simple wedding style

We loved this wedding! Josh and Samantha married in Samantha’s parents backyard. You’d never know from looking at the photos that it was about a zillion degrees on the 16th, since everyone looks fresh and lovely. After they said “I do” in one of the prettiest outdoor venues I’ve ever seen, Josh took Sam for a lap around the adjacent lake in an antique wooden rowboat.

There were some things that were especially sweet about this particular wedding. Josh’s Dad served as best man, and also his grandfather was the officiant. Samantha’s parents created the most amazing ceremony site and completely decked out the family home to create this beautiful and meaningful wedding day. All around the couple, you could find brothers, sisters, aunts, uncles, cousins and friends all heartily supporting the couple over the course of the day.

I hear that Sam and Josh are headed to their new home in PA on Friday, so we are working at lightning speed so that they can take their proofs with them. Check back here on Friday for a link to all the photos from the day as well as a slideshow of our favorite pics.

Congrats to you both!

 Most weddings start with ceremony, then follow with the reception. On August 8th, we got to observe how a gracious couple can “go with the flow.” Since Kristin and Richard’s officiant had some car trouble on the way to Mt Hood Bed and Breakfast , they decided to celebrate first, then they would marry later, when he could arrive. It turned out to be a great decision, since the guests could enjoy the party at a leisurely pace in the fantastic setting in the golden light of sunset. Our favorite part was taking a (relaxing) stroll through the tall grass with Kristin and Richard before the ceremony. Congratulations to you two!

UPDATE: HERE is a link to all the photos from the day. And go HERE for a slideshow of our favorites. And, finally, click HERE to see our album idea for Kristin and Rick.

Gorgeous bride, handsome groom, and a perfect day. With that, you’ve got it all right? However, that’s just the beginning for these two. She’s a stunner AND smart. He’s movie-starish AND charming. On top of that–they’re crazy about each other.

There are other reasons why this was such a fun wedding to photograph. Both Nicole and Mark have big, loving families and scads of aunts, cousins, siblings, grandparents–all kinds of friends and family who support and celebrate this couple.  The whole day was like surfing a big wave of love.

Thanks for having us along last Saturday. Here’s a few of our favorites while we are working on your post-production.  

Update: Here’s a link to all the photos from the day.

And here for a slideshow of our favorites. And here to see our ideas for Nicole and Mark’s album.

If I was planning my own wedding again, Wendy is the first phone call I would make. We’ve run into Effesenden about a half dozen times over the last year and it’s always a good thing. Without fail, Wendy and her peeps add so much to the atmosphere and to the celebration. Plus, they’re young, stylish, they know what’s cool and also what’s traditional. They are pretty much like chocolate–virtually everyone is going to love it.

Their website has a ton of information. I was pretty impressed with how much personalization goes into planning music for your particular event. Check it out. It’s a choice you’d be certainly be happy with.

I just rang Allison and Josh and they answered their cell from a ferry boat in Sausalito! After their perfect, perfect, perfect wedding at the Viewpoint Inn, they headed off on a driving honeymoon to the California Wine Country and San Francisco. Hey, maybe your proofs will even beat you home?

One of the nicest things about this wedding, besides all the wonderful people who were there with them, was the relaxed pace of the day. No rushing, no stress, all happy, all mellow. Allison had time with “her girls” while she dressed and Josh had time with “his guys” (which included the oh-so-awsome female groomsperson). There was plenty of time for family and group photos on the lawn, and the ceremony was just delish.

However, I think the very best part of the day came later in the evening. After dinner, as the sun was fading, the couple took a short walk towards the viewpoint. The golden sun, the fading light, the cool green grass—my favorite image of the day is from this time. I’ll post it at the bottom of this entry.

Congrats to you both. Stay tuned here in about a week for a link to all the photos from the day and to a slideshow of our favorites.

Romance! Kristin and Joe’s wedding and celebration was so romantic. They are so sweet with each other. And, Joe, you are such a handsome fellow! It was a joy to watch Joe see Kristin for the first time on wedding day. He completely lit up–it’s easy to see the Kristin activates and animates him.

Kristin and Joe planned a little time together on the waterfront in the time between their wedding and their reception. (By the way, there are zillions of great pics from that time). After we were finished, Joe and Kristen walked up the RiverPlace walk. The best part was watching the crowds wave and call out their congratulations to the new couple. Cheers to you both. 

