It was a typical, brisk, grey fall day in Portland, Oregon. I don’t think either of us got much sleep the night before. Filled to the brim with excitement, anxiety {for me, I was a bridesmaid AND I was shooting!} restlessness & giddiness. We stayed up in to the wee hours of the night laughing over ridiculous stuff & tears staining our cheeks as I helped my best friend write her vows. The vows she was going to be making to the man of her dreams that very next day.

The Crystal Hotel & the Crystal Ballroom were the perfect back drop for this semi-destination wedding. Codie & Alex’s love story began in the Emerald City where they both moved to from their home towns. Codie’s, Portland. Alex’s Ohio.

The first time I met Alex, I knew. I knew he was the one for her. They way he made her laugh & dished out equal if not more sarcasm to keep in step with hers. The way he looked at her as if she was the most beautiful girl in the world. The way Codie’s eyes would light up as she talked about him. Even the hundreds of hours we logged on the phone talking about if & when he was gonna propose, I just knew.

RJ & I cannot be more happy for you two & feel so honored to share a part of your life story. Congratulations, I love you Codie & I guess now you too Alex!

WARNING: this is gonna be a THREE PARTER people! WAAAAYYYY too many images that I just cannot narrow it down!

PART 1: Getting ready & their first look….

enjoy.

Codie rocked this fab Kate Spade shoes & she looked STUNNING in this Vera Wang.

She wore three different sets of jewels throughout the day. Why not change it up, right?!

She chose to have long zebra pheasant feathers shooting out of her all white bouquet.

Flowers courtesy  of my mother, Karen Ayers.

Alex and the boys wore of their own choosing different styled Chuck Taylor Converse All Stars

Alex awaited his bride in the ballroom for their first look.

This the part where I got so teary that I could barely see through my viewfinder on the camera! Ah, it was such a lovely moment.

PART TWO COMING SOON!

p.s. huge, HUGE shout out to my hubs, RJ & our intern, Kaela for shooting a majority of the day. It wouldn’t have been possible for me to enjoy being a bridesmaid with my bestest gal without knowing you two were there to shoot as well! THANK YOU, you both rock!