Fall Bridal Inspiration Shoot

Hello everyone! Today is the perfect fall day to present photos from a recent project!

A warm, sunny September afternoon provided the perfect backdrop for our recent rustic and Fall Inspired Bridal Shoot at Carson Ridge Luxury Cabins, a secluded, wind protected venue tucked into the Columbia River Gorge. The photography for the shoot, provided by Becky Nerpel of Studio 623 Photography began in a luxury rustic cabin, where Bride Amy’s elegant lace wedding gown contrasted perfectly with wood and stone textures of the furniture and details inside. With a bright splash of fall flowers from Trellis Fresh Flowers in hand, Amy made her way down winding paths that cut through tall dry grass speckled with apple trees bearing ripe red fruit, on a hillside overlooking the jagged cliffs of the Columbia River Gorge in the distance. The contrasting textures of the pale grass, the dark green trees behind it and the blue hills in the distance made for stunning backdrops. We stopped in the woods to capture some shots just at the edge of a meadow at the base of a  ridge. We then found ourselves in a Forest Sitting Room designed by Donna Cole, of Pearl and Roses Wedding Planning using her own chair, mirror, and table accented with a lamp, pillars, and hanging lanterns courtesy of Barclay Event Rentals. We wandered back towards the cabins for some shots at the ceremony site, and in the beautifully landscaped gardens. The sun went down, but Amy, Donna and I headed back to the cabin for some relaxed, bridal boudoir shots inside a tub made of river rocks and by candlelight on a four poster pine bed. At the end of the shoot, Amy kicked off her boots and we hung the dress from the top of the bed frame for one last shot before tucking it away.

Thank you SO MUCH to everyone who came together to make this shoot a success!

·         Amy Stuchlik – Our bride and model, thank you so much! You are lovely inside and out! Your REAL wedding day was 4 years and 2 babies ago and you still look just as amazing! Your dress, cowboy boots, and jewelry made this shoot come to life, but you being you really put the finishing touch on it. From a professional standpoint, Amy is an awesome model. She’s relaxed, real, and knows how to work with a theme and provide lots of shots with lots of variety. Perfection! Amy also provided the jewelry for this shoot; I love the weathered turquoise and silver with Peacock Feather earrings… LOVE! Amy Stuchlik Designs.
·         Donna Cole – Pearl and Roses Wedding Planning – It wouldn’t have happened without you! Touching base with the vendors, securing the venue, getting awesome props, and the concept behind this day was all you in your element! Donna is on top of EVERYTHING (in a totally fun, good, lets-others-relax type of way).  Working with Donna and knowing she had my back, had talked to everyone involved allowed me to do one thing: be creative and capture what was happening. I am a good multi-tasker but it’s just a simple equation of mathematics that the less auxiliary STUFF I have to think about, the more focused I can be on my job, which is shooting and coming up with unique ideas on the fly based on changes in light, weather etc. Donna facilities everything and allows things to flow. Looking forward to shooting many weddings with her at the helm!
·         Photography by Becky Nerpel, Studio 623 Photography an Pacific Northwest based wedding and portrait photographer featuring meaningful, real, and timeless photographic art sessions.
·         Flowers were provided by Trellis Fresh Flowers located in White Salmon, Washington and I can’t say enough about how beautiful and perfect this Fall themed bouquet and centerpiece was. It smelled… like fall- so rich and beautiful. The colors were vibrant, the petals were supple. I loved the texture of the tree trunk vase and the shimmer of rhinestones inside of a few flowers. A couple of additional bonuses- they brought the flowers to the venue so that we could get right to shooting (in best light :) I was fortunate enough that Amy declined my offer to take the bouquet home, so I kept it. DAY FOUR and it was still going strong, didn’t even think about wilting until this morning, day five. A bride who may be enjoying a local honeymoon certainly appreciates having a fresh bouquet for as long as possible after the wedding.
·         Accessories such as the antique lamp, candles, and hanging lanterns in the amazing outdoor living room and finishing touches to the bridal suite were provided by Barclay Rentals. I was in heaven when I walked into their showroom, located along HWY212 in Clackamas, Oregon. So. Many. Ideas. Seriously, I can shop for photo props for weddings??? For any photo shoot? This is very good news indeed.
·         Last but certainly not least, the venue which served as a beautiful backdrop to this shoot, Carson Ridge Luxury Cabins. Pete and Latisha Steadman were so gracious to loan us the Mt. Hood Cabin for the day and to also spend time showing us around the property during a scouting trip a few weeks before the shoot. The rooms are amazing… beautiful places to be both before and after a wedding with lots of rustic, yet elegant touches and finery. During a recent remodel, the owners designed beautiful backdrops using the landscape with a photographer’s eye in mind. This intimate spot in the mountains would be truly a special place to exchange wedding vows, spend a honeymoon, or relax with friends before your big day. It is truly amazing.

To view more photos from this session, please visit: Studio 623 Photography, there is also a link to purchase prints and gifts if enlargements of any of the shots are desired. 

Thanks for looking!