There are so many reasons I love photographing weddings. To be able to capture one of the most important days in a couple’s lives is such a privilege. To be trusted to do so is an absolute honor. To be able to feel the love, connection, and excitement through my camera is exhilarating. But one of the reasons I love photographing weddings is one that I didn’t expect when I first started… getting to know these fabulous couples and consider them friends when all is said and done is such an added bonus to the whole experience for me. I form a different connection with each of my couples. One of the reasons I do engagement sessions is to develop a relationship with both the bride and groom before the wedding.

From a selfish perspective, I get a preview of how the couple interacts, what makes them smile, what brings them joy, how comfortable they are showing intimacy in front of the camera, how they make each other feel. I feel like I further get to know them through my editing process because I spend hours staring at their expressions, their postures, their never ending gazes into each other’s eyes, and of course their apparent love and adoration for each other. By the time the wedding arrives, I feel confident I will know how to pose them and get them to look completely natural and comfortable in front of the camera so that they fall in love with each and every photo of their special day.

From the couple’s perspective, they get to know how it feels to have a camera in their face while they’re expected to act like no one is watching. They realize how the photographer they chose has no problems telling them exactly what to do, down to simple little things like how to touch a face or where to point a toe, so that they don’t have to think about a thing other than each other. They see how much joy I get from capturing a photo that makes me simply stare with wonder and amazement because of how a single image can make me feel. And they realize that I’m a pretty pleasant person to be around… kind of important when I will be on them closer than their shadows on one of the most important, exciting, joyful, and arguably stressful days of their lives.

It’s a win-win situation.

I love my couples.

Julie and Steve are no exception.

I met up with Julie at a Starbucks during the winter to go over the contract, how it will all work, details about her wedding, stuff like that. She and I instantly hit it off. You ever start talking to a person you just met and you feel like you’ve been friends forever? That’s how it was. I love it when that happens. I have no idea how long we sat there and talked but I just thought she was a true pleasure. I didn’t get to meet Steve until the engagement session, but we hit it off right away too. We met up at the Riverplace Hotel where their reception will be this summer. We had to reschedule a couple of times because of all this dark, cold, wet weather Oregon has been giving us. We made a last minute call to reschedule our session that morning to catch on of the clear 71F days we got this month. When I showed up they were enjoying a nice drink on the porch. They looked so comfortable together, like being together was just easy. I mean, does it get any better than that?

Julie sent me a note the next day. I hope she doesn’t mind me pasting what she wrote.

“I just wanted to share with you that last night was awesome! We were both so nervous to have so much attention focused on us in such a public place but you made it so easy! You put us both at ease and managed to make the whole thing really fun! Steve and I were both very impressed. Can’t wait to see the pictures and to work with you on our wedding day! Thank you for everything .”

I love getting notes like that. Of all the things I love about photography, making my clients happy takes the cake.

Now, enough words… let’s get to the good stuff. The photos.

That blue sky is fake. There wasn’t any detail in the sky in the photo I took because I was using natural light (no flash) and would have had to underexpose to get any detail in the sky. Pretty nifty, eh? Love my photoshop.

I love seeing the marina with all the boats in the background. Her boots are pretty freaking awesome too, don’t you think?

What you don’t see is what happened between the photo on the left and the photo on the right. They told me at the beginning that there would be no tongue all session, meaning dry pecks on the lips only. Totally cool. Most couples aren’t down with full on making out in public. However, the tongue did come out in between these photos. Julie stuck it right in Steve’s ear. I got a photo of it but I dare not post it.

This was a fun photo. We wanted to get the Riverplace Hotel in the background. Funny thing was that all of a sudden the dock filled up with people because they were doing dragon boat races on the river.

This is one of my favorite photos. Its so peaceful.

I love her ring. Gorgeous and elegant.

Congratulations Julie and Steve! I can’t wait for your wedding!!!

Kara and Daniel booked me last year. We’ve been putting off taking their engagement photos because they really wanted to have them done in the snow. Unfortunately, Portland winter weather didn’t play nice and give us a nice fluffy white snow storm to play in, so we did the next best thing and enjoyed the cherry blossoms down on the waterfront…

It almost looks like snow, doesn’t it?

