Check out Champagne’s feature on Melissa at Soul Mates blog!
We LOVE Soul Mates Photography! You can find Melissa’s work hidden all around our website
Here are a few you didn’t get to see on the site…
Look for a post later this month where we get up close and personal with Soul Mates Photography. After all, fabulous people deserve a toast!
Cheers!
Summer is here… bring on the vacations and for some of us, something we like to call a staycation!
Staycation: a word commonly used to describe a period of time in which an individual or family stays at home and relaxes at home or takes day trips from their home to area attractions.
With summers being full packed with weddings, we hardly ever have time to get away for longer than a day or two, so we’re always looking for good spots for a staycation. Today we went on a staycation to the gorge for wine and beer tasting! First we stopped at Full Sails Brewery in Hood River, Oregon. My personal favorite was the Session. Here’s a snapshot of the view from the brewery. 
Then we went to The Gorge White House where they have a tasting room for the Mount Hood Winery, as well as, another tasting room with wines from wineries all over the gorge. At the Mount Hood Winery tasting my favorites were Mt Hood Winery’s 2007 Pinot Noir Saigneé, Mt Hood Winery’s 2007 Puerto Montaña (Delicious dessert red wine) and the riesling. In addition to the wine tastings, The Gorge White House has u-pick strawberries, flowers, and more.
On our way home we stopped by The Vista House
Feeling refreshed from the staycation! Are you going on a vacation or staycation this year? We want to hear about it! Comment here… We’ll try not to get too jealous!
Cheers!
Today on my way to a rehearsal at Bridal Veil Lakes, I was running on the VERY early side and decided to take the long way, past The View Point Inn. Over the past few years I have heard amazing things about this beautiful location. It is located up on the hill overlooking the Columbia River Gorge… and I can’t help but say it’s everything everyone had built it up to be and more… absolutely GORGEOUS! Whether you’re getting married, wanting to get away for a night, or just looking for a unique place for dinner… put it on your must visit list!
As I was looking around I found a brochure for a party they will be having, on June 20th, 2009, to kick off the summer. Have you seen the movie Twilight? The View Point Inn is the filming location of Bella and Edward’s Prom and the end of the movie. The inn will be using the sets from the filming to recreate that night and this time you’re invited!! The catch? Space is limited, so call now 503.695.5811 or email .(JavaScript must be enabled to view this email address) for reservations. Admission is $65 per person, which includes: a ticket to prom, food, non-alcoholic beverage, chips to play at Monte Carlo themed tables, a surprise twilight gift and participation in a raffle. Now that sounds like the perfect way to start off the summer!
Cheers!
When I tell people I’m a wedding coordinator, they usually respond with one of the following:
“Oh my gosh, Are you like J Lo (The Wedding Planner)?”
“I could never afford a coordinator!”
“I don’t need a coordinator, I am really organized and my mom is doing all the decorating.”
Many brides question their need for a professional wedding coordinator. At Champagne, we feel that working with a professional is invaluable for many reasons – below we have outlined just a few of the areas in which your coordinator will assist you. Your decision to hire a professional will be your first step on the path to a beautiful and stress-free wedding!
Here’s something we put together to tell you why…
• Time - hiring a professional wedding coordinator will save you valuable time and will allow you to truly enjoy being engaged to the one you love! Your professional coordinator will do the time-consuming work for you, from researching venues that may suit your needs to scheduling appointments for you to addressing invitations to making sure your decorations are placed perfectly on the wedding day. Hiring a coordinator allows you the luxury to enjoy your engagement!
• Money - the professional coordinators at Champagne work hard to foster relationships with a wide range of vendors. These relationships result in special discounts and exclusive rates that your coordinator will then pass along to you. Your wedding coordinator can also help you determine your budget and will suggest creative ways to stay within it while still achieving the wedding of your dreams! Professional coordinators also help you navigate contracts and negotiate pricing—because of their extensive experience in the industry, they are essential in attaining the best possible value for your money from your vendors.
• Knowledge - professional wedding planners at Champagne possess an incredible amount of knowledge and creativity. Your coordinator will assist you with difficult wedding etiquette questions and will offer valuable advice on countless issues that will come up in the course of planning your wedding.
• Design - this is a very important element to a successful wedding. Champagne’s coordinators will assist you through this crucial process and will offer insight and creativity to either help you bring your vision to life or to help you build a unique and beautiful vision for your wedding day.
• Navigating conflict - inevitably in the course of planning a wedding, conflicts arise and tensions can surface. Many times your wedding professional can act as a neutral party in these instances and can assist you in avoiding difficult or uncomfortable circumstances!
• Stress reduction - the best advice for your wedding day is to relax, to allow others to take over the details, and to simply enjoy your special day with your new spouse! When you work with a professional wedding coordinator, you not only give yourself the ability to de-stress, you also give your bridal party and family the ability to relax and to truly be guests at your wedding. Your wedding coordinator will take care of every last detail, freeing up your friends and family to celebrate with you!
• Wedding day relaxation - one of the most priceless services a professional coordinator provides is to fulfill the role of the day-of problem solver and go-to person. From coordinating vendor schedules to dealing with behind-the-scenes crises, your coordinator will save you from needing to deal with, or even know about, any wedding day issues so that you can simply enjoy the day you have looked forward to and imagined!
• Realization of dreams - with the help of a professional wedding coordinator, your wedding day dreams will become a reality!
Cheers!
When you’re planning your event, whether you are starting from scratch or have your dream wedding/party planned to the last detail, you’ll more than likely have to go through the vendor selection process. Some people want to meet every photographer to make sure they get the perfect one. This is not only impossible, but also, very time consuming and hard to manage. I always recommend visiting websites, getting an event coordinator (That’s us!), or asking friends who they have used in past events; from there pick three (at the most) vendors in each category (venues, catering, music, cake, etc). You not only want to find someone that does work that fits your style, but also, personality. Are unsure of where to start? Check out these wonderful vendor selection resources or .(JavaScript must be enabled to view this email address), we’d be happy to help!
Have you gotten married or had an event recently? Do you have a vendor you’d like to tell us about! Please feel free to comment here or .(JavaScript must be enabled to view this email address)! We’re are always meeting new vendors and love hearing about YOUR experiences.
Cheers!
