I’ve said it before, and I’ll say it again, photoshoots are one of the most empowering things you can do for yourself. Since I have my wedding coming up, it was perfect practice to run around in the mountains in a wedding dress. Last year I contacted BHLDN about offering me a wedding dress for our 2021 wedding. I thought it was a shot in the dark. To my surprise, they said yes AND asked me to model two of their spring line dresses. ME?! The best part, I was able to coordinate this photoshoot with fellow creatives:
Running Wild Studio, Brooke and Sanne are amazing photographers and friends. My friend Megan of Freckled Fleurs  did the flowers, and my friend Tree of Tree Myriah sent me with her earrings and necklaces.

Since it was for a spring line, we had to find a place where the sun would 100% be shining. Sanne and Brooke choose the Painted Hills and Smith Rock State Park. If you notice the goosebumps, it was cold. For sunrise it was 20 degrees and I constantly had to attempt to stay warm.

When we started planning our wedding, COVID hadn’t hit us yet. Since then I have now been coined “COVID BRIDE”, le sigh. It has been a challenging time of deciding if we should cancel our wedding or go for it. Safety of friends and family is our top priority. We have been so thankful for the timing of the vaccine, as most guests who want it by then will be protected. I will cover more post wedding day but we came up with mask and social distancing ideas for guests to feel as comfortable as possible.

Prior to this photoshoot I had never visited the Painted Hills, which is one of the Seven Wonders of Oregon. For this set I wore Wtoo by Watters Vielle Gown. To be honest I was a little nervous about modeling a wedding dress for such a big brand. Will it fit? Will I feel confident? Will it turn out okay? All the thoughts a bride has before her wedding day I suppose-so this really warmed me up. Spending time in front and behind the camera myself gave me that extra push and I totally felt awesome! Plus, Brooke and Sanne are the best at hyping their customers up and making them feel confident.

For sunrise in the Painted Hills there are numerous places to take photos. We chose the infamous boardwalk first, which really made the white pop against the beautiful red rocks. Depending on rainfall and lighting, the colors of the rocks will be unique to your visit. Next we headed up to the overlook to see the place from above. It was magnificent! The best part about getting up at 4am from Bend was we didn’t have to fight for space for photos, we only saw two other people on the overlook while we were taking photos. Plus, it was still on the verge of winter so guests will be limited.

Camping is not allowed out here, so prepare prior to coming this early!

Our second location was Smith Rock State park outside of Bend. I went back to my friends in Bend, napped, and got ready again for golden hour. It was still COLD at Smith Rock, but the sun was shining. When visiting Smith Rock prepare to pay a $5 parking fee with a credit card only. If you’re here taking photos it’s almost guaranteed you won’t be the only ones. We saw multiple couples and creaties out doing photoshoots. The good thing about Smith Rock is there isn’t a bad place, almost from every angle there is going to be a gorgeous shot, just a short walk from the parking lot.

If your looking for a vista, I encourage you to hike the Misery Ridge trail-and do the loop back to the parking lot if you have time. This show unique parts of Smith Rock that you cannot see from the parking lot side.

I love that Brooke brought this mirror. Small props like this are a great way to get creative and ad unique flair to your photos.

For this photoshoot I am wearing the Watters Quinley Gown. This dress is adorned with stunning lace, and a corset to hold you in tight. The off the shoulder is so sexy and cute, and the train is just SWOON!

We had an hour of golden light before the light dipped beyond the mountains, we ran around to a few locations just steps from the parking lot!

Looking forward to my special day this summer, stay tuned for my blog on that post wedding.

xx,

Logan