Anne + Ryan 8.5.06 I’m happy to share ideas with you as we had so much fun planning our wedding. Feel free to borrow any photos that you like, I only ask that you credit my bio and/or our photographer. I can usually be found on the Oregon board or you can email me with any questions you might have at ch underscore guera at hotmail dot com. Thanks and have fun planning! Planning Bio Reviews Pre-Wedding Pics Professional Wedding Pics Photobooth Pics Honeymoon Pics Intimate Portraits Rentals MrsPDX’s Faves Dear MrsPDX Reviews Devils Food Catering : Caterer Grade : A Charles and his crew catered both our rehearsal dinner and reception. We worked together to create menus that reflected both the style of our events and personalized to our tastes. Our guests raved about the food. The staff was so professional but also just really cool people, the kind you’d love to go out for drinks with. Charles is so laid back and since we were going the creative/non-traditional route in everything we did, I really appreciated that he was willing to be creative and think outside of the box without it costing an arm and a leg. I would definitely use them again should I need catering…oh, and they just moved their kitchen into the old Family Supper restaurant in the Gotham Building so cool! Rehearsal Dinner Menu Hors deouvres Marbella marinated chicken skewered with green olive Grilled three cheese paninis with sassy sauce Dinner Sliced spice rubbed pork tenderloin with onion relish Herb roasted filets of salmon with dill cream Mixed greens salad with blackberry, onion, gorgonzola and thyme vinaigrette Grilled, roasted and blanched vegetables Fresh sliced fruit Rustic baguette with butter Dessert Spoon cheesecake with fresh berries Beverage A to Z pinot grigio A to Z claret Rolling Rock, Mirror Pond Pale Ale, Fat Tire Amber and Kaliber Reception Menu Hors doeuvres Mini pitas stuffed with hummus and greek salad Dungeness crab cakes with smoky tomato cream for dipping Gazpacho shots Caprese skewers: cherry tomatoes, basil and fresh mozzarella Ginger steamed shrimp dumplings Mini cheeseburgers with roasted mushrooms Open faced BLT panini Portabella mushroom with rosemary sauce and pickled red onion Beverage Rolling Rock, Mirror Pond Pale Ale, Fat Tire Amber Ale and Kaliber A to Z pinot grigio A to Z claret Limonata, aranciata and bottled water Mojitos Fresh peach cosmopolitans served through an ice martini luge www.devilsfoodcatering.com Eric Cable : Wedding Photographer Grade : A+ Holy cow! What can I say about Eric that I haven’t already said other than the fact that he COMPLETELY lived up to our expectations and then some. We booked Eric in 2004, almost two years before our wedding. Photography was one of the most important aspects of the wedding to us and we wanted to get what I perceive as the best. I still believe he’s the best in town. For what we paid for we got an engagement session, unlimited coverage on the day of the wedding (he started at 11:30am and went until 12:30am), two photographers (Eric and his assistant, who took some great shots as well), all of our digital files in both black and white and color on discs, a proof book and all of our files hosted on his site as well. Eric is a photojournalistic photographer. In fact, long before he started shooting weddings he did work for the AP. He has an incredible eye and there’s a richness to his photos that I don’t see in a lot of other photos. Both he and his assistant were so laid back and were hardly noticed, which can be seen in the pictures, as no one seemed to be uncomfortable with someone capturing their every movement (practically) for a day. I would hire Eric over and over if I needed to. In fact, I’ve already talked to him to see if he would take pictures of us in a year or two once we want to update pictures of ourselves. Without a doubt, he’s an amazing photographer! www.profilephoto.com Nocturnal : Reception Venue Grade : A My husband and I had been together for five years when we got engaged and seven years by the time we married. So, even though we were getting married, we had already committed to each other by purchasing a house together, owning our cars together, being listed on each others bank accounts and having spent holidays with each others’ families for the past 7 years. So, when it came to our wedding, we wanted to throw a celebration. Since we’re pretty non-traditional people to begin with, we didn’t feel the need to follow tradition in many aspects of our wedding. We decided we wanted to throw a late-night party for our reception with a lounge feel. Amazingly, there aren’t a whole lot of venues that can accommodate this appropriately in Portland. Somehow we found Nocturnal. Bethany Pratt, the owner, is probably in her late 20s or early 30s. She’s a creative type and has done an amazing job of remodeling/decorating the venue…or hiring someone to do it. You can rent sections of the venue or the whole thing, which we did. There’s a ballroom, a basement with the coolest bar I’ve ever seen (courtesy of the fact that Bethany’s parents own Pratt & Larson tile) and stained cement floors, an outdoor courtyard and then a kitchen off the back courtyard. In terms of an urban/modern space, there’s nothing like it in Portland. Bethany is lacking in enthusiasm and interpersonal skills to do the job that she does (she needs to hire me to sell her space for her!), however, she was always accommodating and willing to work with us. When we first booked the venue, she had a bubbly, fun girl working with her that I’m sure handled much of the client-end of things. My feeling is that Bethany is a more introverted, quiet type that struggles with really selling her space. I would definitely rent the space again, especially for the price. Even though its wonderfully decorated and you really wouldn’t have to do anything to it if you didn’t want to, it also allows for some fantastic decorating if that’s what you’re after. www.nocturnalpdx.com Mt Tabor Amphitheatre : Ceremony Venue Grade : C Well, its dealing with the City of Portland so it can’t be anything too spectacular. In reality, the process was fairly painless, other than the fact that they tried to charge us $100 to use the electrical outlets, telling me that it was for the key to the breaker box so we could use power, only to find out there was power without it. My husband and I are both very outdoorsy, your stereotypical Oregonians in that respect. It only seemed appropriate to have an outdoor ceremony in a beautiful location. The amphitheatre is especially cool since it’s an extinct volcano, I think the only extinct volcano within a city’s limits in the country. When you rent the space, you have it for the entire day, which was good in terms of decorating. The only downside (to some people, anyway) is that it’s a public park, so outsiders can watch, which they did. In fact, it was cool because the amphitheatre is adjacent to the basketball courts in the park. When the ceremony was about to begin, all of the basketball players took a seat on the court and were impromptu guests to our ceremony. There were also quite a few people that stood above the amphitheatre to watch. While this might bother some people, my husband and I didn’t mind in the least. In reality, I might do the same if I were in a public park and saw a wedding happening. www.portlandonline.com Matthew Hoff : Officiant Grade : A This is a friend of ours, actually Sept2005’s husband. We asked him to marry us as he is such a good friend but also because he’s a charismatic, funny public speaker. He did not let us down. We gave him a lot of creative license and while I think that made him nervous, he did with it exactly what we wanted. One minute we would be laughing hysterically and the next crying. He had the perfect combination of funny and serious…we couldn’t have picked a more perfect person for the role! Jitterblooms : Florist Grade : A I almost don’t need to write a vendor review on Jessica since so many people on The Knot have used her. She’s fantastic. I felt like she really understood what I was going for when we began talking…and she totally did. Not only that, she was very flexible when I needed to add some last minute boutonnieres and purchase five flats of wheat grass for our centerpieces. My bouquet was the first all green bouquet she had done and it turned out so well. She’s such a talented lady! www.jitterblooms.com Four Up Inc : Photobooth Photography Grade : A Oh my gosh, this was SUCH a hit! And it seemed like the more people drank, the better and better the pictures got. The guests loved watching other people take theirs as well as doing their own. Manny, that’s the owner of Four Up Inc, was even cracking up with some of the poses. Our package allowed for a printout of each set of pictures to the guest and then we get a copy of all of the digital files on a disc. Since we didn’t do favors, I kind of considered this a favor in a sense. It was so incredibly entertaining and I would highly recommend Manny if you can fit it into your budget. www.fourupinc.com Nicole Wagner : Makeup Artist Grade : A Nicole did makeup non-stop for six hours straight. She did makeup for both of the moms, all five maids of honor, rosy cheeks and lip gloss for the two flower girls and my makeup. Everyone raved about their makeup, some even asked for the colors and how she did it so they could recreate it another time. She’s so talented at making you look like yourself only better. She was so patient with my mom who couldn’t stop crying when Nicole was trying to get her makeup done, and originally only four of the maids of honor wanted to have their makeup done. However, upon seeing everyone else get done up, the fifth maid wanted her makeup done as well. Nicole was so flexible in making that happen, even though she had allotted a very specific amount of time for each. MAC Cosmetics are my regular day-to-day makeup. When I found a new product that I really liked, I emailed Nicole to see if she could use it instead of the foundation she had picked out for me (I don’t use foundation so I was a bit apprehensive). Nicole was totally open to it and even went and bought it at the MAC store so I didn’t have to buy foundation that I would never wear again. I would definitely hire her again. www.perfectbride.blogspot.com Patti Green Salon 77 : Hair Stylist Grade : A Patti is great, what can I say? She’s my regular hairstylist who I’ve been seeing for probably about four years. She doesn’t do wedding styles unless you’re one of her regular clients. However, the girl gives an amazing haircut so if you’re looking for a new stylist, Patti’s your girl. She moved here from NYC where she worked for Toni & Guy. Patti did a great job of doing my hair, which was no small task since my hair is stick straight and I wanted waves. She also did my husband’s hair, she’s his regular stylist as well. And while there’s not much to be done with 1.5 inches of hair, somehow it always looks so great when she does his. www.seventyseven.us Toast Productions : Event Design/Setup Grade : A I met these ladies through a friend of mine. I’ve never met a more resourceful group of ladies. When I said we wanted an ice cream wedding cake, they searched the city high and low looking for someone willing to do it. When I said we wanted a custom-made martini ice luge for not a lot of money, they found it. Rachael, of Toast Productions, is a graphic designer, so she has a great sense of design. While I had a coordinator already hired by the time I met Rachael and Sarah (they’re sisters), I knew I could utilize their skills to turn our reception into what we wanted. We met several times to discuss setup, layout and logistics. On the day of the wedding, they picked up everything for the reception, which was a lot, and spent hours setting it up. They also handled all of the vendors coming into Nocturnal to insure everything was setup just so. These ladies are native Portlanders and extremely well networked. While this is a new business venture for them, you never would have known by their ability to recreate what our vision had been. They also did all of our cleanup for us and promptly