Jacob and Cosmina | Romanian Wedding in Portland, OR

This was a full day of shooting! I got the opportunity to singlehandedly photograph a Romanian wedding and it was absolutely exhausting, but also incredibly fun. Portland is over a 3 hour drive from me and I arrived at the first location at 9:30, so I had to begin prepping and packing all my equipment well before 6am that morning to get ready for the day. Upon my arrival at the church, I meet all those involved in the bridal party prep. The bridesmaids were all getting ready in this rather large room and there was so much going on. I first get the box of details ready, and look for locations for wedding dress photos. I then make my way over to where the groomsmen are, get acquainted and assess the situation. The beginning of each wedding day is probably the most stressful for photographers as there’s so many moving parts and photos to capture: I need to understand and manage where the bridesmaids are at in terms of getting ready and capture the wedding dress and details, and then ensure I’m ready for the actual getting ready photos. Then I do the same for the gentlemen. It’s a lot of moving parts, but definitely manageable.

The Cosmina’s wedding dress was stunning. I looked for some clean background to hang the dress, and them move onto details. Using mostly natural light at this point really speeds up my workflow and allows me to move around and be where I need to be. I enter the men’s prep room and start capturing photos of their prep as well, along with a speech Jacob wrote and recited for his groomsmen. It was such a meaningful and intimate speech; not something a lot of guys which made it even more unique and special. I loved the moment they shared with each other and really speaks to the bond and friendship they have with each other.

The ladies are now at a point where they are ready for some prep photos, so I take them outside for some group photos in their robes. They then start changing into their dresses and they all look incredible! We all head to the second location, McMenamins Edgefield, for one of my favorite part of the day: bridal party portraits! One of the reasons why I love this part of the day so much is because it challenges me to creative.

I start heading over to the location and start scouting. I come across this enclosed area with a good amount of shrubbery that would make for great photos, but I keep scouting to see if there’s a better location. I walk through the hotel building and exit the other side and come across another open area with very beautiful fall colors and so much diverse foliage. It was perfect. almost. The lighting isn’t ideal at this point: we have bright sunlight, no clouds, and there was so much patchy shade that I would have made Jacob and Cosmina look like leopards if I shot at a certain angle. I look around for better areas but I just want to incorporate this specific location! I decide to stick with that location and shoot backlit only so I can capture the sun and scenery. Once I prepare Jacob and give him instructions on what to expect, I guide Cosmina over to him, and we begin the most beautiful first look I’ve ever seen.

The level of intimacy when Jacob and Cosmina lock eyes was incredibly astonishing. I let them have their space and moment while I capture raw, authentic candids of them sharing this moment together. I then provide some minor guidance and changes so I can get ideal poses angles, and we do a bit of walking/movement to add variety into the first look. I could go on and on with the creative portraits but time is ticking and so we move on to bridal party formals and creative shots. This area was very open and with all the nature, it just made for great group photos. We did entire wedding party formal stills and creative candids, wedding party tunnel, bridesmaid group photos, and a few groomsmen group photos. We then head on over to the final location for the church ceremony.

The church sanctuary is absolutely massive and there are so many guests. I set up my 70-200mm and 35mm lens dual setup, but I know I’ll be mainly shooting on my 70-200mm lens. Before the ceremony begins, I capture candids of the guests. The ceremony begins; the wedding party walks down, the speeches and vows get exchanged, there are musical performances, and more traditional practices for the Romanian culture.

The ceremony concludes, guests start heading to the dining area for cocktail hour, and we have our period of marriage certificate signing and family formals. This takes a good amount of time but we do get through them, where we finally make our way over to the reception.

There was so much food. The course begins with appetizers on the table, dinner dishes are served for each table to enjoy family style, and a table full of desserts that extend along the width of the entire reception hall. Jacob and Cosmina grant a break during this time to enjoy some of the food. I get back up and start shooting again. Guest candids/reactions, best man speech, maid of honor speech, parent’s speeches, followed by cake cutting, the shoe game, and more. This was truly a packed day filled with so much love and joy.

Although I am based in the Greater Seattle Area, I’m happy to travel beyond that to capture the special day of the right clients. My wedding packages include a complementary engagement session. Inquire with me so we can explore how I can best help you!