McKenzie and Brian

In July, the Mod Squad Photogs joined forces again to photograph McKenzie and Brian’s gorgeous wedding in Portland.   Last summer Natasha and I met McKenzie and Brian for their engagement session at Brian’s favorite fishing hole where he proposed.

The day of their wedding couldn’t have been more lovely, and after arriving at the beautifully restored Embassy Suites in downtown Portland, I took off to find the men in a second floor suite eating a quick lunch and sharing stories of Brian’s first dates with McKenzie.  They were laughing and joking about how lucky he was to have held onto her for this long.  Natasha and Samantha headed up to find McKenzie and her bridal party to photograph their final preparations.

We wanted to thank Kelly, McKenzie’s maid of honor, personally for all the help and for her organizational skills that made our job easier.  Thanks, Kelly!

While we waited for the bridal party to finish their preparations, I took the guys out to the mezzanine to take a few quick shots.  There were half a dozen groomsmen, so after a group shot or two we decided to take one of Brian alone with each of them. While we were taking the shots, Brian quietly asked me to take a funny shot with each one at the end of each portrait session.  As each successive groomsmen was photographed, the last shots got funnier and funnier until the group assembled behind us could not help laughing each time we shot.

The guys cleared out of the lobby in time for the bridal party to have a few photos there, making sure the bride and groom stayed out of each other’s sight as we shot.

A limo took the wedding party over to St. Patrick’s, a beautiful church north of downtown Portland, complete with stained glass windows, a viewing balcony and an expansive Chancel and elegant Nave.  The seats filled quickly with friends and family in the soft afternoon light.  McKenzie looked beautiful in her gown, and the smile from Brian as her father walked her down the aisle towards him was priceless.

After the couple had exchanged their vows, we assembled the bridesmaids and groomsmen, along with the families, and took group shots. Once again, because she really can’t help herself and gets a good giggle at the antics later, Natasha had the wedding party jumping into the air.

After the groomsmen and bridesmaids left to head back to the Embassy Suites for the reception, we stole away with the newlyweds to find a few quiet, secluded spots to photograph their first moments alone as man and wife.

The reception was held in a large ballroom at the Embassy Suites and McKenzie and Brian made their entrance to the Oregon Ducks fight song.  The crowd loved it, clapping and cheering all the way.  A wonderful dinner ensued, followed by some very touching toasts, my favorite was the best man’s which was a hilarious tribute to the couple.

The bouquet  and garter tosses led to the traditional first dances. When those were done the crowd filled the floor and began to party with gusto.  To keep the party going, a slider buffet was served later in the evening to refuel the dancers.  And by dancers, I mean McKenzie’s parents who were wearing their sunglasses at night on their way to Funky Town.

It was a fun afternoon and evening, and we were very happy to have been included in McKenzie and Brian’s celebration.

The complete gallery from McKenzie and Brian’s wedding can be found here.