Jenni + Brandon
A beautiful spring wedding at Tug Lake in Vancouver, WA
Jenni and Brandon are two of the kindest, most down to earth people you will ever meet. Their relaxed vibe and up-for-anything spirits made them a phenomenal couple to work with throughout their wedding experience, even when the pandemic upset their initial wedding plans.
Jenni and Brandon had originally chosen to say their vows at McMenamins but as their April wedding date drew near, Mcmenamins was still closed so they had to come up with a backup plan. Lucky for them, Brandon’s Uncle owns a property out in Vancouver, WA which is pretty stinking ideal for a wedding, so as a Plan B this option definitely worked out!
The property hosts a lake that was specifically made for waterskiing which I was just amazed with as Dom and I are HUGE lovers of waterskiing! The lake also provided the most beautiful backdrop for Jenni and Brandon’s ceremony as you’ll see in the photos below!
Arriving a bit early to the Candlewood Suites hotel in Vancouver, I got to meet Jenni’s wedding crew who were all hanging out in a room while getting hair and makeup done and siping on mimosas while wedding-themed movies played on their TV in the background.
Jenni and her girls were insanely smart and had rented two hotel rooms for the day, leaving one of them open and free of bags, makeup and other clutter so that I had a space to set up all the details to photograph and also later we had a clean, open area for Jenni to get into her dress. I spent the first part of the day photographing all of Jenni’s amazing details which included an heirloom string of pearls, gorgeous white heels, and an antique ring box.
Jenni’s maid of honor also brought along some flowers that were left over from the rehearsal which matched Jenni’s color scheme perfectly so I was able to use those as well! (Thanks Nina!)
After wrapping up the details I headed over to the ceremony space where Brandon and the Guys (and Brandon and Jenni’s adorable pups) were all relaxing. Brandon and Jenni had rented RVs for the guys to stay in the night prior which also gave them a separate place to hang out pre-ceremony.
We gathered all of their attire and had them don their vests, ties and jackets in the entryway of the boathouse that was decorated with eclectic lake-themed signage and adorned with white draping fabric, twinkling lights and ivy.
The guys were hilarious and constantly cracking jokes throughout the process of figuring out just how to tie a tie and fold a pocket square and of course, as soon as Brandon got into his full wedding attire, their giant Landseer Newfoundland Molly came over for a big cuddle!
After the guys were all “wedding-ed up”. I went back to the hotel to photograph the girls getting final touches on their looks.
Jenni’s bridal party were all looking super cute in these plaid robes so mid getting their makeup all finalized I grabbed them for a quick pre-dress shot and then Jenni was helped into her gorgeous mermaid-style gown in the spare room.
Jenni’s perfect up-do looked stunning paired with pearls and a touch of “something blue” with her stud earrings, but it was for sure her dress which stole the show. An elaborate and intricate lacy train flowed from a button-up back which hugged her hips perfectly. Her colorful bouquet added the perfect pop of brilliance and if you looked closely you could also see her signature purple highlights woven into her pearl-studded hair.
She was absolutely a vision and as we enjoyed photographing her in some window-light portraits, her bridesmaids were kind enough to pop in for time updates to make sure we stayed right on schedule!
Just after 2:30 Jenni hopped in my jeep and we headed to the ceremony for a first look between her and her dad, Dan. As he turned to see his beautiful girl on her wedding day it was nothing but giant smiles and laughter between them and sealed with a strong hug! As Jenni walked back to the reception tent I could see Dan looking on, eyes a bit shiny with tears help back, so proud of his beautiful daughter on this, her wedding day.
Next up it was Brandon and Jenni’s First Look so while Dan watched the pups, I placed a very nervous-excited Brandon at the edge of the lake. Jenni slowly walked up to him and as he turned to see her it was another giant smile and huge hug that she was greeted with. You could almost feel the anticipation of Brandon melt into pure joy as he was finally reunited with his forever person after a long morning of waiting.
We rolled into their bridal portraits and Brandon was kind enough to give me great advice about what part of the property to avoid as at one point I was heading them straight toward a marshy area that would have definitely ruined the day!
Both Jenni and Brandon looked stunning as the spring sun filtered down upon them and the planted palm trees reflected in the calm waters of Tug Lake.
After the bridal portraits were wrapped up we had some fun with the rowdy Groomsmen and lovely bridesmaids in their wedding party portraits. As family arrived we did some more formal photos and even got a truly picture-perfect portrait of Jenni, Brandon and their two pups who were sporting their wedding best!
Tucking Jenni away as the rest of the guests began to filter in, the air was filled with friendly hellos from those who had been separated these past long months during the pandemic.
As the music cued up and the officiant asked the guests to take their seats, the wedding party made their way down the aisle. Jenni made her entrance amid smiles and gasps at how lovely she looked, and Brandon’s smile lit up the entire gathering with its joyful glow.
Their ceremony was filled with quotes both solemn and cheerful and included an excerpt from Bob Marley that Jenni had specifically requested. Their vows were lovely and even though their pups fell asleep and at one point a small little snore was audible, the rest of the attendees were rapt with attention and happiness for this amazing couple.
Sealing the ceremony with a kiss, Jenni and Brandon excitedly exited the ceremony to cheers and applause of the guests.
After signing the license (and Molly adding a little drool to make the while thing official) we had fun rounding up family for some extended family portraits and then the DJ kicked off the reception festivities with a grand entrance despite a little lateness from one certain groomsmen (not naming names… KYLE!… ;).
The reception was lovely with mountains of delicious Hawaiian food, amazing beverage choices, a fun and hilarious photo booth, dances, speeches, cake cutting and a bouquet toss.
As the sun set behind the field adjacent to the lake, the twinkling lights of the reception tent lit up with music and dancing in celebration of this gorgeous day and this amazing couple.
I feel so honored to have been a part of this beautiful celebration! Checkout the highlight images below and be sure to comment your congrats and love for Jenni and Brandon too!
