Stargazer Weddings

Oregon Bride Magazine Best of 2011

2012-01-27T18:25:00.000-08:00

Ok - this blog post is WAY overdue! You may have seen the great news on our Facebook page - but we wanted to write about it on here as well! This past summer we went up to Portland for the Oregon Bride Magazine's Best of 2011 award ceremony - and I'm SO honored to announce that Stargazer Weddings won in TWO categories! We won "Best Day-of-Coordinator" and "Best Planner" in the Willamette Valley! We truly worked with some amazing vendors and clients this past year, and I can not say thank you enough to everyone that voted! I can't express how much I appreciate all of the love and support over the years as Stargazer Weddings continues to grow!

We had a great time at the event, and I enjoyed hanging out with some of my favorite vendors - most of which were also honored that evening for being the "Best of 2011" or being in the top 3! To all my fellow vendors - congratulations, you deserve it! It was great to see all of your hard work over the year recognized and appreciated by clients and fellow vendors! I enjoyed working with you this past year, and am looking forward to working with you again during 2012!

I started this business because I truly have a passion for helping couples and their family, friends, and guests enjoy the wedding day stress free. You spend so much time planning, anticipating, and waiting for "your day" to get here - that everyone should be able to actually enjoy it - not be worrying about all the details! I did not have a coordinator at my own wedding - and it's the one thing I would have done differently! If you'd like to read all about how Stargazer Weddings got started or the meaning behind the name, click the highlighted links!

Time sure has flown by fast - and it's already time to vote for Oregon Bride Magazine's Best of 2012! If you think we're deserving of these awards again, please head over to Oregon Bride Magazine and VOTE! (Be sure to select the Willamette Valley ballot, and you need to vote in at least 6 categories for your vote to count. You're allowed to vote once per email address and voting closes March 1st). Again, thank you everyone for all of your support through the years - we're looking forward to our 2012 season and continuing to "let your details shine!"

Jon and D'Laura's Review ~ 6.18.2011

2012-01-24T20:40:00.000-08:00

"Ashley Lacer was an amazing wedding planner! She really listened to my vision for my wedding and helped me to find the right vendors for me.

Ashley was also considerate of my budget, which was really important to me and my finance. Ashley went above and beyond in the last couple of days before the wedding, including picking up the dance floor and my wedding dress! She was very helpful on the day to make sure things flowed smoothly and I didn't have to worry about a thing.

I would recommend her to any and every bride. Ashley's dedication to making your day special is incredible and, without her support, I wouldn't have had my perfect day. She is a special wedding planner and any bride would be lucky to have her!" ~ D'Laura

Photos by I and M Photography

6.18.2011 ~ Pretty in Pink

2012-01-21T22:00:00.000-08:00

This past June, D'Laura and Jon were married at St. Mary's Catholic Church in Albany. D'Laura started off the day by getting her hair and makeup done at The Retreat in Corvallis, and she looked beautiful! She found her stunning dress at Shirley's Fashions, and it couldn't have been more perfect for her! I know how important the dress was to her - and I was SO excited when she called me and told me she had found "the one." She sent me some pictures of her trying it on and I loved it! Denice of Distinctive Designs made the bouquets for all the ladies and the floral arrangements for the church - and they were stunning! I always love working with Denice - she really listens to the clients and provides the exact look they're looking for.

They kept the day traditional, waiting to see each other for the first time when she walked down the aisle. It was fun to watch the anticipation and excitement grow for the two of them - they couldn't wait for the ceremony to start so they could see each other and finally be married! Father Jack conducted a beautiful ceremony...but my favorite part? Jon sang for D'Laura and he has an AMAZING voice - it was so touching!

After the ceremony, the Maid of Honor and Best Man surprised the bride and groom with a limo to the reception! They were floored - they were NOT expecting that at all! It was sweet to see their friends pull off this surprise. The reception was held at the Alumni Center at Oregon State University. This was a great space that was a "clean slate" so you could really make it into exactly what you want. OSU Catering provided the food, and not only was it really yummy, but their staff was great to work with as well. Myriad Cake Design made the cake AND all those super cute truffles with their initials on them. I loved the unique "S" shape of the cake table - it was a great way to display all the tasty treats!

A family member put together the centerpieces, and a close friend of the groom did the DJ'ing. It was great to see D'Laura and Jon loved so much by their family and friends. The speeches were hilarious and one of my favorite pictures from the day is the one of them laughing during the Best Man's speech. Everyone had a great time at the reception and there was lots and lots of dancing! I learned that D'Laura and Jon have some serious dance moves - romantic "dip" and all.

Throughout the day Maalaea and Ian of I and M Photography were capturing all the special moments and little details. I always love getting to work with this team, and I love their photography! Although the rain was present here and there...the weather held out so they could get some great pictures of D'Laura and Jon outside of the Alumni Center. I had such a great time working with this couple and watching all of their planning come together. I've known D'Laura for a few years, and I'm SO happy for her and Jon! She couldn't have found a more perfect husband for her! Congrats again you two - and enjoy your New York adventure!

Love Story: D'Laura & Jon

2012-01-11T15:51:00.000-08:00

Our Story

I first saw Jon at Oregon State in 2004, during our first week as freshman. I thought he was really cute, which surprised me because I had never really been attracted to a red head before. A few weeks later, I was running down the stairs in Finley Hall to let my laundry out of the dryer when I slipped and fell into Jon’s arms. I was mortified and couldn’t do much more than stutter. Jon asked me if I was ok and then set me down and continued on his way. After that, we hung out a few more times during the school year and developed a friendship.

The next school year saw us both back in Finley and living on the same floor. I found that I really liked him and wanted to date him but didn’t know what to do about it. Jon, as it turned out, was in the same boat. We had planned to go with a couple friends to my parent’s house in Myrtle Creek to watch to Beaver football game and hang out. Apparently our friends knew something we didn’t and they canceled so it ended up that Jon and I were the only ones who went. We had a rather romantic weekend and, best of all, I found that Jon really liked my herd of goats! I knew then that he was my one and only. He asked me out when we got back to Corvallis and we’ve been inseparable ever since!

The Proposal

Jon and I had been talking about marriage for a couple of years and had been looking for an engagement ring that we both could love. We finally found it in my hometown. In December 2009, Jon went into the shop to talk pricing with the owner and I went down the ways to the mall to finish up Christmas shopping. Little did I know that Jon bought the ring right then and there. I thought he might propose on New Year’s Eve, but no such luck. I figured that he just hadn’t bought the ring yet.

About a week later, Jon was out at his tutoring job and I was home alone with the two cats, Jasmine and Shirpa. I went into Jon’s ‘man cave’ to work with the GRE prep program. I wanted to turn the TV on for background noise and went looking for the remote in Jon’s desk. I saw a velvet box and thought it was his Eagle Scout award. While continuing my search for the remote, I knocked the box out of the drawer and it popped open. Shirpa immediately jumped on the contents of the box and ran for it. I chased him all over the apartment and finally caught him in the living room. I pried open his mouth and out popped the engagement ring. I was stunned!

I quickly put it back in the box in the desk and tried to pretend that I didn’t see it. Of course, as soon as Jon came home I confessed to having found it. He laughed and said that it was ok. I thought he’d propose then but, again, no such luck. He said that I expected it and that ruined some of the fun of it, so not tonight. Three days later Jon asked me to help him in the office with setting up a game system. I did and found myself doing nothing. Then Jon pulled me onto his lap, held me, kissed, and then asked me to spend the rest of forever with him. I cried a bit, punched his shoulder, and said yes!

Photos by I and M Photography

Mike and Stacy's Review ~ 5.28.2011

2012-01-09T16:25:00.000-08:00

"Our wedding day was absolutely amazing!! From the wonderful vendors that we were blessed to work with to the seamless timeline of the days events, Ashley and Melissa made our perfect day come to life.

When my husband and I got engaged one of my first phone calls was to Ashley, my best friend, matron of honor, and go to person for all things wedding related. I think she was almost as excited as I was!! Her recommendations for vendors were always on point and never disappointed. She was there to help with anything and everything. I couldn't imagine our special day with out her :) Melissa was also fantastic to work with and took care of all of our "day-of" preparations. If there was a problem or mishap on our wedding day no one knew it because she was there taking care of everything.

They made it easy for my husband, myself, and both of our families to relax and just enjoy the day. They are great to work with and I couldn't thank them enough for all of their help!" ~ Stacy

Photo by 5th and 59th Photography

5.28.2011 ~ Pure Paradise

2012-01-07T21:48:00.001-08:00

This wedding is very dear to my heart - it was my best friend's wedding! I was SO honored to be Stacy's Matron of Honor and help with the wedding...it was SO much fun! The groom (Mike) is also a very close friend of my husband (yes, also named Mike) and me, so it was all around amazing! They might have met through us, but I give God all the credit! They definitely complete each other and I LOVE seeing them so in love! Okay, okay - about the wedding!

Where to begin!?! Let's start with the venue. Choosing where you get married is usually number one on the list of things to do when planning - and I was happy to be a part of this whole process with them. We spent a LOT of time going and visiting different venues...but the second we arrived at Paradise Springs it was obvious that this was the venue for them. No other venue before or after that would do...Paradise Springs it was! Talk about a truly breathtaking venue...from the moment you arrive you're in awe of how gorgeous it is. The romantic covered, lighted pathway to the ceremony and reception area...the stunning view from the gazebo...the serene pond and waterwheel...all the wood accents...and the reception hall? To die for. Not only is the venue itself amazing - but the family that runs it as well. Amy and her husband paid attention to every detail and made you feel like a part of their family. It honestly was one of the best venues I've ever had the pleasure of working with.

Another aspect I LOVE about this venue is that when you rent it, you get it for the ENTIRE weekend. PLUS they have a wonderful house that you can rent right next to the reception hall! We were all able to go to the rehearsal, have the rehearsal dinner on site, spend the night (they even have a hot tub), and start getting ready the next day without having to worry about traffic or getting there on time! Our day started with the talented ladies of Face Body Beauty. I've had the pleasure of working with them numerous times (including my own wedding) and they are flawless! They make you feel the way you should on your wedding day - radiant! It's also a fun, memorable time to get "dolled up" with all of you closest friends and family members...and the staff at Face Body Beauty fit right in and laugh along side you! You feel like you've known them for years!

The stunning dress was provided by The Bridal Gallery in Salem. Angie (the owner) will literally go to any length to make sure your dress is perfect for you! She cares for her brides more than I can express - and I LOVE sending my brides to her! The Bridal Gallery also provided the veil, hair accessories, bridesmaid dresses, and the tuxes for the guys! It was a one-stop-shop with impeccable service and quality! Shopping for the dress was a total blast - and let me tell you...when you "know"...you know! Once she put "her" dress on - it was like the venue - she just knew it was the one.

Now, on a personal note...the "getting ready" part of the day was really meaningful to me. Watching the excitement on Stacy's face (I could hear it in her voice too) was priceless. So many things had led to this day, this moment...and I couldn't WAIT for her to see her groom for the first time. One of the most important things for Stacy was that "first moment" that Mike would see her. And let me tell you what - she was STUNNING! Every time I look at these pictures I can't help but smile. I remember walking with her to help her with her dress...and then "letting go" so she could walk to her groom, her best friend, her soon to be husband. I'm pretty sure she literally took his breathe away. Mike sure is one lucky man!

During all of these events, Brittany of 5th and 59th Photography was right by our side, documenting all the special moments. She truly has an eye for "catching the moment" as well as making sure to catch all the little details along the way as well. Her pictures speak for themselves! Not only does she have amazing talent, but she's really easy to work with as well!

Now, I'm a pretty sentimental person for those of you that know me...and the ceremony was one of the most heartfelt and sincere ceremonies I've ever heard. I shed a tear a time or two...the first was when Stacy and her father walked through the glass double doors of the reception hall to begin her walk down the aisle. As I mentioned before, she was simply stunning. She instantly made eye contact with Mike...and their eyes were locked on each other the whole time (with the biggest smiles I'd ever seen)! I was bursting with overwhelming joy for Stacy and Mike! When it came time for the vows, Mike had written a special vow to their (at the time) 16 month old son. I don't think there was a dry eye in the house (I know mine weren't)! The rings were exchanged, the "I do's" were said, and now it was time to party!

After the ceremony, the guests entered the reception hall and found their name on a cut-out leaf (all made by an amazing bridesmaid) that corresponded to a specific table. The table linens were provided by SHE Designs in Salem. She has great quality rentals and makes the whole process a breeze by separating all linens by table instead of size...it makes setting up much easier! Stacy really loved the "pin-tuck" look - and so did I! I love something different, and it looked so elegant and really pulled together the whole look she was going for.

As a wedding favor, Mike and Stacy had ordered crayons from Twigs and More - but they weren't just any crayons! They were made out of little twigs! They were a HUGE hit with the guests - they were such a hit that there wasn't a SINGLE ONE left at the end of the night. I loved this unique, fun favor! All of the centerpieces were filled with espresso beans - which provided a rich brown color and a great aroma!

A VERY talented family friend, Collin, did all of the flowers! He definitely went above and beyond and the colors were perfect! Our Daily Bread did the catering and it was yummy! It was my first time working with them, and I was impressed! They always made sure the food was stocked and were very attentive to the details. Music and announcing was by BMAC Productions, yet another great vendor I had the pleasure of working with for the first time! Everything was announced on time, names were pronounced correctly, and music always started at the right time with perfect transition.

And that gorgeous cake? That was made by the talented team at Haute Cakes and Confections. And yes, it tasted as good as it looks! One of my favorite parts of the whole day was the special "groom's cake" that Stacy had made for Mike. If you couldn't tell...he's a firefighter / paramedic...and Haute Cakes did an AMAZING job of making a 3D fire truck! It was made even more special because Mike had NO idea about this...we all cleared the reception room so Stacy could surprise him with it - he was stunned! I love, love sweet moments like this!

This wedding was SO spectacular, that it even got published on an online wedding inspiration blog, Le Magnifique! I'm a huge fan of this blog - there's giveaways, photos, and all things wedding! The blog is always posting new things for all styles! Here's their writeup about Mike and Stacy's wedding!

I was pretty busy this day...so I wanted to give a huge thank you to Melissa, who ran most of the "day of" coordination for me so I could be by Stacy's side and soak in all the memories of the day with her. I could look at these pictures again, and again, and again...and never get tired of looking at them - there are endless amazing memories from the day! I could probably write a blog twice as long too, going over all the memories! Mike and Stacy - "my Mike" and I couldn't be happier for you and we're honored to be a part of sharing in so many parts of not only your wedding, but in your lives as well. We have lots, lots more memories to make in the future! We love you!

Vaudeville Photo Shoot

2011-12-30T18:35:00.000-08:00

Every year we try to do at least one styled shoot - and 2011 was one BUSY year (our busiest yet) - so we partnered up with Bunn Salarzon to do a simple "mini" styled shoot! I loved going through the images (I especially loved the popcorn)! Melissa was the front runner for Stargazer Weddings on this one, and here is what she had to say about the shoot:

"Bunn Salarzon was amazing to work with. She was very clear about what she was looking for, which is great when working with a photographer. She had vision for the poses she took and had great communication with the models. The make-up artists from Viva La Glam were ideal. They were able to put together exactly what I had envisioned, which was the finger waves in the hair and dramatic make-up that was a modern twist to the theatrical vaudeville times.