delivered it back to my mom’s house the day after the wedding. www.toast-productions.com Look Weddings : Wedding Coordinator Grade : A- Cassia has been doing wedding coordination for about two years. She started because she enjoyed planning her own wedding so much. I work with her at my job and inquired about her services when I heard she was doing coordination. Her design of our custom built website alone was amazing. She used the graphics that my husband’s sister had created for our stationery and created a fairly extensive website. She also contacted all of our vendors the week of the wedding to verify their services for the day of. She setup our entire ceremony (which was hundreds of paper bag luminaries, tables, chairs, etc) and coordinated from there on. Cassia is a fairly reserved person and I think at times is intimidated to exert her assertiveness. However, I think this will only get better as she continues to work. Because she works a full time job, I think she’s become a bit worn down by doing both a full time coordination business along with her job. At this time, I don’t think she’s taking on any new weddings until 2007. www.lookweddings.com Kristin Bradetich : Graphic Design for Stationery Grade : A+ Well, Kristin is my husband’s older sister. By career, she designs logos for apparel for a small athletic apparel company in Boulder. When we asked her to help us with our stationery, she was very enthusiastic. She did a great job of taking our ideas and turning them into something that was stylish, unique and really created the essence of our wedding. She designed a logo we put on everything, our save the dates, invitations (including RSVP and Reception cards), rehearsal dinner invitations, programs, menu cards, Just Married sign for our getaway car and thank you cards. While she doesn’t create custom invitations for people, she should probably consider it as she’s very talented. Anders Printing : Stationery Printing Grade : B I worked with Jill at Anders to get the majority of our printing done. It felt good to be working with a local company to complete our printing needs. Jill was very friendly and helpful and they did a great job of getting the work turned around in a short time period. They printed everything from our logos on stickers to our save the dates, invitations and rehearsal dinner invitations. After getting quotes for our save the dates, I didn’t search around after that to see if I could find a better deal. So, when we had our invitations printed offset, I don’t know if it was cheaper than another printer. I was very clear with my requests on each job (thanks to the help of the graphic designer). However, when our invitations were ready, she charged me an extra $25 and I had A LOT of extra copies, far more than I had requested. I meant to question why we had been charged more than originally quoted and why we had so many extras but I never got around to it. I probably should have asked for a discount since they asked if they could put our invitations on their website. All in all, this was a good experience. www.andersprinting.com DJ Stay in School - Martin Wilson : Reception DJ Grade : B My husband is a big fan of electronica music. So, when it came time to hire a DJ, my husband took on this role. We contacted Connie Wohn of Stylus 503 (a DJ cooperative), thanks to a referral from Bethany of Nocturnal. Connie sent us a whole package of samples of different DJs. We chose Martin because of his style, obviously. He did a great job but I think there was too much going on at the reception (photobooth, downstairs bar, outdoor courtyard) to really get people dancing. While people did dance, I think they would have done more of it had we not had so much else going on. Martin did que up the wrong music (we provided specific music for specific events during the evening since he doesn’t have the regular wedding DJ collection) for the Mother/Son dance and didn’t que up any music for the cake cutting. However, I don’t think the cake cutting music was his fault as the coordinator didn’t let him know the cake was going to make its grand entrance. www.djstayinschool.com Taste of Honey - Honey Everett : Wedding Cake Grade : A As mentioned before, we wanted an ice cream cake as our wedding cake. Neither of us like cake. Amazingly, getting someone to make a wedding cake out of ice cream is harder than you might imagine. Every person we contacted acted like we were crazy. However, when we found Honey, she definitely knew what she was talking about. There are a lot of logistics involved with an ice cream wedding cake, i.e. delivery, setup, serving it, icing it, etc. Honey had such confidence that I wasn’t the least bit worried. We had three flavors, one of which being mint chocolate chip (the others I don’t remember), with a brownie bottom. Honey delivered and setup the cake after the reception had started. It tasted great and looked fantastic, even though it had started to melt, which I found somewhat charming, being as that it was ice cream cake! Oregon Chamber Players : Ceremony Musicians Grade : B- This was another responsibility of my husband’s. We picked all non-traditional music (Coldplay, The Verve, Enya) and had to find the sheet music for all of the songs we wanted played. Originally, we were going to use the Metropolitan Youth Symphony. However, once they started to review the sheet music for the songs we wanted played, they realized that they didn’t really currently have that kind of depth. Last minute, three weeks before the wedding, we had to find someone new. Considering the amount of time they had, the Oregon Chamber Players did great. They did mess up on one of the songs but it wasn’t really worth getting upset over. I also would have preferred a string quartet (which was our original plan) but that wasn’t really their fault. www.oregonchamberplayers.org Blizzard Motors : Getaway Car Grade : A Almost two years ago my husband and I bought a car from this lot (its in SE Portland). The lot is primarily fine European cars. When we were there to pick up our newly purchased car, the owner of the lot told us he would loan us a car of our choice for our wedding. My fiance chose a convertible Porsche to drive from the ceremony. It was a beautiful little black shiny thing and my husband thoroughly enjoyed driving it. I don’t know if Doug would be willing to rent out any of his cars but if you’re interested it might not hurt to ask. Western Culinary Institute : Martini Ice Luge Grade : A This was one of the best budget friendly finds of our entire wedding. We really wanted to have a martini luge but found that they were rather expensive to have made…that was, until we found out about the Western Culinary Institute’s ice sculpture class. Basically, they told us they could create anything we wanted and all we had to do was provide them with a drawing. My mom, who’s an artist, drew a great design, in keeping with our theme and stationery, and we provided it to WCI. They not only did a great job of recreating it but the cost included transporting it, delivery and setup. We paid more than they asked for, to donate towards their program, but regardless it was well worth it. Definitely one of the main highlights of the reception for our guests. Spa La La : Pre-Wedding Pampering Grade : B+ As part of my gift to the ladies in the wedding, I treated them to manicures and pedicures at Spa La La. While it’s not the best manicure and pedicure in town (my best friend and I often refer to them as the chop shop), the decor and vibe is great and they’ll serve you all the mimosas you want. We had twelve of us (the moms, five maids of honor, two readers, the two flower girls and myself) there and it was like our own little private party. The staff was very friendly and efficient and I think the ladies all enjoyed getting their nails done. www.spalala.net The Face Place – Dorene Klippel : Facial and Brazilian Wax Grade : A I’ve gone to Dorene every month for the last six years for a Brazilian wax. She does a fantastic job at those…well, it’s a Brazilian wax so it’s not like it feels good but in terms of the final look, she does a tremendous job. However, I decided to get a facial from her as well. Wow! Her facial was by far the best facial I’ve ever had…not only did I fall asleep but she did such an incredibly thorough job. It will be hard not to make getting a facial from her a monthly occurrence as well. www.waxqueen.com Salon 77 – Mahria Martinez : Brow Wax Grade : A+ I pretty much have caterpillars for eyebrows…I’m not kidding. So, not only do my eyebrows need to be professionally groomed on a regular basis but they need to be done well. Mahria is a dream…seriously, she’s absolutely amazing. It’s the only kind of waxing she does…you know if a girl can make a living off of just waxing eyebrows, she’s got to be good! And not only that, she’s the sweetest thing you’ve ever met. www.seventyseven.us Diane Jensen : Massage Grade : A+ So, I have to admit that before my husband and I bought our house, Diane was our landlord. However, my husband has some pretty severe back injuries (thanks to a motorcycle) and is always up for a massage. That being said, we get a lot of massages. Diane is fantastic. She works in a chiropractic clinic off of NW 23rd (which the chiropractor there is also fantastic, Suzanne Lady) and does pretty much any type of massage you’d like. If I were to say I have a regular LMT, Diane would be it…and without failure, I fall asleep on her table every time. She’s fantastic and a lot cheaper than a mediocre spa massage. And, she is so incredibly kind and sweet as well…you can’t beat that! She used to have a website but it doesn’t look like she does anymore. Contact me if you want to get in touch with her. Embellish Design : Wedding Dress Grade : A+ I went shopping on several different occasions for a wedding dress. After searching most of Portland for the dress, I decided to visit Terri at Embellish Design. Now, I would not even waste time looking for dresses to order. In the end, my dress cost less than any of my final choices of the dresses I found in the salons. Not only that, the experience was so incredibly fun. Originally, I went into her studio with pictures of my final choices as well as other dresses I liked. We went through each picture and discussed what I liked about each one. We took elements from all of those to create my dress. Terri is so knowledgeable about what she does and extremely talented in the art of designing and sewing gowns. We discussed everything from different fabrics to different styles and the pluses and negatives of each. In the end, I had a dress that was exactly what I wanted, custom fit to my body. I would highly recommend working with Terri. I hope that I’ll have a reason for her to make me another dress (she makes party dresses too) some time. www.embellishdesign.com Patty Lehner : Wedding Jewelry Grade : A+ I saw a variation of my wedding dress in an Oregon Bride magazine months before my wedding. The earrings that the model was wearing were wonderful. When I looked up where they came from, the magazine said Ella Posie (which is now closed but was on NE Broadway). Carmen (who is also a wedding coordinator) of Ella Posie got me in touch with Patty, who had designed the jewelry. Patty was an absolute delight to work with…kind of like working with your spunky grandmother. We talked about what I wanted and she worked efficiently to get pieces done for me. She made a variation of the earrings I wanted with several different types of pearls and different lengths so I had something to choose from. Then, she made a bangle to match. And when I asked for some extra pearls and crystals for my ring bearer pillow and hair jewelry, not only did she have no problem sending me on my way with a little bag of each but she also refused to charge me for them when I tried to pay her. August Veils : Hair Jewelry Grade : A Patty referred me to Andrea to have my hair jewelry made (Patty doesn’t like to make it). I brought the pearls and crystals that Patty had used in my jewelry to have Andrea create some sparkle for my hair. She created exactly what I was looking