A Central Oregon Wedding at Summer Lake Hot Springs

Amelia and John’s Central Oregon wedding was one of the highlights of my 2022 wedding season. They tied the knot at Summer Lake Hot Springs in Paisley, Oregon surrounded by their closes friends and family! I felt so honored to be enveloped in their loving, uplifting energy for the entire weekend. I hope you enjoy their photos as much as I enjoyed taking them!

Being around John, Amelia, and their families was such a gift. They were truly the most down to earth people, making me feel so comfortable and excited to document such a meaningful family event. Everyone’s energy during their wedding weekend created the most sincere, sacred, and fun-loving environment. All who were in attendance were just as excited as the bride and groom for them to start this new chapter in their lives. They treated their wedding as an intentional, one-in-a-lifetime celebratory occasion that none of them would forget!

Not only did their people make their day special, but the location they chose just added to the meaning of this event. Summer Lake was where Amelia and John said their first “I love you’s” to each other, so they wanted to return to the same place and declare their love in front of their friends and family. On the same note, A + J had an trailer named '“The Banquet” where they stayed during their first few months of living together. They decided they wanted to once again go back to the roots of their love and stay in The Banquet on their wedding night. I even got to take some causal photos of them in it on the day before their wedding!

Amelia and John’s Story

Amelia formally worked on a flower farm in Ashland, a place she called home for a period of time. While on a trip to Sisters, OR with her friend Hannah, she was introduced to John! During their wedding ceremony, their officiant and Amelia’s sibling, Jae, mentioned how the first thing that stuck out to John when they met was Amelia’s hands. He was drawn to her creativity and how her hands created so much beauty in the world. Their wedding truly reflected that creativity from the flower arrangements Amelia made to the beautiful water colors and artwork she designed for their invitations. And it didn’t stop there; Amelia also knitted the same sweater she wore at their wedding dinner which was a perfect touch for when the sun goes down in Central Oregon and it becomes cold.

A few more beautiful personal details they incorporated: her grandmother’s fine china was used at the head table, and her aunt handmade their wedding rings. You can check out her business, Jennifer Dawes Designs, here!

An intentional day in the desert filled with friends & family

From start to finish, their Oregon desert wedding was filled with nothing but intention. While Amelia and her girls were getting ready, they scheduled in a time to sit together and reflect on just how meaningful this anticipated day was. It was probably one of the most peaceful getting ready processes I’ve ever witnessed! They discussed how everyone was feeling going into the day and the one word theme I noticed came up the most was “belonging.” They displayed such a beautiful example of community, as everyone felt as though they were meant to be there celebrating Amelia and John!

Right after their ceremony, the newlyweds danced down the aisle and then it quickly burst into joyful and celebratory hugs with everyone. You could tell how happy all of their people were to be present for such a momentous occasion with them; everyone was just buzzing with excitement! The rest of the day was spent celebrating the happy couple, from cocktail hour, to toasts, to dancing.

A special thank-you to the vendors that made their Central Oregon wedding everything that they dreamed of:

Ready to plan your Central Oregon wedding?

I would love to chat with you! If you’re looking for an Oregon wedding photographer, you can fill out my contact form and I’ll get back to you as soon as I can. In the meantime, you can check out another one of my favorite weddings in Bend, Oregon!