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.

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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.