blushbridalevents.com Blog » 2011

Kerry & Adam’s Spring Sensation

In many ways it was another predictable spring Saturday in Portland…blue skies with patches of dark clouds, intermittent showers followed by bursts of sunshine. After all, this is what we’ve come to expect in April, right? There was, however, a calmness in the air and people around town seemed a bit friendlier than they did on those dark stormy days just a week before. Perhaps it was this lovely laid-back couple who didn’t seem to mind whether it rained or shined but something was certain: I just knew from the moment I stepped foot into Urban Studio that it was going to be a FUN day, and it was nothing short of just that. First off I got to work alongside my right-hand gal, Susan, who is a part-time coordinator at St Pat’s Church as well as a consultant at Blush. Anyone who has met her knows she can brighten your day almost instantly with her smile and positive attitude. She’s so much fun to work alongside! Susan was just the start of a list of exceptional professionals who helped create a lasting impression for not only Kerry and Adam, but their 160 guests. Kerry and Adam are incredibly sweet together and so much in love that you can’t help but notice it when you’re around them. They are classy and elegant yet relaxed and fun all at the same time…a perfect combination. They chose to get married at the beautiful St Patrick’s Catholic Church followed by a reception at the hip and modern Urban Studio in the heart of the Pearl District. Adam knew from the beginning he wanted to include his vintage VW Beetle in the wedding (it was the couple’s transportation from ceremony to reception) so following suit Kerry decided to order a cake shaped like the car to showcase at the reception. It was even decorated with touches of coral on the outside of the rims to reflect their wedding colors, eggplant, coral and ivory. Adorable! It was surely tasty too since it was made from scratch at Lamb’s Bakery.

Jordan with Blum did an amazing job with the floral including dramatic centerpieces with tall branches that adorned delicate orchids hanging from the ends. Kerry and her girls’ bouquets were full of vibrant tulips, peonies, and orchids..so luscious! The tables were covered in gorgeous eggplant linens accented by gold chivari chairs from West Coast Event Productions…simply stunning and fabulous in that space. Kerry’s mom and friend made custom toss pillows in shades of coral, eggplant and ivory to accent the modern sofas around the reception, as well as cloth panels with the couple’s invitation design silk-screened on the front to hang up at Urban Studio. No detail was missed and the room looked gorgeous — especially later in the evening once the lighting came on and the dancing was underway. The room can feel either spacious with a smaller group or intimate with a larger crowd (still comfortable with 150 guests) and being in the heart of the Pearl allows couples and their guests to check out other hot spots for an after party. One of my favorite details at Kerry and Adam’s wedding were their favors. Kerry ordered a variety of fun and silly paper disguises from Etsy and attached them to sticks for the guests to hold up throughout the evening for photos…they were a huge hit among adults and kids alike. There were goofy glasses, mustaches, signs with phrases and more. So creative! The evening would not have been the same if it weren’t for the fabulous Eric Wright of All Wright Music who got the crowd out on the dance floor and kept them there for 3 hours. We even had to move more of the tables back to open up the space so there was more room for dancing! Susan and I had a chance to work with Holland Studios which is always a good time and the photos rock. Thank you so much Eric and Roberta, I can’t wait to see the rest of their photos! Kerry and her bridesmaids got ready at the charming Hotel Monaco and their makeup and hair were done by the talented Deann and Nanielle of Face Body Beauty…they are some of the best in the biz and it’s always a pleasure working with this fabulous group of ladies! Kerry and Adam ordered their very chic invitations at the adorable Wedding Cottage in Beaverton and the fabulous Alesia Zorn, calligrapher extraordinaire, calligraphed the lovely envelopes. This is a service every bride should consider for her big day! If you’re looking for a clean, contemporary and flexible event space for your wedding be sure and call Via Hersholt over at Urban Studio for a tour. It’s one of the best valued venues in Portland and the food is awesome! Thank you to everyone who helped create such a memorable wedding for a very special couple. A huge congrats to Kerry and Adam…you were a dream to work with and we wish you much happiness always.

Our best,

Amy & Susan

April 26, 2011 on 6:34 am | In Uncategorized | No Comments

April WNUSA Event at Elephant’s Deli

This past Tuesday evening Susan and I were lucky enough to organize a great networking event for Wedding Network USA. Not only did we have the opportunity to work beside a wildly talented group of fun professionals, we were doing so at a fabulous location. Elephant’s Deli in NW Portland was our spot so knew we were in for a real treat. It was a first-time visit for many people yet this delightful and inviting deli has been a staple in the city for over 30 years with several locations around town. After visiting their charming Garden Room where the event was held, and discussing ideas for decor, we immediately knew who we would call for floral…Helene with East West Floral Arts! Helene is an incredibly talented and creative floral artist in Portland with experience that spans the globe. She has one of those amazing minds that can come up with gorgeous designs and the next thing you know, voila, there they are right in front of your eyes. Even more, Helene is one of the kindest people you will ever meet with a gentle and warm demeanor, just perfect for working with brides. We decided with the warm tones of the lanterns hanging from the ceiling and the Asian flare that we’d work with linens and floral complementary to this look…the collaboration was wonderful and the results shined through! Thanks to Linda Barclay at Barclay Event Rentals, we were able to create gorgeous tablescapes with beautiful red satin and orange crush linens coupled with shiny gold runners. Our next vision was to add a splash of lighting to the room that would enhance the lanterns and highlight the floral so of course we contacted our favorite lighting guy, Dwayne Thomas, of Greenlight Creative, who knocked it out of the ballpark with over-the-top lighting, including a flaming red fire place. The room just came to life! Our own Susan Duyck had a brilliant idea to invite Melanie Schwartz of Blue Lotus Henna to demonstrate her henna tattoos and it was a big hit!

