Blockhouse Portland Wedding
Blockhouse PDX Wedding / Portland, Oregon
I arrived to The Woodlark a bit early because they have a sweet, cozy cafe that serves Good Coffee espresso. I wanted to savor a cortado and ground myself before pulling out my cameras, and it was the perfect way to start with calm energy.
When I walked into the Woodlark hotel room where Andrew and his groomsmen were getting ready, a giant Moose greeted me with a fluffy tail and big, pink tongue. The morning felt relaxed, and heavy clouds blanketed downtown Portland.
After spending some time with Andrew and his friends, I got into the elevator and started chatting with a lovely woman in a sparkly, blue dress. Small talk! “Where are you from?” “What do you do?” It was then that we figured out that I was the wedding photographer and this lovely woman was the mother of the bride! Charlotte’s mom! We rode the elevator and did the twenty-minute walk together to The Heathman Hotel. Charlotte and her bridesmaids were sharing champagne and listening to music, and everything felt upbeat, but not overly energetic. Relaxed and excited and nervous and happy.. all at once. Charlotte’s mom and bridesmaids helped her into her A&Be dress, and Charlotte slipped into a BHLDN tulle skirt. A lovely combination of two different pieces of bridal clothing— incredibly varying texture, but they worked perfect together. The morning was lovely.
When everyone arrived to Blockhouse PDX in downtown Portland, the spring rain started falling from those heavy clouds. Wedding planner Morgan didn’t skip a beat with armfuls of umbrellas and a giant smile, and she helped make the rain fun and inviting.
The wedding party and guests reunited and shared well-wishes as we did formal portraits. As the ceremony began in Pomarius Nursery’s Orangerie, Dillon’s sweet voice and guitar picking filled the room, and Charlotte and Andrew stood underneath a cascading floral arrangement handcrafted by Amy and Brian with Brier and Ivy.
My favorite part of the day was the toasts, which took place right after a dinner by Pearl Catering. Charlotte’s childhood friends stood next to one another and shared stories about growing up with one another, and Andrew’s brother expressed his adoration for Andrew with touching, poetic words. Wedding toasts are like a comedy show punctuated with tears and deep feelings of love that make you clutch your heart.
Thank you so much, Charlotte and Andrew, for allowing me into your space to capture these memories. During one part of the day, a groomsman came up to me and started talking about Charlotte and Andrew. I’m paraphrasing, but he said, “They are incredibly smart. They are the hardest workers. They are physically beautiful people. And yet, when you meet them, they great you with the most humble and authentic smiles. They are the best people I know, yet they make me feel like I’m the best person they know.” And I thought that sentiment summed up Charlotte and Andrew pretty accurately. You two are gems.
