Featured Vendor of January - NW Mobile DJ Service

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

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

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

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

<-----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

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

"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

"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

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

"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

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

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

"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

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

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

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 and Ashley!

Photos by Honeysuckle Photography

Visit the New Website!

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!