Not everyone loves weddings.

Real quick update. So the segment I was talking about in the last post actually aired on the show Portland NOW over the weekend. I'm waiting to get a clip to post so you watch it.

On another note, I was recently made aware of an interesting article written on the Willamette Weekly website. The author, Samantha Herman writes from her perspective about the upcoming Art of Weddings Event. She writes in a very sarcastic tone about how "its comforting to know that people are still forking over money for ritzy events and expensive receptions." What's odd is how easily she trash talks the wedding industry yet never contacted any actual professionals to learn more about it. I never received a call or email with interview questions about the event or wedding industry. I would have been happy to sit down and chat about why I created it and what it's about or why choosing an actual wedding photographer instead of any local artist is a better idea. Reading past posts on this blog would have answered those questions as well. 

This blog is about giving you as much local information and ideas as possible. It's a starting point, a resource from folks who have been to a lot of weddings. The final choices are up to you and since you don't get a trial run with your wedding it's a good idea to gather as much information as possible to make sure it runs smoothly. By going to events and having blogs to read, you get to discover what is the most important to you for your day and how to divide your budget within that. Because no matter how expensive or inexpensive your event is, you need a game plan. 

With that out of the way, it's almost a new year. I love this time of the year. A time to reflect and make changes. Take a moment to recall all the positive goals you reached in 2008. Be thankful for them and then dream how you can be a better person in the upcoming year. Will you open more doors for strangers? Will you donate blood? Will you spend more time with your family? What ever you do remember to share the love. Happy New Year! See you in 2009...

Weddings Portland Style Today!

Tune in today, at noon to the CW (channel 3 on cable) to watch Weddings Portland Style! Ericka and I will be talking about the upcoming Art of Weddings Event. We had a lot of fun taping with Eric of Hybrid Moon Video at my studio.

I didn't think I was going to be nervous but I was! The lights were hot and bright, everyone was watching me and the room went silent. My brain locked up and the words I wanted to say didn't seem to form! I think I was experiencing some stage fright. Once I didn't have to talk I felt better. Taking pictures of the model was much easier and natural for me. Either way, it was a fun experience.

Grab a cup of coffee or tea, sit back and watch the episode today at noon. You can laugh at me if you want...I'll be doing the same thing!

Looks like we were given the wrong date for the show! I'll find out when we are going to air and let you all know!

Happy Holidays!

Are you loving the snow? I bet you did the first couple of days and now you want out of the house! Either way we are having a white Christmas, which really makes it feel like the holidays. Being from the midwest this is how winter looks for four months or longer.
Enjoy it, it will be gone soon and we'll be back to good 'ol Portland weather.

We have one more pair of tickets to give away for the Art of Weddings. The contest questions are listed down a few posts. Thanks to everyone who has entered so far!

Merry Christmas!

New & Blue.

I recently was in the Pearl District and saw the sign for the New & Blue Wedding Boutique and decided to check it out. It's cute and girly with lovely blue walls. They have a wide assortment of invitations and cute gift ideas. I met Kristen while I was there and we chatted a bit, I asked her what one of the newest trends was for couples.

She said that Save the Date magnets are very popular. This is a great idea. Let's be honest, your guests can be a bit flaky at times by not rsvping or forgetting to mark your date on their calender. That's why giving them a magnet with your names, date and a web-site link is a great concept. They can put it on their fridge and have it as a daily reminder. Here a few of the designs from their website that I liked.



Kristen said it's really easy to order them. Simply visit their website: www.savethedatemagnet.com and you can quickly find the design you'd like to use and order it from the comfort of your home. Be sure to click on preview before placing your order to make sure you have spelled everything correctly. Then decide if you want matching envelopes and click go!

I also liked that they have designs where you can include a photo from your engagement session to really personalize it. Below are two examples.

Once you visit their site you'll see they have so much more. From fun t-shirts that say "bride" to monogram cake toppers, you'll find ideas to scratch some of the details for your wedding day off your list.

Win tickets to Art of Weddings!

Yup, you read that correctly. The crew at Simply Chic wants to hook you up with some free tickets to the upcoming Art of Weddings event. We'll be giving away ten pairs of tickets!

