Oh, what a pretty wedding this was. The smart Northwest bride knows that the only sure thing about Portland’s springtime weather is that it is unpredictable. Consequently, Ashley’s plans for her wedding to Nick included all the major festivities to take place indoors. The Crown Ballroom is such a rich and luscious place, a wonderful spot to be on a breezy first day of May. Lucky for us, though, was that the afternoon cleared enough for portraits outdoors in the park blocks. Since this couple’s wedding date coincided with a May Day, we all shared a laugh when our primary portrait location was the scene of a pro-labor rally. No problem for this wedding party though, since all the park blocks are equally pretty.
All the beautiful details for this wonderful day were carefully planned by Ashley with a little help from Molli Barss at Soiree. The most memorable detail for me was Ashley’s gorgeous bridal bouquet made of vintage brooches. Besides being beyond fabulous, they suited a bride who is allergic to flowers. In fact, the florist, Lillypilly, created all kinds of lush, textured beautiful flower decor with nary blossom in sight. And in a twist on tradition, Ashley and Nick choose small individual cakes for every guest. What a sweet little treat.
Congratulations to you both, Nick and Ashley. Thank you for having us along on your sweet and lovely wedding day. Visit this link to see a selection of our wedding favorites.
UPDATE JUNE 1, 2010. Ashley and Nick’s wedding gallery is now available. Visit this link to see the photos from their lovely wedding day.
One of the interesting things about this wedding at the Viewpoint Inn was how wonderfully beautiful yet uncontrived it was. While some couples use a color scheme as a starting point and then choose flowers, decor and perhaps even clothing based on that decision, I had the feeling that Roger and Lynn were guided by simply chosing what they loved. Rather than strictly “matching”, the flowers, decor, cake and setting were all unified by being standout beautiful. The flower arrangements were mostly green and white with a tiny hint of pale pink. The junior bridesmaids wore vivid salmon, the cake was decked with pale pink, light green and chocolate brown. The the limpid green of the rolling lawns and the soft setting sunlight played a unifying role–bringing all those gorgeous colors together.
So remember Lynn and Roger if you’re deciding on wedding details. You can’t go wrong if it makes you happy.
April 28, 2009 Posted in cakes
Ordinary wedding blogs would write a well-worn paragraph here about the symbolism of wedding cake…fertility, contentment, sweetness, blah blah blah. Not me. I’ll simply tell you how much I LOVE cake. I’d gladly skip a meal just to have a big ol’ slice. And yes, I sneak a piece at every wedding we shoot. By the time the cake is served, we’ve shot about 2000 frames and frankly, we need the sugar rush.
A beautiful cake sets a great tone for the wedding celebration. Guests, especially the littlest ones, feel a happy anticipation about dessert. And often, the cake becomes the focal point as fathers, brothers, best men and others share their toasts and well-wishes for the couple.
Here’s a few of my favorites from 2008. The main pic, however, is my favorite cake of all time.
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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.
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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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.
We met Allison Kelleher on Sunday at event attended by some wedding industry folks. I tell you, there are two words I’m mesmerized by. One is “shoes” and the other is “cupcakes”. She introduced herself as “Cupcake Mama” and with that, she had my full attention.
I’ve had her yummies at a wedding and feel fully qualified to rave. If I was having a wedding or a party, I can see the advantage of having cupcakes instead of the big cake. Everyone can have the flavor (or color) they want, it’s a decent serving size (if you hold only one at a time, no-one can tell that you’ve already eaten 4 others….) and easier to serve and clean up.
Check out her website, or give her a ring at 503.287.7792
I’m still swooning from the decor at this wedding. It’s definitely the prettiest set up I’ve ever seen at the Oregon Golf Club. Here’s some of the details straight from Amanda’s mom, who oversaw the details of this lovely event.
First, they replaced the black rear wall pipe and drape with white drape and an overlay of sheer organza. Small pink uplights gave the organza a barely-there tint that made everything (and everyone) in the room look stunning. Swan Island Dahlias did a magnificent job with the flowers. I heard that over 7000 peonies went in to this scrumptious look. The centerpieces, composed solely of peonies, were a simple contrast to the tall arrangements, which looked like they had roses, gladiola, stock and other yummy stuff in addition to peonies and candles.
Here’s a secret about cakes: Lamb’s Thriftway. Don’t tell anyone. It’s the insider secret to save you a bit on your reception. They can make just about any style of cake you can dream up. They can do sleek and modern, bright and vivid, polly-esque and cheeky, and of course, lush and traditional. And will probably cost you a third of what the top drawer wedding bakeries charge.
Other details that made this party pretty: silver chargers under white plates, white chair covers fastened with a single peony blossom, twinkle lights to set the mood, votives sprinkled on the table tops, and small bouquets of flowers as curtain tie-backs on the tent walls. Maybe you’ll think pink for your reception?
