Abi & Brady’s romantic forest fairytale wedding was at the most dreamy lakeside venue: Bridal Veil Lakes in Oregon. From a Scottish bagpipe player welcome ceremony to an epic dance floor ending, Abi & Brady had an amazing celebration that highlighted their union perfectly. We especially loved the Scottish attire Brady wore to honor his family’s background on top of the Scottish inspired dinner menus.
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Vendor Team:
Photography @alesiafilms
Venue @bridalveillakes
Catering @devilsfoodcatering
Planner @weddingplannermorgan
Florist @florakulturpdx
Rentals @ardeneventcollective
Band @bluewaveband
Getting Ready
Abi & Brady decided to get ready in different locations before seeing each other down the aisle at Bridal Veil Lakes. Abi chose a gorgeous riverside Airbnb close to the venue to get ready in and we loved how seamless it was with their choice in venue. She got into her dress in front of the fireplace, did her first look with her grandpa outside and then passed out her bridesmaids gifts (the most cute and personalized touch up mirrors) on the back porch.
Whereas Brady chose something more sentimental, his family home surrounded by his closest friends. We especially loved capturing the boys in the kitchen and doing some formal portraits outside on the porch to double as a wedding memory but also a timestamp on the home he grew up in.
Wedding Party Photos at Bridal Veil Lakes
Since these two weren’t exchanging a first look, we had to navigate separate wedding party portraits before the ceremony without seeing each other. Thankfully, Bridal Veil Lakes offers a spacious property so we easily had the boys take their photos on one side of the lake whereas the girls did portraits on the other side. All while guests were arriving and getting seated at the ceremony.
*As their photographer, we really wanted to highlight the dreamy light and shadows we naturally get at Bridal Veil Lakes. Utilizing shade at times for even lighting and doing more creative angles with dynamic lighting at other appropriate times.
Wedding Ceremony at Bridal Veil Lakes
Since this wedding took place in October, the couple leaned on warmer hues for the flowers and bridesmaid dresses. We especially loved the pops of orange around the wooden ceremony arch to create the most stunning vibrant color against the soft greenery backdrop. Nothing beat the moment that Brady first saw Abi in this moment.
*As their photographer, we loved capturing the raw emotions here alongside the family members with their tissues.
Cocktail Hour at Bridal Veil Lakes
Imagine savory sliders and romantic strolls along Bridal Veil Lakes with a wine glass in hand. That was the essence of Abi & Brady’s cocktail hour with groups mingling between the forest trees and a live guitarist and keyboard player setting the vibe.
*As their photographer, we not only love capturing the energy with the guests, but we also love highlighting any fashion forward details and the floating appetizers to really capture the whole story.
Sunset Portraits at Bridal Veil Lakes
As the sun sets between the trees, guests gather around the stunning viewpoint Bridal Veil Lakes offers to watch the final hues of the sky say goodbye. In that case, we took our couple to this open field for some romantic portraits. Abi & Brady noted that they loved cinematic framing and horizontal orientation so we made sure to really bring out our favorite movie prompts here. Our favorite being, “Now run off into the sunset like Julie Andrews in the Sound of Music!”
Romantic Lake Side Portraits at Bridal Veil Lakes
Most couples utilize the provided canoes for their sunset portraits, but our couple opted out of that for more grounded (literally) photos. They wanted forest fairytale vibes more than anything else, so right before the sunlight left, we put them on the dock to capture just that.
Scottish Menus & Dinner Details
Creating a wedding that’s sentimental requires details that are true to who you are and your love story. Trends are fun and inspiring, but this is what weddings are all about. Celebrating the people you are, your heritage, culture, customs, traditions, etc and for a lot of couples it’s through food and fashion.
Abi & Brady expertly combined wildflower florals with thrifted colorful glassware to bring out the eclectic Scottish culture. Paired with Scottish themed menus and a mix of long tables with round tables, it felt like one big family dinner party under the tent!
The Dance Floor
I can genuinely say this was a top 5 wedding dance floor out of the hundreds of weddings I’ve photographed. The energy was high from the very beginning from Blue Wave Band kicking us off and ending it with the boys lifting Brady in the air to his favorite song.
*As their photographer we love playing with flash and slow shutter when there are twinkle lights present. Thankfully, Bridal Veil Lakes’ dancing room had the perfect ceiling adorned with those fairytale lights allowing us to do just that!
Guest Experience Tips
To end this feature, we wanted to highlight one of our favorite vendors to work with: Blue Wave Band. Every wedding we’ve photographed where this band is present, the energy follows. They know how to get everyone moving and having a good time.
Pair an epic live band with some late night pizza and some thrifted glassware as a take home souvenir like Abi & Brady did and we know your loved ones will be talking about your wedding forever.
Oregon Wedding Photographer | Alesia Films
If you’ve made it this far, hello! I’m Alesia and I’m based in Portland, OR. My style is “Modern Romance with a Vintage Twist.” I specialize in combining digital and film photography mediums with a candid/documentary approach.
This photo is of my 2nd shooter and I capturing Abi & Brady’s wedding at Bridal Veil Lakes so I knew I had to use it for my introduction 😍
If you’re looking for an experienced photographer to capture your wedding at Bridal Veil Lakes, please fill out my contact form and I’ll be in touch with you shortly!
