Char Marl Photography

Char Marl Photography Intimate wedding, elopement and engagement photographer based in Portland, Oregon.

I am a 29-year-old spirited wedding and portrait photographer passionate about capturing and celebrating real connection between people. I first discovered my love for relationships and weddings in 2013 in California, and have since carried that passion into my current home in Portland, OR where I now focus on creating art in both intimate and grand spaces within the Pacific Northwest. Meeting and connecting with clients in person is one of my joys — I will always treat you to coffee!

🥂 Let’s talk about toasts 🥂 Planning tip: Give your guests a time limit for their toasts!When you have a lot of folks gi...
05/16/2024

🥂 Let’s talk about toasts 🥂

Planning tip: Give your guests a time limit for their toasts!

When you have a lot of folks giving speeches without a time limit, it can often drag out into the night, potentially cutting into golden hour portraits or causing the dance floor to open later than planned.

But don’t worry! Limited time does not mean speeches will be any less special — just means they’ll choose their most meaningful words and thoughts 🫶🏽

Writing it out beforehand also gives speakers a reference point in case any excitement or nervousness overtakes them in the moment (which is totally normal). Prevents long tangents, too, because not everyone can successfully wing it on public speaking (a SKILL)

We’ve all been to at least one wedding where speeches didn’t have a time limit and went a little too long… 🤭 Not the case for Spencer and Ariana’s day!

It’s all the little details in the wedding prep work that make the difference for a smoother wedding day; I always include timeline building and all these little tried-and-true nuggets of advice for the day.

Loved these photos from Spencer & Ariana’s reception 🤍

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Phoebe and Zach. 🤍 Picking top favorite photos from galleries always feels impossible. But here are some of my faves jus...
05/06/2024

Phoebe and Zach. 🤍 Picking top favorite photos from galleries always feels impossible. But here are some of my faves just up to end of ceremony!

One thing that made Phoebe and Zach’s day extra special was opting for private vows before the bulk of the day. I love when couples do this because it gives them an intimate and quiet time together away from the crowds before partying with guests for the rest of the day; especially getting to state these promises to each other first before anyone else hears it. As a photographer, I always love giving couples space for these moments.

Then, the party is after 😌👏🏽

Have you ever considered private vows for your wedding day? 💍

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Coordinator ||
Photo ||
2nd Shooter || Alissa Guinta
Morning Venue || Chateau de Lis
Wedding Venue ||
Florals ||
Makeup ||
Hair ||
Rentals ||
Food/Catering ||
Desserts ||
Cake ||
Calligraphy ||
DJ ||
Performers ||
Strings ||
Officiant ||

Still thinking about Lisa and Michael’s sweet summer wedding. 🤍 And this is just a taste of it! Is it possible to post a...
05/03/2024

Still thinking about Lisa and Michael’s sweet summer wedding. 🤍 And this is just a taste of it! Is it possible to post an 800 photo gallery into one Instagram post?

Thank you forever .lpn and for being the best humans and the absolute most considering of the vendor team. I’ll never forget both of them on their wedding day!! constantly checking to see if all of us were doing okay, hydrated, eating, etc! Interactions like that are so permanent for our side of the industry. 🤍

It also helped to work with the dream team of the year ✨

Coordination ||
Photo ||
Video ||
Venue ||
Florals ||
MUAH || .co
Dessert ||
DJ ||
Rentals ||
Fits ||
Hotel ||
Photobooth ||

The giveaway may be over, but I still have something for those who didn’t win this time around 🤍📸 $100 OFF All Studio or...
04/28/2024

The giveaway may be over, but I still have something for those who didn’t win this time around 🤍

📸 $100 OFF All Studio or Standard Sessions (engagements, family, maternity, portrait)
💍 $300 OFF All 2024 + 2025 Wedding Packages
👋🏽 And an extra something for past clients/vendors who entered…

No promo code needed—just your username used to enter! Session packages and Wedding packages must be booked (contract/deposit completed) by the end of May to redeem discount. Flexible payment plans are always available to all. Sessions can also be gifted!

