Oregon Wedding Blog

After your wedding

2006-11-02T13:25:00.000-08:00

Now that all festivities have taken place their are a few details to wrap-up. Have your gown cleaned and preserved. Assemble with your photographer and videographer to finalize your albums. Write thank you cards and have them in the mail no later than 2-3 months after your wedding.

Congratulations!!!

The day of your wedding

2006-11-02T13:21:00.000-08:00

Relax, you're done. Don't worry about something going wrong...it will and your day will still be wonderful.

Remember to eat and drink plenty of water. If you have a make-up and/or hair appointment, remember to wear a button-up shirt so that you wont mess it up.

This is the day you have worked so hard for. Stand back and enjoy all that is going on arround you!

The day before your wedding

2006-11-02T13:18:00.000-08:00

If you can, pick-up tuxes and make sure all needed accessories are with it. Pick -up rental equipment if it isn't being delivered. Organize all final payments and ask a reliable person to distribute them to the appropriate persons.

Take a deep breath!

Week of your wedding

2006-11-02T13:15:00.000-08:00

If you haven't already, get your hair cut/colored; pick-up your wedding gown and make sure to place all needed accessories with it; pack for your wedding night and honeymoon.

All arrangements have been made, relax and enjoy this time...you're about to be married!

1-2 Weeks

2006-11-02T13:07:00.000-08:00

Atleast two weeks before the wedding, you should have your final gown fitting.

The week before, confirm all dates and times with wedding vendors. Arrange for someone reliable to transport your gifts home safely. And, if you have extra time, you can start writing thank you cards.

Things are really getting busy!!!

3-4 Weeks

2006-11-02T13:00:00.000-08:00

Time to get your marriage license from your local City Hall. Confirm all wedding party attire is ready and finalize your accessories (something old, something new, something barrowed, and something blue).

Helpful hint: I have two large containers that I have been storing wedding supplies in; one is designated for the ceremony and one for the reception. Everytime I think of something we will need, I put it in the appropriate container. Then the night of rehearsal we will take the containers with us to the wedding facility ensuring that all supplies will be with us. Don't forget to include emergency items such as needle, thread, extra nylons/socks, band aids, etc.

Photography, Party supplies, and Jewelers

2006-11-02T12:42:00.000-08:00

Photography:
Picture this photography; (541) 967-8696
Misty McCormick; (541) 760-6783
Terry Poe Photography; www.poephoto.com
Artistic Photography; www.photography.gwestdex.com
Honeysuckle Photography; www.honey-photo.com
Jim Carrol Photography; www.jimcarrollphoto.com
Live Laugh Love Photography; www.livelaughlovephotography.com

Party Supplies:
Special Occasions; (541) 752-7255
The Party Store; www.thepartystoreweb.com

Jewelers:
Coleman Jewelers; (541) 753-3721
Richard M. Gretz; www.gretzdesigns.com
Jordan Jewelers Inc.; (541)926-1907
Michael's Jewelers; www.diamondshere.com
Olufson Designs; www.olufsondesigns.com
Talisman Jewelers Ltd.; www.talismanjewelers.com

1-2 Months

2006-11-02T12:35:00.000-08:00

Last minute details are needing to be looked at. It is time to mail your wedding invitations; confirm bridesmaids have made any necessary alterations; groom and groomsmen should have had a first tux fitting, rings need to be purchased, have a consultation appointment with your make-up artist and hairstylist; meet with both the band/DJ as well as your photographer to develop a plan; practice dancing with your wedding shoes on, and confirm a final head count for your caterer.

Hang-on things are about to get bumpy!

Make-up and hair facilities

2006-11-02T12:31:00.000-08:00

Make-up and hair facilities:
Hair body and sole; www.hairbodyandsole.com
Bellaisima Salon; (541) 752-8890
Epiphany Salon & Day spa; (541) 929-4247
5th Street Salon; (541) 752-1648
Image Makers Salon & Spa; www.imagemakers2.com
The Retreat; www.theretreatonline.com
Trend Designs; (541) 929-7878
Appearances Salon; (541) 754-3828
Moxie Styling Salon; (541) 753-6256

3-4 Months

2006-09-05T09:47:00.000-07:00

Now is the time to order invitations, thank you cards, and/or programs. Make sure to order extras; you never know who or how many people you will decide to add to the guest list last minute. It seems like no matter how many times my fiance and I "finalized" the guest list, we continued to think of other people we wanted to include.

