Haley and Sean’s outdoor Catholic wedding at The Grotto in Portland, OR was a dream come true. This couple booked me back in 2019, and their patience as the pandemic changed their plans was incredible. They stuck with me through every turn and I’m so glad to have gotten to know the both of them as friends through the process! They decided to have an elopement on the Oregon coast in 2020 on their original wedding date, which I also had the honor of capturing (there’s some gorgeous peeks at their elopement at the very end of this post – the sunset was dreamy that day!). 

The Details

Everything about this wedding was chic, modern, and oh so beautiful! Haley’s dress was custom made for her (if your jaw drops at how beautiful the gown is and how stunning she looks, you’re not alone!). Haley’s bridesmaids wore gorgeous rust-colored gowns, which looked so amazing against the greenery of this stunning venue! Every detail about this wedding was just to die for; everything felt so down-to-earth and welcoming, and I was just so excited to see these two tie the knot after over a year of postponing!!

The Venue – An Outdoor Catholic Wedding Ceremony

If you aren’t familiar with Catholic wedding ceremonies, the traditional recognition of a Catholic marriage is that it’s held inside a Catholic church. Haley and Sean really wanted to get married outdoors, but wanted to respect their traditions as well, and it all came together at The Grotto in Portland, which is a sacred outdoor space that belongs to a Catholic church. It was a really special way for them to have the wedding they pictured, but still hold their traditions close. Plus, the space is absolutely gorgeous!! 

These two are really close with their families, and incorporated that into their ceremony as well. Sean’s parents both walked him down the aisle, both their brothers were in the bridal party, and Haley did really special first looks with her dad and brother. 

Portraits

I could go on and on about how kind-hearted these two are all day long. Haley and Sean met in South Korea, where they both went to high school, then moved to Washington to attend WSU. They got engaged on Lake Coeur D’Alene in Idaho and have the cutest Dalmatian! Even though they have pictures from me at their elopement last year, we absolutely had to get more gorgeous portraits of the two of them at their Portland reception venue, Ecotrust.

The Reception

I loved the long tables at this reception. It was more family-style and allowed everyone to mingle and be together more than a standard round-table layout. The decor and the view of the city were the perfect backdrop for this celebration. As always, the dances were sweet and made me tear up! Haley’s brother surprised her with a slideshow of photos of the two of them growing up, which had everyone bawling!! After years of waiting, I was so happy to see these two finally get to celebrate their outdoor Catholic wedding with all their loved ones, and I can’t wait to see what comes next for them!

Keep scrolling for a little peek at Haley & Sean’s gorgeous Oregon coast elopement from last year! And reach out to me here if you’re ready to book your own elopement;)