for and in a very short amount of time. www.augustveils.com Cromwell Formalwear : Tuxedo Rentals Grade : A While my husband bought a suit for the wedding, we needed rentals for everyone else. Cromwell’s had a good selection and a helpful staff. They kept us informed on everyone who had, or hadn’t, been fitted and I didn’t hear of any problems that anyone had with their rentals. www.cromwellformalwear.com Twist : Wedding Rings Grade : A We searched for quite some time to find rings that we really loved. While I love the traditional platinum eternity band, I wanted something a little different to go with my princess cut solitaire. My husband wanted a platinum ring but not completely plain. Twist, although not a store you would typically think of for wedding bands, had just what we were looking for. The staff was very friendly and when they ordered our rings, they said it would take eight weeks to get them in (which was cutting it really close). Two weeks later, we received a call letting us know that our rings were in. I love the uniqueness of our rings! www.twistonline.com Shane Co : Engagement Ring Grade : C+ In one week, my husband sold his motorcycle, decided to ask me to marry him and bought a ring. The ring is exactly what I would have picked out, a plain platinum band with a princess cut solitaire. However, if I had had a say in it, I never would have gotten my ring at Shane Co. I think their staff is kind of tacky, not to mention their showroom, and I’m always frustrated by their service when I take my ring in to be cleaned or polished...and lets not even begin to discuss their ads! www.shaneco.com Hotel Lucia : Wedding Night Hotel Grade : A I love this place! We booked their “Did I Mention I Want You?” package in a King Suite. When we arrived at the hotel with nothing but the wedding clothes we were still wearing, they were quick to check us in. Our bed was covered in rose petals, there was music playing, champagne being chilled and a box of toys, i.e. body crayons, furry handcuffs and a book of positions for every day of the year. We ordered room service at about 1:30am because neither of us really ate at our reception. They were prompt and the food was tasty. I wish we didn’t live in Portland so we had more reasons to stay here…it’s such a chic hotel! www.hotellucia.com Bluestar Charter : Guest Transportation Grade : C Originally, we were expecting a lot of guests from out of state. We booked a charter bus to pick up guests from downtown Portland and transport them to Mt Tabor Park and then to Nocturnal. Unfortunately, my husbands grandfather passed away two months before our wedding and many of what we assumed would be the out of town guests could no longer make it due to their last minute flights to the funeral. Regardless, I still think this was a good thing to have. However, we revised our timeline for the bus and faxed it in. For whatever reason, they didn’t follow this and were 1.5 hours early to pick up guests and consequently ended their evening 1.5 hours earlier than we were originally anticipating. I’m not sure why they were running on the old timeline as I had faxed the revised one to them. While in the grand scheme of things, it wasn’t that big of a deal, I was irritated that we had paid for something and then couldn’t even utilize it for 1.5 hours. www.bluestarbus.com The Party Place : Chair Rentals Grade : A Although Mt Tabor Amphitheatre has some benches, we rented some chairs as well to insure we had enough seating. To be honest, I have no idea if this all worked out. I assume they arrived on time as they were all set up prior to the ceremony. And I assume they were picked up just fine since I haven’t heard from them about not getting their chairs back or something. Unforgettable Honeymoons Renee Duane-Meyer : Travel Agent Grade : A for knowledge, C for personality When it came time to plan our honeymoon, we were running out of energy, especially to plan the fantastic honeymoon we both wanted. While we both found Renee to be fairly pretentious and full of herself, she was very knowledgeable. At first, we wanted to go to Bora Bora and Taha’a. However, Renee couldn’t find us any availability for the room types we wanted. She asked us if we would consider Fiji, which we of course would and did. She booked us for 7 nights at Qamea Resort and Spa in Fiji in a premium villa. The resort was amazing but I grew a bit concerned when four different couples at the resort (which has a maximum capacity for 28 adults total) had been booked there with Renee from Unforgettable Honeymoons. I don’t know what sort of a kickback Renee receives for referring clients there and I guess it doesn’t really matter because the resort really is all she says it is. However, it doesn’t feel very good to feel like she’s only sending people to that one place, especially when we already felt like she had a pretty inflated ego. My best friend and her husband booked through Unforgettable Honeymoons for their honeymoon, not with Renee, and said their experience was great. If I had it to do over again, I would try to book with another travel agent there. www.unforgettablehoneymoons.com Qamea Resort and Spa : Honeymoon Grade : A+ Wow! This place was incredible, even when it was overcast most of the week we were there! We flew for close to 14 hours, PDX to LAX, LAX to Nadi, Fiji and then on a puddle jumper from Nadi to Taveuni. Then we were driven in a Range Rover for 20 minutes on a dirt rode to a beach where we got on a boat and went on a 10-minute boat ride across to the island of Qamea. We were greeted by a smiling and friendly staff, taken to their restaurant/lounge villa where we were served cocktails and fruit plates and given a quick rundown of the resort. Our accommodations were amazing. Our villa included a daybed and a pool on our deck, a large outdoor shower, a large bathroom that included a walk-in closet, two sinks, a towel warmer, large shower and then a large room with a four-poster bed on a platform with amazing linens and sheer curtains hanging, and then a living area with a couch, coffee table, stereo, lounge chairs, etc. I’ve never stayed in such an incredible place. The staff was so incredibly friendly, the food was some of the best food I’ve ever eaten. We snorkeled, went for a hike in the rainforest, swam in waterfalls, went to visit a village, did some nude sunbathing on our own private beach for an afternoon, my husband did some traditional Fijian hand-line fishing, kava ceremonies, a meek ceremony, beach volleyball and we visited the spa every day. The staff would make you snacks in between meals if you were hungry, the coral and the seashells were amazing and the rainforest absolutely incredible. It was the perfect way to end such an incredible experience. www.qamea.com Teness Herman : Intimate Portraits Grade : A+ WOW. This was an absolutely amazing experience. Teness is absolutely amazing. She made me feel so comfortable and relaxed…an absolute necessity to create the kind of pictures I was going for. I felt like I was taking pictures with a dear old friend. She and I spent months discussing the look and feel of the shoot. She recommended I look at a book called Women Before 10am by Veronique Vial. If you like the style of my intimate portraits (aka Boudoir Pictures…sorry, I think it’s a cheesy name), I would definitely recommend you check out this book for inspiration. We shot for three and a half hours and could have easily gone on for another two. She used multiple cameras and twice as many lenses with nothing but natural light, which really helped in creating a sensual feel. Her enthusiasm, creativity and eye for the perfect shot are truly unparalleled. If you don’t have room in your budget to do this as a wedding gift, I would highly recommend it as a first (paper) anniversary gift. www.teness.com
I’m happy to share ideas with you as we had so much fun planning our wedding. Feel free to borrow any photos that you like, I only ask that you credit my bio and/or our photographer. I can usually be found on the Oregon board or you can email me with any questions you might have at ch underscore guera at hotmail dot com. Thanks and have fun planning! Planning Bio Reviews Pre-Wedding Pics Professional Wedding Pics Photobooth Pics Honeymoon Pics Intimate Portraits Rentals MrsPDX’s Faves Dear MrsPDX Reviews Devils Food Catering : Caterer Grade : A Charles and his crew catered both our rehearsal dinner and reception. We worked together to create menus that reflected both the style of our events and personalized to our tastes. Our guests raved about the food. The staff was so professional but also just really cool people, the kind you’d love to go out for drinks with. Charles is so laid back and since we were going the creative/non-traditional route in everything we did, I really appreciated that he was willing to be creative and think outside of the box without it costing an arm and a leg. I would definitely use them again should I need catering…oh, and they just moved their kitchen into the old Family Supper restaurant in the Gotham Building so cool! Rehearsal Dinner Menu Hors deouvres Marbella marinated chicken skewered with green olive Grilled three cheese paninis with sassy sauce Dinner Sliced spice rubbed pork tenderloin with onion relish Herb roasted filets of salmon with dill cream Mixed greens salad with blackberry, onion, gorgonzola and thyme vinaigrette Grilled, roasted and blanched vegetables Fresh sliced fruit Rustic baguette with butter Dessert Spoon cheesecake with fresh berries Beverage A to Z pinot grigio A to Z claret Rolling Rock, Mirror Pond Pale Ale, Fat Tire Amber and Kaliber Reception Menu Hors doeuvres Mini pitas stuffed with hummus and greek salad Dungeness crab cakes with smoky tomato cream for dipping Gazpacho shots Caprese skewers: cherry tomatoes, basil and fresh mozzarella Ginger steamed shrimp dumplings Mini cheeseburgers with roasted mushrooms Open faced BLT panini Portabella mushroom with rosemary sauce and pickled red onion Beverage Rolling Rock, Mirror Pond Pale Ale, Fat Tire Amber Ale and Kaliber A to Z pinot grigio A to Z claret Limonata, aranciata and bottled water Mojitos Fresh peach cosmopolitans served through an ice martini luge www.devilsfoodcatering.com Eric Cable : Wedding Photographer Grade : A+ Holy cow! What can I say about Eric that I haven’t already said other than the fact that he COMPLETELY lived up to our expectations and then some. We booked Eric in 2004, almost two years before our wedding. Photography was one of the most important aspects of the wedding to us and we wanted to get what I perceive as the best. I still believe he’s the best in town. For what we paid for we got an engagement session, unlimited coverage on the day of the wedding (he started at 11:30am and went until 12:30am), two photographers (Eric and his assistant, who took some great shots as well), all of our digital files in both black and white and color on discs, a proof book and all of our files hosted on his site as well. Eric is a photojournalistic photographer. In fact, long before he started shooting weddings he did work for the AP. He has an incredible eye and there’s a richness to his photos that I don’t see in a lot of other photos. Both he and his assistant were so laid back and were hardly noticed, which can be seen in the pictures, as no one seemed to be uncomfortable with someone capturing their every movement (practically) for a day. I would hire Eric over and over if I needed to. In fact, I’ve already talked to him to see if he would take pictures of us in a year or two once we want to update pictures of ourselves. Without a doubt, he’s an amazing photographer! www.profilephoto.com Nocturnal : Reception Venue Grade : A My husband and I had been together for five years when we got engaged and seven years by the time we married. So, even though we were getting married, we had already committed to each other by purchasing a house together, owning our cars together, being listed on each others bank accounts and having spent holidays with each others’ families for the past 7 years. So, when it came to our wedding, we wanted to throw a celebration. Since