7.20.2013 ~ Something Blue

*Wedding by Bailey

Paul and Elizabeth wed July 20, 2013 in Dallas, Oregon at the beautiful home of Elizabeth’s parents. In the days leading up to the wedding ,Elizabeth’s father excitedly prepared his home to welcome guests near and far for the celebration of his daughter getting married. The lawn was seeded, flowers were planted, a walkway was placed, and a parking area installed. On the day of the wedding, the ordinary home became an extraordinary setting for a young couple to become husband and wife.

 

The evening I first met with Paul and Elizabeth they weren’t sure about any of their wedding details besides the fact that they were getting married. After visiting for a while and talking about their likes and dislikes, it became clear to me that these two wanted to celebrate their love in a fashion truly unique to them. As the plans developed, fun and unique ideas came to light. Paul loved music so they decided to have a band made up of close college friends play at the wedding. Elizabeth’s brother was excited to contribute a home-brewed batch of beer, and neither Paul nor Elizabeth really like cake, so they decided to have pie instead.

 

 

 

As the wedding day arrived, Special Occasions helped transform the backyard into a beautiful ceremony space and reception venue by providing all the necessary rental items we needed. The tables were decorated with blue tablecloths and white napkins – staying true to the colors Elizabeth had wanted. Katie Davis provided beautiful flowers for centerpieces accented with blue and white striped ribbon and Elizabeth’s mother made custom photo albums for each table with pictures of both Paul and Elizabeth as young children, growing up and falling in love. A bag of seeds to plant a tree was placed at each table setting as a gift for the guests, made for Paul and Elizabeth by a family member. The final accent was a bowl of hand-picked Oregon raspberries for guests to snack on.

Elizabeth walked down the aisle with her father in the beautiful backyard setting they had created. A short and sweet ceremony was followed by a yummy dinner prepared by Valley Catering, heartfelt toasts which made everyone both laugh and cry and an evening full of games, dancing and sparklers. Julie of Julie Randall Photography perfectly captured the enjoyment and excitement of both the newlywed couple and their guests as they played giant Jenga, enjoyed homemade beer and savored pie made by Blue Raeven Farmstand. The pie even had custom crusts with Paul and Elizabeth’s initials (which just so happens to look like the word pie when adding a heart in the middle). As night approached tents were being set up in the yard so friends could stay and celebrate the night away. When saying my last goodbyes and congratulating the new couple I was happy to see guests still enjoying the day Paul and Elizabeth had created since our first meeting of unknowns.

Special thanks to Julie Randall for letting me feature her photos on the blog.      
       
I loved working with Paul and Elizabeth because they were so genuine and sweet! And I loved that they shared some of their favorite things with everyone on their wedding day! Thank you so much for letting me share this special day with you.   

7.21.2012 ~ Medicine Bottles & Mercury Glass

*Wedding by Ashley*

I'm really, really excited to finally have some time to sit down and write this blog post!  I've had a hard time thinking about how to start it...as there are SO many things I want to talk about...and I'm afraid my description of the wedding just won't do it justice.  However, thankfully Brittany of 5th and 59th Photography was there all day, and her pictures describe what my words can't. 

Melissa and Michael were beyond amazing to work with.  They had so many ideas, but were still receptive to suggestions.  Melissa recently graduated (focus on design), and Michael had quite good taste himself (I mean, he DID propose to Melissa, hahaha) - so this wedding was full of style - personal style.  When she told me about their venue, The Chatoe Rogue in Independence, I was SO excited to get a chance to work out there (I always love getting to see new venues).  I was even more excited after I met Natascha, who runs the place.  Her and her husband make an amazing team, and I hope I get to work with them again, and again, and again.  They have a great open field with wood fencing facing the river with large trees for a great ceremony spot, and a rustic old barn for the reception.  Plus, they have Rogue beer of course!  I loved this venue so much, that it was actually the spot were Stargazer Weddings did their inspiration shoot this year with the Click Chicks (I'll blog about this soon). 

