Black Butte Wedding Sisters | Rachel + Shawn

As far as views go- Black Butte Ranch is of my favorite venues to shoot a wedding at. Mountains can sometimes photograph far away but at Black Butte they are impossible to miss. Even better, there is a huge meadow and pond in the foreground and sometimes even some horses meandering nearby. I can’t think of a better view anywhere near Sisters.

When I first spoke to Rachel and Shawn they both spoke of their love of science. Specifically, Rachel was studying a a specific type of small shark and Shawn is an Enviromental Scientist. When we first spoke they were living in Monterey but they were planning their move back to the Pacific Northwest and Rachel would do her PHD. They met freshman year at University of Oregon in a chemistry class and were friends for years before they decided to date. The Cascade mountains are their favorite place to go so they wanted the mountains to be a big part of the wedding. They picked Black Butte in Sisters to have a full weekend wedding with their 120 guests.

Rachel and Shawn incorporated several family traditions into their ceremony. They had a sage burning and giving of a blanket to done by Shawn’s native American aunts/uncles to honor his heritage. Rachels side also had a the jewish smashing of a cup to honor her Jewish roots along with an Irish prayer. They truly made their wedding their own!

My best advice for a Black Butte Ranch Wedding:

Pick your getting ready space wisely! The getting ready space at Black Butte has great light but some of the cabins can be hit or miss. Rachel got ready in a modern cabins that had the grate windows and I love how it turned out.
Take time for sunset photos! We ventured around the pond just as the sun was setting to get the best photos of the day. Rachel and Shawn were both on the fence about taking the time for these but it was such a good moment for them to refocus on each other and take a moment to take in the mountains they had wanted to be part of their wedding!
Make a whole wedding weekend! There are truly an endless amount of activities for your guests to enjoy at Black Butte Ranch. From hiking and horseback riding to golfing and tennis to hiking. They even have an onsite spa and several swimming pools. The ranch is very large so if you can- try and get cabins close to your friends/family.
Have the ravioli at your wedding.
Sisters has tons of places to offer if you’re looking to venture out. I highly recommend stopping in at Sisters Bakery

One of my favorite elements were the botanical themed table markers Rachel painted highlighting native plants. These two are very artistic scientists.

Looking for a wedding photographer for your Black Butte wedding? I would LOVE to chat!