Tag: Portland weddings

Brides, ceremonies, custom wedding gifts, Event Venue, Flowers, Green Weddings, local wedding gifts, outdoor weddings

A Plum Perfect Autumn Wedding

Jane Green

Zach and TiernieClear skies, a lush garden setting, bridesmaids in plum satin and groomsmen in gray … what a lovely wedding celebration last Saturday at one of my favorite PDX venues, Leach Botanical Gardens. Teirnie and Zach exchanged vows under the courtyard arbor during the 4:00 ceremony. Truly a family affair; the bride was presented to the groom by her uncle, her five year old son, Beckham, participated in the unity sand ritual and the groom’s mother, Linda, made all the exquisite flower arrangements in the theme colors of plum, magenta and orange. DIY extra nice touch: Bridesmaids were gifted with a memento frosted glass vase to keep their bouquet fresh. Guests were treated to music by No Talk Tunes while enjoying a delicious dinner buffet and took home a gift of Pure Wildflower Honey compliments of the bride and groom (and the bees of Leach Gardens). Congratulations, Mr. & Mrs. Hemelstrand! May all your days together be as lovely as the energy of Saturday’s celebration.

fingerNOTE: Kudos to Linda Hemelstrand for recovering from a zero hour accident with style. She sliced off the tip of her finger while working on the wedding flowers and had to go to ER the day before the wedding!

custom wedding gifts, local wedding gifts, new products, Wedding Favors, weddings

NEW Wedding Teas from Steve Smith

Jane Green

HoneymoonTea 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.

Read my earlier review on unique wedding teas by Tea Forte.

Brides, Couples, Green Weddings, Wedding Ceremony, Wedding Reception, weddings

Family Reunion Sweetens Wedding

Jane Green

courtney and nickFamily and guests from Indiana, New York and North Carolina gathered at Sellwood Park on Saturday to celebrate the long awaited wedding of Nick and Courtney. Sweethearts for ten years, the couple’s green wedding included Hawaiian leis, a tree planting ritual and a shower of lavender buds. The temperature was in the 90’s so everyone appreciated the canopy of fir and oak trees. After the ceremony, guests enjoyed a happy hour picnic in the park. A reception followed at the SMILE Station before family returned to their Airbnb lodgings. The week was a double celebration for the bride who just graduated from the Oregon School of Oriental Medicine. She’ll be taking a well deserved break before prepping for her boards and opening her practice as a licensed Acupuncturist. Congratulations, Courtney! Best wishes to you both for a lifetime of love and laughter.

Brides, Couples, Inspiration, Love Stories, Proposals, Romance, Wedding Ceremony, weddings

Real Life Love Stories

Jane Green

love storyDid 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.

bridal fashion, Bridal Gowns, Brides, Pinterest

Something Blue

Jane Green
Photo from my Here Comes The Bride Pinterest. Click gown for more inspirations.
Photo from my Here Comes The Bride Pinterest. Click gown for more inspirations.

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!

Brides, Event Venue, Events, Green Weddings, Reviews, Services, Wedding Ceremony, weddings

5 Star Review From Newlyweds

Jane Green

jessica and nathanNew 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.

Bridal Gowns, Brides, Event Venue, Events, Food, Services, Vendor, Wedding Cakes, Wedding Ceremony, Wedding Reception, Wedding Vendors, weddings

Sunny Wedding for High School Sweeties

Jane Green

ceremonyBest friends for almost 15 years, Kris and Nicole exchanged vows this morning in the lovely Abigail’s Garden at the Abernethy Center in SE PDX. Yellow roses, clear skies and smiles from friends and family made for a sunny start for their big day. Nicole’s parents (in town from Gearhart) walked her down the aisle and readings were given by both the Mother of the Bride and the Mother of the Groom. The couple created a keepsake box for their unity ritual complete with love letters, champagne and a beloved Yankee’s baseball. Following the ceremony, guests enjoyed a delicious brunch, photo booth fun and dancing under the big top. Congratulations, Mr. & Mrs. Saalfeld. All your efforts and planning came shining through and resulted in a wonderful celebration for all. Wishing you much joy in the years ahead. cake

Event Venue, Events, Green Weddings, Services, Uncategorized, Wedding Ceremony, Wedding Favors, Wedding Reception, Wedding Vendors, weddings

A Grand Garden Wedding

Jane Green

garden weddingEverything about yesterday’s wedding at The Oregon Garden was heartfelt fun! Almost 200 guests watched as the bride descended the grand staircase and strolled down the grassy green aisle to her beaming groom. Other than a few sprinkles, the rain graciously subsided for the ceremony which included a rose presentation to both sets of moms and grandmothers; and a tree planting unity ritual. Dinner and dancing followed in the Grand Hall which was decked out in shades of blue and a thousand twinkle lights. Lawn games were provided by the groom’s dad who crafted wooden bean toss sets in green and yellow (bride and groom are both U of O grads). Sets were also gifted to the groomsmen in their team colors. The newlyweds are planning a honeymoon to the tropics in the Fall and meanwhile are enjoying being new homeowners in Tualatin. First on the “to do” list: plant their ceremony pine tree. Congratulations, Jessica and Nathan! May the smiles from your wedding day warm your hearts and bless your home for years and years.

Bridal Gowns, Brides, Event Venue, Flowers, Food, Music, Wedding Ceremony, Wedding Reception, Wedding Vendors, weddings

Music at the Heart of PDX Wedding

Jane Green

Jen and TomPiano, organ and vocals from Liszt, Blake and Saint-Saens provided heavenly music for yesterday’s wedding at The Historic Old Church in downtown Portland. Giant tissue blossoms (made by the bride) decorated the aisle and the altar. After exchanging vows, Jennifer and Tom sang If I Had Words to each other and then invited the audience join in. At the reception, guests were treated to a delicious farm fresh menu prepared by the groom. The choices ranged from chicken tea sandwiches and mini-baked potatoes w/crème fraiche to maple syrup bacon crackers w/candied walnuts. Also served were yummy gluten-free cheese puffs baked by the bride’s mom. The couple met in the PSU Music Department and have been together for 12 years. They reside in Beaverton where Jennifer teaches music and Tom is exploring a catering business. Congratulations, Mr. & Mrs. Colett. May the sweet music of your wedding day echo in your hearts forever.

bridal fashion, Bridal Gowns, Brides, Event Venue, Events, Green Weddings, Services, Vendor, Wedding Ceremony, Wedding Vendors, weddings

Wedding in the Woods

Jane Green

rachael and zackSurrounded by warm hearts and rich woods, Rachael and Zack exchanged vows this morning at the World Forestry Center in Southwest PDX. The intimate ceremony included acoustic guitar, a reading selection from Winnie the Pooh and a glass breaking ritual with a twist. Glass ornaments were enclosed in silk bags and stomped on by both the bride and groom as well as their young children, Rohan and Roxanna. Friends and family applauded throughout the service – so much love and enthusiasm. With a bow to the past, the bride wore a vintage gown and jewelry and sapphire blue satin pumps. Immediately following the ceremony, guests enjoyed refreshments catered by Elephants and were free to explore the wonderful exhibits at the center. Dinner was held in the evening at Andina’s in NW Portland. Congratulations, Mr. & Mrs. Radick, and may the joy of today’s celebration fill  your hearts always.

Note to Brides: Consider venues like this if you have little ones in your wedding party or attending with guests. It’s a great way to keep them entertained.