I love all of my wedding couples. I have been very fortunate in this area.

You may not think having someone take your photos is that big of a deal, but there is a serious bond that forms between a couple and their wedding photographer. At least, there is with me and my couples. I suppose I can’t speak for others, especially based on some of the not-so-good photographer stories I’ve heard.

Two things happen to create this bond. First, the couple has absolute trust that their photographer will beautifully document one of the most important and momentous days of their lives. A day when there are no do-overs nor control over your surroundings. That’s some serious trust. Second, the couple has to feel comfortable with their photographer being by their side during every moment of their wedding day, from the time they get ready, to the first kiss, to that private display of love and effection that they think no one sees… except their photographer did. I truly appreciate this bond that forms.

Well, sometimes before the shooting even starts, I’m occasionally lucky enough to feel this cosmic bond with my couples. Sometimes we find that we already know each other via less-than-six-degrees-of-separation. Sometimes, we find through talking, that we grew up in the same area or have a lot in common. And then there are times when a couple is searching around on google for a wedding photographer and they stumble across photos that fit their style, while at the same time they have a friend say “hey, we had our family photos done last year and we totally recommend her”, and – what do you know – the photographer in both cases happens to be me! This is how I came to know Casey and Todd. And as soon as we met, we knew it was meant to be. Here’s another meant to be story: I like to recommend that my couples do their wedding day makeup trials on engagement photo day. That way they can see how well it photographs and they look extra gorgeous for their photos. Well, she asked if I had any recommendations and I only refer someone if they are the best of the best in town. I told her to use Jein King. Why is that a meant to be story? Because she had already booked Jein and was just asking out of curiousity if I had any recommendations. BAM!

Speaking of meant to be… Yep, now its time for me to gush about Casey and Todd. They are one of those couples you just know are a “good fit”. They are both so relaxed and comfortable with each other. Totally at ease. Both genuinely vested in making sure the other is happy. All necessary qualities for a long and lasting marriage.

Casey and Todd brought along their baby, 3-year-old St. Bernard, Nico. I just did a google image search for St. Bernard (to make sure I was spelling it right) and I am convinced he is the most beautiful one I’ve ever seen.

We’ll start with my favorite shots. I wanted something backlit. We walked up to this spot and I completely envisioned what the final shot would look like, and it couldn’t have turned out more perfect.

Meet adorable Nico. He smiles because he’s so darn happy.

Here’s a challenge for you: go to the west waterfront, in a space where everyone goes to see the cherry blossoms, on the warmest most beautiful day of the year so far… oh, and make it a weekend nonetheless… and try to take a photo of a couple enjoying a quiet moment to themselves without a hundred people in the shot. Go on, I dare you. It took a little good timing (I think someone is right behind them but out of the field of view of the camera) and some serious sweet photoshop skills to get rid of all the photobombers (I even got rid of a trash can because it was bugging me), and here’s your final product:

LOVE these:

Another favorite:

Love love love this one too:

Look at those stems! I think her legs are twice as long as mine.

Here’s how we got this shot without a million people in it: Step 1: ask the two dudes sitting on the rock to move so we could take a photo. Step 2: Hold the camera steady and keep shooting as the people in the background slowly walk by, abnoxiously and intentionally trying to photobomb Casey and Todd. Step 3: Make a composite photo without said photobombers ruining the photo. Step 4: Print as huge canvas and hang on wall.

A couple more favorites. The cream wall behind them was reflecting light so beautifully from the large mirrored building behind me, engulfing them in a warm glow. I also love incorporating large orange dumpsters into my wedding and engagement photos. I don’t know why, but I do, and if you’re familiar with my work you know I’m not lying. Oh, and we got some awesome photography tips at this spot from a homeless guy who was rather interesting.

You gotta love Portland.

Casey and Todd – it was a pleasure getting to know you and photograph you. I cannot wait for your wedding this fall!

