John and Gary gave us our 2nd wedding of the season this year and instantly we knew that the bar had been set. This was truly an amazing wedding between two of the most loving, honest and hardworking people we have ever met. John works in Obstetrics at the prestigious OHSU hospital here in Portland while Gary is a middle school math teacher. Their wedding was a lovely, barn chic inspired, brunch affair, complete with mimosas, biscuits and gravy and of course, the classic chicken and waffles.

But before we all entered food comas and hilarious mimosa inspired dancing, we first witnessed John and Gary exchange vows in one of Portland’s beloved nightclubs, Holocene. Their wedding was nothing short of a good old fashioned tear jerker, with guests, family and the couple choking back tears of joy as these two expressed their immense love for one another.

It was the kind of ceremony and celebration that leaves you feeling inspired and joyful. Every wedding we photograph is an honor. With this wedding, we not only felt honored but incredibly grateful that John and Gary chose us to be their photographers. Thanks you two.

The post John & Gary | Holocene, Portland, Oregon appeared first on Portland Wedding Photographers -Daniel Stark Photography.

We first met Kathryn, an international yoga teacher, in Greece on a retreat she was leading and we became fast friends. We immediately clicked with her energy, drive, passion and sense of humor. During that trip, we did a photoshoot with Kathryn, drank wine on a boat, ate way too much feta cheese and talked a lot about her love back home, Bob. We knew we had found a kindred spirit in Kathryn and couldn’t wait to meet her counterpart that we had heard so much about.

Fast forward to February, where we found ourselves with Kathryn again, taking photos in another beautiful location…Maui. This time, Bob had joined Kathryn for her retreat and we finally got to meet the man himself. Kathryn and Bob are a fun loving couple who met in an unlikely way…skydiving. It’s a long story that cannot possibly be told better than Kathryn herself but the short of it is that when Kathryn decided to go skydiving for the first time, she didn’t expect to fall in love with her instructor (Bob).

Back to Maui…on the 2nd night, Bob pulled Daniel aside to reveal his plans to propose to Kathryn. Of course, he wanted Daniel to photograph it and we all concocted a plan to document the proposal and celebrate after. That night, myself, our friend Kate (who was also in Greece), Kathryn’s mom Gretchen and her manager Amy hid behind a hedge above the beach and waited for the moment. Meanwhile, Daniel attempted to hide behind some branches which ended up being a humorous failure as Kathryn slightly spotted him on her way out to the beach.

But all was forgotten when Bob got down on one knee and asked her to marry him. She said yes, we all screamed, Daniel ran in for the close ups, champagne was had and wedding planning began. It was completely perfect and an honor to be a part of. We look forward to their wedding next year and many years of laughter and shenanigans with these two.

Cheers to KaBob! Enjoy your Maui engagement photos. We love you.

The post Kathryn & Bob | Four Seasons, Maui, HI appeared first on Portland Wedding Photographers -Daniel Stark Photography.

Last December we had the pleasure of traveling to Oklahoma City for Chris and Tayler’s super sweet southern hospitality wedding. We’ve never heard so many people say, “Welcome, y’all!” than we did during our time in this city. And their wedding was no exception to this welcome attitude. Chris and Tayler were so accommodating and kind as they invited us into a very important day for them. We loved their simple and endearing wedding that brought so many people together and gave Chris and Tayler the perfect start to their marriage.

The best part was when we ran into them at the OKC airport the next morning, bleary eyed and in desperate need of coffee, as we headed back to Portland and them to their honeymoon in Costa Rica. Once again, we were greeted by smiles, hugs and of course, a quick photo with one of the sweetest couples we met all year.

Cheers Chris and Tayler!

The post Chris & Tayler | Oklahoma City Wedding appeared first on Portland Wedding Photographers -Daniel Stark Photography.

When we photograph, we  strive to achieve the most amazing wedding images possible for our wedding couples. At times those images are also recognized by wedding photography associations and are awarded.  It is always such an honor when that happens but it is our couples who truly give us meaning to our work.

Last month two of our favorite photography associations, Fearless Photographers and the International Society of Professional Wedding Photographers awarded us for a few of our wedding images.   Fearless Photographers is a unique photography directory of the world’s best wedding photographers who are not afraid to push the limits of professional wedding photography to surprise you with extraordinary wedding photos of your wedding day.

