Fritz Photography wins Bride's Choice Award at WeddingWire!

WeddingWire, the nation’s leading wedding technology company, just announced that Fritz Photography has won the 2009 Bride’s Choice Awards™ for Portland, Oregon Wedding Photography!

In its inaugural year, the Bride’s Choice Awards recognizes and honors vendors from the WeddingWire Network that demonstrate excellent quality of service, responsiveness, professionalism, value of cost and flexibility. This year’s recipients represent the top three percent of WeddingWire’s vendor community, which includes over 100,000 wedding vendors from across the US. That means Fritz Photography is one of the very best Wedding Photographers in the Portland, Oregon area!

Unlike other awards in which winners are selected by the company, the Bride’s Choice Awards are determined exclusively by recent newlyweds through surveys and reviews.

“We are excited to launch this annual award program to honor high-performing vendors based solely on the experiences of our WeddingWire community,” according to Timothy Chi, WeddingWire’s Chief Executive Officer. “This year’s recipients have set the bar high, exhibiting excellent service and expertise in the wedding industry.”

I would like to thank our past wedding photography clients for speaking on our behalf and helping us win the 2009 Bride’s Choice Award! If you are a past wedding client of FritzPhoto, and would like to leave us a review, please do so here at WeddingWire.

The Fire Breathing Bride at Mt Hood Bed and Breakfast

Elizabeth Kirk used to work in the circus. Willie Smith works in politics. Similar enough professions, I suppose, that it's no surprise that they got together. And when they get together, boy to the sparks fly! Literally.

Willie and Beth's wedding, was perhaps the most fun event I have ever photographed. Here's the lineup:

-A goofy, fun-loving couple (for further proof, see their engagement portraits, at Oaks Park);
-One of my favorite outdoor wedding locations (Mt Hood Bed and Breakfast, in Parkdale, Oregon);
-Willie's bosses: Congressman Earl Blumenauer, Congresswoman Darlene Hooley, and Oregon Secretary of State Bill Bradbury, and their staffs and families;
-Willie and Beth's fun Cheez-Whiz loving families;
-A groomsman with the funniest toast in the history of weddings. I was laughing so hard I could hardly take a photograph;
-Hoola Hoops in abundance;
-Guests who are in theater, are good dancers, and real pranksters;
-And a jug full of kerosene.

Ah, yes, the infamous jug full of kerosene at the wedding trick. Never seen that one? Neither had I. It was spectacular. I couldn't stop chuckling to myself.

Oregon Secretary of State Bill Bradbury, Congressman Earl Blumenauer, Congresswoman Darlene Hooley, and Willie and Beth Smith.

Fritz Liedtke
http://www.fritzphoto.com/

Steve and Darla - McMenamins Cornelius Pass Roadhouse Wedding Photography

Steve Baliko is quite a guy. Two years ago, he dressed up as his favorite poet/author, Wendell Berry, to go to a costume party. This means he dressed up as a farmer, because that's what Wendell Berry is, overalls and all. In fact, Berry still farms with a mule team on his family's farm in Kentucky.

When Steve first told me this story, my ears perked up. Anytime you meet a Wendell Berry fan, you know you've met a brother (or sister). Berry writes novels (my favorite: Jayber Crow), short stories (Fidelity), the most insightful essays (Sex, Economy, Freedom, Community), and poetry (Collected Poems). He's written a wagonload of books, most of which I've read. In fact, before I ever met my eventually-wife Shannon, I had perused her bookshelf and discovered Wendell Berry. I was intrigued.

Well, Steve Baliko was intrigued when he met this girl at the costume party, because when asked to guess who he was, she said, "Wendell Berry?"

You can guess the rest.

They were married this past Saturday, and I had the privilege of being their Portland wedding photographer. Obviously, I go to a lot of weddings, but it's rare that I am as excited to see two people together as I was this weekend. What a gracious, real, joyful, beautiful couple. Darla glowed, and she made everyone around her glow, as well.



Steve's brothers tried to make him glow, also, but it wasn't quite the same:




This young lady is a sweetheart. I loved the way she gnawed at her apple. Check out those teeth.



