Mark and Ineke were married at the lovely Portland White House in a very relaxed and fun ceremony (the guests even got to light things on fire!). These two were so laid back about the whole day…and since we had met a couple times before (Ineke was a bridesmaid in Terrence and Alix’s wedding this summer and we recently spent a rainy afternoon in the park taking their engagement pics - see end of post), the day kinda felt like hanging out with friends and I just happened to have my camera along with me. We took several little field trips throughout the day for photos - a few at the White House, a few at the park on the way to the reception and then a few more after dark in the Pearl District downtown.

As you can see these two were working the old retro glamour (dig the feathers in Ineke’s veil), and I must say were looking pretty fabulous.

M & I and Families: Thank you for a fun day! It was great to see you all again. Enjoy the images…

This was a great moment - Ineke’s sister did a reading from David Sedaris’ Dress Your Family in Corduroy and Denim during the ceremony and everyone was cracking up:

And a few from their engagement session last month that we were able to grab in between rainstorms:

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Venue: Portland’s White House, NE Portland
Catering: Eleni’s Philoxenia, Pearl District, NW Portland

David and Acasia had a beautiful outdoor summer wedding in Hood River. The ceremony and reception were both held at the Lake Cliff Bed and Breakfast, overlooking the Columbia River. The whole day was very intimate, and you could tell that David and Acasia had put a lot of energy into creating a truly magical day for their friends and families (One of the highlights of the day was the song that Acasia wrote and performed for David at the beginning of the reception - there wasn’t a dry eye in the house).

These two were so fun to be around - they have one of those connections that is so joyful it becomes contagious. When you see how excited they are simply to be near each other, you can’t help but smile too. And throughout the day, you could see this joy reflected in their friends and family as they talked about them and shared in their celebration.

Thanks to everyone for a great day, it was a pleasure to get to know all of you!

Enjoy the preview…

I love this one:

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Venue: Lake Cliff Bed & Breakfast, Hood River, Oregon

I recently spent an evening with the lovely folks from Plate and Pitchfork (you might remember them from last season). The dinner was held at Sauvie Island Organics and was one of those summer evenings that makes you love Oregon…a warm and breezy summer evening followed by a rich sunset and a full moon rising over the trees…food and wine all grown from within a hour’s drive.

Each summer, Plate and Pitchfork holds a series of outdoor dinners around the Portland area focused on utilizing the bounty of the area and farm fresh ingredients. Each event features a rotating list of well known local chefs and winemakers that volunteer their time to create and prepare the evening’s menu. In addition to being fun, the evening is also educational - things kick off with a tour of the farm that you are visiting where you see the ingredients that will be used to prepare your dinner and throughout the evening the chefs and winemakers discuss the courses they’ve prepared and the wines that have been chosen to accompany them.

Plate and Pitchfork is a great organization, and if you get a chance try to scoop up tickets to one of the dinners (they tend to sell out within a few hours). You can learn more by checking out the following links:
Plate and Pitchfork
Sauvie Island Organics

A few quick favorites:

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Toro Bravo, Clyde Commons
Chehalem Winery, Patton Valley Vineyard

A quick favorite from Mike and Meagen’s recent engagement session…more on these two coming up in a few weeks!

Aaron and Erin’s wedding day was one that will not soon be forgotten by anyone in attendance. The location was beautiful - set in Winghaven Park on Vashon Island outside of Seattle, guests hiked down into the park for the ceremony, which was set along the water of the Puget Sound and surrounded by forest. Attention had been paid to every detail: the guests all wore white, the handmade wedding alter was covered in berries and wildflowers that matched arrangements spread throughout the park, old family photos hung from the trees next to glass jars filled with candles. It was set up to be the perfect summer island celebration, all except for the one detail that can never be predicted…the weather.

And as luck would have it, as I walked down the beach with Erin and her bridesmaids on our way to the ceremony, it started sprinkling…then it started raining harder…then all of a sudden, the clouds opened up with a full force summer storm - complete with rain, wind, and even a little thunder. We scrambled to borrow umbrellas from neighbors along the way, but even with those by the time the bridal party arrived, they were completely drenched. Drenched, but smiling. And this is where the story gets good - the wedding went on as planned (well, with a few minor adjustments).

