Oregon Weddings

Anyone fancy an afternoon tea? We have some brilliant Portland wedding inspiration to share, and it’s making this little blogger really crave some Earl Grey. The sweet shoot, seen through the lens of Jessica Hill Photography, is so perfectly posh with it’s green and yellow decor. It’s filled to the brim with fantastic wedding inspiration for every bride – from the adorable fashion to the great color palette to the afternoon tea ambiance. So pop your kettle on the stovetop and meet me in the gallery for more!

Grooms fashion by our favorites, Duchess, Clothier. Ever-fab rentals from The Party Place.

From Jessica Hill Photography … Tim the groom, showed off his suit from Duchess, Clothier.  This gave him a look of self-esteem, dapperness, and pride, contained in this vintage three-piece suit.  His cufflinks, tie clip, and pocket square were also provided by Duchess Clothier, adding a classic look that most suits lack in this era.

Meghan was dressed in a charming spring bridal dress, contributed by Anna’s Bridal. The jewelry, provided by Grayling, showcased her local and handcrafted fashion forward jewelry design.  A wedding outfit wouldn’t be complete without shoes; Meghan’s green high heels, designed by Nina Electric, completed the outfit and added a youthful and hip Portland flare.

The Portland Lan Su Chinese Garden is a wonderful and elegant wedding venue that attracts couples.  The beautiful styling and flowers arrangement added a colorful and current design by Punch Portland, which truly enhanced the location.

Photography: Jessica Hill Photography / Venue: Lan Su Chinese Garden / Flowers and Styling: Punch Portland / Day Of Coordination: Kimberly for Bridal Bliss / Event Rentals: The Party Place / Umbrella Rental: Bella Umbrella / Dress: Reverie by Melissa Sweet, from Anna’s Bridal / Shoes: Nina Electra, Macy’s / Jewelry: Grayling / Hairpieces: Austie Eckley / Makeup & Hair: Shannon for Austie Eckley Makeup / Groom’s Suit & Tie: Duchess, Clothier / Cufflinks & Tie clip: Vintage sold at  Duchess, Clothier

Happy Friday LBBers! As sad as we are to see another week of weddings come to an end, we’re just a little bit excited to enjoy the record breaking summer heat this weekend. Hopefully you’ve got a pool or ocean nearby and a fruity umbrella-donning drink in your hand to keep you cool as a cucumber. We’ve got a fab line-up of pretty fêtes all ready for your viewing pleasure next week, so we can’t be too sad the work week has come to a close. As a little sneak-peek for you, here is a sliver of just some the gorgeous eye-candy we’ve got on store. A beautiful bit of Portland wedding inspiration from Jessica Hill Photography. Enjoy your weekend & we’ll see you back here bright and early Monday morning! xoxo

Photography by Jessica Hill Photography.

The wedded week in summary:

a Winnipeg affair with the most stunning couple
a dress to die for in this Beverly Hills wedding
a Texas soiree with tons of sentiment
a quintessential summer wedding in Virginia
a Library-Chic Philadelphia affair
a Vermont gardener bride’s dream
a dreamy Connecticut wedding with the best color palette
a stunning homegrown country soiree in Connecticut
a bit of scholarly inspiration at the University of Pennsylvania

Some link love from around the web:

a perfect idea for all those birdcage cardholders after the wedding via Design*Sponge
a darling animated engagement sesh at Green Wedding Shoes
a new set of STYLE ME PRETTY Local blogs: Illinois, Massachusetts, Georgia, Canada, and Australia

Portland is one of my favorite cities.  It’s fantastic because you can be downtown in the hustle and bustle of city life or you can drive out just a little bit and be surrounded by rich, natural beauty.  This wedding by Yasmin Khajavi Photography + Laura Marchbanks Photography takes a little bit of the best of both those worlds and the blend is a phenomenal urban meets country celebration.  On top of the unique modern design paired with fun touches of rustic flare the lovely bride and her groom have such a sweet story.  I love that they named the tables after each of the 14 years that they have known each other!  Check out the full gallery to see even more!

Click here to see the entire gallery of images!

