The Bridal Loft is pleased to announce two new additions to their fabulous team!

Welcome Alesia Zorn, Calligrapher and Paul Rich Studios!

Visit them and all of The Lofties at the The Bridal Loft Open House

March 16, 2010

4-8pm

2808 Martin Luther King Jr Blvd. Ste 3

Lavish Flora Designs are infused with a revere of our natural world and inspired by the seasons change. They strive for an uncontrived design style with emphasis on the subtle beauty of the flowers themselves. With flowers as their muse they create unique designs to celebrate the world around us.

Adria, owner and designer is committed to supporting healthy, sustainable lifestyle choices therefore along with exotic flora she offers a growing selection of fine organic and locally grown botanicals as well as locally produced arts and products. She is also dedicated to partnerships with other green businesses within our community.

Lavish Flora has only a few open wedding dates. Now is the time to book!

June 12th
July 17th
Sept 18th

Sundays are always a good day to book a wedding!

All bouquets are designed by Lavish Flora Designs

Special Offers ~  choose the one that works for you!

Any available Friday or Sunday in 2010  -  $1,000 off listed price.

Any available Monday – Thursday in 2010 – 50% Off Site fees any package

and the amazing deal of the year ~ 

All Inclusive Wedding for $7,995 for venue (7 hours, Iris Package), catering, photographer and DJ for any day except a Saturday for up to 100 guests.   Call 503-656-1894 or email events@AinsworthHouse.net for more details.

Dianna’s Formal Affair & Boutique is giving 24 local couples, who want to get married but can’t afford to, a chance to have their “big day” come true for only $100.  The Scappoose-based bridal shop has teamed up with KOHI Radio to hold an astounding “24 Weddings in 24 Hours” on Valentines Day – Sunday, February 14, 2010.  The weddings will take place at the Best Western in St. Helens, OR.  Proceeds from the event benefit Making Memories Breast Cancer Foundation^™, a Portland-based non profit organization dedicated to granting wishes to stage VI breast cancer patients. 

Each couple will recieve:

• An officiant
• A room for an hour capable of holding 25 guests
• A brides bouquet and grooms boutonniere
• An 8 x 10 photo
• A cake and a champagne toast
• First dance
• There will be many raffles and giveaways

For more information contact Diannas Formal Affair 503.543.0291

I had the pleasure of meeting with the owner of the Amadeus Manor, Kristina Poppmeier, last week. Not only did I have the best cup of coffee I have ever had, but I got to enjoy it while overlooking the Willamette River, surrounded by fresh flowers on every table. The view from the restaurant is unbelieveable! I can only imagine what it must be like to sit out on the deck and enjoy it during the summer months. 

The food is fabulous, and now Kristina is offering specials all throughout the day.  I would highly recommend a trip out to the Amadeus Manor. It is perfect for any event – wedding, corporate function, or any special occasion. Why not Mother’s Day?

After MONTHS of planning… many countless hours of adding, revising, looking at pictures, writing the newest trends and tips – we’ve come up with the “new and improved” BravoWedding.com!!

Check us out for amazing ideas to plan your wedding and/or reception in the Pacific Northwest!  There are client virtual tours (videos),  calendar of upcoming wedding events, “Bravo Bride” specials and so much more!

Let us know what you think!

from Modern Bride – here are the best flower arrangements for creating the party mood you’re after for your wedding.

• Richly Romantic – roses or alstroemerias in burgundy or red (colors that represent passion) or pink or peach (which inspire love and kindness). A round-shaped vase suggests never-ending love.
• Hip & High Energy – roses, calla lilies, Asiatic lilies, snapdragons or hypericum in red (promoting motivation or power) or orange or fushia (both of which suggest enthusiasm or exuberance). Mirrors boost positive energies, so choose tall, mirrored or shiny metal vessels. An upshooting spray of flowers encourages guests to “reach for the stars” and live life to the fullest.
• Intimate & Low Key – hydrangeas, delphiniums or lisianthus in shades of blue, violet or lavender, which evoke nature and serenity. Violet and lavender also represent spirituality and can be helpful in removing stress, so choose glass vases in these hues containing loosely arranged blooms to ensure an easy going celebration.

check out our picks for florists by clicking here. Picture from Bravo Wedding Affair.

