Cannon Beach…it’s much like Pleasantville to me! So calm and peaceful! Filled with so many cute shops, delicious candy stores, yummy seafood and beautiful views! This might have something to do with why Jen and Nick picked to have their destination wedding on the Oregon Coast in Cannon Beach! Jen and Nick were living in Kentucky, but Nick had come to Washington for a business trip and he and Jen had decided to drive down the coast and visit Cannon Beach. They fell in love with the location and when trying to pick the perfect destination for their guests, from all over the United States, to travel for their wedding celebration, it soon became obvious- they wanted to share this sweet little town called Cannon Beach with their closest Family and Friends! A place they plan to come back and visit often. A place that marks a few major stepping stones in their life together!

A destination wedding doesn’t have to be somewhere tropical to be intimate and gorgeous!

They got married on what was quite possibly the most wet days of the summer! This, however, did not stop them from having their ceremony at Ecola State Park, overlooking the beautiful coast! It was absolutely breathtaking! Each guest had a white umbrella and as Jen walked down the aisle it stopped raining, but then it started to sprinkle and everyone’s umbrella’s popped up- it was picture perfect! The officiant mentioned how life isn’t always perfect, but when times are troubled and it starts to rain, you always have each other, your family and friends to make sure you’re covered. While those weren’t his exact words, what he said at that moment made the rain seemed as though it had been planned and moments later the rain stopped… for a few minutes! There were so many amazing pictures that we had a really hard time narrowing it down… enjoy!!

Date: September 18, 2010
Weather: Morning sun with afternoon wind and rain
Location: Cannon Beach, Oregon

The amazing team of vendors:
Destination wedding planning: Champagne Wedding & Event Coordination
Photographer: Soul Mates Photo
Ceremony Venue: Ecola State Park
Reception Venue: Surfsand Resort
Officiant: Carroll Myers, Pastor
Invitation Designer: Wedding Paper Divas
Catering: Surfsand Resort
Florist: Francoise Weeks Florist
Cake: BelLisamo
Wedding dress: Victoria Sdoukos Couture, Boutique Victoria, Chicago, Illinois
Bridal accessories: Victoria Sdoukos Couture, Boutique Victoria, Chicago, Illinois
Bridesmaid’s apparel and accessories:  BCBG
Groom and groomsmen apparel and accessories: Mens Wearhouse
Hair and make-up: Face Body Beauty
DJ: Event Team Entertainment
Transportation: Sundial Travel  & North Coast Limo Service 503.338. 8525
Dance instruction: n/a
Favors: Candy Buffet designed and assembled by Champagne Wedding & Event Coordination- Candy from The Picnic Basket and The Sweet Factory
Rings: Shane Co
Rentals:  The Party Pros
Linens: BBJ Linens

Photos by Soul Mates Photo

Tipsy Tuesday: When planning to get married on the Oregon Coast or in a State Park, make sure to apply to get a permit before making your plans. Many parks and beaches along the coast have changed their policies in the last year on having events. Some aren’t allowing them at all! Luckily we were able to get a permit for Ecola State Park, but there are very strict rules that go along with it! Ask a planner how to get more information!

Happy planning!!

Cheers,

The Champagne Team

PS Melissa with Soul Mates Photo is currently booking Boudoir sessions!! The perfect gift for your boyfriend, Husband-to-be, Anniversary or just because! Check out details here!!

When I first walked into Bella Via I instantly fell in love! The warm gold tones along with the cool gray really allows the space to be whatever style you want it to be! To showcase the space I wanted to create a mock wedding so brides could envision how their wedding could look!  To do this we decided to go with the tones of the room and create something simple and clean, with white and silver and gold accents.  We carried this look throughout the whole venue and chose a very classic look from a simple elegant cake to white roses and lilies to the brides hair and makeup. We hope this is able to give you an idea of what Bella Via can look like, but also not overwhelm you with one color verse another or style, so you are able to envision what fits your unique style!  This tones make the beauty of the space shine through from the crystal chandeliers to the silver and gold and silver accented wallpaper.

A huge thank you to all the vendors involved:
Venue: Bella Via
Design and Coordination: Champagne Wedding & Event Coordination
Photographer and Videographer: Atelier Pictures
Hair and Make up: Face Body Beauty
Wedding dress: Rosewood Bridal
Model: Emma and Bobby
Florist: Vibrant Flowers
Rentals: The Party Place
Cake: AK Cake Design
Paper goods: Paper Bloom
Cake server & knive/champagne flutes: The Wedding Cottage

Enjoy a few photos by Atelier Pictures!!

