We were invited to two fun holiday open houses by a couple of our favorite vendors, and we just have to share! Geranium Lake Flowers is hosting a cookie exchange party and 20% off sale, while Event Cosmetics will be doing a "Party in the Penthouse" at their Da:Da Salon location. Both events are this Thursday, December 11th. Click the pictures above for exact details!
Holiday open houses are great ways to check out potential vendors for your wedding and get a little shopping done at the same time. Hope you enjoy!
If you are looking for some great ways to save money during the wedding planning process, look no further. Here are a couple of deals from some of our favorite local vendors.
Vibrant Table is offering two deals to new bookings. If you decide to use Vibrant Table as your caterer they will include a complimentary champagne toast or they will provide their Loft on Belmont for the rehearsal dinner.
One of our favorite Lake Oswego venues, The Foundry at Oswego Pointe, is currently offering a 20% discount for all remaining 2014 dates! Here's a photo from a wedding ceremony we did recently there:
If you haven't decided on your venue or caterer yet, make sure to keep these deals in mind! We're always finding out about more of these for our wedding clients, so bookmark us and check back soon; or contact us at [email protected].
If you are looking for a local distillery for your event, wedding, bachelor/bachelorette, favors, etc., then look no further. Eastside Distilling has a great selection of spirits for any occassion. Their helpful staff can assist you in finding just the right booze to choose for your next party. Not only that, they have a fabulous tasting room that is perfect for sampling everything they have to offer!
"Eastside Distilling has been producing handcrafted spirits in Portland’s Distillery Row since our founding in 2009. All of our unique products are produced locally from natural ingredients in small batches for unparalleled quality and taste."
Our friends at Amrapali Boutique in Hillsboro are celebrating their 4th anniversary, and we just got this great sale notice from them. If you need to outfit yourself for a South Asian or Indian wedding this summer, you have to check out their great selection of clothing, jewelry and gifts!
"Thank You For Your Patronage
It is because of your love and support that AMRAPALI is celebrating its 4th Anniversary. It only feels like yesterday when we opened our doors on 9th January, 2010. A dream came true and all of you helped nurture & support it. Thank You Once Again.
We are thrilled to be chosen by Geranium Lake Flowers again this year as one of Portland's best wedding professionals and to help judge their Geranium Lake Dream Wedding Pinterest Contest. Please read below for the exact details on how to enter your Pinterest board in the juried contest - it's not a drawing!
Create your own Pinterest board and title it “Geranium Lake Dream Wedding”
Re-pin to your board a minimum of 3 images that inspired you from our website
IMPORTANT: Continue to curate your board from any source until your dream wedding look is complete and simply amazing. Your board should not be limited to flowers only. Feel free to pin whatever has inspired you, including your dress, invitations - and whatever else rocks your world. This is NOT A DRAWING. Your board will be judged against other couples' boards so it's important that your board be complete, cohesive, and gorgeous. The boards will be judged by the best Portland wedding professionals so make it count!
So many of you are heading off to see family and friends for the holidays, and how awesome would it be to be armed with sweet custom gifts (like your engagement pic on an iPhone case for Mom and Dad!). So I had to let you know about an exclusive flash sale that is only tonight through our affiliate tinyprints.com. Click on the link above, and when ordering make sure to use the code 35GIFTS at checkout to get the whopping 35% off discount PLUS express shipping for only $9.95.
We are starting to get back into bridal show season and I though I'd share a few tips on how to get the most of your bridal show experience and how to avoid "bridal show overload."
Gear Up!
First things first, make sure to have a good breakfast or lunch before attending the show if it doesn't have a food function offered. Many times samples of cake or even champagne are offered, and these can wreak havoc on an empty stomach.
Bring a water bottle so you stay hydrated while you're walking around. Sometimes all that air-conditioned, recycled air can dry you out and leave you feeling fatigued.
Finally, make sure to wear comfortable shoes since you'll be doing lots of walking.
Be Prepared!
Use your show time efficiently! Make a few sheets of labels with your name, address, email, and wedding date if you want to avoid standing in lines to enter drawings or raffles. At the same time, remember that if you provide personal information, you'll probably receive mail and email from those vendors. If you provide a wedding date , most vendors will stop contacting you once your date has passed.
Understand the show timeline. Is there a seated food function, or seminars to sign up for? What time should you arrive in order to get a seat for the fashion show? Make sure you take a look at the program offerings; that way you get the most out of your admission fee.
Make a list of items you still need from your wedding checklist, and target those booths first. Otherwise you could spend precious time wandering the aisles! Also, bring notes or pictures to help your planning along -- for example, if you're looking for jewelry and accessories, bring a picture or swatch of your attire.
If you plan on hitting the gown sales, avoid wearing heavy foundation or lipstick, as products are bound to smear. You can always stop by one of the beauty vendors for a touch-up once you're done shopping!
Finally, Enjoy Yourself!
You'll probably receive lots of brochures and business cards. Try to sort through them as you go through the show, otherwise you could wind up with a heavy bag that just gets recycled!
In the end, be sure to have fun and enjoy yourself! Don't be overwhelmed by the choices; in the end you'll be sure to find some great ideas and hopefully, put together a winning team for your wedding day.
Some people trash the dress. Others put it on eBay. If you are thinking of keeping your wedding gown to pass down to the younger generation, or if you want to get it in perfect shape for consignment, you will want to have your gown professionally cleaned and possibly preserved in an acid-free, archival container.
If you are just doing cleaning, your local dry cleaner may offer this service. Be sure to ask if it is done locally or sent out to a special service, and what is included. Gowns that will be stored for a long time should not be stored in plastic or vinyl which can come in contact with dress fabric and cause yellowing or discoloration. If a gown will be hung up, it's best to store it in unbleached muslin fabric.
If your gown will be stored for a long time, hanging it can cause the weight of the gown to pull on the seams and stretch the fabric, causing damage. It's best in this case to store it in an acid-free, archival-quality box.
At EJP Events / The Bridal Loft, we do offer this service not just to our own clients, but to anyone in Portland desiring cleaning and preservation of their gown. Simply call us at (503) 284-6756 or email [email protected] to make an appointment and we'll take care of you. Pricing starts at $165 for cleaning and box only. I've attached links to the order form for those who are interested in the details.
One more thing: no matter how you plan to have your dress cleaned, make sure to store it at room temperature and avoid places like attics, garages, and basements where temperature and moisture/humidity levels can fluctuate without your knowing. The top level of a closet in your house is a great spot.
We worked with Bethany and Patrick for their wedding in Bend, Oregon. Photo by Altura Studio.
With so many national resources and wedding directories out there, it's sometimes hard to find a directly, truly local resource for information on Portland wedding photography. Thankfully you only need one - and we have a great one in My Portland Photographer. Run entirely by a savvy group of local Portland wedding photographers, the site serves up almost daily wedding inspiration, photography advice, and just good old fashioned wedding eye candy. You can even check availability and book your photographer straight from the site. The best part is that I have personally worked with many of the photogs on this site, so I know you'll find someone you'll love!
