oregon wedding photographer | Jessica Hill Photography

Wedding

Lei Lei & Michael
A Traditional Chinese Wedding

Lei Lei and Michael are celebrating their first year as a married couple and their wedding is one I love looking back on! It was a celebration steeped in beautiful tradition, rich color and delicious food! Before their Western marriage at the Portland Community Church, Lei Lei and Michael hosted a traditional Chinese tea ceremony with family and friends. Throughout the day, the event sported bursts of bright red symbolizing good fortune, joy, and happiness. During the ceremony Lei Lei wore an elegant gown from Charlotte’s Weddings and looked stunning. After the ceremony the large celebration was hosted at HK Cafe complete with lobster, shrimp and delicious cupcakes! The celebration continued into the night with games, speeches, and singing! Michael sang a song to Lei Lei and it was incredible! It was a magnificent night and one that no one will soon forget. Congratulations Lei Lei and Michael.

Wedding

Elizabeth & Tim
Bingham Estate Wedding

Wow! Elizabeth and Tim’s gorgeous wedding had all the feels (crazy laughter but mostly sweet tears) at Bingham Estate exactly a year ago! After first meeting Elizabeth and Tim during their very epic Crater Lake engagement session– I knew their wedding would be a love fest! Their wedding was like stepping onto the pages of a folktale…. only this Snow White leaned in and traded in her little cottage for a rustic estate and a gorgeous gown from Anna’s Bridal. With red brick archways overgrown in vines and wrought iron balconies, the fantastical Bingham Estate was the perfect setting for Tim and Elizabeth to declare their love among their best friends and family. Florals by Blum perfectly complimented the gorgeous grounds and old-time classic garden feel. Thanks to Nora and the Bridal Bliss team the ceremony was perfectly planned and there wasn’t a dry eye in the audience when Tim first set eyes on Elizabeth. After the ceremony Elizabeth and Tim and guests mingled on the lawn and had music by Event Team Entertainment.Then introduced into the first dance to “Unforgettable” by Nat King Cole and guests enjoyed a delicious three course meal courtesy of White Pepper with a stunning cake and dessert from JaCiva’s. The remainder of the night was a whirl of dancing beneath the stars in celebration of Elizabeth and Tim’s sweet love. Many magical moments to come, Elizabeth and Tim!

Wedding

Ellerey & Dan
A Waverley Country Club Wedding

Wowzah! What a stunner of a wedding! Ellerey & Dan are such a fun, laid-back, intelligent and gorgeous couple and their wedding was pretty much the same! Waverley Country Club is a historic, elegant and beautiful venue on the Willamette River. Ellerey & Dan planned a super fun celebration with so many unique and imaginative details. The Llamas were such a delight (RIP Rojo!) and brought smiles to everyone’s face and the neon light- champagne escort card wall was bonkers elegant and fun! With stunning florals by Blum, perfect coordination & styling from Bridal Bliss, entertainment by Event Team, and a gorgeous 5 tier cake from Dream Cakes, this was one amazing wedding for the books! Happy 1 year anniversary Ellerey & Dan! Cheers on a lifelong adventure of laughter, joy and love!

Events

Ellerey & Dan
A Coopers Hall Rehearsal Dinner

A rehearsal dinner full of joy and happiness delicious food and celebrated love! Ellery & Dan light up a room with their positive and fun energy and playful love. We all have a blast together and after their UofP & waterfall engagements, I knew it was going to be an incredibly fun, elegant yet chill weekend! Cooper’s Hall, an urban winery in Southeast Portland, hosts incredible weddings and rehearsal dinners. From the menu concept (printed on the paper bread bags!) to the fresh orange poppies & vines by Blum set against the industrial backdrop, this event was pure heaven! Hilarious toasts, great wine and lots of laughter, of course with Bridal Bliss on coordination & Blum on florals, it was a totally perfect & stylish dinner.

Wedding

Patience & Egan
A Sentinel Hotel Wedding

“Our vision was for a super elegant and formal wedding with a reggae and hip hop sound track. Everyone told us those would clash but we were determined. Frank ocean for my walk down the aisle, Popcaan for our entrance to the reception and Bob Marley, Lauryn Hill, Sir, SZA, Nipsey Hussle and J Cole in between. It was romantic and elegant with a vibe full of soul and culture. Exactly what we wanted.” Patience and Egan’s wedding was elegant, chill and oh-so very fun! With a timeless and classy vibe that only the downtown Portland hotel, the Sentinel could provide, Patience wore a stunner of a dress from Ania Bridal and her gorgeous makeup and hair was by Olivia Hawthorne Makeup with detail-perfect coordination from the impeccable able Bridal Bliss family. Florals by the one and only Leah with Indigo Garden. As soon as Frank Ocean via Paradox Productions faded in as Patience walked in during the ceremony ; I was floored and knew that I was in for a new take on “formal”. Needless to say it was everything and more and I absolutely loved this couple, their style, their laughter and their sweet love and I am so very happy for these two on their one year anniversary. See their fun PDX engagements here.

