Clint + Christina
Wedding at Lakeside Gardens in Portland, OR
Have you ever met a couple who, when you meet them together you just can’t ever picture them apart from one another? Clint and Christina are one of these couples. When I first met them, Clint was expecting to launch from meeting me for the first time to immediately going into their engagement shoot directly from the cafe! Honestly though, had that been the plan it would have been a great shoot, as the love and devotion he has for Christina shines through in any moment, including even during a short visit in a coffee shop. We had a big laugh about his confusion and scheduled their engagement shoot for the Rhododendron Garden a few weeks later. Getting to know them a bit while strolling through the autumn colors of the garden, we busted into fits of laughter over and over and I knew photographing their wedding this July would be a blast.
Christina and Clint had planned a gorgeous wedding at Lakeside Gardens and when July 25th came around it was to be the most perfect 80-degree summer day. I met up with Christina at the Best Western Rivershore in Oregon City and I immediately fell in love with her wedding entourage: one camera-ready flower girl, three sassy and gorgeous bridesmaids and the cutest mother of the bride you’ve ever seen. Christina confided in me that there had been some last minute stress with not knowing who would be the officiant, but despite this she seemed to appear calm and collected, proof that being surrounded by your best friends and most beloved family on your wedding day is the best proof against wedding stress there is!
As her hair style was completed I stole away to a lovely little natural-light hallway which was just down from Christina’s room to shoot some details. When I returned, Christina was just getting her makeup started and with a little help from her friends managed to get it just perfect. I snapped a few photos of all the adorable gifts she’d given to her bridesmaids as they looked just too cute in their custom slippers, robe and bracelets.
Racing off to the venue, I arrived as the boys started to gather in the groom’s den. Clint was quietly smiling an excited smile and I even got the privilege of seeing him open a handsome gift his good friend and ex brother in law had given him which, although unassumingly wrapped in Christmas wrapping paper, contained a beautiful new watch.
As Christina slipped into her gown (and some last minute handiwork from Christina’s Bridesmaids were employed to make sure everything was perfect) I placed Clint for the first look. He looked both excited and a bit nervous as she walked up to him and when she called his name and he turned to see his beautiful bride, tears welled up in his eyes and he immediately embraced her in a loving hug.
After a teary few minutes during the first look and once the butterflies in their stomaches settled, we enjoyed working though some wedding party portraits which included perfect smiles from the ring bearers and flower girls, “cool guy” shades on the groomsmen, and a big wet kiss on the cheek of the groom from the bride’s father!
The ceremony started and as the sun peeked through the giant evergreens, Christina and her dad made their way down the aisle. After a tearful hug, he handed Christina over to Clint and they exchanged vows, lit their unity candle and shared their first kiss as husband and wife.
We took a few family portraits and they made their grand entrance via the bridge across the lake below which the swans cruised gracefully. After dinner we stole away to do a few portraits and the rest of the night was spent with hilarious speeches, cake cutting, garter and bouquet tosses and tons of exuberant dancing where the ring bearer showed off his epic dance skills.
Everywhere I turned the love for Clint and Christina and their union together was evident. Laughter filled the air and there were more hugs than I could count! Spending such a wonderful evening with these two was truly an honor and I can’t thank them enough for trusting me to capture this beautiful day! Leave some love and well wishes in the comments section below for this fantastic couple!
