My Favorite Wedding Trend

One of my favorite wedding trends of the last couple of years has been the late night wedding snack. Whether it’s pizza, french fries, donuts, or ice cream; you’re guests will love the extra fuel for the dance floor. Below are some of my favorite local vendors in Portland who offer delicious catering options for weddings.

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Wood Fired Pizza

Portland is becoming quite the pizza town and it feels like just about every major street has a spot to grab a tasty slice. Ash Wood Fired pizza makes their sourdough crust from scratch and serves up pies out of a cute little food truck. You can try a taste at their new food cart on SE Division St and visit their website for catering here.

Photo Credit: ASH Woodfired

Tacos

It is hard to say no to tacos at any time but you would be especially hard pressed to find a wedding guest that that would say no to these delicious hand held treats after a night of cutting it up on the dance floor. The taco pedaler will be there at the ready to dish out a variety of tacos packed with local ingredients wrapped up in hand-pressed tortillas when your guests need a pick-me-up. Meat and vegan options will keep everyone on all sides of the family happy. Hire them for your event at https://www.tacopedalerpdx.com

Photo Credit: Taco Pedaler

French Fries and Sliders

Nothing helps sober guests up like fried potatoes, right? It’s science or something. Pair these delicious morsels with a tiny burger and you have yourself a delightful late night snack that is sure to keep your guests going until they send you off with a line of sparklers. PDX liders has two mobile trucks for hire that can serve both large and small scale events (or just you if you are very hungry). If your guests can’t get enough they can visit one of their the brick and mortar locations in both Sellwood and on Division. Book them for your wedding at https://pdxsliders.com

Photo Credit: PDX Sliders

Donuts
If you live in Portland you know that donuts are kind of thing here. We’ve got Voodoo, Blue Star, Doe, and a whole bunch of other mom and pop shops and while it’s a tough competition, my favorite of the bunch is without a doubt Pip’s. Nothing beats them when they’re fresh and warm out of the fryer, drizzled in chocolate, and covered in sugar. The Pip’s Mobile operation is cute as can be and is ready to sling warm, delicious donuts to you and your wedding guests. Book them for your wedding at http://www.pipsmobile.com

Photo Credit: Pips Mobile

Ice Cream Sandwiches

Regardless of weather (or of the question)-ice cream is always the answer. Ruby Jewel combines artisan cookies with small batch ice cream to make ice cream sandwiches that your guests will want to eat (even after eating tacos, sliders and tiny donuts). I really don’t need to hype up ice cream all that much because it is a dessert that speaks for itself but Ruby Jewel really takes ice cream to the next level of enjoyment. You can also order a variety of different flavors from their catering menu which ensures that all of your guests will leave the reception happy. Learn more at http://www.rubyjewel.com

Photo Credit: Ruby Jewel

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Did I miss your favorite late night wedding snack? Drop me a line here and I’ll add it to the list.

Mt Tabor Engagement Session

I love photography, coffee, and hiking and I struck gold as all three were featured in Eita and Julia’s recent engagement session on Mt. Tabor. These two were warm, playful, and easy to work with and also came with the benefit of a cute backstory, the theme of which we tied into our shoot. It is always gratifying to be able to highlight meaningful aspects of my client’s lives in their photo sessions.

For Eita and Julia it was their love of coffee that brought them together and helped to cement their relationship. In an ultimate meet-cute style, these two met at a coffee shop in Taiwan and proceeded to do a coffee shop tour together through Taiwan, Korea, and Japan. They currently live together in LA and are experts in exploring their local coffee scene. They contacted me prior to their trip to Portland with the intention of documenting their first trip to this beautiful City of Bridges. It wouldn’t be representative of the couple- or Portland for that matter- without a chance to hold part of their session at the original Stumptown location on Division. It helped that Julia sent over a vision board with the look and style of images that she liked as I was able to help plan a shoot that encapsulated the vibe that this couple would cherish.

In true Portland fashion, we experienced both the warmth of the caffeinated indoors and also had the chance to visit our friendly neighborhood volcanic cinder cone- Mt. Tabor. Mt. Tabor is a personal favorite of mine and I loved showing Eita and Julia around. We couldn’t have gotten more lucky in terms of light. The fog was dense throughout the city but when we arrived at the top of the mountain the morning sun broke through and treated us to quite the show. Playing with sun rays helped elevate the already cute couples photos to the next level.

I look forward to combining my caffeine and photography passions together as often as I can in the future!. Thank you Eita and Julia for a great engagement session.

