JOURNAL
Tradition Meets Modern | Catholic Castaway Wedding
We received the kindest words from the bride:
I absolutely loved everything about our wedding, but it was pretty standard haha! Since I have zero craft skills, one of my sisters designed made the stationary, another sister made our seating chart and everything else was collaborated by the amazing vendors. I feel very fortunate that all of the vendors I chose were so flexible, great communicators, and easy to work with.
Read below to hear more about their courtship and engagement!
Where did you two meet?
We met in 2007 at a college party. His roommate and my roommate are cousins, so we hung out a lot in similar circles. We were both dating other people and were just friends until 2009 when we officially started dating.
Tell us your engagement story!
Matt proposed on a summer trip to Skamania Lodge. I had secretly always wanted a photoshoot for our dog Judith (so embarrassing that everyone knows this now!) so he hired one for an evening. After a day of massages and wine tasting the pet photographer came and took the cutest photos of our dog. She asked us to be in some and told us that one of us should be up with the dog in the foreground and the other should be in the background - which sounded weird but she assured us "it really makes for a great shot, trust me". I was in front with my dog and the photographer told me to turn around and Matt was on one knee proposing! Judith could not care less and was focused on sitting to get a treat, but I loved every second of it and have the photos to capture it!
Tell us about your first date.
Dinner and a movie (I Love You Man - we keep things real serious haha).
Vendors:
Photographer: Anna Jaye Photography
Venue: Castaway
Flowers: Bloomsberry Floral
Hair/Make up: Blossom and Beauty
Bride’s Dress: Charlottes Weddings
Bridesmaids Dresses: Adrianna Papell
Groom’s Tux: J Crew
Band: Blue Wave Band
Food: Chef Du Jour
Videographer: Moving Pictures
Equipment rentals/Decor: IS Events
Decor accents: Something Borrowed
transportation: First Student and Shanghai Party buses
Epic PNW Weather for Summer Gig Harbor Micro Wedding
Taylor and Bilal’s intimate micro wedding was one of the best things to happen in 2020. Not only did it give me something fun and positive to look forward to, it was an absolute dream. They booked with us one month into a pandemic that we didn’t think would last beyond Spring but as the pandemic held on so did Taylor and Bilal. They were determined to get married in August 2020 and would find a way for their family and friends to attend safely.
Taylor and I spent countless late-night hours emailing back and forth, mostly between 11 pm and 1 am. Ultimately, they formulated a plan with their family to book a gorgeous place in Gig Harbor and quarantine together for the entire stay leading up to their special day. No detail was spared but more importantly, Taylor and Bilal paid incredible attention to the details that would ensure everyone’s comfort — including ours! It was so fun working with them to create a bright and cheery day.
They booked a stunning home on Gig Harbor that was almost completely surrounded by water, which meant everything had to be brought in. By everything I mean every little thing. It was a beast to move all of the chairs, glassware, forks, florals, candles, and so on, but we did it and it was so worth it. My husband joined me for the weekend and I put him to work. We strung lighting, set up the decor, and even assisted in getting the food picked up and staged for them before we left them to dine solo (thanks, COVID). It rained off and on the day of their wedding, but in true J29 Events fashion, the skies cleared and the sun came out just in time. We scurried to put everything back out and cruised along like it was nothing. Sure it was different, but this wedding screamed beauty and love. So much love. They had 15 guests in attendance with at least 70 more logged in from across the world to attend via Zoom (thank goodness for technology).
In a year when life threw us a ton of lemons, Taylor and Bilal fell from the sky and graced us with their love. Despite it all, they prevailed. Two ethnicities, two religions, family members who flew internationally in the midst a global pandemic and political unrest. They did it and we couldn’t feel more honored to have witnessed their special day.
With all of the difficult things we have endured over the past year and a half, it is so nice to look back and see the light that shone through the darkness. Taylor and Bilal’s wedding was certainly one of those bright spots… despite the rain.
How did you two meet?
We met in college at Central Washington University, which is where Bilal's parents also met. Bilal was president of the break club, and Taylor went with some friends, the rest is history! In our time at CWU, we started an activism club together, graduated with honors, and organized protests on campus in support of Ferguson.
Tell us about your first date.
Well, while it might not be a "date" one of our first deep connections was when Bilal was helping me move out of a bad roommate situation. It was late, we were stressed, and l picked up a box of honey nut cheerios upside down and they spilled everywhere. I was already kneeling and packing, and Bilal just put his hands on my shoulders and said "we've got this". Bilal remembers our first date with us going through all the CDs in his car and bonding over how much we love music. :)
Tell us your engagement story!