Okay, back to the wedding details.  Before the wedding, M&M worked with Ashley of AEL Designs to create the perfect stationary set for their wedding.  Save the dates, invitations, menu cards, you name it.  They were gorgeous!  Melissa bought her dress at David's Bridal and (I know I say this often), but it couldn't have been more perfect.  Classy, sophisticated, with a little bit of sexy.  Plus, she had her hair and makeup done by the talented team at Face Body Beauty - she looked breathtaking.  Oh, and those shoes?  Yes - Vera Wang.  Michael actually bought his own suit for the day, and it was so stylish!  The colors, the fabric, everything about it complimented Melissa's dress and his personality so perfectly.  Before it was time for the "first look," Michael made sure to have a surprise present and letter delivered to Melissa by one of her bridesmaids.  I wasn't there for that moment...but Brittany was and captured it all!  Seeing the emotion on Melissa's face was proof that Michael had really surprised her (good job Michael)! 

Sandy Shipley of Sage Creative conducted a beautiful ceremony, which was decorated with stunning floral arrangements from Gina of Bohemian Bouquets.  You know the flowers are just what the bride was wanting when they get as excited the first time they seem them as Melissa was!  I was SO happy she loved her flowers - and I really loved the burlap and lace accents for the bouquets!

Now, to achieve the full look that M&M were wanting, we went to a few places to get some items.  SHE Designs, Special Occasions, and Something Borrowed.  Yes, that's Salem, Corvallis, and Portland!  We've worked with SHE Designs and Special Occasions numerous times before - and love their stuff (plus, Sue of SHE Designs has some amazing linens and fabrics).  This was our first time working with Something Borrowed and they have some ah-mazing things!!  Purple medicine bottles?!?  Yes, please!  I'm seriously in love with these!  Plus, adding them to the gray hues of the underlays, burlap runners, lace accents, blue mason jars, those stunning flowers...oh, and the mercury glass!  I love mercury glass!  I think the pictures speak for themselves! 

Now, it's tradition for M&M to take pictures in a photobooth.  I know photobooths are becoming more popular at weddings, but this has a special place in the hearts of M&M.  Every year, for TEN years, M&M would take pictures in a photobooth.  We decided to incorporate this into the wedding by putting years 1-5 and then 6-10 on each side of the head table, so all of the guests could see them.  We also put pictures around the whole room (they had 10 years worth of pictures, and I loved ALL the different kinds of frames).  It was so much fun to see all of their memories, and their guests to talk about "oh, I remember that day!"  Kevin from Mobile Moments Photo Booth had a great setup, lots of props, and really kept a good vibe going to get people to take lots of pictures.  They also turned the filmstrips into a wedding favor for the guests, and part of a photo album as a guest book for M&M!  Kirsten and I went through the photobooth as well, and had so much fun putting together a scrapbook page for their guest book. 

That gorgeous cake was made by Myriad Cake Design (LOVE working with her) and Mick from NW Mobile DJ Service kept the party going and flowing - and did a great job asking the questions for the "Shoe Game."  If you haven't heard of this...you should look it up!  M&M sat back to back (so they couldn't see each other), and then Mick would ask questions that they both had to answer at the same time.  They each held two shoes, one in each hand (one of Melissa's and one of Michael's).  They had to raise the shoe of the person they think would be the answer to the question.  It was hilarious!!  And the grand exit?  Sparklers of course! 

I could go on and on about how much I loved the details, how much I enjoyed working with M&M, and how many great memories and friendships were made this day - but I think you get the idea.  M&M, I'm so thankful that I was a part of your wedding and a part of your lives!

7.23.2011 ~ Wisconsin Wedding

This wedding has a REALLY personal story to it - and I'm SO happy that I finally have some time to write about it!  Jace and Lacey were married back in July of 2011 (yes, we're still trying to catch up on our blog posts).  My husband and Jace first met back in 2006 when they both joined the National Guard and went to Fort Leonard Wood, Missouri.  They were assigned as "battle buddies," which means (whether they liked each other or not), they were stuck with each other through all of Basic Training.  They were to help each other, push each other when one would want to give up, and all around be a good support for each other.  Well, luckily it turns out these two got along pretty well, and had similar life values, morals, and life ambitions.  They stayed in touch through the years - and eventually both were deployed at near similar times.  My husband, Mike, deployed to Afghanistan, and Jace deployed to Iraq.  There was a few months of overlap, but they continued to stay in touch throughout their deployments.

