Stacy and Charles, July 21, 201

To view more of Stacy and Charles' images CLICK HERE

Puppies and Pizza and Beers, oh my, . . .

No wizard, no tin man, no scarecrow and they were not in Kansas to begin with. This wedding was epic and spectacular in the classic sense. It was in a wonderful setting with an old barn, a neighboring wheat field, an expansive, sunny and beautiful ceremony area, a well appointed  reception site and pizza, . . . and beer.  What could possibly go wrong with that combination.  Well, nothing did.  It was a spectacular shoot, beautiful location, beautiful Bride, attractive and creative decorations and a charming hunky Groom.  whew, . . .

Stacy, Charles et al. gathered and created the floral arrangements finding the necessary elements at a farmer's market!  The ceremony was officiated by Doug McCleary (who also happens to be an incredible keyboardist). The dinner was catered by Veraci Pizza.  VP brought a mobile pizza oven to the reception and cooked them on the spot.  Ummmm, nothing like fresh pizza. . .  and beer!

The cake was from Lamb's Thriftway.  (they are on out top-ten list!). The DJ/MC/Make-the-party-happen go-to guy was, Chris at Memories of Muzic.

What a day, what a shoot, what a Bride and Groom! Great party guys!

Victoria & Kevin, July 16, 2012

To view more of Victoria and Kevin's images CLICK HERE

Victoria and Kevin were married on the lawn amongst the rolling hills, the meandering streams, the racing golf carts and flying balls at Arrowhead Country Club, oops did I mention that Team Victoria/Kevin and Team Patrice/Stephen were doing the racing, . . . don't tell the pro shop.

This was a wonderful and sweet family affair.  The flower girl and one of the groomsmen were Victoria's children, they did a marvelous job f it too! 

The flowers were provided by RBlooms of Lake Oswego.  The ceremony was performed by Fr. Gary who is the Pastor at Kevin's Church.  The party was MC'd by John, Vicki's son.  The cake was from His Bakery and represented a nod to both, 'love birds', representing our lovely couple and to the great outdoors which Vicki and Kevin  enjoy together frequently.

We finished up the night by not burning down the Bride with sparklers, always a concern with monster sparklers, but everything was good.

Mary & David, July 8, 2012, Ainsworth House

To view more of Mary and David's Wedding CLICK HERE

Mary and David met together for the first time that day, looked into each others eyes, touched gently, whispered in each others ears.  They walked in the garden holding hands, glancing at each other in the dappled sunlight, trading smiles and winks and subtle little gestures.  They looked around and finding themselves alone they kissed, . . . and then they got married!  Okay, I abbreviated a lot of the day but you get the idea.

The garden paths and the flora at Ainsworth House just lends itself to getting lost in the moment.

The flowers and decor were provided by Mary and David et.al. The ceremony was performed by Erin Jimenez.  The music, the announcements and errands were taken care of by James. The cake was created by Wrightberry's (MONSTER cupcakes; recess's peanut butter cup, german chocolate cake, and marrionberry, ohhhh, my).

For more images of Chris and Robert's Wedding, CLICK HERE

Ainsworth House and Gardens was the venue for the wedding celebration of Chris and Robert.

Chris was a wonderfully beautiful Bride and Robert was a charming Groom, the love, joy and tenderness was very evident as they interacted together during the day.  They may have wandered from each other briefly during the day's preparations and the party afterward but those moments were punctuated by intense smiles, winks, eyebrow raises and frequent hand holding and squeezes.  The energy flowing between these two was incredible.

The flowers were provided by Kay Dietl of Flowers for You. The Master Officiant of All Time, Kevin Yell did the deed, Drew Jenkins was the DJ/MC for the after dinner festivities and the Cake was deliciously crafted by Papa Haydin & Co.

Yolanda and Jason, 7.3.12 @ Lakeside Gardens

To see more of Yolanda and Jason's Wedding, CLICK HERE

Yolanda and Jason were married at the Lakeside Gardens Gazebo in a beautiful late afternoon wedding

attended by close family and friends And, one of the cutest little ring bearers I think I've ever seen.  That would be Sebastian or SeaBass for short.  He was quite the little poser!

Yolanda and Jason were there to have great party and it was so. Though, the cake feeding was not quite so dramatic as the picture above would imply we had a lot of fun and great expressive playfulness.

The floral accents were provided by Nancy's Floral. The ceremony was officiated by our friend Roger Moore of Moore Creative Weddings.  The DJ / MC was  Detroit Diezel and  the cake was created by Beaverton Bakery.

