Loving Portland Wedding

This DIY same sex wedding is close to my heart, as I am friends the two lovely brides, Suzanne and Mallory. The basis of their relationship is their love for one another and since Suzanne and Mallory’s love ignited they have been together ever since. Their love for one another is genuine, fun, sweet and full of laughter, and we were able to capture all of that during their beautiful wedding day.
Their wedding took place at The Lake House at Blue Lake in Portland, Oregon in August of 2013 and these two ladies did it all! They made the flowers out of paper months before and brought in their own details and personal touches to the ceremony. They added a uniqueness and personalization that I hadn’t seen in a ceremony before. Rather than a unity candle or sand, they wanted their entire family to be a part of their special day. One at a time during the ceremony each person took a locket and locked it on the metal tree symbolizing their support. This was the most difficult moment I had experienced yet in my career. Trying to keep my eyes dry and capture the beautiful ceremony ahead of me was trying. Later in the reception, the keys to the locks where thrown into the lake, as a representation of never turning back and being in this together.
The support from everyone was seen and felt the entire day as emotions ran high, tears of joy were shed, hugs were their hand shakes, and the love for these two women was everywhere. The amount of support and love that was felt that day continued to blow me away as there was never a question about these two getting married.
Of course the Oregon rain came during formal photos, causing some stress, but they persevered and we were able to enjoy the beautiful ceremony under the massive trees on the bank of the lake. I can’t even explain how happy I am for the two of them and how honored I was to be there as a guest and their photographer. We were able to reminisce about our college days, keeping the day light, while still focusing on what was most important, which was them.
I am so incredibly happy for Suzanne and Mallory in this new step in their love and relationship. Congrats, I love you both!