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I had the opportunity to visit with a catering company owner, and we started chatting about the popular requests for locally-sourced food items on wedding menus.
So why not booze? I’ve noticed many wedding bars stocked with Grey Goose, Absolut, Maker’s Mark, and the like… all very well and good, but with all the amazing distilleries we have right here in the Portland area, why miss this opportunity?
Here’s a list of local distilleries just to get you started, I’m sure there are more. If you think of one that I haven’t mentioned, please add it to the comments! We urge you to drink responsibly and observe all alcohol safety laws at your event.
It seems like it can be hard to find the local flavor when looking for menswear and formalwear in Portland. Many wedding clients get steered towards giant warehouse-type stores and I know I’m not the only one wondering where you can get personal service.
Este’s Menswear in Northwest Portland is stepping up to the plate and offering an excellent wedding and formal wear line that includes rental tuxedos and suits. I stopped by to visit with Kelsey and Tony recently, to see what they had to offer. It is a neat little shop that reminded me a lot of the J. Press in New Haven where I went to school.
A few thoughts:
-They recommend coming in as early as possible to start the selection process, at the least 1 month before the wedding to give enough time for rental and alteration.
-In addition to the formal tuxes, Este’s also has suits for rent. Colors include mostly grays and navys, but brown or seersucker are possibilities.
-Grooms can get formalwear selection advice. Tony has 30+ years experience in men’s attire and is happy to assist in decision making, especially with regards to formality level, black tie vs. white tie, what colors are appropriate for what time of day, and all kinds of other questions one might have.
-Finally, Este’s offers a service-oriented experience with local flavor for the men that equals what women are used to. Men can relax in the “club room” that includes a traditional barber shop. Go ahead and have a beer, enjoy the massage chair, watch sports, get a haircut or even a straight razor shave. Sounds like a great atmosphere for the guys!
A while back, Shutterbug Magazine featured a photographer we’ve been working with for a very long time: Fritz Liedtke of Fritz Photo. We were super happy for him, and additionally thrilled that the magazine chose a photo from one of our own clients, whose wedding was held at McMenamins Edgefield.
Have you met our family at The Bridal Loft yet? I am grateful to have had the “Lofties”‘s friendship, camaraderie, and business support since I joined in June of 2002. We are doing our yearly open house to welcome the upcoming 2012 and 2013 wedding clients, as well as renew friendships / make new ones in the community of artists, artisans, and designers that make up Portland’s wedding businesses.
Please join us on Wednesday, March 14, 2012 from 4pm to 8pm and enjoy a fun evening out with the wedding professionals of The Bridal Loft, Portland’s original bridal collective. Light hors d’oeuvres and wine will be served as you view the 2012 collections from August Veils and beadALEX, as well as getting your opportunity to meet in person with:
You’re engaged, you’ve got the venue and the date, and are so excited to get going on planning! Yet, you’re stuck on what the wedding will actually look like. Envisioning the final event means you need to pick invitations, table linens, flowers, lighting, and all the assorted goodies that go with your big party. And of course you’ve got to start with a color or two (or a few!) that hopefully go together.
“But I like everything!” you say. Or maybe, “Our site has this weird carpet and I’m not sure what goes with it.” Or possibly, “I don’t want my wedding to look too matchy-matchy.” How do you decide on a color palette that, while not as lasting as a bedroom paint job, is still super-important and something you’ll remember for years to come? Here are five tools and websites I like to use when I help clients formulate their color ideas.
1. Adobe Color Extract From Image – Adobe Inc.’s Color tool makes it possible for you to take a photo of your site (or any photo, for that matter) and extrapolate a color scheme from it. Click on “Create” > “From an Image” and upload your photo and wow! You can also select different moods for the same picture. A great tool if you are feeling a bit stumped. You do need to create an account if you want to save your palettes.
2. ColourLOVERS A bit broader in scope, ColourLOVERS covers not just weddings, but other design solutions such as graphic, print, and web; interior design; and fine art. Users are encouraged to get social by creating accounts, uploading patterns, and sharing with the community.
3. Design Seeds This blogger takes hundreds of artful photos and applies her own aesthetic to draw out each custom color palette. A wonderful inspiration site on their blog and Instagram.
4. The Perfect Palette This blog updates several times a week with wedding color inspiration. You can search the whole site by color family to find exactly what you want.
5. You knew I would mention Pinterest. If you’re following my boards already, you know how addicted I am and how you can be sure to see a 2am pin from me on your dashboard now and then. If you haven’t had the pleasure of using this site, it is a sort of visual Twitter where you can “pin” just about any image on the Web to a virtual bulletin board, keeping all of your ideas in one place. You can create as many boards as you like and name them anything, from “Color Inspiration” to “Cute Pictures of Pugs“. All boards are public, so you can search the site for your desired color scheme or idea and re-pin other folks’ images to your boards. All of the above tools can be used in some way along with Pinterest.
Are there any other great color tools you’re using to design your wedding? Please share with me in the comments as well.
"We really want an open bar, but we probably can't afford it."
"I love the idea of live music, but it probably won't work in our venue."
"We really pictured guests walking with us from ceremony to reception, but it seems like logistically it would be too hard."
The above statements are just a few I've heard this week from my couples just starting their planning. Notice anything? They are self-editing before they've even begun planning. They are killing off their wedding vision even before it has had a chance to stretch out and take its first breath.
It's sad to me when I see couples assuming that they can't have what they want, that it will be too hard, that they should just settle for the venue or setup that will be easy, so they can stop worrying. Later they'll look back and wish they had just held out for those few things they really wanted that would make the day special and worthwhile to them. In addition, those special touches (which might seem a lot of work at the time) will be their first statement as a married couple.
So, don't self-edit. Don't give up. If you have an amazing idea, get it down on paper. Pin it on Pinterest. Talk to a wedding professional who may have seen something just like it before and can help you get there. Do something — just don't let it die before you give it a chance to be part of your wedding day.
