When months of rain and grey skies make me blue, I like to look back on this sunny wedding in Cannon Beach. Joe and Robin got hitched on a perfect, blue summer afternoon. Their florist constructed a simple bamboo canopy, decorated on each corner with a cluster of orchids, white roses, hypericum berries, grasses and a few other things I don’t know the names for. Robin’s bouquet, which still ranks as the prettiest I’ve ever seen, was mostly green orchids and white roses. Satin ribbons in shades of green and white accented all the floral decor.
The menswear in this wedding was particularly handsome and weather appropriate. The guys were reasonably cool in their khaki cotton suits, and I am certain the flip flops were a hit with both the men and the women. (By the end of the ceremony, I think I was carrying about 3 pounds of sand in each of my shoes.)
The cake was decorated with calla lillies and sprays of beach grass. The shape was unusual in that consisted of alternating square and round layers. Besides being yummy, it was elegant and lovely. Perhaps there’s an idea or two for you here is you’re planning a beach wedding in Oregon.
If I was getting married this summer (and I was worried about my budget) I would have a wedding just like the one pictured here. What I appreciated about this wedding was that it was both simple and elegant. It downplayed the formalities and instead emphasized the conviviality of the celebration.
Jennifer’s dress and flowers were clean-lined without being stark or spare. Her bouquet was a simple construction of lillies, gathered with plain satin ribbon. The flowing ends of her halter-style gown ties gave just a hint of a train. At the last minute, she decided to tuck two simple orchids into her loose updo, which I think was the perfect touch. The groom wore a yummy blue chalk striped suit. I think his suit /tie combo said “stylish” as much as it said “getting married”.
Shortly after arriving, the guests gathered in a lower meadow for a short ceremony. Since nature’s decor is pretty darn spectacular, the only set up required for the ceremony was about 50 white resin chairs for the guests. As the sun was setting, the wedding party and guests strolled up to the larger medow for wine under the trees, followed by a wonderful family style meal beside the lake. The caterer set up the meal on one long table, making the evening friendly and conversational.
Perhaps you’d like a simple lakeside dinner as your wedding celebration?
You would never know from looking at these photos that is was acually 105 degrees on Brian and Stephanie’s wedding day at the Waverly Golf Club. Everyone looks so fresh and unwilted. It’s a darn good thing there are not any pics of John and I, since we were both looking seriously wilted. The color scheme here, which is so soft and pretty, but not too girly, is based on the wonderful purpley-blue of summer hydrandeas. Besides being completely sturdy in the heat, these particular blossoms plays nicely with other colors, including acid green, pink, soft blue and true lavender. (Here’s a whoo-hoo to Geranium Lake Flowers for the pretty flowers)
Steph’s maids wore simple knee length black dresses (wouldn’t a girlfriend appreciate that!) and the guys were outfitted in basic dark suits. It was classy, stylish, personal and sharp without being too tux-ey or too matchy.
Check out the great colors from this September wedding in Portland. All the warm colors were there: red, orange, yellow, tangerine. It was like all of summer’s vibrant palette in one big dose of fabulosity. The venue was the Sculpture Garden at the Portland Art Museum. We’ve shot events there before, but never had we seen the area tented off in such a cool manner. EJP events and The Prop Shop collaborated on this decor, including this billowing entryway, which effectively screened the celebrations from the street. Just inside the entrance is the area where the ceremony took place and then later was transformed into an outdoor cocktail lounge with ottomans, tables and outdoor heaters. Geranium Lake Flowers created the floral decor. That fantastic cake was from the now-defunct Joseph’s Dessert Company.
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Today I take a break from my budget wedding posts and have a little fun with pure color. Here’s a great example where a single color, acid green, unified elements of Malia and Daniel’s summer wedding. Geranium Lake Flowers did a wonderful job of translating Malia’s taste into a gorgeous floral arrangements and bouquets. All of the non-floral elements were hand made by Malia herself. (She’s a freelance graphic designer.) At the venue, Molly’s Loft on SE Belmont, they created a great mood with drapes and swags of irridescent green. Check out the smaller cake pic to see the cool display idea: along with it’s own canopy, the cake was elevated on glass over a layer of green apples.
I’m on a bit of a roll lately. Everyday I hear more dire talk about the economy. In response, I’m continuing my campaign to showcase delightfully simple weddings. In the end, it only matters that you are married and have one another for life. Flowers, dresses and cakes are lovely for sure, and they go a long way to creating a fine celebration. However, you should never let financial circumstances keep you from joining lives with the one person you truly love.
