On a beautiful August morning in the Old Church of Portland, Oregon, Lindsay Reichardt married her high school sweetheart, James Buckles. With a long-stemmed, gardenia studded, bouquet of pink roses in one hand, Lindsay’s other hand clung tightly to her new hubby for balance all day, as her Vera Wang ball gown of swirled tulle could barely squeeze down the isle.

A vintage Bentley drove Mr. & Mrs. Buckles away to a private photo shoot while guests made their way to the Heritage ballroom in the Governor Hotel for the reception. Guests were greeted by the passing of savory hors d’ouveres: Jake’s famous crab cakes, cucumber tea sandwiches, salmon lox bruschetta, quiche, brie en croute bites, and caviar deviled eggs as well as a Parisian-inspired Patisserie spread, which displayed sweet treats: a croquembouche of cream puffs, topiary trees of fresh strawberries, triple berry and lemon tarts, panna cotta parfaits, meringues, biscotti, madeline cakes, palmiers, macaroons, brioche, mini-muffins, cheesecake bites, éclairs and napoleons!

Perfectly pruned boxwoods, floating gardenias and lush arrangements of hydrangea, sugared apricots, raspberry vines and cascading jasmine transformed the reception into a French garden. Placecards and menus were lined to mimic the border of Laudree macaroon boxes, sugar cubes rested inside rose petals on china teacups and vintage botanical print reproductions by Pierre-Joseph Redoute (the official court painter of Marie Antoinette during the French Revolution) differentiated each tulle-layered table. The head table was overflowing with salal garlands, rustic candles, mercury glass votives, fresh fruit, cinched tulle and mossy, terrarium-encased arrangements.

When guests made their way to the bar, they had a number of specialty drink choices. There were five champagne cocktails options, all with fun names, for example, the “Blissful Bellini” featured peach puree, vanilla vodka, champagne and fresh mint, while the “Honeymooner” featured ginger syrup, lime juice, champagne and cucumber. Those still waking up also had 5 drink options at an Espresso station, for example, the “Crème Brulee Cappuccino” with cinnamon-infused espresso and raw cinnamon and sugar dusting, or an “Opposites Attract” caramel macchiato given sweet caramel drizzle and a dash of sea salt.

Crepes au citron, dulche de leche French toast and strawberry shortcake waffles were plated during brunch and Jake’s servers then circulated the ballroom offering hot sausage and bacon as well. Finally, as if guests weren’t already stuffed to the brim, Lindsay and James cut their cake: a five-tiered fresh strawberry and cream cheese masterpiece with diamond quilting, silver dragee detail, pink macaroons and a “B” cameo. After such an indulgent day, “favors” were simply notes letting the guests know that a donation had been made to the Portland Rescue Mission in their honor. 

Bridal Gown: Vera Wang / Bridal belt: Monique Lhullier / Bridal shoes: Valentino / Bridal headpiece & bracelet: Jenny Packham / Bridal earrings: J.Crew / Bridesmaids dresses: Monique Lhullier / Bridesmaids earrings: Anthropologie / Makeup & hair: Madeline Roosevelt / Stationery: French Lil Designs / Ceremony site: The Old Church / Reception site: The Governor Hotel, Heritage Ballroom / Reception catering: Jake’s Catering / Cake & Patisserie: Papa Haydn’s / Espresso Bar: Espresso Elegance / Specialty China: West Coast Events / Flowers: Geranium Lake / Transportation: Imperial Limousines / Photography: Altura Studio

© Style Me Pretty : The Ultimate Wedding Blog, 2012. | Permalink | 7 comments | Add to del.icio.us
Post tags: Altura Studio, Anthropologie, Black and White, Bouquets, Breakfast, Brunch, Brunch Weddings, Centerpieces, Champagne, Champagne Bar, Chanel, Chiavari Chairs, Color Palette Black White Pink, Color Palette Pink, Croissants, Croquembouche, Dessert Bar, Espresso, Espresso Bar, French Lil Designs, Geranium Lake Imperial Limousines, Governor Hotel, J. Crew, Jake's Catering, Jenny Packham, Macrons, Madeline Roosevelt, Marie Antoinette, Monique Lhullier, Morning Weddings, Neutral Color Palette, Oregon, Papa Haydns' Espresso Elegance, Patisserie, Pink Champagne, Portland, Roses, Strawberries, Stripes, The Old Church, Traditional Elegance, Valentino, Vera Wang, Vintage Chic, Wedding Flowers, Wedding Photography, West Coast Events
Post categories: Little Black Book Blog, Traditional Elegance

Click here for the FULL wedding!

