A man from England met a woman from America while hiking in Scotland. They fell in love and decided to get married in a gorgeous, travel-themed Oregon wedding. She wore white, and he wore a kilt. Lauren Brooks was there to document the special nuptials, which Blush Bridal Consultation Group had planned and executed to a T. Sounds like a fairytale, right? This wedding is chock-full with oodles of our favorite kinds of details – sweet, meaningful, and unique. And there are even more of those noteworthy details over at Lauren’s blog, so journey over there next!

Want more of this fabulous wedding? Focal Point Video sent over the trailer!

Click here for the gallery.

We wanted a casually elegant wedding that incorporated elements from Charles’ Scottish heritage, including a bagpiper, a handfasting ceremony during the wedding ceremony and a sip from the MacGregor quaich to seal the marriage. Sandy Shipley, our officiant, was very accommodating to all our requests. We went with the travel motif because not only did our relationship span the globe, but so did our guest list. Compasses, globes, postcards and maps were a few of our favorite details.

We felt so blessed to have perfect weather, friends from all over the world there with us, and wonderful vendors that worked seamlessly behind the scenes to create a truly magical day for us. I relied so heavily on my wedding planner, Amy of Blush Bridal. She was like a member of my family after all was said and done. She helped us create our dream wedding by listening to us tell our stories and weaving it all together into our special weekend.

I didn’t want to take away from the beautiful vineyard and venue so I opted for a natural palate of greens, browns and creams with the pop of purple. Our amazing florist, Adria from Lavish Floral, did a great job of incorporating my eclectic floral wish list into the understated elegance of the ceremony and reception.  I was able to take several hydrangeas and rose bushes home and plant them in our yard as another way to remember our wedding day.  And remember it, I always will!

Wedding Consultant: Amy Nuttman, Blush Bridal Consultation Group / Flowers: Lavish Floral / Reception Site: Youngberg Hill Vineyards and Inn / Ceremony Site: Youngberg Hill Vineyards and Inn / Wedding Gown: Amy Kuschel / Cake: Dream Cakes / Caterer: Café Uncorked / Photographer: Lauren Brooks Photography / Ceremony & Cocktail Hour Music: Effesenden Music / Entertainment: The Groove / Makeup: Nicole Wagner / Cinematography: Focal Point Video / Officiant: Sandy Shipley / Rental: Westcoast Event Productions / Invitations: Silver Leaf Designs / Wedding Accessories: Green Diva / Calligraphy: Alesia Zorn Calligraphy

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

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

Thank you so much to everyone involved in this fabulous day.  We wish Erin, Lance and Mason a wonderful life together as a new family!

Come out and visit us at the BeckenRidge Vineyard Open House in Dallas this coming Sunday, April 3rd from 11:am to 3:30pm.  This is a beautiful venue tucked away in the Willamette Valley and one you must see!  Join us for a fun afternoon in wine country as you plan your big day, meet some fantastic professionals and enjoy a breath-taking view.  Admission is free so we hope to see you there!

Blush is excited to announce that we’ve partnered with the Make-A-Wish Foundation® of Oregon to support their mission to grant wishes to children suffering from life-threatening medical conditions to enrich the human experience with hope, strength and joy.  We will donate 5% of each coordination package that we book in 2011 to the organization with a minimum donation of $1000.  Having worked as an intern with the Make-A-Wish Foundation ® of Oregon shortly after graduate school, as an active Wish Granter in the community, and most importantly a parent, this organization is very close to my heart.  I am thrilled that through our work at Blush we are able to support and give back to such a wonderful foundation as we help children share the power of a wish®  For more information on the Make-A-Wish Foundation® of Oregon please visit their website at www.orwish.org 

Cheers,

Amy & Blush Team