Man, I am a very bad blogger as of late. I have so many cool things I want to post from vacations and photo trips and random stuff. But what’s terrible is that I haven’t had a chance to share this incredible wedding that I shot up in Portland last month for two amazing people! I met Debby and Steve during the spring when they flew down to Orange County for their engagement shoot, and I knew instantly that I liked them and their wedding was going to be awesome. So for the second time in a year, I made the trip to Portland for a wedding. I’ve said it before, but I love it there! If it wasn’t for the fact that all of my friends and almost all of my family live in Orange County, I’d be outta here!! No sales tax…they pump your gas… and a giant forest right in the middle of the city. It’s a beautiful place. Supposedly it rains a lot there but I’ve never seen it myself. Enough yacking….on with the photos. As usual I’ll start with a few shots of the lovely bride getting even lovelier!
The wedding party stayed at a boutique hotel in downtown Portland, The Paramount. It’s a cool hotel and it was right around the corner from the wedding site. I popped out on the balcony to get some shots of the dress and shoes. Debby was a little concerned when I hung her shoes off the railing but I assured her that I haven’t dropped a pair of shoes from a balcony since high school.
the rings please
Before the ceremony, we headed over to Washington Park with high hopes of getting some shots of the wedding party in the rose gardens. So where do you think half of the people in Portland head on a beautiful sunny day? You got it. So the chances of getting group shots without a lot of people wandering through them was pretty slim. But it worked out nicely anyway. While the roses were absent, I found a nice little shady area up against a hillside that had amazing light and it was nice and cool. I was stoked that Debby and Steve wanted to do photos before the ceremony. Here’s Deb sneaking up on Steve and the two of them seeing each other all weddinged up for the first time.
Gorgeous light+beautiful people=some pretty sweet pics!
The ladies….
…and the dudes! Did I mention it was really sunny? People tell me that a sky like this is somewhat rare in Portland. Like I said, I’ve never seen it rain here!
Well, this was a record for me. 3 flower girls, two junior bride’s maids and one ring princess! And no I didn’t Photoshop the same girl in twice…they’re twins. And they were all absolute dolls. If I didn’t have a wedding to shoot, I could have done an entire session with these cuties.
The boys cleaned up pretty good too!
Absolutely stunning…
A nice casual portrait of Steve
I love this shot…so sweet
Alas, it was time to head over to the wedding venue. The ceremony and reception were held at the Crown Ballroom in downtown Portland… It was a great location with all sorts of interesting and beautiful decor. These were taken in the bridal room.
I love this shot! During the prayer I noticed the twins doing twin stuff…giggling and putting their heads together, but actually praying! And I happened to catch the expression on the flower girl to their left as she’s wondering what the two of them are doing. What a priceless look…
In case you’re wondering, orange is not necessarily Debby’s favorite color. However, it is the color for her new husband’s favorite team and his alma mater, the Oregon State University Beavers. So, that was the theme of the wedding! For you brides to be out there, picking a theme for your wedding is an awesome idea and it really helps tie everything together. Plus, it gives everyone a little insight into what matters to you! So once again, another first for me. I had never seen a wedding day football for everyone to sign until this wedding! What did surprise me is that thing stayed on the table and not once did I see it flying in a tight spiral across the dance floor after hearing, “Steve, go long!”
Some more details…
Guess which one is the groom’s cake.
Congrats to a wonderful couple!
During the reception, Debby, Steve and Debby’s son Keenan all donned their Oregon State jerseys for dancing.
Deb and Steve, thanks for letting me be a part of this amazing wedding. You guys were awesome…
Go Beavers!
A Long Billed Curlew coming in for a landing – sunrise in Cayucos, CA
I love the sign on the left. You’d probably figure out what the sign is trying to tell you as you notice your butt is about 3 feet above your head and you’re looking back at your bike. Apparently people in Portland like to post notices on the power poles.
I don’t really have anything to add here
My pup, Sydney