Stargazer Weddings: 7.8.2011 ~ Perfectly Purple

I had the pleasure of meeting Jessi early on in the planning process for their July 2011 wedding. She knew exactly what she wanted, and I had so much fun helping her accomplish her vision. The wedding was held at the beautiful Log House Gardens in Keizer. She had a LOT of people who lovingly helped with numerous aspects of the wedding. Her aunt did an amazing job with the flowers, her uncle did the music and DJ'ing (Bret - and he was SO talented and SO hilarious), a family friend did the photography (Dan Belderrain), and an acquaintance (who just happened to be a judge) was their officiant! She got her dress from The Bridal Gallery in Salem, and I can never say enough great things about Angie and her team there!

I loved the whole day - from setting up all the tables and decor, to helping Jessi and Matt with their "first look," to the hilarious toasts (including the bride playing the harmonica)! One of my favorite things about this job is when the groom gets to see his bride for the very first time...so much anticipation, excitement, and butterflies. I remember asking Jessi, "are you ready, are you ready?!?!" (in a fun, you're about ready to see your HUSBAND kind of a way) and I LOVED seeing her light up - she WAS ready and she did NOT want to wait anymore to see him. They took full advantage of getting pictures taken all around the venue - and then it was time for the ceremony and reception!

Everyone loved the food from Pig Out BBQ (and the groom of course was happy to have BBQ) - and that gorgeous cake was from Haute Cakes and Confections. I really liked the added detail to the cake table of elevating the cake with clear "bricks" and laying a piece of glass on top, and adding some fun, colored fabric under the glass as well. One of the most important parts of the whole wedding to Jessi was the invitations. She couldn't find what she was looking for anywhere online for her "custom" invitations - so I put her in touch with Ashley of AEL Design to get true custom, one-of-a-kind invitations. After a few drafts, the perfect inviation and stationary theme was created! She even made individual menus for each place setting. They were gorgeous! The fun, clear, square plates (and other tableware) were from A to Z Party Rentals. And those stunning linens will all those colors and textures? Those came from Sue of SHE Designs. Jessi LOVED the color combination, and LOVED the various textures - and they worked SO well together for what Jessi had been dreaming of.

One of my favorite parts of this wedding was the custom handcuff cookies that Jessi had made (also by Haute Cakes) for each guest. If you know Jessi and Matt, you'll know how "fitting" these party favors were for them! The guests agreed - and I heard great things about those cookies all day! Another fun memory was during the reception, when the bride surprised us all with her serious harmonica skills! Jessi and Matt - thank you so much for welcoming us into your lives and letting us share in such a special day with you!

*I have a few assistants that work with me throughout the year - and for this particular wedding I had the pleasure of working with Brittany (my step-sister) who also owns 5th and 59th Photography. She snapped a few detail shots for me, and I LOVE them! Thank you!

The photo below is of Jessi and her sweet grandpa. Sadly, he fell ill on October 30th and passed away on November 6th. They were extremely close, and I'm so happy that he was able to share in Jessi and Matt's wedding in July. I remember "hanging out with grandpa" the day of the wedding, and he was one of the sweetest men I've met, and I could tell how much he loved Jessi. I'm happy that Jessi has this picture to remember this day, and her grandpa sharing it with her!