Here's how you can win a pair of tickets for you & a guest!

The first ten people to answer the trivia questions below correctly will receive a pair of tickets.

1. In the rhyme 'something old, something new, something borrowed, something blue', "blue" is symbolic of what?

2. What ancient culture believed that the reason for the engagement ring and wedding band to be worn on the fourth finger of the left hand was because they thought the "vein of love" ran from this finger directly to the heart?

3. The oldest bridal tradition, the veil dates back to ancient Rome when it was what color?

You know you are getting ready to google them now! Have fun-you have until Dec. 25th to win!
Email your answers to lxs@jasminephotography.com.

A new kind of registry.

A few weeks ago I was contacted by Lucas about a new website he created. I get a lot of emails during the week that are trying to sell me the latest and greatest program or product for my business. So, you can imagine I was a bit hesitant. I decided to visit the site and learn more.

What I found was a clean, easy to navigate website for engaged couples to register for personalized gifts. Sounds basic, right? Wrong! What makes his idea so great is that the registry isn't for toasters, towels or pots & pans. Instead it's for the things you really want and would love to have your family and friends help you out with. You can ask any of your vendors to sign up on the site and create a registry for you. For example, a couple of mine could register for different photography products such as a matted album, fine art canvas print or guest signature book.

Why is this idea so great? So many couples live together before they get married and already have all the essential day to day items that are traditional with a wedding registry. They don't need more of the same and rather have help creating the wedding day of their dreams. I've had many couples who have already bought a house together and rather receive a wedding video, fabulous flowers or a photo booth. The options are endless and opens up a whole new way of registering for your big day!

Visit their site for more information at Wedding Registry Direct.

Art of Weddings...time to get excited!

I recently attended the holiday Crave shopping event which was so much fun. I love the henna tattoo I received and picked up some cute clothes for gifts. I was excited to because I had the chance to see the Luxe Autohaus space in use. This is where the Art of Weddings is going to be held on Jan. 8th. Let me tell you, I'm excited. My brain was filling with layout ideas for the fashion show runway. The goal with this event to pump it up a notch. The fashion show is going to be great with local designers and some fun surprises.

New vendors are being added weekly. Some new additions are Hotel Lucia and Hotel DeLuxe-fun! Also just added are Ooh La La event coordination and Swanky Table Designs. When you buy your ticket online you'll be able to bring a guest with you. So grab your maid of honor, fiance or mom and get ready for a fun event!

More updates soon....

Wedding Favors.

I hope you had a nice, relaxing holiday with family and friends. Now it's back to work and back to planning for your big day! Since the holiday of gift giving is right around the corner, three weeks away to be exact, I thought it would be a good time to chat about wedding favors. What exactly are favors? As defined via an online dictionary they are: small gifts given as a gesture of appreciation or gratitude to your guests from the bride and groom during a wedding reception.

But where did this tradition come from? Let's dig deeper. The tradition of giving wedding favors is a very old one. It is believed that the first wedding favor, common amongst European aristocrats, was known as a bonbonniere. It was a small trinket box made of crystal, porcelain or precious stones. The contents were generally sugar cubes or delicate confections, which symbolize wealth and royalty. During this era, sugar was an expensive commodity and believed to have medical benefits. As the price of sugar dropped, the general populace were able to start this tradition as well. (thanks to encyclopedia.com for the info)

Over the last few years, I've noticed this tradition has started to fall to the wayside. Many couples are opting not to spend the extra dollars on the mini gifts. This is understandable, especially if you are inviting 200+ guests. Besides that, most favors out there are not that great anyway. If you look a bit though you can find some fun and interesting ways to say "thank you" to your guests. 

Why not think about the favors as part of the decoration for your event? I absolutely love these sandalwood fans that come packaged in their own box with your names and wedding date on it. Can't you see these at a backyard wedding or at a vineyard during summer when it's warm out? They are stylish and affordable at only $1.50 per fan with box. 