we’re pretty non-traditional people to begin with, we didn’t feel the need to follow tradition in many aspects of our wedding. We decided we wanted to throw a late-night party for our reception with a lounge feel. Amazingly, there aren’t a whole lot of venues that can accommodate this appropriately in Portland. Somehow we found Nocturnal. Bethany Pratt, the owner, is probably in her late 20s or early 30s. She’s a creative type and has done an amazing job of remodeling/decorating the venue…or hiring someone to do it. You can rent sections of the venue or the whole thing, which we did. There’s a ballroom, a basement with the coolest bar I’ve ever seen (courtesy of the fact that Bethany’s parents own Pratt & Larson tile) and stained cement floors, an outdoor courtyard and then a kitchen off the back courtyard. In terms of an urban/modern space, there’s nothing like it in Portland. Bethany is lacking in enthusiasm and interpersonal skills to do the job that she does (she needs to hire me to sell her space for her!), however, she was always accommodating and willing to work with us. When we first booked the venue, she had a bubbly, fun girl working with her that I’m sure handled much of the client-end of things. My feeling is that Bethany is a more introverted, quiet type that struggles with really selling her space. I would definitely rent the space again, especially for the price. Even though its wonderfully decorated and you really wouldn’t have to do anything to it if you didn’t want to, it also allows for some fantastic decorating if that’s what you’re after. www.nocturnalpdx.com Mt Tabor Amphitheatre : Ceremony Venue Grade : C Well, its dealing with the City of Portland so it can’t be anything too spectacular. In reality, the process was fairly painless, other than the fact that they tried to charge us $100 to use the electrical outlets, telling me that it was for the key to the breaker box so we could use power, only to find out there was power without it. My husband and I are both very outdoorsy, your stereotypical Oregonians in that respect. It only seemed appropriate to have an outdoor ceremony in a beautiful location. The amphitheatre is especially cool since it’s an extinct volcano, I think the only extinct volcano within a city’s limits in the country. When you rent the space, you have it for the entire day, which was good in terms of decorating. The only downside (to some people, anyway) is that it’s a public park, so outsiders can watch, which they did. In fact, it was cool because the amphitheatre is adjacent to the basketball courts in the park. When the ceremony was about to begin, all of the basketball players took a seat on the court and were impromptu guests to our ceremony. There were also quite a few people that stood above the amphitheatre to watch. While this might bother some people, my husband and I didn’t mind in the least. In reality, I might do the same if I were in a public park and saw a wedding happening. www.portlandonline.com Matthew Hoff : Officiant Grade : A This is a friend of ours, actually Sept2005’s husband. We asked him to marry us as he is such a good friend but also because he’s a charismatic, funny public speaker. He did not let us down. We gave him a lot of creative license and while I think that made him nervous, he did with it exactly what we wanted. One minute we would be laughing hysterically and the next crying. He had the perfect combination of funny and serious…we couldn’t have picked a more perfect person for the role! Jitterblooms : Florist Grade : A I almost don’t need to write a vendor review on Jessica since so many people on The Knot have used her. She’s fantastic. I felt like she really understood what I was going for when we began talking…and she totally did. Not only that, she was very flexible when I needed to add some last minute boutonnieres and purchase five flats of wheat grass for our centerpieces. My bouquet was the first all green bouquet she had done and it turned out so well. She’s such a talented lady! www.jitterblooms.com Four Up Inc : Photobooth Photography Grade : A Oh my gosh, this was SUCH a hit! And it seemed like the more people drank, the better and better the pictures got. The guests loved watching other people take theirs as well as doing their own. Manny, that’s the owner of Four Up Inc, was even cracking up with some of the poses. Our package allowed for a printout of each set of pictures to the guest and then we get a copy of all of the digital files on a disc. Since we didn’t do favors, I kind of considered this a favor in a sense. It was so incredibly entertaining and I would highly recommend Manny if you can fit it into your budget. www.fourupinc.com Nicole Wagner : Makeup Artist Grade : A Nicole did makeup non-stop for six hours straight. She did makeup for both of the moms, all five maids of honor, rosy cheeks and lip gloss for the two flower girls and my makeup. Everyone raved about their makeup, some even asked for the colors and how she did it so they could recreate it another time. She’s so talented at making you look like yourself only better. She was so patient with my mom who couldn’t stop crying when Nicole was trying to get her makeup done, and originally only four of the maids of honor wanted to have their makeup done. However, upon seeing everyone else get done up, the fifth maid wanted her makeup done as well. Nicole was so flexible in making that happen, even though she had allotted a very specific amount of time for each. MAC Cosmetics are my regular day-to-day makeup. When I found a new product that I really liked, I emailed Nicole to see if she could use it instead of the foundation she had picked out for me (I don’t use foundation so I was a bit apprehensive). Nicole was totally open to it and even went and bought it at the MAC store so I didn’t have to buy foundation that I would never wear again. I would definitely hire her again. www.perfectbride.blogspot.com Patti Green Salon 77 : Hair Stylist Grade : A Patti is great, what can I say? She’s my regular hairstylist who I’ve been seeing for probably about four years. She doesn’t do wedding styles unless you’re one of her regular clients. However, the girl gives an amazing haircut so if you’re looking for a new stylist, Patti’s your girl. She moved here from NYC where she worked for Toni & Guy. Patti did a great job of doing my hair, which was no small task since my hair is stick straight and I wanted waves. She also did my husband’s hair, she’s his regular stylist as well. And while there’s not much to be done with 1.5 inches of hair, somehow it always looks so great when she does his. www.seventyseven.us Toast Productions : Event Design/Setup Grade : A I met these ladies through a friend of mine. I’ve never met a more resourceful group of ladies. When I said we wanted an ice cream wedding cake, they searched the city high and low looking for someone willing to do it. When I said we wanted a custom-made martini ice luge for not a lot of money, they found it. Rachael, of Toast Productions, is a graphic designer, so she has a great sense of design. While I had a coordinator already hired by the time I met Rachael and Sarah (they’re sisters), I knew I could utilize their skills to turn our reception into what we wanted. We met several times to discuss setup, layout and logistics. On the day of the wedding, they picked up everything for the reception, which was a lot, and spent hours setting it up. They also handled all of the vendors coming into Nocturnal to insure everything was setup just so. These ladies are native Portlanders and extremely well networked. While this is a new business venture for them, you never would have known by their ability to recreate what our vision had been. They also did all of our cleanup for us and promptly delivered it back to my mom’s house the day after the wedding. www.toast-productions.com Look Weddings : Wedding Coordinator Grade : A- Cassia has been doing wedding coordination for about two years. She started because she enjoyed planning her own wedding so much. I work with her at my job and inquired about her services when I heard she was doing coordination. Her design of our custom built website alone was amazing. She used the graphics that my husband’s sister had created for our stationery and created a fairly extensive website. She also contacted all of our vendors the week of the wedding to verify their services for the day of. She setup our entire ceremony (which was hundreds of paper bag luminaries, tables, chairs, etc) and coordinated from there on. Cassia is a fairly reserved person and I think at times is intimidated to exert her assertiveness. However, I think this will only get better as she continues to work. Because she works a full time job, I think she’s become a bit worn down by doing both a full time coordination business along with her job. At this time, I don’t think she’s taking on any new weddings until 2007. www.lookweddings.com Kristin Bradetich : Graphic Design for Stationery Grade : A+ Well, Kristin is my husband’s older sister. By career, she designs logos for apparel for a small athletic apparel company in Boulder. When we asked her to help us with our stationery, she was very enthusiastic. She did a great job of taking our ideas and turning them into something that was stylish, unique and really created the essence of our wedding. She designed a logo we put on everything, our save the dates, invitations (including RSVP and Reception cards), rehearsal dinner invitations, programs, menu cards, Just Married sign for our getaway car and thank you cards. While she doesn’t create custom invitations for people, she should probably consider it as she’s very talented. Anders Printing : Stationery Printing Grade : B I worked with Jill at Anders to get the majority of our printing done. It felt good to be working with a local company to complete our printing needs. Jill was very friendly and helpful and they did a great job of getting the work turned around in a short time period. They printed everything from our logos on stickers to our save the dates, invitations and rehearsal dinner invitations. After getting quotes for our save the dates, I didn’t search around after that to see if I could find a better deal. So, when we had our invitations printed offset, I don’t know if it was cheaper than another printer. I was very clear with my requests on each job (thanks to the help of the graphic designer). However, when our invitations were ready, she charged me an extra $25 and I had A LOT of extra copies, far more than I had requested. I meant to question why we had been charged more than originally quoted and why we had so many extras but I never got around to it. I probably should have asked for a discount since they asked if they could put our invitations on their website. All in all, this was a good experience. www.andersprinting.com DJ Stay in School - Martin Wilson : Reception DJ Grade : B My husband is a big fan of electronica music. So, when it came time to hire a DJ, my husband took on this role. We contacted Connie Wohn of Stylus 503 (a DJ cooperative), thanks to a referral from Bethany of Nocturnal. Connie sent us a whole package of samples of different DJs. We chose Martin because of his style, obviously. He did a great job but I think there was too much going on at the reception (photobooth, downstairs bar, outdoor courtyard) to really get people dancing. While people did dance, I think they would have done more of it had we not had so much else going on. Martin did que up the wrong music (we provided specific music for specific events during the evening since he doesn’t have the regular wedding DJ collection) for the Mother/Son dance and didn’t que up any music for the cake cutting. However, I don’t think the cake cutting music was his fault as the coordinator didn’t let him know the cake was going to make its grand entrance. www.djstayinschool.com Taste of Honey - Honey Everett : Wedding Cake Grade : A As mentioned before, we wanted an ice cream cake as our wedding cake. Neither of us like cake. Amazingly, getting someone to make a wedding cake out of ice cream