The sun came out on cue for Remy and Brittany as they exchanged vows on Sunday. The ceremony featured a Pink Velour Crepe Myrtle for the tree planting unity ritual and a favorite passage from The Princess Bride. Brittany showcased her peacock tattoo with a simple yet stunning backless lace and tulle gown. Attendants wore turquoise and gray. After the ceremony, guests enjoyed the Abernathy Center‘s winning appetizers including coconut shrimp and crab cakes. A full salmon buffet and a cupcake tower from St. Cupcake completed the event menu. Photographer, Kieran Morgan, captured beautiful moments in the garden setting and fun times on the dance floor. The newlyweds will honeymoon in Mexico before returning to their Portland home where Remy works as a commercial carpenter and Brit is a makeup artist. Congratulations, Mr. & Mrs. Renwick! The world is enriched by your true love.
Category: bridal fashion
Wedding Outshines the Rain at Reserve Vineyards
Rain delayed the start but not the smiles at yesterday’s wedding for longtime sweethearts, Ashley and Ryan. Vows were exchanged in front of friends and four generations of family in the Pavilion at the Reserve Vineyards and Golf Club in Aloha, OR. The couple included a sand ritual in the celebration and presented gratitude roses to their moms and grandmas. Following the ceremony, guests enjoyed a cocktail reception, dinner, dancing and the always popular sweets table. The newlyweds will honeymoon in Maui before returning back to work and their home in Beaverton. Ryan is in the field of microbiology and Ashley is an admin assistant at Nike. Congratulations, Mr. and Mrs. Osborne. May the sun always shine in your hearts!
3 Continents Unite at Joyful PDX Wedding
Family members literally gathered from far and wide to celebrate the big day for Tony and Maria. The wedding was held yesterday at the luxurious Sentinel Hotel in downtown PDX. Tony’s African roots were well represented by loved ones who crossed the ocean for the big event including his Mom who lives in England and his Grandmother who traveled from Zimbabwe. Born in So. CA, Maria was happy to have her Grandmother attend from Los Angeles; as well as local family members and friends. The spirit of harmony was felt throughout the ceremony and reception … so much joy filled the room it was palpable. And you gotta love it when guests dance before, during and after dinner. That’s my kind of party. The newlyweds will honeymoon in Cancun before returning to PDX where the bride is an esthetician and the groom is a software engineer for Nike. Congratulations, Mr. & Mrs. Tonderai Nemarundwe. May the love and harmony that graced your wedding day remain with you always!
Color Fun for Bridesmaids Dresses
If you haven’t discovered it yet, here’s a fun and easy way to pick your gown colors. Try the customizing tool provided online by several design houses that lets you take a peek at both style and color. Choose from hundreds of gowns in both long and short designs and then pick your color by scrolling over the color chart (more than 60 shades on Alfred Angelo). Have fun! Click here for Alfred Angelo. Here for Watters.
Something Borrowed, Something Scuba Blue
Pantone’s lineup of colors for Spring/Summer 2015 is pretty much the same shades from 2011 with new titles. Lavender is now Lavender Herb; Honeysuckle is Strawberry Ice; Silver Cloud has become Glacier Grey … and so on. The new “En Plein” theme suggests weddings will be leaning towards the minimalist look with simple styles in soft fabrics and tranquil hues.
There will still be plenty of color bursts showing up in shoes, sashes and bridesmaids dresses. Always popular for a touch of pizazz, for example, turquoise is included in the updated palette but the color’s new moniker is Scuba Blue. For more color and style inspiration, visit me on Pinterest.
Holiday Wedding at Historic Marshall House
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.
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.
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.
Putting on the Rit … Repurpose Fun
Take a look at what a box of Rit Dye can do. These bridal gowns and trains went from tired white to costume pizzazz thanks to the creative efforts of volunteers from the Adorned In Grace bridal shop. Beads, lace, sequins, satin and taffeta each react to dye differently so it’s always interesting to see the final reveal.
Use your imagination and repurpose that old prom, bridesmaid or cocktail dress. Tulle petticoats and slinky lingerie work well, too. Halloween is right around the corner … a perfect time to grab your Rit of choice and color your world with fun. For tips on dyeing fabric and more, visit The Rit Studio.
Send me your result pics and I’ll post here.
Something Blue
Over forty years ago, I attended the wedding of my friend’s older sister. I’ll never forget the gasps when Marget walked down the aisle. Her custom gown was BLUE! The whispers flew around the church. What does blue mean? She must not be a virgin. What was she thinking? To me it was the most surprisingly gorgeous dress I had ever seen and I secretly envied her sophisticated glamor.
Blue, in all its shades, has long been a choice for bridesmaids dresses. And I am happy to see bridal gowns of color becoming more fashionable in the last few years. Blush and pink continue to be frontrunners but 2015 promises some new hues for the bride. Meanwhile, take a peek at the two Tiffany blue inspired gowns from the Nicole 2015 collection. Here’s to you, blue!
A FESTIVE HEART 