JOURNAL

Shauna Karver 1/10/20 Shauna Karver 1/10/20

Elegant Black Tie Northern California Wedding | The Historic Benbow Inn

On a perfect fall October day, the clouds parted and the rain stopped, making way for a sunny and elegant wedding along the Eel River at The Historic Benbow Inn. Guests traveled to Northern California for a classic, yet modern, white on white affair to celebrate the marriage of Cortney and Michael.

Cortney and Michael. These two are the real deal. They met while attending Humboldt State University, and had an instant spark on their first date when they dined on artisan pizza and fine wine (as college students). They are deeply rooted in their faith, are extremely close to their family and friends, share a love of travel, and enjoy helping others and giving back. On paper they sound incredible but then you meet these super models, and feel their warmth; they are such good people with huge hearts - they far exceed anything on paper. It’s easy to see why so many people made the journey to the middle of NOWHERE for a weekend of fun in Northern California. It was our honor to help them bring their vision to life and to work alongside them and their lovely families on their special day.

Clad in dapper black tuxedos by The Black Tux, Michael and his FOURTEEN groomsmen (many were also former athletes at HSU) looked almost as good as Bronson, their bulldog. A true case of “who wore it better?”

Can you handle the cuteness? Bronson, you’re such a stud and you definitely set the bar high for all other wedding dogs.

“White on white on white.” This is how Cortney described her wedding vision last year when we first started chatting. The Benbow Inn provided the perfect backdrop for their stunning white on white color palette. Bridesmaids wore gorgeous Katie May off the shoulder floor length gowns while Cortney wore the most incredible Pronovias bridal gown. All white bouquets by Flora Organica Designs completed their elegant bridal look.

Before attending the wedding ceremony, guests were treated to a “pre-ceremony mingle” on the lawn adjacent to the ceremony. Escort cards affixed to each champagne glass directed guests to their seats for the wedding reception.

Flora Organica Designs built a subtle arc of pampas grass, white hydrangeas, white roses, and lush greens to frame the ceremony space and altar. The back of the aisle was flanked with similar pieces - all of these florals were later repurposed for the reception.

Have you ever seen a more beautiful couple? #NewlywedGoals

The James Zeller Trio band serenaded guests during cocktail hour with a variety of jazz and Americana tunes.

The Historic Benbow Inn has a spacious terrace overlooking the lawn and The Eel River. The white exterior and detailed Tudor design set the backdrop for their white on white wedding vision. Minimal and clean, the settings were refined, with a very modern table number that blended well with their overall style.

The most adorable sweetheart setup overlooking all of their guests with the sunset and river behind them. It was gorgeous.

After cutting their cake, guests transitioned indoors where we were all delighted to an endearing first dance by the newlyweds. Cortney’s glamorous gown was made for twirling; they looked like movie stars. Guests immediately got their dance game on and the party was hoppin’ thanks to the Accurate Productions team.

Before it got too late, guests joined Cortney and Michael along the rivers’ edge for their sparkler “send off.” Ken and Nicole of CKC Image captured the day perfectly but really flexed their muscles with these jaw dropping starry night shots.

Cortney and Michael’s wedding day was perfection on all levels. Cheers to you two! Thank you for letting us witness your love.

Vendor team:

Photography: CKC Image

Videography: Christie Seaverns

Venue: The Benbow Historic Inn

Florist: Flora Organica Designs

Hair: The Linden & Company Salon & Spa

Makeup: Two Beauties

Dress: Pronovias

Bridesmaid Dresses: Katie May

Groom/groomsmen Tuxes: The Black Tux

Band: The James Zeller Trio

DJ: Accurate Productions Inc.

Linens: La Tavola Fine Linens

Cake: Ramones Bakery & Cafe

Officiant: Matt Messner

Table Numbers: Minted

Shauna Karver 12/8/19 Shauna Karver 12/8/19

Southern Oregon Coast Destination Elopement | Brookings, OR

When you have a shared love for adventure, planning an adventure-themed destination elopement is the perfect way to start married life. Before journeying to Oregon for their destination mini wedding, Amanda and Steve started their relationship over a mutual passion for hiking and climbing. Shortly after they started dating, they planned a summer road trip to the Pacific Northwest…. fast forward 6 years and they would make the same journey from Utah to Oregon to be married!

Southern Oregon Coast Destination Elopement 1

Our incredible photographer Sam Starns is known for adventure and elopement photography but she should also be known as a mini tour guide as she has a slew of incredible locations up her sleeve…complete with fun nature facts for each location. When she suggested this stunning ceremony site in Brookings, Oregon, we immediately trusted her guidance and jumped at the opportunity to plan their day on the southern Oregon coast. She failed to let me know that this “easy” walk in from the parking lot was anything but easy. HA! I was the only one without hiking boots making the trek down a very steep trail from the parking lot to the beach. A killer quad workout was well worth it for this breathtaking view. Sadly, Sam didn’t capture any shots of me hiking this trail in my always trusty booties.

Amanda and Steve couldn’t have dreamt a better day to be married on the Southern Oregon coast. The weather was PERFECT (as I had promised them it would be) and almost too, dare I say, hot? It seems crazy to even say that but the sun shone bright and strong that early October day. It was in the mid-70’s with clear blue skies. We watched a whale swim up the coast as we set up their reception dinner, catching it spout several times just off shore.

Their intimate wedding overlooked the ocean as the sun set. Officiant Blu with Your Humboldt Officiant, designed the most beautiful ceremony for them, rich with meaningful passages that spoke deep to their relationship. Family overlooked and surprised them with bubbles after they said “I do.”

Post ceremony, Sam took them down to the beach for some adventurous sunset photos. Always up for an adventure, Amanda and Steve planned ahead by packing extra shoes so they could brave the water and scale their way up and down to the beach below. Her dress was filthy but these shots are priceless.

We started their elopement planning process with a pretty blank canvas. Sam Starns and Brookings, Oregon for 15-18 people. Okay, easy…. except that Brookings doesn’t have a ton of local options for wedding vendors or at least vendors that are easy to source. Not a problem, just a little challenge but one that wouldn’t stop us from putting together an epic styled elopement or mini wedding.

While hunting for possible post-ceremony dinner locations, we always search through traditional venues as well as private residences’/vrbo. One of the homes that we selected as a possible option is owned by Crook Point Vacations. The perfectly designed cottage (the interior screams amazing design) sits on the edge of the ocean and has views that stop you dead in your tracks. The Crook Point owners went out of their way to accommodate our special requests and to help bring our vision to life. We brought in tables, chairs, linens, and all tableware. Crook Point set up string lighting overhead and allowed us to bring in some heaters for what would surely be a chilly October evening.

Our vendor team really brought our (collective) vision to life. We worked closely with Flora Organica Designs to develop a jewel toned color palette that would blend well together. La Tavola velvet mustard napkins popped against the navy base linen and rose gold flatware. To set the mood, we used a combination of hurricane candles and rose gold votives that were scattered between lush floral centerpieces abundant with dahlias - Amanda’s favorite.

Guests dined under the stars to an exquisite meal by Black Trumpet Bistro (based out of Brookings). Steve’s parents picked out various PNW wines that paired perfectly with each course. Following dinner, they were treated to a delicious red velvet mini wedding cake and hot air balloon cookies (a nod to Steve’s proposal) courtesy of Verbena Cakes.