And as a special treat today, Focal Point Digital Media has shared their adorable video…

From the Bride… Sure, being a wedding planner I’ve always wanted my own wedding, but I always said that I wouldn’t begin to plan it until I met the man of my dreams. Little did I know at the time that I had already met the man of my dreams years ago! Darren and I went to the same middle school, but I didn’t know much other than his name. We went to the same high school and let’s just say I was dying to know everything about him. We had mutual friends and so we began to hang out often. I remember the first day I got up the nerve to invite him to a get together and he said he couldn’t because he was waxing his car. Let’s just say, he’s never heard the end of that one! Years went on, I moved on from my high school crush, we stayed friends…best friends.  Skip ahead to November 2008. It all started when we started working out in the morning together. To some that may be normal, but lets just say I’ve never been one to have a regular 7:00 am work out routine! We then slowly began to date, but both didn’t say a word because we didn’t want to jinx it… 1 month later (Okay so maybe more like 3 days!), I knew I wanted to spend the rest of my life with him!

Having grown up in the suburbs and often visiting our grandparents in the country, we knew that we wanted to meld the ambiance into an urban country feel. We used lighting and the blank warehouse style space to create an overall urban and modern look. We added candles, mason jars, wooden clothes pins and homemade ribbon and runners. To continue the country feel and also add a personal element, we used the barn wood from my grandparents old barn for our table signs, guest book, place card display, cake stand, cake topper, and directional signs.  We named the tables after the 14 years we’ve known each other and each table was displayed with a few photos that represented that time in our life together. In lieu of programs, we recorded little blurbs about our wedding party to be played as they entered into the reception! It was the perfect opportunity for us to tell our wedding party how much their friendship means to us and introduce them to our guests!

Wedding Photography: Yasmin Khajavi Photography + Laura Marchbanks Photography / Wedding Cinematography: Focal Point Digital Media / Floral Design: Blum Design in Flowers / Event Design + Planning: Champagne Wedding & Event Coordination / Location: Pure Space / Wedding Invitations: Paper Bloom Studio / Bride’s Shoes: Enzo Angiolini / Wedding Dress: Jim Hjelm / Wedding Cake: Dream Cakes / Caterer: Crave Catering / Music + Entertainment: Event Team Entertainment / Bride’s Make-up: Nicole Wagner Make-up / Rental: West Coast Event Production / Favors: Studio Olivine

Sometimes the best designs are those that mix it up a bit and share a new perspective on a more traditional style. Well this Portland photo shoot is doing just that – merging the backdrop of a more urban setting (think steel, exposed concrete and rooftop views) with the romance of soft pastels and rustic inspired tableware. Designed and styled by Weddings Fresh, with florals by Quince Flowers & Events and all captured by diana marie photography, this is dreamy done so, so right and there is even more to inspire your upcoming fete in the gallery + a buying guide coming up in a bit!

Click here to see the entire gallery of images!

From Weddings Fresh…The inspiration for this shoot came from the wonderful white on white trend for weddings this year.  Layering in whites and creams, with hints of blush and tin, brings new life to the traditional white wedding.  It’s all about the dreamy accents, light and airy details all in the name of simple elegance.  Diana Marie Photography did an incredible job capturing this shoot in an industrial loft space in Downtown Portland, with grey painted cinder block walls, large dramatic windows and light wood floors that contrasted wonderfully with the classic tablescape decor.

The tabletop was an eclectic mixture of the gorgeous Fluer de Lys plates by Anthropologie and the Emma plate collection as well as vintage flatware from Pottery Barn with endearing “fork”, “spoon” & “knife” engravings. These elements added depth and texture to a simple white linen tablecloth.  And I loved adding the grey vintage Tolix Cafe Chair to the scene.  It really kept the table looking fresh and modern! When working with Rachel of Quince Flowers & Events, the vision of a voluminous rose garden garland placed down the center of the table was the ideal classic touch to this dreamy setting.  And to bring a little lift and drama to the room, Rachel arranged stunning cherry blossom branches in over-sized clay pitchers on either end of the table.

