WEDDING BLOG

This Empire Mine State Historic Park Wedding in the Woods is Positively Enchanting

February 28, 2016 | editorial team

Empire Mine State Historic Park ended up becoming Aarika and Mark’s dream wedding venue, providing their guests with sights of fountains and vintage gardens beneath gorgeous mountain backdrops. Wanting a short engagement, the couple planned their enchanting wedding in six months. The talented Jasmine Fitzwilliam of Let’s Frolic Together captured the beautiful ceremony, and the couple said that dancing the night away with their family and friends was the highlight of the day.

The Couple:

Aarika and Mark

The Wedding:

Empire Mine State Historic Park, Grass Valley, California

One trip to the venue, and it was a done deal. It was enchanting, and more than we could have ever dreamed up. The price was spectacular and the scenery boasted some of the most stunning backdrops.

Jasmine Fitzwilliam of Let’s Frolic Together is by far one of the most dazzling gems in the wedding photography business. She is everything we sought in a wedding photographer — she has a calming, light-hearted and silly presence, her creative eye is keen and she wonderfully captured our chemistry and bond as a couple.

We met working at a coffee shop, so we commemorated that special part of our story by giving out chocolate covered espresso beans to our guests.

We had always heard how stressful and overwhelming wedding planning was going to be, but not once did we feel overcome by the process. Just enjoy the planning, talk about details over happy hours, and try not to sweat the small stuff — come the night of your wedding, as long as you are married, the day was a success!

The Wedding Team:

Photography – Let’s Frolic Together
Venue – Empire Mine State Historic Park
Catering – Christopher’s Old World Deli
Officiant – Ben Saunders
Wedding Dress – Allure Bridals
Bridal Accessories – Etsy
Bridesmaids’ Apparel – J. Crew
Groom’s Apparel – Nordstrom
Groomsmen’s Apparel – Macy’s
Rings – Robbins Brothers and Ritani
Rentals – Encore Music

A huge thank you to Jasmine at Let’s Frolic Together for sharing Aarika and Mark’s enchanting wedding with us. For similar wedding venue inspiration, head over to this intimate and eclectic Montreal wedding at Tour de Lévis!

Intimate Barefoot Elopement in the Columbia River Gorge

February 27, 2016 | editorial team

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Ashley and Andrew eloped in the Columbia River Gorge so that they could have a ceremony that honored the commitment they were making to each other and the journey they underwent to get to this point. From the moment they got engaged, the couple knew they wanted a wedding as natural and organic and simple and beautiful as their relationship. Jess Hunter Photography and Moving Picture Weddings captured breathtaking photos and videos of the entire day. After the couple promised their lives to one another, they returned to the private house where they were staying, played “Safe and Sound” by Capitol Cities, and shared their first dance as husband and wife.

The Couple:

Ashley and Andrew

The Wedding:

Columbia River Gorge, Cascade Locks, Oregon

In getting married and hiking through the gorge in waist-deep water, I needed a dress that would flow with the water and would be able to get wet. I chose a dress I found online by Sarah Seven.

Andrew and I both knew we wanted an intimate wedding. He wanted to be barefoot, in nature, and for me to wear a flower headpiece. I wanted water and someplace natural. I came across a photo by the talented Jess Hunter that she had shot at Oneonta Gorge, and we immediately knew that she had to be our photographer and that we needed to get married in the gorge.

As a couple, we didn’t want to get lost in the all of the details of planning, but instead we wanted to be able to appreciate every moment of the day. We wanted our wedding intimate, nothing expected and nothing scripted.

The most memorable part of the day was the overall feeling of beauty and appreciation. Being able to be together and at one with nature, partaking on a journey through the gorge and through life is the greatest gift.

Andrew and I both choose things that were important in celebrating us, and finding a wedding that best represented what we value as a couple. I recommend couples being true to themselves, and just have fun in the process.

Our families did not know we were getting married, let alone engaged. We kept it a secret when we came home until our video was ready. We had both our families over for a “house warming” party, but we really were revealing our wedding video.

The Wedding Team:

Photography – Jess Hunter Photography
Venue – Columbia River Gorge
Floral Design – Ponderose and Thyme
Officiant – Roger Moore
Videography – Moving Picture Weddings
Wedding Dress – Sarah Seven
Groom’s Apparel – J. Crew

Thanks to Jess Hunter Photography for sharing this breathtaking elopement, and congratulations to Ashley and Andrew on their marriage! For more elopement inspiration, check out this intimate Squamish wedding at Sea to Sky Gondola!

Glamorous Downtown Wedding at Hotel Monaco Pittsburgh

February 27, 2016 | editorial team

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Hotel Monaco Pittsburgh was still under construction when Erissa and Nick chose it as the venue for their wedding reception. Though planning the wedding from out of town, the duo knew they wanted to host a fun party that their friends and family could enjoy, which meant delicious food, tasty drinks, and great music. They settled on a navy, ivory, and green color palette, and they filled the ballroom with disposables cameras and a few Go Pro cameras so their guests could take pictures and videos throughout the glamorous night.

The Couple:

Erissa and Nick

The Wedding:

Hotel Monaco Pittsburgh, Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania

We worked with Rachel Rowland Photography and I have nothing but amazing things to say! Rachel is super talented, and also funny, kind, and easy to work with. She put us totally at ease on our wedding day, and captured really fantastic moments.

We were looking at different venue styles, but ultimately decided that a hotel would be best for a variety of reasons—full catering and bar service, proximity to other downtown attractions for out-of-towners, and an easy “commute” home for guests staying in the hotel.

We wanted our wedding vibe to reflect our personal vibe, which I would describe as simple and somewhat modern but with touches of the unexpected, and definitely welcoming. We kept things very clean and bright for the most part—white and metallic and simple table designs—but let the flowers feel a little wilder and more natural.

Our first dance was pretty special. We had a small, three-piece band from New York playing—headlined by one of Nick‘s musical idols, Vic Ruggiero. They performed a cover of one of our favorite Hot Chip songs, “Look At Where We Are,” and our friend Sarah sang the vocals. To top it all off, we were surrounded by some of our favorite people in the entire world. It was such an amazing way to share our first dance as a married couple.

Because we were long-distance planning, it was important for us to work with vendors that understood our style and vibe. My husband and I were very closely involved in all decisions being made about the wedding. While this was definitely exhausting at times, the compliments we received from people telling us how much the wedding really reflected who we are as people made the whole thing worth it.

The Wedding Team:

Photography – Rachel Rowland
Ceremony Venue – Smithfield United Church of Christ
Reception Venue – Hotel Monaco Pittsburgh
Floral Design – greenSinner
Cake – Oakmont Bakery
DJ – Modern Era Weddings
Live Music – Vic Ruggiero
Invitations – Cody Boehmig
Hair Styling – Valerie Zotter Bailey
Wedding Dress – Houghton NYC
Bridesmaids’ Apparel – Reformation
Groom’s Apparel – Freemans Sporting Club
Rings – Mathew Jewelers

The ballroom of Hotel Monaco Pittsburg looked absolutely smashing for this couple’s glamorous evening! For more ballroom wedding inspiration, head on over to this modern classic wedding at The Room on Main!

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WEDDING BLOG

This Empire Mine State Historic Park Wedding in the Woods is Positively Enchanting

Intimate Barefoot Elopement in the Columbia River Gorge

Glamorous Downtown Wedding at Hotel Monaco Pittsburgh

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