These two are so sweet together. A lot of my couples aren’t huge fans of PDA, but by the end of the session, its easier for them to forget that I’m there and just enjoy lovin’ on each other. In fact, my favorite part of an engagement session is when the couple not only forgets that I’m there right in front of them, but they seem to be completely unaware of everything and everyone around them. As if nothing else in the world matters more than the person in front of them. I see that with Kara and Daniel. The two of them have this still quietness between them, and during our session I caught them sharing a sweet whisper or a silent look that produced smiles I’m sure only they can give each other. At the end of summer, they will be married in front of friends and family at Skamania Lodge on the Columbia River. I honestly couldn’t think of a more spectacular location for these two to start their lives together. I can’t wait to be able to document it for them, so when they share one of their sweet quiet moments thirty years down the road, they will have beautiful photos to remind them how perfect their wedding day was.

I am so incredibly excited to share with you a peek into Ashley & Nick’s wedding. On the only fair weather day, sandwiched right in between two weeks of heavy snow before and after their wedding, Ashley & Nick exchanged their vows atop Mt. Hood. The ceremony was small, quaint and intimate. Their closest family and friends were transported up to the Silcox Hut by snowcat. When the guests arrived to the mostly buried in snow rustic cabin, they were greeted with beautiful strung lights, candles, flowers, and delicious food and drinks. The bridal party was last to arrive, and Ashley waited to don her gorgeous fitted lace gown until she was about ready to walk down the isle. The first time Nick saw his gorgeous bride-to-be, she was walking towards him on her father’s arm.

The ceremony was perfect in every sense. The words spoken were meaningful. Not one person in the room couldn’t feel the love and admiration shared between Ashley and Nick. It was all sealed with a passionate kiss.

After the ceremony, the bride and groom signed their marriage certificate and then mingled with guests atop the mountain while the snowcats shuffled them down in small groups to the reception that was held down at the lodge. When all that was left was the wedding party and the immediate family, we took as many formal shots as the downright frigid weather would allow.

The bride & groom were the last to enter the reception. They entered and were surrounded by a room full of 150 or so guests, all excited to see the recently married couple. The decorations were gorgeous. The centerpieces consisted of a rustic wood disk cut from a tree trunk. There were candles everywhere. Every place setting had a jar of homemade preserves, lovingly made by the couple to give as favors. The food was delicious. It was definitely a party to remember. I stole the couple away from their guests to take some shots of just the two of them. The day is so busy it can sometimes be hard to do that, but in the end, the shots of the bride and groom alone, sharing a private intimate moment, are often the best ones.

If you’d like to get a better sense of who Ashley & Nick are, take a look at their engagement photos HERE.

If you’re planning a wedding and haven’t chosen a venue yet, you cannot go wrong with Timberline. Below are a list of their vendors.
Caterer – Timberline Lodge
Cake/pies – Larson’s Bakery | Vancouver, WA
Florist – A Floral Affair | Oregon City, OR
DJ – Adam Nicewonger | Portland, OR
Hair & Makeup – AJ’s Hair Design & Makeup | Portland, OR
Officiate – David Griffin | Seattle, WA

The Bride & Groom

If you’re familiar with my photography, you know that I have a definite style and always produce a consistent product. I do this so that my clients know what to expect based on what they have seen. I edit clean without a lot of heavy processing so that my photos remain timeless. I did, however, take a lot more creative liberties with the photos of the bride & groom together. I took some of the photos to the next level and processed them with a vintage rustic feel to match the gorgeous setting of the lodge.

Of the 1600 photos taken that day, this one is my favorite. I adore the way Ashley’s hair is whipping around her face. I shiver at how they’re touching each other with only their fingertips. I see nothing but pure joy, content, and passion on both their faces. I can feel how much they love each other when I look at this photo.

The flowers were so gorgeous. Before the ceremony when I got my first glance at them, I told Ashley how much I loved the bold colors. She said “I did that for you”. Me? She knew I would love how they photograph against the snow. Isn’t she awesome?

