Portland City Hall Elopement | Alessandra + Arthur

Portland City Hall

Alessandra and Arthur are very good friends of mine. So when they asked me to photograph their elopement ceremony at Portland City hall, I was absolutely honored. The ceremony took place at the end of the summer in 2021, which made the little wedding a magical miracle in of itself given that we were still very much in the peak of the pandemic. 

On the morning of their wedding, I swung by the couples’ apartment to photograph them as they got ready together. This is one of my favorite things ever. I mean who better to calm your nerves and spend time with right before your wedding than the person you’re marrying?! As they brushed their teeth and inspected their shoes, they were laughing and playing around, giggling with one another. 

A Personal Touch

As for the attire: it perfectly matched the feel of the day – fun and a little formal. Ally’s heels were her favorite color, sunshine yellow, and my favorite part of her whole outfit. Another stunning part of the day was the beautiful summer flowers pinned to Arthur’s suit jacket and that made up Ally’s bouquet. The flowers were from Broadturn Farm – the place where Ally works as a flower farmer!

Due to the pandemic, the officiation was required to take place in the basement of City Hall. While the surrounding scenery was mundane, the “ceremony” was anything but – loved ones Zoomed in and those lucky enough to attend in person helped brighten the space (you can’t tell but everyone was smiling under their masks). Check out another small wedding I photographed at Portland City Hall!

As someone who has also eloped; simple, heartfelt weddings have a special place in my heart. And, if the pandemic has taught us anything, coming together to celebrate in even the littlest ways can truly mean the most. I feel so fortunate to have been a part of this special celebration with two of my amazing friends.