I met Drake in the lobby of the resort.  It has beautiful grounds, and they provide each couple with a limo golf cart with a personal wedding coordinator to chauffeur them around.  Tami, our coordinator for the day, looked through Karen & Drake’s photo display and picked out the perfect spot to do their first look, deep in the golf course by the river.

After taking photos at the resort we headed over to Wildwood Recreation Site to go on a little nature walk for more portraits.  Karen led us through a favorite boardwalk style trail.  It was deep lush forest, with moss coating the trees.  I’ve only seen such density before in the rain forest at Olympic National Park (and I’m pretty excited to find it closer to home).

The wedding itself was at an intimate spot in the park.  Surrounded by loved ones, with a ceremony filled with personal touches, the couple said I do.  A champagne toast followed, and then Karen & Drake went back to the resort to celebrate at the reception.

Wedding Venues: Wildwood Recreation Site & Resort at the Mountain

Location: Mt Hood – Welches, Oregon

Dress: Lena Medoyeff

Florist: Tayadeline

DJ: Tunes to Go

Cake: Dream Cakes

Karen – more to come soon. I promise!

Tiff & Adam’s wedding ceremony and reception were so extremely personalized. Bridal Veil Lakes is beautiful and natural. The Gorge wedding venue really suited the couple’s relaxed style perfectly. During the wedding ceremony, Hawaiian customs such as having the bride’s grandfather place leis on the couple, were incorporated. The officiants were personally selected too, the groom’s father and the bride’s college mentor.

They handmade their own wedding rings through a workshop in Seattle. Each table was decorated with delicate pieces of paper with questions on them, the type that makes you really think. The bride tossed a lavender bouquet for good luck to all the guys and girls that wanted to catch it. Camp songs were typed up and passed out, and of course there was the beer chugging canoe race! Every little detail was thought out, and was just completely Tiff and Adam.

Tiffani – Thank you for choosing me as your wedding photographer, and letting me share your day!

About ten minutes into the ceremony, terror hit me. I realized I had no way of knowing when the kiss was coming! I watched for queues like the ring exchange, and then realized I could watch all the wedding guests. Suddenly guests started to get out their phones and held them up, and pointed their cameras. I crouched into the position in the middle of the isle, and just froze until it happened. Delightfully, I timed it just right and caught the moment.

But for this post, I’m going to back up a bit, to the bride walking down the aisle with her father. In most weddings, everyone enters except the bride and her dad. At Kelly & Eli’s everyone entered, including Kelly, and waited at the back of the sanctuary. This photo of Kelly walking down the aisle is one of my favorites so far. Her expression just makes the photo for me.