Aisle Style: The Altura Studio Blog » Inspiration for Pacific Northwest brides by Altura Studio

It’s always an honor for us when our work is featured on a blog we love. Today our photos from Scott and Zoe’s super sweet and pretty wedding are the Little Black Book blog.  Here’s the link to their feature. They really appreciate comments at the Style Me Pretty blog site, so please tell us what you think.

I saw Lindsay’s wedding invitations at the Art of Weddings two weeks ago. Even though I didn’t have the chance to meet her in person that night, her work practically grabbed me by the arm, blew in my ear and whispered, “hey, aren’t I beautiful?”

And how.

In my former life, I worked for a design agency. And there I learned that great design is nearly impossible to describe, but you know it when you see it. Especially with typography. Which is basically the centerpiece of your invitation. So when someone is great typographer, they are someone you want for your invites.

And another thing:

Since she’s just getting started, Lindsay is silly affordable. When I asked her about what her average client spends, she quoted $500-$1000. And I know that at the higher range she is designing the entire suite of paper goods: save the date, invite, programs, escort cards, etc.

I posted a some pics of my favorites, keep in mind is all her work is completely custom. You’re not going to be limited to something from a book. She will consult with you, discover your likes and dislikes and create fantastic invites that communicate to your wedding guests the tone of your celebration.

See her lovely work at Paper Bloom Studio.

PS, I love her work so much, that I’ve commissioned Lindsay to help us improve our packaging. I’ll post photos when she’s done.

Prior to seeing this with my own eyes, I wouldn’t have guessed that royal blue would work well with orange. Not even a little bit. Nor would I have thought that royal blue would seem well-suited for as rustic a setting as Timberline Lodge. Who knew? This blue is fantastic and looks good on every girl, both tall and tiny, fair or dark. The orange is a punchy counterpoint that can hold it’s own with the bright blue. The guys boutineers were composed of a single calla lily. And in contrast to all that color, the bride’s bouquet was  made of gorgeous creamy colored old fashioned roses banded with a collar of chartreuse hydrangeas. The whole thing is a striking jolt of color in an otherwise neutral, though spectacular setting. Blum was the artist responsible for these lovely floral designs.

I’ve shared before how much our clients have loved their Timberline Lodge weddings. Besides the setting, which is eye-poppingly and soul-stirringly beautiful, it’s straightforward and simple to plan a wedding at Timberline Lodge. Their event people are nice, helpful and full of creative options. And since so much is included, you won’t find your head spinning from having to sort through a million different options. Is Timberline Lodge the perfect wedding spot for you?

The very lovely Marisa, who we photographed in July recently asked me to send some photos of her in her gown to her dress shop, Charlotte’s. When I quizzed her about why, she told me that Charlotte’s was writing a little feature on their blog about her experience. Because she had such a positive experience with Charlotte’s, I thought I’d share the love and pass along her raves here. The dress she chose was from Casa Blanca 1831.  And her bridesmaids dresses were 2Be Social by Nathan Taylor.

In Marisa’s words:

My experience at Charlotte’s:  Fantastic – Calming – Wonderful
After our wedding, I sent Charlotte’s a little thank you note of appreciation.  My whole experience at the store was nearly perfect. My mother and I had been all over Portland at different wedding dress salons and ‘shops’ and were disappointed.  When we arrived at Charlotte’s, it was pretty magical. We walked through the front door and there were chocolate covered strawberry’s (weekends only I think).  Then, there was Oneida who immediately greeted us at the door with a smile (this was not something the other salons did).  She then introduced us to the lovely Lauren who took such great care of us.  After describing to Lauren what type of dress I had in mind, she came back with two dresses and the second dress was the one that I ended up purchasing that same day!  Additionally, Lauren actually sketched (yes, a really nice drawing) of the alterations that I wanted. Her find was particularly miraculous because most of the wedding dresses this past season were all strapless.  I was worried that I would not be able to find a dress with straps.  Lauren is a genius because her measurements were nearly perfect. This transitions into my wonderful experience with seamstress extraordinaire Lorraine.  She took such good care of me, not only for my wedding dress alterations (which were minor thanks to Lauren’s precise measurements) but also with my bridesmaids dresses.