Wedding

Liz and Richard
An Old Schoolhouse Wedding

Liz and Richard’s wedding was a poetic and philosophical day filled with music, poetry and a deep love at a gorgeous vintage old school house in Oregon’s wine country. As soon as I met Richard and Liz, we became fast friends and it felt like we had known each other for years. They have that way about them- that easy going kindness. They now live in Japan as Richard is an internationally known beer brewer and Liz has her own therapy practice. (Yes- they are that cool – Just check out their Japanese Garden Engagements!) Considering Richard’s philosophy professor ordained the wedding, the depth and meaning of their 10+ year love was characterized beautifully in their ceremony and with their vows. The bride wore her grandmothers 1940’s Juliet cap veil and she had a sweet moment with her grandpa remembering her grandma’s life and I was honored to capture it. The team at CK Events were the great team behind the magic of the day. The gorgeous heirloom florals were created by Foraged Blooms, with timeless hair and makeup by Kirstie Wight Makeup team. Honoring Richard’s French heritage, the couple opted for the Croquembouche wedding cake from St. Honore. The entire day was a relaxed and surreal. Happiest one year anniversary to this sacred couple!

Engagement

McKenzie & Paul
A Wilsonville, Oregon engagement

When McKenzie and Paul first met, they shook hands and felt it… You know that thing you feel when you instantly connect with someone? Well as soon as they told me their story I knew I wanted to focus on their hands and the connections they make. I had the absolute pleasure of meeting McKenzie and Paul and they feel like old friends, the ones you can go ages without seeing, but then as soon as you see each other you’re right back to where you were all those years ago and it feels like not a day has passed. They are wise, kind, talented, generous and not to mention total babes! They invited me to document their home for a day in their life while they cooked breakfast together in their beautiful Wilsonville home and drank coffee. I love how intimate and cozy at-home photos are, as the couple could just be themselves. Paul then played piano (*and oh my goodness he is talented as he was a professional piano player for years!) on his antique grand piano that was recently restored after a fire. We then took their Harley to the local park for some photos at dusk and wondered to an ancient oak tree. Paul picked flowers for McKenzie (unprompted!) and we had a blast running around in the fields making art and finding light. The dusk light was this gorgeous shade of pink and I love this engagement session and this couple. Needless to say I am oh-so excited and inspired for their elegant wedding this weekend at the historic Sentinel hotel!

Engagement

Alicia and Devon
A Little Crater Lake Engagement

Kind and stylish couple, Alicia and Devon, spent time camping at Little Crater Lake early on in their relationship and thought it only be fit to have their engagement in such a memorable & magical location. In pursuit of the perfect camping grounds they originally considered visiting Crater Lake National Park but stumbled upon Little Crater Lake while surfing the internet. Choosing to give this place a shot, Alicia and Devon soon fell in love with how tiny and off-the-beaten-path this magical landscape is. Little Crater Lake’s name was inspired by its larger counterpart, Crater Lake, due to this body of water’s resemblance to Crater Lake’s pristine clarity and deep blue hue. Nestled away in the Mount Hood National Forest, this cold spring lake is considered an oddity by geologists due to its speculated origin. Regardless of how this slice of heaven got here I am so happy it’s revealed it beauty to us! The blue waters and expansive meadow make for a majestic backdrop. The mosquitos even came out to enjoy this sweet day by feasting on all of us – especially Alicia! I am so excited for Alicia and Devon who celebrated their wedding this month and I feel so lucky to have captured their new beginning together!

Wedding

Raishelle and Riley
An Oregon Wine Country Wedding

Happy anniversary to these two amazing people! Raishelle and Riley got married on a magical late spring day at the spectacular Youngberg Hill. The skies quite literally took my breath away with the depth and dreamlike clouds. Raishelle wore a remarkable David Tutera dress that was perfectly her. The unique cake was done by Lux Sucre Desserts and dinner was catered by Willaby’s Catering and Event Design, serving the most delicious farm to table meal (just look at those bright red strawberries on the salad!). The night ended with Stumptown DJs putting on an epic dance party. The bride and groom broke it down on the dance floor with their guests all night! Thank you Raishelle and Riley for allowing me to photography your incredible big day!