I love ring shots. This one was particularly challenging because her engagement ring and wedding band weren’t fused together, plus the weight of that big old diamond wanted to let gravity take over and just hang on the little branch. Absolutely gorgeous set, isn’t it?

Taken through the window from the reception.

We moved inside for the rest of the shots. This one is classic Timberline.

Ugh. The way they kiss. The passion…

Yes, she is biting his ear.

Before

This was the view from the reception room before the ceremony. Sadly, the clouds moved in by the time the ceremony was over and the sky went from vibrant blue to dark grey, but we were so fortunate to see sunshine for part of the day.

This is the Silcox Hut where the ceremony was held. As you can see, it was almost completely buried in snow.

Ashley’s feet, walking from the snowcat to the hut.

The Ceremony:

My favorite shot of the ceremony.

After the ceremony, we went outside in the bitter cold for some formal shots.

I LOVE this photo. I asked each pair in the wedding party to do something completely inappropriate. You never know what you’ll get when you ask people to do something like that. These guys definitely took it to a level that had me almost unable to take a photo because I was laughing so hard. You get to see the sensored version. All the while, Ashley and Nick are loving each other as if time were standing still.

The Reception:

For the first time as husband and wife, please welcome Ashley and Nick!

Every single detail of their wedding was thoughtfully and equally planned by both the bride and groom.

The kids table had a pack of crayons and a wedding coloring book at each place setting. Super cute.

The first dance. They could have been completely alone or on a stage in front of a thousand people and it wouldn’t have made one bit of difference… they were in heaven at that moment.

Daddy and his little princess.

My last shot of the night.

Congratulations, Ashley and Nick. May every single day be filled with the same love and passion that you shared for each other on your wedding day.

I can’t even begin to tell you how much I loved photographing Chrissy and Tony. They are so in love and were SO into each other during the shoot. I mean, I had to break up the lovin’ a couple of times so that we could move to a different location. There was some serious smoking hot passion between these two. I have to admit, too, that I just love photographing people with interesting tattoos. You know I thrive on good variety with my photos and what better way to get some visual diversity than with different designs on a person’s skin? Chrissy and Tony are also both gorgeous, and that makes my camera very happy too.

Chrissy is actually the younger sister of a dear friend of mine whom I’ve known since middle school. I was flattered when Chrissy said I was actually one of the few friends of her sister’s that she remembers from way back when (I think there’s at least six years age difference). The totally freaky part for me was the fact that Chrissy sounds exactly like her. Not only her voice, but the way she speaks. Identical.

Anyway, let me go on some more about why I loved this session so much. Almost all of my sessions from the prior two months had been done during Oregon’s cold, short, dark, wet, soggy days. Coming down to Orange County and being able to shoot in the warmest, most clear weather I had seen in months simply brought life back to my photography. Let’s just say that this couple along with the weather and the location made my camera very happy.

This is one of my favorites. I keep going back and forth between looking at his expression and then hers. Makes me wonder what they were telling each other with their eyes.

So. Into. Each other.

Check this out. They each have peacock tattoos. Interestingly, they both got them before they knew each other. The color of their wedding décor will be inspired by peacock feathers with rich greens, blues, and teals accented with hints of gold and black. I can only imagine how beautiful it will be.

I love this photo. Those are fake mustache tattoos on his fingers!

This was his grandmother’s ring. I thought it was absolutely perfect, as if Tony had it specially designed for Chrissy. Must have been meant for her.

All I see is pure joy and content here.

You have no idea how much I am looking forward to Ashley & Danny’s wedding this summer. First of all, they are getting married at my absolute favorite place to shoot portraits and I have been there many MANY times. It is gorgeous year round and the light will be exceptional for their evening outdoor ceremony. What better place to have your engagement photos taken than where your ceremony will be? Secondly, they are such a seriously cute couple. I couldn’t quite place it, but about 15min into the session I realized who Danny looked like. Mark Paul Gosselaar. You know, Zach from Saved by the Bell? Do you see it? After another 15 or so minutes of shooting I realized that Ashley looks a bit like Tiffani Amber Thiessen, she played Kelly – Zach’s girlfriend. Am I crazy? My husband doesn’t see it, but I do. Anyway, the thing I loved the most about watching Ashley & Danny together was the way they made each other laugh. Take it from someone who’s been married for a handful of years… making each other laugh, having inside jokes, even sharing the occasional glance that is sure to result in a big smile is a necessary component to a happy marriage.