On the day of the proposal we went kayaking, Bilal proposed on the water, and we had a picnic with my family. He proposed with the fake ring from Amazon we had ordered when trying on different styles at home as our version of ring shopping during a pandemic. But, really, we were engaged over a month prior. We spent the last year after going to Nigeria for his sister's wedding intentionally working on our relationship to make damn sure we wanted to be married. After we felt sure, we also wanted to be in a place where we were feeling close to make the steps of engagement and wedding stuff.
When COVID hit we spent SO much time just the two of us at home, and we feel a little guilty about this, but we had the time of our lives. It was ridiculously fun and happy for us to just be holed up together. Then, the truth settled in that a large wedding wouldn't be possible for potentially two years, and that was just too long to wait. SO we realized that getting married this summer fit what we wanted, and now here we are two months out even though we never imagined having a small wedding or getting married so quickly, but we are loving it
Tell us about you two as a couple.
We really value family, we are interfaith so Christian and Muslim, we are lowkey but love to have a good time. Basically, we will dance the night away with you, but are just as happy snuggled up watching a movie with either of our families. We value authenticity, kindness, playfulness, learning. and community.
Hobbies?
We like going on low-key outdoor adventures like playing games in the park, cooking together, spending time with our loved ones, dancing of course, and travel when we can. We both are heavily academically oriented, so Taylor graduated with her master’s then Bilal started his.
Vendors:
Photography: Henry Tieu Photography
Florals: Leigh and Mitchell
Rentals: CORT Party Rental, Great Jones NW, & La Tavola Linen
Tux: The Black Tux
Cake: Petunia’s Pies & Pastries
How to Navigate Catering a Micro Wedding
The definition of a micro wedding can vary depending on who you talk to, but it typically includes anywhere from 5 to 50 guests. And with the Pandemic, 2020 saw a radical shift towards smaller events. Those who didn’t want to cancel or postpone their larger weddings leaned into the idea of a more intimate scaled-back event.
The wedding industry followed suit and started educating themselves about how to scale up a sized-down event. What resulted were some of the most amazing elopements and micro weddings we’ve helped plan to date!
Moving into the 2021 wedding season, we are anticipating being able to hold larger events, but want to make sure to follow safety protocols as well.
Splurge on your table decor
Quality wins over quantity and you can stretch your budget for the tabletop of your dreams. Unique china, monogrammed linens, personalized paper goods. Let your imagination run wild and get that Pinterest board started!
Reimagine Appetizers
Instead of hundreds of the same small bites, have your caterer, prepare more options for fewer guests. This can even be the main meal in some cases. In essence, turn your bites into a tapas-style meal.
Cocktails
Statistically, 50% of wedding guests will drink wine throughout the evening, and the remaining 50% is split between liquor beverages and beer. But the advantage of a smaller guest list means you will likely know what everyone prefers and can cater accordingly. Be sure to add a signature drink to the menu or hire a mixologist to create works of wonder for your guests.
Make the Meal the Main Event
For some couples, saving money isn’t the reason for opting for a smaller event and can be an opportunity to push for quality over quantity. In this instant embrace the idea of hiring a private chef to cater your wedding or reserve a private room at a favorite fancy restaurant. Consider having a themed dinner such as a Roman style dinner party or have fresh sushi prepared on-site. Let your imagination go wild and imaging the dinner of your dreams.
Dessert
A smaller guest list means fewer tiers on your cake right? Not necessarily. Work with your baker to make Individual mini 3-tiered wedding cakes or fill a tiered cake stand with gourmet desserts such as creme brulee, mini pies, baklava cups, and cupcakes.
Whatever you decide, It is of the utmost importance to talk to your catering vendors about the logistics of bringing food into a non-traditional venue setting. If you choose to get married on the edge of a cliff (a very popular idea on the Oregon Coast) make sure you are working with a caterer that is comfortable setting up and bringing in a portable kitchen that includes water, and electricity.
10 Questions you should ask your portland wedding cake baker
One of the vendors you’ve surely been excited about interviewing is your cake bakeries! I get it, as a planner, sampling cakes is one of the perks of my job I’ll never take for granted.
Before setting up tastings ask your friends who they used and if they were happy with them. Check out potential bakers and read google reviews.
