Inspired Photo Blog

It’s been a summer of connections. Three degrees of separation that I’ve been writing about all summer. It all comes together with this wedding. The wedding of Shannon and Isaiah, who were married October 21st at Summit View Church, in Vancouver, Washington.

Shannon was a bridesmaid at Stacy’s wedding. Stacy and Kasey were married in 2003 and have referred a number of friends to me, including Michele and Damon from last summer. Shannon’s maid of honor was Jessica, who’s getting married in two weeks with Shannon as her maid of honor. Then, I found out at the wedding that Shannon’s mother is good friends with Hilary’s mother (Hilary and Jon) who’s wedding I photographed in September. And you honestly thought I was making all this stuff up.

Starting my favorites is the program from the wedding featuring an image from the engagement session. Captured by Kristen, this has become one of her signature shots this summer.

A tender moment when Shannon and Isaiah see each other for the first time on their wedding day. I loved all the particulate matter floating in the sunshine, it reminded me of a movie.

A rare image of the elusive groomsman tasting his boutonniere…

Shannon and Isaiah were married by Isaiah’s father and both of them were simply radiant. I was concerned about being able to capture anything because it was a candlelit ceremony, but the stage lighting was perfect.

All the couples come together. Paul, Jessica, Shannon and Isaiah. I’m sure you’ll see this image again in two weeks.

Isaiah enjoying a crush of love and affection on the dance floor.

It was a challenging day for a photographer. Full on sun with little to no shade. A large church that’s perfect for a candlelit ceremony, but a daunting black box for pictures. I found a little spot with a beautiful backdrop for photographs and then the wind kicked up. Not a little breeze by any means. Picture sticking your head out the window of a car going down the highway. Starting to sound an awful lot like a wedding to me!

Tears where shed by everyone, the warm embrace of love shared by family and friends. One of Shannon’s friends emptied her house of all decorations to set the atmosphere and it was beautiful. Candles and flowers everywhere. A dessert buffet filled the guest’s bellies and everyone danced until the newlyweds left.

Congratulations to the family and friends of Shannon and Isaiah. It’s hard to believe that the wedding has come and passed. Best wishes to the newlyweds for a lifetime of happiness. I’ll see you in two weeks! Thanks for allowing me to be a part of your wedding story.

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Kelsey and Michael were married October 14th at the Adrianna Hill Ballroom and all I can say is from the moment I walked in, there was laughter and good times. They had a large wedding party and everyone was having a blast. An absolute joy to work with and photograph.

Kelsey had a great attitude, never stressing about anything. She kept saying that all she wanted was her dress to look beautiful; to get married to Michael and have fun. Good thing too because a couple of hems came loose on her dress, which understandably started to stress her out. Luckily Mom was close by with a sewing kit to save the day. Let the party begin! Here are a few of my favorites from their wedding day.

We started the day with the bridal party at the Paramount Hotel in downtown Portland. From the hotel, it was a short walk to the Portland Library for formal photographs and another short walk to the Adrianna Hill Ballroom for the wedding ceremony and reception.

It was a beautiful Fall day and Kelsey looked stunning in her wedding dress. The lighting and colors were perfect on the streets of downtown Portland for her wedding day.

The guys doing what guys do best…drinking and playing with their toys.

Did I mention the number of people in the wedding party? The vibrant flowers and bridesmaids dresses were beautiful and dramatic.

I recently spoke with a woman who reads my blog reguarly and she said my photos were whimsical. This one’s for you…

Dad walking his daughter down the aisle to be married.

Kelsey and Michael dancing together for the first time as husband and wife.

In a rare lapse of reason, I agreed to let one of the groomsmen take my camera (still attached to me with all my cords) and capture this image of Kristen, Kelsey, Michael and I during the reception. There is a reason I like being on the other side of the camera.

I was literally on my way out the door when I walked past Kelsey and Michael sharing an intimate moment outside the reception. It was beautiful and poignant. Quickly unpacking my camera, I captured this image with available light. The perfect ending to a near perfect day.

What a whirlwind. The whole day was a blur, even for me. There was a lot of celebrating and everyone was having a great time. Laughter and toasts and dancing and more laughter. The dessert table was nothing short of amazing. In the end, Kelsey and Michael were married and that’s all that matters.

Congratulations to the friends and family of Kelsey and Michael. Thank you for laughing with me (perhaps at me) and making me feel like a friend of the family. It was an honor to share in your celebration. Best wishes to the newly married couple. I hope you find a lifetime of happiness together.

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Dixie and Brian are engaged to be married in November. I met Dixie a few years ago at the Microsoft CEO Summit. She is the CEO of Chrysalis Events which planned and orchestrated the event for Microsoft. Talk about a high pressure job; yet Dixie was on top of everything and all day long her smile never disappeared. It was such an honor, when Dixie announced her engagement, to be chosen as her wedding photographer.