Katie and Kevin, Ainsworth House 6.30.12

To see more of Katie & Kevin's Wedding images, CLICK HERE

What do our favorite Venue, our favorite DJ, our favorite Officiant, our favorite Caterer, my favorite Dance Partner and a rainy Oregon June afternoon all have in common?

They were all part of Katie and Kevin's Wedding this past weekend!

After scary Katie expressed her deepest feelings concerning the current state of atmospheric interference we settled right down to a dream shoot. We had lots of fun and were constained by the weather to take full advantage of the beautiful interior features of the Ainsworth House. This  turned out to be wonderful! Usually we are a bit limited by time and concentrate on shooting in the gardens.  What an opportunity this gave us to create some beautiful images.

Unlucky with the weather but blessed by the venue.  Add a beautiful and expressive Bride and a Groom who likes to have some fun and what could go wrong?

There was certainly NOTHING (aside from some rain) wrong with THIS party.

The bouquets and boutineers were created by Nancy's Floral.  The catering and Cake were deliciously provided by Catering By Laurie.  The party was directed and MC'd by Kris from Primetime Music.  The ceremony was graciously, creatively, thoughtfully and humorously performed by Kevin Yell, Co-Proprietor of the Ainsworth House.

Jennifer & Keith, the Aerie, June 24, 2012

To see more of Jennifer and Keith's Wedding, CLICK HERE

Jennifer and Keith were married Saturday, June 24th at The Aerie at Eagle Landing. 

The ceremony was a wonderful family and friends celebration officiated by Becky Black.  The beautiful bouquets and boutineers were designed provided by Angel Stegman of A Floral Affair.

The festivities were MC'd by Nick of A Sound Choice Entertainment.  The cake, from Helen Bernhard Bakery, was beautiful and yummy.

It was a beautiful, happy, cheery, wonderful day.  Be sure to click the link above to see more images.

Ashley & Elvis, 5.26.12

For more images from Ashley and Elvis' wedding CLICK HERE

Ashley and Elvis got married at St. Stephen's Catholic Church in S. E. Portland.  St. Stephen's is known for its beautiful semi-gothic interior and light, spacious sanctuary.  it has a rather famous and beautiful rosette stained glass window in the front of the building.  You can have up close and personal contact with it from the balcony. Speaking of up-close-and-personal, . . . Ashley and Elvis are pretty good at the candid, casual, romantic snuggling and looking at each other with the sparks flying thing. Wow, what a couple.  

The ceremony was partially in English, partially in Vietnamese.  It was a beautiful setting for a wedding.  Lots of family and friends, smiles and hugs, and paper bouquets that were each individually crafted by the groom, how artsy!

The reception was at our favorite venue, the Ainsworth House and Gardens.  We had time to use the grounds for pictures before the reception started.  The garden was in full bloom, just perfect to show off our beautiful bride and dashing groom.

The party rocked, helped out  by DJ extraordinaire Richie Valdez.  The cake was provided by Wrighberries in Oregon City. Nancy was directing the entire event as the wedding coordinator le magnifique working with the staff at the Ainsworth House.  The catering was provided by Catering by Laurie, (the BBQ meatballs were incredible as always btw).

To see more of Dani and Chuck's wedding CLICK HERE

Dani and Chuck got married 14 years ago, we we didn't get to photograph that event.  What we did get to photograph was their wedding vow renewal amongst a gathering of family and friends in their parents lovely backyard garden.  It was a wonderful loving intimate event, the type of wedding which personifies the act of getting married; love, togetherness, family and close associations with the friends and the people that are really important and are a part of your life.  The decorations, the cake, the music were all provided by family.  The officiants, Berni and Brian, were the parents of the Bride.

It was a wonderful spring wedding slipped in-between rain showers. It's good luck to have rain on your wedding day, . . . isn't it?  Dani and Chuck have been together long enough that luck doesn't enter into the equation as much as does the loving, passionate familiarity of a friend, lover and soul mate.

Tess and Eric, May 4, 2012, The Historic Balch Hotel

To see more i mages from Tess and Eric's Wedding CLICK HERE

The HIstoric Balch Hotel was completed and oped for business in 1908. Some of it's featured amenities were 'hot and cold water in every room'. 'electric lights and steam heat.' Quite a draw for turn of the century lodging!  The Balch Hotel in Dufur Valley Oregon, was the backdrop for a magnificent wedding this past weekend. 

Take a lovingly restored of building with all of the rooms appropriately dressed in vintage furnishings, add a gorgeous Bride in a an exquisite faux-vintage gown. Put all of that in close proximity to an anxious, dapper, charming Groom and what do you get? . . . wow, just about the most beautiful celebration of nuptials we've ever had the privilege to photograph.  Everywhere we turned there were photo ops  This was a great place to get married and party with family and friends!

