details

location : new luck toy / west seattle, and the chinese international district / seattle
session : engagement
season : spring

In the mood for love at New Luck Toy

Tucked along California Avenue in West Seattle, you will find a gem called New Luck Toy. The space is wonderfully extra. Tons of paper lanterns overhead, rows of golden cats waving good luck, and dim red lighting. All adding up to an atmosphere that feels like a fever dream in the best possible way. The kitchen turns out satisfying bites like honey walnut prawns, dumplings, and barbecued duck. And the bar serves up yummy creative cocktails and frozen drinks. Throw in a karaoke room, and New Luck Toy becomes less of a bar and more of an amazing experience. One that you cannot wait to return.

Along the streets of Seattle’s Chinatown International District

Seattle’s Chinatown-International District is one of the city’s oldest and most storied neighborhoods. Notably the Chinatown Gate on South King Street stands as both a landmark and ornate threshold. The painted archway is a proud marker of everything the neighborhood has weathered and preserved. Hing Hay Park acts as a communal heartbeat with the pavilion and plaza hosting festivals, quiet afternoons, and decades of neighborhood life. King Street Station and Grand Clocktower serve as a reminder that this has always been a place of arrival. Herbalist shops, noodle houses, tearooms, and dim sum parlors sit alongside grocers and bakeries. Reflecting the many communities that have called this corner of Seattle home.

Finding session inspiration

During our consult, Katelyn mentioned she wanted their engagement session to be in Seattle and a little different. Specifically she wanted something moody and located in the city. She said her obsession with the movie In the Mood for Love was her inspiration and wanted to portray a bit of that feeling throughout the session. Intrigued, after our call I pulled up the movie and immediately fell in love. I ended up watching it 3 times within two weeks, what a beautifully moving and visually inspiring movie. After the call, we dove into planning and found the bar they wanted to shoot in, which fit the inspo perfectly. After contacting the owner to get permission to shoot in the bar, the rest as they say, was history!