Alexi and Andrew – Just Married – Columbia Gorge – Multnomah Falls
The night before I met up with Alexi and Andrew for their photo session in the Gorge, I was kept awake by the sound of the intense rain beating against my roof. When I woke up to drive out to meet them at Multnomah Falls, the rain kept pouring down. As a native Portlander, I’m no stranger to rain, but I was worried that it might make for a cold photo session. I was so very lucky to be working with Alexi and Andrew, who were absolutely unfazed by the nearly constant drizzle as I posed them all over the historic Columbia River Highway. Maybe it was because these two are newlyweds (married in a small ceremony just a couple days before our session, and on their honeymoon), but I think it was more that they both have such happy and fun personalities that they were up for playing around in the rain.
We started at Multnomah Falls early in the morning and then moved along the old highway to Latourell Falls, and then ended up at the Crown Point Vista House for some great views of the Gorge, and for lots of wind! I had such a great time getting to know these two! They have many, many happy years ahead!
Lindsay and Keith – Wedding at the Lodge at Mountain Park – Lake Oswego, Oregon Wedding
Lindsay and Keith were married on a foggy winter evening last week at the Lodge at Mountain Park. The chandelier that they hung from the wedding arbor was a perfect compliment to the candles and strings of lights around the venue and created a beautiful and romantic feel to the room where they were married. Lindsay had a really lovely hand-made fabric bouquet (as did all of her bridesmaids), and each centerpiece carried on that vintage feel (I really loved the use of older books for centerpieces). The dessert table was really hard to resist and the white fondant cake looked amazing in front of the fireplace. The newly-married couple made their exit at the end of the evening under the dim light of many many sparklers held by friends and family. It was a beautiful wedding and I was so lucky to be there.
My Fabric Flower Wedding Bouquet – Portland, OR
When my fiancé (now husband) and I were planning our wedding, the one detail I knew I wanted was to make my bouquet out of fabric flowers. I’d seen fabric bouquets online and just fallen in love with them. I knew I wanted a mix of flower types and a mix of cream and white colored fabrics. The process began months before our wedding day; we made countless trips to the fabric store looking at remnants, and I spent many nights and weekends cooped up with a hot glue gun watching shows on Netflix (and a couple group sessions with all of the wonderful ladies in my life making massive quantities of flowers). Although making the fabric bouquets might be a cheaper way to go when you think about the actual dollars spent – it can definitely be time intensive – so my recommendation to anyone considering it would be to plan ahead and start really early! In the end, I was so happy with the way they turned out – below are a couple pictures that I snapped on our wedding day of my own bouquet and of one of my bridesmaids holding hers (yep, I brought my camera to my own wedding – but it only came out for about ten minutes).
Wendy and Skylar – Lincoln City Oregon Beach Wedding
Wendy and Skylar were married this March on the beach in Lincoln City, and I’m just finally blogging it. I have to admit, when they first told me they were planning a sunset beach wedding that early in the year (in Oregon!) I figured we’d be dealing with rain, but when I arrived in Lincoln City that weekend, we were so lucky to experience unseasonably great weather, and, although it was a bit windy, the skies were sunny and clear on their wedding day. The ceremony took place on the beach, but the reception was held at the beautiful rental home Gables by the Sea.  I loved that Wendy had her bridesmaids dress in their choice of dress or skirt, and just kept them to the same purple, grey, and sea foam green color palate. Most of the food and decor was put together by a friend of the bride and groom (a VERY impressive feat), and some of the bridesmaids helped assemble the bouquets of beautiful cream roses with purple flower accents. I really liked the starfish cake topper, and the brown sugar that was used as a garnish on the cake plates to mimic sand. Wendy made a great choice in wearing a satin pair of cream Toms shoes for the wedding (much easier to walk on the beach in than heels), and the bridesmaids all wore Toms as well in their choice of colors. The evening moved on to some dancing (you’ll see an impressive toe touch by a friend in one of the pictures below) and I was able to steal the couple away during the reception for some sunset photos. I also loved the paper lanterns that they lit and released at the end of the reception, a really beautiful end to such a wonderful day!
   
   
     
