Cardas Photography {PhotoBlog}

{Sarweshni and Jack} Indian Wedding - Sandy, Oregon

One of the questions I am asked fairly often is if I have shot at a particular venue before. The answer is almost always no. Is it because I'm not asked to come back? LOL - no, it's just because of the sheer amount of amazing wedding venues we have at our disposal in Oregon. Besides the beach (which is new every day because of the weather) almost every location is a new adventure for me. Whether it's a chic downtown hotel, a family ranch, a state park or a dedicated wedding venue, every one is unique and personalized for each wedding. So even if I had shot at a particular location 27 times, it's going to look and feel different each and every time. This also means that I am introduced to new and beautiful locations off the beaten path on a weekly basis!  Cedar Springs Country Estate is one of those. Located five miles North of Sandy - about an hour East of Portland - it's where Sarweshni and Jack decided to have their traditional Indian wedding ceremony.

 

 

 I loved the bouquet!  I had never seen such dark red calla lillies before!

 

Sarweshni was such a beautiful bride! There were so many beautiful details between her outfit, jewlery and gorgeous bouquet it was hard to choose where to shoot first!

 

The groom arrives!

Here comes the bride!

Married!

This was a morning ceremony - and by the time the reception was ending it was *warm* - poor Sarweshni was so hot in her Lehenga that we only had a short time to squeeze in some couples portraits around noon-ish.

I loved the treehouse on site at Cedar Springs!  I want one at my house!

 

I could go on and on... But you can see a ton more here  >>> Sarweshi and Jack

Thank you both for having me out to your beautiful and unique day! 

 

 

 

{Sarweshni} Haldi Night, Portland Oregon

Friday night before Sarweshni and Jack's wedding day was Haldi night. No need to adjust your monitor - Sarweshni's skin is in fact yellow! Traditionally the bride is smeared with a paste made with turmeric, rosewater, and sandalwood. The beautifying properties of turmeric are thought to cleanse and purify the skin, while the blessings from the invited relatives and friends bring luck to the soon-to-be-married couple.

 

 

 

{Sarweshni} Mehndi (Henna) Night, Portland Oregon

Sarweshni and Jack's wedding may not have been until Saturday - but it had two very cool nights of celebrating beforehand. Night one was Henna night at Sarweshni's parents house in Portland. I was fascinated by the whole process!

The professional henna artist was simply amazing to watch. She created the intricate pattern so quickly and perfectly. 

Both Sarweshni's and hands and feet were decorated. 

While the Hanna was being applied inside, several of Sarweshni's relatives were performing ceremonies outside.

What a great friend. Feeding the bride so she wouldn't mess up her Henna! :)

{Julie and David} Wedding - Memory Garden, Monterey California

Julie and David's wedding was held at the Memory Garden, just steps away from the Portola Hotel  I have admired from afar in the past - but was lucky enough to be able to stay at this time. Can you believe this place is pet friendly?? Yup - I got to have not only my husband and son along with me for this trip - but our two weinerdogs - Mike and Cooper too! But back to work... :)

Julie and David chose not to see each other before the ceremony - so I got some extra time with David and his guys.

Their wedding was not too long after the Royal wedding of Will and Kate - so Julie encouraged her guests to wear the most fabulous "Fascinators" they could find. I totally wish I could have found one in time!! 

The lovely bridesmaids before the ceremony began.

David's first glimpse of his beautiful bride.

One of Julie's cousins arranged for a Mariachi band to be waiting for them after they left the garden.  They were SO much fun to have playing for the cocktail hour!

Since they chose not to see each other prior to the ceremony, we used this time to get all the family and bridal party shots done - and then we snuck away for just a few minutes before the reception began.

I tell brides that if there is ever a time that you want to do something - do it in a wedding dress. Most people will happily do whatever it takes to make you happy. Including a couple of tourists who were more than willing to give up their adorable two person bike/cart thing so we could borrow it for a few pictures :O)

 

 

Then it was back to the festivities!

The "ask and you shall receive" rule applies to the photographer sometimes too. Case in point: "May I borrow your fascinator for a photo with the rings?" - "SURE!!"

Seriously a fantastic weekend, with a fabulous group of family and friends. So lucky to be a part of it! :) 

I know it's hard to believe, but there are more of my favorites from the day >>> HERE <<<

Enjoy!  And as always - keep up on the latest from all of my sessions and musings on my Facebook page >>> Cardas Photography on Facebook <<<

{Tara and Dusty} Wedding - Gaylord Oregon

It's hard to believe it, but I have already started the 2012 wedding season - and I haven't shared all of 2011's beautiful weddings yet!  Stay tuned for a LOT of love and beautiful ceremonies on the way.

I love when a wedding venue means something to the couple. Tara and Dusty were married on her Grandmothers property nestled in the hills outside Myrtle Point. 

Tara told me that many of her relatives had been married under this Oak tree:

We were lucky to have a nice break between the ceremony and dinner, the sun sets quickly behind those hills, so I was glad to catch those last few rays with these two.

Such a great Summer night! Check out more from their beautiful day >>>HERE<<<