When thinking of a cake for the shoot I knew it had to be a perfect blend of the classic romanticism of a white wedding and some modern lines.  So I left it all up to my dear friend Jessica of Jessicakes to create as she saw best and my goodness did she do any incredible job!  Everything about the cake seamlessly unifies the design. And the tinniest of individual cakes on each pace setting is a detail that no one can forget!  To finish off the complete vision, Julie of Studio Olivine did an incredible job with the invitation suite by bringing it to life through her vintage poster inspiration.  The simplicity of her design was the essence of the shoot.

This romantic, airy and fresh take on a modern white wedding was fulfilled in the simplest of elements but when they come together it creates a magical setting.  It was such a pleasure to work with all of the talented Portland vendors. Thank you!

Event Design + Styling: Weddings Fresh / Photography: diana marie photography / Floral Design: Quince Flowers & Events / Cakes: Jessicakes / Hairpiece: Austie Eckley / Invitation Suite:  Studio Olivine / Hair & Make-up: Destiny Taylor / Model: Charlotte Roehm / Tableware: Pottery Barn

Yellow just might be the poster child for bright, happy, shininess so incorporating it into a day that is one of the happiest ever is a complete no brainer. Sara Gray Photography snapped all the lovely images from this Portland Wedding and the yellow is bursting from every nook and cranny, crafted into every fun detail and there’s a whole lot more to devour in the full wedding gallery. yipee…

Click here to see the entire image gallery!

From Sara Gray Photography… Stephanie & Peter got married on April 30, 2011 in Portland, Oregon — and they integrated some of the traditional and a lot of the modern into their wedding celebration.

First, they started with a traditional Vietnamese ceremony in which the groom’s family and friends bring gifts to the bride’s parents’ home and then they go through a ceremony wherein they introduce members of each family, and afterward they all share a meal together. From there, they went downtown to The Nines Hotel where they got ready for another ceremony, this one in the Catholic church.

Following that, a modern reception welcomed their guests with gorgeous, modern tables in bright poppy whites and yellows. Guests drank from mason jars with striped straws, kids had their own tables which they could color on and a candy and cookie buffet close at hand, and the couple enjoyed Thai food with their guests throughout the evening.

This was a really fun wedding for a fantastic couple who really thought of the details they’d like to bring into their wedding celebration.

Wedding Photography: Sara Gray Photography / Floral Design, Styling & Day of Coordination: Punch / Wedding Venue: Venue Pearl / Hotel: The Nines / Catering: Catering by Bo / Groom & Groomsmen Attire: English Laundry via Men’s Wearhouse (Suits) + Sperry Top Siders via Nordstrom (Shoes) + Express (Socks) + Mary Truong, Cousin of the Bride (Groomsmen Ties) + Versace via Saks Fifth Avenue (Groom’s Tie) / Bridesmaid Dresses: Donna Ricco via Nordstrom / Bridesmaid Shoes: TOMS / Wedding Dress: Pronovias via Anna’s Bridal / Bride’s Shoes: Seychelles via Nordstrom / Bride’s Headband: Anthropologie / Bride’s Ao Dai (Vietnamese Dress): Hoang Yen Ao Dai / Bride’s Shoes: TOMS

Well, after devouring every little detail of this Oregon wedding, I have decided that I am officially ON the peacock bandwagon. And can I just say, it’s pretty fun over here. The wedding, captured by Powers Studios, seems to have been pretty much awesome. A blast. Bridal Bliss planned this little number, all centered around the love this sweet couple shares, and of course, the peacock feather. How could a wedding which boasts such bold colors like teal, blue, and pink NOT be amazing? Impossible. Click here for the full gallery of images!

Mike and I met in December 2007 when I was home from graduate school for Christmas break.  He needed a date to a dinner party and my best friend from high school, Michelle, who is Mike’s cousin, suggested he take her friend – me.   She set us up for the dinner party and after our first kiss under the mistletoe, the rest is history.

I am Persian and Mike is Lebanese.  We only wanted to have one ceremony so we decided to have a Persian ceremony — Persian ceremonies are very intimate, interactive and fun.  I’ve always pictured myself having one so we just went ahead with it, but amended it to incorporate vows that were unique to Mike and I.  The Persian ceremony typically takes place at the home of the bride’s parents.  Mike and I decided to have a small ceremony with close family and very few close friends at my parent’s home.  As such, it was very intimate and special.

