Oregon - DIY Bride

Jennie + Morgan’s Great Outdoors Engagement Session

Jennie + Morgan share a mutual love for the great outdoors, so it’s a no-brainer that when it comes time to do their engagement shoot, they chose Clear Lake in Oregon, as it is one of the places they love to hike. One of the coolest part of their engagement shoot by Simply Kissed Photography is that apparently, they brought their own “engagement canoe” for the shoot. I can’t wait to share with all you awesome readers this all-American, great outdoors engagement shoot!

Photographer: Simply Kissed Photography//Shoot Date:05.18.2013//Other Location:Clear Lake State Park//Submitted via Two Bright Lights

Andrea + Nate’s Fun Vintage Wedding

Happy Turkey Day Crafties! We hope you all had a wonderful holiday! Today’s wedding from June Lion is a wonderfully whimsical wedding that just so happened to share my exact wedding date and a similar story. That story goes something like: “First comes love, then comes baby, then comes marriage.” So maybe that’s not exactly how it goes, but since we are all about celebrating the things you’re thankful for this week- I obviously clicked with Andrea + Nate because who couldn’t be thankful to have their most beloved family members around them on the biggest day of their life, right?

Graphic designer Andrea certainly didn’t disappoint with her crafting prowess. From the invites to the paper flower bouquets with yarn pom touches every little detail of this wedding was a perfect bonanza filled with cap guns and water balloon cannons and a camping and a homey-vintage vibe, this wedding is nothing short fabulous! Guests fired off cap guns every time the couple kissed and shot water balloons over a hedge (and some passers by).

Thanks so much June Lion for sharing this sweet soiree. Congratulations Andrea, Nate and baby Oliver! We hope you’ll have many happy years as a family and are thankful that you shared your day with us!

Vendor Information:

Date: July 28, 2012

Location: United States

Photographer: June Lion

Caterer: Boneshakin BBQ

Event Coordinator: Bash Events

Makeup: The Prettiest You

Submitted via Two Bright Lights

Jessica + Tom’s Elegant Outdoor Wedding

I mean seriously!? This wedding is just a little bit of everything perfect that you wish for in a wedding. A little tradition- a white and a red dress for luck. Check! A little style- how ’bout some mismatched groomsmen? Check! Some sophistication, mixed with a hair of rugged outdoorsy feeling. Check! Some simple and modern elegance plus a little laid back fun. (read the signs for a good laugh) Double Check! You going to love the gallery that Bryan Rupp Photography has created that captures a glimpse of how one couple just gets all that needs to go into a wedding and marriage.

One thousand paper cranes is sometimes believed to grant a wish to the completer of the task. In this case, Jessica and Tom may have wished for just a little more time. Jess let us in on their plan to fold the cranes in batches over their two year engagement. A little procrastination later (like the night before the wedding) Tom had to stay up late to complete the last 200. Go Tom for DIY’ing to the bitter end!

When Jessica told me that Tom had designed and hand printed all of the stationery and paper products and that she hand sealed each envelope with the traditional Chinese wedding symbol of “double happiness,” it pretty much “sealed” the deal that this was going to be a phenomenal wedding. The kind of artistry it takes to feature your own watercolor and ink drawings, and fold 1000 paper cranes, and carve the figurines adorning the cake- you just know there will be nothing less to capture but pure pretty. But purely pretty is too much too modest for this amazing bash at Bridal Veil Lakes. All of the traditional but modern, rustic yet elegant, great outdoors but perfectly intimate details of this affair was brilliantly captured by Bryan Rupp Photography. We can’t thank you enough for sharing this day with us Bryan Rupp. And a thousand years of happiness to Jessica and Tom! Congratulations!

Vendor Information:

Photographer: Bryan Rupp Photography

Caterer: Simpatica Catering

Event Planner: Champagne NW

Floral Designer: Petalos

Reception Venue: Bridal Veil Lakes

Cinema and Video: Shields Films

Submitted via Two Bright Lights

Kelsey + Adam’s Rural Farm to Fork Wedding

As our DIY dress journey continues, I thought another example of a handmade gown would be inspirational this week. When I stumbled across Kelsey’s decision to wear her mother 1979 gown, I thought I found a something good. What I landed on was a fantabulous farm to fork, eco-friendly, and purely handmade wonder! A big thanks to Jessica Watson Photography who captures every up-cycled, re-purposed, and thrifted goody of this gorgeous day.

