Loved ones gathered under sunny skies last Saturday to witness the wedding of Michelle and Rudy. Friends in Anacortes when they were ten years old, fate took them in different directions until they reunited in 2003. The couple exchanged vows on the gazebo deck of their new home which is nested in a beautiful old growth green space in Mt. Vernon. The bride entered to Mendelssohn’s Wedding March escorted by her twin sons and was presented to the groom by both the boys and the couple’s two daughters. The ceremony featured a tree planting ritual and tribute roses presented to both moms. DJ Keenan provided music for both the ceremony and the reception. Guests enjoyed a backyard banquet topped off by an elaborate wedding cake with fountain and stairs; and hand dipped strawberries. The newlyweds are relaxing at home this week enjoying visiting family from New Mexico. Congratulations, Mr. & Mrs. Diaz! May your married life be filled with health, happiness and all the laughter your hearts can hold.
Tag: wedding officiant
Beach Wedding Bliss
Despite misty, grey skies, Saturday’s wedding in Oceanside, OR was all smiles and happy hearts. Greta and Neil exchanged vows in front of friends and family with ocean waves providing a stunning backdrop. The bride’s father walked her down the sandy aisle accompanied by live string music. The couple’s son, Oliver – age 8, was the dutiful ring bearer and their daughter, Ruby – age 4, the princess flower girl. The ceremony featured a unity salt ritual and a gratitude rose exchange for the moms. Guests and family traveling from as far as MN enjoyed oceanfront lodging and, following the ceremony, dinner at a local cafe. The newlyweds spent a relaxing weekend at the coast before returning to their home in SW Portland. Congratulations, Greta and Neil! May your marriage be filled with waves of heartfelt laughter and flavored with sweet memories of your joyful wedding celebration.
Couples Choice Award 2016
The WeddingWire Couples’ Choice Awards® 2016 recognizes the top five percent of wedding professionals in the WeddingWire Network who demonstrate excellence in quality, service, responsiveness and professionalism. The esteemed awards are given to the top local wedding vendors in more than 20 service categories based on their professional achievements from the previous year. Thanks to my wonderful couples who took the time to write reviews and made this award possible. I look forward to another year of joyful celebrations!
Wedding Rings in the New Year
Angela and Ryan planned on this New Year’s Eve being their most joyful one so far – and it was! The evening wedding ceremony was held at the McMenamin’s Old Church & Pub in Wilsonville which set a romantic yet fun atmosphere for the festivities. The color pallet of cobalt blue, purple and charcoal was showcased in bridal party attire as well as the decor. Satin rose bouquets were adorned with blue and white bling. Lighthearted touches included a trivia enhanced program and a take home s’mores kit for favors. After the ceremony, guests enjoyed happy hour followed by an elaborate appetizer buffet. The newlyweds, who met while working at Intel, are enjoying a tropical honeymoon before returning to their home in Beaverton. Congratulations & Happy New Year, Mr. & Mrs. Royce! May your marriage be sweetened by the memory of all the laughter shared on your wedding day.
Coastal Wedding Complete with Whales and Supermoon
Gorgeous weather for whale watching and viewing the full moon set a perfect stage for Saturday’s wedding of Erika and Ruben. The Portland couple rented a spacious beach house in Seal Rock and invited their closest friends and family members to join them for a 3-day celebration. The intimate ceremony featured a poem composed by the groom’s father and a sand exchange ritual using sand collected by the couple earlier in the day. The altar was decorated with flowers, a handcrafted photo mobile and colorful stones painted by the guests. After the celebratory toasts and hugs, the wedding party traveled seven miles up the coast to enjoy dinner at the popular Local Ocean seafood restaurant on the Newport Bay marina. This was such an interesting mix of global influence. The groom’s father was from Argentina, his mother was from France. He was born in California. The bride’s mother was from New York. She was born in Canada. Is it any wonder that these two LOVE to travel? They plan a tropical honeymoon in November. Meanwhile, they reside and work in PDX where Ruben is a physician with Providence and Erika is a project manager. Congratulations, Dr. & Mrs. Halperin! May laughter and love be constant companions wherever your travels lead.
Rustic Wedding at Historic State Park
Perfect weather and acres of old growth trees awaited guests at yesterday’s wedding celebration for Emily and David. Held in the Pavilion at Historic Champoeg Park, the ceremony blended old and new traditions under the huppah including a Jewish circling, the seven blessings and breaking of the glass. The unity sand ritual featured a mason jar belonging to the groom’s grandmother. Following the ceremony, family and friends feasted on a buffet of homemade vegetarian specialties including three kinds of lasagna baked by the bride. The newlyweds will relax for two nights in a cozy park cabin before returning to their home in SE PDX. The groom works for UPS and the bride is completing her degree in psychology. They are planning a destination honeymoon in the fall. Congratulations, Mr. & Mrs. Quinton … mazel tov!
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.
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.
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 