Portland Oregon Wedding Photographer | Brea and Tyler’s Cooper’s Hall Wedding

As photographers, one of our favorite things is meeting our clients, hearing their stories, and trying to capture the real essence of who they are as individuals and couples. Like a fingerprint with its own unique identity, everyone has a different story to tell.

A Contagious Kind of Love

Brea and Tyler have an adventurous, contagiously fun personality. I enjoyed getting to know them and couldn’t help but want to be their friends. Brea, a veterinarian, has a fascinating career that started off working with elephants at the Cincinnati Zoo!! So Tyler decided to incorporate her love for elephants into his proposal:

“I had Brea ‘come up with the idea’ to go to the Portland Zoo because of their new baby elephant. Little did she know that 3 weeks prior I had given the zoo a large canvas sign to put up in the elephant sanctuary. When we got to the elephant exhibit, I took her hand and recited a poem that I had written. At the end of the poem, I said, ‘You have always made me the man I want to be, so Brea will you take this ring and marry me?’ I got down on one knee and that is when she saw the sign and the ring.”

Their wedding was just as wonder-filled as the proposal. The ceremony took place at St. Juan Catholic Church. The ceiling-to-floor windows let in natural light and showed off the view of the gorgeous Portland trees. Then, the wedding party and close friends hopped on a Double Decker PDX bus to laugh and share a few drinks before taking a few photos at The Grotto, a gorgeous natural sanctuary. Carisa and her team with Adornment Events did an incredible job preparing Cooper’s Hall Winery and Taproom for the reception. Of course, the night wouldn’t have been complete without a crazy and infectious dance party followed by smoke bombs, sparklers, and street dancing—we’ll just say that no one left early!

From the Bride and Groom:

Favorite Memory

Tyler: It is SO hard to pick just ONE, but mine might be cruising around in the PDX Double Decker Bus, or our first dance as a married couple. These both were times in which I have seared into my memory looking over at Brea and seeing the genuine happiness, joy, and love in her eyes.

Brea: Having my two nieces kneel with us during the ceremony really meant a lot. We love them both so much and to have them not only a part of our day but to be close with us during the blessing was really special. Our family means the world to us, and we haven’t been able to get home often so being so close meant a lot. Another favorite memory is my dance with my father It gave us time to talk and hold each other close. He is such a strong man who has endured a lot and continued to live life to the fullest with passion. He has taught me to be brave, strong and follow my dreams no matter where they take me and no matter how difficult they may be.

Lastly, the crazy dance moves and copious amounts of dancing totally made the night. The energy on the dance floor was just contagious. I had so much fun dancing with my new husband, friends and family. My feet definitely were tired the next day but totally worth it!

Advice For Engaged Couples

Tyler: TRY TRY TRY not to stress. I know it is easier said than done, but in the end, a lot of the little things don’t matter in the big scheme of things. Enjoy the entire day to the fullest and try and stop and absorb the day as it flies by. If something gets missed or overlooked, the bride and groom may be the only ones who really know, and might not even know it was missed until after the day. Everyone is there for YOU. If something doesn’t go as planned perfectly, brush it off. No Big Deal. It will be one of the best days of your lives and one to remember!

Brea: Definitely spend time in researching your photographers and videographers. There are so many different possibilities for artists along with different personalities and visions. You will be spending a lot of time with them and so you want to make sure that your personalities match and that they will add more fun to your day. Ours were so amazing and felt as if we had our best friends capturing our day for us. It takes a lot of time to research and speak with everyone but hands down worth every minute/hour spent.

Hiring a coordinator was one of the best decisions we made (besides hiring ANIKO and Glitch films ;P ) With the busy work schedules she made help planning and coordinating a breeze. Our friends and family were able to fully enjoy the day and didn’t have to worry about anything like decorating or cleaning.

A huge thanks to all of the amazing Portland Wedding Vendors below. 

Adornment Events | Glitch Films | Cooper’s Hall | Blum Floral Design | Portland Make-up & Hair  | St. Juan Catholic Church | The Grotto | Double Decker PDX Bus | DJ Royale | Chef’s Table Catering | Something Borrowed PDX

What a stunning wedding Brea and Tyler had! Being their Portland Oregon Wedding Photographer was nothing short of an absolute joy 🙂