What I liked most about working with Charlotte’s:   The staff are courteous and thoughtful
Everyone at Charlotte’s made me feel like my time was valuable.  Even when they were going through a re-model, they made sure that my appointments with Lorraine would not be impacted.  The staff always called and emailed me to tell me the status of my wedding and bridesmaids dresses.  They made me feel like I was a valuable customer.  Honestly, Charlotte’s is like the Nordstrom’s of Wedding Dress Salons. Plus, the owner Krysta McLaughlin is the sweetest person and the way she interacts with her staff is awesome.  I felt really good about supporting a local, small, female-owned, Northwest business.

I love when we can pass along the details of a wonderful experience. If any one else out there has a positive experience with a wedding vendor they would like to share, let’s collaborate on a love letter to them.

Oh, and here’s the 411 on Charlotte’s:

8925 SW Beaverton Hillsdale Hwy
Portland OR 97225
Phone: (503) 297-9622 Contact

When you see something you LOVE, sometimes it’s impossible to explain why. Maybe it’s the style, or the color, or the….. well, whatever it is, it’s just right. Perfect really. Kim at Geranium Lake Flowers manages to hit that mark all the time. Which is even more of a feat, considering that some of her clients are wild and some mild. Kim’s event designs are like a really awesome Pandora station. Oodles of variety, unique, and perfect for the tone of the celebration.

This was our first chance to shoot a big event at the relatively new Leftbank Annex. With a woodland theme in mind, Kim transformed the open space for a Elliot’s Bar Mitzvah celebration. Kim deftly split the space: scrumptious blue and chocolate decor on the adult side. On the other, a groovy space for youngsters complete with faux blackjack tables.

In the gallery below, you’ll find all the lovely details from this gorgeous event. I hear that Kim will appear on “The Today Show” sometime in July. Do you think she’ll remember us when she’s famous? Well done Kim!

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On what other day in your life are you going to look totally incredible?  Sometimes I wish I could have a second wedding day just so that I can have another crack at hair and makeup. Ashley chose stylist Nicole Wagner to perfect her look for her May 1 wedding to Nick. I love the way that Ashley looks completely stunning, yet totally like herself. She looks so beautiful, but not overly fussed or stiff. And besides being an obviously talented professional, Nicole’s demeanor was just what you’d want on wedding day: easy, fun, thorough and quick.

Visit Nicole Wagner’s website here. (I was beside myself on the “before and after” page, see for yourself!)  Bravo, Nicole.

Last weekend, we presented at the Bravo Bridal Event, a little wedding show. The way Bravo designs the show is by assigning a florist and planner to create a theme and decor for each room. We were lucky enough to be assigned a room with Adria Sparhawk, the lovely talent behind Lavish Flora. While I had seen her work before, I hadn’t meet Adria in person, and was glad to finally do so. Our room’s theme was Vintage Spring, beautifully executed in a sweet and pretty butter yellow, red and white.

Lavish created the floral designs for Roger and Lynn’s lovely wedding last summer.

If you’re looking for a florist with a unique eye, loads of creativity and tons of personal attention, check out lavishflora.com.

I didn’t learn until just now that Heidi’s lovely dress was a Jenny Yoo from The English Dept, where you’ll also find local designer Elizabeth Dye. We photographed Trevor and Heidi’s sweet summer wedding at Bridal Veil Lakes last summer. When Heidi described her dress, it certainly sounded lovely. But when she stepped out of her dressing room, we could see that it was something very special. Creamy, feminine, sophisticated and very, very beautiful.

If you’re looking at wedding gowns, check out Elizabeth Dye and her jewelbox of a shop. Also, you might look into her upcoming event. The following is from her website.

This is a perfect palette for a late summer or early fall wedding. This couple, Ann & Brad, married on a warm October afternoon at the Viewpoint Inn in the gorge. While Portland’s weather in June and July can be unpredictable, late summer and fall are often the most consistently beautiful days of the entire year. If I wanted to marry outdoors, I would definitely plan an early fall celebration.

Since both Ann and Brad are graphic designers, they were probably better than most of us at using color creatively. The flowers they chose were especially fantastic. Check out the big pic of Brad’s boutonniere. It is a combination of chocolate cosmos, rosemary and, (I think) that is an oak leaf backing it all up. The colors compliment his tie and the whole thing looks manly and distinctive. Ann’s bouquet is an eye-popper, too. From the pics, it seems like her bouquet is composed of samon-color roses, dark red and yellow dahlias, more of the wonderful chocolate cosmos, and I think I spy some sunset colored callas in there too.

The geniuses at Blum created these flowers. You wouldn’t go wrong requesting something similar for your late summer wedding.

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.