The Marshall House on Officer’s Row in Ft. Vancouver, WA provided an elegant venue for Brian and Elena’s holiday wedding held last Sunday. Friends and family gathered in the regal west parlor of this Queen Anne Victorian built in 1886. The ceremony included two unity rituals: a salt exchange to honor the bride’s Russian culture; and a Western Red Wood tree planting ritual in tribute to the groom being a 5th generation Vancouver resident with Native American heritage. Following the ceremony, guests were free to explore the rich history of the mansion before attending the reception at the Vancouver Hilton. The couple will honeymoon in the Spring. Congratulations, Mr. & Mrs. Smith! May your years together be blessed with laughter and harmony. Of Interest: The Marshall House was once the home of Nobel Prize for Peace recipient and five star General George C. Marshall. Read more about the Marshall Plan Recovery Program.
Author: Jane Green
Creating the perfect space for all stages of life wherever that may be. Humor and gratitude go a long way in making the best of every situation.
Best Day Ever for Jessica and Doug
Seven year sweethearts, Jessica and Doug, exchanged vows yesterday at the West End Theater in downtown PDX. The bride walked down the aisle to Christina Perri’s A Thousand Years and the newlyweds marched out to One Republic’s Good Life. Navy, tangerine and ivory were the colors of the day. Bridesmaids wore variations of gowns in navy satin and the groomsmen looked sharp in charcoal gray suits, dark blue shirts and navy ties. Following the candlelight ceremony, guests were invited to the upstairs ballroom for cocktail hour and dinner. Special touches for the reception included a large framed seating chart hung on the brick wall outside the ballroom and custom labeled wine bottles indicating table numbers.
After a honeymoon in the Dominican Republic next week, the couple returns to their Portland home on Hayden Island. Congratulations, Mr. & Mrs. Smedley! May the spirit of your “Best Day Ever” remain in your hearts forever.
Keeping Kids Happy at Your Wedding
The biggest challenge with having little ones in or at your wedding is keeping them entertained. Kids get understandably antsy – all that hurry up and wait! Being seen and not heard while the bridal party gets dressed, photographs get taken, guests arrive … that’s a LOT of being on your best behavior. I’ve seen all kinds of attempted “wedding kid control” over the years. The BEST solution? Keep them occupied. If you don’t have the luxury of a relative or friend who can be a Mary Poppins on site; provide age appropriate activities so they can entertain themselves. Books, puzzles, hand-held games, disposable camera, mini-water bottle, clear gummy worms … items that are noise and mess free. Putting it all in a customized tote makes it portable and special. MyLovingTree from Portland, OR makes adorable canvas bags with lots of custom features. In addition to personalized names, you can select skin tone, hair color and outfit. Lots of options for bridal party gifts, too. Check them out on Etsy.
Have a Haunted Honeymoon
It’s Halloween season – a perfect time to explore haunted digs for your honeymoon. Haunted Rooms.com provides a listing of the best in domestic creep options. Choose from castles, lighthouses, plantations, traditional hotels and a variety of asylums. Some of the facilities offer tours to enhance the chill factor. The Crescent Hotel (shown here) escorts you to the morgue of this former hospital where you might catch a glimpse of the infamous Dr. Baker who experimented on his patients. Lodging ghosts across the country range from scorned lovers in the lobby to monks in the attic. There’s even a “hand of mystery” in Chicago. If you book the bridal suite at Thornewood Castle in WA, be prepared to share it with the former lady of the house who has reportedly been seen looking lovingly out at the garden. The user friendly website allows you to search hotels by city or state. View if you dare!
A Plum Perfect Autumn Wedding
Clear skies, a lush garden setting, bridesmaids in plum satin and groomsmen in gray … what a lovely wedding celebration last Saturday at one of my favorite PDX venues, Leach Botanical Gardens. Teirnie and Zach exchanged vows under the courtyard arbor during the 4:00 ceremony. Truly a family affair; the bride was presented to the groom by her uncle, her five year old son, Beckham, participated in the unity sand ritual and the groom’s mother, Linda, made all the exquisite flower arrangements in the theme colors of plum, magenta and orange. DIY extra nice touch: Bridesmaids were gifted with a memento frosted glass vase to keep their bouquet fresh. Guests were treated to music by No Talk Tunes while enjoying a delicious dinner buffet and took home a gift of Pure Wildflower Honey compliments of the bride and groom (and the bees of Leach Gardens). Congratulations, Mr. & Mrs. Hemelstrand! May all your days together be as lovely as the energy of Saturday’s celebration.