I’m going to plagiarize from an article written about the couple in the Catholic Sentinel because I thought it was just too cute. It read:

Getting Engaged in the Digital Age

“He’s so creative,” Ross said. “I was just so happy to get to spend the life with that kind of amazing man.”

I love how telling a couple’s engagement story can be about the couple themselves. Sarah & Peter’s story gives you a look into their personalities, their faith, their sense of humor, and their adoration toward each other.

You can see their engagement photos here if you haven’t seen them yet.

Sarah & Peter’s wedding took place on a cold, but dry, February morning. The ceremony was at the Holy Rosary Church in Portland and the reception followed at a hotel a couple blocks away. I always enjoy getting to know a couple even more just by observing their interactions with their family and friends. This couple is certainly surrounded by love in all directions.

This was my favorite photo of the couple. I adore how a little gust of wind lifted one of the many ruffles on her dress.

Getting ready shots (smart phone in hand… probably writing code for a way to surprise her on the honeymoon).

The bride, arriving at the church with Starbucks in hand.

Some of my most favorite shots I capture at every wedding are the details of the bride. So lovely.

And, of course, the ring shots.

The first look, followed by a pinky swear promise.

Prayers together before the ceremony.

The church was beautiful, adorned with stained glass windows and an enormous organ.

The kiss.

And now its official.

The reception.

The details.

The toasts.

The cake.

The shoe game. If you’ve never seen this done at a wedding, its pretty funny and very telling.

The first dance.

Father-daughter dance.

Rooftop fun.

Sarah & Peter – thank you so much for choosing me to photograph your wedding. It was an honor and privilege to document the start of your lives together. Congratulations!!!

The first time I met Alina in person, I walked in the starbucks, took a look around for her, and immediately got star struck because I thought Kyra Sedgwick was sitting by the window. After I realized she was really Alina, I thought “wow, she really looks like Kyra Sedgwick”. I’m pretty sure I was half way through season 5 of The Closer when we met. Anyway, I’m not sure you can see the resemblance in the photos, but I thought they were pretty similar.

On with my rambling…

We had a pretty awesome engagement session. Brett and Alina are so comfortable with each other and its so obvious from the photos how much they make each other laugh. We covered a lot of territory for the photos – we started in the Pearl, went over to Burnside (and the line to VooDoo was wrapped around the corner), and ended up at The Nines.

On a side note… I realized its been a long while since I’ve posted anything in black & white. I have an internal war with myself trying to figure out which photos look best in color and which look best in black & white. I’ve been avoiding said frustration and just posting color, but I gathered up enough courage and energy to fight with myself and agonize over which photos to post in b&w. Enjoy.

Aren’t they cute?

Here they are standing outside the store that made Alina’s engagement ring. I’ll be sure to get a ton of close up ring shots at their wedding because her ring is EXQUISITE! Can you see the sapphire?

I love how he makes her laugh.

I absolutely adore this shot.

And if the smiles from the photos above didn’t clue you in on how they make each other laugh, here’s a few more.

Brett and Alina – I can’t wait for your wedding next year! I’m sure it will not only be gorgeous in every detail, but I can’t wait to capture the range of emotions that day!

Diana and Dennis. What a fun couple. Why, you ask? Allow me to show you a photo they requested I take:

As you may know, I have some pretty sweet photoshop skills. Let me assure you – there were no photoshop tricks with this shot. And yes, that is a look of pure fear on Diana’s face.

You see, when we started the session, we had the following conversation:
Dennis: “hey – can we take a shot where I’m jumping through the air and it looks like I’m going to kick Diana in the head?”
Me: “ummmm. Okay?”
Dennis: “it’ll be funny”
Me: “ummmm. Okay? Whatever you’d like.”

Turns out, we had a lot of fun shooting it and I LOVED how it turned out. It was kind of freaky how high up in the air Dennis got with his jump and how, when his foot got close to Diana’s head, he seemed to stop mid-air. I may have to push back a bit, though, if they request the same shot on wedding day. We’ll play that one by ear.

They are such a sweet couple though. So comfortable with each other with an abundance of giggles.

