WEDDING BLOG

Surprise weddings are incredibly difficult to pull off, but Lindsey and Bradley and the talented team at Mae & Co Creative managed to put together this stunning surprise celebration at Saint Irene’s in Portland! In less than 2 months, they and Good Seed Floral made the modern venue look like an earthy, woodland-inspired dream by hanging and laying greenery on every surface, leaving sweet notes and handkerchiefs on each chair for their guests, and creating a dessert table that would satisfy any sweet tooth. The bride and groom didn’t scrimp on style, with Lindsey wearing a knock-out Pronovias lace gown and Bradley opting for a modern, grey suit. We adore that their wedding party only included their two young children, and we could hardly keep it together when seeing each heartfelt moment that Kati Nicole Photo captured, especially Bradley’s surprise father-daughter dance at the end of the night.

The Couple:

Lindsey and Bradley

The Wedding:

Saint Irene’s, Portland, Oregon

All the stars aligned and we planned a wedding in 2 months without our friends or family knowing. So, without a doubt, seeing some of our closest friends walk up to the venue, not sure what was going on, then having it click for them was the most memorable part of the day! Pure shock…excitement… laughter… it was so sweet seeing those closest to us react to the reality that they showed up to our wedding without knowing it. We had so many people in our corner throughout our dating relationship, so to share this day with those closest to us meant the world. We just wanted it to be a big celebration for everyone, and it was!

Each guest entered into the venue with handkerchiefs on each chair. For anyone close to the groom, they know he never goes a day without his handkerchief. Tied to the rolled handkerchief was a sweet card which read, “For tears of love, and tears of laughter, here’s to happily ever after.”

I always dreamed of an outdoor wedding, but we decided we didn’t want to wait to get married, which meant a fall or winter wedding. I love neutrals, and greenery, and the vision grew from that. When I met with the florist, Good Seed, I knew florals were going to be our big splurge. Once we got to talking, we dreamed this magical idea of bringing forest like features indoor, yet keeping it modern with the venue. When Taylor mentioned hanging greenery from all the track lighting and greenery growing up the curtains, I knew they were the vendor for me. Accenting the greenery were florals in whites, creams, and blushes with a pop of marsala to give it the fall feel. It was a modern dreamy feel throughout the space for sure.

Perhaps the most cherished moment, after the traditional dances, Bradley announced there was one more dance, in which he invited our 7 year old daughter to the dance floor, and surprised everyone, including her, with a special father daughter dance. There was not a dry eye.

Congratulations to Lindsey and Bradley, and a big thanks to Mae & Co Creative for sharing this incredible surprise wedding with Junebug! Love how they used the greenery in their decor? You’ll love the modern take on greenery in this Hotel Eldorado wedding!