If you haven't already, make your final tux choices; book a make-up artist and hairstyles; reserve any rental equipment you may want for the event and meet with the officiate to go over plans.

Although things are getting busy, remember to take time out and simply enjoy being a couple.

Wedding Cakes and Transportation

2006-08-10T09:48:00.002-07:00

Wedding Cakes:
Shiela's Cakery; (541) 757-0160
Cake Time; (541) 929-3682
Riverfront Danish Bakery; (541) 752-2253
Mary Anna Bakery; (541) 926-1623
New Morning Bakery; (541) 754-0181

Transportation:
Advance Limousine Service; (541) 791-8575
Adventure Limousine and Towncar Service; (541) 730-3010
Blue Star Limousine; (541) 936-2924
Campus Limousine Service; (541) 757-3838
Corvallis Limousine Service; (541) 758-1700
Sunshine Limousine; (541) 344-9098
Enterprise Car Rental; (541) 758-0000
Hertz Car Rental; (541) 758-4101

5-6 Months

2006-07-27T13:13:00.000-07:00

If you aren't already swamped, then you're about to be. This is a very busy stage in wedding planning.

It is time to choose a cake baker. For me, their wasn't any question that we would have our cake made at Cake Time in Philomath. Cake Time makes beautiful and delicious wedding cakes of all shapes and sizes, for a reasonable price. In addition, they are a local business and friends of our family.

Choosing a band or DJ can take a little more time that one would think. It is a good idea to interview your musical entertainers. Find out how long they play, style of music, any extras they may offer, and what their fees are. Find out if they have a demo tape you can take; listen to it and compare it with your other options.

If you haven't already, now is a good time to make your final choices on your wedding attire, florist, caterer and menu.

Do you want to have transportation for you and your finace after the ceremony or reception? What about for your guests? If so, what style? Make calls in your area to see what is available for your event.

Florist, Rehearsal Dinner Venues, and Lodging

2006-07-13T11:52:00.000-07:00

Florists:
Penguin Flowers; www.penguinflowers.com
Stargazers Premier Florist; (541) 754-8104
Thistle Dew Farms Inc.; (541) 752-2385
Absolutley Flowers; www.absolutelyflowers.com
American Blooms; www.americanblooms.com
Expressions in Bloom; www.corvallisflowers.com
Leading Floral Co.; www.leadingfloral.com
The Flower Garden; www.flowergardencorvallis.com

Rehearsal Dinner Venues:
Iovino's Ristorante; (541) 738-9015
Wyatt's Eatery & Brewhouse; (541) 917-3727
Eola Hills Wine Cellars; (503) 623-2405
Michael's Landing; www.michaelslanding.com
Wine Depot & Deli; (541) 967-9499
Headwaters; (541)753-4320

Lodging:
Salbasgeon Suites; www.salbasgeon.com
Holiday Inn Express; (541) 752-0800
Hilton Garden Inn; www.corvallis.gardeninn.com
Days Inn; 1(800) 432-1233

7-8 Months

2006-06-28T14:42:00.000-07:00

Now is when I started feeling overwhelmed; you should be past some of the major decisions but not yet to all the little decisions. By now you are probably starting to compile lists of all the things you want to do at your wedding, such as floral arrangements, rehearsal dinner, the style of wedding ring for bride and groom as well as where are all of the out-of-town guests going to stay.

I turned to Penguin Flowers, of Corvallis, for my flower arrangements as well as decoration needs. Being the control freak that I am, I new exactly what I wanted when I went in. The woman I spoke with showed me what I was describing, gave me a few helpful tips and was able to keep me on budget. I was very pleased when I left the store.

We are very fortunate when in comes to our rehearsal dinner. My future-in-laws have taken care of all of it. They chose the place, time, food, decorations, and have even taking care of the invitations. Our rehearsal dinner will be held at Headwaters Restaurant. Headwater is a part of Salbasgeon Suites which is where all of our out-of-town guests will be staying. It’s all about convenience.

Their, I have three more things checked off my to-do list.

