Christmas Wedding at The Victorian Belle Mansion | Portland, Oregon

Photography by Cambrae
Jul 3
4 min read

Shelby & Jose

A Christmas Wedding

I was thrilled to be chosen as the Portland wedding photographer for Shelby and Jose's Christmas wedding in Portland, OR.

Their Engagement Story

Shelby and Jose's journey began in Cincinnati, OH, where they met. After spending some time together, Jose decided it was time to propose.

He ordered an engagement ring online, and on the day it arrived, he was so exhausted that he accidentally fell asleep with the ring sitting on the kitchen table. When Shelby returned home, she got a sneak peek of the ring. Even though she had an inkling it was coming, she was still overwhelmed with joy when he proposed on New Year’s Eve, and of course, she said yes! Later, when Jose landed an exciting new job, the couple moved to Texas, where he proposed once more. This time, it was a delightful surprise on Boca Chica Beach, creating a special core memory in their new home.

Originally, they had planned their wedding for December 2020 in Ohio, but as everyone knows, that year brought unexpected challenges. With family spread across both coasts, they decided to postpone the celebration.

The Wedding Planning Begins!

Fast forward four years, and with life more settled, they began planning anew. Thanks to Shelby’s grandmother, they found a Catholic church perfect for their holiday wedding, now set to take place in Portland, OR. They also chose The Victorian Belle for their reception, reminding them of their original venue.

Opting out of a traditional wedding party, Shelby and Jose still invited friends to join them during the getting-ready process. Shelby and her friends gathered at The Sentinel, which also served as the couple's hotel for their wedding night.

The Wedding Day

The intimate ceremony took place at St. John Fisher, a Catholic church in Portland, OR. Their officiant, Father Richard, came out of retirement to officiate their special day.

After the ceremony, it was off to The Victorian Belle in a stylish wedding getaway car – a sleek grey Lamborghini GTR, certainly a memorable exit!

Upon arriving at the Victorian Belle, guests enjoyed a delightful dinner prepared by their talented chef. The menu featured seared salmon, marinated chicken with roasted potatoes, and a delicious cannellini bean salad.

As always, I love listening to the toasts at weddings, as they reveal fun facts about the couple. Jose's brother took over emceeing duties and did an excellent job encouraging several guests to share their well wishes. He even managed to get all four parents to come up together for a toast.

One of Shelby's greatest excitements, aside from marrying Jose, was her wedding cake. Crafted by Kyra's Bake Shop, the cake was covered with fresh Christmas flowers and filled with delightful layers! The top layer featured red velvet cake, with alternating layers of white chocolate ganache and cream cheese frosting. The bottom layer was a vanilla ginger cake, filled with marionberry jam and hazelnut buttercream.

Once the cake was enjoyed, it was time to hit the dance floor. Shelby and Jose kicked off the festivities with their first dance as a married couple, swaying to the timeless classic, "The Way You Look Tonight" by Frank Sinatra. Shelby then shared a dance with her father to Rod Stewart’s "Forever Young," followed by Jose and his mother dancing to Marco Antonio Solis’s "Te Amo Mama." After these heartfelt moments, friends and family joined in to officially open the dance floor for celebration.

What They Had to Say

After the wedding, Jose and Shelby were kind enough to leave reviews about their experience working with me, this is what they had to say:

"Cambrae was an excellent choice for our destination Portland wedding. We had a short two month window to plan and are Texas residents. Cambrae reassured and worked with us leading up to the big day via zoom or email. Cambrae was detail oriented and pleasant with us and all of our guests. She captured treasured moments that we will never forget. Would highly recommend her expertise and just a wonderful demeanor to have on your big day!" - Jose

"Cambrae is a talented and seasoned professional! We only had two months to plan our Portland destination wedding as Texas residents. Cambrae was flexible and professional, putting us at ease. We had not met until the day of the wedding, planning the details via zoom. On the big day she seamlessly moved about the ceremony and reception capturing special moments with our special guests. Shes given us helpful hints along the way but allows for us to have agency in the final decision. She was a delight to work with!" - Shelby