07.09.2011 ~ Bliss on the Beach

Last July, Brian and Monica were married on the Oregon Coast near the Heceta Head Lighthouse.  They rented an ocean-front home and had the ceremony on their own private beach area.  They both lived in St. Louis, Missouri - but loved the Oregon Coast.  So...they decided to have a very intimate destination wedding with 30 of their closest friends and family members.  The bridal party consisted of each of their 7-year old daughters.  Brian walked down the aisle with his daughter, and Monica walked with hers, it was so sweet! Melissa was the lead coordinator for this wedding, and this is what she had to say:

"This was one of the most enjoyable weddings of the summer. Monica and Brian were so intentional to make their guests feel appreciated for coming all the way to the Oregon Coast from various parts of the country. It was an intimate feel set in a coastal house that held roughly 30 people and had a beautiful deck in the back where the guests could be seated. The day was extremely windy but right around 6 in the evening when dinner began, the wind died down and the guests were able to enjoy being outside in the sun, dancing, and eating the amazing hors d’vours provided by A Posto Chefs. They were great to work with and gave the bride and groom exactly what they were looking for: comfort food that was elegant but kid-friendly. They had an array of cheeses, homemade breads, vegetables, and salad to begin everyone off at their meet and greet with each other. As this wrapped up, the bride and groom began their ceremony by the cliff overlooking the ocean. The scenery was made perfect by the wildflower bouquets and garlands that Denice with Distinctive Designs created. The theme of that wildflower went up on to the patios and in through the house. All of the photos were captured perfectly by Cardas Photography who was there to get every detail and put it together for Brian and Monica. She was even able to show them sneak peeks as the reception was in session.

The best memory from this wedding was the bride and groom’s love and generosity they had for everyone there, whether it was family, friends, or those they’d hired to make their day. It was a beautiful wedding and I wish them the best as they continue their journey in the Midwest."

Angela from Cardas Photogtraphy also had some things to say about this amazing wedding:

"The one thing that struck me about Brian and Monica's special day was the guest list. So many weddings include so many people who are just "guests." Co-workers of the couple's parents, third cousins twice removed, and maybe even a few that no on really knows who they belong to, hahaha. You could tell that every person in attendance was there for a reason. And since we all know getting to the Oregon Coast from pretty much anywhere is no easy task, they all felt the same way. They were all an integral part of the couple and their future together. It was wonderful to be a part of this special group - if only for a few hours.

Brian and Monica's day was beautiful! But it was WINDY - even for Oregon Coast standards! Luckily the house was beautiful and cozy, and it definitely warmed up as the sun made it's way over the sky and into the West. The dance party on the porch was the highlight of the afternoon!"

 

Thank you Melissa and Angela for your recaps of the day!  I can't tell you how much I enjoyed going through all of the pictures from their wedding.  I loved the wine box, where they wrote love letters to each other to read in 10 years (and enjoy the bottle of wine)!  It looked like a truly amazing day, with an amazing couple, and amazing guests!  Congrats Monica and Brian! 

Photos by Cardas Photography

7.8.2011 ~ Perfectly Purple

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

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

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

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

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

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


Photos of Jessi: Dan Belderrain Photography

Detail Shots: 5th and 59th Photography

6.25.2011 ~ A DIY Wedding To DIE For!

In late June, Bibiana and Nate got married on an absolutely gorgeous day. I have known Bibiana for a few years (we went to college together) and I was SO thrilled when she contacted me to help her with her wedding. She is honestly one of the sweetest people that I know, and Nate is one lucky guy. Her and Nate have been together forever! She had most of the details already set - she was a true DIY bride and made almost every detail of the wedding by herself. She got her dress from The Cat's Meow and of course wore her cowgirl boots! Beautiful doesn't even begin to describe how amazing she looked.

The wedding was held at her parent's house is Sandy, and it was an amazing setup for this country wedding! The ceremony was set in a little orchard, which provided shade for the guests, and gave a very intimate feel to the wedding, even with about 200 guests. The aisle was lined with shepard hooks, mason jars, and flowers. The groom rode in on horseback (ah-mazing) and was accompanied by his "best man," their dog, Pard. I loved so many parts of this wedding, but the thing I loved the most was how every part of the wedding was "them," which is how it should be!

After a very sweet ceremony, the guests headed over to the reception area. Bibiana had made ALL of the linen accents, and they were perfect! We added a few flowers to empty "Wrangler" bottles and it looked great! The candles added a romantic vibe and a small candy station offered some sweet treats for the guests. Catering was provided by Gary's BBQ - yum! She rented a few items from Barclay Event Rentals, but all the little details were ALL her! The flowers? She did them! The cake? She made it! Just look at these pictures - needless to say, I was BEYOND amazed at all the time, effort, and love she put into the wedding.





Family members also brought their pies, which were displayed beautifully around the cake. For an outside wedding, you need to be aware of bugs, wind blowing debris on the cake, etc...so our solution? Use a mesh "net," like the fun ones you put up over a little girl's bed. It showcased the desserts perfectly! Brittany of 5th and 59th Photography captured all the moments and details throughout the day (and there was a LOT of details)! I always love working with Brittany and I LOVE her work!





One of my favorite details from the day (okay, so I have a few favorites) was the display of family quilts, complete with pictures of parents, grandparents, and great grandparents. It was such a meaningful touch (and I LOVE sentimental things). The reception was a total blast, and full of sincere (and funny) toasts during the open mic. The dancing went late, late into the night and everyone had the best time. Bibs and Nate - thank you SO much for sharing your day with me, it's truly one of my favorite DIY weddings ever. I wish you all the best!

Photos by 5th and 59th Photography

Oregon Bride Magazine Best of 2011

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

"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

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

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

"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