Abernethy Center Wedding

Josie & Jack | An Abernethy Center Wedding in Portland, Oregon

Josie and Jack are childhood sweethearts, which feels like a pretty perfect reason to get married. They celebrated in Abigail’s Garden at Abernethy Center, surrounded by their best friends, many of whom have been part of their story for years.

There’s something about photographing people who have so much history together that makes me want to pay attention to the little things. The way friends look at each other across a room, the familiar smiles, the ease of being around people who have known you for most of your life. So much of a wedding happens in these small moments, and I’m constantly looking for them.

Abigail’s Garden is such a beautiful place to photograph. The greenery is lush without being overwhelming, and I love how it gives the whole day a sense of permanence. I think green is one of those colors that will always feel right in photographs. It doesn’t need to be dressed up or reinvented every few years. It just is what it is, and that’s enough. The garden feels romantic in a way that isn’t trying too hard, and the white reception tent is the perfect space for dinner.

I photographed Josie and Jack’s day with both color and black-and-white film, and I love how differently the two can tell a story. The color photographs hold onto the greens of the garden and all the little details, while the black-and-white images feel a little quieter. Sometimes removing color lets you see something you might have missed otherwise.. it forces me to slow down a bit.

As a Portland Wedding Photographer, I’ve always been more interested in how a day felt than in making everything look perfect. I want the photographs to feel like the people in them, and I want you to be able to come back to them years from now and recognize something true about your life at that moment. And I love bringing along my wagon of old, vintage film cameras.

Josie and Jack, thank you for having me there to witness it all. It was a joy to photograph your story.