Let's continue with taking inspiration from the Asian cultures with these adorable customizable fortune cookies. Dipped in chocolate and then decorated with either a single heart or sprinkles, you get to choose the colors of both! The best part of these is the personalized fortune for the inside. Include your names, wedding date and a note to your guests.



Both of the above favors can be found online at Beau Coup.

Think outside of the standard box with a almonds inside when it comes to offering favors. You might be surprised with what you come up with. 

In-Laws and the Holidays.

With Thanksgiving only a day away, I thought it may be a good idea to talk about ways to entertain your soon-to-be family without stressing out. Your fiance's family is coming into town to get to know you better before the wedding day. Your palms start to get clammy, your heart rate picks up and you immediately start thinking, "What am I going to wear!?" Don't worry, you can survive the holidays and possibly have some fun doing it. Here are a few ideas to help you comfortably get to know your boyfriend's parents without loosing your mind!

Ask your man ahead of time what his father's favorite drink is. If he loves his hops, have the beer of his choice chilled and stocked in the fridge. Be sure to pick up a few bottles of different local brews that the two of you love. You know have a common interest and a good topic to chat about it. If he likes the pilsner made by Widmer, you now have a fun place to take them to!

Whether you decide to cook dinner or head out to a local restaurant, it's important to keep the conversation going. Ask how their trip was, have they seen any good movies lately or read a good book? Share what you and your fiance have been doing but try not to get to involved with talking about the wedding plans. This could go well or not. His mom may start telling both of you what kind of flowers you should get or that you have to do a first dance. Be prepared for this one, both of you have to stick together and know when to change the subject!

We're fortunate to live in a city and state that has so many wonderful places to visit. If it's a rainy day head downtown for an afternoon at the Art Museum. The current show features photographs from Oregon. Going for a drive along the gorge is always  beautiful or if things aren't going as well as you'd like, head to a movie so you get a break from chatting! 

You may feel like you are under the microscope while they are visiting, but remember to be yourself! They want to get to know you so don't be afraid to share some things they may not know. Whatever you do, don't start having more drinks to help loosen you up. Before you know it you'll be sharing details you don't even tell your best friends! It's best to not be remembered for having your boyfriend carry you back to the car. No, no; you want to be remembered for being friendly, gracious and sweet! 

Happy Thanksgiving! 

Secret Sale at Emily Jane Jewelry!

is having a secret sale...shhhh...don't talk so loud or your girlfriend may beat you to a fabulous pair of earrings! They are offering 50% off selected pieces that are in store, online or via phone!

Of course, to see all the wonderful sparkly goodness they have to offer I recommend going into the store which is located on N.E. Broadway. Now go, find that perfect piece to compliment your wedding gown or find a bridesmaids gift she'll wear again and again! Ends 11/27 at midnight.

Pre-owned Wedding Dresses

You've been day dreaming about walking down the aisle wearing a Vera Wang mermaid gown or dancing the nite away in a Melissa Sweet empire waist ballgown. So what is holding you back from getting the gown of your dreams? The price tag can be the main factor for many brides and understandably. You can still look fabulous for a fraction of the price by buying a pre-owned wedding gown!

The website states some of the benefits for you:

You can search for your perfect designer gown by name, neckline, silhouette or size. Previous brides list their gowns on the site for you to buy. They only pay for a listing fee (not a percentage of the sale price), allowing you to get the best price. All dresses also contain detailed information and you can receive weekly updates of new dress listings for free.

Let's see what fab finds they really have...



How about this Lazaro a-line gown with jeweled crystal trim accents? Originally bought for $3600 it is being sold for $1400 including the veil.


This lovely off the shoulder Vera Wang gown was only worn for four hours at an engagement brunch. Originally paid $6300 being sold for $2900. Wow!

Think of it like buying a used car, you are better off buying a car a year old with minimum miles on it instead of buying new off the lot. In the end you'll save anywhere from $1000-$3000 which can be put toward your honeymoon or getting a fun band to rock your party.
As with any online shopping, be sure to do your research about the gown before purchasing. Also be sure to read their return and shipping policies carefully.

