“My husband and I could not have been happier with Jane! We knew as soon as we met her that she was the right fit for us. Her personality and demeanor is amazing. She customized our ceremony exactly how we wanted it, making it beautiful, meaningful and fun. I was extremely nervous before the ceremony and she went out of her way to do everything possible to ease my nerves. I highly recommend Jane to anyone looking for an officiant.” Brittany
Tag: a festive heart
Fisherman Weds Best Friend
The groom proposed during a trip to Hawaii, she said yes and the next day he landed a 500 lb marlin. A good sign indeed that the skies were smiling on the union. Ten months later, guests traveled from near and far for the wedding of Kyle and Melissa at the Columbia Edgewater Country Club. Saturday’s celebration carried out the tropical fishing theme including wedding rings suspended on a fishing pole; take home Pirate’s Booty and a color pallet of turquoise and coral. Three generations of family members enjoyed the casual and fun atmosphere and a delicious dinner served family style. DJ Neil from Event Team Entertainment kept the music flowing from ceremony to dance floor while photographer Sarah Williams captured all the magical moments. The newlyweds will spend time at the coast with visiting family and honeymoon in the tropics in November. Melissa, a radiology tech at the VA hospital and Kyle, an avid fisherman and engineer in the Merchant Marine, created a wedding day keepsake box which they will open on their 5th Wedding Anniversary. Congratulations, Mr. & Mrs. Meyer! I have no doubt that the words engraved on your wine box will hold true: “In high tide or in low tide I’ll be by your side.” 
Garden Wedding for Carpenter and His Princess Bride
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.
High School Sweethearts say “I Do”
It was perfect weather on Saturday as Kathleen and Auston exchanged vows in Abigail’s Garden at Abernathy Center. Sweethearts for seven years, the couple were cheered by friends, family, coworkers and their ten member bridal party. The ceremony, held in the garden gazebo, included a wine goblet ritual and heartfelt vows written by the couple. Tiffany blue was the dominant color of the day showcased in every lovely way from gowns to wedding cake (five layers of different flavors from Beaverton Bakery). The fabulous DIY centerpieces featured giant pompoms crafted from coffee filters and dyed what else? Tiffany blue. Following the ceremony, guests enjoyed a specialty soda bar and scrumptious appetizers including caprese skewers, crab cakes and strawberry/cheese/balsamic pastry puffs. Dinner was served under the big top followed by fun on the dance floor courtesy of the DJ from Bust A Move. The newlyweds will honeymoon in Cabo before returning to their Gresham home. Congratulations Mr. & Mrs. Haskins! May your marriage be graced with love and laughter.
Relaxed Elegance at Garden Wedding
Yesterday’s wedding was the perfect blend of elements for sweethearts Danny and Shannon. Held at a private home in the Irvington area of Portland, the celebration combined a lush garden with lawn games, DIY flowers with jeweled dresses and catered cuisine with s’mores by the fire pit. A dining room table at Restoration Hardware brought the couple together (she was buying, he was selling) so it was fitting that they include a salt ritual during the ceremony. The blended salt will be used in their cooking as a reminder of the zest of their wedding day. The bride’s three sisters, two-year old niece and newborn nephew were in attendance as vows were exchanged under the backyard trellis. Following the ceremony, guests enjoyed hors d’oeuvres and beverages on the patio. The chefs from Art de Cuisine worked their magic in the kitchen creating a lavish dinner that included cedar planked salmon, tri-tip beef and roasted market veggies. In lieu of wedding cake, the couple served triple blackberry cheesecake with a chocolate crust from Papa Haydn. Yum! After a honeymoon in Belize, the newlyweds return to their Sellwood home and life in PDX where Shannon works in marketing research and Danny is completing his masters in statistics at PSU. Congratulations, Mr. & Mrs. Duncan! May your life be forever flavored with joy and laughter.
Hot Fun at a Farm Wedding
Yesterday’s outdoor wedding for Sam and Anna took place at Lolich Farm and was one of the hottest on record: 102 degrees! The only thing higher than the temperature was the spirit of fun among the guests. Everyone was smiling despite the heat. The groom’s Mom gifted the couple with the planning services of Allison Sims who, along with her trusted Reverie team, turned the blueberry gardens into an even more charming and colorful party venue. The ceremony was enhanced by gorgeous floral arrangements, acoustic fiddle and guitar and a processional across a wooden bridge. Bridesmaids wore varying pastel shades with groomsmen in matching pastel ties accenting their gray tuxes. The bride glowed in her champagne and ivory lace sweetheart gown. For their unity ritual, the couple created a keepsake box which included love letters and a bottle of Eola-Amity Hills Pinot Noir. Following the ceremony, guests cooled off with iced drinks including a mojito punch made by Anna that morning. Appetizers (scrumptious caprese skewers with the largest basil leaves ever) and a barbeque buffet were provided by Divine Catering. Following a honeymoon in the Dominican Republic, the newlyweds return to their home in Austin, TX. Congratulations, Mr. and Mrs. Elsass! May each day of married life enrich the love and joy that you hold in your hearts today.
Wedding Unites Cultures at World Foresty Center
Family members with roots in three continents celebrated the marriage of Sonja and Javid yesterday at the beautiful World Forestry Center in Portland, OR. The groom’s father was born in Iran and the bride’s father was born in France. The mother of the bride hails from Connecticut and Javid’s mom was born in Louisiana. Alumni friends and family made up the fourteen member bridal party which featured the girls in hunter green chiffon with pink rose bouquets. The guys wore elegant black tuxes with champagne ties and vests. Gifted pianist, Andrew Ross, enhanced the ceremony with heartfelt music. Afterward, guests enjoyed happy hour on the patio followed by a lavish buffet dinner served by Dalton’s NW Catering. The newlyweds will spend the weekend in Portland before returning to their home in Renton, WA. They plan to honeymoon in Iceland next year. Congratulations, Mr. & Mrs. Yamin! May the joyful energy of your wedding day fill your hearts forever.
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!
Winner Couples Choice Award 2015
The WeddingWire Couples’ Choice Awards® recognizes the top 5 percent of local Wedding Professionals throughout the United States, Canada and abroad that demonstrate excellence in quality, service, responsiveness and professionalism. Awards are determined by a combination of excellence in four factors: overall rating (quality), total number of reviews (quantity), review performance from 2014 (recency), and consistency of reviews from year to year (consistency). THANKS to all my lovely couples who made this happen. And here’s to all those on the road ahead. It’s a joy!
A FESTIVE HEART 