See? How cute are they???

The shot below on the right is one of my favorites from the session.

Diana & Dennis – I can’t wait for your wedding this summer! I can only imagine how radiant the two of you will look.

On a gorgeous day in the middle of September on Donnor Lake in Truckee, California, I had the honor and privledge of photographing one of my closest friend’s wedding. Since I got into photography a few years back, I’ve been telling Amber that my wedding gift to her would be to photograph her wedding. All she needed to do was get engaged.  She took me up on my offer, and what a perfect and lovely wedding it was. She told me she wanted to be a guest first, and a photographer second. As well as she knows me, I don’t think she completely understood the depths of my control issues when it comes to my camera. I struggled to find my personal balance between guest and photographer… I hope I did it justice. When it comes to brides, there has never been one as laid back and easy going as Amber. She was just happy being surrounded by the people she loves, and ecstatic to marry her soul mate. I won’t write too much here because I plan on writing a short novel below about how much I love Amber. For now, I’ll let the photos and the truly happy expressions on everyone’s faces to the talking.

You ever see a couple where you just know they were put on this earth to share their lives together? Yep. That is Amber and Arlo.

The ceremony was on the edge of the lake. Their love of the outdoors was evident in every aspect of their wedding. The ring bearers, Amber’s nephews, carried snow skis with the rings tied to the bindings.

Amber and Arlo wrote their own vows to each other. Then Amber wrote separate vows to Arlo’s son.

The details which made Amber the glowing bride that she was.

One of the many unique aspects of their wedding were all of the personal touches. Everyone who grew up with us knows that Amber’s dad, George, is an extremely talented woodworker (that’s an understatement). George made all the wood signs at the wedding. He also made the cake topper and all of the wedding favors. I’m thinking he needs to open up an etsy shop and start catering to the wedding crowd! Here you can see the post he made with all of the locations people travelled from for the wedding. Amber and Arlo had a relatively small wedding, and look how many people travelled from far and wide! A true sign of how much they are loved.

I love how the fact that Amber and Arlo are environmentally friendly even shines through in their wedding details.

Simple. Elegant. Perfect. And do you see those favors? Pens handmade out of wood with A+A 9-12-12 burned into each one.

Now this was good wedding food. A mobile barbq pit with a big slab of prime rib plus all the fixins.

Allow me to introduce to you… the ski shot. What’s a ski shot you ask? Well, you take a ski, you secure three shot glasses to the top of the ski, you fill each shot glass with your choice of hard liquour, then you get three people on their way to drunk at the same time.

There were so many outdoor activities for the guests to enjoy.

They had a tight rope and lawn games.

The groom took the kids out on his boat and pulled them on the intertube.

Paddleboarding, kayaking, and one-arm-in-the-air-holding-your-beer swimming.

The toasts.

The cake.

First dance as husband and wife.

Father daughter dance. George sang “Father and Daugther” by Paul Simon to Amber. It was so incredibly sweet.

Here’s Amber dancing with her brother and her grandfather.

…and the evening ended with the bride driving the boat and the groom wake boarding in the evening light. No joke.

And now, let me explain why I love Amber so much.

We grew up in a small town and most of us who went to kindergarten together are still. As adolescance goes, my circle of friends varied from year to year depending on who was in my class. Fifth grade was one of my favorite years growing up. I got to have Miss Thoreson for my teacher – she happened to have been my third grade teacher as well – and she was arguably the best elementary school teacher EVER, we were the whomplah champions (is that what it was called), and that’s when my friendship with Amber really blossomed. We were really close in high school too. I have so many stories that I would never dare repeat in print, but nothing but good memories with my dear friend Amber. Anyone who knows Amber will attest to how kind and genuine she is. She is one of the few people on earth who I feel 100% comfortable around. I have always been able to be myself around Amber. I never have to hold back with my potty mouth or trash talking. She’s the kind of friend where we will go what seems like ages without talking or seeing each other because every day life just gets in the way, and then our next conversation will pick up as if no time has passed at all. Amber’s family is so wonderful, its no wonder she turned out the way she did. They are like family to me and I love them dearly.