Ashley & Danny – your wedding will be spectacular and I can’t wait to capture every moment for you!

This is the exact spot these two will be standing hand in hand this summer, sharing their vows, surrounded by all of their friends and loved ones.

I love this series. One of many moments where they completely made each other laugh.

Okay, this one might not end up as a 24×36 canvas above the fire place, but it was one of my favorite photos from the session. I asked them to make some funny faces. Ashley couldn’t even try because she was laughing so hard at Danny’s face. I’m surprised I was even able to take this shot because I was laughing so hard. I think in this one he has one eye going forward and the other completely turned in… a skill I am not talented enough to achieve myself.

Have you ever met a person that was so nice you had to ask yourself, “Is it really possible for a person to truly be that nice?” That happens to me from time to time when I come across someone who is genuinely nice and I always find it refreshing to get to know a person with such a good heart. I’m fortunate to have crossed paths with people like this over the years, but I was a bit shocked when I met Nicole and Todd because both of them have a heart of gold. They were both so incredibly nice and easy going, I wasn’t quite sure how to react! I mean, how often do you find a couple where both people are 100% sweet and good natured. Maybe my surprise comes from my own relationship with my husband. I’m the sweet and good natured one and my husband can be… um… how can I say this lovingly… a little tough to handle. I just figured every relationship was like mine. Opposites attract, right? I just couldn’t get over how deep down incredibly genuinely NICE both Nicole and Todd were, and what a great pair they are.

Allow me to back up my claims with some examples. Nicole and Todd live in Northern Washington, very close to the Canadian border. We’re talking a 4+ hour drive from Portland. When I booked their wedding, I didn’t know how we were going to do their engagement photos and they said they would come to me. I felt bad that they were traveling so far for the engagement pics but they said it was nothing and they used it as an excuse for a weekend getaway. I thought that was so nice. Guess what. It was raining for their entire session. Like a constant steady rain. Any other local session would have been rescheduled but we couldn’t. I was so worried. Did they complain? Not once. Every time I told them how bad I felt, they just told me how much they love the rain! They didn’t care if they got wet. They didn’t care the sky was grey. They were just happy to be together. Now, if those examples didn’t convince you, get this: we went down to Nob Hill for a Mayan Mocha from Moonstruck (because you can’t visit Portland without going to Moonstruck) and some dude backed into Todd’s truck while we were sitting in it. I, Mrs. Nice-pants, would have been pissed at the dummy who backed into us but Todd didn’t get mad at all. He saw that his truck wasn’t damaged and he didn’t get mad at all. Lastly, I had it was a real battle for me to buy Nicole and Todd a mocha. They wouldn’t let me treat them and I pretty much had to fight them to the cash register.

Okay, okay. So a long blog post about how nice they are, but I’m sure any of their friends and family reading this will agree. These two each have a heart of gold, and together they are a rare find. I feel so privileged to be able to photograph their wedding this September.

This one cracks me up because he actually carries her on his back all the time when there are puddles or mud.

I think I love Ashley and Nick. Maybe that sounds a little weird, but read on and you’ll probably love them too by the end of this post. First of all, if you saw the way Nick kissed Ashley, you’d get shivers up and down your spine. I don’t know what it is, but there is some pure magic there. Second, you will just melt when you hear the story of how he proposed. There were down at the Portland Waterfront on a warm sunny summer day. Nick convinced Ashley to run through the fountain with her clothes on. Right in the middle of the fountain he got down on one knee and proposed to her. Romantic, right? Now get this. He had secretly hired a professional photographer to capture the whole thing. The photographer stayed far enough back that she never even noticed. Then, that Christmas, seven months after he proposed, she opened up her gift and saw a beautiful black and white photo album showing the candid photos from that special day. It was titled “you should have seen it in color”. I personally have something in common with them too. When I got married, my husband’s son was about the same age that Nick’s two kids are. We included my stepson in our engagement session just like Ashley and Nick did with their kids. I totally love and respect that because she’s not just marrying Nick, she’s marrying his kids too. Finally, they’re getting married this spring up at Timberline Lodge. A beautiful snowy wedding, gorgeous bride, rustic lodge, sealed with that oh-so-hot-and-steamy kiss – a photographer’s dream!

