Category Archives: Wedding related

Wedding stories from Seattle and Portland photographer Tor Clausen.

Vashon Island – September

People came from afar to witness to vows of these two young lovers in the shade of the groom’s family forest. Vashon is only a few miles from Seattle, but its really a world away. Everything is slower – cell phones are nearly useless, the roads wind on forever and the ferry makes you feel like you are traveling to a far away island nation, which in ways you are. The couple had me photograph their engagement photos earlier in the summer and chose to have 7 hours of coverage for the wedding day. I arrived early to think about locations and meet to the wedding coordinator. The guests were treated to a cocktail hour in the rose garden and a full 10 member band. The moon shone brightly as people danced in the warmth of one of the summer’s last  nights.

torstudios shoots black and white

flower girls shot in black and white by portland photographer tor clausen

vashon island

groom and his good people in suits

bridesmaid

bridal photography of tor clausenbride shot inside with a long lens

bridal pictures taken by tor clausen

wedding cards placed in wheat grass

groomsmen photographed by torstudios

seattle wedding photographer tor clausen of torstudioswedding pictures on the seattle island of vashon

wedding couple being photographed by a guest

wedding photography by tor clausen of Portland, oregon
bridal photography by tor clausenbridesmaid in the sun photographed by torstudios

wedding couple photographed by torstudioswedding couple in seattle washington

wedding flowers on vashon island

wedding photographer torstudiosceremony photography by torstudios

bride and groom in the barn

getting ready for the toast!

wedding cake with flowers photographed by torstudios

wedding photography by the evening light…

horse carriage with wedding party

elegant woman preparing for the weddingwedding photography by tor clausen

great smiles of a vashon weddingwedding toast on vashon island

the couple’s first dance, shot by torstudios

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A small affair ~

Daughters, Sisters, Granddaughters ~ its all relative… I hope these pictures show how lovely these people are, and what a wonderful day it was.

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St. Paul’s Church in Port Gamble, WA

I rarely get the opportunity to photograph a wedding completely in black & white, and for it to work, the event needs to be wonderfully elegant without indicators of what year it is. This wedding in Port Gamble was just that. The bride’s dress was stunning and the groom was classically dashing, poised in front of a small church right out of a Norman Rockwell painting. All photographs I take can either be color or b & w, so I did choose to leave a few bright colorful images in the mix because they were impossible to strip of their color. It was the type of wedding that makes a photographer look very very good.

wedding photos by tor clausenwedding photographer in portland oregon

st paul’s church in port gamble

saint paul church in port gamblemusic is the bread of life

purple rose in portland oregon photographed by tor clausen

cool note by the reception table

portland wedding photographercouple in saint paul’s church in port gamble

groom and son in port gamble

seattle photographer tor clausen

bride photographed by tor clausenweddings by torstudios

cool portrait in port gamblebride and groom by tor clausen

bride photographed by barn in port gamblebride photographed by tor clausen

port gamble portland wedding photographer

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A wedding at the farmhouse…

I was hired for five exciting hours of song, dance and celebration. What wedding is complete without a
10 person Mariachi band serenading the bride and groom as they take their first steps down the aisle
(Mariachi Ayutla). If that wasn’t enough, the night bloomed into dance with the band Jimador Norteno. People
came from afar to be at there on a beautiful late September Saturday. Everyone was gorgeous ~

a band at the wedding, it was amazing

portland seattle wedding photographer tor clausen shoots a mariachi band!

these wonderful flower girls were adorable

the groom and his sister…the bride photographed by torstudios of portland

very cool outfitsamazing musicians shot by tor clausen

the wedding band in seattle washington

window playing at a wedding in seattle

lets cut the cake~

amazing dancers at a wedding in seattle

swinging into the night

the great men of seattle

the groom being lifted up by his friends and family

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Holy Hill, Wisconsin with Jaysun Speith

I flew out to Milwaukee and met up with Jaysun who was just returning from a shoot in Paris. He and Jos run
the photographers” out of Portland Oregon. After a warm rainy rehearsal dinner Friday night, we all were able
to enjoy a rain-free wedding day, complete with outdoor frolicking. (Jaysun is the good looking fellow in the fedora)

bridal party photographed by portland photographer tor clausen

wedding photography, travel photographergirls in a wedding in Milwaukee WI

inside the church by torstudios

wedding photography by tor clausen

bride on the beach

running bride and groom

two great guys!flower girl shot by tor clausen

wedding flowers photographer by torstudios

people waiting for the ceremony to begin…

Bridal party waiting before the ceremony

barn doors with jaysunbarn doors

jaysun speith of the photographers

wedding photographer

men waiting for the ceremony

classic wedding first dance

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Miller Brothers Farm, Salem OR