From the bride… Most girls dream about what their wedding will be like. Who they will marry, what kind of dress they will wear. Well, all of those dreams and prayers truly came true on my wedding day. I think what made this one of the best days of my life was I got to marry my best friend and have all of my dear friends and family from all over the country part of it.

From the day I got engaged, my mom and I bought a wedding planning book and started the adventure. My first priority was to find the right venue. The venue we chose has special meaning as both of my brothers attend seminary there and my dad is on the board of trustees. Not only is it one of the most beautiful places in the northwest, it is place that proclaims the glory of God (one of the most important things for us). One of the most memorable moments of the wedding came during the ceremony when both of our parents gathered around us and prayed with us before we entered into the biggest covenant of our lives: the covenant of marriage.

A lot of my inspiration came from wedding blogs, including SMP. With the help of many friends and family, we created the menu board, seating chart, coffee favors and most of the centerpieces. A special thanks to our rental company who helped make my ideas a reality.

Photography: Ryan Flynn Photography / Cinematography: Couple’s Friend / Flowers: Metropolitan Market / Event Design, Rentals + Food: Inspire Events, An Affiliate of Blue Ribbon Cooking / Event Planning: Annette Daniels, Family Friend / Venue: Corban Seminary at The Weyerhaueser Estate in Tacoma, Washington / Invitations: Jayme Jenkins, Maid of Honor / Wedding Dress: Enzoani “Finnia” / Shoes: Enzo Angiolini / Menu Board, Seating Chart, Coffee Favors + Centerpieces: DIY / Desserts: Cake Sisters

© Style Me Pretty : The Ultimate Wedding Blog, 2012. | Permalink | 24 comments | Add to del.icio.us
Post tags: Annette Daniels, Blue, Corban Seminary, Corban University, Enzo Angiolini, Enzoani, Finnia, Inspire, Jayme Jenkins, Metropolitan Market, Oregon, Pink, Ryan Flynn Photography, Salem
Post categories: Casual Elegance, The Blog

Click here for the FULL photo shoot!

From Rebekah of A & B Creative… The design of this inspiration came from a love of Oregon winters. A downside to Northwest winters are that they’re often very wet, however the lush colors and beauty that can still be seen in the winter are because of all that rain. A winter in Oregon is one that’s filled with fir trees, chilly air and lots of firewood to keep warm. A & B Creative splits our time between Oregon and Northern California, so I often find myself having a tug of war with my native Oregon and the sun that seems to often be missing from my home state. This shoot is a tribute to love in my homeland. Both the bride and groom wear vintage Pendleton (a classic Oregon company) and are layered in wool, and the couple can be seen among native Northwest pines and firs, and the wood, deer elements and pinecone accents all culminate to show what love in an Oregon winter looks like.

The cake is a wintry blue with chocolate drippings topped with pine cone rosettes. The dessert table features seasonal sweet treats like red velvet hot cocoa, egg nog-covered almonds, chocolate moose, snowy powdered doughnuts, peppermint bark and rich chocolate mini cupcakes from vintage serving ware with fun details like the small vintage plaid suitcase. The main table is one of our farm tables made from reclaimed Oregon barnwood with a colorful red and white vintage textile as the tablecloth. The centerpiece is made up of a wintry silver leaf garland, vintage serving pieces, antlers and other vintage deer decor with bright pops of color from the pomegranates and red Bartlett pears. A seasonal brew and champagne is available to warm guests. Vintage reindeer figurines act as place cards atop vintage plates with rustic French flatware. I designed the bride’s wintry bouquet with rose hips, millet, hypericum berries, caspia and balsa wood flowers. While most of the design elements in our shoot evoke a timeless feel, there are also fun details like the marshmallow snowy curtain I made to juxtapose the classic designs. This shoot is all that a winter wedding is about; textures of winter: wool blankets, coats and sweaters, smells of peppermint and pine, incorporating elements from nature and keeping warm by holding the one you love close.

