If you plan on including children in your wedding reception, here are a few helpful ideas to have at the table to keep them entertained. Remember the dollar tree or any discount store is a great place to stock up on these supplies and not break the bank!

photo by Holland Studios

Coloring: Cover the table with butcher paper and in small buckets place markers and crayons. Let the kids go crazy with drawing all over the table.  Another fun ideas is to create little place mats for each kid.  Include various animals or shapes for them to color in.

photo by Daniel Stark Photography

Toys: Place buckets of various toys in the center of the table or at each place setting. These buckets can include color books, plastic toys, games, action figures, or anything kids would love.

photo by Riso Studio

Game: At each place setting have a book of games or a crossword (for older kids). The games could be group related or individual. Anther option is to include a list for a scavenger hunt at each place setting. Leave a disposable camera at the table and assign someone in charge of taking pictures of the findings. This will keep them occupied for hours and provide some laughs when the pictures are developed!

We came across this great proposal and had to share!

photo by Powers Studios

Marc Rotse and the team at Moving Picture Weddings never cease to amaze me.  Take a peek at Natasha & Huston’s highlight video, and click here if you missed their beautiful wedding photos!

We were so thrilled to be a part of the second annual Rocked at the Nines bridal show sponsored by Portland Bride & Groom MagaziNE! While last year’s show was a blast, this year’s was even more of a smashing success.

photos courtesy of Jessica Hill Photography

Our area, appropriately named “Rocked with Style” came with this description…”Experience modern glam through a wedding styled with fashion forward patterns and shades of bold amethyst, chic lavender, and elegant silver.  Our fresh vibe is complete with a romantic ceremony, reception designed with an edge, sexy bar, over the top table settings and a trend setting ombre dessert display.”

What do you think?

The talented vendors in our space were Zest Floral, Peter Corvallis Productions, Blissfully Sweet, Anna’s Bridal Boutique, Crave Design, Artisan Cake Company and  Holland Studios

There’s not shortage of wedding vendors in the Portland area, but here’s one more to add on the list!  In her small studio just outside of Portland, Allisa Jacobs creates custom wedding clutches and bridesmaids gifts for brides around the world.  Allisa’s simple and sophisticated designs feature bold patterns, bright colors, and handmade touches including chiffon flowers and monogrammed embroidery.  How cute are the monogrammed initials?!?

While she’s no stranger to sewing, having built a successful online shop and loyal base of customers, she recently streamlined her business to focus on wedding accessories.  Brides looking for personal touches like special messages to their bridesmaid sewn inside their clutches or custom hand embroidery most appreciate her work.  After formal training in handbag design in Boston, Allisa enjoys making each of her clutches, from sketch to last stitch with luxe fabrics and trims. This might be what sets her bags apart, a focus on quality and design. Since she works primarily on a custom basis, brides can create one-of-a-kind clutches to coordinate with wedding colors or bridesmaid preferences!

Currently, Allisa is exploring the world of textile design and further expanding her ability to customize each bag.  You can find her work online at www.allisajacobs.etsy.com.  Mention Bridal Bliss and receive a complimentary cosmetic bag with your custom order!

Are you one of those couples trying to plan a wedding that reflects your own personal style?  Take a peek at this hilarious youtube video for some comic relief!  These two have some hilarious wedding themed videos…some more appropriate than others!

The world’s largest bridal magazine, Brides Magazine is the go-to source for all things wedding.  Flattering gowns, creative reception ideas, planning how-to’s, DIY stories, color palettes, amazing flowers, inspiration boards, gorgeous hairstyles, etiquette advice, fun honeymoon spots, Brides has it all.

We are BEYOND honored and thrilled to have been featured as an expert in the magazine’s December issue!  Take a peek at our take of a fabulous NW themed welcome bag…hope you like it!

I cannot even begin to express to you how much I LOVED working with Natasha and Huston.  This couple was as sweet and low-maintenance as they get.  Natasha gave me a few inspirational photos and basic guidelines and then let me take it from there.  This couple barely knew what to expect at their wedding…what a relief that they loved it!!

It ended up being a warm day, so we brought in water with custom labels at the last minute.

Michael Allen Harrison, Aaron Meyer  and Julianne Johnson performed the ceremony music…AMAZING.

If you’ve ever seen the benches at The Grotto, you know that they are not overly attractive.  So…we brought in custom damask pads to match the wedding’s design scheme.

Natasha was as calm as can be walking down the aisle

The girls…each one as gorgeous as the next!

The ombre cake designed by Judy Reese.  So pretty you don’t want to cut into it!

These photos do not do the decor justice…it was nothing less than stunning.

The bride wanted “purples” and “orchids.”  I think she got what she asked for!!

Huston surprised Natasha by learning “I Wont Give Up” by Jason Mraz and performed it at the reception.

First Dance—the dance floor gobo matched invitations and menus, and the hanging chandeliers were custom made.

As a nod to Natasha’s Lebanese heritage, we brought in belly dancers to perform!

Click here to view some AMAZING panoramic images from this wedding courtesy of Ben Powers from Powers Studios

ceremony venue: The Grotto, reception venue & lighting: Portland Art Museum, photography by Powers Studios, video by Moving Picture Wedding, photo booth by Paparazzi Tonight, floral by An Affair to Remember Floral Design, dance floor by West Coast Event Productions, printed table items by Crave Design, reception band by A Frontline Band, dj by Chad Dowling Productions, transportation by Lucky Limousine, VIP PDX and Best Car in Town,  valet by Premier Valet, cake by Dream Cakes, dessert buffet by One Divine Party, hair by Za Hair, makeup by Event Cosmetics,

Back in November we blogged about Ari + Jonathan’s unique wedding photos and video.  We are so excited that Oregon Bride Magazine loved the wedding as much as we did and decided to feature it in their newest issue!!