Charity & Jeff ~ The Willamette Star ~ Portland, OR

When it comes to all of the beautiful weddings that I’ve been lucky enough to photograph, each and every one is so unique. This time, though, the wedding I went to was especially unique… It was truly a first for me!

Charity and Jeff planned to get married on a Portland Spirit ship while on the Willamette River in Portland, Oregon. When I heard about this plan, it immediately sounded like such a fun experience! Being on the water? You can’t beat it!

While updating me on their wedding plans, Charity and Jeff shared another fun detail… Their birthdays are two days away from each other, and they scheduled their ceremony for the day that falls between their two birthdays!

Before arriving at the Portland Spirit Landing Docks to board the ship, both Charity and Jeff spent their time getting ready. Jeff got ready at home while Charity was preparing at the Marriott Downtown Waterfront Hotel in Portland. Charity was also joined there by her wedding party! I captured some shots of Charity with her bridal party as they arrived at the dock and boarded the Willamette Star.

The guests started boarding the ship at 4:45pm, and I captured some shots of guests as they boarded. It was a ton of fun to see everyone’s excitement as they got on the ship! It was very clear to see how much their friends and family were looking forward to their ceremony.

Before we knew it, it was time for the ceremony to start! The Officiant of the wedding was the Captain of the Willamette Star, and he stood in the front of the ceremony space. Jeff joined him, and then it was time for the wedding party to walk down the aisle. Their two children walked in together. After that, Charity’s Maid of Honor and Jeff’s Best Man came down the aisle together.

Finally, Charity walked down the aisle with her dad. She was absolutely glowing, and her dress was stunning! It had beautiful lace details along with a beaded belt. Her bouquet of flowers was also gorgeous and contained deep fuchsia tones with some white flowers. It went perfectly with their chosen wedding colors of royal purple, silver, and gold.

Once Charity and Jeff met at the end of the aisle, the ceremony continued without a hitch… until a quick moment where Jeff’s ring couldn’t be found! Charity’s Maid of Honor then remembered she had the ring, and everyone was SO relieved once it was found! A stressful moment quickly turned into a moment that they knew they would look back on and laugh at! Soon after that, Charity and Jeff made it official with their first kiss as newlyweds. Their friends and family all cheered on and were so happy for them!

Then, it was time for some portraits of the newlyweds while it was still light outside. We had cold weather, but the sky was extremely clear! This clear day made it perfect for capturing photos of the Portland skyline behind them. The skyline truly made a gorgeous backdrop for their portraits!

When looking back at these shots, I especially love the photos of them looking at each other… Their fun, deep connection is SO clear to see.

I also always make sure to capture some detail shots! I definitely wanted to snap some shots of the chairs and flower arrangements. They were gorgeous and filled with the prettiest shades of purple.

I then made sure to take photos of some of the drinks and food before it was all gone. Last but definitely not least, I was also able to capture a shot of their stunning rings with their wedding flowers in the background!

As the reception got started, we jumped right into the action. Their guests ate some delicious dinner, and it was all prepared by Portland Spirit!

Next, we moved into speeches! Everyone’s speech was so loving and touching, but it was especially heartwarming to hear a speech from Charity’s childhood friends! Her three friends were there and talked about some of the fun memories between them. They also joked that they would have a Sisterhood of the Traveling Pants… but for their group of friends, it would be sweatpants instead of jeans!

Then, it was time for dancing. Charity had her first dance with Jeff, and it was such a special moment. They danced to an original song that Jeff wrote and recorded for Charity! Everyone who watched was SO touched. The love that Jeff has for Charity really came out through song! Charity also had a special dance with her dad, and it was also a very sweet and heartfelt moment.

Later in the night, it was time to take more photos of the couple! We took some inside of the ship and outside as well. In the outdoor shots, the lights of the Portland skyline look gorgeous as a backdrop. While outside, we took a fun shot where Charity’s veil is being blown around both of them. It turned out to be such a dramatic and playful photo!

The couple also requested some photos with the wedding party! We took photos of the entire wedding party and then split up into the girls and the boys. Charity, her new step-daughter, and Charity’s Maid of Honor took some classic photos together.

Then it was time for Jeff, his son, and Jeff’s best man to take photos. Let me tell you… They had their fun! The boys took a picture where they acted like they were throwing Jeff overboard. It gave everyone a really good laugh!

When the event ended and it was time to return to the dock, guests weren’t ready for it to end! Everybody had such an awesome time celebrating the newlyweds.

Congratulations to Charity and Jeff! Your wedding on the Willamette Star was special and felt SO personalized to you. It’s truly one that I’ll never forget. Thank you for trusting me with capturing these memories on your big day!