Their engagement session was at the beautiful 702 acre Point Defiance Park near Tacoma, Washington. The day was drizzly, but the rain stayed away for the duration of our shoot. I was pleased to find Brian as charming as the man Dixie described. Spontaneous, fun loving and madly in love, these two were up for anything on our walk through the park. Here are a few of my favorites from our time together.

I’ll see you two in a couple of weeks. I’m looking forward to working with you and your families, thanks for choosing me to be a part of your wedding story.

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It’s been a long summer for Stephanie and Damon. Not only because of the anticipation for the wedding, but the challenges they’ve faced on their journey. Damon finished school as a graphic designer, in itself a monumental achievement. Then, the venue where their wedding was scheduled, a vintage hotel in Longview, was purchased by another company and they decided not to host events under the new ownership. A change that could throw the whole wedding plans into chaos. Stressed out yet?

Stephanie scrambled with great calm and finally decided upon a wonderful Portland venue, Aarnegard’s Chelsea Ballroom for their wedding on October 7th. The theme for their wedding was the Fleur-de-lis. On a beautiful Fall day, full of sunshine with the yellows and oranges of the changing leaves, the stage was set. Here are a few of my favorites from their wedding day, starting with an image by Kristen, my budding assistant this summer.

Damon seeing Stephanie for the first time on their wedding day. That grin on his face? It never left all day long. Damon was smiling from the moment he stepped out of the limo to the last minutes of the reception. This man was as love struck as they come.

Stephanie and Damon like the contrast of beautiful wedding attire and an urban environment. The Chelsea Ballroom is beautiful, but lacking great areas that can be used for formals. I decided on the street in front of the Ballroom and my cinematic lens to compact the background. All I needed were a few trees with beautiful Fall colors.

A couple more images from Kristen. She did a great job and I really enjoy the alternative viewpoint she captured while I was working with Damon and his family. This first one reminds me of the Cingular ads with the bars. Stephanie invested in a good hair and makeup artist. It was a wonderful touch for photographs.

Having fun with the large wedding party…

Stephanie and Damon presented a slide show right before the wedding ceremony. I thought this was a humorous moment.

The paparazzi are everywhere…

The Chelsea Ballroom was the perfect setting for Stephanie and Damon’s wedding. From the warm colors and intimate atmosphere to the truly spectacular food. One family member even traveled with his family from Vietnam to attend the wedding. Congratulations to the family and friends, it was a pleasure to meet all of you and rub elbows with the paparazzi. I hope your photos came out as well as mine did, next time get a little closer to the action…I won’t bite.

Best wishes to Stephanie and Damon as you begin a less stressful journey together as husband and wife. Thank you for allowing me to be a part of that story all summer long and making me feel like a part of your family.

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Couples decide what kind of relationship they want within the first few minutes of meeting each other. To the hopeless romantics out there, this is called Love at first sight. That’s exactly what it was for Tiffany and Corey when they met at the office where they worked.

Corey didn’t want to reveal his feelings for Tiffany, especially since they worked together, so he ignored her. This made Tiffany angry and she came into the office one day, dressed to the nines, ready to make Corey notice her. It must have worked, because 4 months later on September 30th, they were married in Eugene, Oregon at The Country Inn. Here are a few of my favorites from their wedding day.

Lots of beautiful little girls running around, never far from the camera.

Corey is ready to see Tiffany for the first time on their wedding day. Two hours later than expected, but that sounds an awful lot like a wedding to me.

Tiffany is a natural in front of the camera, having done some modeling in the past. She was an absolute joy to work with and a great contrast to Corey who endured his part in the pictures.

Tiffany’s sister is married to a talented photographer friend of mine Mat who lives in Seattle. Check out his web site Mat Hayward Photography. Mat was photographing a 4 day wedding in another state, so he couldn’t attend or photograph Tiffany’s wedding. Guess who referred me?

The beautiful restored, vintage getaway car that dad provided for the couple. I wish I knew what this car was, but I’m sure someone will jump in and let us know.

I think this image speaks for itself…

The Country Inn is a beautiful venue for a wedding. Gardens spreading out all over the property with gazebos, a pond and bridges. It’s a paradise for photographs. It was a pleasure to meet everyone, especially Matt’s wife and children and the best man, William Hung. Man, that guy took some abuse and dished it out as well. Great sense of humor.

Congratulations to the family and friends of Tiffany and Corey and best wishes to the newly married couple. Thank you for allowing me to be a part of your wedding day story and for making me feel like a part of the family.

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