is harder than you might imagine. Every person we contacted acted like we were crazy. However, when we found Honey, she definitely knew what she was talking about. There are a lot of logistics involved with an ice cream wedding cake, i.e. delivery, setup, serving it, icing it, etc. Honey had such confidence that I wasn’t the least bit worried. We had three flavors, one of which being mint chocolate chip (the others I don’t remember), with a brownie bottom. Honey delivered and setup the cake after the reception had started. It tasted great and looked fantastic, even though it had started to melt, which I found somewhat charming, being as that it was ice cream cake! Oregon Chamber Players : Ceremony Musicians Grade : B- This was another responsibility of my husband’s. We picked all non-traditional music (Coldplay, The Verve, Enya) and had to find the sheet music for all of the songs we wanted played. Originally, we were going to use the Metropolitan Youth Symphony. However, once they started to review the sheet music for the songs we wanted played, they realized that they didn’t really currently have that kind of depth. Last minute, three weeks before the wedding, we had to find someone new. Considering the amount of time they had, the Oregon Chamber Players did great. They did mess up on one of the songs but it wasn’t really worth getting upset over. I also would have preferred a string quartet (which was our original plan) but that wasn’t really their fault. www.oregonchamberplayers.org Blizzard Motors : Getaway Car Grade : A Almost two years ago my husband and I bought a car from this lot (its in SE Portland). The lot is primarily fine European cars. When we were there to pick up our newly purchased car, the owner of the lot told us he would loan us a car of our choice for our wedding. My fiance chose a convertible Porsche to drive from the ceremony. It was a beautiful little black shiny thing and my husband thoroughly enjoyed driving it. I don’t know if Doug would be willing to rent out any of his cars but if you’re interested it might not hurt to ask. Western Culinary Institute : Martini Ice Luge Grade : A This was one of the best budget friendly finds of our entire wedding. We really wanted to have a martini luge but found that they were rather expensive to have made…that was, until we found out about the Western Culinary Institute’s ice sculpture class. Basically, they told us they could create anything we wanted and all we had to do was provide them with a drawing. My mom, who’s an artist, drew a great design, in keeping with our theme and stationery, and we provided it to WCI. They not only did a great job of recreating it but the cost included transporting it, delivery and setup. We paid more than they asked for, to donate towards their program, but regardless it was well worth it. Definitely one of the main highlights of the reception for our guests. Spa La La : Pre-Wedding Pampering Grade : B+ As part of my gift to the ladies in the wedding, I treated them to manicures and pedicures at Spa La La. While it’s not the best manicure and pedicure in town (my best friend and I often refer to them as the chop shop), the decor and vibe is great and they’ll serve you all the mimosas you want. We had twelve of us (the moms, five maids of honor, two readers, the two flower girls and myself) there and it was like our own little private party. The staff was very friendly and efficient and I think the ladies all enjoyed getting their nails done. www.spalala.net The Face Place – Dorene Klippel : Facial and Brazilian Wax Grade : A I’ve gone to Dorene every month for the last six years for a Brazilian wax. She does a fantastic job at those…well, it’s a Brazilian wax so it’s not like it feels good but in terms of the final look, she does a tremendous job. However, I decided to get a facial from her as well. Wow! Her facial was by far the best facial I’ve ever had…not only did I fall asleep but she did such an incredibly thorough job. It will be hard not to make getting a facial from her a monthly occurrence as well. www.waxqueen.com Salon 77 – Mahria Martinez : Brow Wax Grade : A+ I pretty much have caterpillars for eyebrows…I’m not kidding. So, not only do my eyebrows need to be professionally groomed on a regular basis but they need to be done well. Mahria is a dream…seriously, she’s absolutely amazing. It’s the only kind of waxing she does…you know if a girl can make a living off of just waxing eyebrows, she’s got to be good! And not only that, she’s the sweetest thing you’ve ever met. www.seventyseven.us Diane Jensen : Massage Grade : A+ So, I have to admit that before my husband and I bought our house, Diane was our landlord. However, my husband has some pretty severe back injuries (thanks to a motorcycle) and is always up for a massage. That being said, we get a lot of massages. Diane is fantastic. She works in a chiropractic clinic off of NW 23rd (which the chiropractor there is also fantastic, Suzanne Lady) and does pretty much any type of massage you’d like. If I were to say I have a regular LMT, Diane would be it…and without failure, I fall asleep on her table every time. She’s fantastic and a lot cheaper than a mediocre spa massage. And, she is so incredibly kind and sweet as well…you can’t beat that! She used to have a website but it doesn’t look like she does anymore. Contact me if you want to get in touch with her. Embellish Design : Wedding Dress Grade : A+ I went shopping on several different occasions for a wedding dress. After searching most of Portland for the dress, I decided to visit Terri at Embellish Design. Now, I would not even waste time looking for dresses to order. In the end, my dress cost less than any of my final choices of the dresses I found in the salons. Not only that, the experience was so incredibly fun. Originally, I went into her studio with pictures of my final choices as well as other dresses I liked. We went through each picture and discussed what I liked about each one. We took elements from all of those to create my dress. Terri is so knowledgeable about what she does and extremely talented in the art of designing and sewing gowns. We discussed everything from different fabrics to different styles and the pluses and negatives of each. In the end, I had a dress that was exactly what I wanted, custom fit to my body. I would highly recommend working with Terri. I hope that I’ll have a reason for her to make me another dress (she makes party dresses too) some time. www.embellishdesign.com Patty Lehner : Wedding Jewelry Grade : A+ I saw a variation of my wedding dress in an Oregon Bride magazine months before my wedding. The earrings that the model was wearing were wonderful. When I looked up where they came from, the magazine said Ella Posie (which is now closed but was on NE Broadway). Carmen (who is also a wedding coordinator) of Ella Posie got me in touch with Patty, who had designed the jewelry. Patty was an absolute delight to work with…kind of like working with your spunky grandmother. We talked about what I wanted and she worked efficiently to get pieces done for me. She made a variation of the earrings I wanted with several different types of pearls and different lengths so I had something to choose from. Then, she made a bangle to match. And when I asked for some extra pearls and crystals for my ring bearer pillow and hair jewelry, not only did she have no problem sending me on my way with a little bag of each but she also refused to charge me for them when I tried to pay her. August Veils : Hair Jewelry Grade : A Patty referred me to Andrea to have my hair jewelry made (Patty doesn’t like to make it). I brought the pearls and crystals that Patty had used in my jewelry to have Andrea create some sparkle for my hair. She created exactly what I was looking for and in a very short amount of time. www.augustveils.com Cromwell Formalwear : Tuxedo Rentals Grade : A While my husband bought a suit for the wedding, we needed rentals for everyone else. Cromwell’s had a good selection and a helpful staff. They kept us informed on everyone who had, or hadn’t, been fitted and I didn’t hear of any problems that anyone had with their rentals. www.cromwellformalwear.com Twist : Wedding Rings Grade : A We searched for quite some time to find rings that we really loved. While I love the traditional platinum eternity band, I wanted something a little different to go with my princess cut solitaire. My husband wanted a platinum ring but not completely plain. Twist, although not a store you would typically think of for wedding bands, had just what we were looking for. The staff was very friendly and when they ordered our rings, they said it would take eight weeks to get them in (which was cutting it really close). Two weeks later, we received a call letting us know that our rings were in. I love the uniqueness of our rings! www.twistonline.com Shane Co : Engagement Ring Grade : C+ In one week, my husband sold his motorcycle, decided to ask me to marry him and bought a ring. The ring is exactly what I would have picked out, a plain platinum band with a princess cut solitaire. However, if I had had a say in it, I never would have gotten my ring at Shane Co. I think their staff is kind of tacky, not to mention their showroom, and I’m always frustrated by their service when I take my ring in to be cleaned or polished...and lets not even begin to discuss their ads! www.shaneco.com Hotel Lucia : Wedding Night Hotel Grade : A I love this place! We booked their “Did I Mention I Want You?” package in a King Suite. When we arrived at the hotel with nothing but the wedding clothes we were still wearing, they were quick to check us in. Our bed was covered in rose petals, there was music playing, champagne being chilled and a box of toys, i.e. body crayons, furry handcuffs and a book of positions for every day of the year. We ordered room service at about 1:30am because neither of us really ate at our reception. They were prompt and the food was tasty. I wish we didn’t live in Portland so we had more reasons to stay here…it’s such a chic hotel! www.hotellucia.com Bluestar Charter : Guest Transportation Grade : C Originally, we were expecting a lot of guests from out of state. We booked a charter bus to pick up guests from downtown Portland and transport them to Mt Tabor Park and then to Nocturnal. Unfortunately, my husbands grandfather passed away two months before our wedding and many of what we assumed would be the out of town guests could no longer make it due to their last minute flights to the funeral. Regardless, I still think this was a good thing to have. However, we revised our timeline for the bus and faxed it in. For whatever reason, they didn’t follow this and were 1.5 hours early to pick up guests and consequently ended their evening 1.5 hours earlier than we were originally anticipating. I’m not sure why they were running on the old timeline as I had faxed the revised one to them. While in the grand scheme of things, it wasn’t that big of a deal, I was irritated that we had paid for something and then couldn’t even utilize it for 1.5 hours. www.bluestarbus.com The Party Place : Chair Rentals Grade : A Although Mt Tabor Amphitheatre has some benches, we rented some chairs as well to insure we had enough seating. To be honest, I have no idea if this all worked out. I assume they arrived on time as they were all set up prior to the ceremony. And I assume they were picked up just fine since I haven’t heard from them about not getting their chairs back or something. Unforgettable Honeymoons Renee Duane-Meyer : Travel Agent Grade : A for knowledge, C for personality When it came time to plan our honeymoon, we were running out of energy, especially to plan the fantastic honeymoon we both wanted. While we both found Renee to be fairly pretentious and full of herself, she was very knowledgeable. At first, we wanted to go to Bora Bora and Taha’a. However, Renee couldn’t find us any availability for the room types we wanted. She asked us if we would consider Fiji, which we of course would and did. She booked us for 7 nights at Qamea Resort and Spa in Fiji in a premium villa. The