Photo Shoot Stylist + Designer: Rebekah Carey McNall of A & B Creative / Farm Table, Vintage Furniture + Prop Rentals: A & B Creative / Photography: Erich McVey Photography / Venue: Coelho Estate Vineyard / Bride’s Dress: Laundry by Shelli Segal / Bride’s Red Coat: Vintage Pendleton / Bride’s Fur-Lined Coat: Vintage / Bride’s Silver Sweater: J.Crew / Bride’s Earrings: Nadri Tiered Chandelier Earrings via Nordstrom / Bride’s Feathered Hair Piece: Vera Boyechko of Oh! Baby Designs / Brides’s Belt: Jasper & Jeera for Anthropologie / Bride’s Rings: Vintage / Bride’s Shoes: Schuler & Sons for Anthropologie / Groom’s Pants: Dockers / Groom’s Shirt: Christopher Hart / Groom’s Shoes: Vintage / Groom’s Tie: Vintage Pendleton / Groom’s Sweaters: Vintage / Flower Girl’s Dress: Rare Editions / Flower Girl Sweater: Xhilaration / Cake: Christine Marvin of Market of Choice / Makeup: Beth Level of Blush Makeup Artistry / Model Bride: Dianni Freeman / Model Groom: Valentino Lucas / Model Flower Girl: Necie Carey

© Style Me Pretty : The Ultimate Wedding Blog, 2012. | Permalink | 53 comments | Add to del.icio.us
Post tags: A & B Creative, Amity, Anthropologie, Beth Level, Blue, Blush Makeup Artistry, Brown, Christine Marvin, Christopher Hart, Coehlo Estate and Winery, Dianni Freeman, Dockers, Erich McVey Photography, J. Crew, Jasper and Jeera, Laundry by Shelli Segal, Market of Choice, Nadri, Necie Carey, Nordstrom, Oh-Baby Designs, Oregon, Pendleton, Rare Editions, Rebekah Carey McNall, Red, Schuler & Sons, Valentino Lucas, Vera Boyechko, White, Xhilaration
Post categories: Photo Shoot, The Blog, Wedding Style

We met for the first time on a coffee date on my birthday at Pazzo. We hit it off immediately. I liked him so much I cancelled my own birthday party that night so that I could have dinner with him. When deciding on a venue for our wedding, we could only think of the having our wedding at the place we met. When Mark proposed, we drove through 8 hours of snow & traffic to Seattle, where he proposed to me on the morning of my birthday.

I found a picture in an old magazine I bought at a library sale that showed old rusted out cheese graters being used as luminaries, and I fell in love with the idea. I thought it would be a nice way to subtly incorporate my love for cheese and all things food without making our wedding look like a Star Trek wedding, but with food.

Since we were having the reception and dinner in a very intimate wine cellar, we wanted to have the ceremony in an opposite environment – an open air rooftop with the sounds and sights of the city. Nothing says festive like café lights, so we strung lights at both venues, and those tied the places together and were used as a motif in the invitations.

We are kinda bookish people, without being grossly annoying about it, but we did feel the need to pay homage to our first date at a bookstore. We collected some of our favorite books and my old Olivetti Typewriter to dress up our guest table. We kept it relaxed and earthy by using birch accents in the table décor and a birch limb as the anchor for the paper flower curtain altar piece which Kim designed, and my mother and I helped craft.

We didn’t include anything in this wedding that didn’t have personal meaning to us. We didn’t do anything because you are “supposed” to do it. I walked down the aisle to “Never Tear Us Apart” by INXS. My bouquet was wrapped in the very same ribbon that I used to wrap a birthday gift I gave to Mark on our first date. We had pictures of our two cats, Loki and Applejack, in their tuxedos, along with a piece of lace the bride bought in Belgium in 1997 to use in her wedding, on our guest table. We used a reading from the Velveteen Rabbit that had special meaning to the bride, and a poem the groom wrote as the bulk of our ceremony, both read by the bride’s sisters. I wore a pearl necklace with an opal stone that was an heirloom from my paternal grandmother, and a diamond ring that belonged to my late maternal grandmother. We had a tree stump engraved with M+M inside a heart, which is how the bride signs her napkin letters she puts in the groom’s lunch.

We tied our wedding rings to a small brass bell with the aforementioned ribbon. Mark and I purchased this bell months before our wedding on a trip to Astoria. Leading up to the wedding, Mark and I would ring that bell if something good happened…if he solved a problem at work, or if I made a ridiculous peach cobbler or if we wanted to tell the other one we loved them from a different room. The bell’s ringing became a sound we associated with good and happy things, so we would both know, that when my youngest niece was walking down the aisle and ringing the heck out of that bell, that all good things were about to happen. He could hear the bell from the altar, and I could hear it from the stairwell to the rooftop and we would both know that we were about to be the happiest we’ve ever been. 