The Governor Hotel was a great venue to work with and had amazing backdrops for the shoot. The shoot was specifically done in "The Library Room," and the exaggerated fireplace helped add to the dramatic feeling we were trying to capture.

One of my highlights was working with Jade Rose Designs for the hair piece - she gathered the information and vision that Bunn gave her and went with it. It ended up so beautiful and tied together the entire styling of the model. The flowers were provided by Denice of Distinctive Designs, who is always a pleasure to work with. We've worked with her numerous times, her quality is consistent, and our brides LOVE her! The photos, as you can see, turned out great! Thanks Bunn for the opportunity to work with you on this fun project!"

Changes for 2012

2011-10-26T14:00:00.000-07:00

There are going to be some changes in the upcoming year - and we wanted you to know about them! My husband and I are expecting our first child, a little girl, sometime around November 9th (I am currently 38 weeks pregnant). A lot of past and present clients have been asking what her name is, but we're keeping it a secret! No one knows except for Mike and I (and our dog Gunner of course). We are VERY excited about this next chapter in our life - and are getting slightly impatient to finally meet her!

With that being said, I will be limiting the driving distance for weddings to being within 30 miles of Salem or Dallas. I've also decided to cut back on the number of weddings in 2012 that I commit to, in order to give my clients the very best as well as make family time more of a priority. This was a hard decision for me on one hand because I absolutely love what I do! However, I also know that the time with my family is irreplaceable - and after losing a year with my husband due to a deployment - I know that the time and memories in the upcoming year are priceless for us.

Since 2007 I have been blessed with absolutely amazing couples, and the business has steadily grown since "opening our doors" in 2009. I was also very blessed to have Melissa join Stargazer Weddings as another coordinator in 2010. Sadly, due to medical reasons, she will no longer be able to take on clientele. She did an amazing job, and our clients loved her - she will be greatly missed! I am currently in the process of looking for another coordinator to join my team that has the same passion and love for weddings as I do - I'll be sure to keep you posted!

Stay tuned for news on the arrival of "Little Lacer" - she'll be here soon!

Photo by 5th and 59th Photography

Mike & Crystal's Review ~ 5.7.2011

2011-10-24T15:59:00.000-07:00

"Ashley with Stargazer Weddings was fantastic to work with! She guided me through the wedding planning process, kept me on track with my to-do list, answered every little question of mine, and made the planning process so much easier! She was professional, organized, and on top of every detail. Talking with her was like talking with an old friend. Knowing I had her there on the day of my wedding meant that my actual wedding day could be about my husband and me. It was a stress free day and I didn't have to worry about a thing knowing that Ashley was there to take care of any detail that came up. It was just awesome how smoothly the day went! It truly let me and my husband have the wedding day of our dreams and enjoy every moment of it. For that, Ashley's services were worth so much more than any amount of money we could have paid her. Thank you for everything Ashley!" ~ Crystal
Photo copyright of Lyfe Photography

5.7.2011 ~ Little Church, Big City

2011-10-17T19:27:00.001-07:00

I am SO excited to finally share the details of this wedding! This couple was referred to us by a 2010 couple (remember An na and Matt?) - and I can't thank them enough for sending Mike and Crystal our way - they were SO much fun to work with and their wedding is one of my favorites!

Mike and Crystal were married back in May at Brooks Hill Historic Church in Portland. Although this church was tiny, the setting was gorgeous and it made for a very sweet, intimate, and memorable ceremony. There were lots of open fields, cherry blossom trees, and other great spots to take pictures - and the weather (aka Oregon rain) held off so they got lots of amazing shots! This was my first opportunity to work with Amy and Eddie of Lyfe Photography - and they were wonderful (plus their photos speak of their talent)!

The beautiful dress was provided by The Bridal Gallery (the BEST place in the Willamette Valley to get your dress by the way). Angie at The Bridal Gallery truly loves what she does and will help you find the perfect dress on your budget, whatever that might be! They also recently won not one, not two, but FOUR awards for Oregon Bride Magazine's "Best of 2011."

The stunning flowers (and I mean stunning - look at that color) were provided by Gina of Bohemian Bouquets. She was also amazing to work with, and did a great job of setting up all the floral arrangements at both the ceremony and reception sites!

The officiant, Anthony The Wedding Judge, did a great job of working with them to write a ceremony just for them. My favorite part of the ceremony? Mike and Crystal wrote love letters to each other, but kept them sealed and secret and put them in a wooden box with a bottle of wine. Then they each took a nail, and nailed the box shut. The purpose behind this was to serve as a reminder why they married each other (if they ever needed a reminder) or they could open the bottle and read the letters at their 20 year wedding anniversary. I loved this idea!

After the ceremony, the bride and groom headed to the city for some more pictures while the guests headed to Wilf's at the Portland Train Station for the reception. Wilf's offers a great space for receptions with great lighting and amazing food! Their staff (especially Candace) was on top of everything and it flowed so smoothly! As the guests arrived, they were welcomed by a seating chart board where they would find their name and a number, which corresponded with a table number. The tables weren't simply numbered 1-15....they were random numbers that had a special meaning for them and their relationship. Then, when the guest got to their specific table, there was a table number card with the story about that number on the back! The guests LOVED it, and they were all walking around to read all of the different stories.

The cake and all the mini cupcakes were provided by Sweetest Thing Cupcakes. They were very tasty - and the bride and groom had little take-out boxes for left over cupcakes so their guests could take them home...there wasn't a SINGLE cupcake left after the guests were gone! That shows you how yummy they were! One of my other favorite parts of this wedding was their cake topper. They had it custom made to represent their favorite college mascots. Mike went to OSU, so Benny the Beaver was the groom, and Crystal is a huge Boise State fan, so the lady version of Buster Bronco was the bride! It was made out of clay, so it will last a long time and they planned on making it a focal point in their living room.

There was LOTS of dancing at the reception, and there was even a limbo competition with two guests tying their ties together to make the "bar." The party went right up until it was time to go...and the transportation for the bride and groom? A pedi-cab!

I can't emphasize enough how much I loved working with Mike and Crystal and all the superb vendors that they chose to work with. I wish you two (and your adorable bunnies) all the best and a lifetime of happiness, laughter, and love!

All photos copyright of Lyfe Photography

1.22.2011 ~ New Year Nuptials

2011-10-07T19:18:00.000-07:00

Back in January Kristin and Adam got married at Flinn B lock Hall in Albany. This venue has amazing brick walls and a great staircase to utilize for photos during the winter months. The day started off a little rainy - but it cleared up just in time to grab some outside photos as well! I love it when Oregon weather decides to cooperate!

Kristin was an amazing DIY bride, and put together most of the details herself, including centerpieces, decor, and even the gorgeous flowers! She came up with lots of different designs for all the table centerpieces, ranging from lanterns and cranberries to wine corks and homemade picture frames. It all came together wonderfully, and the guests loved all the different centerpieces!

The bridal party was great to work with - and kept the laughs going all day. Music was provided by Zauner Mobile Entertainment (Chris is great to work with) and photography was by Willow of WillowBee Photography. And the cake? Well...there was no cake - they cut into Voodoo Doughnuts! They had their favorite kinds displayed on an adorable vintage table with candles and their champagne glasses. Friends of the family did all of the food - their presentation was amazing - and it all tasted great too! Especially the mini-eclairs and chocolate covered strawberries, those were a huge hit!

Kristin and Adam - thank you so much for having us be a part of your wedding - it was a great way to start off the 2011 year!

Carter & Tauni's Review ~ 9.11.2010

2011-09-12T11:42:00.000-07:00

We originally thought we could plan our entire wedding ourselves. But as the day grew nearer we started to think that having a wedding planner handle things on the day of would be best. We attended an open house at the venue where we would be married. That is when we meet Ashley from Stargazer Weddings.

It became so evident on our wedding day that I didn't have a single worry in the world other than to enjoy our day, and have fun, and to be with people we love. We enjoyed our day SO much; and never once felt stressed. But I know that we felt this way because Ashley meticulously took care of all the details and fielded all the questions.

Hiring Ashley as our wedding coordinator was the best investment.... after all, you spent so much on your wedding. You better enjoy it to the fullest without any stress. :)

We met with Ashley to give her an idea of what we had in mind for our wedding. Our main hope was to have a relatively stress-free wedding day so that we could focus on our vows and enjoy the time we had with our guests.With Ashley as our planner, this goal was met.

The Planning

We emailed Ashley often to ask questions. Ashley also acted as the liaison between us and some of our vendors. Whenever we had a question for one of the vendors, Ashley contacted them and quickly got back to us with an answer. One of our friends helped out with the cake, and Ashley worked well with them her as well.

Ashley responded to all emails very promptly. (She is also available by phone.) We were in contact with her constantly throughout the last months of our planning. She kept us on track with what we needed to be working on. She is attentive, professional, open to feedback, and easy to work with.

A month before the wedding, we handed all vendor contact information over to Ashley and she took it from there. She confirmed with them all and made sure that all details were taken care of. We didn’t have to worry about the vendors from then on.

We thought that we would be really busy the week before the wedding, but since Ashley was taking care of all of the details, we didn’t have anything else to do besides enjoy time with our guests who were arriving from out-of-town.

The Day of the Wedding

Ashley created a Timeline for the day of the wedding. we had a copy of the Timeline, but didn’t look at it at all. Ashley and her team took care of all of the logistics, everything ran smoothly, and I was able to enjoy the day without thinking about vendors, details, or timing. I was able to focus on my vows and enjoy the company of my friends and family.

Overall, without Ashley, our wedding planning process and wedding day would have been very different and, I imagine, much more stressful. Hiring Ashley was the best decision we made and the best money we spent. My wife and I would recommend Ashley and Stargazer Weddings to anyone!

9.11.2010 ~ Generous Hearts

2011-09-11T16:24:00.000-07:00

A year ago (yes, a year ago - needless to say I'm a little behind in my blogging) Tauni and Carter got married at Beckenridge Vineyard in Dallas. This is one of my favorite venues, and I love every opportunity we get to work out there. The staff is amazing, views are spectacular, and it offers a very intimate setting for your wedding. One of the things that I loved most about this couple was, well, everything! They had such a "zest" for life, found the positive in everything, and were just so happy to get married they were always smiling and laughing. Plus, Carter is a great guy and was involved with every step of the process!

Photography was by CK Photography, both live music and DJ'ing was provided by DW Duo, catering was by Wild Pear, and flowers were provided by Distinctive Designs. I've had the pleasure of working with Denice of Distinctive Designs numerous times, and I love her work - and so do our clients! This was the first time I had the pleasure of working with the other vendors, and they were great! Celia of CK Photography was always right where the action was so she didn't miss a shot, Dawn from DW Duo kept the energy going all night, and the food from Wild Pear was superb! Overall this was an amazing group of vendors to work with and everything came together wonderfully for the couple.

Okay, time to talk details - and there were a lot! The couple made stands out of wine bottles (filled with rice) to hold the name of each table, and each table name was after a winery - they looked great! They also made programs for there ceremony, which had different sayings on the front, and everyone was asking everyone else what their's said. Here are some examples: "Love one another and you will be happy. It's as simple and as difficult as that." "You know it's love when you want to keep holding hands even after you're sweaty." "The quality of your life is the quality of your relationships." Once the ceremony was over - it was time to get the party started. What a better way to do that than having the bridal party dance down the aisle! The music starts, everyone pulled out and put on their sunglasses, and danced down the aisle. It was a very fun, memorable moment that set the mood for the rest of the evening.

There were candles everywhere, setting a very romantic mood. And for dessert? Well there was cake of course - but there was also a great dessert buffet including cheesecake with lots of topping choices! I know I've mentioned how much I loved this couple already - but another reason was their extremely generous hearts. Instead of doing wedding favors for the guests, they made a donation to one of their favorite charities. Also, instead of registering for gifts, they asked their guests to make a donation to a charity in lieu of a gift. Tauni and Carter, you are both beautiful, amazing people and I am so blessed to have met you and shared in your wedding day with you!

Tyler & Sarah's Review ~ 8.28.2010

2011-05-21T10:12:00.000-07:00

"Ashley was my wedding planner and I absolutely do not know what I would have done without her. When we first met, I had already done quite a bit of the planning myself - I just thought I needed help putting it all together and handling the vendors. She managed the entire day beautifully, and we simply could not have been free to enjoy our wedding without all her hard work. She was there for everything! As a bonus, she recommended our DJ, who was excellent. Our guests are still commenting about how much fun they had at our wedding and how smoothly everything went. Ashley was so easy to work with and really went the extra mile to make sure everything was just as we wanted it to be and saw to it that we didn't have to stress about anything the weekend of our wedding."

Photography by LT Photography

8.28.2010 Wedding ~ Log House Love

2011-05-21T09:54:00.000-07:00

Sarah and Tyler have known each other since Sarah was a Freshman in high school! Sarah and Tyler were married at the gorgeous Log House Gardens in Keizer (hard to believe this was almost 9 months ago)! The site for the ceremony is stunning - and they built the facility for weddings, so everything flows wonderfully! This was our first time working with the Log House Gardens - and Lanora will go to any length necessary to make sure your day if perfect and she truly loves all of her clients - and it shows in her ever-present smile, positive attitude, and genuine personality.

Sarah and Tyler picked some amazing colors - hot pink and lime green! They look great together and she put a lot of effort into little details that really made the day special and memorable. I love DIY brides that add that "special touch" with personal details! She even had her shoes custom made to match the colors AND had initials out of jewels added to the bottom! Sarah looked absolutely stunning! Sarah had also made custom hangers for all of her

bridesmaids.

During the ceremony Sarah and Tyler planted a tree together, and the symbolism described with it was unique and touching. Lining the aisle were mason jars, tied with color-coordinating ribbons, and fresh cut flowers. They were beautiful! The bridal party was a total blast (I know I say this about a lot of bridal parties - but it's true)! Mic from NW Mobile DJ took care of all the sound and music - and I love working with him! He's a natural speaker, cues music perfectly on time, and can read a crowd to pick the next "perfect song."

The gorgeous, vibrant flowers were from Celebrations Florals - and they were amazing to work with! The tasty cake was made by His Bakery and catering was by Mc Killips Catering. I have to admit - it was some of the best BBQ I've ever had! Cody and his staff were great to work with, and I have loved recommending them to brides ever since this wedding! As a wedding favor, Sarah and Tyler had the BEST candy buffet I've seen yet! They had little take-out-boxes, lots of different glass containers, custom signs for each type of candy - and the guests LOVED it! Laurin Thienes provided the photography and he was hilarious! He kept everyone smiling and laughing the whole time, and I can't wait to work with him again! The thing I love the most about photographers is how their work speaks for itself. Just take a look at some of his pictures and how he captures the moment!

I loved working with Sarah and Tyler and both of their families throughout their wedding. Thank you so much for having us be a part of your day! Congrats again and I know your future is filled with nothing but blessings, love, and marriage to your best friend!

