Nicole and Tim’s wedding this summer was the first official Portland wedding we photographed since moving back to the glorious Northwest from Chicago. We were thrilled that they choose us as their wedding photographers despite the distance between us at booking time.
I think they were the perfect couple and planned the perfect Portland wedding for us to get acclimated to shooting in our new city. Nicole, Tim, and their fabulous wedding party were a dream to be around and I’m pretty sure I was either laughing or grinning ear to ear the whole day. It was just a blast.
Their day started with the bride and groom prep at the Hotel Vintage Plaza in downtown Portland. The Vintage Plaza features modern suites with a touch of Pacific Northwest flair. As usual, Josh and I started shooting our favorite part of the wedding day… the beginning… with the bride and her maids doing their hair and make-up. The air is always buzzing with this contagious anticipation early on and I also love taking pictures of the bridal details like the wedding gown and shoes.
After a few, I met up with the groom and his groomsmen to take a few shots of them putting on their tuxes and struggling with all the extra pieces that are included with the tuxedo rental. Weddings are about the only time where I can honestly say the groom might have the more complicated job of getting dressed. I think some of the things included in the rental bag are meant only to confuse these poor guys. Alas, they persevered and had a few celebratory swigs from their custom engraved flasks given to them as groomsmen gifts by Tim.
Finally it was time for the first look. Our backdrop? The bustling downtown streets in the heart of Portland. We had Tim stand on the corner of Stark and Broadway with the best man and maid of honor perched in the background to witness the main event of Nicole approaching to see her groom for the first time. The first look photos are easily my favorites from the whole wedding. Nicole and Tim were so excited and gushing with love.
From the hotel, we hopped into the limo and took portraits of the bridal party at Peninsula Park Rose Garden and Mount Tabor. Then we headed to the ceremony and reception site, The Acadian Ballroom in the Alberta Arts District. The reception was decorated with a sophisticated black and white pallet of damask prints. The reception tables all featured childhood photos of Nicole and Tim as well as wedding photography from past generations. I always think incorporating the old family wedding photographs of the parents, grandparents, and even great grandparents is a really nice touch.
The ceremony was poignant and the reception was tons of fun. We hope you enjoy our new story-board blog layouts. I think it really helps tell the whole story of the wedding day.
-Melissa