Cheers,

Danielle & the Champagne team

Tipsy Tuesday #9:

Wear sunscreen. If you’re getting married outside or going to be outside for a long period of time on your wedding day, don’t forget to wear sunscreen. Even in overcast weather you can get sunburned and you don’t want to start out marriage bright red! Ouch!

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Tipsy Tuesday #8:

It’s not too late. For what you may ask? Well, for one, I hear a few fabulous venues have had prime dates this summer open up, so it’s not too late to get your boyfriend to propose and get married this summer!
Haha!
I’m not sure we want to be putting the pressure on that one! I remember waiting for my boyfriend [now husband] to propose… I thought it would never happen! Now, less than a year since he proposed, we’ve been married for almost 5 months! Oh, how time flies! One thing I couldn’t have done without is a wedding planner!!
What?
Why would a wedding planner NEED a wedding planner???
Well you see, no matter how organized and on top of things you are, the need for at least a day of wedding planner is just as much- if not more important- to you enjoying your wedding day and the days leading up to it! Whether you are getting married next week, next month or next year, it’s not too late to hire a wedding planner!!

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Tipsy Tuesday #7:

While it’s easy to get caught up in the excitement and stress of wedding planning, make sure to go on dates and make time for your fiance! On these dates talk about anything and every thing, but the wedding!! : )

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Tipsy Tuesday #6:

Drink lots of water!  Drink water prior to your wedding day, but also especially on the day of.  Often brides are busy getting ready and enjoying all the excitement, but it’s important to stay hydrated so you have the energy to celebrate. 

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Tipsy Tuesday #5:

When searching for your wedding vendors:

1) Pick no more than 3 of your favorites to meet with in each category to start. If you don’t feel like one of those are the right match, make a list of pros/cons and then go back to the drawing board from there! Picking too many vendors to meet with in each category can make the decisions overwhelming.

2) Ask your planner, friends, family and co-workers if they have any suggestions for vendors.

3) When looking on Google and other planning resources, many times vendors are alphabetized or ranked for various reasons, don’t stop with the first at the list, make sure you choose people to meet with that you feel meet your style, personality and budget!

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Tipsy Tuesday # 4:

Writing your vows for your wedding can without a doubt be one of the most nerve-racking parts of preparing for the big day.  It’s the most personal part of your ceremony.  Here are a few ideas to get you started on the writing process as well as other steps you could take to make sure the vows will be just perfect for you and your groom.

Write down a few questions and use the answers to those questions as parts of your vows.
For example:  

What do you love most about your partner?
When did you first know you were in love and why?
What is the most fun you have ever had with your fiancée, favorite memory?
What are you looking forward to in your life ahead when you will be married?
Is this the person you always dreamed of and why?
What do you want to promise always and forever you will be to your future spouse?
How does your partner bring out the best in you?

After you have completed your vows make sure there is nothing in them that could offend anyone at the ceremony or upset your future spouse?  Try and make it so you have both written vows about the same length and keep that length short.  You don’t want to bore everyone in attendance with super long intimate details probably only you and your partner should know.  Practice them in front of someone you trust and if you would like to have a cheat sheet at the ceremony, go for it.  Nerves will start to affect your emotions and memory, so a written copy is always a great idea to have on hand.

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Tipsy Tuesday #3:

Use a planning timeline/checklist in the planning process.  Timelines help keep you on track so you don’t forget any important details; they keep your organized.  Using a checklist means you get to check things off as you finish them which is always a wonderful feeling!  You alleviate stress, feel successful, and know you are putting together the perfect wedding!

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Tipsy Tuesday #2:

Be intentional about taking the time to greet all your guests at your wedding.  Whether this be a receiving line or making it around the room during the reception, find the time to say hi to all your guests. All of those people are there because you have asked them to be and they obviously matter to you so you should treat them accordingly and show them your appreciation for the role they have played in supporting your life and future.

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Tipsy Tuesday #1:

If you are doing DIY projects try your best to get all your projects done the week before the wedding. You will have friends and family coming into town and that is an important time to spend relaxing with those you love, not feeling stressed about projects. Then you can take a huge sigh, look at all your incredible work and all you have to think about is marrying your best friend!

Cheers,

Robin & the Champagne Team

Portland, Oregon wedding planners- serving Portland, Central Oregon, Oregon Coast, Columbia Gorge and Destinations all over the world.