I’m so excited for this season and am so grateful for everyone who has been cheering me on, and all who are new here and connecting with my work. I hope this opens up opportunities to meet and work with so many more amazing people. 🤍

Congratulations again to (and .kostenko) on winning!! I am so so so thrilled to get to photograph y’all again 😭 I had another collage prepared for posting today but in honor of your win I had to come back to these photos 🤍

Sent off Wendy and Andy’s engagement 🫶🏽 These two flew up to Portland for their engagement shoot this winter… then the i...
04/24/2024

Sent off Wendy and Andy’s engagement 🫶🏽

These two flew up to Portland for their engagement shoot this winter… then the ice storm hit. 😭 We had to postpone and were forced to wait for better weather — it was worth it. 🤍 After finding out Latourell Falls is temporarily closed (FYI!) we ended up shooting at Horsetail Falls, a beautiful spot I always forget about. The special part was getting to bring them to Oneonta Tunnel, which is a precious spot for me (it’s where my husband proposed to me — maybe I should share that story sometime!).

We had an early morning shoot, then we went over for a wedding venue tour with to get inspired together. The entire day felt like a sweet sneak peek to the big day 🤍

Monday reminder that Mother’s Day is approaching 💐 If you need an idea leading up to the day, family photoshoots are a g...
04/22/2024

Monday reminder that Mother’s Day is approaching 💐

If you need an idea leading up to the day, family photoshoots are a great gift for any mothers or mamas-to-be!

What are your favorite gifts to receive? 🤍

I’ve gotten some new followers and thought it’s a nice time to re-introduce my 2024 self 👋🏽- My name is Charmaine; I als...
04/20/2024

I’ve gotten some new followers and thought it’s a nice time to re-introduce my 2024 self 👋🏽

- My name is Charmaine; I also go by Char! It’s easier for baristas to write down 😂
- I’m a Filipino-American born in the Bay Area, raised in San Diego, planted in Portland, living in Oregon City operating through the PNW + SD.
- I’m 29, embracing the final year of my 20s, and am genuinely excited for my 30s.
- This year marks 10 YEARS of doing wedding photography!
- 7 years married to my husband, Austin, who is the kindest and most loving human. We have an an 8 y/o Beagle named Millie who is sassy and cuddly
- Last year, I checked something off the life bucketlist: travel to Japan! Gave me so much inspiration. (Also my 1st international trip)
- 2 years ago I started shooting film to document my life again. Film has helped me romanticize my life the way I get to do so for others all the time 🤍
- I’ll always choose salty snacks over sweet treats. Charcuterie boards over ice cream and chocolate tbh
- I still love craft coffee but I’ve actually gotten into quality matcha, with only hot water. I make a vanilla matcha latte every day for my husband. He’s lucky 😂
- I’m an INFJ. Even though I’m an introvert, I refuel when I know I’m around encouraging people who love and believe in me, which makes wedding days and photoshoots so energizing and precious to me.
- I have too many creative hobbies and often get overwhelmed wishing I could do them all every day 🎶🎨📚📝
- Been loving video games in the off-season. I just completed FFVII Rebirth recently. iykyk
- My hands-down favorite album in recent years is “Indigo” by RM — “Closer” is my favorite track 💜
- I have the biggest gummiest smile/laugh and it’s always been a sign I don’t hold back showing my joy 🫶🏽
- The best behind-camera compliments that really impact me: when my camera-shy clients tell me I made them feel comfortable and had fun, and when clients and guests come up to me on shoot days to tell me I look like I clearly love and enjoy doing what I do.

That’s probably enough to know me on a surface level. 🫶🏽 If you’ve made it this far, I look forward to getting to know or reconnect w you!

📸 PHOTOSHOOT GIVEAWAY! 📸I’m back on Instagram and celebrating the ramp up to the 2024 wedding season with a giveaway! Be...
04/17/2024

📸 PHOTOSHOOT GIVEAWAY! 📸

I’m back on Instagram and celebrating the ramp up to the 2024 wedding season with a giveaway! Been awhile since doing one of these 🫶🏽 Enter by Saturday, April 27 for a chance to win a Portrait, Family, or Couple/Engagement Session!

