The Orchard Hood River Wedding

The Orchard Wedding

Hood River, Oregon

When I walked into the space where Caitlin and Nathan were getting ready for their wedding, I experienced something that rarely happens on a wedding day: quietness. You could hear the chatter of them and their friends, but there wasn’t loud music, and there wasn’t loud scurrying. Everything felt incredibly calm, and I basked in the tranquility. Caitlin and Nathan decided to spend the morning together while getting ready, and their first look consisted of a private moment surrounded by the hills and the trees of the Columbia River Gorge. This was the calmest start to a wedding day that I’ve ever experienced, and it seemed to suit Caitlin and Nathan perfectly.

Before their ceremony at The Orchard, Caitlin and Nathan signed their ketubah with their closest friends and family as witnesses. It was an emotional moment as Caitlin and Nathan honored a religious tradition that has been part of their families forever.

The wedding itself was colorful, joyful, and emotional. Caitlin’s white dress and Nathan’s white suit looked stunning against the greenery of The Orchard and the floral chuppah designed by Caroline Reusen. The end of the ceremony involved Nathan breaking a glass and everyone yelling “MAZEL TOV!”

The party went well into the evening with Blue Wave Band providing the greatest and longest rendition of the hora that I’ve ever experienced. Nobody wanted it to end. Everyone literally lifted Caitlin and Nathan in the air in celebration while at the same time, lifting their hearts as high into the sky as they’d go. My favorite part of the entire day was the hora. The energy we all experienced was other worldly, and the dancing was incredibly.

Caitlin and Nathan’s wedding day was just perfect. They did everything the way THEY wanted to do it. They followed lots of Jewish traditions, but they also had some untraditional elements that allowed them to celebrate their uniqueness as individuals and as a couple. I’m so so grateful I was able to be at this colorful wedding with cameras in hand.

venue: The Orchard
coordinator: Heather Sullivan
catering: Celilo
florals: Caroline Reusen
band: Blue Wave Band
dress: Watters
suit: Banana Republic