Portland Wedding Coordinator

Vintage and tweed styled inspiration shoot - with a little shot of velvet

I often have the opportunity to work with some really fun public events around Portland. This year I've been involved with the Portland Tweed Ride organizers' group and had the opportunity to help them produce some promotional media for their event, starting with a Save the Date card. It seemed like a great way to do some vintage and tweed inspiration for a possible wedding style board. With the way velvet is trending for 2018, I thought it would fun to throw a bit of that in too.

 

We were able to secure the wonderful Evrim Icoz Wedding Photography to shoot the photos, and Event Cosmetics to handle the hair and makeup. Nea Posey, one of Katherine Sealy's Event Cosmetics clients, and Jeanie Whitten-Andrews, who had worked with Evrim before, stepped up as models. Event Cosmetics also secured the indoor venue, Oregon Historical Society, for us. Luckily, I owned a great deal of the props and attire in my personal collection, so it wasn't hard to put together the shoot!

 

A quick stop by Elephants Deli for some bread, Champagne (actually it was Cremant de Bourgogne -- a more affordable alternative to having Champagne from the actual region of Champagne) and glassware; and also Gifford's Flowers for some blooms to adorn the vintage bikes, and we were all set. I hope you enjoy the photos and our vision! And of course, I hope you'll join us on the ride on April 8th, 2018. Or just use these photos as an inspiration stepping stone to your own engagement, elopement, or wedding style.

 

Photography: Evrim Icoz

Models: Nea Posey and Jeanie Whitten-Andrews

Planning and Production: EJP Events

Hair and Makeup: Event Cosmetics at Da:Da Hair

Locations: Oregon Historical Society; and South Park Blocks; Portland, Oregon

Floral: Gifford's Flowers

Catering: Elephants Deli

1973 Raleigh Sports and 1973 Free Spirit Bicycles: Private collection, Emilynn J. Pumarega

Picnic Blanket: Yakima Camp Blanket in Blue Heather by Pendelton Woolen Mills

Clothing on Nea: Model's own

Clothing on Jeanie: Tweed vest from Gap via ebay; Pussycat bow blouse, Argyle socks, and tweed trousers from Uniqlo. Pink velvet accordion pleat skirt from Target. Flat cap from London Fog; all courtesy EJP private collection

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{ Design Roundup } 5 sites to help you choose a wedding color scheme

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 scheme 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. The Perfect Palette This blog updates several times a week with wedding color palette ideas and an explanation of each. You can search the whole site by color family to find exactly what you want.

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. (A side note: ColourLOVERS also has the great widget Themeleon, for creating Twitter screen backgrounds. It's where I got mine - look here.)

3. Adobe Color CC - Adobe Inc.'s Adobe Color CC 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.

4. Design Seeds Similar to The Perfect Palette, but not exclusively about weddings. This blogger takes hundreds of artful photos and applies her own aesthetic to draw out each custom color palette. A wonderful inspiration site.

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". Most boards are public, (you have a limited number you can set to "Secret"), so you can search the site for your desired color scheme or idea and re-pin other folks' images to your boards. Also, all of the above-mentioned 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.

Update: March 12, 2018: Another great post about color palettes for 2018 from Azazie.com, check it out!

A version of this post appeared on The Portland Wedding Coordinator blog in January 2012.

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What's the difference between an Inspiration Board, a Mood Board, and a Palette?

 

Photo courtesy Craig Mitchelldyer

Early in wedding planning, even before the gown or the venue is chosen, most of you are thinking about look and feel. When you close your eyes and picture yourself entering the venue on your big day, what do you see? What flowers are you holding? What colors are surrounding you?

It's a big choice and the heart of wedding design, and it can be overwhelming. Equally confusing can be the many options you have for gathering your ideas in one place. You've probably heard about mood boards and inspiration boards, palettes and swatches, but what is what?

A mood board is the broadest tool used early on to help you determine the most general ideas about look and feel of the wedding. Not limited to actual wedding services, you might pull in photographs, videos, songs, words, and even poetry that evokes the mood you want to set for your special event. I really love the mood boards over at The Wedding and Event Institute Blog, here's one example:

An inspiration board is the next building block of creating your wedding design. Many of you may have started a Pinterest account and it's a great way to easily create inspiration out of your collected pins.

