I was so excited to photograph this colorful wedding at Black Pearl on the Columbia in Washougal, Washington. Not only did the couple plan to incorporate lots of purple and other colors, but they also included a llama & an alpaca! Plus, Black Pearl is such a gorgeous venue that overlooks the Columbia River. What’s there to not be excited about?!

Colorful Wedding at Black Pearl on the Columbia

I actually started this day at the ceremony. The ceremony was held at St. Thomas Aquinas Catholic Church in Camas. The bride and groom saw each other for the first time as she walked down the aisle. During the ceremony, they included the Mexican traditions of the lasso and the harras which are both symbols of coming together as one. After the ceremony, we took family portraits outside, and then we headed to the reception venue. The couple had some private downtime during cocktail hour, while I photographed details and guests arriving.

Wedding Llama & Alpaca

The wedding llama & alpaca were in place to greet guests as they arrived for the cocktail hour. Everyone enjoyed getting to feed them carrots and have their photos taken with them. When it was finally time to announce the couple to the party, the camelids walked up a flight of stairs to greet them in the reception space!

After dinner, we took some portraits of the couple outside and then headed upstairs for the party! They had the most epic money dance I’ve ever photographed, which was a lot of fun. They also had the most epic dessert bar I’ve ever seen! I’ve seen some yummy and gorgeous dessert bars, but I think what made this one stand out was the variety of treats. There were both traditional American desserts as well as some fun traditional Mexican desserts. We took a few more portraits of the couple outside closer to sunset, and then the bride tossed her bouquet.

The Vendors:

Ceremony Venue – St. Thomas Aquinas Catholic Church

Reception Venue – Black Pearl on the Columbia

Photography – Crystal Genes Photography

Planner – Periwinkle Events NW, LLC.

Hair – Galina Nikora

Makeup – Marissa Annbray

Catering & Cheesecakes – The Smokin’ Oak Barbeque

Desserts – Sandra’s Desserts

Llama & Alpaca – Classy Camelids aka Wedding Llamas

DJ – Chaz | John Ross Music

Bartender – Portland Bartender Express

Wedding Dress – Casablanca Bridal via Beyond The Veil Bridal

Groom’s Suit – Mens Wearhouse

Groom’s Shoes – Taft

Bride’s Necklace – Foofy’s Emporium

Wedding Rings – Rand Jeweler