Recent Adventures at alyson levy PHOTOGRAPHY
This tiny church is one of my favorite places in Portland for a tiny wedding. It’s super small and intimate, but the stained glass, big chandeliers, and beautiful light streaming through the big windows make it feel very stately and grand. And Sellwood Park, only a short block away, always provides beautiful opportunities for lovely photos with the happy couple. So I was delighted when Aaron and Kacie called about photography for their small autumn wedding. . .
Engagement session season is back, and I couldn’t be more excited! It was so lovely to meet Jeremy and Savanna and to get to take some photos of them at one of my absolute favorite waterfalls in the beautiful Columbia River Gorge just as the leaves were beginning to change. We lucked out with some gorgeous fall weather, and I got to see how adorable theses two are with each other. . .
I’m delighted to share another beautiful, tiny Portland wedding - this time on the Redwood Observation Deck in Forest Park. 2021 has been a great year for lovers of very intimate weddings - I love ceremonies that include all of the wedding guests and just feel really personal and special. And despite its size, this tiny wedding felt really grand, with a setting of giant Redwoods, all the separate pieces of a traditional Jewish ceremony, and music by a three-piece klezmer band! It was such a privilege to be a part of it.
Ryan and Jordan’s beautiful Langdon Farms wedding was a long time coming, but so worth the wait! It was so lovely to return to shooting big weddings after a looong hiatus, and I definitely wasn’t the only one excited to be back. It was so great to see these two families come together and celebrate after delays and rescheduling.
Man, did I miss spending time with people on their wedding days! Emily and Fred came to Portland to get married a few weeks ago with their closest friends in attendance. After a few false starts (damn you, Portland bridges!), we got together on the waterfront to take some pictures beforehand, and then headed to the Nines for their small ceremony with the lovely Rev. Cathy Hume. . .
Sally and Ben had one of the most intimate wedding ceremonies I’ve ever been a part of - I was not only the photographer, but one of their two witnesses as well. And that was it - two witnesses, the happy couple, and their officiant, my lovely friend Maureen Haley. Like me, Sally and Ben love how simultaneously grand and intimate Oaks Pioneer Church in Sellwood is, so they made plans to have their elopement ceremony there on a lovely Tuesday evening. After a very heartfelt ceremony, we took some portraits in the church and in Sellwood Park, just down the street. It was a really lovely and special event, and I was so happy to be a part of it!
It’s pretty obvious that the global pandemic we’re all currently living through threw a wrench in the plans of a lot of couples this year. Some rescheduled, some downsized, some made different plans entirely. Sarvesh and Natalie were no exception - their big, cross-cultural wedding weekend became a small family affair in her parents’ living room. They already had these beautiful wedding clothes, though, so we decided to take some wedding portraits and make an album to commemorate the occasion. . .
I got to be stealthy and sneaky last week! Dave contacted me a few weeks ago looking for a photographer and co-conspirator for his surprise proposal, and I was delighted to help! He and Melissa were planning a visit from Chicago, and he had chosen Trillium Lake as the spot to pop the question. He wrote her some heartfelt letters and mailed them to me to pre-place on the path along the lake. I’m not sure how surprised Melissa was at the proposal, but she definitely seemed surprised to find envelopes addressed to her along their pre-dinner walk. And great news: she said yes! It was all very exciting. . .
