Jason and Sara | Portland, OR Wedding

My cell phone rang out its sweet little song. I glanced at the front of it and saw the silly picture of my best friend that I had taken 2 years ago, the last time we had seen each other. After the standard 'hellos' were exchanged, her voice changed a bit and she blurted out, "So, I'm getting married in five weeks!"

Sara had been engaged since Easter weekend, but her wedding date had been changed several times. To the best of my knowledge, there wasn't a date in place at the time of her call, so her announcement was somewhat surprising to me. She went on to say that her wedding would be held in Portland, where she has lived for the better part of our 6 years since high school graduation. It was then that my heart sunk a bit. There was no way I could afford to fly out to Portland during the holidays.

But as it turned out, (thanks, Mom & Dad and Sara & Jason!) I was able to fly out! And so were Daniel and Savannah! The wedding was small, personal, beautiful, and totally Christ-centered. It was an absolute pleasure to be there. Since Jason and Sara were doing things pretty low-key, they had not hired a photographer so I volunteered to take their wedding pictures.

It was VERY cold outside, but I convinced them that they would be so much happier if we just stepped out for a few minutes to do the majority of their portraits outdoors. I adore natural light and was so happy they complied with my request.

Jason, it was a total pleasure to meet you. I know you will be a blessing to my dear friend! I hope you both enjoyed your honeymoon!

Jason and Sara, I love you both and wish you guys the best if your new life together! Thanks for allowing us to be a part of your wedding! We had a great time and were so happy we were able to attend. :)

My Best Friend's Wedding :)

My best friend since 1st grade was married yesterday in beautiful (rainy) Portland. Jason, it was a pleasure meeting you. Really. And Sara, it was soo great to see you again. Daniel and I love you both and wish you the best in your new life together! Here's a quick sneak peek before we head off to visit Multnomah Falls:

More From Daniel

I posted some of my husband's pictures last month from our vacation. And now, it's time again for me to share a few more. The following pictures are from a wedding we shot together last month. I'm such a proud wife!

Intentional Accidents

Whenever I first arrive at a location, I always tell my clients that I'm going to take a few shots while I'm testing the lighting. They relax for a minute and talk amongst themselves while I'm getting a foothold. Then I tell them that I always say that and that I oftentimes get some of the best images of the day from those few minutes.

While it's true that I am checking my settings, I really do love these few minutes at the start of every session. During a scene change at my last wedding, I told the bridal party this exact thing. And while reviewing the day's images, I found this one.

It's simple, it's real, and I love it.

Erik and Ashley: Wedding

On Saturday I had the pleasure of shooting a wedding for a friend at church. It's probably more accurate to say that I'm friends with Ashley's mom, but Ashley and I have done our share of visiting together, especially as her wedding day was drawing near.

Ashley and Erik have dated for years. Erik is away at A-school right now - a few hours away - and is preparing to receive his orders come this fall. They wanted to be sure to fit in a wedding before his orders come, especially if he winds up being sent overseas, so a quick wedding was planned.

The weather was beautiful, the decor was simple yet elegant, and the day was filled with emotions.

Husband and wife!

















I was SO excited when Ashley and Erik wanted to spend some extra time in the evening for pictures of just the two of them!





Her hair was gorgeous!















Ashley and Erik, thank you for allowing me (and Daniel) to be a part of your wedding day. We had a great time and pray that your lives will be filled with joy and happiness!

I Heart Faces - "Wedding Bells"

I had heard of I Heart Faces a few times before, but when the ultra-fabulous Jasmine Star mentioned that she was going to be a guest judge for this week's I Heart Faces contest, I decided I would enter. I mean, at what other time in history would I ever have a chance for Jasmine Star to visit my blog and view my work? Umm, probably never.

One of the two themes this week is "Wedding Bells" and since I absolutely fell in love with one particular photo from my wedding last month, I knew right away it was the one I wanted to enter. (Yes, you've already seen it in this post.)

This picture was taken about 5 minutes after the couple was announced husband and wife. I just love the pure emotion and joy!

Now head on over to I Heart Faces to view all the other entries this week! And Jasmine, I'm so glad you could stop by!

Caleb and Emily: Wedding

This weekend was absolutely gorgeous in Iowa and I was more than happy to shoot the wedding of a family friend, Emily. The day was absolutely perfect!

Emily has a friend who used to work at a flower shop. She made ALL of the boutonnieres, corsages, bouquets, and centerpieces for the entire wedding! Don't they look amazing?

Caleb and Emily, I am so happy I was able to share the day with you. I hope you're having a fabulous time on your *secret* honeymoon destination!