Once you’ve narrowed your list down to a few, set up some tastings. this will be a fun day and worth celebrating, but remember you’re interviewing a vendor and you should come prepared with a list of questions.
We’ve compiled a list for you to bring along to your tasting:
What flavors and fillings do you offer?
Do you create custom designs or do we need to choose from a selection of designs?
Can you make sugar flowers?
Do you work in Fondant or Buttercream?
Is our tasting included in our fee?
What size of a cake do we need to feed our guests?
How do you price your cakes?
When do we need to order our cake, how far in advance of our wedding day?
Do you also provide cake stands or do we need to provide our own?
Do you deliver?
Do you offer anniversary cakes in place of freezing our cake?
In the Portland area, we have worked with many experienced bakeries that we love. Click on the images below to learn more:
Happy Tasting!
Elevate Your Wedding With a Lounge Seating Area
Get Cozy
Wedding lounges are one wedding trend we can definitely get cozy with! Think of these as a little living room for your guests. A place to relax, mingle, and connect with old friends!
As well as bringing your unique style to your wedding, lounges show guests how thoughtful you are as hosts to go above and beyond to provide special touches to the day.
Your venue may provide a lounge area but if not, rentals of unique, sofas and arm chairs to create a special space.
Here are a few of the lounges we’ve designed for our most stylish brides and grooms:
No matter you wedding style or location, there is furniture that will fit your aesthetic, decor, and details.
Modern Boho Wedding at Bridal Veil Lakes
This is a classic. What happens when a girl walks in to a bar? They flirt, date, move across the country, then he asks her to marry him with an epic proposal, and they get married. Done done, and done.
Okay, rewind. Rosalia and Jorge met in Chicago when she was a new host and he was a server. Their love quickly escalated and their proposal story is one for the books:
She worked at The Violet Hour (a cocktail bar) in Portland. At the time she was a server. Her friend and manager (their officiant) asked her to step in the back to talk about something quickly. She was taken aback and told him that she didn't have time as it was a busy Saturday and she couldn't leave the floor. He assured her that someone else would watch the floor for her and urged her to go and talk to him. When they got to the back of the building, there were other staff members there, so he said, "Let's go up and talk in the office." There were people in the office, so he said, "Let's step out on the roof for a second so we can speak privately." Meanwhile, she was racking her brain for anything that she had done wrong as she was sure she was getting fired. When they stepped out on the roof, there was a table full of candles, flowers, and champagne, and her friend/manager left and Jorge appeared to propose. They enjoyed the champagne on the roof, and when they went downstairs, their Al Green song was playing, the entire bar (including guests) had glasses of bubbles, her mom and best friend were there, and everyone cheers'd them. ❤️
The guys were dressed to the nines; sporting fun floral ties, stylish specks, and a top hat that only Jorge could pull off on his wedding day.
This less traditional couple wanted pops of color with a boho flare. Bridal Veil Lakes is a stunning property but it’s lush greens can make it hard to see neutral palettes. We love it when our couples opt for bright colors that contrast all the greens. Bridesmaids picked their own dresses in a variety of shades of pinks and burgundy. SELVA Floral tied these colors together with her FABULOUS floral creations.
Their lakeside wedding ceremony was made even better as their two perfect dogs (a King Charles Cavalier and an Australian Cattle dog) stood by their sides, baring witness to their love and waiting for a treat.
We loved getting to share in this special day. The fun colors, texture, laid back vibes, yummy cocktails, dogs….. and the love. So much love! Congrats, Rosalia + Jorge!
Vendors
Venue: Bridal Veil Lakes
Photography: True Grace
Florals: SELVA Floral Design
Catering: White Pepper
Cake: Back to Eden Bakery
Beauty: Kirstie Wight
Dress: Grace Loves Lace
Entertainment: MK Productions
Bar: The Violet Hour
Rentals: The Party Place + Something Borrowed (no longer in business)
Stationery: Rachel Street Press
Transportation: Lucky Limousine
Modern Portland Styled Elopement Shoot at Tendue
This year has been tough. The world at large has had its ups and downs, challenges and disappointments, and plenty of curveballs. Wedding industry professionals have rapidly been forced to change our ways, shifting our primary focus to keeping our clients and staff safe in these trying times. While we take pride in making sure we stay educated and informed in order to protect those around us, sometimes it feels heavy on our hearts and makes us dream of the days of wedding planning before this all started.