Favors:

• Double Duty – Use photo frames as place cards or potted plants as centerpieces, and let your guests take them home at the end of the night. See the freshest ideas from the “Art of the Table” Tablescapes from the 6th Annual Wedding Affair by Clicking Here! Thanks to Dave Bigler for putting it together for us!
  

• Something Useful – Give your guests something they can enjoy for years to come. A small bag of seeds to plant will remind them of your big day every time they smell the flowers or a really cool idea is a handcrafted flower from Paper Posy! They make handcrafted flowers that can complement your wedding palette with gorgeous papers and ribbons.

• Something Edible -As if a five-course meal wasn’t enough, send your guests home at the end of the night with an extra treat of your favorite candies or special hometown delicacies.

Stationery Ideas:

• Ethnicity – If your heritage is important for you to represent on your big day, do some research and find a stationer who offers multi-cultural invitations and announcements.

• Creative Touch - For more intimate, casual gatherings, request the honor of yo ur guests’ presence in an innovative and entertaining way. Here’s an idea – have your invite printed on a balloon so guests have to blow them up to receive the message.

• Programs - Do something a little different with your wedding programs by including personal photos or by printing them on something that serves a dual purpose – like a fan.

• Storybook - Get the most bang for your program buck by including stories of how the two of you met, who introduced you, and your relationship to everyone in the bridal party. Think of all the time you’ll save by not havin g to explain all of this to your husband’s childhood neighbor during the reception!

• Donations – With a high emphasis on karma these days, give something back and make a donation to your favorite cause in lieu of knickknacks. Your guests will appreciate the altruistic gesture (check last week’s blog for more ideas on this)
  

  

photo courtesy of Holland Studios

More “Entertain the Kids” Ideas:

• Arrange A Talent Act – Bring in an entertainer appropriate for the age group, such as a magician, clown, balloon artist , henna or face painter, such as Magic George, A Touch of Magic, Alexander – “Master of Marvels” or Magic Zone. Click here for info!

• Children’s Lounge – Set up a kids’ area with beanbags, toys and popular children’s movie in a separate room. Hire Creative Childcare Services to oversee the function (and keep the parents happy dancing at your reception longer).

• Playful Surprise – when the little ones sit down to eat, have a babysitter pass out aprons embroidered with their names with colored pencils and decorative flash cards tucked into the pockets. Not only will this encourage activity (use wide rolls of paper to cover tables or small notepads)and interaction, the aprons will double as smocks protecting their fancy clothes!

From the words of our exhibitors, like Cherie Ronning from Uncommon Invites (she worked with Linda from Barclay Events on those fabulous Tablescapes on Mezzanine) – “Thank you all for another fabulous Bravo Wedding Affair – it has to have been the biggest turn out ever! Great Brides, great set-ups, lots of new Vendors!” AND our brides, like Julia Thomas “This was by far the best show I have been to! You guys did a really good job putting it all together ” – the 6th Annual Bravo Wedding Affair at the Embassy Suites rocked!

There are tons of beautiful pictures coming in daily – so I’ll start with Emee from EJP Events – click here to see her pics from the Colonel Lindbergh Ballroom where their theme “Bling’s the Thing” looked absolutely beautiful.

Eric from Holland Studios sent us these beautiful pics from the Queen Marie Ballroom’s “Dusk Before Sunset” themed room – coordinated by Molli from Soiree Special Event Planning.

Also – check out Paparazzi Tonight’s photo booth pics by clicking here – very fun!  They took the pic above of our child models, Dominic, Ty, Jackson & Camryn.

Saturday, January 31, 2009 – The sky was clear, the sun was out and the brides were heading to the Deschutes Country Fairgrounds for the Central Oregon Wedding Showcase.  Brides had the opportunity to visit 100 wedding vendors from Central Oregon. The show featured two fashion shows courtesy of Bella Brides and Flowers by Deanna.

Brides could sample food, cake and drinks while walking from booth to booth to see all that the wedding vendors had to offer. Photographers had beautiful displays of their work for brides to admire, while decor companies had beautiful table settings to please any bride.

Many thanks to our sponsors: Elegant Images, West Coast Event Productions, Rays Food Place and Bella Brides.

A big hit at at many weddings and events are the new crystal trees. They illuminated the back drop of the fashion and and can be found at West Coast Event Productions.  For more wedding planning resources visit our website.