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Wedding Portraits in Troutdale Oregon

Jessica — Thu, 08 Jul 2010 21:05:40 +0000

I recently got asked if it all becomes the same after a while. Not at all! Each bride is so different, which makes each wedding different too. At Glen Otto Park in Troutdale, it was drizzling outside. The day before, I knew the bride I was photographing would need to be inside at the first drop of rain. Rebecca, however, ran not only outside but charged into the muddy grass, for her wedding portraits. Part of what I love about being a wedding photographer is interacting with so many people, and getting to know each bride.

Rebecca and Dan had the sweetest intimate wedding. The couple has had a long distance relationship, from Maryland to Missouri, since they met. Now they will finally get to be together every day.

Lakewood Arts Center {Portland Wedding Photographer}

Jessica — Tue, 03 Nov 2009 21:27:58 +0000

Katy and Aaron’s wedding continued at the Lakewood Arts Center, in Lake Oswego. It’s a beautiful brick building, and the trees were all changing colors outside. Inside the couple had an intimate wedding reception. Here’s a few favorites from their first dance.

Hope Community Church {Portland Wedding Photography}

Jessica — Wed, 28 Oct 2009 19:52:42 +0000

Katy and Aaron have a six month old son, Cade. The couple had planned to wheel him down the aisle in a little wagon but he was sleepy. He slept through most of the wedding ceremony on his grandma’s shoulder, in such a precious way.

The moments in between {Oregon Wedding Photography}

Jessica — Wed, 14 Oct 2009 03:40:26 +0000

As I’m going through Shelby & Tim’s wedding photos, processing the images, I found one that is just precious. We were in the middle of formals, and about to photography Shelby, Tim, and Sydney together. Tim started to fix his bride’s dress, while she shared a moment with her daughter.

Shelby & Tim {Portland Oregon Wedding Photography}

Jessica — Mon, 12 Oct 2009 02:27:02 +0000

Here are some ceremony highlights from Shelby & Tim’s wedding at The Aerie.

First Look {Portland Wedding Photography}

Jessica — Sat, 03 Oct 2009 03:37:32 +0000

When I meet with brides for the first time, I ask how they feel about seeing the groom before the wedding. Most have a very strong opinion on this. Shelby & Tim were no exception. They did not want to see each other first. So when ten days before the wedding I got an email talking about First Look, I was surprised.

One thing I have learned as a wedding photographer, is that plans change. They change two weeks before the wedding. They change the day of the wedding. They change as the wedding is happening. Shelby was actually my first bride to change her mind on this. I asked her lots of questions because I wanted to make sure they weren’t changing plans just to make the photography timing smoother. (I want photograph the wedding day as it happens, and don’t like to interfere with how a bride envisions her day.)

It turned out seeing each other first was something Shelby and Tim had decided they really wanted, and it worked out perfectly! Shelby was in the bridal lounge with her family, and Tim got ready down the hall with his best man. Tim then stood in the garden space behind a tall row of hedges, as Shelby walked up the stairs.

As a bride, I was insistent on not seeing my hubby until I walked down the aisle. I just had the idea of that moment in my head. I am not a traditionalist but it was one of those things. From what I see as a wedding photographer, it seems more than half of brides choose to do a first look before the wedding ceremony. I am constantly amazed by how special the moment is.

After Shelby & Tim saw each other we did formal portraits, and then the bride snuck away again before the guests arrived. The last photo is my favorite of this series. The flower girls were playing as we were gathering groups for the formals.

One more peak {Longview Wedding Photography}

Jessica — Tue, 22 Sep 2009 15:04:47 +0000

The groom and his men seemed to have extra fun smoking cigars, late in the reception, at Melanie & Adam’s wedding. And what a hug Dad gives to his daughter after their dance!

Pass the Bacardi {Wedding Photojournalism}

Jessica — Thu, 17 Sep 2009 21:13:48 +0000

The wedding cake has been cut, everyone is hanging out eating cupcakes and chatting, on a gorgeous, slightly stormy day in Longview Washington. A group is forming back in the field near the arch where the ceremony was held. The groom gets told to go out there for a surprise.

As I follow Adam and Melanie across the field, I hear him tell her that it’s something he started at his best man’s wedding, but he doesn’t remember what they are referring to. The bride and groom join their friends. One of the groomsmen is holding a bottle of Bacardi 151 and a can of coke.

The bride and groom’s friends are in a circle, of about twenty people. Each one passed the bottle and gave a toast to the couple. It was wonderfully silly, fun, and endearing.

The Lovely Couple {Wedding Photography}

Jessica — Wed, 16 Sep 2009 19:02:32 +0000

A few more formals here, of the bride and groom. Melanie & Adam really seemed to forget I was there, except for an occasional blushing of the bride. The setting for their wedding was so amazing.

Having grown up in New Jersey just outside New York City, I’m a city girl but just love the country too. When I was 20, I drove upstate New York for the first time to a small town, New Paltz, to check out the state university. I took piles of pictures of the country scenes and came back home asking my mom what type of trees they were. I was 20 and had never before seen an apple tree! I ended up living in New Paltz for almost nine years, and it still holds a dear place in my heart.

Back to the wedding, I get amazed still sometimes by open fields and things that might be second nature to others. The setting for Melanie & Adam’s wedding was one of these times. As we were taking their portraits a horse was running by in the background!

The Formals {Longview Wedding Photography}

Jessica — Wed, 16 Sep 2009 03:43:14 +0000

I usually don’t blog wedding formals. It’s no secret that my brides hire me for my candid photography, and typically don’t want to dedicate a lot of time to formals. After a busy summer of weddings, I have had a lot of brides ask me if we even have to do formal shots. My answer is that we don’t have to but I strongly recommend it. In a few years you, or your parents, may really wish a few shots of everyone together were taken, and we can do it quickly.

I thought I’d blog this series because it was particularly fun. During the bridal party portraits, there was lots of laughter. It’s the moments in between that I adore. You’ll see what I mean in the photos below.