How to Enter:
- Like and save this post
- Tag your friends and loved ones in the comments below! (1 comment = 1 entry. Enter up to 5 times)
- Share this post to your stories for a bonus 5 entries (tag me so I can see it, or send screenshot if your account is private!)
- Giveaway ends Saturday, April 27th at 11:59pm. Winner drawn and announced on Sunday, April 28th.
- Additional Rules: must be 18 years old or older // not redeemable for cash value // non-transferable // dates are subject to availability // photoshoot location must be within 30 minutes of Portland (Oregon) metro // giveaway includes a 1-hour Standard Session, 40+ edited photos, 2 outfit changes

Good luck! 💕

Hi, all 👋🏽 It’s been awhile! I’m hopping back on social media this season to share about some upcoming things I’m workin...
04/15/2024

Hi, all 👋🏽 It’s been awhile! I’m hopping back on social media this season to share about some upcoming things I’m working on ✨

Since my last update, I’ve been able to photograph some incredible weddings, engagements, families, as well as work with some of the very best wedding vendors in the business! I’ve gathered so much inspiration from this past year and I look forward to finally sharing my recent work. (Seriously, there’s so much, it’s almost overwhelming 😭) I even have some new and fun ways to celebrate all the hard work, both recent and old—starting with something big coming up soon 👀 Keep your eyes peeled!

On a personal note, I’ve been quiet on here to focus on re-centering myself and my business, adjusting to life things, relishing my own marriage, and recalibrating how to give and outpour myself to you all and the people in my life in better ways! I’m always aiming to find that work-life balance better and better every year. It’s a journey I’m sure many of us can relate to. These days I’ve been reminded how rewarding and soul-filling what I do/offer is even when it stretches my capacity, and I’m holding onto that tightly, because I literally can’t imagine my life without photography.

I have more to share for another time, but for now, thank you from the bottom of my heart to the wonderful couples and families that I’ve been able to work with these days, in the past, and my 2024 couples. 🤍 I’m entering the Spring season with so much gratitude, refreshed joy and excitement for the upcoming photoshoots and weddings! My hope for social media is to continue to be in community with you while sharing what I love to do the most. Cheers to seeing you around on Instagram a little bit more!

Please feel free to reach out at my new contact email: [email protected] 💌👋🏽✨(Previous is still active for my active clients/vendors!)


Fur coats = best grand entrance ever Loved TJ & Erin’s wedding day. Sooo much fun that I couldn’t even successfully put ...
09/09/2022

Fur coats = best grand entrance ever

Loved TJ & Erin’s wedding day. Sooo much fun that I couldn’t even successfully put all the photos I wanted to put in this 10-slide post. Highlight? Erin and her dad danced to BTS 😌💜 Got me dancing the choreo behind camera 💃🏽

Love these two so much! TJ has been a close friend of ours for years and we were so happy when he found someone as equally amazing, kind, warm-hearted and wholesome as he is through Erin 🥹 Just a ball of sunshine in a human. Will never get over their celebration!

Venue ||
Bartender ||
Catering || .and.spread
DJ ||
Photo ||

Swipe to the end to see how and informed me that they picked me as their photographer 😂💕Can’t forget about this engage...
09/07/2022

Swipe to the end to see how and informed me that they picked me as their photographer 😂💕

Can’t forget about this engagement 🥰 We’re getting close to Kim and Austin’s fall wedding!

Congrats to Abby and Chris 🤍 Such a stunning day for the sweetest humans 🥰-=-=-=- Venue || .ousweddings Coordination |...
09/07/2022

Congrats to Abby and Chris 🤍 Such a stunning day for the sweetest humans 🥰

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Venue || .ousweddings
Coordination ||
Florals ||
Photography ||
Video ||
HMUA ||
Catering || The Islander
DJ || Perfect Memory Events
Drinks ||
Transportation ||
Dress ||

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Been awhile since posting here :) I promise I will get to posting everything I’ve been shooting in 2022!!! AHHH it’s been WILD I LOVE IT

🤍

Address

San Diego, CA

Telephone

+16199130002

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