What a way to start the wedding season! First off: I’m crazy about these two. Craig and Yohanna are just about the nicest people I’ve met. Their wedding was last Saturday at Silcox Hut, which is halfway up the summit of Mt. Hood. There’s lots to tell, so let me get right to it.
Yohanna is from Venezuela, and the current political situation between the US and her home country means that her family members could not get the visas required in order to travel to her wedding. Being tech savvy though, she and Craig created two-way web cams on laptops so that, in a manner of speaking, her family abroad could join in the festivities. About 30 other family members and friends took the crazy ride in the snow cat to join them for their ceremony at about 4.30 in the afternoon.
If you haven’t seen it before, Silcox Hut will amaze you. It’s a wonderful, hand-hewn stone building amazingly perched on the side of Mt. Hood. The front door of the hut is about 200 yards from the top of the main ski lift from Timberline Lodge. The Lodge staff ferries guests, flowers, food, photographers and even wedding cakes in huge snow cats, which are like little school buses with snow tracks instead of wheels. I always love the bumpy, exciting trip up the hill.
With all the food and logisitics handled for them, Craig and Yohanna were free to enjoy the blazing fire, while all the wedding preps were taking place. We had a few minutes to go outside for some photos, but frankly, it was way to cold and windy to stay out for more than a few minutes. When the second snow cat arrived with the rest of the guests, the wedding was soon underway.
UPDATE 4/29/09: Here’s a link to a slideshow of our favorites. And click here to see all the photos from the day.
This week, another post on the subject of simple weddings. If you’ve read my blog before, you know I’m a big advocate of simple, meaningful wedding celebrations. It was fun to go back through the files and recall this sweet wedding that John and I photographed at Breitenbush during the winter.
The celebration was as much a retreat and reunion for Jennifer and Brian who met up with about 50 family members and friends over a winter holiday weekend. Breitenbush is a special place for the couple, since they and many of their friends are holistic health practitioners. The day before the wedding you could find the couple and their friends soaking in the natural hot springs, hiking in the snow, or hanging out in the main lodge. It was a great way for everyone to meet and to get acquainted.
Mid-day on the second day, the group gathered round the stone fireplace for the wedding. Jennifer’s father officiated the touching ceremony. At the conclusion, the couple walked through what they called an “angel wash”. Think of a military recessional but in lieu of crossed sabers, the couple walk though a passageway of good will, kisses and hugs from all the gathered guests. Even though I was prepared to think it was silly, I found myself getting swept up and a bit teary just watching.
It’s easy to think of a wedding as something you invite your friends and family to attend. My impression after observing this wedding, is that the guests co-created the ceremony.
April 13, 2009 Posted in venues
One of our favorite spots to shoot is the cute-as-a-button Oaks Pioneer Church which is located right on the edge of Sellwood park in Portland. This teeny tiny church is a great place to get married for several good reasons. First of all, it’s small, so if you’re planning a small wedding, your guests won’t feel marooned inside a vast and cavernous space. It’s perfect for about 50, jammed for 70 and not at all lonely for 25-30 guests. The second reason is that it’s gorgeous. The grounds around the church are super pretty and there are plent of of pathways, nooks and cute spots for photos. And the interior is wonderful-I don’t know what kind of wood it’s built from, but it simply glows day or night. And the third reason Oaks Pioneer Church is a great place to get hitched is that it’s not too expensive. It’s overseen by Portland Parks and Recreation so the site fee is quite reasonable.
Here’s a few photos of our last two weddings we’ve shot there. The first was an evening wedding in November and the second one took place during the daytime on Valentines Day. If you want more information about Oaks Pioneer Church, you can call Lorraine Fyre at 503.233.1497 or email her at oakspioneerchurch(at)yahoo.com
Certain colors like apricot, are real chameleons. This soft pale orange is one of the colors that can look soft or striking, classic or modern. It can “pow” or “meow” depending on how you use it. I think in this case, the look is fantastic. It’s fresh and modern-looking even though the shapes are quite classic. My favorite part is how the stronger corals and salmons in the b-maids flowers look against the chocolate brown in the dresses and groomsmen’s vests.
Windy’s accessories were chunky glass beads and a feathered hair ornament, which both complemented the clean look of her a-line strapless dress. Dan’s richly brocaded tie looked scrumptious with the rusty bronze vests that he and the g-men were wearing. Oh, and their cake was super cool–very simple and rustic and perfect for this setting. (Check out the gallery below for a cake pic.)
Anyone can make a great looking wedding by combining apricot + green + almost any other color. Pink? Mocha? Periwinkle? Try it, you’ll see it nearly always looks fantastic.
I love wedding flowers! And photographing the bridal bouquet is fun from our perspective because, well, the flowers are so pretty to begin with. Picking out your personal flowers is one of the most enjoyable part of planning your wedding.
Tags: bridal bouquets, flowers, freesia, gerbera, hydrangea, hydrangeas, lillies, orchids, personal flowers, roses, wedding flowers
April 6, 2009 Posted in colors
Pale colors, the traditional standby of weddings, can sometimes look too plain or blah on their own. But by supporting pale yellows and soft pinks with something stronger, like green or metallic gold, the effect is pure gorgeous. Blush Bridal Events helped Mary and August put together this yummy decor at their reception at Officer’s Row in Vancouver.
Mary carried a bouquet of mostly pale roses, with the slightest blush of pink at their centers. I can’t recall if the other flowers were sweetpeas, freesia or white lysanthia. August’s good-looking boutonniere was a single white rosebud with blueberry buds. The table decor was especially pretty: gold chargers accented white on white linens and floating candles in the centerpiece.
I think going pale is the perfect look for a more formal wedding. What do you think?