We were only with Tess and Eric a short while but the prep pictures were some of the best, the images of Eric playing while waiting for Tess to show her smiling face were priceless.  In the romantic pictures, the sparks were flying.

Trying to describe this wedding in mere words brings to mind the adage, "a picture is worth a thousand words." So I'm going to stop at 273 words and let you judge the rest for yourselves.

To see more of Clarissa & Frank's wedding, CLICK HERE

Clarissa & Frank were married on April 27th, 2012 at the Ainsworth House and Gardens.

The celebration was an intimate gathering of family and friends officiated by Frank's father, Frank Sr. or "Father Frank".  He performed an exceptionally fine ceremony.  Clarissa and Frank wrote their own vows; people laughed, people cried, there were ooh's and aah's, all the appropriate responses at the appropriate times.  The Bride and Groom and family showed the love and shared the joy.

To see more images from Marita and Corey's Wedding, 

CLICK HERE

Marita and Corey got married on April 21st 2012 in St. Cloud Florida

The forecast said; "rain, thunderstorms, lightning, wind, alligators, avoid going outside unless you want to get REAL wet."

Well, our weather karma  came through.  The clouds and storms only provided a dramatic backdrop to a small wonderful wedding; no rain, no alligators.  It was a charming, beautiful event made even more special considering the fact that this was the celebration of Patrice and I's youngest daughter.  The ceremony location was on at the end of a long skinny penninsula where fortunately there was a charming gazebo large enough to fit the entire attending crowd.  A beautiful lake was the backdrop accented by the dramatic atmospheric artistry only a potential thunderstorm can provide.  As we were leaving the site we were chased down the path by the approaching weather front as you can see from the inverted umbrella in one of the images.

The beautiful bouquets, corsages and boutineers were provided by Bella Floral Boutique in downtown St. Cloud.  The Ice Cream Cakes were a nice treat! and the buffet was masterfully  prepared and presented by our own Chef d'excellance; Corey Purser (who also happened to be the Groom!).

The ceremony was officiated by, . . . who was that guy, . . .? oh yeah!, . . . me.  It was a first, and apparently went okay; Marita and Corey ended up married and smiling.

Yay! last daughter is married and happy, . . . what more can a proud dad ask

Mallory and Blake, 4.14.12, The Aerie

To see more images of Mallory and Blake's Wedding, CLICK HERE

Mallory and Blake were married at the Aerie at Eagle's Landing in Happy Valley on Saturday, April 14th.

What a great, enthusiastic crowd of family and friends. This truly was a celebration of Mallory and Blake's union. 18o great family and friends who came to party non-stop until the food was gone, the cupcakes were all eaten, sparklers went out and the limo pulled out of the drive.

The beautiful bouquets, boutineers and corsages were provided by Patti at Beaumont Florist.

The ceremony was officiated by Anthony Behrens a former Marion Country Judge and was very nice; mom's tearing up, loving looks going between Mal and Blake, a hand being kissed all the elements of a romantic, sweet, sincere encounter.

Cupcakes are becoming more and more popular at weddings. Mallory and Blake had a small elegant wedding cake, provided by Tammi at JaCiva's, for cuting and feeding each other then had a multi tiered presentation of cupcakes for the guests. They must have been yummy 'cause there was a constant stream of enthusiastic guests walking away from the cake table with two, three, sometimes four cupcakes at a time!

Dancing, gymnastics, money flying through the air, hershey's kisses, rock-in-roll, the electric slide, indoor and outdoor alcohol, sparklers and a limo, snuggling and romance, Mallory and Blake had it all.

Christine & Svender, April 7, 2012, now Engaged!

To see more images of Christine and Svender's Engagement Party, CLICK HERE

Christine and Svendor had their engagement party at the Sheraton PDX on Saturday, April 7, 2012.

We started the process on Friday at the Premenanda Temple in Tigard where Chrisitne, Svender and their parents participated in a traditional blessing ceremony by the Temple Priest. Later that evening we went to the Ram's family home in Happy Valley for the 'Henna Party' which was attended by a large gathering of family and friends.

The following evening, the formal 'engagement party was held at the Sheraton PDX. IT was beautifully staged and decorated. Svender did an exceptional job of proposing to his intended as evidenced by the laughter, the tears and the many comments of the family and friends present. How could it have been anything else; a Groom singing to his Bride, presenting the ring on bended knee, well done Svender!