Photography by LT Photography

Meet Melissa

2011-04-01T15:27:00.000-07:00

I joined Stargazer Weddings in 2010 because I love what the business stands for - taking care of all the little details so couples and their guests can fully enjoy their wedding! I have helped numerous families and friends plan events through the years, and with each one my passion for coordinating grows. I love being able to take away the stress from others and turn the event into exactly as they envisioned it.

My favorite thing about planning is seeing the end product and knowing what it took to get there. There are so many little details that couples put into their wedding and it's my goal to have them actually noticed by the guests!

I got married in 2004 and the things that I remember are my family, friends, and husband. I want the same for all of my brides - to carry the memories of celebrating with their loved ones - not all the work behind the scenes!

Melissa Steenhoek

541.908.4570

melissa@stargazerweddings.com

Photo by 5th and 59th Photography

Meet Ashley

2011-04-01T15:17:00.000-07:00

I love weddings! My passion for coordinating started in 2007 when two of my close friends got married. Over the years I have continued to coordinate events and eventually started Stargazer Weddings in 2009. I love helping brides feel at ease and be as relaxed as possible. Your wedding is one of the happiest days of your life and you should be able to enjoy every second with those that you love!

I realized how important having a coordinator is at my own wedding. I thought I had everything covered. Cake? Check. DJ? Check. Photographer? Check....and the list went on...but I forgot a wedding coordinator! The one that makes sure everything runs smoothly and takes away the stress so you and your guests can take in every moment. I was blessed to have my sister step in, but I wish she didn't have to take on that extra responsibility so she could have enjoyed more of the wedding with me. Now I have a passion for taking care of everything so the couple and their guests can truly enjoy their time together and create lifelong memories!

Ashley Lacer

541.231.7788

ashley@stargazerweddings.com

Photo by 5th and 59th Photography

Love Story: Crystal & Mike

2011-01-31T15:59:00.000-08:00

How They Met

We met in graduate school as both of us were studying to become physical therapists. We found ourselves frequently hanging out together during our second year of school. We looked for each other at gatherings, stayed at school to study, and even rode the light rail home together. Eventually fate took its course and we were paired together for a group project. After completing the first part of the project, we met up with Crystal's sister for dinner. Immediately after dinner, her sister commented that we were more than just friends. Mike's friend continually texted him that night asking questions about this new girl as we were supposed to be completing our project. A few days later, Crystal finally had the nerve to ask Mike over for the evening (to watch Grey's Anatomy of all shows)! Both of us were nervous as neither was sure how to make the first move. Luckily, Crystal's roommate who never, ever watched television decided that he all of a sudden had an interest in Grey's Anatomy. Crystal wondered if the night would be a lost cause as he joined them on the couch. After an hour of deliberation and knowing the time constraints due to the arrival of Crystal's other roommate, Mike finally had an opportunity once the roommate left the room. He leaned over to Crystal and it was then that they shared their first kiss. The rest is history and they are looking forward to spending the rest of their lives together.

The Proposal

As a "surprise," Mike took Crystal up to Seattle for a Mariners baseball game for their third anniversary. He knew this would be special to Crystal as she is a long time baseball fan. Though Crystal guessed where they were going, they enjoyed to be what turned out to be a sunny, but chilly, day at Safeco Field. After the game, they meandered around Seattle and had dinner near Pike's Place. Mike really surprised Crystal with a place to stay that night instead of having to drive back to Portland. While relaxing in the hotel room, Mike told Crystal that there was a present in the overnight bag. Crystal found a wrapped box and was very curious. Inside the box was a baseball with a special note, "turn to me." When Crystal turned around, she saw Mike with a ring. He told her how much he loved her and asked for her to marry him. Of course she said yes! Crystal couldn't imagine a better surprise to celebrate their anniversary! Crystal and Mike are very excited for their wedding day - which is near their fourth anniversary of dating!

Engagement Photos by Lyfe Photography

Love Story: Ruby & Ryan

2011-01-26T10:29:00.000-08:00

Our Story - By Ruby

I first saw Ryan on my school bus as a kid. I didn't remember it until a few years ago when I realized he used to ride my school bus with another boy in my neighborhood. I actually met Ryan in high school. He was younger than me, but we were in the same art class. He sat across the room from me and was very loud. I noticed he had a big personality, enjoyed being the center of attention, and like flirting with the girls in my class. I made sure to make a point that it wasn't "easy" to get me attention - but of course, he already had it.

Eventually Ryan showed up at my group's table and suddenly began sitting with us every day. At first, I wasn't really sure why he wanted to sit with us, but quickly learned that he knew one of the guys at the table. We were the "funny" table and Ryan wanted to be apart of it, he was the perfect fit. After awhile I realized Ryan and I had a lot in common. We were both entertainers, we enjoyed making people laugh, and loved to have fun. Soon we were both getting into trouble for having too much fun! Before I knew it, my art teacher wanted to know what was going on (Mr. Beck was kind of a protective teacher). He asked, "is there anything going on with you and Ryan?" I laughed and explained we were "just friends."

That friendship continued for about a year and a half. After more than a year of just being friends and sharing some broken hearts we began to think of each other differently...

We discovered that what we were looking for all along was right under our nose. We began dating in high school and to our surprise, it continued and continued. Ryan and I tried to "see other people" but it never worked out. It was extremely hard for us to believe that we had found "the one" at such a young age. We went months apart not talking or seeing each other and the moment we were reunited, we rediscovered ourselves. Distance never changed how we felt about each other, it made us realize that we needed each other.

The truth is, Ryan and I have spent the past 12 years of our relationship loving each other and building memories. We've also spent some time learning from our mistakes. We've learned to be independent and to value one another's company. Overall, we've learned the true meaning of forgiveness, to embrace our differences, respect and support each other, to listen with compassion and love, and most importantly - to use a sense of humor.

The Proposal - By Ryan

The day of the proposal was a long time coming. I know "it's about time." But the path to getting there was much harder than I expected. I proposed to Ruby on August 3rd, but I had the ring for 5 months prior to that. Knowing that after a 10 year courtship it had to be the monumental display, I had several ideas and options. I thought of a trip to Vegas (since this is where I gave Ruby her promise ring). I considered a Detroit Lake proposal out on the boat at sunset. I even called a hot air balloon company but feared that Ruby would panic at the thought of being 1,000 feet up in the air with nothing but a wicker basket holding us up...

The initial conclusion was Detroit Lake - after all, we've had so many memorable moments out there. The ring was ready, safely secured in my fishing vest pocket, the timing was right...then...Manny (Ruby's brother) showed up and spoiled my plan. Ruby was excited to see her brother and I couldn't really see my picture perfect proposal going down with my soon to be brother in law looking over my shoulder.

Alas the day came that Ruby and I moved out of Amy and Ryan's 100-degree attic and into our new house in Beaverton. I had told Roobs that we would be engaged before we moved into our new house and yet here we were, the night of the move in, and I had still not found the right moment to pop the question.

So I said enough is enough - if I can't find the right mountain top or sunset, I will just follow my heart and let the rest just happen. I picked up a couple of our favorites (halibut for Ruby and NY steak for me) and headed home with flowers to celebrate our first night in our new house. The night was HOT and we ended up having a picnic on the living room floor. Candlelight, music, along with a bottle of champagne my mom had left for us to toast to our new nest, made the moment perfect. We dinned and celebrated a new chapter of our lives together.

The ring was in my pocket, bulging out and weighing me down as I nervously searched for the right moment. Ruby, slightly tipsy, asked me "why are you acting funny?" as she glanced down at my hand as it reached, yet again, into the left pocket. I smiled, dropped to one knee, and asked her to be my wife.

After several seconds of disbelief, Ruby removed the hands from her mouth, paused from saying "oh my gosh," and said YES!

*The top picture is of Ruby and Ryan from 2000! The engagement pictures are by Lisa Smith and Blake Brinker.*

Love Story: Jessi & Matt

2011-01-18T17:34:00.000-08:00

How They Met

Matt and I first met through work in June 2006. Matt and I both work in public service and deal with interesting people at times. We smiled at each other at the same times during our first meeting. I did not have enough guts to ask him if he was single, but I always wondered. Fast forward to the end of 2008. It was the end of December, just before Christmas, and I was talking with one of Matt's co-workers, George. George was telling me about Matt who "is about 30 and lives in Albany with his cat." He told me Matt is a "nice single guy" who cannot seem to find a nice girl. I reminded George that I was a nice single girl, who also lived in Albany. I told George that he could give Matt my phone number, because it would be cool to go on a date with him. George told me he would pass along my number, but turns out he did not do it. About a week later I was working with another one of Matt's co-workers, Steve. I said, "hey Steve, tell me about Matt." Steve went on and on telling me that Matt was a cool guy, never married, no kids, etc. I asked Steve if he thought he could hook me up. He told me that he would do so - but I found out a few weeks later that he too had failed to give Matt my number.

The First Date (and a few extras)

The Holidays came and went for me and no dates with Matt. Then a few weeks later I talked to a co-worker of Matt's, Todd. I told Todd I needed to know what the deal with Matt was because I wanted to be set up with a good guy. Todd told me that Matt is a "cool outdoorsy guy - a man's man." I told him that I wanted to find out more about him. Todd told me that he would give him my number. About a half hour later my cell phone rang and it was Matt. I was elated. He told me "hey I'm single, you're single, do you want to go to dinner?" I said sure and he told me that he was going diving the next day and planned to be home at 5pm and would call after that. Sure enough, he called that Saturday evening and agreed to pick me up at my house.

We talked inside the house and then walked out the front door to leave. My car was in the garage and his truck was in the driveway. I walked out behind him and he stopped to let me walk to the passenger side of the truck. I did not get the clue. I stopped and just looked at him. He was not walking to the driver's side, so I was confused. I told him I like my neighborhood because I'm at the end of the dead end drive. After a few minutes of small talk, I asked him if he was ready to go and he said yes. I asked him if he wanted me to drive, and he said "no, I'm waiting to open the door for you." I then started laughing, I had no idea men actually opened doors for girls anymore. I felt so embarrassed and he was shocked I never had doors opened for me on a date. The date started off awkward, but when dinner was over I don't think either of us wanted it to end. He asked if I wanted to go to Coldstone for dessert. I'm allergic to dairy, so the place is torture for me, but we went and continued to talk for about an hour. We went back to my house and chatted for a couple more hours.

We dated the next 3 nights straight, then he wanted to cook for me and invited me to dinner at his house for our 4th date. The rest is pretty much history. I knew I wanted this relationship to continue from that date at his house. We continued to have date nights as much as possible with his graveyard schedule. That May was my 28th birthday and he told me to pack my bags for a weekend in Bend. We had a blast and hiked up to a waterfall. It was a romantic birthday, a special weekend, and I felt like I could do many more trips with Matt.

In August 2009 Matt prepared for a large garage sale at his home, beginning on a Friday while I was at work. I came over on my lunch and he got rid of a lot of stuff. He says he did this because he wanted me to move in with him, but I swear he did not say that directly to me. It was one of the hardest garage sales ever, we hauled everything in and out from the garage and into the yard Friday, Saturday, and Sunday. The weather was so hot, right around 100 degrees in the last few hours of the sale, and then he asked me to move in with him. I said yes of course - and I moved in September of 2009. We had about 4 of everything and began to prepare for our second garage sale that month.

In April of 2010 we went to Arizona for 12 days as a lot of our family lives there. Matt wanted to drive to bring back some items, which I later learned was cheap Captain Morgans Spiced Rum. I didn't mind a road trip at all, we get along so well and did not even think the trip could be bad or we could annoy each other. Friends and people at work were like "fly." One good friend, Brendan, said "if you two can make it that long in the car together, you will know if the relationship is forever." He was right, the trip was awesome. We sung, picked up bullet casings on the side of the road, did some minimal shopping, and spent time with family. It was a great vacation.

The Proposal

On 6.16.2010 while in Puerto Vallarta, Matt proposed. It was perfect. I had no idea it was coming. He hid the ring from me for weeks. He spent a lot of time doing research on rings, perfect proposals, and done all while up at night on his graveyard schedule. We are getting married 7.8.11 and plan to begin a family shortly thereafter! We could not be more blessed.

Tim & Stephanie's Review ~ 8.14.2010

2011-01-13T12:08:00.000-08:00

"Ashley was fantastic! I was a little hesitant at first to spend the additional money on a wedding coordinator but it was definitely well worth it. Ashley took care of all the details for the day and let me truly enjoy my wedding. It was just perfect. She was easy to communicate with, always responded promptly to questions, and recommended vendors. She was willing to do whatever was needed to make the day run smoothly. I would use her again in a second for any type of event planning." ~ Stephanie

Photo by Brandon Cook Photography

8.14.2010 Wedding ~ Victorian Valley Views

2011-01-11T12:46:00.000-08:00

Back in August Tim and Stephanie were married at the beautiful Victorian Hill in Salem. There are numerous garden areas to choose from for the ceremony and the deck for the reception overlooks the valley - it's beautiful! This was my first time working with this venue and they were SO wonderful to work with!

We really enjoyed working with Tim and Stephanie - there was this sense of unity, compassion, and love for each other that I can't even begin to describe. They had their ceremony on the Meadow Lawn with the wooden pavilion - a very peaceful setting. The reception was just a few feet away on the side of the Victorian home and deck where everyone was able to enjoy the breathtaking sunset. Steve, the DJ of Dance the Nite Away, was able to set up easily in one spot for both the ceremony and reception - and Steve was great to work with!

There were a lot of friends that helped with certain parts of the wedding - cake, catering, photography, flowers, and they were ALL amazing to work with! I wish they all did their "specialty" full-time so I could refer people to them and so we could work with them again! The cake was beautiful and the groom's cake was a hit! All of the guests wanted pictures of the groom's race car cake. Tim loved it too! The food was some of the best I've ever had - so many options - no one was left hungry! The centerpieces were stunning and I loved their wildflower seed packets as wedding favors for their guests. Roth's in Salem did the bouquet, corsages, and boutonnieres - and I loved the colors that Tim and Stephanie chose!

During the reception there was a lot of dancing - including a guest who could do some serious Michael Jackson moves! With the sun setting in the background - it made for some really cool pictures as well. Brandon Cook, their friend / photographer was also great to work with - thanks for giving us so many great pictures to choose from! I loved all the speeches - they were so heartfelt and memorable - you could really tell the love that the guests had for the bride and groom, the love that Tim and Stephanie had for each other, and the love the couple had for all their guests. Overall the wedding was very intimate and everyone had a great time!

Tim and Stephanie, thank you for having us share your wedding day with you! We had a great time working with you, your guests, and all of your friends that contributed for the wedding. Congrats!

Stargazer Weddings' Portrait Session

2011-01-11T09:57:00.000-08:00

The Stargazer Weddings team had the pleasure of doing a portrait photo shoot with Brittany of 5th & 59th Photography a few months ago - and we had a great time! We loved working with Brittany and she loves photography! She has a natural talent and makes you feel totally comfortable and at ease! She not only does portraits, but engagement shoots, weddings, newborn sessions, family sessions, you name it!