Visit the site here: www.preownedweddingdresses.com

A.O.W updates

Things are coming along nicely for the Art of Weddings 2009 Event. Next wednesday we'll be taping in my studio for Weddings Portland Style and Portland Now. I'm a bit nervous to be on tv. I sometimes have a hard time forming complete sentences! I tend to talk short-hand at times, I guess part of my multi-tasking abilities! Madi Cosmetics will on hand to give a make-up demo, Lisa of Studio Del Fiore will be creating a floral display and Duchess will show off their fab men's suits. I'm sure it will be fun.

Another exciting announcement is the addition of Oregon Bride Magazine! They will be emceeing the fashion show at the party and I'm sure they will bring their newest issue of the magazine due out end of December/beginning of January.

Ok. I'm off to prep for a photo shoot. Have a fab weekend, get out and enjoy the sunshine!

Be sure to check out the website for A.O.W often, as we are constantly adding new vendors to the event!

Real Weddings. Elisabeth & Jeff

Today's post comes from a local bride and groom, Elisabeth and Jeff who were married on Jan. 19th, 2008. Their 1 year anniversary is right around the corner! Thank to Elisabeth for sending us this post. Enjoy!

"Having our wedding so soon after the holiday, my main inspiration was to use lots of deep, winter colors. We chose cranberry, black and gold as our wedding colors and planned our ceremony and reception around them. My bridesmaids wore black, strapless gowns by Jim Hjelm and I wore a champagne colored, A-line wedding dress by Allure. We used a variety of red roses along with keep red ranunculus and hypericum berries for the flowers. There were so out of season we had to have them flown in a few days before the wedding from Honduras!

Perhaps one of the most unique things about your day was that we had 23 members in our wedding party! It was a bit chaotic, but we are so lucky to have so many close friends and siblings, we couldn't leave anyone out."

The list of vendors from their day.

Wedding Consultant: Ann Black

Flowers: A Floral Affair

Reception Site: Cummins Hall at Christ Church Episcopal Perish

Ceremony: Christ Church Episcopal Perish

Rings & Jewelry: Shane Co. and Dana Harlan Designs

Gown: Allure from Bride's Corner in Cottage Grove, OR

Formal wear: Jim Hjelm from Ania's Collection & Men's Warehouse

Rehearsal Dinner: La Provence, Lake Oswego

Cake: The Dessert Tray, Beaverton

Honeymoon: Puerto Vallarta, Mexico

Caterer: Eleanor Suman Catering

Photography: Jasmine Photography

Music/DJ: Dancing Penguin

Hair/Make-up: Picasso Salon, Lake Oswego

Veil/Accessories: Bride's Corner

Transportation: Oregon Town Car

Rentals: Barbur Rentals

Invitations: Designed by bride and printed at Lake Grove Printing

Images by Jasmine Photography.

VOTE!

Grab a friend, family member or colleague and Go Vote!

Indoor Ceremony & Reception Sites.

I just returned from a mini vacation from Canada with my girlfriend. We headed up to Vancouver, B.C. to see the one, the only, Madonna. Before the concert on Thursday we spent time catching up on all the gossip going in with her. Every newspaper there had an article about her, her career, her drama with Guy Ritchie etc. The concert was a blast, we sang and danced to every song!

Now that I'm back in good ol' Portland it's time to get back to wedding talk. I thought with the weather turning to rain and the days getting darker sooner it would be good to chat about indoor locations for your ceremony or reception.

There are so many beautiful hotels to host your party at. Having your event downtown is also a great way to show off our fun and funky city to your guests. So let's look at some options. During this post we'll focus on three of the historic hotels that add beautiful architecture to our city.

The Heathman Hotel.
I always enjoy my visits to the Heathman. The modern artwork mixed with classic furniture gives it a regal feel. The mezzanine overlooks the tea court and has beautiful natural light coming in from sky lights. This site would be best for a smaller event of 50-125 guests so it doesn't fell crowded.

Picture of the tea room on the main level.

Image of the mezzanine with sky lights.