From the bride:

I knew I wear my mother’s dress from her 1979 marriage to my father– but I knew it needed work. So I took the ruffled train off and found a vintage dress gal to help me with the rest. I then found a $50 lace tablecloth on Etsy that, over the course of the summer, we were able to revamp to make into the top straps and train of my dress. I made my veil from supplies found on Etsy and made my fascinator from scraps of fabric from the dress, some old lace from a family friend, and a hanky of my grandmother’s.

Don’t you love Kelsey’s modern vintage gown! That wasn’t the only thing upcycled and handcrafted. Adam proved that partners are claiming their fair share of DIY wedding planning building the reclaimed wood ceremony backdrop and even brewing the beer himself! The hops in the bouts were grown in their garden as the potted herb favors were grown in their basement. Food and flowers were locally sourced making this a lovely earth conscious event. (Ummmm. I think I have a new favorite wedding tradition of cutting the pizza, by the way.) Lastly, adding in a vintage vibe were the fabulous thrift shop finds like the antique fire truck, (on loan from fellow antiquer Dad) the linens, and mismatched table ware.

There is just so much DIY beauty in this wedding that thanks to Jessica Watson Photography, you simply must indulge in the gallery for a while. Congratulations Kelsey and Adam!

Vendor Information:

Photographer: Jessica Watson Photography

Event Venue: Kraxberger Farm

Submitted via Two Bright Lights

Jessica + Jeff’s Timeless Rustic Wedding

We have a BEEEEAUUUTIFUL Summer wedding to feature today, courtesy of Paul Rich Studio. I love their “time” theme – executed with antique watches, clocks, and clock parts. The groom’s clock/gear/charm/wheat boutonniere can only be described as a thing of beauty. Seriously – all the vintage clock details in this wedding bring a tear to my DIY eye.

And, HOLY WEDDING PARTY, BATMAN. I counted 19 groomsmen and 13 bridesmaids – that’s bigger than some people’s entire weddings. Jessica and Jeff are obviously well loved. And judging by the smashing party they threw (that included custom made-to-order pizzas!!!), I can see why.

From the photographer, Paul Rich: “Jessica & Jeff hand-crafted and designed nearly every single detail to their wedding day. They incorporated the element of time into their wedding theme with antique clocks and clock parts used throughout the day from reception centerpieces to bouquets and boutonnieres.”

“Jeff and his father custom built a chuppah for the ceremony as well as a door frame to hang portraits of deceased loved ones. The door frame also acted as an area for the wedding party to gather behind in an open field without being seen by the guests (especially the bride). It made for a very dramatic entrance.”

“There were a tremendous amount of details throughout the wedding with the bride designating two friends to meticulously execute the vision for her day.”

Congrats Jessica and Jeff!

DETAILS:
Photographer: Paul Rich Studio
Event Venue: Victorian Acres
Hair Stylist: Julie Senders at The National Beauty
Caterer: Girasole Wood Fired Cafe, My Bartender

Submitted via Two Bright Lights

Tiffani + Adam

Charming and sweet is how I would describe today’s Real Wedding. Tiffani and Adam had a wonderful outdoor wedding, and built their day from the ground up. The couple created and collected all the decor for the tables, a friend catered the entire shindig, and Adam and Tiffani crafted their own wedding rings.

DETAILS

Location: Bridal Veil, OR

Photography: Jessie Mary Photography

Venue: Bridal Veil Lakes

Natalie + Kevin

I have been so excited to feature this wedding since Emily from emily g photography submitted it last year. It was accompanied with a lovely email from the bride in which Natalie explained, “The feel and cadence of our wedding was crafted to reflect our mutual appreciation for the beauty and bounty of the Northwest as well as our personal passion in life. I believe that to achieve a truly personal wedding your passions are always the best place to start, as well as the obvious solid partnership with your future spouse.”