To Amber: My sister Lisa once described to me that her best friend Jenifer is like a sister, only one that she chose, not one that she was forced to have (you know my family and I’m sure you will find that amusing). Well, you are my chosen sister. I love you dearly. We will always be good friends, and when we’re old and senile, we can be new friends again.

To Amber, Arlo, Trevor and baby: Congratulations on becoming a family. May every year together be better than the last. I look forward to many future visits and watching our families grow. And… I can’t wait to see your baby ski before his first birthday.

Sarah and Peter are just too cute together. Little looks and soft touches give them both constant smiles. We took their engagements downtown on the east side of the river. The area is special to them because it’s the same place that Peter popped the question. I’m looking forward to their February wedding and I’m already starting to cross my fingers that we’ll get that one gorgeous blue sky sunny day.

If I had to think of one word to describe Katie and Peter’s wedding, it would have to be exquisite.

ex•qui•site adj. Of such beauty or delicacy as to arouse intense delight

The same definition could be used to describe the affection, the connection, the love shared between Katie & Peter. Of such beauty or delicacy as to arouse intense delight. What a perfect way to describe their perfect day and how perfect they are for each other.

I love photographing these two. Not only can you feel the pure joy and happiness that they radiate, but the passion these two emit for one another. Ugh. It makes my camera melt. This is why you are about to be overwhelmed with photos. This is by far my largest blog post.

Before we begin, you must check out their engagement photos if you haven’t seen them yet.

I thought it would be fun to include a little video. Its short, sweet, and super cute. Aside from the Bumbo videos, don’t pay any attention to the videos youtube directs you to afterward. Very weird.

The Bride & Groom

Do they not just take your breath away?

Isn’t she a gorgeous bride?

The Wedding Party

Yes, you counted correctly. 12 groomsmen (well, 11 groomsmen and 1 groomswoman), 12 bridesmaids, a flower girl, and a ring bearer.

With a wedding party this big, you are bound to get some good photos.

Did I add the pixelation to cover up something obscene or to make you think I covered up something obscene? You will never know.

Before

The celebratory round (or two or three) of beer before the ceremony.

The ladies had the entire top floor of the Waverly Country Club to get ready. What a gorgeous venue this place was, and they really treated the wedding party well. The ladies had tea, coffee, and all sorts of goodies while they got ready. There was tons of space, and with a wedding party this size, it was needed! They even brought sandwiches up right before the ceremony.

LOVED the hanger. She actually had one made for each of her bridesmaids with their own names, along with personalized bags.

Exquisite.

This set cracks me up. While Katie was getting ready, I’m was completely focused on her and getting the perfect shots. I looked up and there was this entire aresenal of cameras/phones pointed at Katie.

I’m pretty sure its impossible not to love these shoes.

This dress. Oh how I loved Katie’s dress. It was perfect in every way. The photos don’t do it justice. It was covered in delicate lace. It fit her like a glove. It was exquisite.

The first look.

And they had an audience.

The Ceremony

As guests arrived, they were directed toward the ceremony area. They were greeted with a server offering them champange. As they made their way over to the grass, they passed the table with the programs, the guest book, and a huge wall of envelopes for people to leave a note for the couple.

The guest book turned out awesome! We used their engagement pics to create a spiral bound 50 page book with a leather cover. Each spread had photos of Katie & Peter as well as space to write notes. What a fabulous keepsake. Totally their idea, but I hope to do more in the future because guests really loved it.

Rose pedals lining the isle. Jewels dripping from the arch. The ceremony was exquisite.

The kiss.

Immediately after the ceremony, they made it official. What I’d like to highlight here are the hor d’oeuvres they had waiting for them upstairs. Do you see what I see? Yes, that is the most delicious pile of bacon you see stacked up on the corner of the plate. Bacon… as its own hor d’oeuvre. Exquisite.

