One of the reasons I love photographing weddings is the love in the air. It puts me in a great mood and awes me with its ability to leave everyone relaxed and full of happy feelings. This wedding was just like that – happy and full of love.

Alisia and Randall had their ceremony outdoors, and although it looked like it would rain, they narrowly escaped and were only interrupted by one clap of thunder. They had a small wedding, but were surrounded by family and friends and love was in the air.

I see a lot of bridesmaid dresses in my line of work, and I was so taken with these that I couldn’t stop snapping pictures of these girls. They wore them so well!

Her boots really completed her dress, which she picked because she thought it really complemented the country vibe of the lodge where they got married – it’s called the Applegate River Lodge and it’s in Applegate, Oregon which is just outside Grants Pass.

They were very sweet and careful during their cake-cutting, with no smashing, but during the process, Randall leaned with his black tux jacket right into the edge of a cream pie. So much for being careful!

How sweet is this couple? They were absolutely mesmerizing. Check out the blog tomorrow for the conclusion!

This past weekend, I had the privilege of photographing a great wedding with a great photographer – Angela Cardas from Bandon, Oregon! We joined Alisia and Randall for their special day, which was a little bit country and very sweet.

This is Randall getting ready before the ceremony – isn’t he a handsome groom? He is from Florida, and Alisia grew up near Medford, Oregon. They met online awhile back and the rest is history.

Randall’s brothers Jimmy & Robbie were very sweet too, as his groomsmen. They all have a charming Southern drawl, and when I asked them something, they’d answer me, “Yes, ma’am.”

One of my favorite parts of the day was their dessert table – not only because I love dessert, but because of the love and time that went into it. The bride’s sister and maid of honor, Madeline, made the red velvet wedding cake by hand, and they added pies and fruit to the mix. It was scrumptious and so sweet of her.

Madeline also arranged the flowers for the wedding, which were stunning calla lillies matched with red tulips for the bridesmaids. I loved the way they did red, white and blue. Not too overpowering, but bright and bold nonetheless.

I know I’m keeping the suspense high by going chronologically, because I’m saving this beautiful bride tomorrow! Come back then to see more!

I remember what it was like to be in high school. When you round that corner and senior year is staring you in the face, it’s a pretty good feeling. That’s how Emily is feeling this week – today is her LAST DAY OF JUNIOR YEAR! Wahoo!

Emily is one of my fabulous senior reps this year, and she rocks. I just met her through my friend Kristen, who is her church leader, and we had so much fun on our shoot in the Pearl District over last weekend.

I loved her laid-back demeanor, her big smile and the way her shirt matched her shoes. Her sister-in-law Tiffany, who came along on the shoot, kept telling her the shirt matched every background she tried. It’s true – it was a great choice for her.

Even though I’ve got weddings for this summer coming at me like dodgeballs, I’m really looking forward to spending some time with great seniors. This is your official reminder, class of 2010, to get in before you go back in the fall! Even if I’m not your photographer, it’s important to get in early because once August rolls around, you’ll be waiting in line.

Thanks Emily, for bringing your great attitude out to play! I can’t wait to photograph you again!

Side note to the class of 2011: I’ll be accepting senior reps next spring, but it’s never too early to get on my list. If you want your senior portraits free, and in a fun setting, let me know.

There’s something really cool about woman ministers. I’ve always admired them, and I had the chance to meet a wonderful woman minister last week named Diane. She needed some new photos for her new Web site, which is still being developed and will be up soon. We had such fun wandering around Portland’s Rose Garden in bloom.

Diane performs weddings, funerals, baptisms and all other sorts of ceremonies, and I think she’d be a great choice for a wedding. She has a real joy about her, and is so genuine. If you’re looking for someone to do a ceremony for you and you’d like Diane’s information before her Web site goes up, feel free to check in with me and I can pass you along to her.

Thank you, Diane, for being such fun to photograph! I enjoyed meeting you and I hope we get to work together on a wedding soon!

As a note to all you blog readers, if you’re looking for headshots, I offer a simple package for $125 which gets you about an hour of my time, plus 15-20 photos on a disc. Contact me to get on the calendar!

If you have a small business like I do, chances are you’re always looking for ways to get your name out there. My sister Amanda knows how to do that.

This is Amanda, and she owns her own company called Walker Promotions. She can get you pens with your logo on them, USB drives, folders, business cards or a plethora of other cool stuff. I especially like the stuff she has that’s green, from using soy-based inks to recycled products. If you’re looking for a way to get your business name out there, check out her site here!

