Preppy East Coast Inspired Garden Party in the PNW

Lauren Megerdichian
November 25, 2022
Categories: Real Weddings, The Blog, Traditional Elegance

From the fashion to the floral design… every inch of this preppy east coast-inspired PNW wedding is the definition of timeless. These are the bridesmaids dresses that will spark an uncontrollable slew of “omg WHERE are those dresses from” comments in our DM’s – and it’s no surprise why when you see them! BLC Events brought the bride’s classic garden party vision to life, while Haute Flowers kept the blooms elegant and understated. See all the pretty at the full gallery – captured perfectly by Sweetlife Photography!

From Sweetlife Photography… Harrison and Morgan met in seventh grade at Lake Oswego Jr. High. They were good friends in high school but became especially close during their senior year. They were freshman orientation leaders together and shared a similar class schedule. While Harrison still saw Morgan as one of his best friends, Morgan started realizing that there might be more to their friendship. She looked forward to their classes together and she started getting butterflies when he would run up to her in his baseball uniform and say hi while she was at tennis practice. She liked the way he was around her family and she loved how close he was to his own parents and siblings. They laugh about it now, but Morgan and Harrison’s sister were also friends, and Morgan would ask Madeline to do reconnaissance on whether or not Harrison might like her back. Something must have clicked because, finally, a few weeks before graduation, Harrison admitted that he had been holding back feelings. Morgan still remembers how amazing she felt in that moment!

What they thought would be a summer fling turned into four years of long distance while Harrison attended Oregon State and Morgan went off to the University of Colorado at Boulder. They stayed committed to one another all four years and supported each other through the highs and lows of college. Following graduation, they moved back to Portland where they were relieved to find that the distance had absolutely been worth it! Two years later, after six years of dating, Harrison got down on one knee at Alloro Vineyard in August of 2020. Harrison had laid out a beautiful picnic in a private location and popped the question over two of Morgan’s favorite things: wine and cheese. She was completely caught off guard but so incredibly excited! They ended the day celebrating with their closest family and friends. It was the perfect start to their 22 month long engagement!

Morgan couldn’t wait to start the wedding planning process! Even though they had picked a date that was 22 months away from their engagement, Morgan didn’t waste any time booking vendors. She started with their planner, BLC Events, and then immediately booked Waverley Country Club as their venue. Since Morgan loves photography and named that element as one of her non-negotiables, she reached out to Sweetlife Photography the same day she booked their venue. They ended up being one of the couple’s favorite vendors because they were extremely helpful, responsive and enthusiastic about their different creative ideas. They felt like a partner in the planning process and Morgan and Harrison appreciated how organized and thorough they were leading up to the big day.

Morgan and Harrison wanted their wedding to feel like an elegant garden party; sophisticated but casual. The bride drew inspiration from classic East Coast events, chic, preppy style boards and sleek black-tie parties. She also drew inspiration from a beautiful set of Richard Ginori dishes, which she incorporated into menus, bar signs and the mother-of-the-bride dress. Morgan thought up many different wedding looks over the course of their 22-month long engagement but settled on a simple black and white color palette. It’s timeless! For a small pop of color, she opted for light blue, tiered, lace bridesmaids dresses from Self-Portrait. The beautiful grounds of the Waverley Country Club provided the perfect setting to execute their vision. The club is very classic and the green space was the perfect backdrop for their cocktail lounge and sailcloth tent; two things that spoke to their vision of an East Coast garden party.

Their wedding design reflects the couple’s simple, timeless, and classic style. More significantly, Waverley Country Club backs up to the Willamette River. The bride’s childhood home also sits on the Willamette River so Morgan and Harrison have many memories boating with friends and passing the Waverley while wake surfing, wakeboarding or cocktail cruising. The groom is also a golf fanatic, so having their wedding on a golf course was extra fun and meaningful to him!

One small but meaningful detail is Morgan wore her mom’s wedding shoes down the aisle! Her mom had preserved them so well and they fit perfectly. It was a special moment when she helped Morgan put them while they were getting ready.

