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

Kristin & Mike [and their fabulous wedding party] were perfect sports for our portraits despite the near constant rain. They even planned for them with unique matching umbrellas. Here’s just one of our favorites but there will be so many more to come.

Happy Tuesday Folks!
-Melissa

-Melissa

Now a little about Bill & Janine’s wedding. They were married late last year and hosted one of the hippest receptions we have ever attended. Their venue of choice was Ravenswood Billboard Factory in Chicago. Ravenswood Event Space was originally an industrial printing & design complex that Hayes Properties converted into an extremely unique urban venue with original brick walls, loft ceilings, and open spaces that can accommodate up to 500 people comfortably. The showroom where Bill & Janine held their wedding reception is home to the Hayes collection of Neon signs and one of America’s most impressive collections of prestige automobile & sports cars. The venue doubles as an extremely colorful museum.

What I like most about Bill & Janine’s wedding design was they choose to embrace the brightness and eccentricity of the space rather than covering it up. They decorated their reception with vibrant pink, yellow, and orange elements along with colored LED lights that complemented the neon perfectly. Their party had an urban lounge vibe which encouraged their guests to dance and celebrate like rock-stars well into the evening. It was truly a night to remember.

You can also view these photos online in the knot’s Real Weddings.

We’re doing something different this year with our Fauxtobooth service for our couples who add it to their wedding collection. We edit the photos within one week of the event and post them on an online gallery so our couples can get a quick taste of the fun we captured in our booth. I’ve created a slideshow below of the greatest hits but there are almost 500 photos to look at in the online gallery. I’d like to give a quick shout out to my brother and sister-in-law who traveled to Charleston with us and operated the booth all night while Josh and I shot the action. They did a great job encouraging everyone to use the photobooth and act a little silly. I can’t help grinning looking at these photos.

We’d also like to thank Lindsay and Eric’s family and friends for being so awesome. You guys are a pretty fun crowd and you made this photobooth a huge success for Lindsay and Eric. They’ll be thrilled to have these memories of you forever. We’ll definitely be posting a lot more photos from the wedding so keep checking back for more and become of fan of our Facebook page to keep up with the latest. If you’re in the need of some fabulous photographers in the future keep us in mind. We shoot everywhere!

Enjoy!

Melissa

Leah and Paul are really amazing people. They are so warm and kind. They seem to be a perfect fit and the love they share is very complimentary and supportive. Their ceremony held at St. Nicholas Catholic Church was humorous, emotional, and moving. I would describe myself as spiritual but not necessarily religious and often times the tradition of a religious ceremony goes over my head but I was genuinely captivated by their service and will always remember how poignant it was. Their reception was nothing short of fabulous too. Leah spent a lot of time making sure all the little details were perfect and it really showed. The Venutis banquet hall was meticulously decorated and so elegant.

Here are some of our favorite shots from their day. Hope you enjoy!

-Melissa