This weekend was wild: two weddings, one in Yachats on the Oregon Coast, one on Lake Washington in Seattle.  Both locations exactly three hours from my house.  Ten hours of photography, twelve hours of driving.

There was a lot of bliss: beautiful roads, fantastic families, a stunner of a sunset, a visit to the beach where I married Nathan.  And a lot of singing in the car to keep myself awake.

Jess & Joseph got married a few feet from the ocean on the rocky shore of a Yachats beach.  Seeing Jess swirl around on the rocks with her dress and veil blowing in the wind around sunset made my heart soar.  

Ashley & Andrew were married steps from the glittering blue water of Lake Washington.  I photographed them dancing on the docks, backed by blue sky, reflected in the gentle waves.

Being a photographer from the Pacific Northwest who shoots a lot of outdoor or outdoor-hybrid weddings means I have a fairly distinct wedding season: June through October.  July and August are usually packed to the rafters, leaving me stumbling into September like a crooked whirling dervish.  The other months have weddings as well, but not usually in the 2- or 3-per-weekend way.

I even got married in August.  

Why do we do this to ourselves?  I mean, holy cow!  It's HOT.  Sometimes it's raining AND it's hot.  We fight over venues and photographers and planners and florists and bands and rehearsal dinner restaurants.  We make our friends fly in multiple times per month if they want to see all of a friend group get married.  It's insanity!  The best part is, we aren't even guaranteed good weather!  It's Oregon!

Why?

Because we're outdoor nuts.  Atmosphere junkies.  We want the wind blowing in our hair, the grass under our feet, the trees rustling above our heads, gardens to walk in, the mountains in the distance, the ocean close by, a sunset we can see from our dinner tables.  We want beautiful light and pictures that show us in our element.  We love outdoor parties, dancing under the stars and the sunlight filtering through the trees.  We're even willing to risk rain, fog, wind and weird weather to have all these things.  It's worth it.

So, all you wonderful Pacificnorthwesterners you, keep getting married in the summer.  And on the mountain in the winter.  By the ocean in August, and by the lake in May.  Any time you feel like it, anywhere beautiful you want. 

Love is an adventure.  Bring it on.