So, when Lisa of Lisa Boehm Beauty came to us and said, “I just want to play,” we jumped at the chance to make it happen.
This styled shoot, while inspirational in its form, featured a real couple. Jasmine and Tynesha are the owners of a fantastic cookie company, Cookiegasm, in Portland, Oregon and are friends of ours. It’s incredible how two people with such beautiful hearts managed to find each other. Their love is truly inspiring, and we feel so lucky to know them both.
With everything going on in the world, we wanted to create something that spoke to people. Something that captured what's going on in the world and celebrates love in every form that it takes. Most importantly, we wanted this shoot to carry a message we all could use right now - Everything Will Be Alright.
Our vision was to turn a traditional wedding setting on its head. We used the models as a blank canvas (dressed in all white and nude), then used florals, furniture, jewelry, and crystals to bring that vision to life. We wanted it to feel rich and luxe, while modern and elegant. The result was a perfect juxtaposition of 1940s old Hollywood glam, paired with modern texture and light.
Instead of cake, we chose cocktails. Instead of a traditional veil on the "bride," we adorned a hydrangea leaf birdcage veil on our model, dressed in a sophisticated ivory pant suit. We used colorful and vibrant vintage cocktail rings instead of traditional wedding bands – one amethyst bauble?! Why not make it two!
The bold color palette of cobalt blue, emerald and amethyst seemed downright regal once executed. The tablescape was littered with crystals of all kinds, which added a striking layer of depth and texture to the overall design. The florals for the table were simple - we wanted it to feel like shoots growing out of the crystals, representing a fresh start and new beginnings.
It was an honor to plan and style this shoot. The team was fire from top to bottom. Every vendor brought creativity, open-minded collaboration, and hustle. Each individual was essential in bringing this vision to life, and we couldn’t be prouder of the art that was created.
See more of this shoot featured on Wedding Chicks.
Vendor Team:
Planning & Styling: J29 Events
Photography: Marcela Pulido Photography
Videography: Lovebug Pictures
Hair and Makeup: Lisa Boehm Beauty
Dress & Pant Suit: A&Bé Bridal Shop for Alexandra Grecco
Cape: Claire La Faye
Venue: Tendue
Rentals: The Party Place
Florals: Blooms and Twine Floral Design
Crystals: Forest, Stone & Sea
Cocktails: Stirred Bartending
Rings: Maloy’s Jewelry Workshop
Masks: Anthropologie
Real life model couple: Jasmine Gibbs-Brown & Tynesha Parnell
7 Things To Do After Your Wedding
With so much planning going into your wedding day, the weeks after your wedding may leave you feeling a little disjointed. But it is important to remember that your wedding tasks are not all complete. there are things you need to do after you return from your honeymoon to preserve your memories and honor your guests and family. We’ve compiled a list of the 7 tasks you need to take care of the weeks following your wedding.
Your Dress
There are a few options for what to do with your dress after your “I dos”. You can sell it, donate it, and even “trash it” with a fun photo shoot. But if you have decided to keep your dress, find a trusted cleaner to clean and preserve your dress. Wedding dress preservation and standard dry cleaning are not the same so be sure to do your research and find an experienced specialist who can treat your most precious garment with the care that it deserves. The sooner the better. There may be invisible stains that will start to damage the fabric so we recommend getting your dress to the cleaner as soon as possible.
Your Bouquet
When it comes to preserving your bouquet, there are more ideas than ever floating around.
Traditional drying and pressing are beautiful options, but you can also have your flowers turned into a gift or keepsake to display around your home. Flowers can be turned into paperweights, resin letters, or even wearable lockets. Small gifts made from your florals can be a nice way to say thank you to family members as holiday gifts.
Your Cake
Traditionally the top tier of your wedding cake can be frozen and eaten on your first anniversary. In fact 49% of 2019 brides and grooms made this plan. While this is a fun tradition, frozen cakes are less than fabulous. Now days, bakers are happy to make you a FRESH anniversary cake (a smaller version of your wedding cake) to commemorate the event.
Thank You Notes
It’s important to remember that even in this day and age of digital communication, thank you notes should still be handwritten. According to the Emily Post Institute “contrary to popular myth, the happy couple does not have a year’s grace period in which to write their notes. All thank-you notes should be written within three months of the receipt of the gift.” Write early - Thank you’s can and should be drafted AS your gift arrives. Additionally, share the load with your new spouse over a bottle of your favorite wine while listening to a mix of your wedding songs, and make writing these notes a fun event.