The west coast is such an amazing place. Take this couple for instance. Many generations away from their
European roots, they are constantly working to build tradition and ceremony back into their lives and the
lives of many around them. Active participants in the Portland art scene, the bride as a professional dancer
and the groom as an installation artist – their wedding became somewhat of an art festival, a la Burningman,
which they attend along with many of their close friends. I was there for three days covering the events as
they unfolded. My dream is that people can get some feel of this event from my work here, as I was
completely entranced by depth of this ceremony. See all the photos at the password protected site here.

a ceremonial dome in the forest, amazing.

At the wedding, a pig was roasted, made for some good photography

The farm provided an amazing place for this event.

this was the fire roasting the pig~

a surprise dance by wonderful friends in Portland

there was a large shelter where the evenings reception was held.

Wedding photography by Tor Clausen of TorStudios

All of the women in the ceremony…

The bride getting ready in the women’s tentthe guests were very sharp dressers

Sunset on a farm with the bride and groom

groom photographed by portland photographer torstudiosVery Beautiful bride indeed~

the sunset was perfect for this shot…

The evening’s priestess with flame.There was next to no light for photography, but this was the amazing honey lady…

A poet and his mate

enthusiasm is infectious ~

wedding dance of father and bride by torstudios

portland wedding guest at miller brothers farm

portland wedding photographer tor clausen

View all the photos at the password protected site: click here

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Katie & Slade ~ engagement photographs

portland engagement photo session

wedding couple in portland oregonwedding photographer engagement photos

wedding photographer in vashon Island near seattle washingtondancing with the photographers lens is a couple in Vashon Island

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Discovery & Woodland Parks ~ August Love

Architects by trade, ceremonial lovers by rainfall – this couple and their family experienced a photographers
dream scenario – amazing weather and willing participants. In a downpour, we all gathered in cars at discovery
park and with the grooms background in cloud whispering, we had become aware that it would soon stop, and
four of us headed up the trail to the old chapel. Soon the sun broke and the rest of the family followed. Everyone
was smiling from ear to ear. Raindrops are in many of the photographs if you look close. We all caravanned
to the Woodland Park Zoo and gathered in an enormous beech tree grove. The rain stopped for good and a
huge rainbow graced the evening. What a delightful day, what delightful people. I have been making little videos
of each wedding – feel free to view this one’s below.

wedding couple in the rain

seattle wedding couplegroom in discovery park

bridesmaid in the woodland park zoo

wedding couple of seattle….beautiful bride of seattle wonderfulness

wedding photography in the woodland park zoo

parents of the bride in the woodland park zoowedding couple in the seattle zoo

beech tree in the woodland park zoo

raining in seattle

bride in discover park

men being monkeys

rainbow in woodland park zoo

laurels in the zoo

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Bradley & Felicity – New Orleans

Not only did the guests wear wigs, but the dos were updated throughout the weekend, making the event a never
ending swirl of changing colorful characters. I have photographed weddings in the south, and a costumed wedding
here and there, but never both at the same time. New Orleans was a perfect setting for this, matching the
attendee’s sauciness with the city’s inherent love of individuality. The wedding extended over a few festive days,
and friends and family alike had smiles from ear to ear, day after day. As a side note, the grooms uncle made
the best meal I have ever had the honor to savor in my 18 years of photographing weddings. It was that good.

Another “best of all time” award goes to the bride for pulling off the most fantastic prank on the groom. To provide
a bit of background for the prank, the groom is a professional actor specializing in physical humor. Read “clown”.
Everything was normal before he kissed the bride, but when he began to look around after the kiss….

 

There were numerous evenings where the friends would saunter out into the night, hitting different
establishments. One particular stop had a lounge singer and the group gathered around the piano man
as the groom sang a lyric altered Julio Iglesias tune.


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Mc Menamins Edgefield ~ Portland, OR

It happens, sometimes I attend weddings as a guest. My good friends John and Raney were married this May.
The Edgefield is expansive and pleased all involved. It didn’t hurt that the weather was a delight. Congrats you two!

portland oregon wedding photographergroom wedding photos

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