Five majestic mountains provided the backdrop as Jeff and Jaimee exchanged vows yesterday afternoon. Sunny skies afforded distant views of Mt. Hood, Mt. Rainer, Mt. St. Helens, Mt. Adams and Mt. Jefferson. The wedding was held at historic Council Crest Park, said to be the highest elevation point in Portland. Jaimee’s 6-yr old daughter, Isabella, was all smiles as she escorted her Mom down the rose petal aisle. Jeff’s buddies wore their Timber fan scarves and both the bride and groom referenced their devotion to the team in their vows. A picnic in the park followed the ceremony. After a honeymoon in California, the couple will return to their Tigard home. Congratulations, Mr. & Mrs. Johnson! May you continue to view each other as “infinimates” and create a lasting marriage of joy.
Category: Event Venue
Wedding Thunder on Mt. Hood
Storm clouds gathered and thunder rolled during yesterday’s ceremony on the grounds of the Mt. Hood Bed & Breakfast in Parkdale. Talk about electric energy. It was a race against the rain which held off until just moments after pronouncing Eric and Arianna husband and wife. Guests who had traveled from PA, CA, NJ, SD and even Australia, retreated to the banquet barn for a joyful celebration featuring live music and Lebanese cuisine. After a honeymoon on the Amalfi coast, the newlyweds return to their home in Southeast PDX and their careers in nursing and mental health. And they’ll plant the hemlock tree used for their unity ritual during the ceremony. Congratulations, Mr. & Mrs. DiIlio. May your hearts forever hold the love you so beautifully reflected on your wedding day.
Romantic Vista for Summer Wedding
Black, white and peridot were the colors chosen to create the sophisticated fun of yesterday’s wedding at the Oregon Golf Club in West Linn. The ceremony was held in the scenic rose garden under sunny skies. Romantic violins provided the program music as Natalie and Jonah became husband and wife. As a symbol of unity, the newlyweds placed their vows in a keepsake box and locked it with a key. Both the key and the box will have a place of honor in their home. After the ceremony, guests enjoyed drinks on the veranda before dining on grilled salmon, beef sirloin, asparagus and wedges of butter leaf lettuce dressed with gorgonzola and bacon. A cold seafood bar featured crab legs, jumbo shrimp and oysters on the half shell. A highlight of the reception menu was the elaborate sweets table that included handmade truffles, fruit tarts and white chocolate skeleton keys. Congratulations, Mr. & Mrs. Nelson. May life hold nothing but beautiful vistas for you both!
Wedding on a Rooftop
Parasols, hand fans and iced lemonade greeted guests as they stepped onto the rooftop terrace for Saturday’s wedding. Kim and Patrick chose the historic Pearl District Ecotrust building as the site for their evening celebration and a decor of turquoise, yellow and peach. The ceremony featured rose petals tossed with panache by two of the groomsmen and an aisle walk by “ring bearer” Samson, the couple’s two-year old Corgi. Guests flew in from Wisconsin, Texas and California for the big day and loved the uniqueness of the venue. Not to mention the delicious menu prepared by sustainable catering masters, Artemis, which included crab cake appetizers, wild caught salmon and white gulf prawn skewers. As a special thank you, guests were gifted with a bottle of Limoncello Liqueur homemade by the bride’s family. After a tropical honeymoon, the newlyweds return to their jobs and home in SW PDX. Congratulations, Kim and Patrick … may you always find a way to make sweet stories out of any lemons that life rolls your way.
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!
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.
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
Was Your Proposal A Winner?
I’ve heard some great proposal stories over the years ranging from sentimental to outlandish. If you’re planning a wedding between now and March 2014, here’s your chance to share your story and win big. “The Proposal” contest is being sponsored by The Mark Spencer Hotel and the winning couple receives a Grand Prize package valued at over $4,000! This fabulous wedding reception package includes the Mark Spencer’s brand new Nortonia Ballroom space, catering by As Good As It Gets, decorating by Barclay Event Rentals and flowers from Botanica Floral Design. The winning proposal will be selected by a panel of judges and based on originality, creativity and the “wow” factor. Click here to read entry details. Winner will be announced April 12th … it might be you!
Bride Blends Funk with Sweet Country Love
Chalkboard hearts and cowboy boots blended with tatoos and black dresses. Homemade jam alongside Pambiche, St. Cupcake and Voodoo Doughnuts. What fun! Perfect weather and a thoughtful wine bar greeted guests yesterday at Leach Botanical Gardens for the wedding of Courtney and Chris. Congrats and much joy to the sweethearts!
Mt. Hood Wedding
Even triple degree heat couldn’t detract from the gorgeous views and happy hearts at yesterday’s wedding for Jodie and Stoney. The Mt. Hood B&B provided the breathtaking backdrop of Oregon’s favorite mountain along with acres of fields and flowers. Guests beat the heat with parasols, fans, iced tea and mango margaritas. The newlyweds are off to a secret honeymoon before continuing on their mutual career paths in physical therapy. Congratulations, Jodie and Stoney!
A FESTIVE HEART 