Cocktail Hour

You’re going to love this. They had GIANT jenga out for people to play during the cocktail hour. I got a few shots of people playing and then moved around a bit to take other photos. I heard someone start to scream and from across the entire patio, I aimed, and I shot. How lucky was I to get this shot, perfectly framed, and in tack sharp focus at that? Super lucky.

After cocktail hour, guests went inside for dinner and saw their seating arrangments on this old barn window.

The Reception

Dahlias, roses and orchids. Exquisite.

As soon as Katie & Peter were done eating, we snuck outside and shot this for their thank you cards.

The toasts. Perfect in every way.

The cake. Oh my Lord. It was delicious.

The first dance.

Father daughter, mother son dance.

You know what makes an already perfect wedding even more perfect? A late night snack of grilled cheese and tomato soup. Yeah. That’s right.

Bouquet and garter toss.

Wanna see one of my most favorite shots of the night? Imagine the end of the wedding drawing near. Everyone is hot and sweaty from all the excitement, inebriated from the constant flow of champagne and wine, and starting to get tired as all the fun and excitement is almost over. Then, you turn around, see the bride and groom dancing alone by the tables, and he grabs her and kisses her like he never wants to let go of that moment. Ladies and gentlemen, that is red hot passion fueled by love.

An exquisite night finished with an ideal getaway.

Katie & Peter, it doesn’t seem possible that you could be any more in love, but I’m willing to bet that with each passing year, your love for each other will just get stronger. Wishing you life long happiness together! – Krissy

Venue & Catering: Waverly Country Club 503.654.6521
Wedding Planner: Nora Sheils of Bridal Bliss 503.804.4901
Videographer: Antlerfilms (Nick Boxwell) 503-702-2863
Cake: Dream Cakes 503.329.9744
Hair Stylist/Makeup Artist: Stacy Johnson 503.568.0661, MaryAnn Velasquez, Inspire Salon
Rentals: Ohana 503.875.2403
Lighting: Audient Events 503.710.6193
Floral: Zest 503.887.1544
Ceremony Music: Ariel Consort 503.231.1423
Reception Music & Ceremony Sound: Jake / Chad Dowling 503.320.0895
Transportation: Best Car in Town 503.502.1991
Officiant: Austin Crowe

Every wedding is unique. I think everyone in attendance might agree that Sarah and Chuck’s wedding was unique in that the guests were told they were attending an engagement party, and it turned out to be their wedding! They weren’t entirely sure they could pull the surprise off with such a large group of people including several families traveling in from out of town, but I can atest that the crowd was full of pleasantly surprised faces when Sarah walked down the isle on the arm of her father.

This blog post is a bit different than my other wedding posts. Typically, I start out with the formals of the bride and groom. For Sarah & Chuck’s post, I’ll show some engagement photos first. Since the bride and groom are from here but live on the other side of the country, we did their engagement session just 4 days before their engagement party wedding!

The Engagement Photos

These two are just so naturally happy and comfortable with each other.

Chuck serves in the US Coast Guard. Nothing like a handsome service man with his gorgeous bride-to-be, right?

I thought the rings shots were a tad nautical to match the Coast Guard uniform.

The Wedding

The engagement party surprise wedding took place at the Courtyard Portland North Harbour which was right on the Columbia River. I have to admit that the venue made me a wee bit nervous because the location of the wedding was in full sun with little to no shade. Not only can that make things challenging for evenly lit photos, but it can make me hot, and I enjoy being hot just as much as I enjoy being hungry. That being said, I couldn’t have been more thrilled with the weather that day (you’ll see why below) as well as the venue. It was the perfect temperature, above were bright blue skies with whispy clouds, and the ground was a sand colored concrete that reflected the light beautifully.

Love those shoes!

Now, if anyone had maybe suspected a surprise wedding was in store, I bet they were a bit confused when Sarah and Chuck walked around and mingled with their guests while they enjoyed drinks and appetizers. It was just a great party to celebrate their engagement surrounded by those that love and adore them.

