Studio Grand Opening • The Light Room PDX • Portland Styled Shootout

In January, I welcomed the opportunity to be involved in a local studio's grand opening. The Light Room PDX is a natural light studio in Portland's historic Ford Building. Owners, MacCoy & Dallas Merkley, are accomplished wedding professionals in the Portland community; MacCoy is a photographer & Dallas is a hair & makeup artist. Upon our first meeting, we knew we wanted to work together right away as they are both extremely friendly and easy to get along with.

We quickly began assembling our team. We wanted to make an impression on the community, and the vendors involved certainly achieved that. Katie Davis from Ponderosa & Thyme graciously agreed to be our florist, and her vision for a hanging floral installation set the standard & direction for the overall vision we had for the event. Andi Allison from Old City Mailroom was the genius behind all of the paper goods provided for the event. Her attention to detail was evident throughout the invitation suite to the welcome sign she put together. Alisha Tkach from For the Love of Floral provided the styling ribbon for the flat lay station which complemented Andi's invitation suite perfectly. Carolyn Lembke from Next Door Desserts wowed us all with her gorgeous wedding cake & macarons. (We were lucky enough to devour them after the event.) Local bridal shop, a & be, allowed us to borrow a gown, and Anna Caroom modeled it flawlessly. Austie Eckley's bridal accessories, along with Dallas' stunning hair & makeup skills were the finishing touches that brought Anna's look all together. I was able to style a whimsical tablescape, highlighting the color of fruit, using Classic Vintage Rental's beautiful furniture and tabletop pieces.

At 11am, on Sunday, January 15th, we opened the doors and photographers from all over our community flooded in. We were able to chat, laugh, sip on mimosas, and get to know so many new people in the Portland area. It was great because, in addition to this event being a live styled shoot, it provided a low-pressure networking environment for all of those who participated.