The Venue
The first and biggest decision of any wedding is the venue. Hands down, what venue you choose will shape the rest of the event. It will also, most likely, be the costliest. So when choosing and touring venues in your area, make sure to keep this in mind.
For Karl and I, this decision was surprisingly the easiest. We had always told each other that if we were to get married, in the prospective future at that point, that we would want to get married at Edgefield. McMenamins Edgefield is a beautiful property about a half hour outside of Portland in Troutdale, OR, also known as the gateway to the Columbia Gorge. It is a fantastic location and if you'd like to check it out, click here. They had a few different places to hold the ceremony & reception, and we decided to go with Blackberry Hall as it suited our needs the best.
The nice thing about Edgefield is that it was a package deal. Food & drink were all we paid for, the venue cost being included as long as we met the minimum cost of the room. We invited 220 guests, planned for 150, but ended up with around 120 the day of. The grounds are BEAUTIFUL. And guests can stay at the old hotel steps away from your venue. Edgefield was originally an old poor farm and you can literally feel the history and eclectic vibes when you are there. I would urge anyone anyone in the Portland area who has not been to check it out by going to one of the 5(!) restaurants on the grounds or go for a dip in the heated salt water pool.
The Dress
As a bride, this was probably the second most important element for me. It defines so much of your experience, the style of the wedding, not to mention the millions of pictures you are in! I kind of ran into my dress by accident and I don't think I would have had it any other way. Almost a year before the wedding Karl, myself & my in-laws went to Seattle for labor day and stayed at a downtown hotel. By chance, we walked by a gorgeous store that had wedding dresses called Luly Yang so I decided to go in and start the process of seeing what looked good on me (you can check them out here). And let me tell you, I tried EVERYTHING. Silky sheaths, ball gowns, empire waist, tulle, etc. etc. Some looked surprisingly good, but just weren't my style. And some, even though they were beautiful, looked horrible on my body type. But one of them... one of them was magic! AND it was on sale. The last one of its kind. After taking a night to sleep on it (because I never planned on loving a dress that quickly), I returned to buy it the next day!
The final product:
I loved the vintage feel, the off-white lace, the way it fit my curves, the semi-cathedral train. It felt modest but not stuffy. The only details that were added to finish off my look were the baby blue sash that matched Karl's tie, a vintage greek sapphire necklace that I borrowed from my mother-in-law Gwen, a lace trimmed fingertip veil, and crystal flower gauges. Not used to walking in high heels, I just choose a sensible nude pump that was comfortable enough to dance in.
Here is some more shameless wedding dress porn:
I know the bride is supposed to be the center of attention, but Karl didn't look to shabby himself. He had a light gray tailored suit from Mario's, slim fit, with a light blue tie, brown belt, and brown Italian made shoes. We opted to by all the above mentioned items as opposed to rent so that they could be tailored perfectly and Karl would have a sharp suit for later use!
The Wedding Party
What is more important than what the Bride and Groom are wearing? What those jokers who stand up next to you are! I think how a wedding party looks can really have an impact on pictures, not to mention that who you choose can really shape your experience.
I choose my four best friends from high school and my younger sister for my bridesmaids. I couldn't have asked for better people to have in my life. For their dresses, I didn't want them to perfectly match, and I wanted to be sensitive to everyone's budgets and body types so I let them choose their own. It really worked well since everyone lived in different locations, from Portland, to Texas, to Connecticut, to China! The only guideline I gave them was that it needed to be a shade of purple and mid-thigh (at least) length.
This was the result:
I thought the overall look turned out fantastic. The dresses also brought out each of their personalities and gave a more low-key look to the wedding party. No stress and a dress they could wear later were added bonuses!
The look for Karl's groomsmen was much in the same vein. They just needed to buy a white shirt, a grey shade of suit pants, and their groomsmen gift was a pair of suspenders and a matching tie.
Karl's groomsmen were my brother, his brother, and two close male cousins.
Stay tuned for Part 2!
xoxo Kevlyn
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