Wedding Consultant: Kim Foren, Geranium Lake Flowers & Nadia Ly, Creations by Ly / Flowers: Geranium Lake Flowers / Reception Site: The Wine Cellar at Hotel Vintage Plaza | Pazzo Ristaurante / Ceremony: DeSoto Rooftop Terrace / Rings and Jewelry: Family heirlooms and Lucia Jewelers / Wedding Gown: David’s Bridal / Veil & Accessories: David’s Bridal / Shoes: David’s Bridal / Formal Wear: Men’s Wearhouse / Cake: Papa Haydn / Caterer: The Art of Catering & Pazzo Ristaurante / Photographer: Erica Ann Photography & Fine Art / Music & Entertainment: Baby Ketten Karaoke / Makeup: Janine Salzman / Officiant: Rev. Robert Griffin

© Style Me Pretty : The Ultimate Wedding Blog, 2012. | Permalink | 4 comments | Add to del.icio.us
Post tags: Baby Ketten Karaoke, Birch, Bouquets, Centerpieces, Creations by Ly, David's Bridal, DeSoto Rooftop Terrace, Do-It-Yourself Inspired, Erica Ann Photography & Fine Art, Erica Ann Photography & Fine Arts, Flower girls, Geranium Lake Flowers, Hotel Vintage Plaza, Janine Salzman, Lucia Jewelers, Men's Wearhouse, Oregon, Papa Hayden, Pazza Ristaurante, Portland, Quirky, Rev. Robert Griffin, Roses, The Art of Catering, unique, Wedding Flowers
Post categories: Little Black Book Blog

Click here to see the full image gallery!

From Geranium Lake Flowers … Love, love, love this wedding palette of kumquat and steel for this destination wedding.  Claire and her handsome groom Jeff are from Seattle and chose the gorgeous Garden Vineyards estate for their summer nuptials.  One of the fun things about working on this wedding was that it was primarily planned by Claire’s mom!  She traveled back and forth from Seattle to Portland to conceptualize everything from  her bouquet to the well wishes chuppah.  Darling!

Photography: Rebekah Johnson Photography / Photo Booth: Portland Photobooth / Flowers: Geranium Lake Flowers / Event Planning: Kara Markovich, Ella Events / Ceremony & Reception Venue: Garden Vineyards / Dress: Carolina Herrera / Hair: Evolution Hair Design – Mark Putnam / Makeup: Kymm Ernst / Music: Effesenden Music

© Style Me Pretty : The Ultimate Wedding Blog, 2012. | Permalink | 10 comments | Add to del.icio.us
Post tags: Autumn Weddings, Bouquets, Bout, Carolina Herrera, Casual Elegance, Centerpieces, Chuppah, Color Palette Green Orange Grey, Effesenden Music, Ella Events, Evolution Hair Design, Fall Weddings, Flower girls, Garden Vineyards, Geranium Lake Flowers, Hillsboro, Kymm Ernst, Mark Putnam, Oregon, Outdoor Ceremony, Outdoor Wedding, Portland Photobooth, Rebekah Johnson Photography, Ring Bearers, Vineyard Weddings, Wedding Flowers
Post categories: Casual Elegance, Little Black Book Blog

My husband, Nick, and I met while attending the University of Washington in Seattle. We formally met when Nick interviewed for a job with the student government. I was the student body president at the time and served on the hiring committee. He was such a professional during the interview – he took each question very seriously and I knew right away that he would be a fantastic student leader. I certainly did not look at him in any romantic capacity at that time! Nick ended up getting hired for the position and we became co-workers and great friends. We both still look back fondly at our time together in student government and treasure the moments we shared with other students, all passionate about doing good in the world.

Nick and I stayed good friends for the next few years, even after we moved to different cities. Nick eventually moved to Connecticut and I left Seattle to attend law school at Cornell. I’ll never forget arriving at the Syracuse airport, with only two suitcases (nothing short of a miracle for me, the consumate clotheshorse!), and with my only friend on the East Coast – Nick – waiting to pick me up and help me move to my new town. I was incredibly nervous, but the second I saw him I felt myself breathe a small sigh of relief, knowing that at the very least I had one friend nearby to rely on.

