A Snapshot Look at 2023

The wedding season is slowing down, but we may have a whole new way of looking at wedding photography to push us into the new year. Here now 5 trends people will focusing in on.

1. Wedding Highlights

Gone our the days of watching the whole ceremony. Now we are really seeing a movement towards shorter versions to play on social media and give a glimpse to those who could not make it.

2. Realistic Video Edits

At Photos By Orion creativity and storytelling is one of the best part of our jobs. Now many people turning to using actual clips of sound from the wedding accompanied by music bringing out the true emotions of your big day.

3. Veil Shots

Veil shots remain a classic favorite. They represent the grace and elegance of brides. We are always finding creative ways to showcase these treasured trophies.

4. Black and White Photography

Its timeless, versatile, distraction-free, and subtle. Black and white photography can evoke a mood – from nostalgia to sadness to yearning, black and white pictures somehow convey emotion in a way that color images simply can’t

5. Candid Pictures during the Ceremony

Then there is that magical moment that only comes once, but reveals a split second shot of emotion. From the vows, father and daughter march, and that picture perfect portrait seconds after your “I Do’s.” These are the picture of perfection recaptured in all there glory for everyone to reminisce and rewind in the days after the wedding. We are Photos By Orion, and for over 15 years we have been telling stories with star quality photography, videography, drone, and 360. Feel free to email or call us at contact@photosbyorion.com, or 503-385-1435.

Laurelhurst Club I Do’s

A sweeter couple you have never seen than Daniel and Natalie. We very much enjoyed working with them on their beautiful, though very hot, wedding day! They were married at the beautiful Laurelhurst Club (https://www.thelaurelhurstclub.com/) across from the oh so picturesque Laurelhurst Park (https://www.portland.gov/parks/laurelhurst-park) near East Burnside in Portland Oregon.

The ceremony begins at 4:05, and ends at 22:22

We can’t wait to come back here and be able to take photos in the park’s beauty. We even got to work with our friends at NW Mobile DJ for this wedding, which always makes for a great wedding day. So excited to share their day with you in this video, enjoy!

Beautiful Wedding at Eola Hills Winery

Laurie and Adam were married in a unique and sweet ceremony performed by one of their good friends. The love they have for each other shows, and it was a fun evening all the way around! Congratulations Laurie and Adam, we loved preserving your beautiful day!

We are Photos By Orion. Telling wedding stories with Star Quality Photography, Videography, 360, and Drone. Please feel free to contact us at contact@photosbyorion.com, or call 503-385-1435.

Beautiful Log House Garden Wedding

This sweet couple said “I Do” at the Log House Gardens in Keizer, Oregon, which is a beautiful wedding venue we love working with each year! In case you want to skip around

End of ceremony:

13:29 End of speeches:

33:50SHOW LESS

Telling wedding stories with Star Quality Photography, Videography, Drone, and 360. Email or Call us at contact@photosbyorion.com, or 503-385-1435.

Bloomin’ Bride

Love blooms brightly in this backyard wedding. The vows for Macy and Bret in West Salem went off without a hitch, and see all those bouquets of flowers believe it or not they are all made of wood. That’s right wooden flowers.

Too the naked eye and through are camera lens it’s hard to imagine that they are not real. The vibrant colors and details are incredible. The bride, Marcy, handcrafted all these pieces from scratch.

The flowers are made from Sola wood. Sola is very lightweight and soft and flexible. Marcy used the shavings of the wood, reshaping them, then using 15-20 pieces per flower to capture the elegance of the centerpieces.

Even the boutonnieres were carefully constructed, colored, and then covered with lacquer to keep them stable. Marcy’s time and energy were well worth it. She saved big and the best part like the sign says they last forever. Show us some of the creative ways you save. Send them into us at photosbyorion.com, or feel free to email or call us at contact@photosbyorion.com, or 503-385-1435.

Songs of Love

The sounds of love are in full swing this spring. Musical anthems ringing out loud and clear for this wedding season.

The classics still the optimal choice by couples for their first song. Looking at the list two names really stand out, and that’s Ed Sheeran and of course the legend of love hits, John Legend. Legend’s “All of Me”, continues to top the dance floors, but also strutting his stuff is Sheeran with “Perfect.”