I wanted an urban, modern reception where the look and feel was sleek and sophisticated.  The venue we chose was Pure Space on the north end of the Pearl district, a very chic part of town.  Since the color scheme was fairly muted, however, I knew we had to bring it to life with some bright colors so I picked eggplant and burgundy with pops of teal.   We used the peacock feather as a source of our inspiration throughout the day.  From the welcome baskets to the place settings, to the cutting cake, little pieces of the Peacock theme were incorporated throughout.

We had a DJ that played both American classics and Middle Eastern music.  The highlight of the night was a show from two belly dancers who were really incredible!  We had two kids at the wedding, my new niece and nephew, and since they were the only two invited we were worried they’d get bored! As such, I put together little party buckets for them that included coloring books and crayons, candy and treats, a disposable camera, glow sticks and yo-yos.

Planner & Design: Nora Sheils, Bridal Bliss / Rentals & Design: West Coast Event Productions / Ceremony Venue: Bride’s Parents’ Home / Reption Venue: Pure Space / Photographer: Ben Powers, Powers Studios / Flowers: Buddies Flowers / Belly Dancers: Sedona / Invititations: Bridal Bliss / Hair & Makeup: Katie York / Transportation: English Classic Limousine / Cupcakes: St. Cupcake / Catering: Gourmet Productions / Favors: Stumptown Coffee Roasters / Brides Dress: 2Be Bridal / Reception Printing: Crave Design

This rock n’ roll meets urban gem crafted by Vibrant Table Catering & Events is just what we need to break that afternoon lull. With photography by Luminous Studios, a scrumptiously frilly dress and even a chalkboard wall or two, this wedding is infusing Style Me Pretty with a little bit of cool and whole lot of gorgeous cake. Seriously, just wait until you see the cake. Pore over the full wedding right here.

Click here to see the entire image gallery!

From the Bride… I catered for a few years, so I really know events and love planning them. Everything about planning the wedding was fun for me. Our vision for the wedding was a chic, urban, rock-and-roll event that was also traditionally elegant.

I already had my vision for the wedding, and then Jason created the invitation (the custom record label doubled as both an invitation and decor)… it was so cool and a total surprise! After that I had to rethink how to integrate the music theme into what I had already envisioned. The Jupiter (a chic, urban, modern hotel that features a popular local music venue, the Doug Fir) was perfect because it married my wants: an urban and classy feel, and Jason’s love of music. I loved all the greenery contrasted by the concrete, chandelier and curtains in the atrium.  It was perfect.

I thought a spring wedding needed a spring color — yellow — but just a hint. I wanted something (somewhat) traditional, hence the roses and silver/black colors. It was also perfect that it was peony season. Our florist, Page Winograd, did such an amazing job!  She’s a rock star.

With the food, we wanted something unique and after choosing margaritas for a signature cocktail, Mexican food was an obvious choice. We asked for a lemon/strawberry cake to keep with the food and color scheme. And it was beyond delicious and beautiful!

Wedding Photography: Jen Hecht of Luminous Studios / Floral Design: Page Winograd of Vibrant Table Catering & Events / Catering & Event Design: David Robinson of Vibrant Table Catering & Events / Wedding Ceremony & Reception Location: The Jupiter Hotel / Wedding Dress: Urchin Re.Design / Wedding Invitations: The Groom / Wedding Cake: Mickala Duprey of Wildwood Restaurant

This glamtastic wedding should tide you over until tomorrow’s next dose of pretty.  Each shot from GH Kim Photography is a little perfect piece of art and the details are just out of this world.  I’ve always had a crush on shimmery metallic details mixed with rosy, feminine touches and these have my heart racing!  You can keep coming back to see more from this elegant and ethereal Portland wedding in the full gallery!

Click here for more inspiration in the full wedding gallery!

And what better way to end the day then with an adorable video from Shields Films packed with even more details from this day of love and timeless beauty!

