the journal

Before their backyard wedding, Ben and Alexis met me for an engagement session in a quiet wildflower field just outside of Beaverton, Oregon. It was one of those golden, late-summer evenings where everything slows down—and we leaned into that.

There’s something about tulip season in Oregon that just hits different—bright color, soft mud, and a little bit of magic in the air. Kelsea and Orren met me out at the Woodburn Tulip Festival for a laid-back couples session, and it couldn’t have been a more joyful afternoon.

Some weddings remind you what it’s really all about. Ben and Alexis chose to get married on a warm summer afternoon in McMinnville, Oregon—surrounded by just 20 of their closest friends and family. No venue, no strict timeline, no pressure. Just love, laughter, and a backyard that’s been part of Alexis’s life since she was a kid.