If you’re the kind of person who would choose a backyard over a ballroom, mason jars over mansion bars, and natural elements over nautical ropes every day of the week, today is your day. And if you like all of the above, and simply love a good wedding, like us, today is going to make you smile too. Lauren Brooks, a pure talent behind the camera, sent over a stunningly elegant, yet oh-so-casually chic soiree that has filled our gallery with fantastic details that are simplicity in it’s prettiest form. I doubt I need to say it, but enjoy!
Click here to see the rest of this sweet soiree in the gallery!
Logan and I were married on September 30, 2011, at Bridal Veil Lakes, which truly is one of the most naturally beautiful venues in Oregon. Choosing Bridal Veil was not a difficult decision, the second we stepped out of the car to tour the grounds we knew it would fit our style perfectly. Having an outdoor wedding at the end of September in Oregon is a bit of a gamble, but we couldn’t picture it any other way so we rolled the dice and crossed our fingers. It was nerve-wracking when Mother Nature gifted us the whole week of the wedding with lots of rain, but we lucked out and the sun shined down on us on the 30th.
It was important to us that everything was a reflection of ourselves, our community and our relationship. The food came from one of our favorite restaurants, the cake was made by a good friend, and the ceremony was officiated by someone dear to us whom we felt knew us well. Our families gathered photos and lent us heirlooms. We asked one of our closest friends, Ara, to sing at the ceremony. She even wrote a song for us! So many people helped make the day special and memorable. Above all, we wanted our friends and family to have fun and be comfortable.
Most of our décor was inspired by the venue. Simply elegant, special, natural, fun were the words we kept in mind when choosing everything. We had fun with the details. Logan and his brother made the guest book, a wine time capsule, set up so we can open a special bottle of wine and read messages from our loved ones each anniversary for the next 30 years. The Bingo card table numbers were a last minute decision, but I love what they brought to the look of the tables. Our friend Sue, who is an event designer/producer, coordinated everything the day of, adding fun little touches everywhere, like hay bales at the bourbon bar, which was a big hit with our guests.
Our photographers, Lauren and Lincoln (Lauren Brooks photography), were incredible and so much fun. Not only did they capture every special moment beautifully, they also made us feel so at ease in front of the camera. We started the day feeling lucky to have them shooting the wedding, and ended the day feeling like they had added something special to the whole experience.
Everything was perfect and really special. We had so much fun and felt so blessed. After dinner, our guests rocked the dance floor for a couple hours, and then we took school buses to downtown Portland to finish the night at the Crystal Ballroom. Wearing your wedding dress while dancing to music from the 80’s in a packed room full of happy strangers, your new husband and good family and friends is one awesome way to end the perfect day.
Photography: Lauren Brooks Photography / Catering: Nicholas Restaurant / Wine: PKT Wine / Flowers: The Flower Shop, Vang Farm / Dress: Carolyne Satuer / Shoes: TOMS / Hair design: The Proper Salon / Suit and ties: Collier / Bridal Party gifts: Oxalis / Music: Ara Gehl, vocals, Ben Landsverk, guitar / Venue: Bridal Veil Lakes / Rentals: Peter Corvallis Productions / Event Production and Design: Sue Cool of Solar Productions / Cake: Baked by a friend / Transportation: First Student