The Benson Hotel.
The Benson is another classic hotel downtown. You walk into the Benson and immediately feel warm and comfortable. The dark wood, fireplace and comfortable seating make you want to kick up your feet and have a cocktail. The crystal ballroom has tall ceilings with lovely gold and white detailing throughout. Its central location is great for your guests to walk to shopping and restaurants. Contact them for details about how many people their rooms can hold.



Hotel Vintage Plaza.
Right up the street from the Benson is the Hotel Vintage Plaza. If you love wine and a warm old world feel, then this hotel is for you. The decor is inspired by Oregon wines. They've dedicated each room to a local vineyard or winery. The Pazzo Cellar is a unique room that makes you feel as though you are in a tuscan wine cellar. The space is small and gets crowded quickly so keep your guest list under 75 for a comfortable ceremony. You can then head up to the Tuscany room for your reception where 130 fit well for dinner and dancing.

one of their unique rooms.

Those are three well known hotels downtown that will make your out of town guests feel pampered and welcomed. They will also make it convenient for them to get to your ceremony or reception if you host it at one of these hotels.

A vendor gets married!

Today's post comes from Christine of Espresso Arts Catering. She talks about her experience planning a wedding. It simple and great advice. Thanks Christine and congrats to you and Wes!

Wes and I have catered many beautiful weddings since starting Espresso Arts Catering, but we never really thought about what our wedding day might look like since we never really thought much about getting married over the span of our 12 years together. Then one day we just decided to go for it, for all the practical reasons, of course. Neither of us likes to be fussed over much; just a nice "party" at my mother's house in the bay area would suffice. So I decided on a date 4 months out, thinking less frills and less guests means less planning time necessary...not recommended! If not for the ease of buying and tailoring the perfect dress, booking vendors, and giving guests plenty of notice, it is worth it to give yourself and your spouse time to get used to the face that you are spending much more time than you are used to and you are definitely going to be fussed over!

Despite my warnings about giving yourself plenty of time for planning, I found the perfect dress off the rack and got all my favorite vendors lined up. After all is said and done, time crunch or not, my biggest advise for planning your perfect wedding is going with what you are passionate about. And I mean PASSIONATE-the day is about the two of you and your passion, right? What food do you love? Rather than go with someone else's recommendation for a caterer, I called our favorite restaurants in the area to see if they could provide food; and let me tell you, our food was spectacular! Are you passionate about wine or beer? We are, so I hand selected our beer and wine line up rather than let the caterer bring just anything. Are you seriously into art? Find a way of incorporating your favorite artist's work (it might be yours) into the venue or invitations.



Being passionate about espresso, we hauled our state of the art equipment down to the wedding and a couple friends from Stumptown Coffee Roasters drove down to pull shots for us and our guests. In the end, the most memorable aspect of our wedding was the espresso. It shared something intimate about the two of us and our lives together. Besides, it's fun to get your half-brother hopped up on four double cappuccinos-they were so amazing guests couldn't help overindulging!




Wedding planning can be fun, but daunting as well. Remember that is takes almost as much time and effort to plan a wedding with 50 guests as it does to plan one with 500- you still need to get all the same the pieces in order. The best way to keep the passion alive during the sometimes stressful planning phase is to make sure you listen to you heart about what you want to share with your guests about yourselves on your special day. Happy planning!

Photos by the lovely Kate Kelly Photography.

It's Back!

Remember when I said I had something to announce to all of you? Well, it's time to let you know that The Art of Weddings is back!

Going into it's third year, I'm really excited to announce the 2009 event. Every year the site where it is held changes, keeping it fresh and new. Last year we had a nice, intimate gathering at the retro Secret Society Ballroom. For 2009 we'll be celebrating at Luxe Autohaus in NE Portland. This modern building offers endless opportunities for creating a unique event; I can't wait to see it all come together!

I'll be giving you, our loyal readers the first tidbits about the event as they unfold. For more information visit the website: The Art of Weddings 2009.

Lift it, suck it in and smooth it out.