Once you have set the mood of your wedding, use an inspiration board to collect specific photographs of actual flowers, invitations, linens, stages, mandaps or huppahs, ceremony backdrop, room layout, and so on. Lots of folks interchange the terms mood board and inspiration board, but I feel like the inspiration board is a more specific tool.

An inspiration board can also be tweaked to become a story board later on - necessary for design-intensive weddings. A story board is just that: a detailed board that tells the event's story from start to finish, from the actual color scheme and entry points to the venue, to the lighting settings and tablescape. These depict final choices and elements. Most of the time, we accomplish the same thing at EJP Events by writing a detailed setup narrative, but in some cases, a story board is definitely needed.

A palette is just a selection of possible colors for the event. This is a great way to communicate to your vendors so they are all on the same page and using the correct warmth, hue, and saturation as they produce your wedding attire, linens, tablescape, and flowers. I love the palette tools over at ColourLovers:

Finally, a swatch is a sample of a design item, usually a textile/fabric that you use as a sample of the texture and color you would like to see. It is the physical version of the digital palette.

Thanks for reading this post! You might also like this post about 5 tools to help you choose a color palette for your wedding.

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2014 Geranium Lake Dream Wedding - Contest Entry

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!

via geraniumlakeblog.weebly.com

YES! It's happening again!  This weekend at the Portland Bridal Show we launched our search for 2014's most fabulous wedding board on Pinterest.  

Here's how to enter to WIN $1000 TOWARDS YOUR WEDDING FLOWERS!

You must be getting married in 2014 (if you're a 2015 bride,  check back next year!)

Follow us on Pinterest {Emee says: Why not follow Emee's pinterest while you're at it? :-D}

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!

Finally, email a link to your board to [email protected]

We will accept submissions accept through February 28th and the winner will be announced in March.

Good luck!

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{Wedding Attire Tips} Can I mix ivory and white at my wedding?

Today's tip is not just an attire tip, but it also touches on overall wedding design and colors.

I get a lot of clients every year who ask me if they can wear an ivory gown but have white tablecloths, and vice versa.  Or if they can use ivory and white on the same surface, for example, white tablecloths and ivory plates.  We receive so many inquiries like this that we decided to address it here on the blog at Portland Wedding Coordinator.

 

Some people seem to think that there is an etiquette or protocol issue at work here, but I have done some initial research at the Peggy Post and Martha Stewart sites, and to date have not yet found anything etiquette-related, except a reminder to guests not to wear white or ivory to a wedding.

 

So my feeling is that it boils down to your personal style and what you feel comfortable with.

{ Portland Wedding Coordinator's} Top Wedding Trends for 2014

2014 is roaring in and we are so excited to see what this year's couples are planning for their wedding designs. Here are some wedding trends we hear are going to be super-hot in Portland, from our own clients and also talking with colleagues around town:

Interactive art walls or art installations. So fun we had to do a whole post about it, read here. We even had one couple grab all the art off the walls of their own home and display it during cocktail hour, creating an art gallery atmosphere.

Image: EJP Events

{ Portland Wedding Planning } An Opulent Wedding in Portland

Sometimes, after a particularly lovely wedding, I wonder if it was all a dream. Truth be told, an  opulent, bling-y wedding seems a bit of a Portland aberration.

Sure, we have plenty of glorious weddings with a healthy budget. But Oregon couples seem to be more focused on the guest experience and artisanal, organic meats and vegetables, than on all-out glitz. It's just more us.

It does happen, though. Enjoy our Pinterest board featuring some of our favorite glamorous, luxurious weddings -- EJP Events's own, and also from around Portland and the web:

 And, Happy Thanksgiving!

 

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{ Wedding Trend Watch } Interactive Art Walls

Say what you will about corporate event planning, but I am always amazed at how often corporate events stay one step ahead of wedding trends. Often, something I see at a corporate event I know will translate perfectly for a social one; and before long I see that trend start appearing at weddings.

