DIY Intimate Backyard Wedding Near Portland, Oregon

Kaylee and Charles hosted the best DIY intimate backyard wedding just outside Portland! Their wedding was filled with only their favorite people on their family’s property, making it that much more special and intentional. Aside from that, we were able to get really creative with their wedding photos, resulting in some pretty epic, non-traditional moments!! To hear all about this rad backyard wedding near Portland, keep on reading.

Kaylee and Charles’ Intimate Backyard Wedding Near Portland

One of my FAVORITE things about this wedding was how ready and willing everyone was to get weird. When you have such a small and intentional guest list, it’s much easier for people to feel comfortable and really get into it! Kaylee and Charles’ entire wedding party was so fun and creative - all of them continuously suggested ideas for unique photos and were down to try anything. For couples who want to prioritize creative and non-traditional wedding photos (AKA MY kind of couples), having a cooperative group of people (like your wedding party) makes the world of a difference. So, keep that in mind when you’re planning your Portland wedding!

Along with the super cool wedding party photos, we also got some pretty iconic post-ceremony bubble shots that are still some of my favorite wedding photos to this day. I was so excited that Kaylee and Charles prioritized keeping things funky and didn’t take any aspect of their day too seriously. That’s one of the huge benefits of having a backyard wedding, too - it’s much easier to remain chillaxed throughout the day. If you’re a more laid-back couple and have the opportunity to plan a backyard wedding, don’t think twice!

A Non-Traditional First Look, Epic Ceremony Spot, and The Most Perfect Lighting

As a Portland wedding photographer, of COURSE I have to mention how perfectly timed the wedding day events were in accordance with the lighting. We started the day with a non-traditional first look between Kaylee and the groomsmen - a great alternative for couples who don’t want the pressure of having a first look with each other. I absolutely love these types of unique details on a wedding day as it makes the event so much more special to each individual couple. Just know that when you hire me as your wedding photographer, I’m going to fully advocate for you to customize your day as much as possible!

After the first look, we took just a few formal family photos (Kaylee and Charles preferred to have more candids vs formals of their people!), and then K + C had a cute little pre-ceremony moment together. The wedding party set up a white tent near the ceremony spot for the girls to hang out in (and not be seen before the festivities commenced!) where the nearlyweds did a first touch. They held hands and calmed each other’s nerves for just a few minutes before we went into the ceremony! Which, by the way, the location of the ceremony was giving such picturesque PNW vibes - it took place in a field in front of a gorgeous backdrop of a wooded area with towering pine trees framing the altar. Like, excuse me?? Talk about the PERFECT backyard wedding location!

You already know how obsessed I am with our post-ceremony bubble portrait situation, but it was seriously the best celebratory moment for Kaylee and Charles. After that, we went off to take their newlywed portraits, and the rest of their backyard wedding day was filled with toasts, mingling, dancing, and lots of laughs. They ended the evening with a fun little sparkler run, and off they went to start a new chapter of their lives together!

Ready to Hire a Photographer For Your Portland Backyard Wedding?

Hell yeah, you are! If you and your partner are a fan of all things non-traditional and are prioritizing that on your wedding day, we need to chat. To inquire about my photographing your Portland wedding, you can visit my contact page and I’ll hit you back soon!