resort was amazing but I grew a bit concerned when four different couples at the resort (which has a maximum capacity for 28 adults total) had been booked there with Renee from Unforgettable Honeymoons. I don’t know what sort of a kickback Renee receives for referring clients there and I guess it doesn’t really matter because the resort really is all she says it is. However, it doesn’t feel very good to feel like she’s only sending people to that one place, especially when we already felt like she had a pretty inflated ego. My best friend and her husband booked through Unforgettable Honeymoons for their honeymoon, not with Renee, and said their experience was great. If I had it to do over again, I would try to book with another travel agent there. www.unforgettablehoneymoons.com Qamea Resort and Spa : Honeymoon Grade : A+ Wow! This place was incredible, even when it was overcast most of the week we were there! We flew for close to 14 hours, PDX to LAX, LAX to Nadi, Fiji and then on a puddle jumper from Nadi to Taveuni. Then we were driven in a Range Rover for 20 minutes on a dirt rode to a beach where we got on a boat and went on a 10-minute boat ride across to the island of Qamea. We were greeted by a smiling and friendly staff, taken to their restaurant/lounge villa where we were served cocktails and fruit plates and given a quick rundown of the resort. Our accommodations were amazing. Our villa included a daybed and a pool on our deck, a large outdoor shower, a large bathroom that included a walk-in closet, two sinks, a towel warmer, large shower and then a large room with a four-poster bed on a platform with amazing linens and sheer curtains hanging, and then a living area with a couch, coffee table, stereo, lounge chairs, etc. I’ve never stayed in such an incredible place. The staff was so incredibly friendly, the food was some of the best food I’ve ever eaten. We snorkeled, went for a hike in the rainforest, swam in waterfalls, went to visit a village, did some nude sunbathing on our own private beach for an afternoon, my husband did some traditional Fijian hand-line fishing, kava ceremonies, a meek ceremony, beach volleyball and we visited the spa every day. The staff would make you snacks in between meals if you were hungry, the coral and the seashells were amazing and the rainforest absolutely incredible. It was the perfect way to end such an incredible experience. www.qamea.com Teness Herman : Intimate Portraits Grade : A+ WOW. This was an absolutely amazing experience. Teness is absolutely amazing. She made me feel so comfortable and relaxed…an absolute necessity to create the kind of pictures I was going for. I felt like I was taking pictures with a dear old friend. She and I spent months discussing the look and feel of the shoot. She recommended I look at a book called Women Before 10am by Veronique Vial. If you like the style of my intimate portraits (aka Boudoir Pictures…sorry, I think it’s a cheesy name), I would definitely recommend you check out this book for inspiration. We shot for three and a half hours and could have easily gone on for another two. She used multiple cameras and twice as many lenses with nothing but natural light, which really helped in creating a sensual feel. Her enthusiasm, creativity and eye for the perfect shot are truly unparalleled. If you don’t have room in your budget to do this as a wedding gift, I would highly recommend it as a first (paper) anniversary gift. www.teness.com
Planning Bio Reviews Pre-Wedding Pics Professional Wedding Pics Photobooth Pics Honeymoon Pics Intimate Portraits Rentals MrsPDX’s Faves Dear MrsPDX Reviews Devils Food Catering : Caterer Grade : A Charles and his crew catered both our rehearsal dinner and reception. We worked together to create menus that reflected both the style of our events and personalized to our tastes. Our guests raved about the food. The staff was so professional but also just really cool people, the kind you’d love to go out for drinks with. Charles is so laid back and since we were going the creative/non-traditional route in everything we did, I really appreciated that he was willing to be creative and think outside of the box without it costing an arm and a leg. I would definitely use them again should I need catering…oh, and they just moved their kitchen into the old Family Supper restaurant in the Gotham Building so cool! Rehearsal Dinner Menu Hors deouvres Marbella marinated chicken skewered with green olive Grilled three cheese paninis with sassy sauce Dinner Sliced spice rubbed pork tenderloin with onion relish Herb roasted filets of salmon with dill cream Mixed greens salad with blackberry, onion, gorgonzola and thyme vinaigrette Grilled, roasted and blanched vegetables Fresh sliced fruit Rustic baguette with butter Dessert Spoon cheesecake with fresh berries Beverage A to Z pinot grigio A to Z claret Rolling Rock, Mirror Pond Pale Ale, Fat Tire Amber and Kaliber Reception Menu Hors doeuvres Mini pitas stuffed with hummus and greek salad Dungeness crab cakes with smoky tomato cream for dipping Gazpacho shots Caprese skewers: cherry tomatoes, basil and fresh mozzarella Ginger steamed shrimp dumplings Mini cheeseburgers with roasted mushrooms Open faced BLT panini Portabella mushroom with rosemary sauce and pickled red onion Beverage Rolling Rock, Mirror Pond Pale Ale, Fat Tire Amber Ale and Kaliber A to Z pinot grigio A to Z claret Limonata, aranciata and bottled water Mojitos Fresh peach cosmopolitans served through an ice martini luge www.devilsfoodcatering.com Eric Cable : Wedding Photographer Grade : A+ Holy cow! What can I say about Eric that I haven’t already said other than the fact that he COMPLETELY lived up to our expectations and then some. We booked Eric in 2004, almost two years before our wedding. Photography was one of the most important aspects of the wedding to us and we wanted to get what I perceive as the best. I still believe he’s the best in town. For what we paid for we got an engagement session, unlimited coverage on the day of the wedding (he started at 11:30am and went until 12:30am), two photographers (Eric and his assistant, who took some great shots as well), all of our digital files in both black and white and color on discs, a proof book and all of our files hosted on his site as well. Eric is a photojournalistic photographer. In fact, long before he started shooting weddings he did work for the AP. He has an incredible eye and there’s a richness to his photos that I don’t see in a lot of other photos. Both he and his assistant were so laid back and were hardly noticed, which can be seen in the pictures, as no one seemed to be uncomfortable with someone capturing their every movement (practically) for a day. I would hire Eric over and over if I needed to. In fact, I’ve already talked to him to see if he would take pictures of us in a year or two once we want to update pictures of ourselves. Without a doubt, he’s an amazing photographer! www.profilephoto.com Nocturnal : Reception Venue Grade : A My husband and I had been together for five years when we got engaged and seven years by the time we married. So, even though we were getting married, we had already committed to each other by purchasing a house together, owning our cars together, being listed on each others bank accounts and having spent holidays with each others’ families for the past 7 years. So, when it came to our wedding, we wanted to throw a celebration. Since we’re pretty non-traditional people to begin with, we didn’t feel the need to follow tradition in many aspects of our wedding. We decided we wanted to throw a late-night party for our reception with a lounge feel. Amazingly, there aren’t a whole lot of venues that can accommodate this appropriately in Portland. Somehow we found Nocturnal. Bethany Pratt, the owner, is probably in her late 20s or early 30s. She’s a creative type and has done an amazing job of remodeling/decorating the venue…or hiring someone to do it. You can rent sections of the venue or the whole thing, which we did. There’s a ballroom, a basement with the coolest bar I’ve ever seen (courtesy of the fact that Bethany’s parents own Pratt & Larson tile) and stained cement floors, an outdoor courtyard and then a kitchen off the back courtyard. In terms of an urban/modern space, there’s nothing like it in Portland. Bethany is lacking in enthusiasm and interpersonal skills to do the job that she does (she needs to hire me to sell her space for her!), however, she was always accommodating and willing to work with us. When we first booked the venue, she had a bubbly, fun girl working with her that I’m sure handled much of the client-end of things. My feeling is that Bethany is a more introverted, quiet type that struggles with really selling her space. I would definitely rent the space again, especially for the price. Even though its wonderfully decorated and you really wouldn’t have to do anything to it if you didn’t want to, it also allows for some fantastic decorating if that’s what you’re after. www.nocturnalpdx.com Mt Tabor Amphitheatre : Ceremony Venue Grade : C Well, its dealing with the City of Portland so it can’t be anything too spectacular. In reality, the process was fairly painless, other than the fact that they tried to charge us $100 to use the electrical outlets, telling me that it was for the key to the breaker box so we could use power, only to find out there was power without it. My husband and I are both very outdoorsy, your stereotypical Oregonians in that respect. It only seemed appropriate to have an outdoor ceremony in a beautiful location. The amphitheatre is especially cool since it’s an extinct volcano, I think the only extinct volcano within a city’s limits in the country. When you rent the space, you have it for the entire day, which was good in terms of decorating. The only downside (to some people, anyway) is that it’s a public park, so outsiders can watch, which they did. In fact, it was cool because the amphitheatre is adjacent to the basketball courts in the park. When the ceremony was about to begin, all of the basketball players took a seat on the court and were impromptu guests to our ceremony. There were also quite a few people that stood above the amphitheatre to watch. While this might bother some people, my husband and I didn’t mind in the least. In reality, I might do the same if I were in a public park and saw a wedding happening. www.portlandonline.com Matthew Hoff : Officiant Grade : A This is a friend of ours, actually Sept2005’s husband. We asked him to marry us as he is such a good friend but also because he’s a charismatic, funny public speaker. He did not let us down. We gave him a lot of creative license and while I think that made him nervous, he did with it exactly what we wanted. One minute we would be laughing hysterically and the next crying. He had the perfect combination of funny and serious…we couldn’t have picked a more perfect person for the role! Jitterblooms : Florist Grade : A I almost don’t need to write a vendor review on Jessica since so many people on The Knot have used her. She’s fantastic. I felt like she really understood what I was going for when we began talking…and she totally did. Not only that, she was very flexible when I needed to add some last minute boutonnieres and purchase five flats of wheat grass for our centerpieces. My bouquet was the first all green bouquet she had done and it turned out so well. She’s such a talented lady! www.jitterblooms.com Four Up Inc : Photobooth Photography Grade : A Oh my gosh, this was SUCH a hit! And it seemed like the more people drank, the better and better the pictures got. The guests loved watching other people take theirs as well as doing their own. Manny, that’s the owner of Four Up Inc, was even cracking up with some of the poses. Our package allowed for a printout of each set of pictures to the guest and then we get a copy of all of the digital files on a disc. Since we didn’t do favors, I kind of considered this a favor in a sense. It was so incredibly entertaining and I would highly recommend Manny if you can fit it into your budget. www.fourupinc.com