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.
Tag: a festive heart
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.
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.
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.
Wedding Greeting of the Week
Inside sentiment: “Wishing you a happy marriage even longer than that.”
The card is from Hallmark. Made in the U.S.A. using 20% recycled fiber. Fun Fact: Next year marks a special 100 Year Anniversary for this iconic company. In 1915, the Hallmark brothers bought a printing press and started producing their own greeting cards. Today they have over 11k full time and 20k part time employees. Still family owned and operated out of Kansas City, MO; I’ve visited their headquarters and it’s an impressive blend of history and modern day innovation.
Real Life Love Stories
Did you meet the love of your life at a cafe? In an airport? How about a subway stop? I so enjoy hearing couples share how they met, what drew them to each other, where the proposal took place … the endearing quirks and little bumps that create tales of love from real life. Some of the accounts are borderline heroic, some surprising and others are just plain sweet. It’s important to tell our love stories. The more the world spins in woe, the more these stories sparkle and shine and warm our hearts. They are little jewels that remind us again and again that love truly is all we need. Here’s a story of modern love from Sunday’s New York Times that, I promise, will make you smile from head to toe. (Any tale that begins with “I met him on a bus” gets my vote.) Enjoy this little love story. Got a story to tell? Share it here.
5 Star Review From Newlyweds
New 5 Star Wedding Review just in. Thanks, Jessica and Nathan!: “Jane is a wonderful officiant and we would definitely recommend her to others! She is kind, professional, knowledgeable, sincere, and spiritual. We were looking for someone who accepted both my husband and my different spiritual backgrounds and Jane was a great fit because she is accepting of all beliefs systems. She had great ideas and suggested several unity ritual ceremony options that were unique and we chose a tree planting ceremony that fit our personalities and venue making it a very personal and special ceremony. In addition, she offers life coaching classes as an option which was something we were looking for. She really helped us gain valuable insight about each other and our relationship. We were also able to get to know Jane better through those classes and it made having her officiate our ceremony feel that much more special. Jane we can’t thank you enough for filling such an important role at our wedding and excelling at it!” Click here to see review and read others on Wedding Wire.
A FESTIVE HEART 