This is where Lacey and I become more acquainted.  We had talked here and there over the years, but it was over the mutual life challenge of having our men deployed that really brought us together.  We'd write, message, text, call, and however else we could communicate - we would.  Since my husband had deployed sooner than her (at the time, fiance), she came to me for advice, guidance, and "reality."  For her, it was helpful to hear the truth from someone who had just gone through "this" or "that" stage of deployment.  For me, it was helpful to show strength and be there for someone, when I myself was leaning on her just as equally (although she probably didn't know it).  Through both deployments, challenges, late nights, lots of prayers, and God's grace - our  men came home....which meant it was time for Lacey and Jace to GET MARRIED!  They live in Wisconsin, so Mike and I flew to Wisconsin for the wedding!  It was my first time seeing this part of the world, and the first time ACTUALLY meeting Lacey!  I felt like we've known each other our whole lives - and I was so blessed to be a part of their day, and meet their amazing families and friends.  So....now time for wedding details!

As mentioned before, Lacey and I talked A LOT during the deployment - which was the time in which she was planning her wedding!  I learned that weddings in Wisconsin do things differently than on the west coast, but I loved learning about their traditions.  We'll get to this more later.  :)

They got married at the local little First Baptist Church in Medford, Wisconsin by a long time family friend and pastor, Luke Hatfield.  We had to drive 3 hours from the airport to get to this little town - but I loved the close community feel!  The ceremony was early afternoon, with the reception occurring later in the evening.  This is one of the differences about west coast weddings where they happen "all at once."  The afternoon ceremony allows for family to go home, change if they'd like, rest, and then come back a few hours later for dinner and dancing at the reception.  And I don't just mean 2 hours of dancing, I mean ALL NIGHT of dancing!  The reception went from 5 until well past midnight!  What was amazing was that everyone stays - the whole reception.  People just love hanging out, meeting the other guests, celebrating with the bride and groom - it was SO much fun!  We made some great friends too(yes, that's YOU Melissa & Luke). 

For this wedding, I was more of a "personal assistant."  I got to spend the whole day with Lacey, tending to her needs, making sure things ran on time, running errands, etc.  Considering our visit in general was so short, I loved the chance to get to spend so much time with Lacey, on such an important day.  Lacey did her own makeup, and got her hair done at Encore Hair Studio.  I remember seeing her for the first time in her wedding dress (helping her lace it up), and I started to get teary-eyed.  She looked so stunning, and I know how long they had been waiting for this day to come.  They'd been dating since Jace first entered the army YEARS ago...and "today" was finally here.  She had bought her dress from Charlotte's Bridal and it couldn't have been more perfect for her!  The flowers were from Thomas Floral.  My husband drove Jace, and I drove Lacey so they could have their "first look" at a local park.  It started to rain a little - but that wasn't going to stop us!  It was fun running this "errand" with my husband, texting back and forth, seeing where the other person was, making sure Jace was in position but couldn't see Lacey yet...

The photographer, James, of James Stokes Photography was great to work with! We emailed back and forth prior to the wedding, making sure that all of the important images (the special, non-typical ones) were captured by special request of Lacey and Jace.  Hanging out with James was like hanging out with family! 

After the sentimental ceremony with musicians (friends of the bride and groom, Kevin and Jessica), it was time for bridal party pictures!  Now, usually this can be just "something" that needs to get done - but the couple had picked out the most gorgeous farm I'd ever seen.  It was like out of a movie.  So much history, the rock foundations from 100's of years ago....it was breathtaking.  After a few pictures with Mike and I, we headed off to the reception to make sure it was all set before the guests would arrive.  I know Lacey had been working on a lot of personal details and her friend Julee was helping with all of the decor.  When I saw the reception hall at the Simek Center, I was blown away. When you first walk in, your entryway is lined with their love story.  A 3-D love story with stations, pictures, letters, personal items, you name it.  As you walk along, each "station" has a story about how they met, their first job together, the first date, the deployment, the proposal....the WHOLE story from when they met until today.  What a great way to greet your guests!  Then, as you enter the actual hall, they had white fabric draping the ceiling, lights everywhere, the most stunning birdcage for their cards, a "love notes" section instead of a guest book, and the list goes on and on.  I love details and this wedding was overflowing with personal touches!  The Simek Center not only was the reception site, but they also took care of the bartending, catering, cheesecake (yes, cheesecake - since that's how Jace proposed), rental items, and lots more!

Something else that was unique was that children are a big focus point at the reception.  The whole party starts off with an hour or so of events for kids.  The DJ, Dream Productions by Scott Woller, did such a great job of keeping the kids entertained with things from hula-hoop competitions to trivia to dance-offs.  It was hilarious!  He kept the party going all night, well past midnight!  Part of the reception is where the whole bridal party is announced, make a "tunnel," and then the bride and groom walk underneath the tunnel. 