Our day started off at the loft of Face Body Beauty where Jennifer did our makeup. I always love spending time with Jennifer and she does such amazing work! If you're still looking for a hair and makeup artist - contact the Face Body Beauty team soon!

We headed over to the Mission Mill Museum for the shoot, and there was a Christmas Bazaar going on! Melissa and I LOVE Christmas - so it couldn't have worked out more perfectly! After taking some portrait pictures outside (the Mission Mill is beautiful by the way), we got to go enjoy the Bazaar! There were TONS of goodies to look at, tasty treats to try (including cake balls by Myriad Cake Design - SO YUMMY), Christmas music to enjoy...and so much more! Overall the day was a total success (even missed the rain) and we got to make some great memories along the way!

2010 - A Year in Review

2011-01-07T13:15:00.001-08:00

Where to begin!? 2010 was an amazing year for Stargazer Weddings and all of our brides - they got married! We were so blessed with the clients we had, the weddings we were a part of, and all the memories that were made along the way. A HUGE thank you to our brides, grooms, and their friends and families - it was an honor to work for you and help you on your wedding day! One of our favorite parts of what we do is being able to see the love and joy throughout the day - and there was a LOT of love and joy in 2010!

Another HUGE thank you to the wonderful vendors we had the opportunity to work with in 2010! Working with such great wedding professionals not only makes things easier for us, but allows for their expertise to shine through and make the weddings just as the couples envisioned! Here is a list of the venues and vendors we worked with in 2010! These are in no particular order - I just wanted to say an extra thank you to everyone and I hope to work with you again! (If there is no link - that means they don't have a website, but I know how to contact them)!

Venues: Chinook Winds Casino, Bethany Bible Church, Claremont Golf Course, Philomath Scout Lodge, Beceknridge Vineyards, Oregon Gardens, Victorian Hill, and Log House Gardens.

Photographers: Pink Caterpillar Photography, Fritz Photo, I and M Photography, 5th & 59th Photography, Honeysuckle Photography, Brandon Cook, Laurin Thienes, and Studio C.

Cakes: Cherished Moments Inc., Wrightberry's Custom Wedding Cake Designs, Myriad Cake Design, The Lovin Oven, and His Bakery.

DJ: NW Mobile DJ, All Wright Music, Dance the Nite Away, and DW Duo.

Hair and Makeup: Face Body Beauty and Austie Eckley.

Flowers: Flowers by Diana, Celebration Florals, and Distinctive Designs by Denice.

Caterers: Claey's Catering, Wild Pear Catering, Reed Catering , The Olive Branch, and McKillips Catering.

Rentals: SHE Designs, All Star Tents, and A to Z Rentals

Officiant: An Event to Remember

Stargazer Weddings was also able to help with the 1st annual Summer Lovin' Workshop! Melissa and I had SO much fun working with the Click Chicks - an AMAZING, collaborative group of individual photographers! A lot of vendors came together to make this all possible! Another huge thank you to the couples that volunteered for the photo-shoot - without you it wouldn't have been possible! Click here to check out the blog post and links to all of the vendors! An EXTRA big thank you to Melanie of Melanie Jade Photography for hosting and being the main inspiration - you were great to work with! This was such a fun project and I really look forward to more photo-shoots this year! Thank you again to everyone for making 2010 such a memorable year!

Matt & Anna's Review ~ 8.6.2010

2010-11-19T12:19:00.000-08:00

"Ashley is wonderful and working with her was a great decision in planning our wedding. She is attentive to detail, personable, and professional. From the first time we met with her, she was able to understand our dreams for our big day. Ashley was always mindful of our budget, timeline and what fit perfectly for the two of us. As the wedding day grew nearer, it would have been easy to get stressed and overwhelmed...but not with Ashley helping out! She answered crisis phone calls, coordinated with all the vendors with last minute details, and helped assure Matt and I that our day would go as planned. She was always full of ideas and responsive to every little detail that came up. The day of the wedding was so relaxing and fun, I didn't have to worry about anything, because I knew whatever came up...Ashley would handle it! Matt and I are truly grateful for her help. Our wedding day could not have been more perfect!" ~ Matt & Anna

Photos by Honeysuckle Photography

8.6.2010 Wedding ~ Lots of Laughs & Love

2010-11-18T19:04:00.000-08:00

A few months ago Matt and Anna were married at the gorgeous Oregon Gardens in Silverton. They were referred to me by their photographer, Maggie of Honeysuckle Photography, and I can't thank Maggie enough for sending them my way! My first meeting with Matt and Anna was a total blast, and I could tell the exact mood of the wedding they were looking for: lots of laughs & love!

The Oregon Gardens in Silverton has numerous options for ceremony and reception locations. Matt and Anna had their ceremony in the Market Garden and the reception in the Bosque. It was stunning! I love the "feel" of the Oregon Gardens - the guests can stroll around, enjoy the great views, see different mini gardens...it's all very romantic. You can pretty much mix and match the ceremony and reception sites to fit exactly what you're looking for! They also have the new resort now, which has great amenities, personal gardens, great food, you name it! It's great for out of town guests because you don't need to worry about transportation or having a nice place for them to stay after the reception.

Before the ceremony Anna got ready with her ladies in one of the new suites at the Oregon Garden s. We work really closely with our brides, so when I saw her for the first time (after her and Matt had seen each other) I got a little teary eyed. She looked amazing! Her dress was sweet and very "Anna"...and I loved her hair!

The ceremony was very sweet, and the setting was perfect! Lavender colored glass jars with candles lined the aisle, personalized programs made into fans, and the couple was just beaming with love for each other! After the ceremony the guests headed over to the Bosque for some drinks while the couple took some more pictures. There were some great memories made while taking these pictures...one of their groomsmen got them a beer for their golf cart ride to the next photo location, they took some great pictures with Anna's Dad's classic car...and then there is the BMW. There was this little BMW convertible right by where they were doing pictures and Matt ran over and snapped some quick pictures with it....it was hilarious! Plus I LOVE, I mean LOVE working with Maggie and Brian of Honeysuckle Photography. I can never say enough great things about Honeysuckle!

The reception was one of the most fun I've ever been to. I think one of my favorite parts (well, another favorite since I loved so much) was the wedding favors! They made homemade jam with a bunch of different "berry funny" sayings! The sayings totally fit the humor and light heartedness of the couple - and all of the caterers helping set up were saying these were their new favorite favors!

Eric Wright of All Wright Music provided the DJ services, the Oregon Gardens provided the catering, and The Lovin' Oven provided the cake. The cake was AMAZING! It had so much detail, I loved the fresh blackberries, and it sure was tasty! The whole bridal party was superb and kept an amazing energy going throughout the night. There was lots of dancing and even a human pyramid with a groom on top! I remember leaving the wedding that night thinking, "wow...now THAT was a fun reception!"

I was so blessed to be a part of Matt and Anna's wedding and see their vision of a wedding filled with laughs and love come true! Thank you Matt and Anna for having Stargazer Weddings be a part of your wedding - it was amazing to work with both of you, your families, and all of your guests! I wish you all the best and a lifetime of happiness!

Brandon & Kristen's Review ~ 7.30.2010

2010-10-01T12:25:00.000-07:00

"Hiring Ashley was the best decision that we made for the wedding. Working with her is like having your best friend care about all your wedding details, never get tired of the little decisions, and help you think through whatever tricky situations may come up. She is thorough, responsive, and 100% professional. She even came to the ceremony dressed in the wedding colors (which was noticed by all of my bridesmaids) - a little thing, but showed the attention she paid to our wedding. She cared that our wedding was special for us. Her recommendations for vendors were spot on - always in our budget and amazingly professional. To top it off, we planned the wedding from 1700 miles away, a task that wouldn't have been accomplished without Ashley's help. She was always available for a call, text, or email. She called and followed up with all of our vendors for initial meetings and as the wedding date approached. In short, she is great." ~ Brandon and Kristen

7.30.2010 Wedding ~ All You Need Is Love

2010-09-30T06:11:00.000-07:00

My first phone conversation with Kristen was simply amazing. The conversation was easy, the laughs were plenty, and I immediately knew we had a great bride-coordinator connection. She was looking for full coordination as she was living in Nebraska, but her family was from Salem so she wanted the wedding close to home. I enjoyed working so closely with Kristen the whole time. It was more like hanging out with a close friend than it was "working."

First the location. She gave me some ideas on what she was looking for in a venue, and my mind instantly thought of Beckenridge Vineyard. When we went to tour it for the first time, her expression was priceless. It was written all over her face that this was the perfect place for them. They booked their date right away! I always love, I mean LOVE, working with the staff at Beckenridge. They are always so attentive to their clients and their guests and families. Not only that, but their venue has amazing views, a groom's room complete with a foosball table, and great options for a "plan B" should the weather decide to change - it is Oregon after all!

The wedding day started out by Kristen and her ladies having their hair and makeup done by the wonderfully talented team of Face Body Beauty. I can't say enough wonderful things

about Jennifer and her staff! They looked stunning! When they arrived at Beckenridge, Denice from Distinctive Designs was arriving with the flowers, and I have never seen a bride get so excited about their flowers before. And for good reason - look at these stunning colors! Denise consistently goes above and beyond for her clients, and I love working with her!

The ceremony was amazing thanks to Johanna of An Event to Remember. She was their officiant and made a custom ceremony to reflect Kristen and Brandon. She takes so much time to really learn about her couples and it shows! Sue Hamilton of SHE Designs provided all of the rental items needed, and I was beyond impressed with the great quality! Since Kristen and Brandon are both from the academic world, I thought their idea for centerpieces was too cute: a stack of books, each being a different stack based on a different topic or theme. They also had statistics on love placed around each table with a small vase and single flower. It looked great and it was very unique and creative!

Right after the ceremony the guests enjoyed a cocktail hour with appetizers from Reed Catering - YUM! I was thrilled with Cora from Reed Catering and the passion she has for food. I heard nothing but great things about all the food that was served that evening. Northwest Mobile DJ kept the mood going throughout the night and ensured a great party for the reception. The cake? There was enough to feed twice the amount of guests, but it was SO amazing that there were literally only about five slices left! People were coming back for thirds (maybe even fourths)! Marion of Myriad Cake Design is one of the best in the industry, as apparent by the "disappearing cake" as we called it.

I loved listening to the speeches given - they were both heart-felt and funny. The whole evening flowed and the guests had a great time. They had guests travel from all over so they had a map with stickers so people could show how far they had traveled that day to be there - another creative and unique idea! You could feel all the love the guests had for Kristen and Brandon and they enjoyed celebrating every second of their day with them. You could see how much it meant to Kristen and Brandon that their loved ones had come to celebrate with them!

Throughout the day I had the pleasure of working alongside Maalaea and Ian of I and M Photography. Wow - are they superb! They have such an amazing eye for details, as you can see in all of these pictures, and I felt like we had worked together numerous times before. I would recommend them to anyone looking for a photographer! The first time you meet with them it's obvious they love what they do!

Thank you to all the amazing vendors for helping Kristen and Brandon's wedding be so perfect and go so flawlessly. To Kristen and Brandon - thank you so much for your sweet message in your programs. It was my pleasure working for you and I wish you all the best that life has to offer! Congrats!

Marcus & Loni's Review ~ 7.17.2010

2010-09-17T23:07:00.000-07:00

"Ashley was a godsend. From the very beginning she was always available to answer questions or give ideas. I loved that she always wanted my wedding to be the way I wanted. I never felt as if she was trying to push me into a decision and she always wanted to work with me to make sure I had the wedding that I always wanted. On the day of the wedding, if anything went wrong, and I'm sure it did, she never let on. She was flawless and my wedding would not have gone as well as it did if she wasn't there. Ashley is always friendly, always happy to see you, and always has an idea when you need one." - Loni

7.17.2010 Wedding ~ Fun and Fabulous in Philomath

2010-09-17T21:57:00.000-07:00

Loni and Marcus were married back in July on the 17th. They had their reception at the amazing Philomath Scout Lodge in Philomath. Loni told me about this venue, one that has just started opening up to weddings and other events. It's an amazing space! I loved the fireplace, the high ceilings, the lobby area, everything! The pictures on their website don't do it justice - you just need to visit it!

Loni was such a sweet bride, I can't begin to tell you how much I enjoyed working with her! From day one, every time I saw an email from her I instantly smiled. Loni, Marcus, the wedding party, and her entire family were such a joy to work with! She was very easy going and the groom and wedding party were also fantastic! My assistants and I were constantly laughing and smiling along with everyone. The speeches from the two fathers brought tears to my eyes...they were so sweet and sentimental.

The lighting in the room, the candles, and sunset in the back window set a great mood for the reception. The cake was provided by Sweet Things Bakery, photography was from a family friend (Christy Turner), and the catering was provided by Olive Branch Catering out of Corvallis. They don't have a website, but their food is to die for. She only takes limited events, so if you're interested, let me know and I'll get you in touch with her! My mouth is seriously watering right now remembering how good the food was. She cuts every single piece of fruit herself...nothing is pre-packaged or frozen...everything is as fresh as it could possibly be and you can taste the difference!

The bride made all of the centerpieces, a very crafty DIY bride! The wedding party had a great time dancing, and I'm *hoping* to help Heather with her wedding next year (I LOVED her Love Story about how she was proposed to as well - Loni has a great group of friends)! Thank you Loni and Marcus (and Buddy and Branita) for allowing me to share in the memories! It was an honor!

Love Story: Lacey & Jace

2010-09-17T20:53:00.000-07:00

The proposal:

"We both really enjoy Italian food, and we both love Olive Garden. It was December 10, 2009 (my 20th birthday). We had a huge snow storm the day before. In fact, all schools across Wisconsin (college, private, and public schools) had been shut down. Jace suggested we still take the hour and a half trip to Olive Garden, and that we still dress nicely. I didn't let the huge snow storm from the day before stop me either. I stuck it out and wore a dress...and froze! We got there safely, and the hostess took us to a tiny corner in Olive Garden. It was such a perfect setup as well. It was decorated as if it was a gazebo, the lights were dimmed, and it felt so peaceful. People were sporadically around us, but to me, it felt as if Jace and I were alone.

We ate our meal, and when we were done eating, the waitress asked if we wanted any dessert. He told me whatever I wanted to get was fine, it was my birthday. Of course I picked the chocolate cheesecake that just looked so delicious! The waitress left, and Jace excused himself to the bathroom. To me, this was normal. I figured he really did have to go to the bathroom. He came back and shortly after, our waitress had come back with the cheesecake and set it in front of me. She paused there, and I just stared at the beautiful cheesecake. I was so in awe of the drizzled chocolate that was zig zagged between the cheesecake and the plate that I hadn't even noticed the ring in the upper part by the crust. When I finally saw it, is when my memory went blur. I remember seeing Jace get up from his spot, and pull the ring out of the cake. Seeing him in his suit and tie, get down on one knee. I remember hearing a little bit of a shake to his voice, and when he asked me to marry him, I said yes! He put it on my finger, and in the background I hear a bunch of women go "awww..." I didn't even notice that the wall behind us, that had a cut out window in it, were a bunch of women who followed out waitress out to watch the proposal.

