Oregon Adventure Elopement: Sara & Emmanual's Mountainside Ceremony

June 2020 feels like a lifetime ago, right?

When I first met Sara & Emmanuel, we had dinner and drinks at a pub together, looking forward to a huge, weekend-long gathering of loved ones from across the globe. I was SO excited.

Sara & Emmanuel’s wedding ended up being incredibly intimate, with most immediate family members & guests unable to attend physically.

After more than a decade of wedding photography, Sara and Emmanuel’s wedding felt very much like a “first day” or a day of firsts, for me. It was beautiful and and heart wrenching and heart wrenchingly beautiful. Sara & Emmanuel are a TEAM, and the intimacy and slower pace of their day really gave me the opportunity to notice and appreciate the quiet care and thoughtfulness that they showed each other.

There were many events and invites that were foregone for the sake of the greater good. There were also these magical moments that happened, that just aren’t the types of moments that happen on large, organized event days. I have so much empathy for the nuanced decision making processes each couple went through this past year. The pandemic wedding season has been a crash course in nuance and difficult decisions. I imagine I’ll reflect on it for years to come.

Sara & Emmanuel - congratulations on your marriage, and thank you for including me on your wedding day. I sincerely hope there is a large family party possible in your not-too-distant future, and that I get the opportunity to stop by and check “our gigantic group photo” off of our goals list.



Manresa Castle Wedding in Port Townsend

Kevin & Joanna were married on a perfect Pacific Northwest day (it was sunny, it was rainy, it was windy) at Manresa Castle in Port Townsend, WA.  It started out looking pretty questionable on wedding day, but the sun came out just in time for their garden ceremony, setting the perfect tone for the rest of the day. Three cheers for the bridesmaids who braved the cold & windy air to go outside and be gorgeous for photos!!! :) It was SO worth it!  Groomsmen, you can have three cheers too - even if you weren't cold. 

Kevin & Joanna are one of those couples who are constantly erupting into giggles over ... well, I'm usually not exactly sure what over... But that fun-loving, always-laughing -ness that is SO Kevin & JoYo totally popped up throughout the day, making my day. Every. Single. Time.

Did you know that Jones Soda Co. personalizes labels for weddings? Kevin & Joanna used several different photos from their engagement session for the labels. 

The Bride:Kevin and I had so much fun at our wedding-it really felt like "us."

The Groom: The build up and the hours before the wedding took ages, but the wedding and reception were a total blur!

The Nesgodas: We loved having so many of our favorite people from all aspects of ours lives in the same place!!! We wish we could have had even more time with everyone, but the time we did have was great.

Kevin & Joanna did a receiving line after their wedding ceremony. The photo collage (below) are just a few of my favorite images from their receiving line.

I love the opportunity to capture the guests' emotions right after the ceremony ends and they're still all emotional. Their well-wishes are always so sweet; it really shows up beautifully in photos.  (It's also a great way to get lots of guest photos - even the shy/sneaky folks who try to avoid the camera during reception time.)

I hear many couples debate and hesitate over receiving lines. The hesitation is often that someone will be awkward and try to hold up the whole line. I can't guarantee that this won't happen. But, in the 20+ weddings I attend each year, I haven't seen it happen yet.

Kevin & Joanna opted to have their first look as Joanna walked down the aisle, so we took some time after the ceremony to take some photos of the newlyweds.

Scheduling portraits after the ceremony means that we have to be very careful/efficient with our time (so that we don't keep the guests waiting on us), but evening light is one of my favorite times of day to shoot, so I'm always happy with whichever choice couples makes regarding seeing each other/not seeing each other before the ceremony.

Florist (bouquets): Holly's Fine Flowers
Hair/Makeup: OffWhite Beauty
Bridesmaid Dresses: David's Bridal
Joanna's Wedding Dress: Princess Bride Couture
DJ: Jay Hayes from Mobile Celebrations
Officiant: Lorin "Big Lo" Sandretzky ("Seattle's Biggest Sports Fan")
Venue: Manresa Castle

Backyard Vineyard Wedding Full of Details

I knew I liked Bryn about 2.5 seconds after meeting her. We were meant to be friends. She's an artist and a lover of red wine. She's also hilarious, usually when you least expect it.  

I've known Oliver for years. He went to college with my husband; they were in the same fraternity. However, I didn't actually get to know Oliver until Bryn. Oliver (the quiet, thoughtful engineer) is also an amazing friend, significantly quirkier than I imagined, he's From New Zealand (how did I not know that?!?), he's a pretty good singer, and he's a truly romantic guy.

Bryn & Oliver are both awesome individuals, but together they're kind of magic.  If I had to describe them, I'd say they're a combination of classic elegance, mixed with a fit of giggles. They're heading out for their honeymoon in a quick minute, so here's a peek at their awesome day, before they fly off to their next adventure.  

Congrats Bryn & Oliver! 

LOVE this dress!

Singing love songs = WIN (Bonus points if you have a good singing voice, like Oliver does.)

All day long, I tell people how to pose in photos. Clearly, I'm protective of the "Neck Stretch" - it's officially my signature look. :)

Wedding Coordinator: Maris Events
DJ: Sound EFX Music
Bridal Jewelry: La Belle Elaine's - updated by BrynCollection
Bridal Party Jewelry: Bryn Collection
Flowers: Bug Girl Gardens
Bride's Dress: Jenny Packham Gown, purchased at Erin Cole Couture Bridal
Desserts: Chuckanut Bay Foods
Hair: Angie Ochoa. 509.492.0433
Makeup: Erin of Maris Events

Can't get enough of this wedding?  Check out their full gallery HERE!