Food - absolutely delicious, desserts - to die for, everything was perfect! It was the perfect start of the process that will be highlighted by the marriage of Christine and Svender this summer in India.

And tis PLUS-ONE for the Clan Corbett!!

To see more images from Katie and Carl's Wedding, CLICK HERE

In a lovely traditional ceremony performed by the Manhattan Monk. The tartan was offered and the tartan was accepted, officially adding Katie as the newest member of Clan Corbett.

It has been a few years since I've seen a man in a Kilt. Carl wore it well, with dignity and pomp as he fended off admirers wanting to pet his fine fur Sporran.

Katie was quite a sight in her royal red (tending just a bit towards burgundy) Bridal Gown which was custom made by her sister. They made a very fine couple indeed. And they were a joy and a half to shoot being all lovey dovey and such.

The rain took a break just long enough to get Katie and Carl into the park for a few shots after getting ready (which for Carl included knocking back a pint!) at the downtown Vancouver Hilton. Then it was off to Hamilton Hall on the Fort Vancouver Historical Reserve.

The ceremony as previously mentioned, was a fine traditional Scots affair with a hand fasting, promises made which were sealed with a kiss.

The cake which was very fine indeed was provided by Papa Haydn's (cannot go wrong there!) A young relative of Carl's handled the music and announcements and did a fine job.

Dancing broke out around the music and there was a great deal of partying amongst all of the family and friends.

Kathleen & Nathan, Ainsworth House, 3.17.12

To see more of Kathleen and Nathan's images, CLICK HERE

Kate and Nate got married Saturday afternoon at the happiest place on earth, nope, . . . not Disneyland, . . . at the Ainsworth House and Gardens! Though, I suppose that any place could be the happiest place on earth if that's where you were married (at least for THAT day). It also helps the emotional ambience if there are special additions like; the ceremony being performed by a special family friend, a cake provided by Wrightberries (one of our personal favs) and a DJ like Kris from Prime Time Music managing the festivities, It was a good day.

We were expecting rain. All of the local news stations confirmed it; rain, rain, rain. We arrived with our good weather karma in tow and viola! (couldn't do anything about the puddles but the rain held off). As a bonus, the daffodils were in bloom. We got to create some beautiful images for Kathleen and Nathan and really enjoyed our time with them.

Mary & Brandon, Ainsworth House, 3.3.12

To see more images of Mary & Brandon's Wedding CLICK HERE

Mary and Brandon got married on Saturday at the Ainsworth House and Gardens. Do we have good weather karma or what, . . . three weather services said; rain, rain, rain, but nope, our weather luck held out once again and we even had a little bit of sun. Truth-be-told however the grounds were a little bit mushy and I have yet to be able to talk the groomsmen and bridesmaids into creating mud angels as I photograph them, alas, . . . someday maybe I'll shoot a trash the bridal party session!

The flowers were beautiful, provided by Alicia Flora Design and for only the second time in well over 600 weddings I drew blood while attaching a boutineer. Fortunately, sort of, it was my own and I was able to carry on despite my injury.

While Patrice photographed the girls getting ready for the day in the beautiful bridal room I took some time to play with the guys. I knew early on that this was not going to be a boring day, . . .

Due to the forecast weather, the mushiness of the grounds and the trouble that the staff went to to set up all of the chairs in the conservatory THAT's where we had the ceremony. In front of 100 or so family and friends Mary and Brandon listened to a wonderful, ceremony officiated by, . . . hmmm, another piece of information that did not seem to end up in my notes, but it was heartfelt and seemed to move the crowd, I saw a few tears, the rings were exchanged, there was a kiss or three and then off to the party, SCREEEECH!! time out, . . .off to the parlour of the manor house where we signed the certificate and gathered all of the guests for one massive group shot, . . .whew.

Then we went to the party. The festivities were shepherded by a fun and very capable dj named Frank from Bust-A-Move dj service, The buffet was pasta themed with yummy meatballs and a salad, according to Mary, "that's the biggest chef salad I've ever seen!" There were cupcakes at the party and a cake made by Coldstone. Frank was full of surprises such as a Bride and Groom Shoe Game, a full-contact version of Musical Chairs and even a stage performance himself, great moves Frank! Then it was time to throw the bouquet and garter and party on.

After we put our gear away we came back in the reception to party and have a beer with the crowd. This was definitely a fun group!