Nicole Wagner : Makeup Artist Grade : A Nicole did makeup non-stop for six hours straight. She did makeup for both of the moms, all five maids of honor, rosy cheeks and lip gloss for the two flower girls and my makeup. Everyone raved about their makeup, some even asked for the colors and how she did it so they could recreate it another time. She’s so talented at making you look like yourself only better. She was so patient with my mom who couldn’t stop crying when Nicole was trying to get her makeup done, and originally only four of the maids of honor wanted to have their makeup done. However, upon seeing everyone else get done up, the fifth maid wanted her makeup done as well. Nicole was so flexible in making that happen, even though she had allotted a very specific amount of time for each. MAC Cosmetics are my regular day-to-day makeup. When I found a new product that I really liked, I emailed Nicole to see if she could use it instead of the foundation she had picked out for me (I don’t use foundation so I was a bit apprehensive). Nicole was totally open to it and even went and bought it at the MAC store so I didn’t have to buy foundation that I would never wear again. I would definitely hire her again. www.perfectbride.blogspot.com Patti Green Salon 77 : Hair Stylist Grade : A Patti is great, what can I say? She’s my regular hairstylist who I’ve been seeing for probably about four years. She doesn’t do wedding styles unless you’re one of her regular clients. However, the girl gives an amazing haircut so if you’re looking for a new stylist, Patti’s your girl. She moved here from NYC where she worked for Toni & Guy. Patti did a great job of doing my hair, which was no small task since my hair is stick straight and I wanted waves. She also did my husband’s hair, she’s his regular stylist as well. And while there’s not much to be done with 1.5 inches of hair, somehow it always looks so great when she does his. www.seventyseven.us Toast Productions : Event Design/Setup Grade : A I met these ladies through a friend of mine. I’ve never met a more resourceful group of ladies. When I said we wanted an ice cream wedding cake, they searched the city high and low looking for someone willing to do it. When I said we wanted a custom-made martini ice luge for not a lot of money, they found it. Rachael, of Toast Productions, is a graphic designer, so she has a great sense of design. While I had a coordinator already hired by the time I met Rachael and Sarah (they’re sisters), I knew I could utilize their skills to turn our reception into what we wanted. We met several times to discuss setup, layout and logistics. On the day of the wedding, they picked up everything for the reception, which was a lot, and spent hours setting it up. They also handled all of the vendors coming into Nocturnal to insure everything was setup just so. These ladies are native Portlanders and extremely well networked. While this is a new business venture for them, you never would have known by their ability to recreate what our vision had been. They also did all of our cleanup for us and promptly delivered it back to my mom’s house the day after the wedding. www.toast-productions.com Look Weddings : Wedding Coordinator Grade : A- Cassia has been doing wedding coordination for about two years. She started because she enjoyed planning her own wedding so much. I work with her at my job and inquired about her services when I heard she was doing coordination. Her design of our custom built website alone was amazing. She used the graphics that my husband’s sister had created for our stationery and created a fairly extensive website. She also contacted all of our vendors the week of the wedding to verify their services for the day of. She setup our entire ceremony (which was hundreds of paper bag luminaries, tables, chairs, etc) and coordinated from there on. Cassia is a fairly reserved person and I think at times is intimidated to exert her assertiveness. However, I think this will only get better as she continues to work. Because she works a full time job, I think she’s become a bit worn down by doing both a full time coordination business along with her job. At this time, I don’t think she’s taking on any new weddings until 2007. www.lookweddings.com Kristin Bradetich : Graphic Design for Stationery Grade : A+ Well, Kristin is my husband’s older sister. By career, she designs logos for apparel for a small athletic apparel company in Boulder. When we asked her to help us with our stationery, she was very enthusiastic. She did a great job of taking our ideas and turning them into something that was stylish, unique and really created the essence of our wedding. She designed a logo we put on everything, our save the dates, invitations (including RSVP and Reception cards), rehearsal dinner invitations, programs, menu cards, Just Married sign for our getaway car and thank you cards. While she doesn’t create custom invitations for people, she should probably consider it as she’s very talented. Anders Printing : Stationery Printing Grade : B I worked with Jill at Anders to get the majority of our printing done. It felt good to be working with a local company to complete our printing needs. Jill was very friendly and helpful and they did a great job of getting the work turned around in a short time period. They printed everything from our logos on stickers to our save the dates, invitations and rehearsal dinner invitations. After getting quotes for our save the dates, I didn’t search around after that to see if I could find a better deal. So, when we had our invitations printed offset, I don’t know if it was cheaper than another printer. I was very clear with my requests on each job (thanks to the help of the graphic designer). However, when our invitations were ready, she charged me an extra $25 and I had A LOT of extra copies, far more than I had requested. I meant to question why we had been charged more than originally quoted and why we had so many extras but I never got around to it. I probably should have asked for a discount since they asked if they could put our invitations on their website. All in all, this was a good experience. www.andersprinting.com DJ Stay in School - Martin Wilson : Reception DJ Grade : B My husband is a big fan of electronica music. So, when it came time to hire a DJ, my husband took on this role. We contacted Connie Wohn of Stylus 503 (a DJ cooperative), thanks to a referral from Bethany of Nocturnal. Connie sent us a whole package of samples of different DJs. We chose Martin because of his style, obviously. He did a great job but I think there was too much going on at the reception (photobooth, downstairs bar, outdoor courtyard) to really get people dancing. While people did dance, I think they would have done more of it had we not had so much else going on. Martin did que up the wrong music (we provided specific music for specific events during the evening since he doesn’t have the regular wedding DJ collection) for the Mother/Son dance and didn’t que up any music for the cake cutting. However, I don’t think the cake cutting music was his fault as the coordinator didn’t let him know the cake was going to make its grand entrance. www.djstayinschool.com Taste of Honey - Honey Everett : Wedding Cake Grade : A As mentioned before, we wanted an ice cream cake as our wedding cake. Neither of us like cake. Amazingly, getting someone to make a wedding cake out of ice cream is harder than you might imagine. Every person we contacted acted like we were crazy. However, when we found Honey, she definitely knew what she was talking about. There are a lot of logistics involved with an ice cream wedding cake, i.e. delivery, setup, serving it, icing it, etc. Honey had such confidence that I wasn’t the least bit worried. We had three flavors, one of which being mint chocolate chip (the others I don’t remember), with a brownie bottom. Honey delivered and setup the cake after the reception had started. It tasted great and looked fantastic, even though it had started to melt, which I found somewhat charming, being as that it was ice cream cake! Oregon Chamber Players : Ceremony Musicians Grade : B- This was another responsibility of my husband’s. We picked all non-traditional music (Coldplay, The Verve, Enya) and had to find the sheet music for all of the songs we wanted played. Originally, we were going to use the Metropolitan Youth Symphony. However, once they started to review the sheet music for the songs we wanted played, they realized that they didn’t really currently have that kind of depth. Last minute, three weeks before the wedding, we had to find someone new. Considering the amount of time they had, the Oregon Chamber Players did great. They did mess up on one of the songs but it wasn’t really worth getting upset over. I also would have preferred a string quartet (which was our original plan) but that wasn’t really their fault. www.oregonchamberplayers.org Blizzard Motors : Getaway Car Grade : A Almost two years ago my husband and I bought a car from this lot (its in SE Portland). The lot is primarily fine European cars. When we were there to pick up our newly purchased car, the owner of the lot told us he would loan us a car of our choice for our wedding. My fiance chose a convertible Porsche to drive from the ceremony. It was a beautiful little black shiny thing and my husband thoroughly enjoyed driving it. I don’t know if Doug would be willing to rent out any of his cars but if you’re interested it might not hurt to ask. Western Culinary Institute : Martini Ice Luge Grade : A This was one of the best budget friendly finds of our entire wedding. We really wanted to have a martini luge but found that they were rather expensive to have made…that was, until we found out about the Western Culinary Institute’s ice sculpture class. Basically, they told us they could create anything we wanted and all we had to do was provide them with a drawing. My mom, who’s an artist, drew a great design, in keeping with our theme and stationery, and we provided it to WCI. They not only did a great job of recreating it but the cost included transporting it, delivery and setup. We paid more than they asked for, to donate towards their program, but regardless it was well worth it. Definitely one of the main highlights of the reception for our guests. Spa La La : Pre-Wedding Pampering Grade : B+ As part of my gift to the ladies in the wedding, I treated them to manicures and pedicures at Spa La La. While it’s not the best manicure and pedicure in town (my best friend and I often refer to them as the chop shop), the decor and vibe is great and they’ll serve you all the mimosas you want. We had twelve of us (the moms, five maids of honor, two readers, the two flower girls and myself) there and it was like our own little private party. The staff was very friendly and efficient and I think the ladies all enjoyed getting their nails done. www.spalala.net The Face Place – Dorene Klippel : Facial and Brazilian Wax Grade : A I’ve gone to Dorene every month for the last six years for a Brazilian wax. She does a fantastic job at those…well, it’s a Brazilian wax so it’s not like it feels good but in terms of the final look, she does a tremendous job. However, I decided to get a facial from her as well. Wow! Her facial was by far the best facial I’ve ever had…not only did I fall asleep but she did such an incredibly thorough job. It will be hard not to make getting a facial from her a monthly occurrence as well. www.waxqueen.com Salon 77 – Mahria Martinez : Brow Wax Grade : A+ I pretty much have caterpillars for eyebrows…I’m not kidding. So, not only do my eyebrows need to be professionally groomed on a regular basis but they need to be done well. Mahria is a dream…seriously, she’s absolutely amazing. It’s the only kind of waxing she does…you know if a girl can make a living off of just waxing eyebrows, she’s got to be good! And not only that, she’s the sweetest thing you’ve ever met. www.seventyseven.us Diane Jensen : Massage Grade : A+ So, I have to admit that before my husband and I bought our house, Diane was our landlord. However, my