Review your Vendors (Yelp, Wedding Wire, The Knot, Google)
Remember back when you were choosing your vendors? You may have read reviews from their previous clients. From venues to florists, to photographers, to caterers, to planners… most of your vendors will have accounts with major wedding sites such as The Knot, Wedding Wire, and other business sites such as Google and Yelp. Giving them a 5-star rating and review will help them to book more amazing clients like you. Think of this as a thank you note to your vendors. They will GREATLY appreciate your review.
Order your Wedding Album and PRINT your Photos
You’ve likely purchased a wedding package through your photographer that includes prints and an album. But if you just received the digital files, make sure printing photos is a priority as well as backing up the files in a few places. We recommend a combination of an external hard drive as well as cloud storage. You and your children will enjoy these for years to come so make sure to have prints in your home as well as a beautiful album to remember your day.
Take your Parents out to Dinner
Your parents want nothing more than to spend time with you, and what better way to say thank you for all the help and support they gave your during your wedding planning than to take them out for a nice dinner.
Destination Boho Wedding at Horning's Hideout
What happens when a southern couple plans a destination woodsy wedding to the PNW? Perfection. From the burgundy/dusty mauve color palette to the magical boho florals, no detail was left unturned (especially in the desserts category).
From our Junebug Weddings Feature:
When Shannon and Ian were planning their fairytale forest wedding, they took to Google to search for inspiration and fell madly in love with Horning’s Hideout! Shannon has a natural love for the environment, so it was important that the natural beauty of the venue shine through with minimal decor. Selva Floral Design did a magical job creating arrangements for the ceremony arch and reception area that complimented the enchanting forest vibes. If you love all things whimsical, we think you’re going to swoon over these photos by The Soft Season!
We love seeing bridesmaids in a variety of dresses within a color palette. The different tones and textures create so much depth and gives your wedding extra personality. How do you plan on dressing your ladies?
When it comes to wedding details and ceremony backdrops, unexpected shapes and textures in the trees are kind of our jam.
Wedding planning advice from the bride: Pick your memorable moments, everything else will fade over time so only focus on the things you want yourself and your guests to remember and highlight them in a way which resonates with you to make them uniquely yours and so looking back those moments will always bring joy. Additionally, have a vision and stick with it, by having a vision from the beginning it helped cut down on the stress. Lastly, love your wedding photographer and their style. Highly recommend using social media to your advantage and looking at different photography styles to narrow down what you would like.
Here’s to an epic party in the woods! Clink!
A mixture of table shapes and surfaces help to create a beautiful and unique reception setup as well as helping to define your wedding style.
“We found it very important to maintain our vision for the wedding. We wanted to create a unique interpretation of traditional wedding elements done in a modern way which created a better atmosphere and flow through out the event. This wedding was our opportunity to thank everyone in our lives who had played an instrumental role in helping us get to where we are so we wanted to take some of the focus off of ourselves and instead create a memorable intimate wedding where each of our guests felt welcomed and appreciated.”.
When floral heaven lands on a dessert table, you know Selva Floral is in da house. Holy moly! This statement piece was designed for the ceremony altar, but we repurposed it for the dessert table. Wow is an understatement. Also, White Pepper Catering are dessert masters!
Vendors:
Photography: The Soft Season
Second Photographer: Courtney Meili Photography
Venue: Horning’s Hideout
Florals: Selva Floral Design
Catering: White Pepper Catering
Cake: Dream Cakes
Bar: Tiddly Trailer
DJ: Event Team Entertainment
Stationery: Polka Dot Paper
Makeup: Lauren Maher Makeup
Hair: The Beaty Briar
Wedding Dress: THEIA Couture, Louvienne va Lovely Bride
Groom Attire: Idlewood Bespoke
Rentals: Party Place, Classic Vintage Rentals
Featured on Junebug Weddings
Step Up Your Wedding Signage to Suit Your Style
While most wedding decor is purely decorative, wedding signage has the added bonus of being utilitarian. It serves to tell your guests what is coming up throughout the day. Wedding signs can help to add to the aesthetic as well as set the tone for the day.
When having our design meeting, we discuss color palette, metal tones, and alternative textures/surfaces. Guests like to know where to go and what to expect and choosing signs that fit the style of your wedding serves as a twofer!
What Type of Signage do you want at your wedding?
