Sarah and Andrew hosted a wedding celebration that gave a whole new meaning to church wedding and backyard reception, in my eyes. Their modern Portland wedding is definitely in my top five favorites of all time.

They had their ceremony at First Unitarian Church in downtown Portland. The church is a really beautiful, simple space with nice bright light. This is often not the case with churches, so I was so excited when I saw it. I was even more excited when I saw how Bramble Floral decorated it with the most amazing greenery and florals, bringing the outside in and re-wilding the space. Everything Ali touches is magic though, so I should have expected that.

Sarah and Andrew are both architects living in Seattle with a minimalist, but super stylish aesthetic. When we did their urban engagement shoot, it was fun to see Portland buildings and parks through their eyes. So the location of the church was great, allowing us to use downtown for a first look and wedding portraits as well. We walked through the sculpture garden at the Portland Art Museum and surrounding areas and took some of my favorite portraits to date. After the ceremony we headed to Sarah’s family home, which literally made my jaw drop. Her father is also an architect and designed their home. The house felt like it had been transported from Palm Springs and was perfect for their reception space. The white tables and ghost chairs looked right at home lining the stunning backyard pool and clean modern lines of the home.

Overall their wedding day was the perfect combination of stylish and modern, but quietly so, leaving the focus of the day on family and friends who were there to celebrate. I hope the photos tell the whole story better than I can!

Ceremony: First Unitarian Church, Portland

Reception: Private Residence

Styling and Planning: The Real Creative

Florals: Bramble Floral Design

Dress: Lena Medoyeff

Catering: White Pepper PDX 

Band: Pete Krebs