#CampConrad | Emily & Ryan's Gorge Crest Vineyards Wedding

When Emily and Ryan told me they were getting married on a Tuesday, I loved them for it immediately. Not because Tuesdays are particularly special, but because it said everything about who they are. Relaxed, a little unconventional, and completely unbothered by doing things any particular way. Their guests packed their bags and made a trip of it.

#campconrad was officially in session.

Gorge Crest Vineyards sits high above the Hood River Valley with Mt. Hood right there in front of you, and on a clear June day the view is genuinely hard to process. Emily and Ryan wanted everything on the lawn, open sky, no walls, just that mountain and the people they love most. It was exactly the right call.

The florals by Black Sweet Raspberry were something else entirely. Peach and white blooms spilling out of wine barrels lining the aisle, a lush floral installation at the ceremony backdrop that looked like it had grown straight out of the hillside. Everything felt abundant and wild and completely intentional at the same time.

Emily was calm in the best possible way. Her dress was sleek and modern with a deep open back, clean lines against all those lush garden florals. Her bridesmaids in deep pine green were exactly the right complement to the peach and ivory surrounding them, and the whole party together looked like they'd been styled by the landscape itself.

Ryan and his guys were a whole different kind of energy, and honestly one of my favorite parts of the day to photograph. The groomsmen showed up in light gray suits with deep green ties, Ryan sharp in a forest green three piece that anchored the whole palette. But what I remember most isn't what they were wearing. It's how genuinely happy they were to be there. These were guys who weren't afraid to show it, bear hugging their groom, carrying him across the lawn, piling on each other for photos with the kind of unself-conscious joy that you can't manufacture. It was sweet and hilarious and completely real, and it set the tone for the whole day.

The ceremony was everything. The way Emily’s dad held her face in his hands before he stepped back. Those are the moments I live for, the ones that happen in seconds and last forever. And then the kiss. Ryan dipped her right there at the end of the aisle, full commitment, veil and all, and the whole lawn erupted.

We slipped away into the wildflower meadow tucked just beyond the main lawn after the ceremony. Red poppies, lavender, tall grass catching the early evening light. Emily and Ryan were completely at ease with each other out there, which is exactly when I do my best work. Those portraits are some of my favorites from the entire summer.

Field and Vine took care of dinner, and the family style spread they put together was exactly right for a gathering like this. Abundant, relaxed, the kind of meal that keeps people at the table longer than they planned.

And then, as the evening settled in and the light went long and golden, out came the s'mores.

1927 S'mores Company set up what they call a "campfire state of mind," and it was exactly that. Wooden crates, red lanterns, mason jars, pine cones, daisies, and a dessert menu that included a Cocoa Espresso s'more with espresso mallow and a Whiskey Salted Caramel s'more with honey grahams and brown sugar mallow. The line formed almost immediately and stayed that way. I watched a man in a suit carefully construct his s'more with the concentration of someone doing something very important, because he was. Emily and Ryan made their way over together and stood at that station in their wedding clothes eating s'mores like it was the most natural thing in the world. Because for them, it was.

Great music from Gorge Music Weddings carried across the valley as the vineyard rows glowed in the last of the golden hour light. The night ended the way the best ones do. Not with a grand finale but with a quiet fullness.

Emily and Ryan, #campconrad was everything. Thank you for having me.

Vendor Team:

Venue | Gorge Crest Vineyards

Photography | Jen Jones Weddings

Planning | Unveiled Events

Florals | Black Sweet Raspberry

Catering | Field and Vine

Bar Service | Harper and Gracie

Dessert | 1927 Smores

HMU | Blossom and Beauty

DJ and Entertainment | Gorge Wedding Music

Rentals | Riverhood Rentals