Harrison also had his grandfather’s wedding ring tied into his tuxedo jacket. It meant so much to Harrison, his grandmother, and his parents to have him incorporate it into the day. Harrison’s cufflinks were also meaningful as they had been gifted to him at birth by that same grandfather, who passed days later.

Morgan and Harrison flew a custom flag on the Waverley flag pole! The flag was printed with their wedding monogram and it tied into menus and signage used throughout the day. The flag pole on the property is iconic and they received so many compliments on that custom detail!

During the wedding planning process in 2021, Harrison and Morgan temporarily moved to Las Vegas for Harrison’s job. They had such a fun year and they knew they wanted to incorporate that memorable time into their special day. To add a touch of Vegas to their reception, they thought it would be cool to do casino tables and print play money with their wedding monogram. Guests who didn’t care to dance enjoyed sitting around the poker tables and guests who spent a lot of time on the dance floor appreciated a space to “take a breather” while still participating. They made the room feel like a high roller lounge and it was close enough to the dance floor that people could easily flow between dancing, taking photos at the photo booth and trying their luck at a casino table. It was a huge hit and a unique activity that added an extra fun element to the night.

Something Morgan learned during the planning process is “if you can’t buy it, print it!” She fell in love with plates from the Richard Ginori Catene Nero collection many years ago and she always knew she wanted them as part of her wedding tablescape. When she began the wedding planning process, she searched far and wide but couldn’t find the plates or chargers in any local inventory. She could have had them shipped from a rental company in California but that would have been half of her wedding budget. Hard no! She felt defeated but she couldn’t stop thinking about the design. After a number of table setting iterations, she decided to play around with the idea of printing a similar chain decoration on the menu cards and bar signs instead. In the end, it achieved the unique visual element that she was hoping to incorporate and she saved a lot of money by adding the design that way instead of renting or buying physical product!

Morgan also had a unique journey to find her wedding dress. She found her original wedding dress on a mother-daughter shopping trip in LA. It was such a fun and special weekend looking for the perfect dress! Over the next few months, Morgan went through many alterations and, 3 weeks before the wedding, she did a final fitting and the dress was too tight. Morgan made the heartbreaking decision to completely scrap the dress and she started looking online and visiting consignment stores a few days later. She found the dress she wore online and had it rush-shipped to her house. Morgan found a seamstress who was willing to work with her on such short notice and it all worked out with 5 days to spare. Everything happens for a reason and she ended up loving the dress she wore even more than the original!

It truly was the best day ever! The couple had put so much time and energy into planning and the day went off without a hitch. They’re so grateful to their vendors for such a seamless wedding weekend! Some of their fondest memories were taking bride and groom portraits during sunset. The nerves from the beginning of the day were gone and all that was left was pure joy. It definitely came through in those photos! Morgan & Harrison loved posing together, kissing, and feeling like we were the only two people there. It was a lot of fun and a special time to relax, focus on each other and capture some wonderful memories.

Towards the end of the evening, another highlight was their outfit change! It brought new energy into the reception space and they were both more comfortable for late night dancing. The poker tables were also a huge hit! Guests loved having another activity option in addition to dancing and a photo booth.

When they got into the limo at the end of the night, they were beyond happy. Everything had gone so well! They had just finished an epic dance party surrounded by their closest family and friends and the love and enthusiasm put them both on cloud nine. They’ll never forget that feeling driving away from the venue that night! Pure bliss.

Morgan & Harrison left for their honeymoon the day after the wedding and spent 14 beautiful days in Greece and Italy. They visited Santorini, Mykonos, Rome, Florence, Cinque Terre and Venice. Santorini was definitely a highlight! It was romantic and peaceful and the food and views were equally exquisite. They can’t wait to go back one day! Morgan studied abroad in Italy and had so much fun showing Harrison where she had lived and traveled. They ate their way through each city, explored little alleyways and toasted to the beginning of their marriage with house wines. It was so much fun and they were very much riding the wedding high throughout the entire trip!