Chateau Romance in Oregon Wine Country | Sweetlife Photography | Portland Wedding
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We are so honored to have this beautiful shoot featured on Trendy Bride Magazine. This project was such a highlight for us last year and a major collaborative effort with some amazing vendors we are lucky to call friends! We highlight the story behind our inspiration and break down all of the details below.

Enjoy!!

xoxo

WW&Co Team

The inspiration behind this shoot started at a little coffee shop meeting with Sweetlife Photography and Whitney Werts & Company exploring linen swatches and brainstorming color palettes! We chose to design this project around the gorgeous setting of The Black Walnut Inn, which is an enchanting European Château nestled in Oregon Wine Country. The color palette we developed of pastel shades of aqua, pink, yellow and green was inspired by the blue shutters of the striking entrance of the Inn.  After diving through swatch books we landed on a beautifully textured blush damask print and accented by adobe colored napkins for an unexpected pop to tie in the brick rooftop. And just like that… voila!... our initial concept was born!

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The Black Walnut Inn has a stunning fountain centered in the front entrance, which we knew we wanted to have as a design focal point. We chose to design our ceremony around the fountain with an install of lush blooms by Madison of Hart Floral surrounding the base and the classic cane back Louis chairs from The Party Place. The combination of the flowers, and the flowing water behind the bride and groom really was quite magical! To tie the fountain in a step further we had it designed into the emblem that was incorporated in the paper suite by Seeds of Clay. One of our favorite details!

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 The tablescape was amazing! The beautifully textured linens from La Tavola paired with the delicate overflowing vessel of pastel floral from Hart Floral layered with the crisp white plates and modern sleek flatware from The Party Place really tied everything together. Any guest at this table will feel like they were dining in the French Countryside!

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Further embracing the French Château setting, we decided to do something a little different for a dessert display and White Pepper Catering styled a bountiful crepe station for us. All of the fruits and toppings are bound to get the best of any sweets lover! The cake, which accompanied the dessert station, was designed by Dream Cakes to coordinate with the color of the shutters of the Inn with impeccable floral styling by Madison of Hart Floral.

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We also have to give a little mention to the adorable real couple who modeled for us.  They are the sweetest, and not to mention… gorgeous! Christina’s hair and makeup was designed by the ever talented Kirstie Wight who gave her a look of natural effortless beauty! Christina wore a gown from Gossamer with shoes from Bella Belle and the groom wore a charcoal grey suit from The Black Tux and a fun velvet tie from Tom Ford.

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Photography + Creative Direction: Sweetlife Photography
Planning & Design: Whitney Werts & Company
Venue: Black Walnut Inn & Vineyard
Florals: HART Floral Design
Makeup & Hair: Kirstie Wight Makeup
Dress: Shop Gossamer
Bride’s Shoes: Bella Belle Shoes
Ring: Trumpet and Horne
Linens: La Tavola Fine Linen Rentals
Rentals: The Party Place
Invitations & Calligraphy: Seeds of Clay
Groom’s Suit: The Black Tux
Catering, Cocktails & Crepe Station: White Pepper
Cake: Dream Cakes
Models: real couple Christina Brucker @creakyglasses & William Brucker @thesagewilliam⠀
Film Processing: The Find Lab

Three Important Ways a Wedding Planner Can Help
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Congratulations on your engagement! After sharing the news with your friends and family, you have probably begun the planning process. There are lots and lots of resources out there; lists of things you need to get done, advice on wedding etiquette, and forums full of people who have done this before. The wealth of information can be helpful, but it can also be overwhelming. That is where we can help! While wonderful resources like The Knot and WeddingWire can work as great guidelines, there are a few places where they fall short.

  • Information Tailored to You

    Your story is unique and special, and your wedding will be as well. Online resources aren’t able to tailor information specifically for you and your partner, so can often leave you feeling more confused than assured.

  • Create a Cohesive Design

    In this day of Pinterest, it is really easy to get swept up in the many amazing decor ideas and end up with many different aesthetics that don’t all go together. A coordinator is able to help you establish one overall design and source decor that will come together perfectly.

  • Personalized Vendors for Your Needs and Personality

    There are so many amazing vendors out there, that it is hard to choose! A coordinator can have a conversation with you about what you want, and suggest a short list to choose from, so you’re not spending hours reading through reviews. For many vendors, it is important for you to have that personal connection, so having these tailored lists to choose from can be a huge time saver and can help you find the perfect vendor in each category.

We wish you all the best in planning your wedding and celebrating your love story with those closest to you.

If you would like help planning your wedding, please reach out, we would love to meet you!


XO,
Whitney Werts & Company

Andy + Alea | The Croft Farm | Eagle Creek Fire | Portland Wedding Planner

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. 

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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. 

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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.

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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. 

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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. 

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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. 

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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! 

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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.

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 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


Will + Rachelle | Castaway Portland Wedding | Portland Wedding Planner

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!

 
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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.

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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.

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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.

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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!  

 
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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!

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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

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Stephanie + Brian | Gorge-ous Weddings at Wind Mountain Ranch | Portland Wedding Planner
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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