Their wedding favors for their guests were mini bottles of homemade wine.  That's right - wine!  There were tons of flavors to choose from too: raspberry, blueberry, and lots more!  We got a few bottles to take home (and let me tell you...it was yummy)!  The best man (Luke, mentioned previously) had the best, best man speech - full with a plaque of the "story" for the groom!  There were so many great memories to the day, I simply can't write about them all - but I think you get the idea.

Jace and Lacey - Mike and I can't thank you enough for not only being a part of our lives, but allowing us to share your day with you.  It was a trip to remember forever, to celebrate the union of friends that we'll have for a lifetime.  We wish you two continued love and blessings - and can't wait to see you again! 

7.20.2011 ~ Jenkins Estate Elegance

Ruby and Ryan were married last July at Jenkins Estate in Beaverton.  This venue was amazing and there are so many unique options for both ceremony and reception.  The bride and groom eventually want to start their own wedding venue, so they took the selection of their venue very seriously - and I LOVED their choice! 

Ruby started the day off by getting her hair and makeup done by Nicole of Powder, Inc.  Wow - did she look STUNNING!  I even got misty eyed when I saw her the first time.  And that breathtaking dress?  From AniA Collection!  It was one of my favorite dresses of the year, it fit her perfectly, and I felt like it had been designed just to fit her personality too!  It was perfect.  I also loved her custom hanger for her wedding dress - too cute! 

The ceremony was sweet, sincere, and complete with romantic, custom written vows and set in a gorgeous open grass field.  One of my favorite parts of the whole wedding day is during this silent time, when all the guests are giving their full attention.  The words they wrote for each other were so touching, and I'm so happy that they had Ambient Sky Studios there to capture it all on video.  Now they can re-live those precious moments, again and again, for years to come. 

Ruby and her bridesmaids spent hours (and I mean, a LOT of hours), making custom fabric DIY flower poms for the aisle - and they were SO fun!  We used them for extra decor inside the stable house for the reception as well.  They had Scott Head of Musica Melodia play some music, and it really helped set the mood.  At the end of the ceremony, the guests blew bubbles as they made their exit, and it looked fantastic!  Plus, it gave a really unique effect on their wedding video too! 

One of my favorite details to this wedding was their guest book table.  It was an actual table that people signed, and it was made out of a wine barrel table!  She had this custom made for the wedding, and after everyone signed it, she had it sealed with a glossy finish.  I loved this idea SO much that I'm working on trying to get Rob of Raw Woodworks to make some more! 

The reception was held in the stable house - which is literally a historic horse stable!  There's two levels, and you can actually seat your guests at a round table inside a stall!  It makes for fun conversation, and allows guests to flow through the whole building.  There is tons of wood-work, and was very rustic.  They hung pictures from the past TEN years (yes, they've been together a LONG time) all around the stable house, and even had asparagus centerpieces that the guests were able to take home.  They also had little name card holders made out of tree stumps and branches! 

Francoise Weeks was in charge of all things floral, and they were beautiful!  The tasty food was by Dalton's Northwest Catering - and they were such a joy to work with.  They helped setup chairs, were always available, kept the food plates full, and had great bartending service.  Plus, they were just plain fun to hang out with!  And cake?  Well, they had wedding PIE!  Lots and lots of yummy pie from Random Order Coffeehouse and Bakery.  I heard numerous people say it was the best pie that they ever had! Ruby and Ryan had these adorable little "his and hers" owls for their topper too.  Plus all of these cakes were beautifully displayed on wood stump stands that Ryan made himself!  I loved them so much, I asked to borrow them for a recent inspiration photoshoot!  All of the amazing details for Ryan and Ruby's day were captured by Scott and Amanda of Ambient Sky Studios, who do photography as well!  I think these pictures speak for themselves!

There was a great concrete patio area, and Ruby even made pillows for her guests to sit on that matched the rest of the decor and wedding colors!  I could go on and on about all the things I loved about this wedding.  Ruby and Ryan - you were SUCH a joy to work with, and I'm so blessed to have gotten to know you! Congrats again, and I look forward to staying in touch and hopefully one day getting to bring our brides to YOUR wedding venue!

Here's their AMAZING short-version wedding film! I LOVE IT! I get emotional watching it, remembering all of the love and the joy of the day! There are so many reasons to have a videographer - just watch this and you'll see why!