SAME SEX DESTINATION WEDDING

Justin and Aaron had the right idea when it came to creating the perfect laid back wedding day. Their ceremony, cocktail hour, dinner and dance floor were all under one roof! What could be simpler? No stress of moving guests from one venue to another or worry of turning up late to the ceremony because of the traffic. Once guests arrived they could just hang up their coat and enjoy the day. Even dessert came to them in the form of a donut food truck that hitched up outside the main entrance…

PRE WEDDING SHOOT THE DAY BEFORE

The day before the wedding I popped over to Justin and Aaron’s place for a pre wedding shoot. I’d never shot a pre wedding session so close to the wedding day but logistically it made sense and it was really exciting to capture them both just before they tied the knot. There was a real palpable sense of excitement and this definitely came through on the final images. 


Sometimes I get to shoot part of a pre wedding session in a couples home and I absolutely love it. Home is where we feel most comfortable and relaxed so I think it’s the ideal location to start off a shoot to loosen up and get in the zone. Justin and Aaron also have two incredibly sweet dogs so it was really nice to feature them in some of the photos as they wouldn’t be there on the wedding day. We captured some lovely moments at home and then set off for a wander around the local neighbourhood. Justin and Aaron had some great suggestions for locations. It always adds an extra dimension to the images when a couple choose a location that means something to them. After an hour or so we’d not only got some great images but we’d had a rehearsal for the following day.

PORTLAND WAREHOUSE WEDDING

I’d previously traveled to Portland so I was familiar with the city. Strangely enough I had actually stayed in an Air B&B just around the corner from Union/Pine, a warehouse venue in the heart of Central Eastside Portland. With stylish herringbone wood cladding and exposed brickwork Union/pine is one of those rare venues that has its own sense of character but enough scope for a couple put their own stamp on it. 

The venue is made up of two main areas. Justin and Aaron had their ceremony in ‘the sunken living room’ at the front of the building. Originally a storage facility for Volunteers of America in the 1960's, the old loading dock has been built up with wood floors to create a fantastic space for ceremonies. The main wall was adorned with an impressive palm leaf feature which framed the scene perfectly during the ceremony and the huge windows offered up some beautiful soft light.

‘The back room’ as the name suggests is towards the back of the venue. After the cocktail hour large cedar doors rolled back to reveal the long dining tables with exotic palm displays and banana leaf table settings. Simple festoon lighting draped from the ceiling giving the whole space a cosy romantic feel.


MASKED BALL

After dinner the DJ kicked off and the dancing started. Justin and Aaron had organised cat masks for all the guests to wear and the two of them wore monochrome rabbit masks. This caused a real stir in the crowd and made for some great party shots! I left the party as a food truck arrived and served guests donuts from the curb side. A great way to soak up the evenings alcohol!


DESTINATION WEDDING PHOTOGRAPHER

If you’re looking for a destination wedding photographer feel free to drop me a line. I love shooting weddings abroad and have photographed weddings in Greece, Italy and Spain. So if you’re planning a destination wedding get in touch and let’s talk!