Having their wedding in the Colombia Gorge was an easy decision for Alea and Andy!  Andy’s family has had a lake house there for fifty years and they were thrilled to have this excuse to share this special part of the world that was so near and dear to their hearts with their family and friends.  They landed on a Rehearsal Dinner at their family’s lake club, followed by a morning triathlon before the wedding at Wauna lake (a yearly tradition every 4th of July for them), and the wedding ceremony and reception at the beautiful Skamania Lodge. 

The weekend before the wedding, the Eagle Creek Fire broke out in the Colombia Gorge.  After a couple days of closely watching the fire, once the fire started to jump the Colombia River to the other side, we all knew that it was going to be best to relocate.  Even if Skamania Lodge and Wauna Lake stayed unaffected, the level of smoke in the area was too much to bear!  Fearlessly we all accepted the reality and began making other plans.  After many phone calls and emails, Andy stumbled on The Croft Farm online.  They happened to have the weekend available and very graciously embraced hosting the wedding. 

It was a whirlwind of a few days, but we successfully were able to find a new caterer, florist, transportation, hotel guest lodging, rework the rentals and layout, and update all other vendor logistics.  It was a huge team effort, and everyone jumped in.  There was a shuttle team working on the shuttle plan, a hotel team working on locking in last minute room blocks in Portland and calling guests to get them taken care of.  It was truly a remarkable experience to be a part of… amidst a time of devastation, vendors, guests, bridal party members and family all went out of their way to help and worked together and making it happen!  A groomsman was even able to surprise Alea and Andy with a re-organizing the Triathlon in Portland to mimic the one they were supposed to have at Wauna Lake- kayak rentals and all!  Everything was falling into place and felt like it was all meant to be.

The weather miss-haps were not over, however.  The morning of their wedding day, out of nowhere, showers came into the forecast.  We were too far into the install to bring in a tent, so we moved forward with best wishes, with the back-up plan of all squeezing into the small dancing barn if need be for dinner.  The weather held through the outdoor ceremony, and right at the end of cocktail hour the skies opened up and we had a complete downpour!  We had to scramble to break down the reception and save what we could from the rain.  The plated dinner was quickly transitioned to buffet and guests squeezed together in the barn at as many tables as we could possibly get inside. 

Needless to say, Alea and Andy went through both Fire AND Rain on their wedding day!!  And I have to say, they never once lost their positive attitudes and smiles. 

Don’t worry though, this story does have a happy ending!  The amount of love that was in that small cozy barn that evening was felt by ALL.  Every detail from the amazing food from Chefstable, to the jars of candy brought out later in the evening, to the late-night pizza that was delivered at the end of the night.  Every touch was even that much more appreciated by guests. 

And need I mention, thanks to Jesse of Event Team Entertainment, they had the BEST dance dance party I have ever seen.  They partied until 12am! 

At the end of the day, this experience really showed what was important in a wedding celebration.  It’s not all of the perfect design details, it is celebrating your love and creating beautiful memories with your family and friends that makes the day the most memorable.

 And last but not least, here is a highlight film from the very talented Moving Pictures!

XO,

Whitney

Vendor Team

Wedding Planning + Design: Whitney Werts & Company

Photographer: Kim Smith MIller

Venue: The Croft Farm

Caterer : CHEFSTABLE

Rentals + Lighting: West Coast Event Productions

Linen Rentals: La Tavola Fine Linen Rentals

Videographer : Moving Pictures

Flowers : BLUM

Dessert : Baker and Spice

Gown: Amsale

Hair & Makeup: Cassandra Kennedy

Groom’s Suit: Tailor’s Keep in San Francisco

Bridesmaids dresses: Joanna August

Ties: The Tie Bar

Music/Entertainment: DJ Jesse from Event Team Entertainment

Transportation for Self and/or Guests: Eco Shuttle and First Student

Paper Design + Details : The Tie that Binds

We are honored to be featured in the Best of 2018 Oregon Bride Magazine.  There is nothing more rewarding then having your work featured in such a highly regarded publication.  We put so much love and thought into our weddings, and I just can't imagine anything better then seeing them in print.  Thank you Oregon Bride!

Will and Rachelle came to me with a pretty clear vision of how they wanted their wedding to look and feel.  They knew they wanted the day to have a bit of a moody vibe with rich hues of oranges, reds, and black.  We then added in hints of blush, and cement to add some softness.  The result?!  Such a refreshing and gorgeous design that was a true reflection of their style and personalities.

