So This is Bliss :: A Northwest Wedding Blog by Luxe Event Productions: August 2009

{Luxe Style} :: Inspiration Board :: Cinnamon, Acorn and Summer Grass

Earthy and organic; this board encompasses the beauty of a NW Indian summer…those last days of summer when grasses are a dry wheat color and cinnamon hues are converting even the greenest of leaves. Ahhh I love Autumn; there is a certain spice in the air that makes even the coolest of days feel warm. This Luxe Style is just that, warm and creamy with lush sepia, olive and even coppery tones for depth and added character.

Color: Cinnamon, Rust, Copper, Wheat and Olive Greens
Energy: Indian Summer; Earthy and Organic

Top: Cute acorn buttons from Etsy via Aimoobaroo; Perfect feather boutonnières from local Oregon vendor: Twigs and Honey; Men’s attire photo from OnceWed; Chiffon bridal gown from Etsy via SarahSeven.

Middle: Textile color palette from Martha Stewart Weddings and Copper topped acorn necklace from Etsy via NewFashionedWhispers; Acorn Stationary from Delphine Press called Yosimite-Acorns; Photo of hotel entry, of local Portland hotel, Hotel DeLuxe.

Bottom: Green wedding shoes photo from Stacey Bode Photography and mumm wreath from Martha Stewart Weddings; Flower cuff links from Etsy via Gurlygirl

{Love on Sunday Morning} :: By Red Leaf Studios

Red Leaf Studios seem to get all the drop-dead gorgeous brides. Haute for sure. Also there is something about "pink" brides that make most people Ooo and Awe. They are a breed of their own and I can say that because I was a Red and Black bride...very different. I like featuring Red Leaf on Sunday's because their work is so awe-inspiring that you somehow feel like you've jumped into their session and you are the one in love. They are so good.

Today's {Love on Sunday Morning} comes to us from Red Leaf Studios in Canada, one of my very very very favorite photographers. Take a lil' peek at these shots then head over to their blog to see more...Caliee, the bride is too stunning not to. {Enjoy.}

{Saturday Sleep-in Feature} :: To the Soon to Be Mr. & Mrs. Edris

Today we have a big wedding in North Plains at Hornings Hideout that will have me away all day. I am so excited. Wish us luck...and a sunny day ahead...

Photo by: Kimberly Kay Photohgraphy

Here is the inspiration board for their event. There colors are shades of purple and wine with white linens and bit of earth khaki and glass. We have mason jars by the hundreds and will use 4 per table and then hang them by 4' and 5' shepherds hooks to light the entire area. Plus we will be using hops to decorate their arbor and table tops. Wait until you see the pictures...I'll be sharing for you next week. YAY it's wedding day! Love these days...

{Luxe Style} :: Inspiration Board :: Chardonnay in the Valley :: Golds, Silvery Blues and Rustic Greens

This board is the first of our "2009 Harvest & Crush" series; since Oregon is known for it's Pinot Noir and other yummy wine regions I decided to go with the harvest flow and create a series of boards that represent the way NW folk wed in Oregon and Washington during and in NW wine country. This first one is a tribute to Oregon Chardonnay.

Colors: Golden warm tones of chardonnay, silvery light blues and rustic greens
Energy: Flowy, organic, earthy and a tiny bit country

Top: Basket of grapes found on Etsy via GoodmanCreative; Maids in silvery blue hued dresses, ivory table scape and perfect vineyard venue all from Wedding Channel.

Middle: Garden Urn used as beverage station from Woman's Day; Cheese from Brides; Hydrangeas from Wedding Channel.

Bottom: Chardonnay field from Oregon Wine Country; Groom and his men jumping and the cake on the far right all found on Wedding Channel; Kiss between Bride and Groom found on Runawaybrides.net

{Luxe Style} :: Inspiration Board :: Carnival Love :: Teal, Red, White

So many people have been talking about the County Fair lately that I had to create a board that was carnival inspired! For some reason I am stuck on the “teal” lately, not sure why. I do admit though I am a “Tiffany Blue” lover. Our master suite is painted in a “Tiffany” like color. It’s actually called “drizzle” –perfect for a NW bedroom color because it rains so dang much here. Nonetheless this board is F-U-N -popcorn, candy and homespun favorites. Pretty nostalgic I’d say.

