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Dahviya and Jeff at the Elysian Ballroom
Mike Piper – easily one of this area’s finest Wedding Coordinators / Planners (An Affair to Remember) – hosted the Dahviya Davis / Jeff Eriksson wedding & reception at his Elysian Ballroom in Downtown Portland. Mike guided the wedding party and families flawlessly throughout the day. Mike acquired the ballroom in 2012 and restored the entire space in his own classic style. The large auditorium/ballroom, ample bar/reception area and the spacious dressing rooms exhibit Victorian elegance with a modern touch. While I waited in the...
read moreCeremony Basics: The Rules
As in the rest of Nature, there are Natural Laws that govern weddings. These Rules are not arbitrary, nor were they set up by a committee of any sort. They evolved along with our species. – Rule #1: Nothing at a wedding happens quite on time or quite as planned. There is a happy corollary. Rule #1a: You will end up married and will have a good time anyway. Serendipity comes into play. Imagine a jigsaw puzzle, the pieces of which change shape as you’re assembling it. The changing pieces will make you a little nuts! But, in...
read morePhotography and Related Subjects: Before or After?
Formal Photographs: Before or After? – About thirty-five years ago, I began shooting weddings with a business partner who was an experienced wedding photographer. At the time, some studios were offering to do Formal Photographs of the wedding party and family before the ceremony instead of afterward. This was a new idea, and they were charging an additional fee, because it required that they arrive three hours earlier than normal. Dave and I opted NOT to charge more. Shooting ahead of the ceremony was much easier on the clients...
read moreDo-It-Yourself Weddings: Photography and Related Subjects
For the Ultimate Stressful Experience Part IV – The single most stressful thing you will do all day is the formal photography of your family and bridal party. For approximately an hour and a half, you will need all those folks in one place, ready to step up when called upon to feel a little bit dumb (See Rule #2), so they will look great in your pictures. Good luck with that! It is like herding cats. No one is there to work except for your photographer. People come to a wedding to have a good time, to see people they haven’t seen for a...
read moreSmall Disasters
Small Disasters “Disaster” is a subjective term. For one bride, if the color of her flowers is half a shade off, the whole day is utterly ruined. For another bride it would take a terrorist attack to ruin her wedding. I have seen just about everything there is to see at a wedding. Relatively few of those things will turn the day into a disaster. Many are endearing – or at least make for a good story afterward. Some, however, will detract significantly from the quality of the day. They are like a bad spot on...
read moreDo-It-Yourself Weddings: But Wait!! There’s More!!
Do-It-Yourself Weddings: But Wait!! There’s More!! For the Ultimate Stressful Experience – Part III There are gobbs of things an amateur cannot anticipate (Yes, gobbs! That is the technically correct term.), and as a result, amateurs often bite off more than they can chew. If you have an experienced guide, he/she can anticipate problems for you. With the advice of a competent planner, you can solve them, avoid them or take a smaller bite. More things will work better with guidance, but your stress level will still be very high. Not...
read moreDo-It-Yourself Weddings: Time & Timing
Do-It-Yourself Weddings: Time & Timing For the Ultimate Stressful Experience – Part II In my experience, the single most common cause of problems in any wedding – DIY or not – arises with regard to the time and timing for all parts of the day’s schedule. Knowing how much time each aspect of the day requires and, just as important, how much transition time is needed between things is critical to a smooth-flowing, stress-free day. The first thing you need to know is that everything requires more time than you think –...
read moreDo It Yourself Weddings – For the Ultimate Stressful Expeerience
With over 35 years in the wedding industry and approximately fifteen-hundred weddings under my belt, I have seen just about everything that can happen at a wedding – both good and bad. My purpose in writing the essays that follow is to encourage the good things and help you avoid the bad. Bear in mind that, even when a few things go awry (there is always something that does not go according to plan), nearly every couple still ends up married and has a good time. Stress can be a Wedding Killer. It can suck the Joy right out of your day....
read moreKaren Alger & Tony Fischer – The Troutdale House
Karen Alger & Tony Fischer The highlight of Tony’s and Karen’s wedding ceremony was none of the things you might normally expect. Don’t get me wrong. Everything was great! The Troutdale House was the perfect setting for this intimate wedding. Karen was a lovely bride (perfect gown and flowers, hair and make-up) and Tony was a handsome groom (perfectly fitted tux from Mr. Formal in Gresham and a great haircut!). Karen was especially pleased with Mr Formal’s customer service! The minister...
read moreHeather Parkhurst & Deryk Kernan – The Foundry at Oswego Point
Heather and Deryk are firm believers in keeping things simple and elegant. The Foundry at Oswego Point in Lake Oswego, their Venue of Choice, fit that philosophy perfectly. The floor plan of the ballroom is convenient for band/DJ and accessible for caterers and serving staff. There is plenty of parking, and access to the facility is easy for guests and vendors. There is the added bonus of two walls of windows that offer a gorgeous panoramic view of the Willamette River. A spacious deck runs around the ballroom, and another tier below...
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