Swoon Floral Design did an incredible job on their florals and really brought their color pallet to life.  We did a mix of oval cement containers on the banquet tables and cement urns on the rounds.  She also incorporated black pillar candles into the head table, and a mix of amber votives which helped bring bring color interest throughout the tablescape.

Classic Vintage Rentals provided the farm tables, lounge furniture, and moody black flatware!  And we ordered Charcoal Grey Velvet table linens and runners for their dining tables.

A fun design detail we incorporated was using black acrylic for their signage and their table numbers.  Their escort board in particular was a huge self standing black acrylic board designed be See Level Design Co. with white vinyl, that made a statement and helped guests find their table assignments during cocktail hour!  

Food was an important component to them as well.  Chefstable served a beautiful dinner which was a mix of plated and family style dining.  They had finger desserts to accompany their wedding cake, and they also surprised their guests with Chicken & Waffles as a late night snack- Yum!  Their cement styled wedding cake was created by the talented Dream Cakes!

Their group was on the smaller side for the lofty open space at Castaway, so in order to make the reception feel cozier we draped off the ceremony corner with a beautiful grey velvet fabric which created a really warm and cozy ambiance for their intimate group of 90 guests.  The newlyweds and their family and friends danced the night away under the twinkle lights at castaway!  It was a very memorable night, and definitely a highlight of my 2017 season!

XO,
Whitney

Vendor Team

Photographer: Bryan Rupp Photography

Planning + Design: Whitney Werts & Company

Florist: Swoon Floral Design

Venue: Castawy Portland

Signage: See Level Design Co.

Bridal Gown: Adrianna Papell

Cake: Dream Cakes

Caterer: Chefstable

Event Rentals: West Coast Event Production, Classic Vintage Rentals, and La Tavola Fine Linen Rentals

Hair and Makeup: Portland Makeup and Hair

Music + Entertainment: John Ross Music and Production

Last September, we could have never anticipated the unfortunate event of The Eagle Creek Fire that affected miles of the Columbia River Gorge including Wind Mountain Ranch in Stevenson, WA.

Stephanie + Brian tied the knot two weeks after the fire started. Leading up to that September 16 date definitely made for a unique planning and communication experience, which I feel grateful to have worked with such a professional and stellar vendor team.

One special callout I want to make is to Molly, vendor coordinator at Wind Mountain Ranch, who went above and beyond providing daily photo updates to me and the couple as we worked through the stages of smoke, fire, and road closures. As you can see, the grounds looked amazing and the smoke (and fire at times) created a memorable backdrop at a one-of-a-kind venue located in the Gorge.

The words to describe Stephanie + Brian’s special day also reflect everything they stand for and represent as a couple: joyous, positive, understanding and loving.

As I reflect on this wedding, it puts all things planning into perspective and makes me appreciate the community we work in every day.

XO
Meghan

Vendor Team

Venue: Gorge-ous Weddings at Wind Mountain Ranch 
Photography: Ashley |  Powers Studio 
Floral Design: Artistic Flowers
Catering: White Pepper PDX
Music:  Event Team Entertainment
Hair + Makeup: ECHO NATURAL BEAUTY
Cake: Lamb’s Market
Rentals: The Party Place
Signage: Hey Halle
Linens: LaTavola Fine Linen

We are getting very close and have been very busy the past three months as we are under two months away from the big day!

Most of the wedding details and planning are set in stone and I would love to reflect and share some tips and learnings from our decisions along the way.

Know your Guests: It is definitely possible, depending on the size of your wedding, that you and/or your fiancé don’t know every single guest. The hope is to know the general vibe when the majority of your guests are altogether. We made a few choices knowing our friends were priority when creating our invite list. This is also important information to share with your planner to set expectations.

Open bar, cash bar or both: Catering, venue and budget will all be factors when deciding how you will keep your guests’ glasses full. There are no official rules of how to handle the bar and there are lots of appropriate options. We decided to go with hosted beer and wine and a cash bar to give our guests options while still maintaining within our budget.

Inspiration Photo: Styled Shoot with WW&Co and Ashley Cook Photography

Design Recommendations: When prioritizing what design elements fit into your aesthetic and budget, two recommendations I have: consider linens and don’t be afraid to incorporate things you love! Linens help bring a space together and also add color, depth and pattern especially in a larger venue space, like ours at the Oregon Golf Club. The addition of quality linens creates a polished and finished look to any event. I will admit I love balloons, especially letter balloons! I am sure I will look back 20 years from now and say “what was I thinking?!” but this décor item is one I am truly looking forward to (and can’t wait to share the final result!)

