We went to a wedding in Central Oregon on Saturday. The bride and groom had chosen to be married in Tumalo State Park outside of Bend, Oregon, which normally is warm and dry country. But this year, all bets are off, and the week before the wedding was rainy and cold with even a little snow early one morning. I had been encouraging my girlfriend, the groom’s mother, that the weather would be fine for the outfit she had chosen, but I was starting to be a little nervous, truth to tell. I offered to bring our camping canopy as a small “chapel”….
Fortunately the day was bright and sunny although a bit breezy. The tablecloths floated around and the flowers in bottles blew over a couple times, but it was a beautiful spot for a wedding. It almost felt like the backdrop was done by Disney, painted rocks and tumbling water.
It was delightful! I thought I would share some of the bridal couple’s ideas which made their celebration so unique and personal.
First I will confess that although I felt in a rush to get over the mountains, we stopped for a wonderful breakfast and an unexpected “Friends of the Library” sale in Sandy, Oregon. Boy, those folks in Sandy really know how to put on a sale! I got art books and craft books and quite a few mysteries as well as some children’s books. I’m excited about that, but we did have to discuss which of the books in our existing library we are willing to part with. Not many!
From the other side of the mountain, some of the Cascades:
We got to Tumalo about an hour before the wedding so I took some snaps of the setting before too many people were there.
The depository for gifts that came to the wedding:
A photo record of their courtship:
The tables were covered in white cloths with beige burlap and lace squares layered on top, and a mixture of bottles with wildflowers and votives and wood rounds.
A few hay bales with planks provided additional seating.
The altar was defined by a burlap swag over a lace curtain with a backdrop of the river behind. A few uninvited guests floated past on inner tubes!
Pews were constructed of hay bales and boards. Shepherd’s hooks with hanging bouquets marked the aisle:
The groom arrives:
Flower girls tossed feathers and flower petals:
One flower girl nearly abdicated:
The bride and her father emerge from the woods:
Closer…
and closer…
The bridal party wore white and khaki-colored linen, the family wore charcoal (men) or white (women) with khaki linen.
The brides grandfather married them:
A prayer from the family members:
The kiss met with everyone’s approval:
Banner reads “Eat Drink and Be Married”
A wonderful barbecue followed the wedding.
Guests threw lavender at the departing couple:
Burlap bags with coffee beans stamped “Love is Brewing” were given to all as a party favor reminding us that they met working at Starbucks.
It was a happy and beautiful day!
2 comments:
What fun! I like all their choices. Perfect for the venue!
Looks like a perfect day for their big event! What fun for them to get to do things the way they wanted - the bales of hay are certainly fun. A beautful day they will always remember.
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