Rodin and I met in Seattle, WA where we were both undergraduates.  Following graduation, we were separated by as many as 3,000 miles (him in Seattle, WA and me in New York, NY) due to work and graduate/professional school.  After three years of dating (and many frequent flier miles later!), Rodin flew in–I was in Washington, DC at the time–and proposed on my birthday and we began making plans to settle down in the beautiful city of Chicago, IL.  We considered a variety of options as to where to have our wedding but finally decided on having an intimate wedding in Portland, OR, my hometown, with family and close friends.  Guests flew in from all around the world, some from as far away as Hong Kong, to help us celebrate.  The big day went by incredibly fast–we laughed (a lot!), enjoyed the company of our wonderful family and friends, ate good food and danced late into the night.

Planning a wedding from over 2,000 miles away was not an easy task.  The first thing we decided on were our photographers, Grace and Hun Kim from GH Kim Photography.  We knew from our engagement shoot that these two were fun, excellent to work with and turned out stunning, candid shots.  From there (and with the help of SMP and wedding glossies!), everything fell into place.  We only planned two trips back to Portland, OR before our wedding so we had to make every trip count.  On our first trip back, we picked out all our venues, completed our taste-testing for our reception dinner and picked out the tuxes for the groomsmen.  On our second and final trip back, we were able to see our mock-up flowers, tables and lighting at the reception site and I was able to do some trial-runs for make-up and hair.  All of our vendors were extremely easy to work with and incredibly responsive to emails, which made planning a long-distance wedding so much easier.  I must have sent Jordan from Blüm dozens of photos of flower arrangements as a lot of our original ideas regarding the wedding details evolved over the course of our two-year engagement.  Furthermore, though initially uncertain, we decided later that we wanted a videographer to document everyone’s hard work.  We were so happy we hired Travis Shields from Shields Films–he captured our day so beautifully.  We had a falling-out with our original cake maker, but we were able to get the famous Papa Haydn to do our wedding cake on very short notice.  My parents had a blast stepping in for our second cake tasting!

Since we were so far away, my parents helped us start on some of the DIY projects for the wedding.  They went to the $0.99 sale at Aaron Brothers to help us look for frames for all the signs at the reception.  They also went to Michael’s to pick out wooden letters for our reception tables (my mom spray-painted them gold).  My mom is a wonderful artist and hand-wrote and embossed all the place cards and menus for the reception!  Once my husband and I flew in, we, along with some of our friends and family, helped complete and finalize the rest of the wedding details.  Both Rodin and I had such a wonderful time planning our wedding, and had an even better time on the big day!

Wedding Photography: GH Kim Photography / Cinematography: Travis Shields from Shields Films /
Florals: Blüm; Design in Flowers / Catering: Vibrant Table Catering and Events / Cake: Papa Haydn / DJ/Entertainment: Shawn Whittemore from Event Team Entertainment / Ceremony Venue: First Congregational Church / Reception Venue: Portland Art Museum / Invitations: Bella Figura / Shoes: Christian Louboutin / Dress:   Vera Wang / Hair: Mark Putnam from Evolution Hair Design / Make-Up: Jennifer Rand Walker from Face Body Beauty / Groom’s Tuxedo: Armani / Groom’s Shoes: Hugo Boss

Weddings on their own accord are reason enough to celebrate but add to that a festive holiday that brings a good dash of cheer and well…you have yourself one rockin’ holiday wedding. This awesome group of Portland vendors, headed up by Sara Gray who captured all of the lovely images and design and styling by Novia Events, proves that Christmas + Nuptials = a match made in Style Me Pretty Heaven. It’s a little bit vintage, a little bit Christmas and lots and lots of pretty. See it all here.

see more of the wintery vintage details here!

This was a collaboration between Portland, Oregon wedding vendors to create something with the magic of the holidays and a vintage twist. What came together is a great example of the creativity wedding vendors can create by working together and thinking outside the box.