See? You love them now too, don’t you?

Ashley and Nick are two incredible people and will certainly have a fun, loving, and romantic life in front of them. Congratulations to you two!!!

What did I tell you? H O T !!!

If you have kids, you know this feeling.

Gorgeous ring.

Not only does he make her laugh, but he grabs her tooshie while doing it.

Doesn’t Nick’s son look just like him?

This was their idea. I love it when the kids tell me what shots to get. They usually end up being my favorites.

Super hot. There was such passion between these two.

I’m melting right about now. Are you?

Only in Oregon. Those leaves are real.

For my photographer friends out there… these were taken at ISO5000. No joke. It was pretty much dark outside. I love my D700.

I cannot even begin to tell you how much I loved this engagement session and how much I adore this couple. I’ll have to begin by telling you a little about the bride & groom. When I first met up with Laura & John, it was a gorgeous summer evening more than a year before their wedding. I sat down at the table and Laura pulled out a REALLY thick wedding binder. She presented me with the contract I had emailed her, filled out completely. I stole a few glances at her binder and was so incredibly impressed at how organized she was at this stage in the planning. Then, a brief moment of panic stuck me as I began to think that maybe she was going to be an overbearing, controlling Bridezilla! Thank goodness that isn’t true, in fact it’s the complete opposite. Laura and John are so amazingly wonderful. And a huge bonus for me – they are a photographer’s dream. To go along with their elegant vintage wedding theme, they wanted timeless vintage engagement photos. They brought along every prop I could possibly wish for – open back frames, vintage suitcases, a chalk board, a bench, a 1957 Bentley (yeah, you read that correctly). On top of that, they dressed the part, all the way down to the accessories and shoes. Oh, how I loved her shoes. The icing on the cake? They are gorgeous. When I spend hours editing my photos, it doesn’t hurt one bit to have the people I photograph be so easy on the eyes.

Fun little fact… Laura & John booked their wedding with me for August 20th, 2011. In the coming weeks after they booked I got not one, but two couples, who wanted to book me as their wedding photographer but their wedding was on August 20th. What on earth are the chances of that? I’m sure the other couples were lovely, but I’m really glad Laura & John found me first.

Congratulations, Laura & John! I can’t wait for your wedding!!!

Without further ado, here are a handful of my favorite shots from their session, but they got a whole lot more.

I’ll start this post off with an interesting little tidbit… The first time this bride-to-be saw me I was standing in a cute little bra and panties set. Do I have your interest now? Here’s another little interesting tidbit… the first time she meets most woman, they’re usually wearing no more than their underwear as well. I know I at least have all the attention from the guys who are reading this. Okay, get your mind out of the gutter. She’s actually the manager of the lingerie department at a very large (and my favorite) department store. As she was ringing my new purchases up, we got to talking about how I was a photographer and how she was getting married, one thing led to another (c’mon now – get your mind out of the gutter!), and she and her fiancé ended up choosing me as their wedding photographer!

They’ve been together for six years now and they have the coolest wedding date for next year set: 9.10.11. My favorite part about their wedding? A peacock theme. I can only imagine what they’ll plan with the beautiful jewel tone colors that you find on a peacock’s feathers as well as what kind of cool decorations and favors they’ll create. The wedding will be on Gabe’s family property, giving the ceremony and reception an intimate and personal touch.

Shallee and Gabe – congratulations to the two of you for not only starting a new chapter in your life, but for winning the BIG Wedding Promo where you’ll get your wedding photography for free!!! I can’t wait to photograph your big day.