I love dahlias.

Okay, the kids at this engagement party surprise wedding deserved a spread all to themselves. So much personality and character!

The food and booze were plentiful – a key ingredient indeed to a fun party!

Sarah & Chuck had the cutest little favors. Little chocolates with a uniformed man on a sinking boat, only to be saved by his woman on a US Coast Guard vessel.

This is how the surprise unfolded… Chuck got up to make a speech, thanking everyone who came. Chuck asked their siblings and closets friends on each side to stand up there with him, giving them extra thanks for being there (they were in on the wedding but had no idea they’d be asked to stand up there with them). His buddy yells out [I’m paraphrasing of course. Can’t remember exact words because I was caught up in all the excitement] “Hey, since we’re all here, why don’t you just get married right here and now!” Chuck says “Let’s do it!” and Sarah starts walking down the isle on her father’s arm to none other than Star Wars music. Didn’t I say that every wedding was unique?

Immediately after they were annouced as husband and wife, a jet flew overhead. It was almost as if they made that happen.

The Formals

THIS is one of my favorite photos. How awesome would this look as a big canvas?

They are so dang cute together. I love how he makes her smile.

The Reception

The toasts.

The cake was fantastic! Made with love by the bride’s aunt, I don’t think there were two cupcakes that were the same.

The first dance.

Father daughter and mother son dance.

And one of my most favorite moments from the entire evening – the anniversary dance. If you aren’t familiar with this dance, its where all the married couples get out on the dance floor. Then the DJ says “if you’ve been married one year or less, please sit down. 5 years or less, etc.” When he got to 40 years and there were two couples still dancing, he said that’s cause for celebration enough and both should keep dancing. Never have I seen so much genuine love combined with decades of marriage on one dancefloor!

Sarah & Chuck – thank you so much for choosing me as your wedding and engagement photographer. The love and comfort you two so obviously share is inspiring! I wish both of you nothing but happiness and an endless supply of fond memories.

How many single words can you think of that completely describe two people in love?

Close. Connected. Inseparable. Intimate. Selfless. (Note how my list is in alphabetic order. I take no shame in admitting that I googled my question and picked out my favorites.)

Kaitlin and Peter are all of the above… and more. How can you possibly describe, using only a single word, how two people can stare longingly into each other’s eyes for an infinite amount of time? How can a single word explain how sparks and electricity light up when they touch? What one word could describe how two people can immediately make the other smile with nothing more than a look. I can’t think of a single word in the English dictionary that describes the connection, adoration and love that I witnessed while I took their engagement photos. I can only imagine what kind of magic I will witness on their wedding day.

Funny story how they found me. They are working with an amazing wedding planner… the absolute best in Portland if you ask me (and countless other couples). Nora Sheils of Bridal Bliss suggested me and they recognized the last name Allori. Turns out there aren’t many Alloris in these parts and I get asked all the time “are you related to [insert name of husband or one of husband's many siblings or parents]?” Because the Alloris are an amazing family and grew up here, its always a positive association. It even got me out of a speeding ticket once (long story). Back to the story. Turns out my mother-in-law works at the elementary school the bride attended. The bride’s mother said that they were sentimental that I would have a special connection on their day and that this, me photographing their wedding, was meant to be. I couldn’t agree more.

Kaitlin and Peter – nothing makes me happier than seeing two people who so clearly love each other. Congratulations and I am so looking forward to your wedding!

I’ll start with one of my absolute favorites from the session. Sigh.

Gorgeous ring. Gorgeous bride-to-be.

They had each other giggling the whole time.

Gorgeous couple.

So stinking cute.

Not my typical type of shot, but I thought it turned out pretty cute.

7 weeks until the big day!!!

The Rose Garden was incredibly crowded with the flowers in full bloom and the warm sunshine coming out from behind the afternoon clouds. How lucky were we to get this shot making it appear as if they were the only ones there?

If these made you smile, be sure to leave the happy couple a comment.