Stephanie and Jonathan wanted to keep things simple for their wedding as being the center of attention just isn’t their thing. Since Stephanie grew up in Portland and her family still lives there, they chose to celebrate by having a small celebration in her hometown with immediate family and two close friends. The day began at the Ace Hotel in downtown Portland where Stephanie and Jonathan got ready together with their friends. (I always love when couples get ready together!) Stephanie chose to do her own hair and make-up and I was so impressed by her updo she styled herself by following a YouTube tutorial. And then she showed me her custom Lace & Liberty wedding gown and I was even more blown away. Gold sequins gown paired with a black and gold feather embroidered cape? Hell yes! And in addition to his suit, Jonathan had a custom-made and hand-painted (by a Buddhist monk!) traditional Vietnamese áo dài to change into for photos.
The couple headed downstairs and met their family in the lobby of the Ace Hotel where Stephanie’s grandmother gifted her a heirloom ring and Jonathan’s mother gave her a golden pearl necklace to wear. Then we all set out to the Multnomah County Courthouse for their wedding ceremony. Stephanie and Jonathan had a short and sweet ceremony where they exchanged their rings in a small courtroom while a local judge officiated. Hugs and kisses concluded the ceremony before we walked across the street for some quick group portraits just as it began to rain (because Portland.) With the ceremony over with, they got to the part of the day everyone was looking forward to: a pizza party lunch reception at Sizzle Pie. Stephanie has lots of fond memories of eating there growing up and it was such a fun and relaxed way to celebrate their marriage with everyone.
After pizza, Stephanie and Jonathan said goodbye to their families while we headed over Cathedral Park for some portraits under the St. John’s Bridge. We dodge raindrops between photos and Jonathan got to change into his custom áo dài for some pictures (before tucking it away as we didn’t want the rain to mess up the paint.) To wrap up the day, Stephanie and Jonathan celebrated with drinks and video games at Ground Kontrol with their friends. We couldn’t have asked for a more low-key and fun Portland wedding!