Photography: Sara Gray / Venue: Hotel DeLuxe / Suit, Tie, Shirt & Cufflinks: Duchess / Gloves, Shoes, Earrings, Dresses: Charlotte’s Weddings / Flowers: Green in Bloom / Candy & Dessert Table: The Candy Buffet / Theme & Styling: Novia Events / Video: Bink Studios / Hair Pieces: Serephine / Hair & Make Up: Madeline Roosevelt of Madi Cosmetics / Hat: John Helmer Haberdasher Inc. / Cake: Jacivas / Invitations, Menu and Tables Cards: Invite Me / Rentals: The Party Place / English Classic Specialty Limousine Service: English Classic Limousine

It’s Wednesday, so that obviously means we here at Style Me Pretty have a day full of gorgeousness coming your way! And I can’t think of a better way to kick off such a fine day than this piece of preppy perfection by Jessica Hill Photography.  There is just something so right about an All American preppy wedding, particularly when said wedding involves a fabulous pair of Jimmy Choos, and handful of delicious details that just might make you jump for joy. For more of this gorgeous garden party be sure to check out the gallery.

click here to see the full wedding gallery

From the talented photographer, Jessica Hill... Kaley and Brent got married at the Waverly Country Club in Portland, Oregon. They are such a classy, sweet couple. Their preppy, all-American wedding was the ultimate garden party – complete with lunch on the green! Waverly Country Club was a dream location, their expansive, lush grounds and gorgeous architecture made for some really memorable, beautiful portraits of the couple, including some in a golf cart! Kaley and Brent kept their attire simple – classic black and white for the groom, white for the bride, with grey bridesmaids dresses and beautiful pink accents in the flowers and table accents. In lieu of favors, the couple donated to the Oregon Health & Science University Knight Cancer Institute, in memory of the groom’s mother.

Their reception featured an awesome scotch bar, as well as fat cigars for the guys, and some serious dance moves. Brent even surprised Kaley with fireworks at the end! TALK about a sweet moment. The couple were whisked away to their honeymoon in a sleek vintage Bentley. Their wedding was such a blast to document!

Although I am a little afraid to say it out loud for fear of jinxing it…I think that Spring has finally sprung! And to celebrate, I have the most happy, cheerful, completely adorable wedding shoot that is sure to put a big, fat spring in your step. Designed by Elizabeth Meehan and photographed by Sara Gray, this shoot is all charm. Too see the whole shebang, click here.

{click here to see the full shoot}

Location: Private residence / Photography: Sara Gray Photography / Coordination/styling: Elizabeth Meehan, Elizabeth Ann Events (Orange County and Portland, OR) / Flowers: Annie Chen, Floral Sunshine / Dessert (wedding cake and lemon cookies): Amber Darrington, Le Cookie Monkey / Invitations/menus: Shona Lepis, Eye Design Studio / Rentals: The Party Place, Portland, OR / Bridal gown: Coren Moore (provided by Elizabeth Dye at The English Dept) Groom’s boutonniere/brooch pin: Bumble Alley Boutique / Bride’s jewelry: Katy Kippen for Grayling / Jewelry / Wedding bands (featured in detail shots): John Rink / Hair and makeup: Jennifer Walker, Face Body Beauty / “Love” print: Made by Girl designs

Sent to us by Holly and Paul at Paul Rich Studios, this is a wedding that just goes to show you that letting your personality shine through on your wedding day is all it takes to make the day a whopping success!

Hawaiian inspiration … in Sandy, Oregon!

It never ceases to amaze me that once you know the ‘who, when, and where’ … the design, colors and style just seem to happen.

Love the leis for the guys…

Floral design was provided by Adria at Lavish.

from Adria … talk about having someone’s personality shine through in their event! This wedding was so fun to work on because Kristin was such a hoot – totally colorful personality. Her father is from Hawaii and she has spent a lot of time there, so they really wanted to bring some tropical elements into their day. We used lots of bright flowers and lush foliage, but we also wanted a modern feel so we went with clear square glass vases with submerged blooms and bamboo for the centerpieces.They also went with the traditional maile leis for the groom and his men as well as leis for the gals.

The story about the plane is great! The wedding was held at her parents home. A few months before the ceremony they had noticed a bright green crop duster circling the area, so on a whim they hopped in the car and spent about an hour following it around until it landed. Then they asked if the pilot would be willing to fly over the reception and drop petals! This is a gal who gets stuff done. I love it! Flowers we used: Flame callas, cymbidium, dendrobium and vanda orchids, Lotus pods, Tropical fern curls … Lots of fun foliage!