I was still in so much shock of what just happened, that I actually kept asking Jace, "Is this for real?! You serious?!" As I stared at my new gorgeous ring on my finger, I embraced him and started crying. All I could think about and say was "I'm engaged!" I called my parents to tell them the news, and my mom's response to me was "Congrats hunny, but we've known about this for awhile now. He asked your dad over Thanksgiving if he could marry you."

As deployment grew closer, and we now were a newly engaged couple, we began realizing more and more fears we had. But I felt I needed to tell him, and just as I told him before he left for basic training over 4 years ago, I needed to reassure him again. "I will wait for you, and I will be faithful to you, I love you."

Brad Paisley sings the words so perfectly, and although it's a song singing from the man to his woman, I feel like it takes the words right out my mouth. It reminds me of how much love I have had for Jace. When Jace left for basic training how I thought I loved him then, when he came back how much more I had loved him, on our 2 year anniversary...to even now our 4 year anniversary as we are apart."

'Now you're my whole life, now you're my whole world.

I just can't believe the way I feel about you,

We'll look back someday, at this moment that we're in

And I'll look at you and say

And I thought I loved you then.'

Marry You Me Inspiration Blog

2010-09-17T20:27:00.000-07:00

Back in August the Marry You Me inspiration blog for "all things wedding, love, and sweetness" wrote about Stargazer Weddings and our contribution to the Click Chicks' 1st Annual Summer Lovin' Workshop! A lot of time went into putting together this workshop, and a lot of collaboration from numerous vendors made it successful! A few quotes from the review from Marry You Me about the two "themes" we did:

"This sweet little photo shoot has such a fresh palette of aqua blue, lemon yellow, and white. There are some great and inexpensive steal worthy tablescape ideas from this workshop...Loving this color combo so much!"

"I am loving the farm-meets-Victorian feel!"

Thank you Marry You Me for sharing our work for inspiration for future brides! If you're a bride looking for another website to check out tips, inspirations, and literally all things "wedding, love, and sweetness," check out Marry You Me!

Love Story: Sarah & Tyler

2010-08-19T12:44:00.000-07:00

Our Story

"The first time I met Tyler was during my freshman year at Molalla High School. After Tyler graduated, we went our separate ways. Fate was on our side when we both ended up at Oregon State University a few years later. Tyler emailed me unexpectedly and mentioned that we should hang out sometime. As soon as we started hanging out, I knew that Tyler was going to be one of my best friends at OSU. The more time we spent together, I realized that our friendship was turning in to something more. It wasn't until we talked about our feelings for each other that we knew that there was no going back to just being friends. Our friendship that started our relationship became the foundation for the love that we share today. Every day that passes, I fall more in love with my best friend. We are so excited for our wedding and look forward to spending the rest of our lives together as husband and wife!

Photography by Laurin Thienes Photography

Click Chicks 1st Annual Summer Lovin' Workshop

2010-08-02T19:08:00.000-07:00

On July 1st a group of amazing photographers got together for the 1st annual Summer Lovin' Workshop! I worked with Melanie Whitaker of Melanie Jade Photography to help put on this workshop/photoshoot for the Click Chicks. The Click Chicks are a group of all female photographers that get together monthly to go over lighting, techniques, tips and tricks, industry standards, pricing, upcoming trends, you name it! Members of the Click Chicks have price packages for any budget, so check out their site and I'm sure you'll find a photographer that fits your style!

I can't begin to tell you how much fun I had with helping coordinate and design this photo shoot! There were two different wedding themes, and LOTS of details for the photographers to capture (plus two great lookin' couples)! The pictures shown are only a small portion of the pictures that were taken...I think that there were at least 20 photographers! This photo shoot would not have been possible without the contributions of the following vendors:

Dresses - Angie of The Bridal Gallery

Hair & Makeup - Jennifer of Face Body Beauty

Tuxedos - Jim from the Salem Mr. Formal

Flowers - Denice of Distinctive Designs

Cake - Kalie of The Cake Shoppe

Linens & chairs - Shirley of Crossroads Fine Linens & Party Rentals

Hosting Photographer & Inspiration - Melanie of Melanie Jade Photography

I'd also like to thank the following photographers for giving me some of their photos to use! You rock! And of course, a big thank you to all of the Click Chicks for giving me the opportunity to work with you! I had SO much fun!

Melanie of Melanie Jade Photography

Brittany of 5th and 59th Photography

Ashley of Ashley Sturm Photography

Tara of Tara Francis Photography

Anne of Anne Adams Photography

The Thread - Oregon Wedding Professionals

2010-06-21T19:42:00.000-07:00

I wanted to share a little bit about an amazing group called The Thread! Back in January of 2009 a group of wedding professionals decided to form The Thread, and I was honored to be asked to join in 2010! Every vendor in this group has a passion for weddings and are dedicated to providing the best possible service for their customers. We are currently working on offering a more comprehensive website that not only provides links to all of the vendors, but an active blog with all of the vendors contributing - offering you invaluable advice, tips, and knowledge of weddings! We recently had a 4 week seminar to help answer your questions. These sessions included topics such as planning and budgeting, choosing your venue, bridal shops, choosing your videographer, choosing your photographer, hair and makeup, and more! They were recorded and are available on the website! Whether you're looking for only one vendor or still needing them all, I would highly recommend the members of The Thread!

Photo by Encore! Photography

Steven & Jenn's Review ~ 5.15.2010

2010-06-20T14:20:00.000-07:00

"Ashley did such a wonderful job and we were thrilled to have her at every turn. Thanks for all of your hard work and attention to detail. She made me feel so comfortable on the big day! I was stressed waking up early to all the things that had to happen, but when she showed up 5 minutes early and knew exactly what to do and how to do it, well I visibly relaxed and was able to start to really enjoy. I told my mom 'I am so happy that Ashley is in charge now!' In the beginning my family was not sure why I was hiring a coordinator, saying 'everything is already done,' but at the end of the wedding all said we could not have done it without her and her services were worth every penny and more!" ~ Jenn

Photo by Fritz Photo

5.15.2010 Wedding - Surprises, Starbucks, & Smiles

2010-06-20T13:05:00.000-07:00

I don't even know where to begin with Jenn and Steven and their wedding...It's couples like them that truly make me love what I do! Let's start off with a little bit of the couple's history. They knew each other back in high school, went their separate ways for numerous years (+/-20 years actually), and then found each other and fell in love instantly! I'm amazed at their story and how true love knows no amount of time and confirms my belief in everyone finding their soul mate! Jenn was such a pleasure to work with through every step of the way, and being apart of her joy and excitement during the planning process was an honor! She was very organized and chose AMAZING vendors, none of which I had had the pleasure of working with before their wedding!

When it was time for Jenn and Steven to see each other for the first time, he had a little white box with a red bow. He had it hidden behind his back until she was by his side, and then he had her open it. He surprised her with a BEAUTIFUL pair of diamond earrings! She was just glowing with smiles!

They got married at the very charming Bethany Bible Church in Portland with the reception being held at the Claremont Golf Course just a few miles down the road. They are huge Starbucks fans, so they had to stop by and grab their favorite drinks (yes, in the suit and wedding dress) before arriving at the reception. The food and bartending services were provided by Claeys Catering, and the food was superb! They were so easy to work with, were always prepared for the next "event" of the wedding, and all of the guests were raving about how wonderful the food, presentation, and drinks were! I would highly recommend them if you're still looking for a caterer! The beautiful flowers were provided by Diana of Flowers by Diana, bride's hair and make-up was by Austie Eckley, and the cake was by Wrightberry's Custom Wedding Cake Designs.

Last (and definitely not least) is the photographer, Fritz Photo. I can't say enough amazing things about them! They had an eye for detail, truly captured all of the special moments, and were great to work with! We were always on the same page, they were always prepared for the next "event" at the wedding, and were just a joy to work with! When I originally contacted them about getting some pictures for the website and blog...I think there was about 60+ (and that was even narrowing it down)! It was hard, but I got it down to about 25, but please check out their website for more of the amazing pictures from Jenn and Steven's wedding and all their other clients!

The reception was a total blast...people were up dancing and they even did the locomotion song with a people train! Jenn and Steven's families were honestly one of the best sets of families I've ever had the privilege of working with. I was actually sad when the wedding was over because I thought about probably not seeing them again! They were so warm and loving and shared in all of the happiness with Jenn and Steven that day.

There were lots of small details that Jenn had for the reception, from little bags of pink M&M's (using their family crystal dishes), custom napkins, fun custom "perfect match" matches, personalized votive candles through the whole reception, and it all came together so beautifully!

To Jenn and Steven - thank you so much for allowing me to share this experience with you! I am blessed to have you as clients and I wish you a lifetime of endless love and laughs! I'd also like to thank my new and amazing co-coordinator, Trish. You were a huge asset to have and I look forward to working on many more weddings together in the future!

Photos by Fritz Photo

3.20.2010 Wedding - Made for Each Other

2010-05-20T19:50:00.000-07:00

Ashly and Jake got married a few months ago at Chinook Winds Casino in Lincoln City. The casino offers great packages that include decor, cake, catering, you name it! The bride looked stunning, and it was amazing to watch Jake's face as he saw her for the first time as she walked down the aisle. Ashly and Jake had framed pictures of both sets of their parents by their guest book, which was a very sentimental touch that the parents and guests loved! They also hand-signed each individual program that was carefully set on each chair for the ceremony. They even had a special chair painted, decorated, and set aside for a family member that was only able to attend in spirit. The bride's bouquet was preserved with real flowers (so it will look the same as it did on the wedding day for years and years to come), and the flowers were a perfect match to the wedding colors!

Ashly's maid of honor made cards that matched the theme and color of the wedding for guests to write words of wisdom and nice thoughts for the bride and groom. It was such a thoughtful idea, and the guests had a great time filling them out for the new Mr. and Mrs.! There was a plated dinner (made by the talented in-house caterer) which was followed by a tasty cake by Cherished Moments, Inc. which also provides flowers, invitations, help with formal wear, and numerous other things! The cake had numerous flavored layers, and had amazing detail! Another part of the package at Chinook Winds Casino includes a glass-blown ball specially made for the couple to remember their wedding by. It was beautiful!

I think one of my favorite parts of the wedding was the very heartfelt speeches made by both fathers. They both talked about how Ashly and Jake were made for each other and how blessed they felt to have each of them join their families. I loved working with Ashly and Jake and sharing in all of their joy. Congrats you two!

Photos by Sally of Pink Caterpillar Photography

Love Story: Loni & Marcus

2010-05-07T20:42:00.000-07:00

The Ring

"Marcus had come over to my apartment for dinner. Sometime during dinner he realized he was carrying the ring with him. He had just come from his grandmother's house and she had just given it to him. He wasn't ready to propose yet, so he quickly looked for a place to hide the ring. I had just moved into my apartment, so he found one of my moving boxes and put the ring in there.

Now, flash-forward a few weeks...I was looking for a cord I needed for my printer when I opened a box in my living room and found a little gray box. I picked it up and went to ask Marcus if he knew what it was. One look at his face and I knew exactly what it was, and that I wasn't supposed to see it yet. I threw the box at him and ran into the bathroom, refusing to come out until he had put the ring somewhere where I wouldn't see it. I had to wait about a month after that because he wanted to ask my Dad. I felt bad for ruining his surprise, but I was also really excited and it all eventually all worked out!"

Love Story: Kristen & Brandon

2010-04-25T08:52:00.000-07:00

How They Met

"We met at a professional conference in California - not somewhere you would consider being a 'romantic' location - about 3 years ago. I was in my last year of graduate school with a job in Nebraska on the Horizon. Brandon was in the middle of graduate school in Seattle. We were introduced by a mutual friend early during the conference, but didn't really talk at length until the last night of the meeting. Late that night, Brandon asked me for my e-mail address. He contacted me shortly after the conference, and we have been together, flying across the the country to see each other, since then!"

Photos by I and M Photo

Love Story: Ashly & Jake

2010-02-22T18:55:00.000-08:00

The First Time He Said "I Love You"

"Jake and I had only been dating for a few weeks but I already knew I was head over heels in love with him. Despite how badly I wanted to express my feelings, I kept telling myself that it was way too soon to tell Jake. I convinced myself to say nothing and wait. About two and a half months into the relationship, Jake and I went to Florence for the weekend. That Saturday, as we walked around Florence antique shopping, we were teasing each other about something...and I remember saying, "that's why you like me." Much to my surprise Jake responded, "no, that's why I love you." The funny part was I responded, "good" and forgot the whole I love you part...If such a thing as time standing still really exists, it did for me that moment. From there our relationship took off I never looked back."

Photo by Sally of Pink Caterpillar Photography

Welcome to the Jungle Baby Shower

2010-02-22T17:34:00.001-08:00

Jon and Julie are expecting a little girl, named June, and their families and friends gathered last month to shower the little princess that is going to arrive any day! One of the grandmothers-to-be picked a jungle theme for the shower to coordinate with the theme of June's nursery. The giraffe was just adorable! The invitations, thank you cards, and coordinating tableware came from Big Dot of Happiness. Kalie of Kalie's Piece of Cake, made the very tasty two tiered cake! She makes a wonderful butter cream frosting that's not too sweet and she adds amazing fondant details! The diaper cake was made by Nicole of Stacks of Love, which I love for any occasion! She is out of California, but can ship anywhere you need it! She has recently started also offering pampered stacks (spa products) for birthdays or that special lady needing to be pampered! For favors for the guests we had little giraffe soaps with custom tags, which really tied the whole giraffe theme together! The custom tags and soaps also came from Big Dot of Happiness, and the guests loved them! Thanks for asking me to help, it was a pleasure!

Bride's Choice Awards 2010 Winner

2010-02-02T13:20:00.000-08:00

WeddingWire, the nation's leading wedding technology company, has recently announced the winners of its prestigious annual award, the 2010 Bride's Choice Awards^TM and Stargazer Weddings has been selected to receive the 2010 award for Wedding Planning! This year's recipients represent the top five percent of all vendors in the WeddingWire community, which includes over 100,000 wedding professionals across the US and Canada.

The annual Bride's Choice Awards^TMrecognizes and celebrates excellence in quality and service within the wedding industry, as determined by recent reviews and extensive surveys from over 500,000 newlyweds. Awards are distributed to winners across 19 different service categories, from wedding venues to wedding photographers, and are based on the overall achievements over the past year.

"We are excited to honor the success of the top wedding professionals within the WeddingWire Community," said Timothy Chi, WeddingWire's Chief Executive Officer. "The annual Bride's Choice Awards ^TMprogram has given us the unique opportunity to recognize the best wedding professionals across the country and help engaged couples plan their weddings. WeddingWire would like to commend this year's recipients for their hard work and dedication to the wedding industry."

Featured Vendor of January - NW Mobile DJ Service

2010-01-26T13:08:00.000-08:00

If there was a DJ that I recommend to every bride, it would be NW Mobile DJ Service. Why? Because they are simply the best. Kevin, the "head honcho," is personal, hilarious, and professional. He has personally trained the rest of his staff to be just as great! A DJ truly helps to set the "tone" of a wedding. They know the timing of the ceremony so music starts at the correct time (and flows perfectly), set the perfect transitions between events at the reception (without being cheesy), can get a feel for the crowd and know the perfect song to play to keep up with the mood, and so much more! I know I use the word perfect a lot to describe Kevin and his crew, but I can't think of a better word! Here is a little bit more about them, straight from their website!