We got some new photos for her recently so she’d have some to use for her site, etc. Isn’t she cool? Thanks Amanda!

I just flat-out love my job. You know why? It’s because all day long, I get to spend time with people who are genuinely in love. It is the most inspiring thing, and it makes me think romantic thoughts all day long, which Eric appreciates.

Kate and Nathan were just that way. I usually ask at the beginning of a shoot with a couple whether they’re the kind of people who would be caught making out on a street corner. Almost no one says flat out “yes,” but lots of times quite a bit of making out ensues.

Kate and Nathan met in Ohio, after Kate graduated from college out there and then the two of them headed back to the Portland area about a year ago. Nathan told me he likes Portland so far, and with Kate here to keep him company, can you blame him?

Over the weekend, we headed out to this field I’ve been eyeing for quite some time now. I was so glad to have someone in love to take out there with me. What you can’t see in the photos is that it was a serene, quiet Sunday morning and we could hear the birds singing. I love summer.

Thank you so much, Kate and Nathan, for sharing this wonderful morning with me! Your love inspires me.

You know, in movies where people travel through time, how there’s always one little, seemingly inconsequential action that affects the way the world works out? Well, I think there might be something to that.

This is Carrie, and her husband Andrew. Carrie’s mom is Paula, and her grandma is Elaine. About 30 years ago, Paula and her mom got to brainstorming and decided to introduce a young bachelor named Steve (who worked with Elaine)to a sweet single mother named Marilyn (who knew Paula). They fell in love, and 56 days later, they became Steve and Marilyn Gray. Also known as my parents.

That wasn’t the last time Carrie’s family intervened, though. When I was in middle school, Carrie invited me to an improv theater class, where I fell in love with the stage and then followed her lead and applied to Jesuit to go through their theater program. My life changed again. Pretty impressive, right?

Over the weekend, I caught up with Carrie and Andrew and it was so fun to spend some time with them. They’re such a great couple, obviously a great match, and they’ve been married now for three years. They still get that twinkle in their eye when they look at each other, and they still act like newlyweds. Isn’t love wonderful?

What I absolutely adore is the feeling that although Carrie and I don’t see each other all that often, we have this connection and history that makes it effortless.

Thank you so much, Carrie and Andrew – for having such a great effect on my life, and also for being so much fun to photograph!

There is a photograph in my mom’s front entryway. It’s in a floral frame that screams 1992, and it is faded from the sun. In it, my sister Emily and I grin in our coral dresses, flanked by Blair and her sister Samantha, who are wearing coordinating floral dresses. They’re at least a foot shorter than us – we were big kids. I know it’s not the last time I saw Blair, but it feels like it might have been. Over the years, we definitely lost touch.

One of the things I love about the time I live in, though, is that no one is lost. The wonders of Facebook keep us all connected, and just a little wall post away from total reconnection.

Isn’t Blair so cute? In the time since we’ve seen each other, she grew up, went off to college to play soccer (at a college just eight miles away from mine) and is now working at an event-planning company and making her mark. It’s so amazing to see what the people of my childhood have made of themselves!

I loved the colors she picked for this shoot – all I told her was “something fun.” I love it when people show up having read my mind. It’s really pretty impressive!

I love all the backgrounds you can get in just a few blocks’ span when shooting in urban environments. And Blair rocked each and every one of them.

Thank you so much, Blair, for hanging out and giving me such a fun afternoon. I can’t wait to hang out more!

I am so excited about the approaching wedding season and getting to see all these happy couples get married. Here’s a few more shots from Callie and Ray’s engagement session.

Callie is a phenomenal writer, and I am addicted to her blog, where she’s been chronicling she and Ray’s wedding planning plus her other musings on life in general, including the neighborhood kid who keeps murdering her tulips. Click here to read Callie’s blog.

One of the things I love about Callie and Ray is that they’re both such genuine people. I think that comes through in these photos, and is totally going to come through in their wedding.

Callie had the idea to have sort of an open-mic time at the wedding, when well-wishers can share, joke and roast the couple – it apparently comes from the Quaker tradition, and I can’t wait to see how that turns out. As a side note, Ray is a little nervous about it.

Thank you, Callie and Ray, for coming out to Seaside and for spending the afternoon – I can’t wait for the wedding!

The winner of the June contest for a $200 credit was Michelle Shipley – congratulations! I can’t wait to get my camera near her adorable kids.

For all the rest of you who entered and didn’t win this time, I’m sorry! I wish I could shower you all with gifts. Remember that I give something away on the first of every month on the blog, and the next two giveaways (in July and August) are going to be particularly exciting!