Aralani Photography

If you hike a restored antique wooden canoe up to a lake in the North Cascades for your engagement photos, having a James Bond-style ceremony entrance where you kayak down the McKenzie River and transform from kayaker to suit-clad groom in front of your guests is just the next logical step. // Brent & Maddie are hiking, camping, kayaking, climbing and general outdoor badasses, and it showed in every element of their wedding at the beautiful Loloma Lodge. From Brent's handmade signage to Maddie's dance party tinsel jacket, everything was so perfectly them.

This whole morning feels like a dream--the silvery roar of water, two extraordinary humans, and all the moss. Matt & Sydney had their wedding ceremony only a few feet from this incredible wall of water, and nothing could have felt more perfect.

Kristin & Brett got married over the creek and on the sand one fine March day. After spending several months looking for the right spot, they invited their best friends and got a little soaked in the ocean, golden light glowing down on us the whole time. Unforgettable, magical, and entirely them.

One of my exceptionally-badass clients from 2012 sent me these two beautiful creatures for Oregon Coast adventures. Good people are the best kind of catching--they just keep leading to more good. // Julianna & Colin visited from Colorado for pre-wedding fun together. I loved taking them all around one of my favorite parts of the coast, watching them read personal vows to each other in the mossy woods, laughing and chatting in the car as we went from place to place, photographing them on cliffs and beaches and moss and rock, and even meeting them for trivia at a local haunt the next day. Much joy!

I met Paige when she sat next to me on a Delta flight home from the east coast. Her pup, Señor Barklay, nestled down at our feet (to my immense joy). We independently ordered the same drink, then eventually struck up a meandering conversation about dogs, dog training, travel, our professions, and that she's engaged to this lovely guy named Chris. // Flash forward to a couple of weeks ago, we met again--this time at Mt. Hood for their engagement photos. Paige wore her mom's 80's-era wedding dress (shortened, of course), Chris wore a suit, Barklay wore some doggles, and we had a blast with champagne, snow, snowboards, and a ridiculously-gorgeous March afternoon. I love the random connections that make the world so much better.

To go along with my previous post, I wanted to share the absolutely stunning film that Jonathan of Atelier Pictures made whilst on our amazing adventure with Heather & Brandi in the North Cascades: https://vimeo.com/894722782

I can't say enough about Jonathan and how much I love working with him--he always captures the feeling of the place, time and people with such deep thoughtfulness.

Brandi and Heather || The Short Film This is "Brandi and Heather || The Short Film" by Atelier Pictures on Vimeo, the home for high quality videos and the people who love them.

When it rains, we snuggle. // Heather & Brandi's adventures in the North Cascades still take my breath away. Despite a fairly epic rainstorm, I couldn't imagine a more beautiful evening or a finer pair to spend it with.

Love me, love me, love me
​​​​​​​​​Love me, say you do
​​​​​​​​​Let me fly away with you
For my love is like the wind
And wild is the wind
(thank you, David Bowie)

Oh, the wind and wildflowers on Shuwen & Kunpeng's dreamy day in the Columbia River Gorge. This particular moment has stuck with me, sweeping me back to the smells of spring, the feel of the breeze, and the absolutely novel-esque setting. // Impeccable officiating by Wendy Duncan Ministries.

It's that time of year when I get to go back over the marvels of the previous year and sit for hours, listening to music, a big (sometimes wistful) smile on my face, chin in hand, flipping from moment to moment, inspired, delighted, overwhelmed. // Almost every year, especially as autumn comes on, I'm so doused in nature and excellent people that the words just stop coming. I feel like a bear going into a weird kind of hibernation. Then spring comes, and I'm so ready to soak in all the amazingness of the year before. // And hey Emily and John, this day was WILD. Love you both!

I get a lot of questions about Oneonta Gorge/Falls. Here's a fantastic update about what's going on back there!

Oneonta is a truly spectacular place, and while I'm sad to not be able to visit, I'm grateful there's an opportunity to re-examine access. It got incredibly, unbearably crowded--so many unprepared folks were in danger on that sketchy log jam. And hey, for awhile at least, the salmon can enjoy without hordes of humanity.

