Ken + Megan
Did you guys know my favorite color is purple? Well, now you know! So when I met Megan and saw she had a purple streak in her gorgeous dark hair, I knew we’d be the perfect fit! Megan chose to highlight purple in her gorgeous wedding that she and Ken had planned at Langdon Farms for this September. After an incredibly fun engagement shoot out at the Sandy River Delta and getting to know these two a bit, I couldn’t wait for their romantic purple-filled wedding!
In August however, with the virus still impacting weddings in a big way, Langdon Farms had to suspend any further 2020 weddings, and it was back to the drawing board for Ken and Megan with very little time left to plan! Luckily, Megan and Ken are both the most cheerful and easy going couple you have ever met, so through all the changes they kept smiling and kept laughing, knowing that at the end of all this craziness they would end up married no matter what!
As the days drew closer to their now intimate backyard wedding, things again took a crazy turn and Oregon was hit with unprecedented wildfires, turning the entire state’s air quality hazardous and making an outside wedding less than appealing!
Another beautiful thing about Megan and Ken is that they have surrounding them incredible family and friends who had already jumped forward to help them with everything from the florals to the brunch, so when this new disaster struck one week out from their wedding date, it’s no surprise that their officiant offered up his church for them to use last-minute. This may seem like a simple thing to do, but this gorgeous little church had also been hit pretty hard with all the ash from the fires and needed a lot of work which included pressure washing to get it ship-shape for a wedding. This all was organized just days leading up to the ceremony!
Driving down to Albany from Portland at 4:30am, the smoke was pretty intense and visibility was reduced down to 10 feet on certain stretches of the highway and as I pulled up to Megan’s Maid of Honor, Shelbie’s house I realized that I was waaaayyy to early as it was still dark out, woops! I ran and got a coffee and then came back just as the sky was starting to get light.
When I entered, Megan was just putting the final touches on her hair and makeup and Shelbie immediately made sure I knew where the coffee pot was and encouraged me to drink as much as I like (music to my ears as some of you might know, I am NOT a morning person haha!). I snapped a few photos of the rings and intricate elements of Ken and Megan’s wedding attire out on Shelbie’s back porch and then returned inside to help pack up the dress and head over to the church.
I normally make it a habit to visit venues I haven’t been to beforehand, but since this was such a last-minute change, the first time I set eyes on their new venue was when I arrived there with Megan and I was completely blown away with how adorable this gorgeous little white chapel and grounds were!
Dom had been there photographing Ken and his groomsmen earlier in the morning, so there was a little shuffle as we escorted the guys outside for their portraits and Megan and the girls found a space in the basement to don their dresses. Megan was an absolute vision in her gown which sported beaded lace cap sleeves and a stunning train. Once dressed, her bridesmaids and mom surrounded her in a purple-hued circle of love and there were tears and giggles all around!
Ken and Megan had written personal vows to each other and it was a beautiful moment as I watched Megan reading hers in the quiet of the empty sanctuary just before the first look.
During the first look Megan walked up to Ken and when he turned his jaw literally dropped as he laughed and held her tightly. Laughter was absolutely the theme of the day, and throughout the morning’s portraits Megan’s infectious laugh rang through the still smokey morning, a soundtrack of love conquering all and reinforcing just why I love what I do!
Megan and Ken’s ceremony was a beautiful one, with a thematic message of how love creates a home which can shelter you from all the trials of the world and how Megan and Ken feel their love has created just such a home that they cherish. I’d be lying if I said my eyes weren’t watery by the end as they exchanged their first kiss.
Making their way down the aisle after they were officially pronounced man and wife, Ken and Megan went to the rope attached to the old church bell. They had to apply quite a bit of muscle to pull hard on the cord, but eventually the wedding bells filled the air amid cheers from the wedding guests.
Shortly after the marriage license signing Ken and Megan made their grand entrance and launched into their first dance which included a few unexpected twirls and was greeted with applause of approval and a few hoots from the bridal party.
Another reason to love Megan is she is a fellow coffee aficionado and so made sure to have a full espresso bar available to her guests during the brunch which followed their ceremony. Dom and I both enjoyed lates as we continued to snap photos of Megan, Ken and their guests enjoying themselves.
As the brunch drew to a close, Megan and Ken made their escape right directly to start an epic honeymoon trip which includes a visit to the quaint town of Leavenworth and visiting one of my favorite national parks of all time, Glacier.
Dom and I loved being a part of this incredible wedding and couldn’t be happier for Ken and Megan! Check out this small selection of images from their celebration below!