Rounding out the top 5 of those first songs are “At Last”, Etta James, “Your Song”, Elton John, “A Thousand Years”, Christina Perri.

Six through 10 includes.

  • “Marry Me” – Train
  • “How Sweet It Is (to Be Loved by You) – James Taylor
  • “Songbird” – Fleetwood Mac
  • “Crazy Love” – Van Morrison
  • “Can’t Help Falling In Love” – Elvis Presley

The perfect song does not come easy to select. The number one thing to be sure on is both of you like the song. Another be mindful of your guests and use music that will captivate your audience. Plus keep that first song to 3-4 minutes tops, you are kicking off this party not closing it.

The Wedding Boom is on, so we would love to see your playlists. What’s your favorites? Send them into us at photosbyorion.com, or feel free to email or call us at contact@photosbyorion.com, or 503-385-1435.

Simple Ways to Say I Do to Sustainability

The eco boom is exploding onto the Wedding Spring Season. Couples are being more and more conscientious of waste and taking great measures to protect the environment. In fact In fact, The Knot guesstimates more than two-thirds of their subscriber’s plan or did use some form of sustainability on their wedding day.

Pinterest reports searches on their site for thrifted weddings has tripled. The shopping site, Poshmark, says demand for used wedding dresses $500 or more is reaching new heights.

That same trend is also taken in the planning. Karin Webster, owner of Blue Bonsai Printing uses only recyclable paper for her wedding invitations. Other ideas being put in place is scrapping paper all together and going digital, silk flowers rather than freshly cut flowers, compostable utensils, bowls, and plates, and even skipping those favors for the end.

When it comes to the food there are many things you can do to support sustainability; choose meals that are in season to cut transportation costs, deliver leftovers to a shelter, or let guests take the extras home in recyclable containers.

We talked about using silk flowers, but the other things you can do is work with your florist to see if there were any other events where you could possibly use flowers, reuse the bridal bouquets as centerpieces, or use a potted plant that can be taken home. Finally, donate flowers to a church or hospital.

You can even save energy by reserving a local venue and looking for a place that is LEED certified. You will be surprised how a little saving can go without putting a strain on your pockets, or wedding plans.

We would like to hear and see how you are showcasing sustainability. We are Photos By Orion. Please feel free to contact us at contact@photosbyorion.com, or call 503-385-1435. We are Photos By Orion. Telling stories with star quality photography, videography, 360, and drone.

Photo Albums

Welcome to the Photos By Orion vlog! This episode is a enhancement to our series on wedding videography. In this episode, Karin and Kathryn discuss the types of professional photo albums available, including the heirloom album, and the other types of events and content that can go in an album. Photos By Orion has done albums for a wide variety of events, from birthday parties and vacation albums, to funeral and life celebration albums and a wide variety in between.

Photos By Orion does album design as a stand alone service, so if you need help creating a photo album of your family or event, contact us on our website: www.photosbyorion.com

Kathryn is happy to answer any questions on this subject. Please email the questions to contact@photosbyorion.com or put them in the comments below.

Using Copyrighted Music for your Wedding Video or Event Video

Wedding Videography Series Episode 4

Welcome to the Photos By Orion vlog! This episode is a continuation of our series on wedding videography. In this episode, Karin and Kathryn discuss using copyrighted music in your wedding video. There are many couples who approach us asking about using popular music from the radio in their wedding video. We discuss the process of getting a license to use a popular song in a wedding video, the pricing involved, and when that popular song isn’t the best option.

Kathryn is happy to answer any questions on this subject. Please email the questions to contact@photosbyorion.com or put them in the comments below.

The Music Behind the Video

Wedding Videography Series Episode 3

In this episode, Karin and Kathryn talk about the process of choosing music to put behind a wedding video and how Photos By Orion personalizes that process. They touch on the topic for the next video, which covers using popular songs and the licensing behind using music in videos.

Don’t miss any of our wedding videography series! Like and subscribe to be the first to know when each new video premieres. Feel free to reach out at any time! We would love to talk to you about your wedding photography. Email contact@photosbyorion.com with any questions.