Over the next months, our friendship grew into much more and we eventually started dating. In fact, we dated for more than six years before deciding to get married. We went through so much change over those years but were lucky that the one thing that stayed consistent was that we grew with each other and developed an incredibly strong relationship throughout the various trials and tribulations. Let this story be a lesson to those out there looking for a life partner — a friendship can most certainly develop into the greatest love of your life! …

We loved this couple so much that when we heard that in addition to this gorgeous wedding and highlight film, courtesy of Stott Shots Photography and Videography, there was also a full Cambodian ceremony to celebrate this couples love, we just had to see it. And when we saw it, we just had to share it. So here you go!

I am Cambodian American and grew up in a very traditional Cambodian home. It was incredibly important to my family (and myself) to incorporate our culture in the wedding celebrations. Nick and I decided to have a traditional one and a half day long Cambodian wedding weekend in my hometown, Vancouver, WA, followed by a small civil ceremony in New York in support of marriage equality (we always knew we wanted to get married in a state where marriage is legal for all — we originally planned on Washington D.C. but were thrilled when our own state passed the new law) and, last but not least, a “Western” wedding in Portland, which incorporated my Cambodian heritage and Nick’s Scottish heritage, as well as other cultures, one month later. How lucky were we to have three weddings?!?

The Cambodian wedding weekend was a family and community effort. My parents, auntie, uncles, cousins, and countless friends and loved ones (including two from Cambodia) worked tirelessly to prepare the wedding festivities. They cooked amazing traditional food, pulled together the most beautiful wardrobe (I had seven costume changes!), decorated the venues, played the music at the reception — they really did it all! The Cambodian ceremonies at my parents’ home featured traditional wedding rituals, including blessings from monks, a procession of the groom, his family, and the guests through my childhood neighboorhood, a hair cutting ceremony (to signify the shedding of our old selves and the start of our new life together), string-tying ceremony (guests tied red strings around our wrists and provide a blessing; the strings tied by the parents and the elder running the ceremony remain on until they fall off), a circle of light ceremony (couples married 10+ years sat around us and passed a candle around while providing blessings). All of this was topped off by a dinner reception for 450 people, with live Cambodian classical and modern music, as well as a performance by children from the Cambodian classical dance troupe that I performed with when I was younger.

My favorite memory from the Cambodian festivities was seeing how seamlessly Nick’s non-Cambodian family blended with my very Cambodian friends and family, and feeling all of the love and energy from both sides of the family. Truly, all of our friends and family came together for a magical weekend — my uncle from Cambodia, who was separated from my dad over 30 years ago during the terrible war in Cambodia, came to the the US for the festivities (his first trip outside of Cambodia), and even Nick’s 93 year old grandfather pushed aside his wheelchair at the reception in order to dance!

As for our “Western” wedding, Nick and I spent a lot of time and effort coming up with every little detail and were blessed to find the perfect vendors, in addition to family and friends, who helped execute our vision. We actually secretly started wedding planning six months before we got engaged because we wanted the planning to be “our” thing, without input from anyone else. I highly recommend this for couples who are antsy about too much family involvement! The experience was a great way for us to bond in a new way.

We chose our ceremony venue because we wanted to get married in a church, but a church whose principles and religious views align with our own and explicitly seek to include of people from all walks of life. We found the perfect fit with the First Unitarian Church. We chose our reception venue because we immediately liked and trusted Via, our contact with the venue (super important since we live across the country from our reception venue), and also because the catering featured locally sourced products and is in my favorite Portland neighborhood, the Pearl District, which feels like a little slice of Brooklyn to us.

Our wedding ceremony was planned from start to finish by the two of us. We wanted the ceremony to feel very intimate, so each detail came from one of our heads and involved someone close to us. We opened the ceremony with a prayer by my best friend and matron of honor, in recognition of our Christian beliefs. The officiant was a dear friend and judge who I used to intern for in law school. We worked with her to develop the script for the ceremony, which included some reflections that she shared during our civil ceremony in New York. We wrote our vows together and also wrote personal sentiments to share with each other in front of our friends and family. I am a huge music afficianado, so the songs selected for the string quartet to play before, during and after the ceremony, as well as some of the DJ’s song selections at the reception, took a long time to choose. For example, I’ve wanted to walk down the aisle to a string version of the Yeah Yeah Yeah’s “Hysteric” for years, and I spent a lot of time tracking down the sheet music online!