Ok. It's time to talk about what goes on under your wedding gown. This is a very important part of creating that perfect look. It's funny how some brides either laugh and show off the weird things they are putting on their body or they try to hide it and are slightly embarrassed. Here's the thing ladies, every bride I've worked with has worn one of the items below. So, have fun with it and let's get to lifting, tucking and smoothing it out!
We might as well start with one of the oddest things, the push up gel pads or as many of us like to call them: chicken cutlets! They stick to your skin without adhesive and are used if you have a low cut back on your gown. If these seem to weird talk to your seamstress about adding in cups to your gown. $38 for the pair.
Wearing a slinky party gown? If you are slipping into a silk dress be sure to test all your undergarments before heading out the door! You don't want all your guests talking about your lace blue underwear as you walk away from them. A bra may not work at all, so be sure to try some breast petals as shown above. Only $6.
If your dress is a heavy weight material you have more options with what you can wear underneath it. Get creative and try the lace g-sting above with the words "I Do" in crystal. You also have the option of adding your something blue to this hidden location.
These were found on Nordstroms.com for $31.


Spanx. If you've ever dressed up in a formal gown you know what these are. They come in black or nude colors and there are so many options you may have to try on a few styles. The one shown above is the footless pantyhose for $28. Most brides wear the power shaper that tucks in the tummy and bum. They also smooth out the fabric. Be sure to visit a store like Nordstrom's where they can help you find the correct size.

Last but not least is the bustier. They are a classic way to shape your body and feel sexy underneath all that fabric. This one is by Le Mystere and retails for $125 at nordstroms. Whatever you decide to wear be sure to try it on under you dress before the wedding day. Take your lingerie to your next fitting and make sure straps aren't showing, lines are hidden and the gown is laying smooth. Trying to adjust these things the day of is never fun and can be very stressfull.

Brides Against Breast Cancer Warehouse Sale!

I meant to post this for all of you sooner, but sometimes time slips away and before you know it it's the middle of October! Either way there is still plenty of time to head down to Milwaukie to find your wedding gown and help fight breast cancer. All the gowns have been donated by past brides to raise money for this great foundation. 

This sale doesn't happen very often and they are doing it for the whole month of October!

Below are the details.

Address: 10890 SE Oak Street, Milwaukie, OR 97222

Open: Oct. 1-31st  Mon.-Sat. 10am-8pm  and Sundays 10am-6pm.

They have 10,000 square feet of wedding gowns, flower girl dresses, and bridesmaids gowns.

It's worth going here first before you start shopping for your gown. Imagine saving hundreds of dollars on a dress and helping women fight breast cancer, how can you go wrong!

The beauty of fall.

Fall is a wonderful time to get married. The air is crisp and cool, the leaves are turning orange and gold and fruit is abundant. Nature gives you all the cues you need to create a stunning day. Let's look at few ideas and inspiration fall gives us.

One of a kind boutonnieres. Pieces of fabric cut to look like leaves serve as the background for the fiddle heads and lilacs. Finish them off with a contrasting ribbon wrapped around the stems.

Yellow roses mixed with deep burgundy dalias and leaves create a vibrant bouquet for the bride. Use the colors in nature to inspire your color palette. Oranges, golds, maroon, yellows and green all mix well together or can be displayed on their own.
Pumpkins, nuts and squash make great center pieces and table decorations. Clump them together in groups of three or five for an esthetically pleasing arrangements.

When I saw these cakes I new I had to write a post about fall! They are so amazing, I wouldn't want to cut into them to eat! Ask your vendors for new and exciting ways to display your cake. This one sets atop a cut of a tree. Don't worry, you won't have to cut down a whole tree to get this look. It could turn into an adventure with your fiance going for hike into the woods to find a piece of a fallen tree.

This cake just screams northwest to me! From the bright green moss on the base to the delicate ferns, acorns and tiny mushrooms made out of frosting, this cake is sure to turn heads.

If you're still trying to think of a date for your wedding day, don't rule out fall. Yes, it may rain and you most likely will have to have an indoor site but the decor would brighten up any rainy day! It's also a great way to show how much you love the great northwest. We live in a beautiful state surrounded by great food, fresh fruits and amazing landscapes. Bring some of that to your tables on your wedding day.

All photos from the fab Martha Stewart Wedding site. Check it out for more great ideas.