ISPWP is The International Society of Professional Wedding Photographers is an organization of the best wedding photographers in the world. It was created by professional photographers to raise the standards of the wedding photography profession.

The post Awards | Fearless Photographers & ISPWP appeared first on Portland Wedding Photographers -Daniel Stark Photography.

This is a fun blog post for me to write and I just hope I don’t get emotional while I’m at it. I am the youngest of four kids and Tore is my older brother, 3 years my senior. After my oldest sister, Karma and oldest brother, Sven, became older and left the nest, it was just me and Tore in the house together for years. We entertained each other and leaned on one another until it was our time to grow into adulthood. Some of my fondest childhood memories involve my brother, Tore. When Daniel and I got married, Tore was there with his girlfriend Hillary whom we had already known for years.

Tore and Hillary shrugged off marriage for a long time, so when Tore emailed us in the fall of 2011, announcing he would propose to Hillary on the Oregon Coast and then come to Portland to celebrate, we were ridiculously excited. Hillary had already been my “sister” for a long time in my mind but I was beyond excited when they decided to tie the knot and make it official. And so was the family. And you can be sure we all had our ideas for what they should do for their big day!

Tore and Hillary live in San Francisco and after fending off the onslaught of the family’s wedding suggestions, decided on a simple yet beautiful affair, a San Francisco City Hall wedding, followed by a Southern creole dinner, drinks and dancing at an old firehouse in the city. Let it be said that these two people are two of the most witty and downright hilarious people you will ever meet yet also passionate and sincere in every way. So while funny ideas (my mom’s favorite, a slip and slide nude ceremony in a church) were thrown around, it came down to them wanting to just have an exchange of vows and a party with people they love.

So on a Thursday in November, we headed to their Nob Hill apartment to document them getting ready together, along with their cat daughter, Sophie. Hillary’s only sister Katie helped her get into her vintage inspired lace knee length dress while Tore nervously paced and chased after the cat. We ate leftover pizza from the rehearsal dinner and Daniel and Tore took a shot of whiskey to calm the nerves. When it was all said and done, they were the classiest and coolest looking wedding couple we had seen in a long time.

After taking a number and waiting for what seemed like an eternity, Tore and Hillary met their judge in the courthouse to do the paperwork and make this thing legal! After which, Hillary’s gentle and endearing father walked her down the aisle on the 4th floor of city hall, where a short and sweet ceremony took place, surrounded only by immediate family and a couple close friends.

A larger reception with more friends and family got underway at Firehouse 8, an old fire station in San Francisco. Guests were served up southern inspired soul food as beers and wine were poured. The toasts from loved ones had everyone either laughing or crying but mostly grateful that we are lucky enough to know such a special pair as Tore and Hillary. And when the dancing started, so did the additional amounts of whiskey and shenanigans. We gangnam styled, Tore and Sven bernied (big A’s fans in this family), and the couple had their first dance to “I Only Have Eyes for You”, by the Flamingos.

These two aren’t big ones for the mushy stuff but since I’m writing this blog (mwahaha), I get to say how simply perfect this wedding was. It was the definition of love and celebration and family and friendship. What more could you ask for.

Love you guys. And your cat, who finally let us pet her a couple months ago.

Cheers.

Lindsay and Daniel

The post Tore & Hillary | San Francisco City Hall Wedding appeared first on Portland Wedding Photographers -Daniel Stark Photography.

We love Don and Jessi. Their personalities are simply infectious. Throughout taking the photos at their wedding, editing them, creating their slideshow and now their blog, we just smile when we look at these two. Which is easy to understand once you look through the photos and notice they are smiling ear to ear in almost every photo. Big, huge, loving, happy smiles.

Don and Jessi are from Alaska and with family roots in Oregon, came down to Portland to have their wedding at the Columbia Edgewater Country Club. The country club sits right next to the airport so with Don and Jessi’s enthusiasm and patience, we stood and took a million photos while waiting for planes to pass for the perfect shot. They never complained, never got ansty and they never had to “act” for the photos. They just naturally laugh and hug and act in love….all the time. It’s really inspiring. Weddings are fun! And so is love. These two are proof that life isn’t meant to be taken too seriously and that love is a celebration.

Cheers Don and Jessi!

The post Don & Jessi | Columbia Edgewater Country Club appeared first on Portland Wedding Photographers -Daniel Stark Photography.