"NW Mobile DJ Service is completely dedicated to creating events as unique and individual as you. Our experienced mobile DJ's and MC's pride themselves on providing high end, state-of-the-art sound quality, a diverse music collection, and affordable prices to suit your budget. All this wrapped in a positive and personal touch guaranteed to make your wedding ceremony, wedding reception, corporate event, reunion, etc. an event to remember.

NW Mobile DJ Service serves the Pacific Northwest (Oregon & Washington) with experienced professionals who are always courteous, friendly, energetic, and determined to make a difference. The DJ/MC will gladly handle any announcements and activities during your event. Our level of interaction can be anywhere from conservative to out-going. At any level, our style never steals the spotlight - we strive to be part of the event and not the focus. We provide a professional, understated presence while engaging your group with music for all to enjoy."

Photos by Eric John

NW Wedding Scoop

2010-01-21T12:04:00.001-08:00

Stargazer Weddings is happy to be a part of the 2010 NW Wedding Scoop! This event is a wedding workshop to help brides have the wedding of their dreams, all on their budget. This is not like a bridal show and there will not be sale pitches! There are going to be professionals from all areas of the wedding industry to help you and to answer any questions you might have.

There will be two events: Salem Show on February 20th and the Portland Show on February 27th. Feel free to come to one or both, and for one session or both sessions! Check out the website to learn more about the vendors that are going to be there, check out the schedule, and more!

Tickets are $10 each or 2 for $15 if you pre-register online or $15 each and 2 for $20 at the door and there are only 200 spots available. Included in this price is a goody bag for every bride, opportunity to win door prizes, tips and tricks from local industry experts, come talk to wedding professionals without the sales pitch, and come enjoy the relaxed environment to come see the latest trends! I hope to see you there!

Let's Go Bananas Baby Shower

2010-01-21T09:24:00.000-08:00

A few weeks ago I had the pleasure of helping with Becky's Baby Shower. Ever since she was little she has LOVED monkeys! Her and her husband are expecting a little boy, Peter, so we went with a blue and green monkey theme! We ordered all of the supplies and one of the party favors through Big Dot of Happiness. I love working with this company because they deliver on time, all of their supplies coordinate perfectly, and their customer service is amazing. They don't just do baby showers either! They have supplies and favors for weddings, birthdays, and more!

One of the cakes was made by Becky's close friend. It was so festive, matched the theme, and tasted great! The other "cake" was made by the amazing and talented Nicole of Stacks of Love. Stacks of Love specializes in diapers cakes and offers two or three tiered cakes, and soon will be offering one tier cakes as well! She also provides "cakes" for house-warmings, weddings, you name it! She takes such care and pride in her work, and it shows by looking at her pictures and having the "cake" arrive perfectly packaged and ready to go! She can custom make a Stack of Love for you for any event you can think of!

For party favors we chose custom wrapped Hershey's chocolate bars. These wrappers were adorable! They had such cute sayings on the back about the Calories (Who's Counting?), Serving Size (Eating for Two), and Ingredients (A Little of Mom, and a Little of Dad, Make the Sweetest Baby, the World's Ever Had)! Becky's husband is in construction, so we wanted another unique party favor to share with the guests. I found small measuring tape key chains from Beau Coup! Her husband loved this idea (we made sure he got one too). We ordered stickers from Big Dot of Happiness to put on the key chains so they matched the theme. The kids enjoyed helping Becky open her gifts, there were lots of fun games, and everyone had a great time!

Willamette Valley Wedding Professionals

2010-01-20T22:35:00.000-08:00

Stargazer Weddings is a proud member of the Willamette Valley Wedding Professionals! This is a group of hand selected Venues and Professionals who are dedicated to making your dream wedding a reality. Each of the businesses in this group have proven themselves time and again to go above and beyond the call of duty. We work with you and each other to make sure that the event runs smoothly and that everyone has a wonderful time. I have had such a great time getting to know the other professionals in this group, you should check them out! We meet monthly to exchange ideas and tips, share our experiences, discuss wedding trends, and (most importantly) how to best serve our clients! Check out the group's website to check out some of the amazing venues and vendors!

Featured Vendor of December - Honeysuckle Photography

2009-12-29T12:53:00.000-08:00

<-----Meet Maggie of Honeysuckle Photography! I've worked with her a few times, and I can't say enough great things about her! I'm truly amazed with her talent to capture all the special moments of the day and the emotion between the couple and their families! Just take a look at some of my favorite pictures! I would have posted more pictures, but there are just too many that I love!
Here is some info about Maggie and Honeysuckle:

Introduction

"Hello, my name is Maggie. I have been passionate about art since I was too young to remember. I still have a soft spot in my heart for Thursdays. It was the day we had art class in elementary school. I have gone through many stages with my art from drawing and painting, to graphic design. In college, I finally found my true passion in photography. I started helping some college friends that were getting married and before I knew it, word had spread and I was running my own wedding photography business! That was back in 2004, and since then I have been fortunate enough to continue doing what I love in my life. I have photographed over 100 weddings and just when I think I have seen it all, I rediscover how diverse every couple is and how uniquely every wedding day unfolds. I love working with people and documenting such important moments in their lives. This truly is a dream job for me."

Style

"At Honeysuckle, we treat every wedding as a unique event. However your day unfolds, we will be there to document it, not to interfere with it. We want to show your love as it is. If you are silly, then we will capture your laughter. If you are emotional, then we will photograph your tears. Nobody fits into a formula. We work hard to get to know you as a couple so that when you see your photos, they look like your wedding as you lived it."

Investment & Travel

"All of our wedding packages come with an engagement shoot and a full day of wedding coverage with two photographers. We also include a disc of all the high resolution files in all of our wedding packages. Album options are also available." On an additional note, as Maggie and I have discussed numerous times, photographs capture the memories for you to reflect on for generations to come. This is one of the many reasons why I recommend Maggie! When you look back on these pictures, show your children and grandchildren, how awesome would it be to be able to remember, re-live, and re-feel all of those moments, emotions, and love!

"I absolutely love to travel and am open to going anywhere to photograph a wedding or any other project. Please don't hesitate to ask if you have a wedding planned outside of Portland, I would love to hear more about your plans!"

More than Weddings!

Maggie of Honeysuckle doesn't just do weddings! In addition to engagement shoots and weddings, she also does photography for models, family portraits, senior photos, birthdays, anniversary parties, proposals, maternity and newborns, you name it! As she said, this is truly her dream job and her passion for photography shows! Check out Honeysuckle's website! She books early, so contact her soon!

Photo of Maggie by Jessica Hill Photography with make-up by Jennifer Walker of Face Body Beauty

All other photos are by Honeysuckle Photography

Love Story: Anna & Matt

2009-12-22T13:46:00.000-08:00

How They Met

"Two and a half years ago...I was so busy post-college with developing my career and fixing up my newly purchased condo, I was convinced that I did not need a man in my life. My friends accused me of being a serial dater, and I never considered more than a date or two with someone before getting bored.

Little did I know, around this time in Colorado, Matt was considering a big change in his life. He graduated from CU and wanted to get a job teaching somewhere new. He felt like he needed to explore and applied for jobs all over the country. Out of all those applications, Matt was hired to teach in Lincoln City, OR. He had never even been there! When he was ready to move, he contacted the school district and asked if there were any other teachers that needed a roommate. They put him in touch with Neil (who happened to be a good friend of mine from college and was dating one of my best friends, Ragan) and shortly afterward, Matt and Neil moved in together.

The next weekend, my friend Ragan went to the beach to visit Neil. She invited me to go, but I couldn't go for some reason...She then met Matt. On her way home she called me to tell me all about the weekend. Ragan told me all about this guy, Matt, and how hilarious he was. She talked about how perfect he would be for me and said that he was like my "puzzle piece." She tried to convince me to meet him, and told me all about his personality and handsome blue eyes. Ragan was convinced he was "the one" for me...I just laughed and said that I was "not interested."

Fast forward a few weeks: I was headed to an OSU football game with Ragan, where Neil was meeting us. Ragan had finally convinced me to meet Matt, and he was going to be there. Unbeknownst to me, Ragan and Neil had told Matt to give me a big hug when we met...They thought this would be hilarious because I am not a big fan of hugs with people I barely know. So, when we got to Corvallis, Matt came towards me with a huge grin on his face and arms outstretched. He greeted me with a big hug, and I pulled my arms away and uncomfortably mumbled something. It was so awful that he felt the need to explain how our friends told him to do it and he was just trying to be funny. I did not think it was very funny...and the day was off to a very awkward beginning.

Well, as the day and the football game went on, Matt won me over. It wasn't long before he was cracking jokes and we were laughing back and forth at each other. Eventually I forgave the awkward first hug. He also had cookies and beer for tailgaiting, which helped too. :) There was something about Matt, and my heart was drawn to him. Every weekend after that we took turns driving back and forth from Lincoln City to Portland until he moved here a year later. We still laugh about our "how we met" story...and it turns out my friend was right, he is my "puzzle piece."

Photos by Honeysuckle Photography

A Father's Review ~ 10.11.2009

2009-12-21T20:34:00.000-08:00

"Emilie (our daughter) and Jaime's wedding took place on October 11, 2009 and was a joyous occasion made stress free with the coordination and planning that Ashley provided. She set about her task with meticulous attention to detail, exceptional efficiency, and unfailing courtesy and charm. She presented us with a truly memorable and beautiful event that surpassed all expectations and left us with the sweetest memories of the day. We especially appreciated her energy and take charge attitude that resulted in many little issues getting resolved long before becoming large issues. My wife and I cannot adequately express our thanks to her for such a wonderful job." ~ Dave

Photo by Daniel James Productions

Jaime & Emilie's Review ~ 10.11.2009

2009-12-13T14:54:00.001-08:00

"Ashley did a phenomenal job at our wedding! I was a DIY bride and figured I was only going to get married once so I wanted to add my own personal touch to every aspect possible. When I started planning our wedding I didn't think I'd need any help, but was I wrong! Our wedding day would have been a lot more stressful and much less organized if Ashley wouldn't have been coordinating. Ashley was a major contributor, actually the key contributor, to our wedding day being so wonderful! She set up our entire reception site and it was gorgeous! I had given her the centerpieces for the tables but hadn't really considered any decor for the actual venue. She was great, and even covered up an ugly painting with matching fabric and some extra centerpieces to make a gorgeous backdrop for our head table! She says she's all about the details...she's right and she nailed it!

I am so thankful to have had Ashley that day. I can't express enough gratitude for the wonderful job she did and how easy she made it for my husband and I. She was always so calm and collected; she was able to think quickly to find a resolve for whatever problem arose. Everyone was able to enjoy our beautiful reception thanks to Ashley's hard work and attention to detail! My parents could not stop raving the next day about how wonderful it was that they were able to dance, relax, and visit the night away.

Ashley is very talented and efficient. I highly recommend her for every bride regardless of your budget and the services you want. She is very flexible and is there to help with everything from booking vendors and putting everything together for you to simply being there "the day of" to make sure everything you planned runs smoothly. She works around what you want and pays attention to all the details. That's really what makes her shine in this business! Considering all of the people I worked with on our wedding, Ashley was the best!"

~Emilie

Photo by Daniel James Productions

10.11.2009 Wedding - Blissfully Bright

2009-12-12T21:07:00.000-08:00

Emilie and Jaime were married on 10.11.2009 at her parent's house in Estacada. The bridal party was able to wait inside, while Cambrae and Daniel of Daniels James Productions took some great group pictures by taking advantage of the architecture of the home. They made their entrance from the wrap around porch, down the aisle that was lined with fresh flowers, to a great setting with tall trees as the backdrop. Emilie loves music and singing, so she had some of her guests and bridesmaids sing a beautiful rendition of "Ave Maria" during the ceremony. Throughout the whole day I could think of one word to describe the bride and groom: bliss! The way they looked at each other, or the expression on their faces when the other was mentioned, they were in pure bliss!

After the ceremony, the guests headed to McMenamin's Edgefield to enjoy it's historic setting. Emilie was a DIY (Do-It-Yourself) bride that had a lot of creative ideas! She hand wrote each guest's name on a glass photo coaster that corresponded to their seat, which they found by matching the mountain name to the mountain picture at each table. It was a unique way for table seating and the guests loved it! The beautiful and bright flowers were provided by Cindi of Lucinda Clares Floral Design. Cindi stayed and made sure all of the flowers were set up just as the bride wished, and her floral arrangements were gorgeous and perfect for a fall wedding!

I think that one of my favorite parts of the wedding was when Emilie surprised Jaime with an acappella version of "Oxygen" by Colbie Callait. It was breathtaking! She had been planning on this for months, and the look on her new husband's face was priceless. Jaime sure has a talented bride! I also wanted to share one of my favorite pictures: Emilie and Jaime with the horse she has had since she was a little girl. There were some amazing pictures! Congrats Emilie and Jaime!

Photos by Daniel James Productions

An All Star Review

2009-12-07T23:12:00.000-08:00

"Ashley, the baby shower was amazing and far more than I ever would have expected. You truly are talented at what you do. Everything was perfect!"

~ Mommy-to-"bee"

An All Star Baby Shower

2009-12-05T22:13:00.000-08:00

This baby shower all started with an invitation which was made by the amazing Ashley of AEL Design. The invitation included a small card for guests to write their "favorite baby tip" and matched the theme and colors of the baby's room, All-Star sports! I just love the little poem on the invitation, something that the mommy-to-be and I came up with together after looking around online:

Little boys come in all shapes and sizes,

Shy, adventurous, and full of surprises.

With misshapen halos and mischievous grins,

Small dirty faces, and sweet, sticky chins.

They explore and conquer, romp and run,

So full of spirit, and so full of fun.

At the shower, the guests had TWO cakes to enjoy! The first was a very tasty and moist chocolate cake covered with a perfectly sweet (but not too sweet) butter cream frosting, made by the talented Kalie of Kalie's Piece of Cake. The other cake was a diaper cake, which is a really fun and creative way to give those needed items such as diapers, receiving blankets, socks, mini shampoos and other bathroom items, shoes, or whatever else you can think of! This diaper cake was made by the creative Nicole of Stacks of Love, who also makes hand-scrolled name necklaces! Nicole doesn't just do diaper cakes, but also house-warming stacks, bridal shower stacks, or anything else you can think of! Check out her website for some great gift ideas!

We also came up with some fun party favor ideas for her guests, including custom stickers for mini Hershey chocolates, mini honey jars from the mommy to "bee," and even custom thank you cards that matched the sports theme! For the thank you cards, we had the guests write their name on the envelopes, and then the mommy-to-be picked one (face down) and they won a prize! Other games included a baby word scramble, guess the amount of candies in the baby bottle, and everyone that brought a package of diapers was entered into a drawing to win a prize!