One way to approach your signage is like a road map through the day. Use signs to let guests know if you desire to have an unplugged ceremony, or if you want them to share photos of your day with a unique hashtag. You can also let them know what’s coming up with signs pointing to lawn games during the cocktail hour, or sparklers during the sendoff.
Sparkler Send off
Quote
Unplugged Ceremony
What materials do you want your signs made out of?
Which materials you use say a lot about your style. Our current favorite is frosted acrylic but that style is often paired with our more modern couples. We want to celebrate your style! Some of our favorite material options are:
Wood
Chalkboard
Poster
Metal
Acrylic
Mirror/Glass
Wood
Acrylic
Chalkboard
What is your wedding style?
Do you define your style as rustic, modern, boho, or vintage? What types of signs you display can help show your guests what your style inspiration is.
Here are 4 bar signs, 4 different ways:
Where to source your wedding signs
A quick Pinterest search will show you how many vendors there are making wedding signs. The beauty is, there are sign vendors to fit any budget. Having worked with many professionals in the industry, we’ve compiled a list of some of our favorites:
Etsy
Hey Halle
Letters & Dust
Fest Paper & Design
Crave Design
We would love to speak with you, learn your vision of your wedding and help you design your day!
How to coordinate mismatched bridesmaids dresses
“You can wear it again”
OK, so this may be a myth, but let’s take a new view of bridesmaids dresses and see their purpose. The purpose is to support the bride and her vision of her wedding. The colors, the fabrics, and the style all serve that common purpose. The wedding party is a painting and the bridesmaids are part of the palette. But there are many ways to achieve this.
It might be a misnomer to call these dresses mismatched when each one was carefully selected for each lady while considering the overall effect. Within each group, there are consistent elements that create a cohesive look.
Let’s discuss the main THREE things to start with when you’re thinking about dressing the ladies in your party.
Thing One: How formal is your wedding?
Thing Two: Who Are Your Bridesmaids?
Thing Three: What is Your Budget?
Same Color/Different Style
Same Color Family/Different Style
Color Pairings
All Unique Within a Color Scheme
We’ve been so lucky to work with such stylish brides who effortlessly rock this look!
Now check out some looks for grooms!
Romantic Summer Wedding at Barn Kestrel
Take us back to Shauna + Armando’s perfect September wedding at Barn Kestrel. This Romantic Farm Wedding was one for the ages. Full of vintage rustic glamour, complete with modern touches.
Sometimes we get so lucky with our Brides and Grooms that they put their words and feelings about their wedding in writing. Shauna + Armando were one of those amazing couples. Throughout this post, I’ll share their words with you!
Pretty, pretty, pretty invitation suite by Crave Design! We love how this set perfectly matched the details and florals from their beautiful day.
"First look! It was so emotional and such a loving moment. Armando has never cried in front of me and his eyes started to and it was one of the most emotionally happy moments we’ve had together. “
“Vows: waiting to hear each other vows made it so much more heart felt. Armando’s vows made me laugh out loud and made me cry tears of happiness.”
We set up a cozy lounge seating area for guest in the reception barn. It was the perfect place for guests to escape the heat and to enjoy watching all of their fun dances.
Perks of wedding at a Farm? Sunset Bridal Horse Portraits!! The four resident “cowboy horses” love hamming it up for photos which worked out well for our equestrian bride, Shauna, who loved being able to snap some pics with these beauties since she couldn’t have her own horse with her on their special day.
“Favorite moment of our day: our first dance. We had ours choreographed and the song was a reference to our video game nerdiness. We also had so much fun with our dance and the crowd went wild!”
“Advice as a newlywed: Make time to continue “dating” each other. Surprise each other and keep communication open! Do random acts of kindness…. and remember, just because the wedding is over doesn’t mean that the foundations of your relationship don’t need as much love and care as you gave before getting hitched.
Thanks, Shauna and your team for making our day so stellar!" ~Shauna + Armando
Vendors:
Photography: Sweetlife Photography
Venue: Barn Kestrel
Catering: Verde Cocina
Florals: Distinctive Designs by Denice
Hair: Ambrosia Carey
Makeup: Hair Mettle
Dress: Allure Bridals
Dress Shop: Ania Bridal
Bridesmaids Dresses: Show Me Your Mumu
Invitations: Crave Design
Rentals: Party Place, Bridge Wood Events
Dessert: Churros Locos
DJ: NW Mobile DJ Service
Bar: Bar Truck PDX
Photo Booth: Smirk Booth Photo Co.