 Go here to see a slideshow of our favorites.

And here to see all the photos from the day.

And finally, click here to see our album ideas for Kristin and Joe.

Jennifer and Erik had such a sweet wedding in the backyard of their new home. It’s such a pleasure to photograph people when they have their own unique style and express it easily. Jennifer is a lovely sprite of a girl and Erik is a charmer. They were so relaxed and happy on their wedding day.

It was great to see how they transformed their gorgeous new home in record time. The backyard, which was ho-hum only a few weeks earlier, was the perfect green setting for their vows. Surrounded by family and dear friends it was easy to see what a loving start their marriage is off to.

There’s more to come. Re-visit this post in a about 2 weeks for a link to all the photos of the day and for a link to a slideshow of our favorites. Erik, Jennifer: see you soon!

Wedding planning can be a bit girl-centric, wouldn’t you agree? It’s not uncommon for a gal to spend (literally) months figuring out what dress to wear, how she’ll do her hair, and of couse, the all-important shoe odyssey. But what of the guys? Seems like these days, the guy tends to go one of two ways. Some guys use the occasion to finally buy themselves a brilliant suit.  And shouldn’t every guy out there have one fantastically tailored, expensive suit that highlights his winning attributes?

The other route: the dreaded “tux” rental.

It’s worth the time for your guy to make himself familiar with his options if he’s renting. Maybe he doesn’t want to waste a ton of time at the shop learning about various suits, so here’s an idea. Men’s Wearhouse has a tuxedo section of their website that has really clean and simple photos of the different kinds of formal wear options a guy might consider. Whatever store you decide to rent from, he’ll have a bit of a head start knowing what kind of formal suit he’s interested in. By any name, Tuxedo, Cutaway, Morning Coat, Tails: he’ll know it when he sees it.

On the subject of men’s formal options, I’ve noticed several recent grooms who looked super handsome in classic white-on-white. Besides looking perfectly elegant for any time of day, if the guy gets warm and removes his coat, he still looks “formal”. (And not like one of the waiters). Check it out!

We were psyched to hear that we’d be shooting at Garden Vineyards. Because I had checked out their website, I knew it was going to be lovely, but it turned out to be even better than I had hoped.

Our site visit was on a warm July afternoon on a day the gardens were in full bloom. Heirloom roses, lavender and plenty of cool green foliage were the components of my first impression. The honey-colored, stucco-finished house looks a bit Tuscan; the broad sheltered terraces enhance that feeling. From both the upper and lover terraces there are sweeping views of the Coast range. In the garden there are all kinds of lovely nooks and crannies that are great spots to make photographs. For example, the two black fretwork structures on either end of the gardens.  Stone steps and gravel pathways allow visitors to explore different areas and lead to the vineyards below.

The first set of photos show a bit of the setting during the daytime. What we don’t show in these pics is the lower terrace, where they typically set up for the ceremony and for dining. Because it was raining this day, a tent was set up in that area.

The second set of photos give a sense of what the venue is like after dark. My favorite spot was the dance area, which is a covered pavillion with hanging lanterns to set the mood. Twining vines and lush greenery enhance the feeling of enclosure. There’s a space for a band or DJ to set up and plenty of firm surface to dance the night away.

It was clear from talking with owners that creating this venue is a labor of love. To look into this venue for yourself, check out their website.

It can be a nervous Saturday morning decision…tent? no tent? tent? no tent? It’s enough to make a person chew their nails to the quick. But really, monsoons wouldn’t have dampened this couple’s spirits. (Good call on the tent, you guys!) The skies were pale grey, but the mood was light for the beautiful ceremony. Afterwards, only when everyone was cozily seated for dinner inside the tent, did it rain in earnest.

The thing we loved so much about photographing Michael and Ali, is their kindness and graciousness. It shows in their connection to one another and overflows onto everyone they share themselves with. Thanks for being such a lovely and fun couple to photograph.

Picking our favorites from this wedding was crazy hard. There’s about 87 photos I’d like to post today, but instead I’ll redirect myself towards getting your proofs ready.

Go here to see a slideshow of our favorites.

And here to see all the images from the day.

Here’s our vision for a wedding album for Michael and Ali.