3 min read

Spring Wedding at Hopkins Demonstration Forest | Oregon City, Oregon

Raya & Spencer

Pushing Past Lock Down, COVID Can’t Stop Love

I was excited to be chosen as the Portland wedding photographer for Raya & Spencer’s spring wedding at Hopkins Demonstration Forest in Oregon City, OR.

I was so glad we meet at the Portland Bridal Show.

Raya and Spencer’s was the first wedding I photographed after the initial coronavirus pandemic lockdown. There wedding was in May and everyone was just trying to figure out how we work with life and COVID-19. We had good conversations about COVID-19 and safety prior to the wedding day. We still didn't know what to expect and knew things could change at any moment depending on orders by the state or county. It seemed like new information was coming out every other day.

Like many couples who choose to still get married in 2020, their once large wedding plans took a turn to something much more intimate. With most counties, including Washington County where they were married, still on initial lock down phases, they had to limit their guest count to under 10 including everyone. Even with all of this going on, nothing was going to stop these two from getting married and I am so happy I was able to be a part of it.

Raya and Spencer booked the Hopkins Demonstration Forest because they wanted to be in the woods. After seeing the huge outdoor patio at Everett Hall and the beautiful view they knew this would be a perfect fit. Besides the view, the hall itself was custom built out of wood and houses a cozy stone fireplace.

When I first meet with Raya, she shared with me that Spencer and her were high school sweethearts. While they met in Math class her Freshman year, the two didn't start dating until she was a Junior. If you ask him, he'll say she made the first move, but in reality she takes credit for bringing them together. Either way having so much shared history is a special thing.

This couple LOVES the color orange! From their truck, their wedding decorations and down to the bride's shoes orange made an appearance at this wedding! I love when couples aren't afraid to use color. It adds a fun pop to your images, plus your white wedding dress will stand our even more.

While Raya and Spencer had talked about marriage he was still able to catch her off guard with his proposal. They like to go hiking with their dogs at a special spot in Yamhill County. One day on a hike, she turned around to see Spencer on one knee, and of course she said yes!

They were married by the bride's brother and the groom's sister. These two did an amazing job stepping into this role. They delivered a ceremony that was personal and memorable. Another friend stepped in to help man a tripod holding a phone, so the couple could stream their wedding on Facebook Live so other friends and family could join from afar. After the ceremony and some champagne the family continued their celebration later with a family dinner.

I first met Raya's Mom when she came to the wedding consulation. She was a big help in planning the wedding day. She also took the time after the wedding to leave this kind review on Yelp:

"Cambrae was so sweet to work with at the wedding. She took some lovely photos, some fun photos and every last one my daughter requested. We had a very small wedding with the pandemic and she was able to adapt to be compliant with all safety precautions. She even thought to take a picture of the live stream of all the guests who attended remotely, so much appreciated. Her photos captured the bubbly personality of my daughter and my son-in-laws laid back smile that is hard to get. Cambrae's photography skills definitely showed in the wonderful photos. She also had a lot of tips for us to make the experience even better."