NOTE: Kudos to Linda Hemelstrand for recovering from a zero hour accident with style. She sliced off the tip of her finger while working on the wedding flowers and had to go to ER the day before the wedding!
Carpenter Weds His Lady
The sun shone, the bell rang out and guests cheered as Gary and Sarah said their “I Do”s last Saturday. Hymns from the score of True Grit provided the processional and recessional music and a giant redwood sequoia (the tallest on our planet) was selected for the couple’s unity ritual tree planting – a perfect choice for this carpenter and his gardener bride. The historic Newell House Museum with its spreading chestnut trees and views of rolling hills was an ideal setting for this down home country wedding. Following the ceremony, family and friends enjoyed a barbeque buffet with all the fixins and dancing under twinkle lights to the music of The SlimJims all-star band. The celebration continued as the newlyweds and their guests camped out in tents, cabins and yurts at the neighboring Champoeg State Park. Congratulations Mr. & Mrs. Smith! May your marriage be as strong and beautiful as your new sequoia.
Sweethearts Again at 67
Second time around love stories always act like a heart tonic for me. This one is no exception. Lynne and Richard had dated each other in their teens but life and career took them in separate directions. After years of marriage, raising children and suffering heartbreaking loss, neither could have imagined that at the age of 67, they would be exchanging vows again. Find out how the spark was reignited and what led them to the altar. Separated by Decades, Reunited in Tears appeared in the Vows column, The New York Times, Sept. 14, 2014.
NEW Wedding Teas from Steve Smith
Tea is one of life’s purest delights and even though I’ve been out of the tea blending business for years; it remains forever on my radar. I’m delighted to share the news that Smith Tea (a local Portland favorite) is now offering custom tea favors for your big day. Options include a keepsake tin or popular string-tie carton with your choice of six special blends. You can even add a custom label displaying your name, wedding date and wedding location. A great idea for bridal party and guest thank you’s, the packaging is stylish and the small batch tea is top shelf. And don’t forget to order some for yourself … perfect for sipping while viewing those wedding photos! PLUS: Shipping is now only $2.99 on all domestic orders. View ordering information.
Trash the Dress Controversy
Destructive, insane, artistic – the “trash the dress” craze is a controversial trend that hasn’t gone away and continues to stir up arguments. Before you pick sides, here are a few facts:
- It’s really all about photo ops. Always trying to offer brides something new, photographers stage these scenes days, weeks or even months after the wedding takes place.
- Photos depict the bride actually destroying her gown in any number of ways: rolling in mud or sand; swimming in a pool; paint or wine assault … the more outlandish the better.
- Photographers can also utilize CGI to create destructive results like fire consuming the gown. (Real fires can have tragic results like the 30-yr old Canadian bride who drowned near a waterfall in 2012 while trying to extinguish her burning dress.)
- Some brides argue that it shows their true commitment to the groom, others say it’s an anti-establishment statement. Divorcees use it as a revenge fest.
Personally, I’m in the “this sends a negative message” camp. Letting your hair down and kicking your shoes off is one thing – this is something totally different. Better idea: Share the goods and get a tax credit by donating the gown to a good cause like Adorned in Grace. Or repurpose the dress and use it as a costume.
Wedding Greeting of the Week
Cupid sign lights up and plays “Going To The Chapel” … love the retro Vegas vibe!
Click to hear a sound clip. Inside greeting reads “You two have hit the jackpot! Congratulations on your wedding.”
The card is from PAPYRUS, known for their upscale flair and use of artistic papers and foils. The California based company was founded in 1950 by Mr. and Mrs. Schurman whose daughter now runs a retail empire that includes PAPYRUS, Carlton and American Greeting.
A FESTIVE HEART 