Sonnet & Jonathan ~ Oregon City, Oregon Wedding

I honestly don’t know why it’s taken me so long to get around to blogging this wedding! These two are celebrating their two month anniversary today! It was an amazing day, with lots of stories, memories, and laughs! These two traveled all the way from Boise, Idaho to have the wedding of their dreams at a GORGEOUS (and gigantic!) Airbnb out in Oregon City, Oregon (Check out Three Goat Farm if you’re looking for an awesome, natural venue with LOTS of space for overnight guests!).

My second shooter and I, showed up at the venue, took a peek around, and then found the bride and her closest friends in one of the bedrooms upstairs getting ready. I love taking “getting ready “ photos, and really wish that more people would include this time in their wedding photography packages! The excitement, joy, (a little bit of nerves), and pure love is almost palpable in the room leading up to the big event!

The Airbnb came complete with two “porch dogs”… the older dog appeared to be a yellow lab and was accompanied by a Great Pyrenees puppy. Since the two dogs were roaming around the property, and the ceremony was set up to take place on the back lawn, a couple of friends were put in charge of doing a quick poop-scoop before the ceremony commenced! Those are some friends! =)

After the grass was cleared it was time to get the show on the road! But, as you will see in the following slideshow, those “porch dogs” had other plans…

After the pup was secured, the ceremony continued on without a hitch! A friend of the couple officiated the event and told the story of the couple’s courtship as if it were a fairy tale. It was an absolutely beautifully written script that I hope Sonnet and Johnathan saved and framed!

The two recited their own vows, exchanged rings, and had another friend do a reading from The Little Prince. The whole ceremony was beautiful, and as the couple walked out (after their kiss of course!) the light in the eyes was so, so bright!

After the ceremony (and the mother-of-the-bride had a moment to make up with the puppy), it was time to head inside to eat, drink, and be married! =) The couple chose a southern BBQ style menu from Mundo Catering that was absolutely delicious! Even the dogs thought so… ;)

When it comes to the formal portraits, I like to break it up. The wedding party and family photos are great to do right before or right after the ceremony, but I really like letting the couple eat, decompress, and process what just happened for a few moments before heading out to do the bride/groom shots. Sonnet and Jonathan were quite happy with that arrangement, and so we pushed their formal portraits back just a little bit, until the sun started to set and the light softened. We started in the upstairs balcony area of the house, and then made our way outside.

It was an amazing day. But we couldn’t leave without one more shot of our favorite furry little friend…

**If you’re looking for a wedding photographer in the Vancouver, WA or Portland, OR metro areas (or, really, anywhere… I love a good vacation and adventure!) reach out! Let’s grab coffee and chat about the plans for your day and if we’re a good fit for your photography needs!