Weddings

Ontario, Oregon Church Wedding | Nick & Kati

Spring wedding at the Church of the Nazarene in Ontario, Oregon

Just across the border in Ontario, Nick and Kati celebrated their wedding in late April at the Church of the Nazarene. Their bold purple and green palette brought a lively energy to the day, and even with a bit of rain in the forecast, we made the most of it!

Thanks to overhangs around the church (with white brick that reflects light so perfectly…it’s a photographer’s dream!), we could take portraits outdoors while staying dry—and the overcast skies gave us the most beautiful light. Just one of the many reasons this church is one of my favorite wedding venues to photograph in Ontario, Oregon. Of course, some perfectly timed spring blossoms don’t hurt, either! 🙂

Here are a few favorite highlights from their day! This was my first wedding where I got to photograph a father/daughter first look, and Kati’s special moment with her dad was absolutely worth it!

Flowering trees outside the Ontario, Oregon Church of the Nazarene in late April, where the wedding was held

The bride's dress hanging, and close up detail of the embroidery and beading

The bride's engagement ring; bridal bouquet, rings, heirloom garter, and a special garter just for the toss

All three wedding rings on a wooden box engraved with "Mr. and Mrs." in a modern script typeface

All three wedding rings inside the bride's bouquet

Left: the beautiful lace heirloom garter the bride wore; right: bride's bouquet of calla lilies and roses

The bride and her bridesmaids in coordinating floral robes

A groomsman helps the groom put on his necktie; another groomsman puts on his own neck tie

Here you can see that the concrete was still wet from the rain. But hey, this covered entrance was exactly what we needed for photos! Usually, this doorway would be in bright sunlight and everyone would be squinting at me. However, the clouds worked in our favor and provided the perfect light!

The groom, groomsmen, and junior groomsman together

The groom and groomsmen in a serious pose

The bride's mother adjusts the boutonniere of her husband, the bride's father; the groom with his niece and nephew

The bride's mother adjusts her veil just before the ceremony

Three images of the bride seeing her father for the first time that day

The bride, bridesmaids in purple, and flower girl

The bride and bridesmaids in a serious pose

Close up of the bride and maids' purple and white floral bouquets

The bride holding her bouquet; the purple and green sanctuary before the ceremony

Communion cups and wafers; a white-draped cross on the sanctuary stage

A clock showing just after 1:00pm, when the ceremony was to begin; a guest dropping a wooden heart into a frame guestbook

The mother of the bride and mother of the groom light the unity candles at the beginning of the ceremony

The officiant, groom, and best man walk out onto the sanctuary stage

The groom's nephew and niece bring in the wedding rings as guests smile in the background

Oh my goodness, this was so funny! I’ve never seen anyone toss flower petals with such gusto! Everyone was laughing!

A family friend dramatically tosses flower petals in the air, to the guests' amusement

Even the wedding party couldn’t help but smile.

The pastor and groomsman laugh at the flower-thrower's antics

A friend throws petals upward at the stage during the wedding reception as the bridal party laughs in the background

Nick maintained composure as Kati and her father walked down the aisle. That’s Kati’s brother on the end, wiping away a tear–isn’t that sweet?!

The groom watching the bride enter, and a groomsman (the bride's brother) wipes his eyes with his sleeve

The bride and her father walk down the aisle

The bride's mother wipes a tear as the bride and her father walk down the aisle

The pastor addresses the guests during the ceremony

The bride and groom exchange vows during the wedding ceremony

The officiant prays with the couple as they begin to partake communion together during the wedding ceremony

The bride and groom exit down the aisle, arm in arm

Portrait of the bride and groom smiling at each other on the church sanctuary platform after the ceremony

Bride and groom underneath the cross outside the Ontario, Oregon Church of the Nazarene

Thankfully after the ceremony, the rain had passed and we were able to venture out farther from under the overhang.

Portrait of the bride and groom holding hands and smiling at each other

Bride smiling at the groom, who is smiling at the camera

Two outdoor photos of the bride and groom after the ceremony (and after the rain had let up!)

Bride and groom smiling under the overhang at the Ontario Church of the Nazarene in Oregon

Traditional portrait of the bride and groom

Individual portraits of the groom and the bride, side by side

The wedding cake with purple florals and the special cake knife and server

Bride and groom cutting their cake together; sharing a kiss after serving each other a piece of cake

Nick and Kati planned a trivia game for their guests to keep them entertained while I was photographing their portraits. After their entrance and cake cutting, they provided everyone with the answers…some of which were quite unexpected!