The art wall is one of these trends. The party host puts up a large backdrop containing drawn frames, individual watercolor sheets, or even Lego(TM) baseplates and allows each guest to customize an area of the wall. Each guest installs their art piece in the display which then becomes a grand version of a guest book as well as part of the cocktail hour entertainment and a conversation piece.

Here, website design company Virb invited guests to draw what they loved, and to tag their photo on instagram in order to enter a contest. This same multi-frame backdrop could easily be used for individual wedding guest drawings or guest book entries.

At the Lego Kids' Fest in Portland, individual 5" x 5" base plates/"tiles" were provided with a wide selection of Lego shapes and colors. After each guest completed a tile, they were invited to add their tile to the larger display.

Are you incorporating any interactive components into your guests' experience? Or did you come up with a novel idea for cocktail hour entertainment? Please share in the comments!

Photos: EJP Events

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{ Portland Wedding Coordinator Loves } The Day of the Doctor

Today is the Day of the Doctor - the 50th anniversary of iconic British sci-fi television show Doctor Who. We know many of our clients grew up watching DW on PBS in the United States and wanted to acknowledge its cultural significance. Hat-tip to the many Doctor Who-themed weddings we've seen on the internet; here are just a few of our favorites:

Brianne and Michael's Time-Travel-themed wedding from Offbeat Bride

 

Subtle Doctor Who inspiration wedding shoot from Green Wedding Shoes:

 

Another inspiration shoot from British weddings website Rock N Roll Bride, shot by photographer Kat Forsyth:

And finally, this lovely song ("Rose's Theme") that would be appropriate for any wedding party processional:

Ultimately, Doctor Who is a romantic, idealistic show that is more about the magic of positive thought than straight-up technical sci-fi. The time travel trope makes it easy for any fan to find a motif, subtle or overt, that works for their wedding. What better way to show your love than to promise one's beloved "All of time and space"?

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A better way to DIY for your wedding { Sponsored by Craftsy }

We are excited to welcome Craftsy.com to The Portland Wedding Coordinator's family of affiliate partners. DIY is a very important way for us to put our personal touches on the wedding, (check out my DIY coffee cozy here); however, I will confess to you that I am a bit DIY-challenged and am sometimes stumped by the directions that come with some of these so-called "easy to make" kits for crafts.

Craftsy has the solution with on-demand online instructional classes that you can watch, pause and rewatch as many times as you like. (I will personally be watching the "casting off" knitting video myself, I mean just look at this mess:)

More about Craftsy, below:

What is Craftsy?
Craftsy is a worldwide craft community offering online classes. It also has a patterns marketplace where independent designers can sell their patterns; a supplies shop with great deals on yarn, fabric, and class kits; and a projects section where members share pictures of their latest craft successes. With over two million members and counting, Craftsy has something for just about everyone, in categories ranging from quilting, sewing, knitting, painting, photography, cooking, and more.

Behind the Scenes: The Making of a Craftsy Class
Before filming even begins, hours and hours are spent determining what content will be covered in each class, and how to best teach specific techniques to the camera. Instructors work with an instructional designer to create an in-depth outline of each lesson, and decide how to best prepare props or “step-outs” that show what your project should like at different steps. Instead of a scripted class, instructors follow their outlines on camera to create an authentic and engaging teaching experience.

Most Craftsy classes are filmed in one of five Craftsy studios in Denver, CO, assuring that every part of the production process goes off without a hitch. They fly in instructors from all over the world to spend several days filming, then spend several weeks turning hours of footage into a two to three hour class experience that has been watched, rewatched, and reviewed by industry experts. The final result is an HD-quality video that takes you in-depth into specific topics in any given craft category- from cooking and fine art to sewing and knitting.

What IS the Craftsy experience?
Craftsy classes are designed to have all the benefits of an in-person class, with none of the drawbacks. Available online and on-demand, you always have world-class instructors at the tip of your fingers. You can retake the class as many times as you want, and the 30-second repeat feature allows you to watch the same section over and over again until you get every technique just right.

Watching a Craftsy class is like having a first-row seat with some of the best instructors in the world. Even better, classes have a 100% money-back guarantee.

 

Try online learning today with a free mini-class from Craftsy! Choose from 23 Free Craftsy Classes ranging from drawing and painting to sewing and quilting, from knitting to cake decorating and more.

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