Featured Venue of November - The Grand Ballroom and The Historic Grand Theater

2009-11-29T19:39:00.000-08:00

At the last meeting of the Willamette Valley Wedding Professionals, we had the opportunity to meet at The Grand Ballroom & The Historic Grand Theater in Salem. It was my first time at the venue and I learned some information about it's history, pricing, and even got a tour at the end of the meeting. I was really impressed with the venue they have to offer for the price. The Theater has been recently renovated and can seat up to 380 guests. The theater style seating is arranged so that all of your guests can see the ceremony! It's only $550 to rent this room, and includes use of the theater, podium, lighting, and tables in the lobby and/or stage. For only an additional $100 you can use their equipment which includes an 18' x 24' movie screen, DVD player and projector, sound system, sound board, CD player, light board, microphones, and a sound technician to set up and run the equipment during your event. The theater is a large space, so it's easy to get creative and literally "set the stage" for your wedding ceremony!

As for the reception, it's just an easy elevator ride up to The Grand Ballroom! The ballroom seats up to 200 guests, plus 14 at a head table, and is set up perfectly for an indoor reception. It has separate areas for dining, food, and dancing. The large dance area has beautiful pecan wood floors, an art Deco fireplace, twinkle lights, paper lanterns, and a mirror ball in the center to tie it all together. Another plus about the ballroom is the neutral wall colors and window coverings, so it won't conflict with your wedding colors, no matter what they are! Some venues have a lot of restrictions and extra fees, but this venue is very open about the rules and prices. They allow you to use your caterer of choice, bring in food from a local store, or that you made yourself! Also, if there is no event the night/day before, they allow you to come and set up early for no additional charge! They also include the tables and chairs in their rental fee and do the custom set up according to your specifications.

Having a wedding in Oregon can be tricky with the weather...and when you're planning a wedding you can never guarantee "nice weather." It might rain, be really hot, or even windy. Well, with the ballroom neither of those will ruin your plans! It's an indoor venue and has really good air conditioning, so you'll be sure to keep all your guests comfortable no matter the weather! If it is nice weather and you're looking for some nice outdoor pictures as well, there are numerous parks close by. The ballroom rents for $2,150 on Saturdays and $1,950 on Fridays. This includes a $150 refundable cleaning/damage deposit. They are presently having a promotion for $200 off your 2009 or 2010 event for the ballroom! This is not valid for events already booked or weekday events (applies to Friday, Saturday, and Sunday events only). You can contact The Grand Ballroom and The Historic Grand Theater at 503.362.9185 or email them at Events@GrandBallroom.info. They are located at 187 High Street NE in Salem. Stop by soon to check it out and reserve your date!

Photos provided by The Grand Ballroom and The Historic Grand Theater

Raul & Michelle's Review ~ 10.18.2009

2009-11-23T12:55:00.000-08:00

"At first I thought I could do the whole wedding alone, thinking I came this far why hire on someone else to make my dream day come true. I found Ashley on craigslist, she is truly wonderful!

My wedding day turned out amazing. I was able to sit back and relax and take everything in while she did everything."

Photo by Sky Blue Iris Event Photography

10.18.2009 Wedding - Red Romance

2009-11-22T22:26:00.000-08:00

Raul and Michelle were married at the Red Lion Hotel in Salem on October 18, 2009. Being an inside wedding, they met the photographer earlier in the day to take some outside photos as well. It was raining in the morning, but cleared up in time for pictures and it was nice weather the rest of the day. Both Raul and Michelle were very ready to get married! Michelle could not stop laughing, smiling, and admiring her soon to be husband.

During the ceremony Raul and Michelle placed a single rose in the front row to represent loved ones that could not be there that day. It was very touching and the families really appreciated the gesture. At the reception the guests enjoyed a beautiful cake and Raul's son danced (and sung) to all the music playing. He, along with his two new sisters, were the life of the party on the dance floor!

The red colors really set the mood for a romantic wedding, as did the floating candles in the centerpieces. Being close to Halloween, and being big fans of skulls, the bride and groom incorporated them into the theme of their wedding. They had little skull rings for the guests, and the kids just went crazy for them! Michelle was a DIY (Do-It-Yourself) Bride and she put a lot of effort into making this wedding personal and fun for their families and guests. She glued all of the ribbons onto the centerpieces, made each wedding favor, and made "M" and "G" monograms for the entry door, just to name a few. Congrats Raul and Michelle (and your precious kids)!

Photos by Sky Blue Iris Event Photography

Featured Vendor - Jennifer of Face Body Beauty

2009-11-17T20:40:00.000-08:00

Jennifer is truly an artist. She can make you look and feel as radiant and beautiful as you should on your wedding day. She offers on-site professional makeup artistry and hair design for weddings, photoshoots, and special events. Jennifer is a MAC Pro artist with over 8 years of experience as a professional makeup artist. She also works with other fine lines such as Nars, Cargo, Stilla, The Balm, and many others!

Check out her website and check out some of her beautiful clients! Jennifer, the owner of Face Body Beauty, has been honored with the Bride's Choice Award for Professional Makeup Artistry from the Wedding Wire network which includes weddingwire.com and marthastewartweddings.com.

She serves the Portland, Salem, and surrounding areas, but is willing to travel!

She provides on-site makeup and/or hair design for: weddings, boudoir shoots, engagement shoots/parties, rehearsal dinners, special occasions (anniversaries, dances, reunions), fashion photoshoots, makeup lessons, makeovers, bachelorette parties, you name it! I've worked with Jennifer on a few different occasions and she is such a pleasure to work with! She is fun, energetic, and extremely talented. I highly recommend her!

Photo by Jessica Hill Photography

8.1.2009 Wedding ~ Summer Sunset

2009-10-13T09:48:00.000-07:00

Matt and Ashley were married a few months ago on August 1, 2009. Before I tell you about the wedding, I have to start with telling you about their invitations. AEL Design made all of the invitations and programs to suit the couple and what they were looking for. The colors, the design, everything about them fit the couple and the wedding perfectly. AEL Design truly has an eye for what looks good and can really put onto paper what her clients are looking for. I can honestly say this is by far one of my favorite invitation sets!

Now for the wedding details! It was hot and humid, but these two didn't let that get in the way of enjoying their wedding! I don't think I ever saw them without a smile. The flowers were absolutely stunning and really "popped" against the black bridesmaid dresses. The large arbor was handmade by the groom himself, and was decorated with more amazing floral arrangements. The aisle was lined with lanterns and candles, which matched the centerpieces on all the tables. Ashley arrived to the aisle in a gorgeous classic Chevy, and walked down after the ring bearers showed the guests their "here comes the bride" signs. I just loved it!

Matt's family has been in the logging business for over 30 years, so I thought that their wedding favor of giving all their guests individual blue spruce starter trees to plant was such a good idea! The guests loved it too and were talking about what a unique idea it was. They also had the wedding on his family's property outside of Sweet Home. The site offered an amazing sunset and a spectacular view of the stars...just look at the picture below! Congrats Matt & Ashley!

Visit the New Website!

2009-09-29T13:02:00.000-07:00

The website is officially up and running! You can visit it at http://www.stargazerweddings.com/. There are lots of extras such as a "contact me" page, my schedule, faq's, a little more about me, and lots of pictures! Pictures are updated often as I get new clients and with each wedding, so keep checking back for more! There is also a link back to the Blog, Online Billpay, and the featured vendors and venues that I post monthly. If you have a person or place that you'd like to recommend, send me an email! I would love to meet them/visit the venue so I can pass along their info to future brides!

Featured Venue of September - BeckenRidge Vineyard

2009-09-17T14:22:00.001-07:00

I had the pleasure of coordinating a wedding at BeckenRidge Vineyard, which is located 15 miles west of Salem in Dallas, Oregon. It was a beautiful venue with it's "majestic views and old world charm" and the staff was amazing to work with. Their facility is available for both indoor and outdoor events, and can accommodate groups up to 250 guests. They offer a full catering kitchen available to the caterer of your choice and numerous options for music (grand piano, built-in sound equipment for microphones, CD player, iPod, and mp3 players). Ivory and white table cloths are available for rent, in addition to a hand crafted metal arch available to add your own decorations to. BeckenRidge staff will arrange the tables and chairs provided with the rental of the facility to meet your needs. You may also bring in additional tables and chairs if needed. The main room (with a beautiful stone fireplace) seats 120 at round tables and if more space is needed, you can expand out onto the covered/open patio that overlooks the stunning vineyard. There is a private dressing area, hardwood floors, vaulted ceilings, and the building is fully ADA approved. Check out their website for more information and to see if your date is still available! You can also call them at 503.831.3652 or email them at info@beckenridge.com.

Photo by Encore! Photography

Matt & Ashley's Review ~ 8.1.2009

2009-09-15T20:42:00.000-07:00

"I cannot thank Ashley enough for all that she did to make my wedding day incredible. From the moment she knew we were engaged, she started offering and suggesting information, contacts, vendors, ideas, help, moral support, etc. Time flew by and before we knew it, it was time for the rehearsal. Ashley was there to offer as little or as much help as needed. It's almost as if she can't help herself, and even without being asked, she knows exactly what needs to be done. At one point during the rehearsal my Mom said, 'Who is that girl in the polka dots? She is awesome!' Despite Ashley's busy weekend (her husband - the best man - graduated the morning of our wedding), she was there on our wedding day to help make the biggest day of our lives a success. If anything went wrong on our wedding day, we weren't aware of it! To us, it was PERFECT! Thanks to the contributions of many people, and one in particular, Ashley Lacer."

~ Ashley

Photo by Honeysuckle Photography

8.25.2007 Wedding Review

2009-09-03T19:35:00.000-07:00

The following review is from Betsy, a close friend of the bride and groom, who helped them plan their wedding. I showed up a few hours early, just in case they needed some extra help getting things ready. I originally talked to Kim (the bride) about a review, but quickly realized that she didn't even know that I had stepped in to helped! It made me very happy that, to her, things went perfect and she was able to enjoy her day!

"I had the privilege of helping Kim and Evan plan their wedding that they were holding at a private residence several summers ago. As with the best of plans -- several things went awry. Several big things -- all at the same time! Ashley was still a student at OSU at the time and one I knew, but didn't know very well. I only had to turn to her with pure panic in my eyes and day 'Help...?!! Please...!!?' and she instantly kicked into gear. She was a guest - but I was desperate for help. With a big smile on her face Ashley jumped right in and set about organizing, problem solving, soothing, nudging, suggesting...She did all the right things at the right time and did so without prompting. I was then free to work on getting the bride and groom down the aisle. It was as if we had been working together for several years. She just knew what to do to make sure the bride, groom, and guests enjoyed the wedding. I left the wedding happy for the newly married couple and deeply grateful for Ashley and her even and people management skills. She can arrange flowers, help fix tuxedo pants that were never altered, keep the food coming, keep the schedule and program on track, and she does it calmly, in heels, and with a big smile on her face."

~ Betsy

Photo by Powers Studios Photography

For Your Convenience

2009-09-03T15:17:00.000-07:00

Stargazer Weddings is now able to accept debit and credit cards! People often prefer to use credit or debit cards to track wedding expenses and payments, so I made sure I was able to accept them as well! You can click on this link (Pay Now) or on the "Pay Now" link under Online Billpay. It will take you to a payment page where you can enter the amount you would like to pay on your account. In the description line, please mention the wedding (by bride's full name or wedding date) that the payment is to go towards. Thank you for your business and I hope that this is just one more way I can make things easier for you.

*Note: if you are sending your non-refundable deposit, please mention that in the description line along with the bride's full name or wedding date.

Military Discount

2009-08-28T10:02:00.000-07:00

I would like to extend a 10% discount to all wedding couples (bride/groom) that are currently serving, or who have served, in the military. This is very dear to my heart since my husband serves with the Oregon National Guard. Numerous people on both my side and my husband's side have served in numerous branches over the past few decades, and I would like to honor them by recognizing other dedicated military personnel.

I've always admired retail stores and businesses that offered special promotions and discounts to military families, and I want to do the same for Stargazer Weddings. This discount applies for service in any branch of the military (cannot be combined with any other discount or promotion, and only applies to the base contract amount).

I can't thank you enough for your dedication, service, and sacrifice. Please contact me so we can get started on planning your wedding!

The photo above is of the garter my husband surprised me with for our wedding! It was one of my favorite memories!

Photo by Honeysuckle Photography

Featured Vendor of August - Wedding Cakes by Brooke Baker

2009-08-26T21:08:00.000-07:00

I recently met with Brooke in Salem to see some photos and talk about her wedding cakes. She was great! She was super easy to talk to and absolutely loves what she does. She was so fun to talk to that we easily got distracted and started telling each other about how we both got started in our business, why we love it, etc. We probably could have talked for hours, but she was meeting some clients to work out the details for her next wedding cake!

She started making and decorating cakes back in 2002 when she was asked to make one for a family member. She loved it so much she's been doing it ever since! She recently has been taking on more clients and I can't wait to see more beautiful (and tasty) cakes from her in the future! Not only is she extremely talented, but she is extremely affordable as well! She offers cakes as low as $1.50 a serving! She mainly works out of the Salem/Keizer area, but delivery is available (additional fee) and is also very reasonably priced. I can't say enough good things about Brooke and her amazing talent. To see more or to contact Brooke about your big day, check out her blog at http://weddingcakesbybrookebaker.blogspot.com/!

Love Story: Michelle & Raul

2009-08-25T20:07:00.002-07:00

The Proposal:

Raul and I had looked at different types of rings for about a week, and he would make hints that he had looked but haven't found the "one" yet. Once hitting up a few stores we walked into one and saw the ring set I just knew was the one. He knew right away that it was the ring I wanted (small yet perfect)!

A week or so later he texted me and asked for the sku numbers from the ring, but it still didn't click. I had no clue he was buying the rings that day and asking me to marry him that night. He got off work early and went to my moms house to ask her if it was okay for him to ask me. I still had no idea! Raul came home and asked me if I had our song on my IPOD. I said I did but could not figure out why he wanted to hear it so bad (our song is 'I will be there' by Steven Curtis Chapman). I turned the song on and we just talked a little bit about everything. He pulled me close for a hug and at that time was trying to free the ring from the box. He looked at me in the eyes and asked me if his heart would be pounding that hard the day he asked me to marry him. I kinda looked at him and said 'I guess so, what are we doing a trial run!?' Raul then got down on one knee and took my hand telling me he loved me and was ready to spend the rest of his life with me. He took the ring out and put it on my finger, and almost forgot to ask me to marry him!

It was a perfect moment in our lives! Now we are less than 2 months away from our wedding date!

Photo provided by Michelle, the bride to be! :)

A "Friendly" Review ~ 8.15.2009 Wedding

2009-08-24T10:09:00.000-07:00

I had the pleasure of working with Holly, a close family friend of Margaret, at Charlie and Margaret's wedding in Bly on 8-15-2009. She helped me get the arch ready just as Margaret had envisioned as I tended to other tasks. The arch was made by hand by the groom and had the natural country look that matched the rest of the wedding.

"Troy, the girls, and I sure enjoyed meeting you and working with you! I just wanted to let you know again how much your coordinating efforts (with a smile on your face!) were appreciated. We were impressed with your commitment to the bride to try to make all of her wishes possible for a special wedding day! Your energetic, yet calming spirit, led to a wonderful day for all! Thanks again for all that you did! I know Margaret must appreciate you very much as well."