In Colin Cowie’s fabulous new book,  Wedding Chic, he says, “Today, we live in a world where the boundaries between cultures are blurred and it’s not unusual to find people of one group borrowing and blending the rituals and traditions of another. ..The very idea of borrowing resonates as an openness to exploring spiritual meaning.” The point being … whatever inspires you, whatever makes you smile … embrace it!

and from the bride, Kristin …

When Eric and I were thinking about what kind of wedding we wanted to have, we started by discussing all of our similar interests and what we thought would tell the story of our relationship. We both have a special connection and love for Hawaii. My father is from Hawaii and Eric spent a summer in Maui during college, learning how to surf and loving the island vibe. So, we decided to use elements from Hawaiian culture in our ceremony as well as in our music (ukulele player), flower choices, and decorations. It was really special to be able to have our wedding at my parents’ house because we wanted to create a close family feeling. Many of our friends and family were traveling from all over the country and we were able to have both the rehearsal dinner/southern bbq and our wedding at my family’s house. It truly brought people together in a comfortable beautiful atmosphere. The fireworks show my dad put on after the rehearsal dinner will never be forgotten! Our theme extended into wedding party attire as well. The groomsmen wore fidora hats, seaweed leis, Cuban wedding shirts, and flip flops and the bridesmaids carried tropical bouquets. I designed and made my jewlery and hairpiece as well as the jewelery for the bridesmaids. It was really fun having the fidora hats for the boys, the boys sort of took on new personalities with them on! Probably the most important thing to us was the music for the reception. After trips to Jazzfest, we fell in love with New Orleans culture and music, so we were honored to have The Devin Phillips Band play the wedding. Devin is a Portland transplant who moved here after Katrina. The band was awesome, mellow jazz for dinner and New Orleans funk for dancing afterwards. I didn’t know that some of my relatives could move like that! We chose Al Green’s “Let’s Stay Together” as our first dance and I felt like I was floating on air when Eric swung me around at the end of the dance!

Thanks so much to Adria, Kristin & Eric, and of course the very talented Holly & Paul for sharing these photos and stories!

Holly Andres and Paul Rich are yet another of Style Me Pretty’s fabulous Little Black Book husband & wife photography teams! Check out their website and blog for more of their fantastic work!

And their brand new line of absolutely gorgeous wedding accoutrements, like this FAB silk wrap. The flower is actually a brooch, so you can pin it wherever you like. Christine, the designer behind the collection, hand crafts all of her wares…from the lovely birdcage veils to the hand tied pearl necklaces, with each piece being more beautiful than the next!

You all pretty much know how and why we at Style Me Pretty do what we do … and when we started the Little Black Book (of Very Important Vendors) we hoped we were furthering our cause.  So, when we saw today’s featured wedding from Paul Rich, and we read the bride’s story, we knew we had hit a home run! It’s the kind of story that makes us feel so proud of what we do!

Kylene (today’s bride) wrote … We are so excited!!  I have been a long time reader of Style Me Pretty, long before I was even engaged.  The style and inspiration I found on the site matched so closely with my dream day.  The Little Black Book feature was also such a help as I trusted the recommendations I found there, saving me tons of time and energy. I am absolutely thrilled to share our wedding with other Style Me Pretty readers!

The wedding…..Literally within a week of getting engaged, my groom and I had excitedly finalized many of the important wedding decisions including the location, the day, and the caterer.  It was easy, as we both knew exactly what the day was about—celebrating with our family and friends.  We wanted the day to feel inviting and relaxed, and most importantly wanted our guests to truly enjoy themselves.  In a sense we wanted them to feel like they were at a big, fancy picnic!  It also helped that I’m a bit of a wedding blog fanatic and have been reading blogs and magazines for years just waiting for my day!

It was so easy to picture our perfect wedding day thanks to so many of the inspiration boards and real weddings I had been swooning over on wedding blogs like Style Me Pretty.  We chose Kruger’s Farm, a small farm we adore, for both the ceremony and reception as Jacob and I had spent many afternoons there picking berries, taking hay rides, and strolling through pumpkin patches.  The farm provided all the elements we were looking for: a quaint farm house to spend the morning in, a century old oak tree to have the ceremony under, flower fields and berry patches for guests to wander through, and a large field to accommodate our lawn games.

