Rustic meets modern at Oregon barn wedding

Weddings

Jan 27

Whenever a couple inquires with me, I like to hop on a call to get to know them better. It’s one of my favorite parts of being a destination wedding photographer! I get to learn how my couples met and fell in love – it could be a meet-cute at work, through mutual friends, or on a dating app – regardless, every story is always so unique and sweet. And for Bailley and David, it was no different. They were high school sweethearts and after almost 10 years of love and growth together, David got down on one knee and proposed. Bailley, of course, said yes and the rest is history!

The best weddings prioritize what matters most

When they first came to me, they shared how excited they were to be getting married surrounded by all of their closest friends and family in Oregon. They were planning to mix Vietnamese and Western traditions into their day, customizing their celebration to prioritize what mattered most to them. They were planning to have a Vietnamese wedding tea ceremony the day before, followed by an intimate ceremony with 60 of their closest friends and family the next day, and a huge reception and party with over 140 guests that evening. They also made it clear that it was important to them to honor their loved ones – from the bride’s mom and the groom’s parents and grandmother to their very best friends who would make up their wedding party. Knowing this, when it came time to make their wedding day timeline, we made sure to include plenty of time for a first look with Bailley's mom, wedding party photos (including the group together and individual portraits), all of the family photos they included in their shot list, and the Table Dash game during their reception so that they could have a photo with each of their guests.

In the end, they were able to spend quality time with each guest and we even had time to slip away for their other priority: golden hour portraits with the stunning Oregon landscape that surrounds the Barn at Countryside in Aurora, in the background. We watched the sunset and took the dreamiest photos of the newlyweds! It was a beautiful sunset for a truly beautiful day.

Their reception was also filled with lots of dancing, singing, games, cornhole, and an ice cream bar! From blindfolding the bride to see if she could identify the groom just by touch (she could!) and getting down on the dance floor with their very best friends, to the groom taking a quiet moment to sit with his grandmother, I was able to capture some of the sweetest candid moments between them and their chosen people. And you just know it's a good group of people when you walk away wishing the day wasn’t over and you could be friends with all of them!

Finally, the evening came to an end with a classic sparkler send off! Their day – from vision to completion – was beautiful, fun, and uniquely them. I'll be looking back on this day, the wonderful people I got to meet, and the dreamy sunset for years to come.

Bride and groom hold hands during wedding ceremony with Mount Hood in the background.

A rustic vibe for a modern wedding

Bailley and David’s vision for their day was absolutely beautiful. Their rustic wedding venue, the Barn at Countryside, has views of Mount Hood behind the ceremony location and stunning farmland surrounding the property. With its natural beauty already on full display, they went for a timeless color palette of greens, creams, and terracotta. The bride wore a beautiful white dress with a flowing train, the groom wore a dark green suit that was personalized with their wedding date on the inside pocket, and their wedding party wore black suits and olive green dresses. They all truly complemented the vibrant landscape and bright blue skies.

Their florals also matched their color palette with beautiful white and toffee colored rose blooms and lots of green foliage. They had two beautiful pillars of florals to mark their ceremony location and simple bud vases on all of their reception tables. They then repurposed the bride and bridesmaid bouquets for the head table to tie it all together.

Finally, they utilized drapery and fairy lights to create a stunning backdrop behind the head table and dance floor. It created a romantic background for their sweet toasts and added a fun element to their dance party! Together, it blended the rustic setting to their modern celebration perfectly.

How to plan and capture your own multicultural celebration

If you're interested in incorporating more than just a western wedding ceremony into your day, let's chat! I offer photography coverage from Southern California to the Pacific NorthWest and include add-on package options for all of my wedding photography packages, including welcome parties, tea ceremonies, mehndi ceremonies, and more. While it's important to document your wedding day, you don't have to miss out on capturing the other important moments and traditions surrounding the day. As a traveling wedding photographer, I’m more than happy to work with you to capture all of those special moments.