Sunflowers, smiles and sunny skies made for a perfect wedding yesterday at the Fairgate Inn in Camas, WA. Tessa and Jordan exchanged vows in a ceremony that included a walk down the yellow rose petal aisle by Tessa’s dog, Josette, and an Indian Wedding Vessel unity ritual. Guests enjoyed lavish appetizers and dinner amidst the sunflower bouquets and navy blue accents. Tessa and Jordan met on a roller coaster in Oaks Park five years ago and the groom proposed at a castle in Germany last year. After a honeymoon in Oahu, Jordan heads to Georgia for Army boot camp and Tessa will join him later this fall. Congratulations, Mr. & Mrs. Potter! May all your travels be safe ones and your married life be filled with joy.
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Summer Evening Wedding
Traffic jams, road work and car fires were no match for the loving hearts patiently waiting for guests to arrive. The delayed start time only served to make the wedding ceremony that much dearer as family and friends witnessed Tony and Brittney exchange vows. The summer evening celebration was held yesterday at the Fairgate Inn in Camas, WA. Purple, black and white were the colors selected for decor, fabrics and favors. The dinner menu included favorites like salmon roulade and roast pork. Tony, you win the award for calmest groom ever and Brittney, you get the prize for most tears of joy shed during the ceremony. Congratulations to you both and sincere wishes for a joyful life together. You’re off to a great start!
Sweet Vineyard Wedding
Sunny skies and lush landscape added to a perfect wedding yesterday for Hana and KC. The Camas couple exchanged vows and hosted their reception in Aurora, OR at the Aurora Colony Vineyards. Guests kept cool with straw hand fans as temperatures climbed into the 80’s. Stephanie and the staff of Petalos made sure that everything went smoothly from start to finish. Congratulations, Hana and KC. May your married life be filled with laughter and loving moments as sweet as your hearts!
Pearls for the Lustrous Bride
The Pin of the Week is Pearl. Even though June (the customary month for this gem) is almost gone, adding a pearl or two to your wedding is perfectly right for every season. Pearls represent true feminine wisdom … a marriage of Water and Moon energy. The oldest known gem on record, the pearl has been revered for ages as a symbol of purity and is still prized for its luminous beauty and value. Find more wedding inspirations from A Festive Heart Pinterest boards.
Urban Wedding with Country Comfort
Looking for a venue that combines urban convenience with rural charm? Scholls Valley Lodge offers the perfect blend of city mouse and country mouse. You’ll feel like you’re on the Ponderosa – just minutes away from Beaverton. I’m a huge fan of venues that encourage brides to DIY and Scholls Valley offers plenty of options to do it your way. Book the entire venue for a weekend, rent it for a day or a night, set up an outdoor reception for 300 or hold an intimate ceremony indoors. You can use the spacious kitchen to cook brunch, plan a potluck buffet, bring in your own caterer OR do a combination of all three. You have the run of the place. Dishes, linens and tables are yours to use. Rent more if needed. The lodge sleeps up to 22 in six beautifully appointed guest rooms including a handicap accessible lower level suite but you can also bring sleeping bags or air mattresses to accommodate your party. Situated on 55 private acres in wine country, you’ll have sweeping views of the valley and lovely landscaped grounds for photo ops and strolling. Did I mention the pool? The roll-up glass doors? The man-cave with pool table? There’s even a piano. Scholls Valley provides the perfect place to save dollars, get family and friends involved and create the wedding of your dreams. Contact me to plan your ceremony.
Ceremony Labyrinth
The Pin of the Week is a creative seating arrangement for your ceremony. This labyrinth style layout holds significance in the tradition of finding your answer as you walk the path AND allows the bride to walk past every guest. A lovely way to include everyone in a personal way. Works for both large and small weddings. Check it out and find other inspirations on my Pinterest boards.
Contact me for information on officiating your ceremony.
Here Comes the Bride – 13k of them!
There were 13,960 weddings in the PDX metro area in 2012.* That’s a wow of vows! Since June is the official kick-off of wedding season, I thought I’d share a few numbers on what is being spent on nuptials. You don’t need to see the charts to guess the number one expense: food. There’s no shortage of ways to spend the bucks for reception menus. Based on the average size reception of 140 guests; simple, appetizers only average about $4k with full dinners going upwards of $10k. Tack on the bar, the cake and the rehearsal dinner and you can see how the dollars add up. After how it tastes, brides care about how it looks. Diamonds truly do appear to be a girl’s best friend. No. 2: the engagement ring (wedding band is extra). Average starting price was $3k with higher end bling going for upwards of $9k. Reception venue came in at No. 3 with a price tag average of $2500 up to $6k depending on location and package. The wedding dress and photographer round out the top five expenses.
So, is anything going DOWN in spending? Well, music for one. Only 25% of couples now choose to use a live band resulting in a savings of between $1500 to $3k. DJ’s provide favorite tunes starting at less than half of that. And it’s not in the report, but I know more brides are on the DIY track opting to be creative with invites, favors and decor. My take on all of this? I’ve yet to hear a bride say “I wish we had spent more money on our wedding.” And how many times does this come up in conversation? “That basil chicken rice pilaf at Jan’s wedding was the best I’ve ever had!” Enjoy your day but spend wisely. It doesn’t take a bank roll to create magic. Speaking of curbing expenses, watch here for announcement on NEW package deals for savvy brides.
*Source for numbers: Proprietary Surveys; The Wedding Report Inc.2013
Top Tips for Florist Picks
April showers bring May flowers and florists all over the country are getting ready to stock up their coolers as wedding season gets underway. If you’re shopping for a florist, here are three top tips to help make the process easier: 1) Bring a budget. Nothing frustrates a florist more than a bride who wants a $1500 centerpiece but can only spend $300. 2) Bring photos of what you have in mind. Florists have albums of their work but you’ll save time if you come prepared with color and combinations that illustrate your style. 3) Bring an open mind. Be prepared to flex a little or a lot with flower choices. That Lily of the Valley bouquet you want may be cost prohibitive or unavailable. Let the florist make suggestions and trust their expertise when it comes to knowing what works. Click here to see preferred Portland area florists.
Donate Your Wedding Dress
Brides for a Cause raised $17,000 at their PDX sale last month. I saw so many stunning gowns in the arms of smiling brides going out the door. It’s a terrific way to find the dress of your dreams without a nightmare price tag – and support a great cause at the same time. Wonderful deals on veils and other accessories as well. If you want to be a part of the next batch of smiles, why not donate your dress? Wedding gown fashions from 2005 to current are now being accepted by this nationwide agency that helps fund Wish Upon a Wedding. Click here to download the donation form. You’ll also find details on upcoming events and volunteer opportunities. Here’s to sharing the love!
On Bended Knee
Popping the question tomorrow? You’re not alone. An estimated 4 Million people are expected to get engaged on Valentine’s Day. That’s a lot of bended knees! I’ve heard some great proposal stories from my couples over the years … everything from a windy, crowded ask at the Eiffel Tower to dinner for two with the ring served for dessert. I expect the bride to relish in the details but it’s surprising how many grooms can give exact descriptions of time, place and pre-proposal planning. And even though there are a lot of inventive ways to do it, what seems to ring the most bells is the old fashioned, down-on-one-knee, “Will you marry me?” approach. Good to know. DID YOU GET A YES? Next comes the “I DO” and how you say it does matter. Contact me to create your perfect ceremony.
A FESTIVE HEART 