Where to start with this amazing couple….

When I think back on Amanda and Bubba’s wedding day and I try to pinpoint an exact moment which was my favorite I am torn between Bubba’s reaction to the beautiful gift his bride gave him during the first look. I’m torn between the speeches at the reception which were both hilarious and tear jerking. I’m torn between Amanda praying in the back seat of the car on the way to seeing her groom after the whirlwind which was departing the getting ready area. I’m torn between the vision I have of their ceremony, golden light streaming in from behind giant evergreens as the ceremony attendees and wedding party were led in a beautiful hymn glorifying God in the life of this beautiful couple. I am torn between laughing at the memories of Bubba’s groomsmen doing a doo-op boogie, serenading Amanda and Bubba as they danced their first dance, and between holding back my own tears when I think back to the look on Amanda’s father’s face the first time he saw her. In short, there is just no way to pick a “perfect moment” from this day, and I’ll just have to settle for letting my heart be full of all of it, from the first moment of walking in and meeting all the girls, to the last hour as Dom and I reluctantly strolled away from what was turning into a VERY epic dance party and which was sure to last late into the night.

If you can’t tell, I am just in love with this couple! Amanda found me not too long ago as things had changed for her and she was on a search for a more luxury-style photographer than she had originally planned, so our pre-wedding relationship was actually much shorter than with a lot of my couples. Despite this, our bond became pretty tight when last-minute Oregon Covid-19 restrictions changed and Amanda basically had to plan a brand-new wedding in a matter of a week and a half!

Bubba and Amanda’s family friend very graciously offered up their gorgeous home estate in Scotts Mills, OR which is just outside Silverton. Originally, Amanda and Bubba would have been wed in the same church where Amanda’s parents were married (this tells you something of the legacy and honor Amanda carries for her family, a trait I hold very dear in my own life) but they truly made the most out of this new venue and it turned out phenomenal, so well done you guys!

Despite the last-minute changes and all the prep-work that ended up being put into an already packed week of family and friends flying in from all over the country, when I arrived to Amanda’s house on Saturday, Amanda looked not only radiant, but calm and serene as well.

Surrounded by 10+ of her closest friends and family, I got to make my way around the room meeting Amanda’s sister, cousins, grandmothers, mother, aunt, and friends from throughout her life. There wasn’t a single woman there who wasn’t over the moon for Amanda, and to show her their love, her Matron of Honor organized.a gorgeous memory scrap book complete with photos of all Amanda’s adventures with each of the members of her wedding party.

That wasn’t the last of the surprises however, as Amanda also received a hand-stitched kerchief with the wedding dates of her and Bubba’s parents and August 1, 2020- their wedding date.

As the final touches were put on the hair and makeup (all the hair was done by one of Amandas’ bridesmaids by the way- she somehow not only got herself ready for a wedding, but 9 other girls too!) Amanda slipped into her stunning mermaid-cut, low-back and lace embellished gown. Her mom started to get a bit teary and laughed with Amanda as they celebrated how real everything suddenly started to get!

The next few minutes was a flurry of organization as we all piled into a car to head to Willamette University for portraits.

Dom had been hanging with the guys all morning and was waiting for us at Bubba’s alma mater (Willamette U.) and where he coached football. It was the perfect location for portraits as the sprawling green grounds of the university were not only stunning but also completely empty.

We set Amanda’s father up for the first look and as she came around the corner I could already see tears forming in his eyes. He turned and when he saw her he just couldn’t keep all the emotions in. Amanda walked to him and they embraced as wedding party onlookers snuck teary peeks from just beyond the hedges. Amanda surprised her dad with a heartfelt letter and a gift, telling him just how much he means to her.

Next it was Bubba’s turn and as we placed him I could already see the emotion bubbling up from beneath. Amanda looked so excited as I snapped a few photos of her walking up to her man, and when she called his name and he turned to see just how beautiful she looked, he had no words. Hugging and laughing with tearful and breathless expressions of joy and love, for a moment it was just them, alone in this world, finally getting to unite in the most lasting and committed way.