Top 5 Best Portland Wedding Venues
Portland is such a rich and diverse city that I am lucky to be able to work in. When helping my clients choose their wedding venue, I’m able to offer them choices from urban to rural, with vibes that are industrial, rustic, or chic to suit their personality and style.
Today I’m sharing 5 of my favorite Portland wedding venues!
Castaway
Located at the edge of the Pearl District nestled near the Willamette River, this 1929 warehouse was home to the makers of yellow strand rope used in the original Portland Street Car. In 2007, it was painstakingly restored to its original glory and today serves as one of Portland's most awarded venue spaces.
This space is ideal for large gatherings year round. It can accommodate a wedding ceremony, cocktail hour, and reception dinner all in one large space. Some couples opt to rent their private parking lot to host their outdoor cocktail hour.
Blockhouse
Adjacent to Castaway, Blockhouse is an intimate gathering locale where meals are shared, connections are made and life is celebrated. This quaint and private venue is tucked away inside of Pomarius Nursery. Built around a chef-inspired open kitchen, you can host an intimate gathering, lavish party and everything in-between thanks to their extended patio space that can be covered with a tent or left open air. We LOVE all of the plants and nature that surrounds this urban space.
Anna Jaye Photography
Coopers Hall
Weddings at this urban winery, whether intimate or boisterous, understated or elaborate, are always beautiful celebrations to remember. Their team of highly skilled service industry professionals will ensure that the venue lives up to the occasion and exceeds your expectations. Conveniently located in Portland’s central eastside, Coopers Hall is only a short drive from many of the city’s most popular hotels. We love the proximity to downtown, the versatile space, and their excellent food!
Barn Kestrel
This historic property with a working barn, built in 1900, is one of the best-preserved barns in Clackamas County and one of America's finest. It is a ramp style barn featured on county historical tours and a tribute to Oregon's old-growth fir trees of the late 1800s. We love that Barn Kestrel has a space for everyone - the wide open field and large oak tree, the intimate lawn that can serve as your reception space, or their large barn.
Exchange Ballroom
An Urban Event Space with Stunning Rooftop Views. The Exchange Ballroom and Cascade Rooftop is located in on the east bank of the Willamette River within the historic Eastside Exchange Building. Our Ballroom boasts dramatic views of the downtown Portland skyline. We absolutely LOVE their rooftop with stunning views of Portland’s west side and the west hills. The ballroom is open and spacious, allowing for any vision to come to life. The Vibrant Table team operates an exquisite venue and delivers exceptional service.
I would love to connect with you and hear what type of a wedding venue suits your personal style!
Cultural Bridal Veil Lakes Wedding
After a long wait, we’re FINALLY able to share this beautiful wedding that we did at Bridal Veil Lakes last August. The weather was perfect for a gorgeous day by the lake. We’re forever grateful to our rockstar vendor team who brought this vision to life for our sweet couple.
Lush. Moody. Ethereal. The florals were spectacular and Bramble Floral Design nailed it!
In their showcase of a venue, Jolei & Sameer treated guests to a progressive wedding, moving around the picturesque lake for various portions of the evening.
Text From the Feature by Oregon Bride Magazine
Upon arrival, those in attendance were treated to pre-ceremony appetizers and cocktails from Hunt and Gather, followed by a stroll around the lake to a flower splashed meadow for the ceremony.
Text From the Feature by Oregon Bride Magazine
Guests then meandered to the gorge overlook for cocktail hour and later landed at their dinner Destination, where they savored local delicacies under twinkling lights.
Text From the Feature by Oregon Bride Magazine
Sameer’s family is Pakistani, and Jolie grew up in New Zealand, with Irish and Filipino heritage, so it was important to them to represent both of their backgrounds in the celebration.
Text From the Feature by Oregon Bride Magazine
Their invitation suite included phrasing in English, Tagalog (Jolie’s family's language), and Urdu (Sameer’s family's language). To further customize the invitations and other decor used for the day, a custom logo was created, blending the New Zealand Silver fern and the Pakistani jasmine flower.
Text From the Feature by Oregon Bride Magazine
To end on a fun note, the couple and their guests danced the night away to an eclectic mix of music that included throwbacks to the 1990s and early 2000’s current top 40 hits and Bollywood/Pakistani tunes.