Colors: Candy Red, Teal and Splashes of White, Yellow and Pinks
Energy: A screaming good time!

Top: Carnival Farris Wheel and Ticket Counter from a seriously awesome wedding created by Amorology Weddings, pictured on Green Wedding Shoes Photographed by Jamie Hammond. Fun and flirty cake from The Knot; Carmel corn popcorn wedding favor from Martha Stewart Weddings; Red Cadi from the Knot; Country red-head found on Hot Pink Petticoat.

Bottom: Ring Pop favor from Flickr; The absolutely fun and adorable couple Amorology got to work with on their carnival inspired backyard wedding from Amorology Weddings as well as the candy buffet and carnival tickets all from Amorology Weddings; Bright red wedding pom poms from the Knot.

{Real NW Wedding} :: Rustic and Charming with Pin Stripes:: Part II

Remember this couple? Her softness and his pin stripes?

Well…last Friday I was supposed to show you more from their wedding we featured shot by Soul Mates Photography and I am so bad! Something came up and I forgot to push “publish”! Damn it, I am so sorry…because this wedding was so beautiful and the photos too precious for words. Melissa of Soul Mates Photo always out does herself and as one of our {Luxe NW 7} it doesn’t surprise me…so my deepest, sincerest apologies. Without further adieu…Rene & Eric, married!

This NW summer day was a hot one! Those lil' umbrellas were a great idea as it was so hot the bridal party went shoeless.

Deep navy hues added the perfect palette of contrast to their photos, the dry summer grasses in the backdrop really added color, charm and contrast to this shot. Cotton and casual whites with navy...one of my faves! They also added chocolate brown and khaki into this mix and really rounded out the palette with hints of green in the decor and linens.

The best part is that the groom's suit is brown, original and another great choice for this rustic affair.

The venue: The Mt. Hood B&B -just adore this place, look at the evening glow. This B&B is one of the most charming places to wed in Oregon. If you want a NW rustic wedding look no further, the Mt. Hood B&B is your best bet. The draping of linens, the breezy feeling, the wooden frame...all perfect elements for a casual, charming, rustic and organic affair.

No fancy cake at this wedding, just good ole' pie. The groom is not a cake fan...so pie it was.

There are many more to see but you'll have to visit Melissa's blog. We couldn't be happier to have Melissa of Soul Mates Photography as one of our {Luxe NW 7} she seems to get all the best NW weddings...thanks Melissa -BiG Smiles and HUGS for you!

{Real NW Wedding} :: Classic, Glitzy and Elegant :: By Sara Gray Photography

When we decided to feature only 7 NW photographers we knew we had to find young and fresh NW talent. We weren’t interested in the seasoned and often time “jaded”. Which is why when I met the lovely Sara Gray I knew it would be a good fit. This woman has her eye on the prize and her dedication and passion for her work shows in every photo. One glass of bubbly and an hour of great conversation later she and I agreed she would become of our {Luxe NW 7} so it is always with pleasure that I get to share her wedding photo sessions with you.

Today’s wedding was shot in Olympia, Washington and is designed with one of my favorite colors, aqua, as if you couldn’t tell lately with the slough of {Luxe Style} inspiration boards I’ve been creating. Jodi and Jeremy’s wedding is picture perfect, in the sense that it is a beautiful display of “classic elegance”. I like when brides stay true to the "classic" wedding, don't get me wrong I love the "offbeat" too, very much but Jodi and Jeremy kept it simple, elegant and classic. Married in Olympia Jodi added little touches of "Bling" to everything. Look at this cake below. Love it! I am one of those that gets distracted by shiny things on the regular. But this cake "takes the cake", absolutely stunning. And I bet those lilies made the whole event smell heavenly.

From Sara Gray: The gorgeous flowers were done by Lena Shedd from Newbury Bay in Olympia.