Wedding Attire, Ceremony Officiants, and Catering Companies

2006-06-14T12:23:00.001-07:00

Wedding Attire, Ceremony Officiants, and Catering Companies in or near The Willamette Valley:

Wedding Attire

David's Bridal; www.davidsbridal.com

Fashion Expressions; www.fashion-expressions.com

Mr. Formal; www.mrformaltuxedos.com

The Kid Shop; (541) 754-0185

Ceremony Officiants

Oregon Celebrations; www.oregoncelebrations.com

Simple Ceremonies; www.simpleceremonies.com

Catering Companies

Spice Islands Catering; www.spiceislandscatering.com

Iovino's Ristorante & Catering; (541) 738-9015

New Morning Bakering Inc.; (541) 754-0181

OSU Catering; (541) 737-1600

Valley Catering Inc.; (541) 745-7455

Wyatt's Eatery & Brewhouse; (541) 917-3727

Eola Hills Wine Cellars; (503) 623-2405

Michael's Landing; www.michaelslanding.com

Wine Depot & Deli; (541) 967-9499

9-10 Months

2006-05-31T11:18:00.000-07:00

Now is the time to expand on your dreams. My first stop was at David’s Bridal. I couldn’t wait to start trying on bridal gowns. Because I had been dreaming of this wedding for so long, I thought I new exactly what style of gown I wanted. I was positive that I wanted a full gown with small sleeves; I tried that gown on and it looked horrible. The dress I walked out with is very different from what I thought I wanted.

My next priority was to reserve our ceremony officiate. I am told that finding an available officiate can be as challenging as finding an available wedding facility. Officiates can book-up as far as a year to a year-and-a-half in advance. I was lucky because I have a friend who does this. Her name is Sally Andrews and I was able to reserve her.

Finally, we wanted to work on catering. Graham and I knew that we wanted our wedding to be a comfortable party atmosphere, but didn't know the first thing about finding a caterer. We opened the yellow pages in our phone book and started making calls to find a crew that would fit our wants and needs. This is when I found Tasha at Spice Islands Catering. I gave her our ideas and our budget and she came up with a proposal menu and we went from there. She is such a help and their food is wonderful. I am so happy that we found her.

With all of this done, we have accomplished some major hurdles.

Wedding facilities

2006-05-17T09:43:00.000-07:00

Wedding facilities in the Linn and Benton County areas:
Benton County Natural Areas & Parks; www.co.benton.or.us
City of Albany Parks & Recreation; (541) 917-7777
City of Corvallis Parks & Recreation; (541) 766-6918
City of Philomath Finance & Parks; (541) 929-3001
Oregon State University MU; (541) 737-6252
Siuslaw National Forest; (541) 563-8400
Greengable Gardens; www.greengable.com
The Thyme Garden Herb Company; www.thymegarden.com
Tyee Wine Cellars and Buchanan Century Farm; www.tyeewine.com
The Oregon Garden; www.oregongarden.org
Harris Bridge Vineyard; www.harrisbridgevineyard.com
Airlie Winery & Dunn Forest Vineyard; www.airliewinery.com
Springhill Cellars; www.springhillcellars.com
Willamette Valley Vineyard; www.willamettevalleyvineyard.com
Corvallis Country Club; (541) 752-3471
Springhill Country Club; (541) 926-6059
Yellow Gold Farm; www.yellowgoldfarm.com
Whisper-n-oaks; www.whisper-n-oaks.com
Beckenridge Vineyard; www.beckenridge.com
CH2M Hill Alumni Center; www.osualum@oregonstate.edu

11-12 Months

2006-05-03T13:37:00.000-07:00

When my Fiancé and I were ready to select our wedding facility, the only thing we knew was that we wanted the ceremony and reception to be in the same outdoors location. Other than that, we didn't know where to start looking. So, we asked around and made a list of possibilities. Then we looked at location, price, what was included with that price, and what dates were available. These questions really narrowed down our search to one. We booked with Yellow Gold Farm as soon as possible.

Once we had the location and date reserved, planning became easier. Our next step was to choose our attendants and notify them of the date, time and location.

Then, we sat down to compile a guest list. Because we had already booked the location, we knew how many guests we were allowed to invite. We made this into a three step process. First, we wrote down family members. Second, we wrote down our closest friends. Third, we figured out how many spots we had left, divided them amongst our parents and let them invited their closet friends.

The first steps in planning our dream wedding were completed; this wasn't easy but we got it done.

Start planning

2006-04-19T15:55:00.000-07:00

It seems like the minute my fiancé put the ring on my finger, my body went into overdrive. I can’t sleep, my appetite has changed (mostly for the good) and my mind is constantly working on the infinite number of wedding details.

