I recently photographed this intimate Oregon Wine Country Indian Wedding in Cornelius, OR. It was such a beautiful location and day. These two were all set to be married with a huge celebration in India back in April. Of course, COVID had other plans and they decided to get married in Oregon instead. The groom, who lives in Minnesota, as well as several other friends and family, drove from all over the United States to be there for the special day.

Oregon Wine Country Indian Wedding

There are many amazing wedding venues in Oregon Wine Country. But did you know that you can often find hidden gems that make great venues on websites like AirBnB and VRBO? Especially when hosting a more intimate wedding, there are often lots of options for renting gorgeous private residences.

That’s what this couple decided to do! They booked this beautiful home in Cornelius that overlooks rolling hills in one direction and mountain views in another. There was enough space for 10 guests to stay on site overnight, and they had permission to invite more guests for the actual event day. Two of the closest wineries to the property are less than a 10 minute drive, and there are many more within a 30 minute drive! Both Dion Vineyard and Ardiri Winery are minutes away.

Photographing A Wedding During A Pandemic

This was the first wedding I’ve photographed since the Pandemic began. The last wedding I photographed took place a day before the stay-home orders began. I was curious to see how it would look and feel. Other than being a minimized version of a typical wedding, not much looked or felt different! The biggest issue I discovered was that it’s nearly impossible to wear a mask and simultaneously see through the camera. (The fogging of the viewfinder was insane! Pair that with also wearing glasses, eek! I definitely need to research ways to eliminate this issue… anyone have any tips for me?). It definitely took a bit more patience and tenacity for each shot, as opposed to my usual quick and spontaneous flow!

Otherwise, the day was full of love and excitement and not much felt any different than normal! I started the day with some photos of the bride getting ready, and then the groom. We did some separate portraits of each of them since they aren’t allowed to see each other before the ceremony. And then there was the traditional Baraat, in which the groom arrives to the event with friends and family. It often includes music and dancing. Following the Baraat was the ceremony. Afterwards the couple cut a cake and we took some portraits of them together around the property. Congrats to these newlyweds!