We also asked four of our friends to share their reflections on marriage and love. Each person brought a unique perspective: there was a modern version of the Seven Blessings (we have great affinity for the Jewish religion and culture since moving to NYC), a Navajo blessing, a reading of “Love” by Roy Croft, as well as one friend’s personal reflections. At the altar, we created a small display in recognition of our ancestors. Rather than lighting a unity candle, both sets of parents lit incense at the altar, a Cambodian Buddhist tradition. We incorporated the Cambodian string-tying ritual into our ceremony, and each set of parents tied a red string to our wrist as a blessing. We also incorporated the Scottish “pinning of the tartan” ceremony, where Nick’s mom, on behalf of his family, pinned their family tartan to me as a sign of their acceptance of my family and I into theirs. It was incredibly meaningful to have our ceremony feature each of our heritages, as well as other cultures that we respect and love. Hands down, my favorite moment of the ceremony was when Nick and I exchanged personal sentiments with each other, reflecting on why we love each other in front of our family and friends.

We wanted the cozy feeling to continue at the reception, so we worked with the venue to create four very long rows of tables to seat our 180 guests, which made the dinner feel more “family style.” We also wanted the reception to feature a mix of elements from the Pacific Northwest (where we grew up), parts of my Cambodian heritage, with touches of NYC (where we’ve lived for almost our entire relationship). To that end, the reception featured gorgeous, lush and woodsy floral installations, and locally sourced food, desserts, beer, wine and liquor to reflect the Pac NW; table runners made out of traditional Cambodian silk and homemade Cambodian desserts as a shout-out to my heritage; and miscellaneous “city” touches to reflect our current hometown — the open, gallery-like venue, naming each table after some of our favorite city locations, along with a description of why each location holds a special place in our hearts. Other favorite reception items were: the stunning floral wall, which stemmed from a picture I found during a late night on Pinterest, the collection of love related books, a wall and table of family wedding photos and photos of us (created by Nick’s mom), as well as a bevy of awesome Etsy finds, some stemming from my ideas, others purchased directly from buyers (“Keep Calm and Marry On” signage, personalized cake topper, “Mr.” and “Mrs.” chair signs, birdcage for cards, photobooth props, love and marriage themed books, etc.). Although it was a very small thing, our favorite touch at the reception was handwritten notes written to each guest, which we placed at each table, thanking them for coming and explaining why they are an important part of our lives.

As for wedding favors, we created CDs of our favorite love songs, each of which played at some point during the wedding festivities, found a design for the CD label and cover, and one of our wedding attendants went through the painstaking process of assembling almost 200 labels and covers. We also made out-of-town guest bags which were filled with local snacks and information on Portland, sourced from farmers markets, local stores, and the Chamber of Commerce by another amazing wedding attendant.

Photographer: Kacie, Kyle and Dylan of Stott Shots Photography and Videography / Videographer: Troy Costa, Stott Shots Photography and Videopgraphy / Floral Designer: Rosemary Stafford Floral Design / Day-of Coordinator: Ryan Mattson / Stationery: Jack & Jill Wedding / Dessert Table & Floral Wall: Amy Childs of One Divine Party / Wedding gown: Jenny Lee, from Divine Designs / Reception Dress: Leanne Marshall / Bridesmaid’s Dress Designer: Jenny Woo / Linen, Chair and Lighting Rentals: West Coast Productions / Hotel: The Nines / Out-of-Town Guest Bags: Wedding Chicks / Ceremony Music: Collage Music / DJ: Maushole / Ceremony Site: First Unitarian Church / Reception Site & Catering: Urban Studio, Pearl Catering / Hair: Salon 77 / Makeup: Event Cosmetics / Photobooth: The Original Photobooth

© Style Me Pretty : The Ultimate Wedding Blog, 2012. | Permalink | 17 comments | Add to del.icio.us
Post tags: Cambodia, Cambodian, Cambodian Wedding, Collage Music, Color Palette Purple, Cultural Beauty, Devine Designs, Etsy, Event Cosmetics, First Unitarian Church, Fusion Wedding, Handkerchief, Highlight Films, Jack & Jill Wedding, Jenny Lee, Jenny Woo, Leanne Marshall, macarons, Maushole, One Divine Party, Oregon, Pearl Catering, Pinterest, Portland, Rosemary Stafford Floral Design, Ryan Mattson, Salon 77, Stott Shots Photography & Videography, The Nines, The Original Photogbooth, Urban Studio, vintage car, Wedding Chicks, Wedding Cinematography, Wedding Photography, West Coast Productions
Post categories: Cultural Beauty, Little Black Book Blog

Check out the full wedding gallery right here!