These photos are from an early spring wedding a few seasons back at the ViewPoint Inn. As you can see, the guest list was small and the framework was simple. When the time felt right, the couple and their assembled guests wandered to a shady spot on the lawn and gathered ’round for a very short ceremony. There was much laughter and celebrating during the meal (lunch, I think) that followed.
If your finances are constrained, consider what effect the time of day can play on stretching your budget. You can host a lavish lunch or brunch for a much smaller cost than you would pay for dinner and cocktails. And while a bit of wine or champagne is surely enjoyed during a mid day celebration, the bar bill will be a fraction of cost of a typical evening fete.
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Here’s a second post on the financial aspects of planning your wedding. I’m a big advocate of the idea that there are scads of inexpensive ways to have a stylish and meaningful wedding. Consider Jennifer and Eric. Shortly before their wedding, they were able to purchase a wonderful home. Although it was a huge amount of work to finish renovations AND prepare for the wedding, they rolled it all into one grand effort. The end result was a sweet wedding in the backyard. Jennifer carried a simple hydrangea bouquet in pale pink and cream, while her b-maids carried bouquets in one shade of pale cream. The florist, Kevin Inouye, decorated the yard with hanging baskets of hydrangeas, gerberas and lilies, and edged the deck with pots of living plants in various shades of pink and white.
Of course, you’ll have to consider a few things. Do you have enough room for everyone to arrive, mingle, and eventually sit? Or do you want to do something even more informal by having everyone merely “gather round”, or is this too hard on elderly guests? You need to figure the cost of rentals: chairs, maybe an aisle runner or a chuppa. But these costs are often puny in relation to church fees to venue rentals.
Then consider whether your home is a good spot for a reception. Some couples discover that their home is perfect for the ceremony, then a nearby restaurant is ideal for the reception to follow. Given the economy, I’ll bet it is a terrific time to collaborate with restaurants on an economical menu.
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Who isn’t thinking about their finances right now? It seems that nearly everyone is ready to reconsider how they spend their money. Especially if you’re getting married. For the last several years it seems like a big, blowout wedding was something most every couple felt entitled to. But I wonder if maybe that’s changing?
The good news is that a stylish, meaningful, wonderful wedding does not have to be expensive. I revisited our archive for images from this wedding at the Coast, which I recall as a fabulous, simple and stylish and completely reasonable wedding.
Since the couple’s entire family was travelling to Oregon for the wedding, the couple rented out all the rooms at Coast Cabins, which also allowed them to have a lovely intimate venue in the garden. The couple tented the small parking lot, making sit-down space for about 75 guests. Now, I don’t know if Coast Cabins still makes their property available for weddings, but it does illustrate how many untraditional venues you could consider. Boy Scout Lodge? Summer camp? Lake House? Roller rink? Stable? Farm?
Their altar was a willow arch, simply adorned with a ribbon and a few choice blossoms. The bride carried a hand-tied bunch of callas and dahlias. The centerpieces were simple seasonal dahlias in a range of pinks, oranges and reds in a collection of ceramic containers. The guest favors were ordinary chocolate bars, dolled up in a personalized wrapper. The “cake” was a big batch of tiny cupcakes on a simple tiered base. Everything was beautiful, simple, meaningful and absolutely not too expensive. I can’t think of anything more romantic than setting a reasonable budget with your spouse-to-be, then coming up with creative ways to stay within it.
Josh getting ready with his groomsmen before the wedding.
Both of the professional organizations we belong to conduct quarterly contests. Sometimes we enter, sometimes we don’t. It can be a challenge to look back on the season as ask yourself: “What images are our best?” and also “What images will win a contest?” Sometimes those are two completely different things. When we pick our contest entries, we can feel cynical about what kinds of photos seem to always win. But this time, as we compiled our choices, we tried to evaluate them based on both of these criteria. So here’s our choices for a recent contest. Let’s see how we do.
It’s no secret that the local scene of wedding photographers is a friendly and helpful one. Several Portland photogs, like us, belong to local chapters of professional organizations such as WPJA or ISPWP. Others of us just get together regularly to shoot the breeze or have a brew or two. It is these friendly connections that made this terrific joint project possible. 23 independant photographers have all agreed to contribute to this collective blog so that Portland area brides and grooms would have an easier way of learning about several local photographers at once. Each studio will post one image per week is representative of our style. Besides being a convenient way of seeing the work of several studios in one place, you can feel confidant that all the photographers there are of the finest caliber and have the full support of their colleages. Check it out and see what you think.