~ Holly Michaels

A Heartfelt Thank You

2009-08-21T09:15:00.000-07:00

There are so many rewarding things about my job: seeing nothing but smiles because the wedding couple can just relax and enjoy their day, working with amazing vendors, seeing parts of Oregon that I otherwise wouldn't see...and the list could go on an on. However, the most fulfilling part is when the wedding is over and I know that I helped make their dream wedding come true.

I came home two days ago to find a beautiful bouquet of flowers on my front porch. I was trying to remember if there was something important that day/week...but I couldn't think of a single thing. Maybe it was delivered to the wrong address? Nope, it had my name on it...The card that came with it said "We can't thank you enough for helping us with our wedding!" It was from Matt and Ashley! I helped coordinate/direct their wedding the day of on August 1st, 2009. Their kind gesture truly touched my heart and made me appreciate that I am able to help wedding couples and their families so they can just enjoy each other and the wedding. I can't thank you enough for giving me the opportunity to help!

I'm All About the Details

2009-08-19T09:00:00.000-07:00

My husband and I were married on 6.20.2008 at the Oregon Gardens in Silverton. Making our wedding unique and personal was very important to us. What makes it more special is when people notice all the "little things" that a couple puts into the wedding to make it their own. This is what our photographers, Maggie of Honeysuckle Photography, had to say about our wedding:

"The day was fantastic! There was so much eye candy from all the details...Josh and I took way too many photos. As many of our clients know...I am a sucker for details. I love all the little things that pull a wedding together and give it personality. This wedding was over the top when it came to details. I could name a hundred, but I will just mention my favorite two. The flowers were amazing. They were designed by the talented Heather of Thistle Dew Floral and Event Design. They were preserved flowers, a very cool method that keeps flowers looking great for lifetime as well as giving them a cool texture and look on the day of a wedding. I also loved the custom fortune cookie favors. Michael proposed to Ashley with custom fortune cookies so they incorporated them into the event and I just thought they were too cute. Check out the example below along with other photos that we loved from the day." ~ Josh & Maggie Hudson

That's where my motto "let your details shine" comes from. My desire is to help you find those special details to make your day unique and make sure that your wedding day happens just as you wish.

~Photos by Honeysuckle Photography

8.15.2009 Wedding ~ A Little Bit Country

2009-08-18T20:27:00.000-07:00

Charlie and Margaret got married on 8.15.2009 in Bly, Oregon. For those of you that don't know where Bly is...it's about 5 hours south/southeast of Salem. Although its a long drive, its a beautiful one! They got married at Margaret's family ranch which offered spectacular views and a wedding site they could always call their own.

Everyone could tell that they put a lot of effort into their wedding and making it special. They had personal touches everywhere! They had about 5 or 6 different flavors of homemade jams with personalized stickers and they even had matching camo covers that matched the groomsmen's vests and bridesmaids' sashes (made by the bride's mother). Charlie had even made each centerpiece by hand...cutting the wood, leveling the bottom, and cutting out a section in the top to place a candle inside. The flowers were stunning and they had the best country wedding cake I've ever seen! There are just too many personal details to mention!

One of the parts that I love most about my job is being able to notice the little things that make the day special for the bride and groom. Not all of the guests could see it, but Charlie had made a special "CM" (for "Charlie & Margaret") out of iron and had that attached to the ring bearer's pillow. He did it only to put a smile on his bride's face. It was precious. You could tell that when Margaret saw it that is just melted her heart. Thank you Charlie and Margaret for having me be a part of your special day!

Charlie & Margaret's Review ~ 9.15.2009

2009-08-18T20:08:00.000-07:00

"When Charlie proposed I went straight to planning before we had even set a date. We spent a lot of time planning and researching during the year leading up to our wedding, and I wanted to make sure that it all turned out perfect. As the day got closer I knew I was going to need help since I was having it states away from my home base. Its hard to have everything lined up when you yourself have to travel to your wedding. My bridal party was coming early to help get things all ready and take care of any last minute things we might need. I soon realized they wouldn't be able to take care of all the last minute details that happen the day of, as they would need to be ready to go down the aisle, take pictures, etc.

I was overjoyed to get the help of Ashley to be the director of all the needs on my wedding day. She came fully prepared with a list of questions for us to make sure she could get every last detail in place while we were finishing what we needed to do. Her attention to detail and willingness to adjust with my changing ideas helped to get everything done and looking better than I could have expected, especially when it hit crunch time. Her cool, collected attitude came across with a smile making her very approachable for those needing direction, as well as helping friends and family. Her drive to help me have the wedding of my dreams was clear with her every move...Now that its all said and done, I look back and know that we couldn't have pulled it all off with out her amazing help on our wedding day."

~ Charlie & Margaret

Photo by me :)

Love Story: Emilie & Jaime

2009-08-07T18:47:00.000-07:00

THE FIRST DATE:

"Jaime took me to a wonderful little Italian place called Marzini’s in Corvallis. The food was wonderful and the discussions were thoughtful, playful, witty, and smart. I pretty much fell for him there. We parted ways after dinner as I was driving home for Christmas break that night. I said I would call him over the break…but I didn’t! Some time passed and I realized, ‘yes, I really do love this Jaime kid.' I set it all straight and started dating Jaime...and it's been bliss ever since!"

THE PROPOSAL:

"Cambrae, a friend of mine who is a photographer, contacted me and asked if I would model for a friend of hers who was opening a jewelry store. I said yes (maybe I could get some free jewelry) but we had to reschedule several times (for my cousin’s wedding and because the jewelry needed to be finished for the shoot). It was a beautiful Saturday morning and both Jaime and I were up early. He had to go into work and put in several hours to finish up some lesson plans and other teacher-like stuff, and then his parents and siblings were coming to town visit. I had to drive to Portland since that’s where Cambrae’s studio is located. Jaime left the apartment before I did, I kissed him good-bye, and wished him a good day.

When I got to the studio I got ready for the photo shoot, but was ready sooner than she or I expected. I waited around while she finished up her consult with a client (who had been informed about the plot). After she was finished, Cambrae showed me an array of jewelry that had been laid out on black velvet. It was all so pretty! She talked about a couple pieces and the ‘vibe’ that her friend wanted to portray in a photo of those pieces. I picked a choker and matching earrings and we started the shoot. We took several pictures and then she said 'it’s too bad you don’t have some huge gaudy ring to flaunt with this gorgeous jewelry.' I laughed and she clicked the shutter….Then she said she wanted to take a more sophisticated, calm shot, so she asked me to turn my face away from the light and close my eyes. I followed instructions and she took a photo...then I hear someone enter the room (loudly and sort of clumsily). I’m thinking it's just her boyfriend coming to say hello. Cambrae says 'Okay, open your eyes and we’ll change jewelry.'

I open my eyes and turn and there’s Jaime on one knee asking me for my hand in marriage! I think he said something else about the rest of our lives or something like that but I didn’t hear it! I thought to myself 'is this really happening? Did he actually surprise me with this proposal? Let me pinch myself...yup he’s still here in front of me with a ring!' I was so shocked that I almost forgot to say yes! Cambrae, of course, was clicking the shutter constantly during the whole thing. After that, we called family and a couple of friends, touched up my make-up, and continued with an engagement shoot.

I am so stoked to become Mrs. Amelia Mae Servin...I will be very happy the day I can call Jaime my husband!"

Photo's by Cambrae (I think we got that part) :)

Love Story: Margaret & Charlie

2009-08-06T17:53:00.000-07:00

HOW THEY MET:

"It was the Fireman’s Ball in Broken Bow, Nebraska and I was there by myself, because my friends had left early. Well, I was sitting there listening to the band, when they started playing Chris Ledoux "Look at you Girl." From out of nowhere he came up to me and asked me to dance, and obviously, I said yes. We danced a little more, when he told me he would be back in a couple of minutes...well he was gone longer than that and i was tired...so as charlie calls it, I "pulled a Cinderella" on him and left. A couple of months later we just randomly ran into each other and started talking and hanging out and the rest is history!"

THE PROPOSAL:

"Well, we started out that day like any other normal 4th of July. I finally got the day off, so Charlie and I went to the Dunning Jr. Rodeo. We had a great time sitting in the sun, getting a tan, and just having fun. Charlie and I were talking about how we both loved the 4th because its a Cowboy's Christmas, no snow but lots of rodeos, sun, fun, nice cool drinks, and getting to play with fire. After the rodeo we went back to Charlie’s house and we were working on cleaning it because his parents were coming to visit. Well, you know me, I hate cleaning! So after a bit I was done with that so we took a break and we sat and started watching TV. We had been watching TV for a bit when he asked me if I wanted my Christmas present. Well, me being me, I was a bit of a smart mouth and told him that if he gave me my Christmas present now, he have to get me another one at Christmas time. He said that was OK. So I was sitting on the couch with my eyes closed while he was making a lot of noise...and I’m being a smart mouth the whole time. When it finally quieted down he told me to open my eyes, which I did. I found him down on one knee and he took my hand and told me how much he loved me...then asked me if I would make him the happiest man ever to live! He opened his hand and there was a ring sitting in it. He asked me to marry him!!!!! I started crying and shook my head and at some point in time I said yes. We hugged, kissed, I cried, then we hugged and kissed some more. Then we started to call everyone!"

Photo by Amanda Myers from "Who you are photography" in Broken Bow, Nebraska

Travis & Krista's Review ~ 6.29.2007

2009-08-06T15:57:00.001-07:00

"Travis and I got engaged in August of 2006. I was making plans right away and being a type "A" personality thought that I could handle it all. Well, I quickly learned that to make that perfect day go smoothly I needed help. I wanted to enjoy my wedding day and not have to show the caterer where to set up, point out the spots that flowers needed to be placed or handle a million other details. That's when I asked my very good friend Ashley to be my coordinator. I knew that she had intense attention to detail and an eye for what looks good. She is also extremely organized, flexible and works faultlessly under pressure. There was no one else I wanted to handle my big day besides Ashley. And indeed my wedding day was fabulous and I owe it all to Ashley. I was able to relax and enjoy the celebration while she took care of the normal details and a few mishaps. I am so glad that Ashley was there coordinating my wedding. Thanks Ashley!"

~ Travis and Krista

Photo by Honeysuckle Photography

6.29.2007 Wedding ~ The Wedding That Started It All

2009-08-05T18:19:00.000-07:00

The first wedding that I coordinated was for my friends, Krista and Travis back in 2007. I had known Travis since our freshman year at Oregon State (2003) and he was one of my closest friends. Fast forward two years: he told me he needed a favor because one of his best friends (Krista) needed a place to live asap. I had only met her once or twice, but I had an available room so I said of course! Little did I know that Krista and I would still be such close friends. She was actually one of my bridesmaids!

Anyway, through the years (yes, since 2003) Travis would always confide in me about how he knew Krista was the one but she just didn't know it yet. Krista was going to school to become a veterinarian, so she spent a LOT of time studying and always said she didn't have time for a relationship with anyone. She kind of knew Travis had a thing for her, but she didn’t know that he would wait as long as he needed until she was ready.

Well...during a wonderful trip to Cabo San Lucas in December of 2005 (there was about 12 of us) Krista and Travis pulled me aside and told me they were dating! Now, Travis is a very patient man and waited over 2 years for the chance to date the woman he knew was the one the whole time. Needless to say it was about time they were a couple!

Things blossomed from there and they were engaged about a year or so later with the wedding taking place on June 29th. One day, a few months before the wedding, Krista calls me and asked me to be her wedding coordinator! I instantly said yes! However, then I started to think about how much responsibility it was but her confidence in me gave me the determination to give 110% (or more, whatever it took to give my all) so she would NOT be disappointed.

I showed up at 9 am (yes, I was the only one there) to start setting up all of the flowers (a trailer full of them), tables, do the centerpieces, set up the aisle and the arch, you name it, I did it! I even brought some snacks and drinks for the wedding party, knowing they would be there for a long time before it was time for dinner.

Now, as we all know, things can and do go wrong and not according to plan. That's okay, that's what a wedding coordinator is for! I quickly realized how important it is to get to know the bride, so I know how she would handle the situation. I could give you a list of all the little things that had to be decided, trips to the store for necessary dinnerware items, additions to the "timeline" that were forgotten, but to Krista, her day was perfect. She knew nothing of all the little things that needed to be done around her to make her day run perfectly. When I overheard her and Travis talking about how perfect their day was as they were getting ready to leave. My heart melted. I knew that I had met their expectations. What I didn't know was that I found in myself the true desire and passion to make every bride walk away from their wedding and talking to their new husband about how perfect their day was.

Wedding photo by Crystal Nelson Photography
Cabo photo by me :)

Behind the Name

2009-08-05T12:41:00.001-07:00

I believe that every wedding should have personal and meaningful details. So when I was deciding on a name for my business, I couldn't pick just anything! I chose Stargazer Weddings because the Stargazer Lily was the first and most frequent flower that my husband has given me over the years. We had Stargazer Lilies at our wedding, and our florist even put a single flower between our seats on the head table the night of the wedding. I didn't ask her to, she just knew that it would make our wedding that much more meaningful to us.

I want to help you create ideas and find vendors and venues that reflect your personality and dreams...all on your budget (no matter how big or small)! Whether you need my assistance every step of the way or just making sure all of your plans run smoothly the day of...I'm here to help you have a wedding to remember and enjoy stress-free!

How Stargazer Weddings Began

2009-08-05T11:09:00.000-07:00

My passion for coordinating weddings started in the summer of 2007 when my friends, Travis and Krista, got married (See Blog "The Wedding That Started It All"). She asked me to coordinate her wedding because she knew I was detail oriented and that she could trust me to make her special day run smoothly. At first I was a little scared...that was a LOT of responsibility! However, I was not going to let her down so I dove right in! The day turned out to be a total success, even the rain stopped about an hour before the wedding! I can't take credit for the blue skies though, hahaha. I instantly fell in love with the idea of being a wedding coordinator and making the wedding day as flawless as possible.

Over the years I've coordinated weddings for friends...but the last wedding I coordinated in August of 2009 helped me realize that this was a passion of mine that I couldn't just do "here and there." I want to help more brides, like you, feel at ease on their wedding day so I decided to start Stargazer Weddings! It is one of the happiest days of your life, and my personality reflects that joy. I keep a smile at all times and stay energetic no matter the circumstance.

I quickly realized how important a wedding coordinator is at my own wedding in June of 2008. I thought I had everything covered. Cake? Check. Photographer? Check. DJ? Check...and the list went on and on. However, I forgot a crucial part to the wedding day: a wedding coordinator! The person that handles all the questions, because they already know the bride's answer...the person that makes sure everything and everyone is in the correct place at the correct time...the person that takes the stress off you and your family so you can take in every happy moment that you can. I was lucky enough to have my sister (my matron of honor, that's us to the right) step in and handle any questions that came along so I didn't have to. I wish she didn't have to take on that extra responsibility because I wanted her to celebrate the day with me, stress-free. That's what I want for you, for you to simply enjoy and celebrate the day with your husband, family, and friends.

Photo by Honeysuckle Photography