It’s pretty obvious that the global pandemic we’re all currently living through threw a wrench in the plans of a lot of couples this year. Some rescheduled, some downsized, some made different plans entirely. Sarvesh and Natalie were no exception - their big, cross-cultural wedding weekend became a small family affair in her parents’ living room. They already had these beautiful wedding clothes, though, so we decided to take some wedding portraits and make an album to commemorate the occasion. . .
I got to be stealthy and sneaky last week! Dave contacted me a few weeks ago looking for a photographer and co-conspirator for his surprise proposal, and I was delighted to help! He and Melissa were planning a visit from Chicago, and he had chosen Trillium Lake as the spot to pop the question. He wrote her some heartfelt letters and mailed them to me to pre-place on the path along the lake. I’m not sure how surprised Melissa was at the proposal, but she definitely seemed surprised to find envelopes addressed to her along their pre-dinner walk. And great news: she said yes! It was all very exciting. . .
Well, this post is different from my normal wedding photography posts in one very important way: I wasn’t the official wedding photographer! I traveled to Santorini, Greece last year for the wedding of my friends Haley and Dustin, and it was so amazing, I just had to share the photos. The images look really different (at least to me), because they’re taken with my travel camera (the compact and fantastic Fujifilm XT-30) rather than my usual professional gear. And the content is different too, since instead of making the rounds of all the wedding guests, most of these photos are of my lovely friends being goofy or pretending to be fashion models. . .
Elder Hall is probably my favorite Portland venue for an intimate wedding. It’s super cozy and really homey (if your home is adorably and thoughtfully decorated and has a big, beautiful fireplace). So I was really excited to shoot this tiny wedding with Josh and Jessica and their families. Especially with the frequent protests-about-all-the-kissing and the occasional photo-bomb from Jessica’s two adorable daughters. . .
Perhaps the highest compliment you could possibly pay me is contacting me to photograph your wedding before you even have a date for your wedding. That’s what John and Paulina did - I got an email from them back in 2018 when they were in the very early stages of their wedding planning and we’ve been in touch ever since. We had a beautiful engagement session last summer at Cape Kiwanda (one of my favorite spots on the Oregon Coast), but plans for the big day remained in flux. And then, as if by providence, the plan for this lovely intimate elopement came flying together at the end of February - they wanted to get married on Leap Day. . .
Always so great to be back photographing a wedding at Zenith Vineyard! No matter the season this stunning venue always provides an abundance of gorgeous spots for taking classically beautiful photos with the bride and groom. Rebecca and Tyler were lucky to have perfect weather for their September wedding, and we took full advantage of it for their wedding portraits. Everyone got to enjoy the lovely fall colors of the vineyard behind their heartfelt ceremony, and then we all went inside to party as the sun went down and the air got chillier. We really couldn’t have asked for a more beautiful day. . .
I’ve been looking forward to Katie and Eric’s wedding all summer! I knew from their engagement session that they would be great fun to photograph on their wedding day. I’ve also been looking forward to my first opportunity to shoot at the EcoTrust’s new Eastside location, the Redd on Salmon. I was definitely not disappointed on either count. . .
Maybe the best part of being a wedding photographer is when I get to be there for weddings of friends who are otherwise not really inviting friends. Mieke and Tymon eloped in Bend a few weekends ago with just family and their officiant present, and I was so happy to be a part of it! I’ve known Mieke since her twins were just babies. . .