On Bryce & Whitney’s first date, Whitney’s phone rang. And her heart stopped. Her dad had died suddenly. As she made her way through the shock and the grief, Bryce was by her side for every second. They got married off the beaten path, nestled in the orchards of Mt. Hood Organic Farms on a bluebird July day as Mt. Hood provided a stunning Oregon backdrop. Surrounded by friends and family, Whitney made a point to incorporate her Dad into the ceremony in unconventional ways: by wrapping his bow ties around each bouquet, saving her favorite for her own; and by having Bryce wear his socks. The bridal party dressed in a two bedroom cottage with idyllic 60s music setting the perfect vintage scene. With lawn games, live music, wine, and h’ors devours galore, they couple celebrated their union in true vintage chic style. And it was a true pleasure to photograph.

Photographer: Jane Johnson Photography & Design / Location: Mt. Hood Organic Farms / Wedding Coordinator: Cassandra Cass / Caterer: Ginger Powers of Orchard House Catering / Flowers: Lucy Gorman of Informal Flowers / Gelato: Randy Walton of Alotto Gelato / Cake: Jutta Bach of La Joconde / DJ: Michael J Olsen / Pre-reception music: Joseph Appell (Guitar), Benjamin Hartman (Saxophone), Skip von Kuske (Cellist) / Hair and Make-up: Jessica Sappington of Jet Salon / Dress: Augusta Jones bought at Ania Bridal / Videographer: Aaron Almquist

© Style Me Pretty : The Ultimate Wedding Blog, 2012. | Permalink | 16 comments | Add to del.icio.us
Post tags: Aaron Almquist, AniA Bridal, Augusta Jones, Informal Flowers, Jane Johnson Photography, Mt. Hood Organic Farms, Orchard House Catering, Oregon
Post categories: Casual Elegance

Click here to see the entire gallery of images!

From Lisa Teso Photography…Two creative girls and one problem – Finding a special way to change their last names.

A few months ago, Jennifer Mele, co-owner of Hi, Friend Design in Portland, Ore. found herself in a pickle  - following her wedding in 2009 she still hadn’t found the time to change her name. That night a plot was hatched with a fellow co-worker who was also facing the same predicament. Looking for a meaningful way to officially change their last names and also a reason to throw a fabulous party, the two decided to surprise their husbands with a fun summer ceremony. With the help of friends, family and local event vendors, the Maiden Voyage was born and two unsuspecting husbands had the surprise of the summer as their wives finally took the plunge at a summer backyard ceremony.

A few details to help you follow along…When the husbands returned home from golfing they were met with glasses of their favorite whiskey and outfits for the night ahead. The nautical theme (Maiden Voyage, get it?!) could be seen throughout the event – from the music, to the ceremony, to the yellow/blue color motif. Small detailed touches were everywhere including: Customized wine labels on the wine bottles and mini bottles of champagne, cupcakes baked by Jennifer herself in husbands’ two favorite flavors, black and white photos of the two couples from their wedding days, a photo booth with nautical themed props, Enlarged copies of their new licenses for guests to sign with their well-wishes, the officiant was the same gentleman that married Jennifer to her husband Steve in 2009 – he focused on the meaning of a name and the importance of taking on someone else’s name for your life. One of the highlights of the ceremony was the girls grabbing iPads from their “maids of honor” and officially changing their names on Facebook.

Invitations: Hi, Friend Design / Photography: Lisa Teso Photography / Photo Stylist: Kimberly Brandt of Billede Design / Wives’  Attire: BCBG / Husbands’ Shirts: Banana Republic

© Style Me Pretty : The Ultimate Wedding Blog, 2011. | Permalink | 22 comments | Add to del.icio.us
Post tags: Banana Republic, BCBG, Billded Design, For Your Party, Hi Friend Design, Lisa Teso Photography, Name Change Party, Nautical, Oregon
Post categories: Real Parties, The Blog