Oh, the agony! How to pick just a few for this sneak peek? Terra and Tim’s wedding had so many beautiful and meaningful moments, how can I possibly decide what to post here? Perhaps my criteria should simply be to choose what evokes the feeling of the day–which is easy now that I think about it. It’s simple: Terra adores Tim and Tim adores Terra. When she’s looking at him, you can see it in her eyes. When she’s waiting to see him, she shines. When she’s in his arms, she appears to be exactly where she belongs. And Tim? He’s the kind of man a woman wants to spend a life with. Strong. Sweet. Caring. Tender. He’s a man who could keep you safe on a dark New York street and cry over your love letter.
The part of the day that I felt it the most was when Tim and Terra enjoyed their first dance. They took the dance floor as the sun faded in the west. As the light became golden, Terra and Tim didn’t take their eyes off one another. The nerves and giddiness of the day were passed and now together they seemed at once lighter than air and also bonded permanently. Watching Terra’s eyes shine while she danced with Tim was pretty much the highlight of my day.
Thank you, Terra and Tim! And thank you, the Chaney’s and Williams’ for entrusting this day to our eyes and our cameras. I hope you enjoy these favorites in a slide show. I know we are looking forward to sharing all 494 gorgeous wedding images with you.
UPDATE September 2, 2010. Terra and Tim’s wedding gallery is now online. Go here to see all the photos from their lovely wedding day.
MyPortlandPhotographer is a site where 20 of Portland’s best wedding photographers post a new image each week. It’s a great way to get wedding ideas, learn about venues and see the awesome amount of talent in this city. You can even check to see which photographers are available on your wedding date. Each week Altura Studio posts on Monday. Here’s our photo for today. You can read more about Nathan and Kelly’s sweet Quaker wedding here.
The very lovely Marisa, who we photographed in July recently asked me to send some photos of her in her gown to her dress shop, Charlotte’s. When I quizzed her about why, she told me that Charlotte’s was writing a little feature on their blog about her experience. Because she had such a positive experience with Charlotte’s, I thought I’d share the love and pass along her raves here. The dress she chose was from Casa Blanca 1831. And her bridesmaids dresses were 2Be Social by Nathan Taylor.
In Marisa’s words:
My experience at Charlotte’s: Fantastic – Calming – Wonderful
After our wedding, I sent Charlotte’s a little thank you note of appreciation. My whole experience at the store was nearly perfect. My mother and I had been all over Portland at different wedding dress salons and ‘shops’ and were disappointed. When we arrived at Charlotte’s, it was pretty magical. We walked through the front door and there were chocolate covered strawberry’s (weekends only I think). Then, there was Oneida who immediately greeted us at the door with a smile (this was not something the other salons did). She then introduced us to the lovely Lauren who took such great care of us. After describing to Lauren what type of dress I had in mind, she came back with two dresses and the second dress was the one that I ended up purchasing that same day! Additionally, Lauren actually sketched (yes, a really nice drawing) of the alterations that I wanted. Her find was particularly miraculous because most of the wedding dresses this past season were all strapless. I was worried that I would not be able to find a dress with straps. Lauren is a genius because her measurements were nearly perfect. This transitions into my wonderful experience with seamstress extraordinaire Lorraine. She took such good care of me, not only for my wedding dress alterations (which were minor thanks to Lauren’s precise measurements) but also with my bridesmaids dresses.
What I liked most about working with Charlotte’s: The staff are courteous and thoughtful
Everyone at Charlotte’s made me feel like my time was valuable. Even when they were going through a re-model, they made sure that my appointments with Lorraine would not be impacted. The staff always called and emailed me to tell me the status of my wedding and bridesmaids dresses. They made me feel like I was a valuable customer. Honestly, Charlotte’s is like the Nordstrom’s of Wedding Dress Salons. Plus, the owner Krysta McLaughlin is the sweetest person and the way she interacts with her staff is awesome. I felt really good about supporting a local, small, female-owned, Northwest business.
I love when we can pass along the details of a wonderful experience. If any one else out there has a positive experience with a wedding vendor they would like to share, let’s collaborate on a love letter to them.
Oh, and here’s the 411 on Charlotte’s:
8925 SW Beaverton Hillsdale Hwy
Portland OR 97225
Phone: (503) 297-9622 Contact
Shawn and Wendy seemed to have more fun than anyone on their wedding day! Check out every photo of Wendy: that beautiful smile never left her face. And Shawn is blessed with the most lovely kids. Shawn’s childrens’ toast to their father was a highlight of the wedding for me. Both halves of this couple seem to make and keep strong friendships from all arenas of their lives. There were family friends, work friends, childhood friends and lots and lots of relatives celebrating along with Shawn and Wendy.
The setting was a lovely private property in the Amity Hills. The day was bright, sunny and warm. After a sweet ceremony on the lawn, the group celebrated with dinner under two white tents, and as the sun set, the dancing began. The evening turned golden as Wendy had her first dance with Shawn, and moments after, everyone was groovin’ on the parquet dance floor.
Congratulations to you both. Here’s a little slideshow of our favorites from your lovely wedding.
UPDATE: 8/23/10 Click here to see all of Wendy and Shawn’s gorgeous sunny wedding photos.