We wanted our wedding to be very personal and meaningful and planned and arranged the majority of the elements ourselves.  My mother, who passed away 5 years ago from breast cancer, was an amazingly talented and whimsical decorator and florist.  As a child I spent my days in her flower shop making bouquets out of dried up flowers from the floor so it was very important to me to design and make many of the details myself.  I designed and printed all the invitations and paper products; created little details like cocktail flags and a personalized coloring book for the kids; used vintage table cloths for the tables and a collection of new and antique dessert platters for the dessert bar which had mini cupcakes, tarts, and cakes; and sewed a floral backdrop for our Polaroid guest book and personalized labels into all the wedding attire.  With the help of several important women in my life, we also made all the floral arrangements and bouquets with flowers ordered online and hydrangeas and roses from my grandmother’s garden.  The whole affair was a true labor of love as I found meaningful ways to incorporate my mom’s spirit in our day.  I also wore earrings and a bracelet from her vintage jewelry collection and shared several other pieces with my aunts and grandmother.  Attached to my bouquet was a locket with her picture.  Many of our guests remarked at how the wedding celebration was “so us,” exactly what Jacob and I had hoped for.

Most importantly, our wedding day did end up being so much fun!  My bridesmaids and I arrived on a tractor driven by Farmer Don, the farm owner, and the over 20 children had a hay ride after the ceremony and then their own play area.  Our adult guests enjoyed cocktails on the lawn while playing croquet, bocce ball, horseshoes and cornhole.  It was a blast to see people actually playing on the lawn!  Our friend’s soul/R&B/funk band, Excellent Gentlemen , also played late in the night.  There wasn’t one detail I’d change!

Our guests were able to enjoy many of the farm’s specialties including boysenberry jam favors, homemade farm salad dressing and honey in their out of town gift bags, and blueberries to pick right off the vine as they walked from the old oak tree to the field for the celebration.  To carry on the picnic theme, and celebrate my Texas upbringing, we feasted on cedar plank salmon grilled on site, BBQ brisket, potato salad, and a slew of other picnic worthy treats from Vibrant Table Catering and Events .  It was delicious!

And this is the part of Kylene’s story that we loved …

When it came time to select our photographer I instantly turned to the Little Black Book on the Style Me Pretty site.  From months of reading the blog, I knew that SMP fit my wedding style.  It was such a helpful way to narrow down my choices.  I called up Paul Rich Studio and quickly had a meeting with Paul and Holly.  The Little Black Book was spot on!  In fact, I signed a contract with Paul Rich right then, before meeting with anyone else, as I knew it was a perfect match.  Paul and Holly Rich were so warm and personal but also extremely professional.  They understood the personal elements of my wedding and ensured me they would capture every detail.  They also work as a team and could offer double the coverage.  I am so impressed with how their photos captured the feel of our day.  They’re dreamy in my opinion!  Thank you Little Black Book!

Thanks Kylene & Jacob … and Paul and Holly! For us, this is what it’s all about !!

PS: Just a quick postscript to the details that Kylene shared with us today. The wedding location, Kruger’s Farm & Market is located on Sauvie Island, 12 miles from downtown Portland at the confluence of the Willamette and Columbia Rivers. It is owned by “Farmer Don” who writes: I own and operate an eighty acre farm … visit my farm and you’ll find a busy farm store, u-pick berries, u-cut flowers {you can cut your own wedding flowers!} concerts, weddings, birthday parties and a wonderful pastoral place to dream away a summer day.

We also noticed that right now Kruger’s has farm-raised Christmas trees, baskets, jams and jellies and 20% off everything in their store! Wish we lived near Portland!!

As I was working on our Portland Little Black Book, I stumbled across the most adorable cake company that I have seen in a while…Bakery Bar. Aside from their ridiculously cute holiday cakes, they also have some gorgeous wedding designs…

Ummm…how great are these? The bird’s nest is my favorite, though for a winter wedding, those snow men are just about as good as it gets. Love these!