Dear Summer, I miss you. I can’t wait to you come back to Portland. I’ll be waiting in the park with my flip flops and hibachi.
Now, on to the colors. When I first saw this combination from a July wedding last season, I thought to myself, “do those really go together?” I’m accustomed to seeing rich lavender paired with pink, green or other mild colors. But here is purple, lavender and cornflower side by side with bright orange. What makes this work however, is the rich colors of the b-maids dresses and the vibrant color of the grass and trees. If either had been softer, I think the color combo would have been overwhelming. What do you think?
In my last post, I wrote about simplifying your colors for impact. Here’s an example that goes the opposite direction. For this autumn wedding at Garden Vineyards, rich, shaded complimentary colors are used in a range of tones. I think the overall effect is layered and lush. It looks as though the entire event is painted with a Old Master’s pallette: ruby rests next to clear red while navy, periwinkle and purple provide a rich nest of color. As I recall, the always-wonderful Geranium Lake Flowers was responsible for the decor at this October wedding. One of my favorite details is the leaf motif which could be found on the invitations, the program and finally that gorgeous wedding cake.
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.
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.
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, Loft on Belmont, they created a great mood with drapes and swags of iridescent 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.