We love being some of the most experienced McMenamin's Cornelius Pass Roadhouse wedding photographers!

My Protege, Olivia and Friends

You know all those plastic disposable cameras you see on tables at weddings and bar mitzvahs? Ever wonder what they're really for? Well, let me show you:








These photos were from Jamie and Dustin's wedding this past July. One of the children, Olivia, who happens to be the daughter of friends, decided she liked my racket. She began shadowing me as I worked the dance floor: she would hold up her disposable camera, crouch down beside me, pretend to fiddle with dials and buttons just as I was, and snap away.

I tell you this because, if you come by the studio soon and are greeted by a 5 year old with a plastic Kodak camera in hand, don't be surprised. Good help is hard to find.

But you can still find the best Portland wedding photographers at www.fritzphoto.com!

Sean and Quin and The Fire Truck

This past weekend I had the pleasure of photographing Sean and Quin's wedding, out in Laurel, at the base of Bald Peak, south of Hillsboro, Oregon. My wife grew up on top of Bald Peak, overlooking Gaston, so I know and love the area. The wedding was held at the Denfeld's orchards, and it was a beautiful (if hot) day.







Here's something I've never seen before: Sean is a volunteer firefighter. So his dad had this wild idea: While Sean's out fighting fires, Quin should have something to do as well. So I'll buy Quin...her own fire engine! And that's exactly what he did. He gave it to them that night, and it was something else. These guys looked like kids in a candy store:



We love photographing weddings in the Portland, Oregon area, in the city and in the country. Especially outdoors! We especially love being Hillsboro wedding photographers!

Kate and Keith in the Melon Patch

Yesterday, which was a Thursday, I managed to photograph a wedding ceremony, all the family and wedding party photos, and a sweet suite of bride and groom portraits in a single hour. Not only that, but I took my first portraits in a melon patch at the garden of McMenamin's Edgefield.

As some of the most experienced Portland wedding photographers, we would love to photograph your wedding!

Andrew Hoover and Tina Gonzaga's Portland Wedding

This past weekend we had the privilege of photographing Tina and Andrew's Portland wedding. They were married in what I discovered is the most photogenic Catholic cathedral in Portland: St. Mary's Cathedral. 

We took some portraits at the Rose Gardens, and finished the day with an elegant reception at the Governor Hotel's Grand Ballroom. Andy and Tina were gracious hosts for this lovely day.

See more of the best Portland wedding photographers at www.fritzphoto.com!

Drew Carney and Mia Stevens' Portland Wedding Photography

This past weekend I had the privilege of photographing the wedding of Drew Carney and Mia Stevens. You may know Drew as the roving reporter on KPTV's Good Day Oregon, and now with KGW's Out and About. He and his beautiful bride Mia were married in downtown Portland, Oregon, where we photographed them at the Old Church, and the Benson Hotel's ballroom. A fun couple! Here are a few favorites.

This first candid shot I find hilarious. I didn't even remember shooting a frame with the older gentleman peering at them:









Want to see more photographs from our award-winning Portland wedding photographers?  Visit our website at www.fritzphoto.com!

Podlesnik-Albrecht Wedding Photography at Riverplace Hotel

This past weekend we photographed Jack and Allison's wedding at the Riverplace Hotel in Portland, on the waterfront. Lovely day, and the bride and groom were great. Jack's easygoing and sweet, Allison is fun and super expressive.

Some favorite wedding photographs:

A little trouble opening the champagne....



Some portraits on the Willamette River beach, in spite of 3-inch heels:



Some ceremony fun:
The reception...


I didn't know this at the time, but one of Allison's cousins is Katee Sackhoff, who plays Starbuck on Battlestar Galactica. She was a bridesmaid, in fact. A couple photos of her having fun:

And some of the nicer detail shots ever:




Wedding photography can be a lot of fun, especially when the destination is as beautiful as this, the people are fun to work with, and the light is beautiful. Portland and the surrounding area is a great place for weddings, and photography. I'm blessed.

View more of the work of some of the best Portland Wedding Photographers on our website!