Melanie is a talented artist with a tremendous amount of patience and attention to detail. Each tattoo was unique and she was able to design them in about 10 minutes…quite impressive! Anyone looking for a fun girls night in or an idea for a bridal party or bachelorette party should contact Melanie! All of the gorgeous photos are courtesy of the David Barss Photography. David has a reputation as one of the most artistic and talented photographers in Portland and his work is always stunning. Thank you David for working so hard to capture the details and fun vibe of the evening…the images are gorgeous! As you can see we were treated to a delicious spread of food and plenty of it. Elephant’s has so many yummy dishes and we only tried a handful of them. Everything is so unique and fresh and they have an extensive menu to choose from. Make sure you pop in for lunch one day soon. The famous Andrea Hoyt of August Veils spoke about her invaluable service, Lady in Waiting, a must-have for every bride! Andrea is located inside the Bridal Loft on MLK Blvd and creates beautiful custom veils and hair pieces. Be sure to check her and the other professionals inside the Bridal Loft! As another fun addition to the evening we decided to have a brief trivia about Portland and WNUSA for guests to complete and the person with the most correct answers won a prize! Elephant’s was generous enough to donate a gift basket filled with delectable goodies for the winner. That lucky guy was Eric Newland who got 9 out of the 10 questions right and took home a variety of crackers, cheese, sauces, spreads and wine. It was such a vibrant and relaxed evening and it felt as though everyone was really enjoying catching up with friends and meeting new professionals. We’re

so grateful to each and everyone of you who made this such a memorable event. There was certainly no shortage of laughs during the evening and such a great group of people! A tremendous thank you to Katie, Matt and Carole for all of your help organizing this evening and for your great service. We look forward to working with you again soon. For more information on renting the Garden Room at Elephant’s Deli check out their website at www.elephantsdeli.com Thanks for continuing to follow our blog and for keeping in touch. If you’re interested in attending the next networking event, check out Wedding Network USA for details. Enjoy the week!

Cheers!

Amy

April 15, 2011 on 5:42 am | In Uncategorized | No Comments

Gotta love Waverley in the Spring

Rumor has it that it rarely rains on wedding days at the lovely Waverley Country Club in SE Portland and that somehow their location seems to be blessed with sunshine. This was welcome news considering a mid March wedding in the northwest is always sketchy at best. Sure enough, after a light sprinkle in the afternoon, the clouds disappeared and out came the sun just as formal photos began. Let the tradition continue! This special day belonged to Erin, Lance & her adorable 7 year old son, Mason. The festivities began with a pre-ceremony cocktail hour followed by a sentimental ceremony and sand blending, a cocktail style reception with a variety of tasty hors d’oeuvres including Waverley’s famous maple bacon, and plenty of drinking and dancing! Erin and Lance work for the same company but have a long distance relationship (she’s in Portland, he’s in Oakland) so they are excited to begin their new lives together in the same city. I really enjoyed getting to know these two and helping them plan such a fun celebration! We worked with some fantastic professionals that all helped make the day a success. First off, a tremendous thank you to the staff at Waverley, particularly Roseanna and Tim, who worked so hard to make sure our every need was met. These two and their team are wonderful to work with and I can’t say enough about them. We also had the opportunity to work with the talented Craig Mitchelldyerof Mitchelldyer Photography, who is credited with these beautiful photos that show some of the highlights of the day. Craig is also working on their wedding video which we’re excited to see once it’s complete! Jordan with Blum provided the gorgeous floral for the day and did a great job with both the ceremony and reception spaces. Kevin with NW Mobile DJ Service spun the tunes and kept the party alive…it’a always a great party when he’s on board. Amber with Le Cookie Monkey wowed the guests with her delectable mini desserts including petit fours, cupcakes, and tarts. Erin and Lance had their own mini chocolate cake to cut and share. Mmmm! Dwayne with Greenlight Creative set the tone of the evening with vibrant fuschia up-lighting at the entrance of the ceremony and around the dance floor. Simply stunning! Barclay Event Rentals provided the gorgeous satin linens in rich tones of fuschia and chocolate. Last but certainly not least, the memorable Roger Moore of Moore Creative Weddings officiated the ceremony. Roger makes each wedding so unique, taking the time to really get to know his couples. It’s always a pleasure working with him.