Emma + Tanner

Ready for an exciting wedding story that makes you gasp at the beginning and at the end leaves you with all the warm fuzzy feels?  Well saddle up for the adventure which is Emma and Tanner’s wedding day!

Emma and Tanner are this incredible couple who Dom and I have absolutely fallen in love with over the past several months of being a part of their wedding journey.  We first spent time together during their adventure engagement session in Terrebonne where we roamed all over the front half of Smith Rock together, swapping stories of life, travel, family and relationships.

Emma and Tanner have been best friends for years and many of their family joke about being “team Tanner” as Emma and Tanner voyaged into the dating realm through High school and college and had a sort of on again off again relationship  before taking the final leap of dedication which led to their engagement. 

The two of them are some of the most wonderful people you could ever hope to meet, and as Dom and I enjoyed dinner with them after their engagement shoot we knew these two would make a special impact onto our lives.

Emma and Tanner were originally planning to host their wedding at this gorgeous family property out in Saint Helen’s and I had the privilege of touring the home out there and getting to know Tanner’s aunt a bit as we chatted about wedding preparations and plans for their big day.

In the summer of 2020, a lot changed and with the world of so many being rocked to its core, Emma and Tanner found themselves changing their wedding plans and finding this gorgeous little chapel in Boring Oregon to house their now-fall wedding on November 21st.

Transitioning to a fall wedding from a summer wedding is certainly a big shift, and yet Tanner and Emma made this transition practically seamlessly, updating Dom and I of their progress in planning their new décor, guest list and set-up as things were updated to accommodate their new venue.

I was able to do a brief walk-through of their venue, The Bell Chapel with Emma and was pleased to find it’s light and airy interior, adorable Bridal Suite, and many beautiful windows which would be the perfect backup plan in case of rain on their wedding day.

Now, here is where things got even more interesting.  A week prior to their wedding on Friday, November 13th Oregon announced a freeze in which they were reducing gathering numbers to such an extent which would not accommodate even the modest 50-person wedding Emma and Tanner had planned.  At 4:30pm on Friday, November 13th I turned my phone off airplane mode to find a voicemail from Emma in which she explained (in the most calm voice ever!) that they feared they would have to change their wedding date as the freeze would prohibit a November 21st celebration, and would I consider being available to photograph her wedding tomorrow!  I called her up immediately and we spoke about the possibility of moving her wedding up an entire week and getting it put together by tomorrow.  I was able to move around a few engagement shoots I had scheduled, and called Emma back with a YES! We’ll be there!

Now, I know I have said many times in 2020 how amazing the brides are that I work with, but I think the calm, cool and collected manner with which Emma handled this whole rescheduling to tomorrow thing has got to take the cake in terms of superhero brides!  In her original fall-wedding plan she of course had a rehearsal dinner scheduled out where her family would help to put up all the décor and organize the space the night prior to the ceremony, but with this last minute change, she and her amazing support team of friends and family came early on Saturday to get everything into place, calling family to see who could still attend, setting up video and zoom meetings for those who wouldn’t be able to make it, and just generally put an entire wedding together in a day!

When Dom and I arrived, the Bell Tower was a buzz with people placing centerpieces, setting up video, and walking through rehearsal of the ceremony.  I found Emma tucked away in the bridal suite with her sisters, mom, flower girl and dear friend who would be doing her hair. Dom hung out outside with the guys who were enjoying getting updates on the football score and also helping wherever they were needed to put together every last detail.

Emma’s mom helped with Emma’s makeup and as her flower girl sat coloring Disney Princesses on the floor beside her, laughter filled the air as a classic 90s Hip Hop mix played over Emma’s phone speakers.

Now, anyone who sets eyes on Emma can see she is just absolutely stunning, but my favorite thing about her is how ready she is to laugh and how her smile just lights up her entire face.  I enjoyed photographing a few candid moments between her and her dear friend laughing while her hair was curled and pinned up to form a perfectly smooth perch for a sparkling hairpiece. 

As she slipped into her gorgeous gown, her sisters ooh-ed and ahhh-ed over her full bridal look and compared her to the most beautiful Holiday Barbie, a look which was accented by a bridal bouquet Emma embellished herself with pine cones and dark rustic green touches.

As Dom took the guys outside for some portraits during a brief break in the rain, I took Emma upstairs for some Bridal Portraits in the window light of the gorgeous chapel of the Bell Tower.  I was able to take a Bridal  image of her which I have always wanted to take and which turned out “Pintrest Worthy” if I do say so myself, so Emma thank you for being such a stunning and easy-going model while I played around with hand and light positioning!

