The Carly Estate Wedding

Maggie & Jason’s Wedding at The Carly Estate in Carlton, Oregon

Maggie and Jason got married at The Carly Estate in Carlton, Oregon, right in the middle of Willamette Valley wine country, and this place is kind of a dream to photograph.

The property sits on 21 acres of forest, meadows, gardens, and water, with little paths and tucked-away spaces everywhere you turn. It feels private and removed from everything, while still being an easy drive from Portland.

Maggie and Jason have pretty different personalities. Jason is naturally more outgoing, while Maggie is quieter and admittedly a little less comfortable with all the attention that comes along with having a big wedding. So the goal was to keep photography easy and low-key, without making the day feel like one long photoshoot.

One of my favorite parts of the morning was photographing Maggie getting ready with her mom and siblings. She specifically wanted that time to be less about perfectly arranged dresses, shoes, and jewelry and more about capturing the natural dynamic between them.

The Carly Estate gives you plenty of room for a wedding day to unfold naturally. There are nine guest suites on the property, which means some of your closest people can stay right there instead of everyone getting ready at separate hotels and driving around wine country.

There are also SO many good places for photos. Wildflower meadows, forest, gardens, walking paths, and a lake all live on the property, so we could wander for portraits without ever needing to leave the venue.

My favorite way to photograph a wedding is to make time for the portraits that matter, and spend the rest of the day paying attention to what's actually happening. The little moments that hold so much meaning.

venue: The Carly Estate
planner: j29
florals: Brier and Ivy
hmua: Lisa Boehm Beauty
rentals: Magnolia Rentals and Design
rentals: Arden Event Co
signage: Letters and Dust
catering: Gumba PDX
string quartet: Stumptown String Quartet
dessert: Pronto Gelato
rehearsal dinner: Stillwater