“We just want to have fun and for you to have fun.” That’s the first thing Cara said to me about her wedding. And she was right, it was a blast. Especially when Ryan, a former college football player, ran by me during the reception, slapped my ass and said, “You’re doing a great job.” That was a first for me and definitely one of the most memorable groom interactions I’ve ever had. Thanks man!

This wedding held a lot of firsts for me, including the first time a grandmother has been skyped in for the ceremony and also the first time a bride, when asked to go out in the rain for me, threw off her shoes and ran out in excitement, without any hesitation. You rock, Cara.

Cheers Ryan and Cara!

The post Ryan & Cara | Zenith Vineyard Wedding appeared first on Portland Wedding Photographers -Daniel Stark Photography.

Tiffany Cruikshank is an internationally known yoga teacher who recently moved from Portland to NYC. She leads workshops all over the world and offers a yearly teacher training, which Lindsay just proudly completed herself. Duncan Peak is a highly well known yoga teacher as well and the owner of several successful yoga studios, Power Living Yoga, in Australia. Together they are a powerhouse yoga team and a recently engaged couple to boot! We had the pleasure of spending a couple hours with them while Tiffany was in Portland recently for a weekend workshop. Along with Tiffany’s tiny adorable dog, Lulu, we had a great time photographing them and also admiring their incredible yoga skills as they both effortlessly popped into poses whenever we needed.

Having known Tiffany for a few years now, we’re so happy to see these two engaged and can’t wait to see how they take the yoga world by storm together. Congrats Duncan and Tiffany! And Lulu.

And make sure to check out our recently launched website focusing on fine art body & yoga portraits – yoga.danielstarkphotography.com

The post Tiffany Cruikshank & Duncan Peak | Engagement appeared first on Portland Wedding Photographers -Daniel Stark Photography.

Shiann and Stuart had an adorable, home grown wedding at The Green Villa Barn in Independence, Oregon. From the homemade jam wedding favors (made my Shiann and her mom) to the family farm raised lamb served during dinner, this wedding was as local and family oriented as it gets. We were thrilled to be there to capture the simple and elegant details that complimented their thoughtful celebration of love.

The ceremony took place under a romantic lace altar, where Shiann and Stuart exchanged tender and tearful self written vows. Inside the barn for the reception, family and friends sweetly toasted Shiann and Stuart’s new marriage before diving into a table of homemade cookies, which were about 10 different recipes from different mothers, grandmothers, and granddaughters in the family. We felt like we were at a yearly family gathering where two people just happened to be getting married. It was loving, intimate and simply joyful.

The post Shiann & Stuart | Green Villa Barn Wedding appeared first on Portland Wedding Photographers -Daniel Stark Photography.

We first met Jeff at his sister’s wedding in Portland last February. Jeff was one groomsmen among many and while they were an awesome group, Daniel could tell he was going to have to wrangle this rowdy bunch of dudes. So he looked at Jeff, pulled him aside and said, “You look responsible, you’re going to have to help me with this group.” Of course, Jeff was on board and he was the go to guy that day. At the end of the night, the tables turned as he pulled Daniel aside and said, “I’m getting married in Greece in September, we should talk.” A couple months passed and we got an email from Jeff titled, “Cyprus Wedding”. Truth be told, we had to google Cyprus’ exact location. Turns out, Jeff’s fiance, Christina, is from Cyprus. Cyprus is a small island in the East Mediterranean, just below Turkey. It is officially the Republic of Cyprus, it’s own island country and it’s mostly occupied by Greeks and some of it by Turkey. Many emails and months later, we found ourselves on a flight to Athens, Greece where we would overnight before heading to Jeff and Christina’s amazing wedding weekend in Ayia Napa, Cyprus.

Jeff and Christina currently live in Hong Kong, often visit Portland to see Jeff’s family and frequently “stop over” in Cyprus while traveling the world for work and vacations. They are an amazingly energetic couple, with huge hearts, immense passion and a very large network of friends from all over the globe. Their intensity for travel and work does not surpass their commitment to their family, friends and most importantly, each other. After spending 3 days with them, we learned more about their story, their pet names, and their shared love of food, wine and travel. Oh and Greek frappes, an iced coffee drink which we also grew a quick addiction to.

The post Jeff & Christina | Ayia Napa, Cyprus appeared first on Portland Wedding Photographers -Daniel Stark Photography.