After the Bridal portraits were complete, we hid Emma away in the little alcove at the front of the chapel and placed her dad for a First Look.  As Emma walked up to him and he turned to see his girl, his eyes filled with tears and a gigantic smile of pure joy hit his face.  Embracing, they laughed and cried while sharing this moment, making the fact that this is THE WEDDING DAY all too real! 

In an attempt to stop the flow of tears, Emma and her Dad had me put on “Under the Sea” on my phone and they practiced their choreographed father-daughter dance which included hilarious and fun dance elements along with some twirls showing off Emma’s perfect wedding gown.

We tucked Emma back into her hiding spot and Dom brought in Tanner who was looking dashing in a blue tie and grey suit, purchased just the night before due to the last minute change of plans!

Emma walked up to her partner, tapping him on the shoulder and Tanner beamed with love as he took in Emma and all her stunning beauty.  Hugs and tears were shed by a normally calm, cool and collected guy, and as they held each other in the privacy of this moment I whispered some blessings for these two and a future of never-ending happiness.

The rain had returned with a vengeance during the first look, so we decided to forego trying any portraits outside and instead had a blast re-living their engagement shoot and posing Emma and Tanner while utilizing windows and open doors for that classic natural-light look.

After Bridal Portraits, we brought up the whole wedding gang and enjoyed laughing through the group photos which included me making a total fool of myself shouting “Peeee-U!” in a high pitched voice trying to make a very sleepy little 8-month old ring bearer flash us a smile.

We snapped a few family portraits as guests started arriving and tucked Emma away ahead of schedule so she could enjoy a private moment in which to finish writing her vows. (No, she’s not a procrastinator; remember their wedding was bumped up by a whole week at the very last minute!)

As the guests filtered in, Dom and I got to know a few of Emma and Tanner’s family and enjoyed chatting and snapping some candid images of the final set-ups pre-ceremony.

As Tanner entered and took his place at the head of the chapel next to his uncle who would be officiating for the first time, the wedding party made their way down the aisle to join him.  Emma’s flowergirl made an adorable entrance as she took time to place a single petal every few feet along the greenery lining the aisle and then took a seat on the steps surveying her work, making all present giggle at the cuteness overload.

Emma made a stunning entrance as the white chapel doors were opened and she walked toward the love of her life and best friend, escorted by her dad who couldn’t have been happier.

The ceremony itself was short and sweet, with personal anecdotes from Tanner’s Uncle cracking everyone up, and heartfelt vows from the couple bringing tears to everyone’s eyes.

Their first kiss was a full-on Hollywood Romance scene and as Emma and Tanner were pronounced man and wife they threw up their arms in celebration!

They made their way to the back of the chapel where they greeted their guests under tents protecting them from the rain and the Bell Tower Staff flipped the church for the reception.

Emma and Tanner rang the chapel’s bell and entered to their guests whooping and hollering their excitement that this day finally arrived and the couple broke out into a dance routine fit for center stage!  After twirling, kneeling and a few epic dips, Tanner and Emma concluded their dance and opened the dessert table which included doughnuts, pies, cookies, pumpkin bars and all manner of fall flavored deliciousness!

The evening was spent with laughter and chatting with family and friends, watching a hilarious “outtakes” reel of Emma and Tanner practicing their first dance over and over, a touching slideshow documenting their years of relationship, speeches by the best man, maid of honor and father of the bride, cake cutting, the epic father-daughter dance to Under the Sea, and a beautiful and flowing dance between Tanner and his Mom and The Shoe Game where guests were allowed to shout out their own questions, leading to extra laughs and frivolity.

Emma and Tanner wrapped up their evening with a sprint through the rain amid sparklers lit and help aloft by their guests and drove off into the night for a romantic dinner and night at the Grand Hotel.

Emma and Tanner’s wedding was top notch and you’d never would have guessed it was all put together in one day at the last minute!  Serious chill-bride goals here and enormous props to not just Emma and Tanner, but all their family and friends who helped out along the way and who were able to make this celebration so wonderful at such a last minute!

Emma and Tanner, Dom and I love you guys and it has been an honor to be with you through this experience!  We look forward to a lifetime of friendship and can’t wait to see the exciting and love-filled life you two create together as a married couple!  Cheers to you!