    
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Angela and Aaron – Sherwood Wedding – St. Francis Church
Anglea and Aaron were married in Sherwood Oregon a couple weeks ago. I was watching the leaves outside the week before their wedding, and hoping that some would stick around for their big day – and when I arrived at the beautiful St. Francis Church I was happy to see it was surrounded by lots of beautiful orange and red leaves – as well as deep evergreens. I thought the fall coloring really complimented the reds chosen by the couple for their wedding flowers (by Bella Bloom Florals) and bridal party outfits. The wedding was full of beautiful details, Angela made chair back signs for each member of the bridal party, and the groomsmen had custom sneakers made for the wedding that had their initials on the heels and then hid their nick names on the inside of the tongues. We were lucky enough to have almost no rain that day and Angela was a great sport about going into the wooded and grassy areas in her white dress for pictures (she looked just beautiful). It was so wonderful to get to work with these two and their friends and family!
Andrea and Jeff – Multnomah Athletic Club Reception
Andrea and Jeff were married this summer in beautiful St. Thomas, I got to photograph their stateside reception this past weekend at the Multnomah Athletic Club. Since the couple doesn’t live in Portland, I didn’t get a chance to meet them until the day of, but they could not have been more friendly and welcoming to my constant presence as they visited with friends and family. Andrea looked absolutely stunning in her lace wedding gown, and the ballroom at the MAC had been decorated in pink and white centerpieces that coordinated with Jeff’s tie and the bridesmaid’s beautiful pink dresses. While guests arrived, Andrea and Jeff spent some time together at MACtinis (a small bar in the club), and then made their grand entrance into the ballroom and walked straight onto the dance floor for their first dance.   The guests were all smiles throughout the night, it was the perfect atmosphere for celebration, and I was very happy to get to be a part of it.
Kelly and Kyle’s Wedding – Jenkins Estate – Beaverton Oregon
Kelly and Kyle were married at the Jenkins Estate in Beaverton on a sunny August Morning. Since I had already had lots of fun getting to know kelly and kyle during their engagement session in Seattle last February, it was exciting for me to get to see them again on their wedding day. The grassy meadow at the Jenkins Estate was an absolutely beautiful spot for their ceremony, and the outdoor porches around the main house made for a great spot for guests to eat and visit. Some of my favorite parts of this wedding included the giant donut they shared in lieu of a cake (and I’m still kicking myself for not grabbing a donut while I was there), and the gorgeous wedding dress kelly picked to wear (look for the tiny polka dot details in the fabric), the wedding party was full of energy and fun, and the groomsmen even had some suggestions of their own for picture poses (you’ll notice one below of them showing off kelly’s strength), I loved that they brought in a few gold fish (as a tribute to the last name that the couple now shares), and the song that Kyle’s sister wrote and sang for them was really touching and beautiful (and left very few dry eyes in the room). I loved the sporty little car they used as their getaway, and the bubbles that guests blew for them as they left the reception! I had a great time spending the day with these two! Below are some of my favorite photos.
Jennifer and Josh – Wedding at a Private Home in Portland, OR
Jenn and Josh were married at his parent’s beautiful property just outside of Portland, OR. There were so many lovely details to photograph in this wedding, the coconut and pineapple cupcakes, the custom tropical drinks, the centerpieces on each table that were a different from one another, the home-made jars of jam for guests to take home, the pig that the groomsmen had spent all day cooking for the reception, and much more. I loved the beautiful matching fabric that made up Jenn’s halter dress and also Josh’s shirt (not to mention the matching orange flowered fabric that was used for the bridal party and close family outfits). And the flowers in all the girls’ hair smelled amazing (and looked absolutely stunning in Jenn’s beautiful curly hair). I’m told that the groomsmen spent the few days leading up to the wedding camped out at this beautiful site and getting everything ready for the wedding (they even converted the barn on site into an area for dancing and for another bar during the reception). It was a lovely and very intimate setting for their celebration (and because we were surrounded by trees, it stayed the perfect temperature even though it was a warm summer day). I had a wonderful time photographing these two, and below are some of my favorite pictures from the day.
Kristen and Matt – Wedding at Rogue Hop Farm in Independence, OR
Kristen and Matt were married on a bright and sunny day in Independence, OR at the Rogue Hop Farms. If you haven’t had a chance to check this place out, you should definitely go! They have a tasting room open to the public, as well as a lovely venue for weddings.
Kristen looked absolutely gorgeous in a dress that had some custom additions by a close family friend, and her bouquet with mixed flowers (and that beautiful sunflower) and the mixed wild flowers in the mason jars on each table was a perfect compliment to the summery feel of the day.
I loved the chandelier that they hung from the trees during the ceremony, and the ice cream sundae bar that they had in lieu of a traditional cake (perfect for a warm day!).
Some of my favorite pictures happened just before sunset when we were able to sneak away and pose a bit in between the rows of hops, they made a really striking background for a really sweet and wonderful couple!
   
 
 
   
 
Chrys and Nate – Hotel DeLuxe Wedding – Portland Oregon
I’ve been meaning to post pictures from Chrys and Nate’s wedding for almost four months, so please pardon the extreme tardiness (there are a few more weddings that I should be blogging about in the next couple months). Nate and Chrys were married at the Hotel Deluxe in downtown Portland in March. The luxurious vintage details of the Hotel Deluxe made for the perfect setting for their intimate ceremony and reception, I loved the lush drapes in the Screening Room where they were married, and the vintage-looking chandeliers, and the gentle Alice in Wonderland theme of their wedding could be found in little details throughout the day.
I loved Chrys’ vintage silver dress, and her blue high heels added a wonderful burst of color. They had friends play guitar and sing as they walked down the aisle, and Chrys’ sister officiated the wedding (and included an aptly placed quote from the Princess Bride).  The friendly dog you’ll see in a few pictures walked the rings down the aisle (and was a great sport!).
After the ceremony, guests gathered in the gorgeous lobby for a few signature cocktails while I stole the couple for a few minutes to take some pictures around downtown, then everyone gathered in the Screening Room for dinner, ice cream from Salt N Straw, and lots of dancing (but not before a series of very touching, and a few hilarious, toasts).
Since Nate and Chrys are friends of mine, it was especially meaningful for me to get to be a part of their wedding day. A few of my favorite pictures are below.
 
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