Oregon's iconic Oneonta Gorge likely to stay closed into 2026-27 as access plan develops The off-trail trek, which skyrocketed to popularity in the early 2010s but struggled with overcrowding, has been closed since the Eagle Creek Fire.

Autumn, a seasonal waterfall, raindrops, a cozy cabin, wind, rich golds and reds, mist, mountains and beckoning trails—only some of the endless magic of Claire & David’s wedding day in the North Cascades.

Mesmerizing, wild and almost unreal—just a few fleeting, unforgettable moments from Andrew & Courtney’s wedding adventures.

You never know what you'll find on a wedding hike in a national park, but we certainly weren't expecting mules. To be fair, the mules definitely weren't expecting Courtney's dress. While patiently waiting for Robert (cowboy), Charlie, Daisy and Skookum (mules) to pass, Courtney shifted ever-so-slightly and Charlie suddenly noticed OMG A BRIDE ON THE TRAIL. Robert handled the situation beautifully, and despite a little mass chaos of spooked mules + mules jumping over an old growth log to get away, the humans all had a good giggle and carried on with packing and hiking. We found out later that the mules were hauling gravel for trail improvement, bless them (thank you, Olympic National Park Mule Packers!).

Heather & Brandi in the North Cascades, where the mist and mountains and rain and moss all came together to celebrate their wedding in the best way imaginable.

Enchanted forests, colorful mushrooms, a bit of scrambling, a few log hops, many stairs, a long ramble down a beach, and… this place. Magic greeted us around every corner on John and Emily’s adventure.

That veil. That mountain. And all that love. //

Nadia & Aaron, beautiful souls, in Idyllwild California on a golden, glorious evening in August.

From misty waterfall to ocean's edge, Gabby & Mark spent their wild, wonderful wedding day in some of the most magical, enchanting places in Oregon. I never wanted it all to end. //

I am unendingly enchanted by nature, and the humans who love it and each other with all their hearts.

Mountain magic. An entire day with Ladine and Dave wasn’t enough—there was always something extra-wonderful waiting on every trail, around every turn, in every pocket of sunlight.

Happy wedding day to Miranda & Drew, who will be dancing in the golden sunshine today at the Trinity Tree Farm up near Seattle. Cheers, beautiful humans!

Big promises deserve to be made where the air sparkles around you and the wind sings with approval.

Oh such a day. Rattling down a forestry trail at dawn to visit a distant waterfall, an afternoon of grandfather trees and sunbeams, and an evening with a sunset that lingered luxuriously as waves slammed into the rocks along the Cape. Such a day.

There's nothing, NOTHING like standing in the middle of a wild, gorgeous meadow in Hawaii with sunlight dancing on the greengreengreen hills, watching two beautiful humans getting married surrounded by a circle of their favorite people. Then stepping onto a catamaran for further adventures? High adventure at its finest.

Amanda amongst the ferns and grandfather trees that surrounded her wedding ceremony. This day was incredibly special, with one of the most epic downpours I've ever experienced during a wedding, some of the most magical evocative atmosphere, and two lovely adventurers who soaked in all the forest had to offer.

They met at Hilton Head. She wanted to go for a bike ride, he managed the bike rental tent. He asked after her. A lot of life happened, both beautiful and heart-wrenchingly difficult. A week ago, they stood in the rain, moss and mist after hiking up a muddy, rocky trail with some of their very favorite people. They tied the knot with a handfasting. They know and see each other down to the tiny little details. I saw so much love and light and understanding in these two beautiful, magical humans, and I feel beyond fortunate to have been on this adventure with them. Cheers, Diamond & Trevor! // Flowers by the incomparable

One January day filled with winter magic, Liz & Ryon wed in front of their favorite people at The Ruins in Hood River. I left feeling utterly enchanted.

When the light sings and your photographer loses her mind... just keep on dancing at the bottom of the waterfall.

A glorious, golden evening in one of my favorite places with two amazing adventurers. Georgia & Brandon spent their day exploring the coast, playing Magic: The Gathering at a picnic table, hiking to ancient trees, and saying vows above a craggy beach. I never wanted the day to end. // To revel in the beauty of the film by my wedding adventure buddy, Jonathan at , visit here: https://vimeo.com/746802243 //