the marina, and the industrial-meets-coastal textures of the building itself. It was a dream canvas for their Anacortes Summer Wedding.

Inside the Transit Shed, the reception space was full of personal details that told their story. From meaningful décor to carefully chosen accents, you could tell they had poured their hearts into making this Anacortes Summer Wedding feel intimate, even in such a large venue. One of my favorite parts of the day came a little unexpectedly—during the reception, Erika decided she wanted her hair partially down instead of fully up. So I put down my camera for a moment and helped her restyle it. There was something so sweet and real about that tiny pause in the middle of the celebration—just two friends in a corner, pinning and fluffing hair, laughing as we went. Those are the moments I treasure just as much as the big, formal ones.

The dance floor at this Anacortes Summer Wedding was absolutely electric, thanks in large part to Peter’s friends from the fire department. When I say they lit up the dance floor, I mean it—these guys brought all the energy. There was so much joy in that room: big group dances, wild spins, heartfelt slow songs, and so many people who clearly adore Erika and Peter. Every time I turned around, someone was lifting a drink, twirling a partner, or laughing so hard their eyes were closed. If you ever want to see what it looks like when a community shows up to celebrate two of their own, this was it.

As the night went on, the sky outside shifted into that soft summer evening light over the Guemes Channel. One of the most memorable parts of this Anacortes Summer Wedding came toward the end of the reception. Before making their grand exit, Erika and Peter chose to share a private last dance together inside the Transit Shed. The room had been cleared, the lights were low, and it was just the two of them, swaying in the middle of the floor while their guests waited outside. After a day full of noise, music, and celebration, this quiet moment felt so sacred—a little bubble of stillness where they could look back on everything that had just happened and really let it sink in.

And then, in true storybook Anacortes Summer Wedding fashion, they stepped out onto the dock and headed to their sailboat. With their friends and family cheering from the pier, Erika and Peter boarded the boat for their exit, sailing off into the blue evening as newlyweds. The combination of the working waterfront, the historic Transit Shed, and a sailboat ride into the night felt like the most perfect ending to such a meaningful day.

Looking back on Erika and Peter’s Anacortes Summer Wedding, what stands out to me most isn’t just the stunning location or the incredible party (though both were unforgettable). It’s the layers of relationship woven through the day—the way their families showed up for them, the way their fire department friends filled the dance floor, the small intimate moments like fixing hair in a quiet corner, and that last slow dance before stepping onto the boat.

I feel so honored not only to have photographed this Anacortes Summer Wedding, but to call these two dear friends. Their day was full of heart, intention, and joy, and every time I look at their photos, I’m reminded of just how special it is to be invited into stories like theirs.