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When it came time to plan their wedding day, Kelsey and Danny wanted to remain laid back and down to earth but still have their ceremony space look gorgeous. They picked a great venue with Gorge Crest Vineyards which boasts one of the best views of Mt Hood that any wedding venue has to offer! This almost guarantees your photos are going to have the ‘wow’ factor!

After shooting some really fun engagement photos with Janaye and Mike (check them out here), the three of us were all really jazzed for their wedding day. However, amidst COVID-19 and other life things, having the wedding they had started planning was seeming impossible, and just getting married was more important to them, even if it was just quick and small. They decided to just get married with family and then have me shoot portraits of them later when the timing was better and COVID was on the decline.

When Joey contacted me about surprising his girlfriend Molli with a proposal, I knew it was going to be a good one. I could just tell from the email how excited Joey was to propose and loved seeing how much thought and effort he was putting into it. Our original plan to shoot in Forest Park on the Redwood Deck didn’t pan out due to availability, I think it worked out in our favor, as the waterfall we ended up choosing was beautiful and the stop we made by Mt Hood at the end of the session was perfect at sunset.

Engagement sessions are my favorite. I love getting to spend quality time with couples, get to know them, and show them around some of my favorite places.

This engagement session took place at Pacific City, and if you’ve followed my work at all, you know I love it here. The variety of backdrops and the sheer beauty of the place is hard to match.

Sarah and Kyle were supposed to get married down in Modesto, California this year with a fun session a few days later out in Yosemite. Due to COVID-19, their plans had to be put on hold and we agreed to meet up in 2021 to tie the knot.

However, last minute, Sarah and Kyle decided they simply didn’t want to wait that long to get married! So they planned to get married in Sunriver, Oregon with just a few close friends present. Luckily, I was available and able to be there and had the joy of capturing their short, intimate day.

Kyla and Hayden are experts at rolling with the punches by now. On the day of their Smith Rock engagement session, we got through half and then it started POURING down rain. We decided to shoot again in the morning, and Kyla, the champion that she is slept like a mummy to preserve her makeup and hair. The photo turned out beautifully.

Like many couples in the summer of 2020, Andee and Drew made alternate plans to their wedding day due to COVID-19. What was going to be a big celebration turned into a party of four—Andee, Drew, their pup and I. We woke up early to do a sunrise hike at Coyote Wall in Columbia River Gorge.

Janaye and Mike knew they wanted to have an adventure together, and then they decided to make a whole weekend out of it! We stayed at an amazingly cozy Airbnb in Bend, and made a whole weekend out of exploring and taking photos. What a dream!

We started out at the Oregon Badlands. I’ve always been a sucker for that desert vibe with the neutral colors, the dust and the general desolate nature of it all. Paired with their badass jackets, this made the perfect backdrop. We ended the session dancing to Get Low and making fools out of ourselves. All around, a great way to get started!

2019 has come and gone just like that! It’s hard to believe that it went by so fast. Another year, another set of weddings that I was fortunate enough to be a part of!

Here are some of my favorites from the 9 weddings of 2019.

Cheers to 2020 and another year of love, creation and documentation!

So you’ve booked your engagement session—the date is set, the location has been picked and you’re so excited—but how do you pick what to wear?

I like to give all my couples a Style Guide that gives them an idea of what types of clothing and accessories are going to look best on the camera. Generally I recommend looking for items of clothing that offer a lot of movement or flow, textures, neutral or deep tones, and styles that flatter your features. I’m also a big fan of pattern mixing, if you’re feeling bold.

As a lover of fashion myself, I understand the urge to instantly start online shopping for the right dress, jacket, blouse, etc. BUT as a lover of our planet and the gorgeous natural areas we get to shoot in regularly, I’m constantly looking for ways to reduce my footprint, so I always make an effort to shop second hand first.