Now to some fun stuff!

Week-of Plans: Scott and I have decided to plan a few social activities the week-of the wedding for our bridal party, family and friends local and out of town to ensure we will take full advantage of this special time in our lives. Although, the week leading up can be stressful and busy, in some ways, having a schedule of things we want to do will help keep us in the moment and worry less about the big day.  This is also where having a wedding planner comes in handy!  Having someone experienced to execute your vision, at least starting the month-of, allows you to let go of the logistics and just be in the moment with your family and friends.

Looking forward to sharing my post wedding blog so stay tuned and be sure to follow @whitneywertsandco to see the behind the scenes.

XOXO
Meghan

Congratulations on your engagement!!  This is such an exciting time.  A new chapter is about to begin.  Now what? Often times when the adrenaline rush of this new adventure settles, the overwhelming feeling of next steps takes over.  Know that you are not alone! Take a deep breath and enjoy the moment.

Photo: Jen Schmidt Photography

Finding a venue is the first major decision in the planning process. This sets the tone for your entire wedding.  It sets your wedding date (which makes it feel very real). It is also one of the first major deposits you send out (which can also be overwhelming as a lot of wedding costs provide some sticker shock).  Once this decision is made, it does feel like the other major decisions begin to fall into place. We want to help you make that first major step in the planning process a little less overwhelming, so we’ve described the venue search process step-by-step.

Step 1: Setting the Tone for Your Wedding

The first thing you want to do is have a conversation with your fiancé(e) about what you want your wedding to be.  
     -Do you want an intimate gathering of a handful of family and friends or an all out bash with a few hundred people?
     -What type of setting do you envision for your day?
     -What are your must have’s for the day?  
          (Full bar? Band? Unique dining experience?)
     -What time of year do you want to tie the know?  Is this flexible?
          If you are wanting a summer wedding, are you open to any of the summer months or
          only wanting July? This will be one of the first questions a venue manager will ask you.

This doesn’t have to be a detailed vision, just a general sense of the feel you want created on the your day.  This will guide you in the venue selection process.

Step 2: The Budget Conversation

While this part is not the most fun part of planning, this is a conversation that needs to be had so you are both on the same page moving forward.  

The venue you select is also a major factor in setting your budget.  While some venues are all inclusive, others you will need to bring in a majority of the items required which will incur higher rental costs. (More about this in Step 4).

Step 3- The Search Begins

Now that you have a general vision and budget in mind you can begin researching venues.  While Google is a great resource, there are other sites that can help narrow the scope for you.  Oregon Bride Magazine has a great tool to enter specifications and generate a venue list. The Knot also has a list of top venues in various locations.

While looking through these websites, keep in mind your vision and how each of these meet your needs.  Is it large enough to accommodate my guest count?  Does it fit the esthetic I’m hoping to see on my day?  While searching, start a list of your top choices.

Step 4- Venue Tours

After you’ve created a list of your top four to five venues, call them and get their availability.  If they are available around your ideal time of year, set up tours at each of those places. While you are touring each of these spaces, keep in mind the following:  
     *What is included in the price? Do any rentals come with the rental? Or what rentals will need to be brought in? Is there a time frame that comes with your rental?
     *Is there a preferred vendors list that you will need to select from for other services?

Step 5- The Pro/Con List

After touring, create your pro/con list for each space. As cheesy as it sounds, follow your gut. While touring, there are usually moments when walking a space where you feel like “I can see myself getting married here!”

Photo: Scott Andrew Studio

If those steps seem overwhelming to you... We can help!

We often times get couples that feel overwhelmed by this part of the planning process and would love a bit of guidance in this area.  We saw a need and have created a Dream Venue Search service to help you!  In this service we will:

-Have a conversation with you to get a sense of the vision you are wanting.
-Provide you with a list of venues that fit your budget and vision
-Set up a day of tours at your top 4-5 venues.
-We will accompany you on tours and while walking the space, help you see what can be created to fit your vision.  We will also talk about what would need to be brought in, costs associated, and other logistical scenarios to think about.
-After the tours, we will create a budget analysis of your top 2 venues.  In this analysis, you will be provided with a comprehensive overview of what it would realistically cost to have your wedding at each space.  From there, we can help you book the venue of your choosing.

We wish you all the best in this venture!  Let us know if we can help you find your Dream Venue!

XO,
The WW&Co Team