I am a very organized person, so these sleepless nights allow me to make lists. One of the first tools you need in your wedding tool belt is a good checklist. Their are many out their to look at but it is important to tailor one to your needs. Here is a sample of my checklist:

11-12 Months:
Set a budget
Discuss a possible theme
Decided if festivities will be held inside or outside
Decide on Ceremony and Reception Location
Select a date
Reserve the facilities
Choose your attendants
Start making wedding guest list (Include Family and close friends)

9-10 Months:
Research any traditions you may want to include
Start trying on bridal gowns
Gather ideas for attendants clothing
Get menu ideas and start meeting with caterers
Start meeting with photographers and videographers
Consider bands/DJ’s
Make honeymoon plans

7-8 Months:
Find out if ceremony and/or reception facility require liability insurance
Gather flower ideas as well as decoration ideas
Shop for wedding rings
Start thinking about rehearsal and a rehearsal dinner
Reserve a hotel room for the night of the wedding as well as for out-of-town guests

5-6 Months:
Choose a cake baker
Make your final choice on a bridal gown
Sign a caterer and select a menu
Order beverages if cater doesn’t provide
Book a band/DJ
Choose bridesmaids dresses and order
Book you rehearsal and rehearsal dinner location
Choose a florist and order flowers
Make rehearsal guest list (Make sure to include parents, grandparents, attendants, photographer, officiate and out-of-town guest)

3-4 Months:
Order invitations and Thank you cards (Make sure you order extras)
Finalize tux choices
Have any alterations done on brides gown and/or bridesmaid dresses
Finalize cake plans
Book makeup artist and hairstylist
Choose gifts for each other, parents, and attendants
Meet with the officiate to go over the plan
Reserve any rental equipment

1-2 Months:
Mail invitations
Confirm bridesmaids have made any necessary alterations
Groom and groomsmen get fitted for tuxes
Purchase wedding rings
Have a consultation appointment with your makeup artist and hairstylist
Meet with band/DJ to discuss a list of must have songs
Meet with photographer/videographer to discuss must have photos
Practice dancing with bridal shoes on
Confirm final head count for caterer

3-4 Weeks:
Get marriage license
Research how to change your name
Confirm groomsmen have been fitted
Finalize your accessories
Pick up wedding rings
Prepare a box for the ceremony as well as reception. In it, place anything that must be moved to those locations. Don’t forget emergency items such as needle, thread, extra nylons/socks, band aids, etc.
Make transportations arrangements

1-2 Weeks:
Have final gown fitting
Confirm all beauty appointments
Confirm times and dates with all vendors
Ask someone to make sure gifts arrive home safely
Write and mail shower Thank you cards

The Week of the Wedding:
Groom get haircut
Pick up wedding gown and make sure all accessories are together
Pack for wedding night and honeymoon
Ask someone to help organize a clean-up crew after the reception

The Day before the Wedding:
Pick up tuxes and make sure all accessories are together
Pick up all rental equipment
Organize all final payments and ask someone to distribute them

The Day of the Wedding:
Eat and drink plenty of water
Wear a button-up shirt to all beauty appointments

After the Wedding:
Have gown cleaned
Change name
Assemble with photographer and videographer to finalize albums
Write Thank you cards and have them in the mail 2-3 months after the wedding

I had an idea of everything that went into planning a wedding, but I think it is a whole new world when you are actually doing it.

Hello

2006-04-05T13:35:00.000-07:00

Although I am only in the early stages of planning my wedding, I have been thinking about it for many years. As most little girls dream of their fantasy wedding, I did too. However, I took it one step further and started planning. I can not tell you how long it has been that I have been collecting bridal magazines, invitation catalogs, fabric samples, and even constructing a guest list.

In this long process, I have learned many things about all the many details involved in planning a wedding and am ready to share all of that knowledge with you. I decided that a blog would be a great place for me to share it with others.

Some of my blog will be specific to planning a wedding in Oregon because that is where I live, but most of it will work for you even if you are planning an underwater wedding on a tropical island. You will want to visit my blog often so I can ease you through making all the decisions for your wedding.

Many details go into planning a wedding. It is important to consider such details as location, date, bridal party, wedding party attire, guest list, theme, flowers, caterers, cake, travel and lodging accommodations.

Finding a wedding planning guide that fits your life style can be a very helpful tool. These wonderful books come in all price ranges and styles. They are designed to help you plan your dream wedding. Most come with calendars for you to note important dates, a month to month checklist, a budget planner, and sample guest lists. They provide you with a way to organize vendor contracts and store fabric samples.

But most importantly remember this is just one day out of the rest of your lives together. Relax and have fun with it!