I’m big on extolling the virtues of infusing your personality in the details of your wedding, and Natalie truly hit it on the head. If you stay true to yourself and your future husband, you can’t go wrong. Natalie and Kevin did a lot of legwork to select vendors that felt like family, and everything else was created by the couple, their friends, and family – invitations, flowers, and decor. Natalie even made her own dress!

DETAILS

Location: Corbett, OR

Photography: emily g photography

Venue: Bridal Veil Lakes

Event Coordinator: Muse – Weddings and Events

Wedding Bands: Maloy’s Jewelry Workshop

Groom’s Suit: J. Crew

Caterer: Sassafras Catering

Cake Designer: Papa Haydn

Hair Stylist: Katie Reynolds

Musicians: Pete Krebs Trio

Rentals: Peter Corvallis Productions

Julia + Ryan

Before I get to the wedding of Julia and Ryan, I want to nudge everyone to go out today to your local bookstore and purchase The DIY Bride An Affair to Remember: 40 Fantastic Projects to Celebrate Your Unique Wedding Style. It’s Khris’s third book, and it is wonderful. When I began planning my own wedding in 2010, I relied heavily on the DIY Bride books as well as the website – they are truly indispensable. Real Weddings posting is actually a bit late today because I was at Powell’s Books this morning at 9 am when they opened so I could be the first to snag the book and devour all its new projects and ideas. Go go go!

I am so excited to feature this wedding for a few reasons. First, Julia and Ryan were married in Oregon and I love seeing weddings submitted to us from my home state – we Oregon brides do rock the rainy weddings with style. Second, they used orange as one of their colors and since it has been predicted to be a popular color this year, this wedding is a fine example of how to incorporate what can be a difficult color in a sophisticated, chic way. And finally, I love the simple and understatedly modern direction Julia and Ryan took with their wedding. It’s very clean, crisp, colorful, and all about highlighting their love and the spirit of the day.

DETAILS

Location: Oregon

Photography: Sara Gray Photography

Cake: Lamb’s Thriftway

Brooke + Galen

On my first official day as the Real Weddings intern, I wanted to showcase a beautiful wedding from my home state of Oregon. In the words of photographer Sara Gray, “Brooke and Galen decided to do things a little differently – they went to a covered bridge they loved in college and exchanged vows in front of family and friends at this simple elopement ceremony.”

The bride and groom were married in front of the Goodpasture Bridge in Eugene. It is one of the longest covered bridges in Oregon, as well as one of the oldest at 73 years old. After the vows, they toasted their new marriage with their party of eight. What I adore about this wedding is the love that jumps off the page. This wedding feels so organic, rich, and full of happiness. Which is what weddings are all about. Enjoy.

DETAILS

Photographer: Sara Gray Photography

Venue: Goodpasture Bridge

Location: Eugene, OR

Jessica + Evan

While DIY for most of us means creating invitations and decoration. For Jessica and Evan, do-it-yourself meant transforming Jessica’s parents property into their venue.

In the words of photographer Anne Nunn:

Jessica and Evan’s wedding took place on her parent’s property near a wetland area in Oregon. She showed us the property 6 months before the wedding and it was not even close to being ready for a ceremony. She shared with us their plans of how they are going to make it ready, and I couldn’t help but get excited! I knew it was going to be beautiful! That was an understatement!

They had cleared paths so the guests could walk through the picturesque property while signing the guest book, getting their picture taken by an old oak tree, and choosing their ball jar that had been decorated with their wedding date to fill with water or wine to drink during the ceremony. They family had perfectly placed the ceremony location underneath two large trees and built a simple platform as a place to exchange wedding vows.

The ceremony took place at a time when the sun was setting behind the trees, making it the most beautiful setting. The family also built all of the open buildings for the cake and for the guests seating. And then added draped, flowing fabric to cover the buildings. One of the family members arranged the bouquets and purchased potted plants for the tables, and she did a marvelous job! They left trees and added more native plants to the reception and ceremony area so they could hang lanterns and candles; making every detail perfect throughout the wedding day.

Details:

Jessica Minniti & Evan Scarola
October 02, 2010
Oregon, United States

Photographer: Anne Nunn Photographers
Reception Venue: Private Residence
Dress Store: Blush Bridal Salon
Dress Designer: Allure Bridals
Cake Designer: Leda Hermecz