All in Wedding

Oregon Wine Country Wedding at Youngberg Hill // Oregon and Travel Wedding Photographer

You probably already know that Oregon is beautiful, but add a beautiful bride, a handsome groom, a vineyard, and a fun dance party and it’s brought to the next level. That was Sam and Logan’s wedding day. They were married at the beautiful Youngberg Hill Winery that lies up on a hill in the middle of the Willamette Valley of Oregon. The venue was placed perfectly because it overlooked the backdrop of the layers of hills going off into the distance. I know that I said the word “hill” a lot there, but they’re really pretty hills, haha.

Fun, Beautiful Wedding with Portraits Outside Fire Department // McMinnville, Oregon Wedding Photographer

Kyle and Jess were married on a beautiful day that you wouldn't believe was at the end of October in the Midwest. There were a lot of fun, memorable highlights from their special day, especially the reception. First was the absolutely fun dancing. From the dollar dance to the multiple dance trains, it was a blast! I loved that so many of Kyle and Jess' relatives got involved, including their sweet grandparents. The DJ also got all the guests involved, most notably with an exciting scavenger hunt/musical chairs game that you'll love seeing photos of!

Countryside Wedding at Clary Gardens // McMinnville, Oregon Photographer

"Luke and Allison had such a lovely day for their October wedding. It was held in the small town of Coshocton, Ohio at a cute, all-inclusive venue, Clary Gardens. This location has everything from a path through the woods, an amphitheater in a bit of a valley for the ceremony, and some historic 19th century homes where they got ready for their big day.

This sweet couple, who are actually college friends of mine and my husband, was so relaxed the entire day, and of course they should be because everything was planned by the bride, a theater stage manager, and executed so smoothly. Allison's planning gave us plenty of time to capture everything. They opted to do everything from their first look to the family formals prior to the ceremony so they could immediately join their guests at their reception up the hill. It was perfect."

Lakeside Wedding at Lake Lyndsay // Portland, Oregon Photographer

Alex and Courtney's wedding day had absolutely perfect weather and made their evening ceremony warm with the setting sun. The ceremony was followed by golden-hour sunset portraits—what every photographer dreams of—and an amazing reception inside the lodge. The reception was fun and classy with live music by an AMAZING band, Blue Water Kings Band. They had quite a variety in their set, but I'm a sucker for live jazz, and theirs made just made me melt. I couldn't mention the reception without adding that the bridesmaids had a surprise for Courtney. They sang her a song and the Maid-of-Honor, Courtney's identical twin sister, showed her skills on the electric guitar. All-in-all, it was a fun, beautiful day celebrating a wonderful couple.

Multi-Cultural American-Danish Wedding // Kristin & Stefan // Portland, Oregon Photographer

The mix of Danish and American cultures was such a fun interplay to observe on Kristin and Stefan's wedding day. While I could and do go on for a while, enraptured with tradition and culture, I do have to say how wonderful Kristin and Stefan were. So gracious, graceful, and kind. Elegant. Beautiful inside and out. It was truly an honor to be able to get to know them throughout this process, as well as an honor to be able to photograph the outpouring of that inner beauty and love for each other. They could hardly keep away from each other and took every opportunity to sneak a kiss. It made my heart so happy. I love their love.

Army Wedding at the Dayton Art Institute // Portland, Oregon Photographer

Patrick and Tina's wedding day wasn't just a joining of two in marriage, but a joining of three into a family. Their beautiful little girl may have legally only been one of their daughters before, but it absolutely warmed my heart to see how everyone already absolutely held each other as family without question. As a person who holds family so dear, it was so beautiful to see this. This is what weddings are about—commitments and love like this. It didn't hurt that the celebration was a blast, too. ;)

Smile Filled Wedding in the Hills // Portland, Oregon Wedding Photographer

Brandon and Hannah smiled on their wedding day maybe more than any other couple I've seen. They're emotions were worn for the world to see and what everyone saw was a deep, anchored love for each other and for God. I left their wedding day feeling inspired in my faith and encouraged in my marriage. It was incredible!

What else was wonderful was Brandon and Hannah's willingness to adventure all over the farm that Hannah grew up on. That makes for the best photos, let me tell you! :D At first we were walking, then Hannah's dad came by with a tractor and the idea to take us to the top of the hill in the cow pasture that had the best view of the area. Oh, those hills! And such a sweet father. And such a gorgeous couple! Their smiles and laughter couldn't be anything but one of the most beautiful things that pulls your heart into their love story.

Fun, Sweet Couple's Winter Wedding // Alec & Kristen Married

Everything was simply perfect for Alec and Kristen's wedding day. Not only the weather, but the ceremony venue had amazing windows that let in all kinds of wonderful natural light (swoon), the vendors were absolutely the best people to interact with and were amazing to work alongside, and even the perfect bridal party. The bridesmaids were beautiful in their long, flowy dresses. I really have a huge love of long, flowy dresses, and these were extra beautiful. Each bridesmaid looked absolutely lovely. As far as the groomsmen, I had such a blast hanging out with them. What a fun group of guys! Everything came together wonderfully for a wonderful couple. :)

Idaho & Oregon State Line // Jordan & Shantel Married

Jordan and Shantel's wedding and reception were held in two different states! Luckly, the commute between Idaho and Oregon wasn't a long one since it was right near the state line. ;) I absolutely loved photographing in the Pacific Northwest, one of my favorite places I've ever been.

While there were so many special details and special moments in Jordan and Shantel's day, I think what encompasses their day is the love and support from each and every person, not only the bride and groom. The moment that stood out to me the most as the best example of this was when Shantel, her bridesmaids, mom, grandma, and other special women in her life all gathered around to pray for her and Jordan before the ceremony. That is where the love, and life, and joy overflowed. Multiple people prayed, and at the end every single person there was crying. You'll see a photo with each of them holding a kleenex; that was not staged in the slightest.