Becki and Justin, Old Scotch Church /Pumpkin Ridge Country Club, 2.18.12

To see more images of Becki and Justin's wedding CLICK HERE

It was a cold rainy, blustery day in the rural countryside west of Portland. It was the kind of day that, despite the weather, you just knew something wonderful was about to happen. We pulled off to the side of the road at a little country church surrounded by parishioners gravestones dating from the late 1800's and puled out our cameras to take some pictures. People started to show up, then flowers, then some strange balloons and lapel stickers that had the name 'Ron Paul' printed on them. Was this the site of some obscure political rally? Then, . . . a bride, a groom, OF COURSE! we are here to shoot Becki and Justin's wedding / Ron Paul fundraiser! . . . just kidding (about the fundraiser).

This location was even more special to Becki and Justin due to the fact that one of the founding Pastors was an ancestor of Becki's.

The rain semi-cooperated with us though the grounds were kinda mushy so we didn't get a lot of outside pictures. Fortunately the church is very quaint and picturesque and even more fortunately Becki and Justin were just so cute and cuddly together. The ceremony played to a packed house with a wonderful service performed by Pastor Sayer Strauch.

After the knot was officially tied, the reception was held at The Pumpkin Ridge Country Club. The club catered the delicious buffet. Patrice said "no" when I asked her If the cake was on my diet though it looked scrumptious. The music, the party, the Ron Paul balloons were all enthusiastically received and attended by a wonderful group that included family, friends and co-workers.

Cara & Sam, Avalon / Aquariva, 2.9.12

To see more images of Cara and Sam click HERE

Down by the river, the Avalon Hotel and Spa and Aquariva Restaurant provide the perfect setting and loads of ambiance for a wedding celebration. That is exactly what happened on thursday evening. Cara and Sam, got married, ate some cupcakes from Sweetpea Bakeryand had a great party.

While Patrice and the ladies took prep pictures in one of the nicer top floor suites the guys and I played around the property and then hit the bar for happy hour. Well, not me, . . . gotta stay sober to take the pictures don't-cha-know, but Sam and the guys looked like they were enjoying the atmosphere.

The beautiful bouquets and boutineers were provided by Angel Stegman of 'A Floral Affair' in Milwaukie.

We shot the first look in the suite taking advantage of the balcony and the great twilight river view. We explored the area taking romantic Bride and Groom shots, gathered the family for formal group portraiture, took some more Cara and Sam shots and then hid our bride away because the guests were starting to arrive.

The wonderful ceremony was officiated by Pastor Dan, Cara's hometown minister. The best man and groomsmen had a little surprise planned with the wedding ring which caused a few startled laughs from family and friends and a mildly concerned look from Cara.

The reception was catered by Aquariva and was delicious. The Dj / MC was Chris of Memories of Music. He put the crowd through their paces and worked out a great party. Cara and Sam even did a set as guest DJs.

We provided a photobooth and it was a popular addition to the party. Cara and Sam had an album that guests decorated with their photobooth pictures and comments.

We rocked the night away, and, . . . I hope Cara and Sam were not too surprised when they saw their car later, it was a wedding after all, and we got pictures!

Ally and Dale, The Academy, December 12, 2011

To see  more of Ally and  Dale's images CLICK HERE

It was a COLD day in Vancouver

But a hot time in the Hidden Courtyard at the Academy where Ally and Dale were married and had their reception on Saturday night!

Seven Bridesmaids and seven Groomsmen, kept us on our toes, let me tell you, though they were delightful to work with and we had a wonderful shoot.

It was a crowd and a sqeeze getting into the bridal prep rooms on Saturday evening. I almost felt guilty that Patrice was there and I was in with the guys who had the entire ballroom at their disposal. But hey, the pictures tell a beautiful story. The guys, well, we played at the bar and took lots of pictures while Ally was prepping. Ally's beautiful bouquet, the boutineers and single roses that the bridesmaids carried were provided by Clark County Floral

As we shot the first look in front of the big landing windows the glances going back and forth from Ally to Dale were quite wonderful. We took the chance to get poses in and around the building, we shot the family formals in beautiful Windsor Sanctuary and then it was time for the ceremony to begin.

The reception was in the Hidden Courtyard and catered with a Hawaiian theme. Toasts were given by the best man, who was Dale's brother, and the maid-of-honor.

The cake cutting, feeding and wearing was a suprise. Usually, its the groom we have to watch out for. We learned that Ally has a bit of a mischievous streak going on, . . . Dale, you wore it well! The guests enjoyed the cupcakes from Beaverton Bakery after the clean-up.

The party was hosted by Tom Farley of Tunes to Go. There were lots of lights, our cameras, and action, great music and lots of dancing. Great party, great shoot, great couple, great times.

THANKS GUYS!