And then they were man and wife! Their ceremony was short and sweet, and their vows meaningful — and then they danced their way back up the aisle (wedding party in tow) to MC Hammer’s “Can’t Touch This.” It was surprise to everyone but the wedding party!

One of the things I love the most about with wedding was that the bride wore three different pairs of shoes throughout the day. Love high maintenance brides. Love'm!

Jodi even got a great steal on some bling'd out cameras for her glitzy affair. Now I want one! Maybe she'll share where she got them? Also little sparkly touches in the floral added he right amount of elegance to the event without making it seem gaudy or overboard.

You'll want to see the rest of this beautiful wedding so just visit Sara's blog. Thank you Sara for sharing with us today and for always putting all you've got into your photos; we are so proud to have you in our network.

...And Jodi & Jeremy, your wedding was a beauty. You actually married on my one year anniversary so needless to day I'd say you picked the perfect date! Enjoy this time together and we wish you all the bliss your hearts can hold.

{Enjoy.}

{Luxe Style} :: Inspiration Board :: Summer Fete in Orange, Aqua and Fuchsia

Bright, cheery and fun, fun, fun! Brides and Grooms that choose these colors always inspire me as I used deep dark colors and everything in my wedding was black with pops of passionate ruby. So with that said, colors that evoke a jovial and whimsical day make me happy and today’s Luxe Style is just that, Happy Fete! Casual and tropical, orange sunsets and splashes of jewel pinks and watery aqua make this inspiration board oh so fun. I think my favorite part is the bride’s suggested cream sickle heels and that the maids wear different colored jewel tone summer dresses.

Colors: Blood Orange, Aqua and Fuchsia
Energy: Sun drenched, carefree and breezy

Top: Bridesmaid necklace gift from Etsy. Reception décor from Better Home and Garden, butterflies from Etsy via ClearCutCrafts2007; blood orange tablescape from Better Home and Garden; Bride and her groom from OnceWed.

Middle: Aqua banned white celebration cake from Wedding Channel; custom coasters from Etsy via MrsDsthal; reception chair décor from Better Home and Garden; adorable lil’ one in tutu from Etsy via LexiLouDesignULove; Colorful custom orange and aqua invites from Etsy from DecadentDesigns and hottie jewel town bridesmaids in colorful dresses from Wedding Channel.

Bottom: Groom and his men from Wedding Channel and bride’s suggested clutch from Etsy via RedRubyRose; Custom embellishment on paper from Etsy via StephaineFizer

{Bridal Fashion Shoot} :: Soft and Pretty Elegance on Portland's Waterfront :: By Kim + Phil Photography

It's always a pleasure to share with you new photo shoots from talented people. Today's bridal fashion inspiration came to our lil' ole mail box from Portland Wedding Photographers, Kim & Phil Photography. This whole session shows just how many fun options Portland's Riverplace can offer.

Much like the E-session that was posted on Saturday from Soul Mates Photography. I like Kim and Phil's approach to their photos, they are soft and clean and seem to bring a real elegance to the session. Beautiful light and great DOF; thank you so much Kim and Phil for sharing we look forward to sharing more in the weeks to come.

Ahh, I dig this session, the sand, the boats, the city and water all make for a inspiration filled shoot. Here's what Kim and Phil had to say about their day with bride, Alana.

"We got to work with Alana again a few days ago and it was so amazing! We did a bridal portrait shoot at the Riverplace in downtown Portland. Alana’s mom suggested this place and she just so happened to work right across the street from it too! Alana was sooo beautiful in her wedding dress! Random strangers were complimenting her the whole time. It was such a fun shoot! We got to go down to the docks, stand on a barge, a kind stranger let us use his boat, walk along the Riverplace, use ice cream as a prop, go to a cute garden and upstage a wedding rehearsal, use a rickshaw, and finally end at her mom’s work lobby. We got some really great pictures from those locations. Phil and I loved all the different looks. We’re so excited to show you these fabulous pictures! Enjoy!" Kim + Phil