Amanda brought a gift for Bubba as well, and as he opened his gorgeous wedding-worthy cufflinks his love for his beautiful soon-to-be wife overflowed and he broke into tears. This was a moment just for them, and as Dom and I backed away so they could be together alone, I grabbed my own husband’s hand, giving it a squeeze and I found myself whispering thanks for the blessing of finding my own love in this life and thanks for opportunities such as this to be a part of celebrating someone else’s love story in such an intimate way.

Gathering the entire wedding party together, the tears quickly tuned to bouts of laughter as Bubba’s guys and Amanda’s girls whooped and hollered while we made Bubba and Amanda kiss to kick off this epic day!

We spent a few hours at Willamette University taking portraits and I learned a very good lesson that if we are all the way across campus and I need to run back to the car to procure a purse for the bride, that I had better listen VERY carefully to her brides maid’s instructions on where EXACTLY that bag is and which EXACT bag it is that she wants, otherwise 10 sweaty minutes of running later, and all I’ll have fetched is the WRONG bag and a bridesmaid will STILL have to go fetch it for me! >.<

But apart from that little hiccup things went super smoothly as Amanda and Bubba’s wedding party couldn’t have been more kind and accommodating to Dom and I and we were even able to makeup the half and hour that we were running behind, Booyah!

Driving to Scotts Mills, Dom and I were breathless at the beauty of the estate which now was host to Amanda and Bubba’s wedding. Gorgeous tents had been set up with white linen table clothes, and white roses and lilies with bright green leaves made up the centerpieces and each and every guest had a real gold-leafed glass goblet to drink from, talk about classy!

Amanda had scheduled a little much needed down time in the timeline and as everyone enjoyed resting and last minute primping some of the bridesmaids even did little mini crossfit-style workout in the basement! Amanda also took this time to present her mom with a beautiful hand-drawn rendition of one of her favorite photos of them when she was little, again showing just how many amazing details she had planned into this day to make it the best ever!

As the ceremony time drew nearer and nearer, Amanda’s cousin warmed up the keyboard in anticipation of the live music that would accompany the processional. Bubba escorted his mother to the ceremony space, followed by his dad, and each of the wedding party made their way to frame the cross at the front which was adorned with white roses and draped in opaque fabric.

As Amanda and her dad walked down the aisle, Bubba’s face melted. For those of you wondering if a first look ruins the emotion of the ceremony, think again and scroll down to the image of Bubba seeing his bride escorted toward him! I swear, there wasn’t a dry eye in the house! That is, until Bubba and Amanda’s dad did their secret hand shake which ended up a jovial hip bump and brought everyone to fits of laughter!

The ceremony was perfect- complete with personal stories, biblical verses, and a united hymn of praise which was participated in by all who were present. Amanda and Bubba shared vows and their first kiss among the cheers and clapping of all who were present and so supportive of this wonderful union.

More cheers of celebration were had along side the house as the wedding party jumped for joy at the official union of Bubba and Amanda, and as they signed the legal documentation the party began!

Toasts were made by Amanda’s sister and best friend, Bubba’s groomsman and both Amanda and Bubba’s fathers. All five of these speeches were absolutely superb, bringing the crowd not only to tears, but to howling laughter as well.

Bubba and Amanda were kind to each other during their cake cutting/sharing, and the guests had a wide variety of choices of sweets to munch on, from doughnuts and cupcakes to a cobbler which apparently was out of this world delicious!

Bubba and Amanda’s first dance was serenaded by Bubba’s groomsmen who were swinging their hips and striking the perfect harmony as Bubba twirled Amanda around underneath the setting golden light.

Father-Daughter and Mother-Son Dances were followed by an Anniversary Dance and I snuck Bubba and Amanda out to the field just in time for the last rays of sun to shine on them as we took our “just married” sunset portraits.

As these two beautiful people made their way back to the party, Dom and I went around to hug, thank, and congratulate their parents, and as we strolled back to our car to head back to Portland we both remarked on what a truly wonderful day it had been and how lucky we felt to spend such an incredible day with the most amazing people.

There is a lot of craziness going on in our world today, so to escape to a gorgeous log home in the countryside and see a tent full of people loving on one another and celebrating life left me with a renewed sense of appreciation for humanity and a deep-felt love for… well, love!

I hope you enjoy scrolling through these photos and that it too brings you joy.

Happy Happy Happy Wedding Day Amanda and Bubba, Dom and I wish you nothing but the absolute pure joy you both deserve today, and every day forward!