My second winter wedding at Grace Restaurant in Portland was two weeks ago, and what an amazing day we had, celebrating Kelly and Huy in the snow! I’ve said this before, but extreme weather conditions – in this case heavy snowfall – have an amazing effect on the atmosphere at weddings, and while warm, sunny days are a little easier to handle, I would never swap some serious weather for nice and easy.

Kelly and Huy generously put me up in the Portland Regency hotel in downtown Portland where they were also staying. It made things much easier when the snow started coming down heavily that morning, and it was great being able to wander easily between their rooms as they got ready with their respective best friends. I was thrilled that Kelly had booked Joanne of Joya Beauty, and Lena of Hair that Moves, for makeup and hair – it was a treat working with these fabulous ladies again, and they did such an incredible job, as always.

Once everyone was dressed, we held a first look on the balcony of Huy’s suite, in the snow, and surrounded by downtown Portland’s beautiful red brick. Then we hopped in a car and headed over to the Eastern Promenade for some very snowy winter wedding portraits. Winter weddings are the best – snow on the ground reflects lovely, soft light back into the faces of your subjects, and falling snow, if you are lucky enough to get it, adds a whole lot of magic to any location. Kelly’s pink coat, and her gorgeous bouquet by Sarah at Watershed Floral, added the perfect pop of color to the muted landscapes.

Both ceremony and reception were held in the downstairs event space at Grace Restaurant, and it was the most perfectly cozy spot for this fairly intimate wedding. The ceremony was performed by their good friend and bridesmaid Katie – she was the mutual friend that introduced them, and she has a lot of talent as an officiant too! The ceremony was the perfect mix of funny and emotional, and both Kelly and Huy belly-laughed and teared up at various points. Their families, too, were so involved during the ceremony and I loved photographing them reacting to the vows that Huy and Kelly had written.

Kelly and Huy, thank you so much for trusting me to document your beautiful Grace Restaurant winter wedding; I hope you enjoy this teaser slideshow, and I can’t wait to share your full set of images with you in around a week!