Text From the Feature by Oregon Bride Magazine
We absolutely loved working with this fun couple who put so much faith and trust in our design to bring their vision to life. A large scale event such as theirs required countless production hours, hundreds of emails, dozens of meetings, and a lot of hard work….. but it was SO WORTH IT. We did all of their planning remotely, without an in person meeting. Can you believe it? Congrats, you two!
Vendors:
Venue: Bridal Veil Lakes
Phtoographer: Christy Cassano
Videographer: Moving Pictures
Florist: Bramble Floral Design
Caterer: Hunt & Gather Catering
Rentals: Party Place, Classic Vintage Rentals
Dress: Trudy’s Bridal
Bridesmaid Dresses: Azzazie
Cake: Papa Hadyn
Donuts: Blue Star Donuts
Groom/Groomsmen attire: Sari Palace
HAMU: Olivia Hawthorne Beauty
Installation Crew: Flex PDX
Invitations/Signage/Programs: Letters & Dust
Music/DJ: John Ross Productions
Transportation: EcoShuttle
Ethereal Wedding at Skokomish Park
We started working with Lindsay + Andrew two years ago. They are a sweet couple from Chicago. He’s a HUGE Cubs fan and she loves all things vintage, ethereal, fox, and styled. They saw a beautiful ethereal woodsy wedding on a blog in the PNW and knew that they had to be married in the woods.
They had a vision and surprisingly, it never wavered. An ethereal wedding in the trees, nestled into the mountains, and a few steps away from stunning Lake Cushman. Every vendor trucked in and there was no cell service but everything was flawless and our vendor team couldn’t have been more incredible. We have so much love for these two! All of our best to you!
We planned their fairytale/ethereal wedding at the base of the Olympic National Peninsula in Skokomish Park on Lake Cushman. It was an amazing location. Every single item was brought in from either Chicago, Seattle or Portland… vendors included. Lights were strung and ran off of a generator, toilets brought in, every table, chair, decor item and all of the food. It was a huge team effort to bring this wedding together in the middle of nowhere…… and without cell phone service.
If you haven’t dreamt of walking over a flower-covered bridge in the woods, are you really dreaming? We’re still swooning over this ethereal day and Lindsay’s amazing blue/green skirt. She looked like a real-life fairy bride!
Lindsay, ever the detail-oriented gal, styled everything to a tee beforehand on photoshop! EVERY LITTLE DETAIL was planned out and thought of. It was a dream to work with a couple that could keep up with the check-lists!
The weather was beautiful and the guests (who hailed from Chicago) were blown away with this wedding in the middle of the woods. Many had never been to the Pacific Northwest and were completely smitten with the tall trees, mountains, and stunning views.
LIndsay + Andrew had a handfasting ceremony as part of their nuptials.
Handfasting is an ancient Celtic ritual in which the hands are tied together to symbolize the binding of two lives. While it is most often included in Wiccan or Pagan ceremonies, it has become more mainstream and pops up in both religious and secular vows and readings. ~ Brides.com
There were so many amazing details for this destination wedding in the woods.
This cake has a story: picked up in Seattle, driven to Hoodsport, WA (2 hours on a lap), and stored in a fridge in a cabin on top of a hill. Finally, two days later, it was carefully carried down the hill by Sabrina (no pressure). This cute cake made its final stop on top of this bar before being gobbled up. People have no idea what some cakes go through before their untimely demise. 😂
These two, this lighting, her dress, his suit, and this location. Need I say more? Everything was magical. Their destination woodsy wedding was perfection
I’ll always remember their wedding as later in the evening, one of their guests passed out mid-laugh and fell face-first on to the gravel. He gashed his ear and forehead open. Thankfully, we had plenty of vodka (to clean his wounds) and superglue in our planners’ kit to glue his forehead and ear back together. Remember the no cell service thing? Yea, hire a wedding planner that used to be a nurse. We made him rest for the rest remainder of the evening as guests danced the night away under the stars and cafe lights.
Vendor Team:
Venue: Lake Cushman Skokomish Park, WA
Photographer: Kristen Marie Parker
Floral: Vanessa Schmidt
Caterer: Herban Feast
Cake: Sweet Side Seattle
Beauty: Bridal Beauty Agency
Dress: English Dept. Portland
Cinema: Northwest Wedding Films
Entertainment: Puget Sound Entertainment
DJ - Alan Chitlik
Rentals: Archive Rentals, Classic Vintage Rentals, Formal Flush
Officiant: Dan Anastasia
Travel/Accomodations: Red Lion Hotel