Peninsula Park Rose Garden Wedding

Even though we love the colors of fall, we are basking in memories of late summer with this wedding at the Peninsula Park Rose Garden in North Portland. Viktoria and Alex chose to have their ceremony in the neighborhood where they live and we love that they kept it local and were able to celebrate their wedding day in a place with a personal connection to them. In fact, meaningful location selection was integrated into the whole day as the reception was held a local joint called Bad Habit, where it just so happens that this couple had one of their first dates.

Viktoria and her wedding party put the finishing touches on the looks of the day at Shipwreck, which turned out to have an attic nook that was perfect for pre-wedding pictures! It was a great opportunity to get some pictures of Viktoria’s intricate and elegant beaded dress and capture the moment in which Viktoria’s mother first saw her in her gown.

After the wedding party was ready to go, it was time to walk over to the park where the ceremony would be held and we weren’t disappointed by the beautiful late summer light on the way. It was tons of fun to be able to shoot the couple exchanging their vows in the natural light surrounded by their closest friends and family (plus their cute little one!) under the park gazebo. We were definitely able to get our steps in during this active wedding as the entire party walked from the park to the reception venue together. It was during this walking that we were able to get some fun, casual, celebratory photographs that show off the walking wedding “parade.”

This wedding may have been intimate but it was evident that the couple was surrounded by a lovely and lively group of friends as they danced and celebrated the night away.

Powell Butte Engagement Session

Recently I was lucky to shoot an engagement session at Powell Butte with Grace and Thomas. We met on a warm Summer evening at a large nature park with dense woods and open meadows. I had been excited to shoot at this location for awhile and when Grace mentioned they wanted somewhere scenic but not too far away from downtown Portland, I knew just where to go. 

I know that my clients aren't professional models and I regularly hear concerns about feeling awkward in front of a camera. For me, it's not only important to take great photos of my clients that are flattering but also create an experience and an environment that sets my clients at ease during their shoot; engagement sessions are great for this. These sessions are such a good opportunity for me to get to the know the couple aside from the hustle and bustle of their wedding day. They also allow my clients to get to know me and see how I work. During an engagement session, I work with my clients to find poses that are natural and comfortable all while exploring beautiful scenery and having a fun time together. 

My session with Grace and Thomas started with a meander through a grove of shady old trees, which provided a backdrop for vibrant photos with soft light. As our shoot progressed, I was able to get some great shots of the two looking out over the scenic vistas of Southeast Portland. Grace and Thomas, were easy to work with and fell into natural poses that highlighted their comfort and ease with one another in front of the camera. Best of all they were down to hike, explore, and find all of the nice light. Photographing Grace and Thomas on the hillsides and overlooking the vistas of Portland was a perfect way to capture the beautiful simplicity of two people who really care about each other.

I wish these two all the happiness as they start their life in the Pacific Northwest together!

Portland Courthouse Wedding

Shannon and Sean are a lovely, easy to work with couple and I’m so happy that all seemed to align to bring this Michigan based pair to have a wedding at the Multnomah County Courthouse in downtown Portland, Oregon. This shoot was a great opportunity to see the city through the eyes of a visitor and to get some really good photos that not only capture the love between these two, but also some of the highlights of the many faces of the Pacific Northwest.

It can be easy to fall into the rhythm of your city, head down, following your daily routines, somewhat oblivious to your surroundings. However, sometimes a gentle reminder, which for me came in the form of an elopement shoot, can serve as a great reminder of the natural beauty that is at our fingertips in Portland.

With their wedding party in tow, we were able to capture natural light portraits of the couple and their close friends outside of the Multnomah County Courthouse and the surrounding area, and we couldn't resist shooting under the Portland marquee at the Arlene Schnitzer Concert Hall. One of our favorite downtown scenes was shot in a somewhat unexpected space, under the blooming trees outside the façade of the Edith-Green-Wendell Wyatt Federal Building. Shannon and Sean were great sports as they soaked up the sights and received a continuous stream of congratulatory shouts from the downtown passerby.

After catching a few of the iconic spots downtown, the group traveled to Pittock Mansion to capture a different side of Portland. We got some great group and couple shots on the Wildwood trail, while also capturing inspiring frames of the couple overlooking the city.

I’m grateful not only for the opportunity to meet this couple and their friends, but also for an opportunity to fall in love with the city again. I only scratched the surface of photo shoot worthy locations in Portland and can't wait for future shoots. If you're planning a Portland elopement or courthouse wedding of your own, I’d love to hear from you! See more of my work here and drop me a line!