Romanian American Wedding in Portland OR

I have known Melanie since she was a fresh newborn baby. Which is wild because I haven’t aged a bit in all these years. Nope, not at all. Anyways, I digress. I watched Melanie grow up within our Romanian community here in Portland, OR for years. From the little wide eyed happy kid into a fine young woman, with an incredible voice and enthusiasm for helping others. And then there was Preston, an all American good mannered, sweet boy who just showed up to church one day and never left her side again.

So as you can imagine, when she asked me to photograph their wedding, I lost my mind with joy. That’s how we found ourselves on a fine day in June of this year photographing this momentous occasion. Our community sweetheart was marrying the love of her life. And everyone was abuzz with excitement.

Romanian wedding traditions

Romanian Christian Orthodox tradition is that the godparents come to collect the bride from her family’s home. So that’s where we started our day.

Then we did family photos in her parents’ back yard. Friends and family had flown in from all over the country to come celebrate with the lovebirds. Melanie’s parents embraced her and shed a tear or two at the bittersweet sensation of letting your baby go off in the world and carve her own path. The photographer may have also shed a tear or two. WHATEVER. Then, before we knew it, it was time to head to St. Mary’s Romanian Orthodox Church, in Portland OR and start the festivities.

One thing I pride myself on is I never have a set way of photographing a wedding – some weddings have deeply ingrained traditions like ours that deserve to be documented, rituals that are meant to be observed, while others have free spirits that want to do away with tradition and just make their own path; some want photos with every family member, while others just want the day documented as it unfolds. To me each wedding is utterly unique and worthy of being documented in its most natural organic way.

Going to the chapel

Our church is incredibly beautiful, with colorful murals and icons, but one thing that aches my photographer’s heart is there are ZERO windows. OH BOY. Luckily I’ve shot MULTIPLE weddings and christenings, so I came prepared! In moments like these, you enjoy the grain and that trusty flash. 🙂

Also can we just take a second and appreciate THIS beautiful gem of a shot of me up in my chins working to get THE shot:

King and Queen for a day

One important aspect of getting married in the Romanian Orthodox Church is wearing the gold crowns, symbolizing that on your wedding day you are King and Queen of your church and God’s kingdom. Once the crowns are placed on the bride and groom’s head, with the help of the godparents, the brief hymn, “Lord our God, crown them with glory and honor” is sung. It’s quite beautiful and if you’ve ever been married within this ceremony, it’s REALLY hard not to burst into tears behind your camera (AGAIN). Listen if the camera is in front of my face you can’t see my tears, OKAY?

A flash mob surprise

Just when I thought the service was over, one by one friends and family stood up in the church and began singing “Stand by me” until an entire chorus was formed. Not a single dry eye to be found, as the bride and groom realized what a wonderful surprise was unfolding before their eyes.

Rose petal confetti and a double shot of espresso

And just like that Preston and Melanie were now husband and wife. Friends and family stood outside the church holding little pouches of floral confetti and greeted the newlyweds. It was so incredibly beautiful and joyful and a pleasure to photograph. They also had a coffee cart available for guests to cool off with iced coffees and also to caffeinate in preparation for a night of dancing and partying. LOVE THAT.

Time to party

After all that, it was time to head to the reception, party and eat some delicious food. The hall was decorated beautifully by the bride and her mom with delicate pastel florals and baby blue accents. We were also invited as guests to this wedding so I was SUPPOSED to put down my camera and boogie on down but you know me, I can’t pass up a beautiful moment. Enjoy bits and pieces of their fantastic night of partying and celebrating for the best reason in the world – LOVE.

It was a beautiful day and I’m so happy to see so much joy befall such good humans like Melanie and Preston. I feel the same way I feel about every couple I photograph – that we are inexplicably forever bonded by this shared experience. I tend to follow my couples on social media and celebrate their wins, commiserate with them thru struggles and quietly send good luck and health prayers to them on occasion. To me, this never is just a job. It is a lifetime passion. To document the most important moments in a person’s life – what could be better.

Getting married?

I’d love to chat with you if you’re in the process of planning your wedding day – my wedding portfolio page is here but I can always send over a full gallery as an example of what a full wedding day coverage looks like.