Contact .(JavaScript must be enabled to view this email address) today to set up your complimentary consultation!

Planning your wedding is supposed to be fun, exciting, and enjoyable! I think every bride has her moments of stress, after all there are so many decisions to be made and often times it’s not just about what you want, it’s about what your fiance wants and potentially your family and friends are pressuring decisions as well!

There’s a common misconception that wedding planners are only for the rich, but the thing is, wedding planners can save you money and much headache, as they often get discounts from vendors that they then pass along to their clients and can also save you from making a bad decision when it comes to booking a vendor with a bad reputation or purchasing diy projects when buying the item already made may be more cost effective! They can help you decipher the large world of wedding vendors and helping you find the right match for your budget, personality and style!

At Champagne we offer a large range of packages from full service planning to day of service and anything in between! One of our most popular packages is our Month of! Our Month of package allows you to ask us questions through out the entire planning process, not to mention we offer free vendor suggestions! We want all of our clients to have the most enjoyable planning process possible, regardless of the package they pick!

Why do we say EVERYONE needs at least a Day of/Month of planner?

No, it’s not because it’s what we do and we want people to hire us! As I mentioned in yesterdays post even a planner needs a Day of planner to be able to make sure everything runs smoothly. You may be extremely organized, but who is going to make sure the centerpieces are on the table, that the DJ knows where to set up, the favors are placed where you wanted, that the guest book is out, that the photographer is running on schedule, that the caterer knows to have the food ready a little later because the ceremony ran late? Who’s going to let the DJ know you’re ready for toasts or make sure there’s never a lull in the events?

You’ve spent hours, months, possibly years planning this one day that marks a huge milestone in your life! You want to be able to share it with your closest family and friends and you want everyone to be able to enjoy the day!

No matter how much you’re spending on your wedding, it’s relevant to how much money you have and you want to make sure everything you’ve planned comes together as you had planned and is stress free and fun! Having a day of/month of planner allows you to relax and enjoy not only the day of your wedding, but also the days and weeks leading up to it!

A few of the many things we do to make sure your day is amazing:
We meet to go over all the details for your wedding about a month to two weeks before your wedding
Look over your contracts
Put together a timeline
Confirm vendors and make sure they are all on the same page for the timeline
Set up/clean up
Troubleshoot any issues that may come up
Set out favors, guest book, etc
Help keep everyone on timeline for the day and let vendors know when the timeline has shifted
Act as point person for wedding party, family, vendors and guests
Bring a fully stocked Emergency Kit

We are there to make sure that you, your fiancé, parents, wedding party, vendors and guests have the best most stress free day possible!

Below are a few photos from a photo shoot we did last year with Honeysuckle Photography to portray what often happens when you don’t have a professional wedding planner there on your wedding day!

Vendors who contributed to the shoot:
Photography: Honeysuckle Photography
Location: Elk Cove Vineyards
Attire: Cocoon Silk
Rentals: The Party Place
Flowers: Blum Design in Flowers
Models: Emma Pelett
Coordination: Champagne Wedding & Event Coordination

Enjoy!

Don’t let this be you, let us do the dirty work!

Not sure a wedding planner is for you? Want to know more information? Please contact .(JavaScript must be enabled to view this email address) to set up a complimentary consultation! We can’t wait to get to know more about you and your wedding plans!!

Cheers,

The Champagne Team

Tipsy Tuesday #8:

It’s not too late. For what you may ask? Well, for one, I hear a few fabulous venues have had prime dates this summer open up, so it’s not too late to get your boyfriend to propose and get married this summer!
Haha!
I’m not sure we want to be putting the pressure on that one! I remember waiting for my boyfriend [now husband] to propose… I thought it would never happen! Now, less than a year since he proposed, we’ve been married for almost 5 months! Oh, how time flies! One thing I couldn’t have done without is a wedding planner!!
What?
Why would a wedding planner NEED a wedding planner???
Well you see, no matter how organized and on top of things you are, the need for at least a day of wedding planner is just as much- if not more important- to you enjoying your wedding day and the days leading up to it! Whether you are getting married next week, next month or next year, it’s not too late to hire a wedding planner!!

More details on how hiring at least a Day of Wedding Planner can help you coming up on tomorrow’s blog post!

Cheers,

The Champagne Team

Contact .(JavaScript must be enabled to view this email address) today for your complimentary consultation! We look forward to hearing more about your wedding plans and the opportunity to tell you more about how a wedding planner can help you enjoy your wedding day!