The funny thing was that the unexpected change in weather almost made the day more beautiful - as family and friends stood around huddled under the dinner tent watching Aaron and Erin say their vows under the makeshift umbrella altar, you could tell that nobody cared about anything except the fact that these two had found each other and were so happy to be spending their lives together. And as the day progressed, the rain finally cleared up and we were even treated to five (yes, five) rainbows. A good omen if I’ve ever seen one…

A & E - it was truly a pleasure to spend the day getting to know you and your families. Enjoy the images!

My favorite shot of the day:

I didn’t realize that Erin stepped into the shadow for this shot until later, but I thought it turned out kind of interesting this way:

Ah, Ryan and Hannah…what can I say about these two crazy kids? :)

Their wedding was held along the waterfront in Astoria, Oregon and was a sweet and laid back affair. Since Ryan and Hannah had booked me from afar, we didn’t have a chance to meet in person before the wedding (sometimes this can be challenging as there is less time to get to know each other amidst the details and energy of the wedding day) but within minutes of arriving, we instantly clicked and decided that we were destined to meet and hang out for the day.

Ryan and Hannah had set aside a lot of time for photos (always a good thing!) and so we were able to cruise around the waterfront for a while having some fun - we borrowed a couple vintage bicycles, hung out on the beach and checked out some old classic cars. For the reception, we took over the upstairs of The Loft at the Red Building, where Ryan and Hannah treated guests to a hip-hop dance routine for their first dance of the evening (see why I like these guys?). And I have to say - these two have some serious moves on the dance floor (there’s a little glimpse at the end of this post).

Ryan and Hannah - thanks to you both for a great day and for being such good sports…you’re awesome. Enjoy the preview:

This was just a quick shot I grabbed in the elevator heading down to meet Ryan, but it turned out to be one of my favorites of the day:

Hannah’s dad brought her into the ceremony on his Harley… :)

At the end of the night, I asked Hannah and Ryan to get creative and do whatever they wanted for their last few images. This is what they came up with - like I said, they’ve got moves…

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Venue: The Loft at the Red Building

Sometimes you see two people together and you just get the feeling right off that they were made to be together…Topher and Cacye are like that. They have this kind of natural and gracious manner about them that translated through the entire weekend of their wedding celebration.

The festivities were held at the Portland White House in NE Portland - a beautiful old victorian house that has been restored to it’s original glory with artwork, antiques and intricate historic details everywhere. The house normally operates as a bed and breakfast and comes complete with rooms for guests and a fully staffed gourmet kitchen. In keeping with the old-fashioned vibe, a lot of the wedding details were vintage, including Cacye’s thrift shop wedding dress (cool, right?).

Topher and Cacye - I really enjoyed hanging out and getting to know you guys…best of luck in your new life together.

Here are some of my favorite images from the day:

A couple snaps from the night before the wedding:

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Venue & Catering: Portland White House
Bakery: Sweetpea Baking Company

I met up with these two guys recently for a day in the park and they were little balls of energy! A quick preview:

Terrence and Alix had a fun and laid back wedding at Kruger’s Farm on Sauvie Island. We had perfect summer weather and the entire day had a very home-grown feel - from the fresh picked farm flowers to the bluegrass band, you could tell that these two just wanted a nice day to hang out - to enjoy the sun, friends and family and each other.

It was great to spend the day getting to know you both! Enjoy the preview…

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Venue: Kruger’s Farm, Sauvie Island

Trevor and Jamie were married on the hottest day in the history of Portland. Okay…maybe not, but it kinda felt like it. Jamie’s Dad had a theory why it was so hot - he says that Jamie was born on the coldest day of the year, so it all had to balance out. I like that theory.

In spite of the heat wave, it was so great to see Trevor and Jamie again. It was the third time that we’ve worked together this year - we met up last December for their engagement session and then again in January for Jamie’s bridal session.

The ceremony and reception were held at Garden Vineyards in Hillsboro, a beautiful family estate surrounded by vineyards and gardens, and as the sun went down it was the perfect setting for a summer’s night party.

Here are some of my favorites…

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Venue: Garden Vineyards
Wedding & Event Planning: Dazzling Affaire