husband has some pretty severe back injuries (thanks to a motorcycle) and is always up for a massage. That being said, we get a lot of massages. Diane is fantastic. She works in a chiropractic clinic off of NW 23rd (which the chiropractor there is also fantastic, Suzanne Lady) and does pretty much any type of massage you’d like. If I were to say I have a regular LMT, Diane would be it…and without failure, I fall asleep on her table every time. She’s fantastic and a lot cheaper than a mediocre spa massage. And, she is so incredibly kind and sweet as well…you can’t beat that! She used to have a website but it doesn’t look like she does anymore. Contact me if you want to get in touch with her. Embellish Design : Wedding Dress Grade : A+ I went shopping on several different occasions for a wedding dress. After searching most of Portland for the dress, I decided to visit Terri at Embellish Design. Now, I would not even waste time looking for dresses to order. In the end, my dress cost less than any of my final choices of the dresses I found in the salons. Not only that, the experience was so incredibly fun. Originally, I went into her studio with pictures of my final choices as well as other dresses I liked. We went through each picture and discussed what I liked about each one. We took elements from all of those to create my dress. Terri is so knowledgeable about what she does and extremely talented in the art of designing and sewing gowns. We discussed everything from different fabrics to different styles and the pluses and negatives of each. In the end, I had a dress that was exactly what I wanted, custom fit to my body. I would highly recommend working with Terri. I hope that I’ll have a reason for her to make me another dress (she makes party dresses too) some time. www.embellishdesign.com Patty Lehner : Wedding Jewelry Grade : A+ I saw a variation of my wedding dress in an Oregon Bride magazine months before my wedding. The earrings that the model was wearing were wonderful. When I looked up where they came from, the magazine said Ella Posie (which is now closed but was on NE Broadway). Carmen (who is also a wedding coordinator) of Ella Posie got me in touch with Patty, who had designed the jewelry. Patty was an absolute delight to work with…kind of like working with your spunky grandmother. We talked about what I wanted and she worked efficiently to get pieces done for me. She made a variation of the earrings I wanted with several different types of pearls and different lengths so I had something to choose from. Then, she made a bangle to match. And when I asked for some extra pearls and crystals for my ring bearer pillow and hair jewelry, not only did she have no problem sending me on my way with a little bag of each but she also refused to charge me for them when I tried to pay her. August Veils : Hair Jewelry Grade : A Patty referred me to Andrea to have my hair jewelry made (Patty doesn’t like to make it). I brought the pearls and crystals that Patty had used in my jewelry to have Andrea create some sparkle for my hair. She created exactly what I was looking for and in a very short amount of time. www.augustveils.com Cromwell Formalwear : Tuxedo Rentals Grade : A While my husband bought a suit for the wedding, we needed rentals for everyone else. Cromwell’s had a good selection and a helpful staff. They kept us informed on everyone who had, or hadn’t, been fitted and I didn’t hear of any problems that anyone had with their rentals. www.cromwellformalwear.com Twist : Wedding Rings Grade : A We searched for quite some time to find rings that we really loved. While I love the traditional platinum eternity band, I wanted something a little different to go with my princess cut solitaire. My husband wanted a platinum ring but not completely plain. Twist, although not a store you would typically think of for wedding bands, had just what we were looking for. The staff was very friendly and when they ordered our rings, they said it would take eight weeks to get them in (which was cutting it really close). Two weeks later, we received a call letting us know that our rings were in. I love the uniqueness of our rings! www.twistonline.com Shane Co : Engagement Ring Grade : C+ In one week, my husband sold his motorcycle, decided to ask me to marry him and bought a ring. The ring is exactly what I would have picked out, a plain platinum band with a princess cut solitaire. However, if I had had a say in it, I never would have gotten my ring at Shane Co. I think their staff is kind of tacky, not to mention their showroom, and I’m always frustrated by their service when I take my ring in to be cleaned or polished...and lets not even begin to discuss their ads! www.shaneco.com Hotel Lucia : Wedding Night Hotel Grade : A I love this place! We booked their “Did I Mention I Want You?” package in a King Suite. When we arrived at the hotel with nothing but the wedding clothes we were still wearing, they were quick to check us in. Our bed was covered in rose petals, there was music playing, champagne being chilled and a box of toys, i.e. body crayons, furry handcuffs and a book of positions for every day of the year. We ordered room service at about 1:30am because neither of us really ate at our reception. They were prompt and the food was tasty. I wish we didn’t live in Portland so we had more reasons to stay here…it’s such a chic hotel! www.hotellucia.com Bluestar Charter : Guest Transportation Grade : C Originally, we were expecting a lot of guests from out of state. We booked a charter bus to pick up guests from downtown Portland and transport them to Mt Tabor Park and then to Nocturnal. Unfortunately, my husbands grandfather passed away two months before our wedding and many of what we assumed would be the out of town guests could no longer make it due to their last minute flights to the funeral. Regardless, I still think this was a good thing to have. However, we revised our timeline for the bus and faxed it in. For whatever reason, they didn’t follow this and were 1.5 hours early to pick up guests and consequently ended their evening 1.5 hours earlier than we were originally anticipating. I’m not sure why they were running on the old timeline as I had faxed the revised one to them. While in the grand scheme of things, it wasn’t that big of a deal, I was irritated that we had paid for something and then couldn’t even utilize it for 1.5 hours. www.bluestarbus.com The Party Place : Chair Rentals Grade : A Although Mt Tabor Amphitheatre has some benches, we rented some chairs as well to insure we had enough seating. To be honest, I have no idea if this all worked out. I assume they arrived on time as they were all set up prior to the ceremony. And I assume they were picked up just fine since I haven’t heard from them about not getting their chairs back or something. Unforgettable Honeymoons Renee Duane-Meyer : Travel Agent Grade : A for knowledge, C for personality When it came time to plan our honeymoon, we were running out of energy, especially to plan the fantastic honeymoon we both wanted. While we both found Renee to be fairly pretentious and full of herself, she was very knowledgeable. At first, we wanted to go to Bora Bora and Taha’a. However, Renee couldn’t find us any availability for the room types we wanted. She asked us if we would consider Fiji, which we of course would and did. She booked us for 7 nights at Qamea Resort and Spa in Fiji in a premium villa. The resort was amazing but I grew a bit concerned when four different couples at the resort (which has a maximum capacity for 28 adults total) had been booked there with Renee from Unforgettable Honeymoons. I don’t know what sort of a kickback Renee receives for referring clients there and I guess it doesn’t really matter because the resort really is all she says it is. However, it doesn’t feel very good to feel like she’s only sending people to that one place, especially when we already felt like she had a pretty inflated ego. My best friend and her husband booked through Unforgettable Honeymoons for their honeymoon, not with Renee, and said their experience was great. If I had it to do over again, I would try to book with another travel agent there. www.unforgettablehoneymoons.com Qamea Resort and Spa : Honeymoon Grade : A+ Wow! This place was incredible, even when it was overcast most of the week we were there! We flew for close to 14 hours, PDX to LAX, LAX to Nadi, Fiji and then on a puddle jumper from Nadi to Taveuni. Then we were driven in a Range Rover for 20 minutes on a dirt rode to a beach where we got on a boat and went on a 10-minute boat ride across to the island of Qamea. We were greeted by a smiling and friendly staff, taken to their restaurant/lounge villa where we were served cocktails and fruit plates and given a quick rundown of the resort. Our accommodations were amazing. Our villa included a daybed and a pool on our deck, a large outdoor shower, a large bathroom that included a walk-in closet, two sinks, a towel warmer, large shower and then a large room with a four-poster bed on a platform with amazing linens and sheer curtains hanging, and then a living area with a couch, coffee table, stereo, lounge chairs, etc. I’ve never stayed in such an incredible place. The staff was so incredibly friendly, the food was some of the best food I’ve ever eaten. We snorkeled, went for a hike in the rainforest, swam in waterfalls, went to visit a village, did some nude sunbathing on our own private beach for an afternoon, my husband did some traditional Fijian hand-line fishing, kava ceremonies, a meek ceremony, beach volleyball and we visited the spa every day. The staff would make you snacks in between meals if you were hungry, the coral and the seashells were amazing and the rainforest absolutely incredible. It was the perfect way to end such an incredible experience. www.qamea.com Teness Herman : Intimate Portraits Grade : A+ WOW. This was an absolutely amazing experience. Teness is absolutely amazing. She made me feel so comfortable and relaxed…an absolute necessity to create the kind of pictures I was going for. I felt like I was taking pictures with a dear old friend. She and I spent months discussing the look and feel of the shoot. She recommended I look at a book called Women Before 10am by Veronique Vial. If you like the style of my intimate portraits (aka Boudoir Pictures…sorry, I think it’s a cheesy name), I would definitely recommend you check out this book for inspiration. We shot for three and a half hours and could have easily gone on for another two. She used multiple cameras and twice as many lenses with nothing but natural light, which really helped in creating a sensual feel. Her enthusiasm, creativity and eye for the perfect shot are truly unparalleled. If you don’t have room in your budget to do this as a wedding gift, I would highly recommend it as a first (paper) anniversary gift. www.teness.com
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Dear MrsPDX
Reviews Devils Food Catering : Caterer Grade : A Charles and his crew catered both our rehearsal dinner and reception. We worked together to create menus that reflected both the style of our events and personalized to our tastes. Our guests raved about the food. The staff was so professional but also just really cool people, the kind you’d love to go out for drinks with. Charles is so laid back and since we were going the creative/non-traditional route in everything we did, I really appreciated that he was willing to be creative and think outside of the box without it costing an arm and a leg. I would definitely use them again should I need catering…oh, and they just moved their kitchen into the old Family Supper restaurant in the Gotham Building so cool! Rehearsal Dinner Menu Hors deouvres Marbella marinated chicken skewered with green olive Grilled three cheese paninis with sassy sauce Dinner Sliced spice rubbed pork tenderloin with onion relish Herb roasted filets of salmon with dill cream Mixed greens salad with blackberry, onion, gorgonzola and thyme vinaigrette Grilled, roasted and blanched vegetables Fresh sliced fruit Rustic baguette with butter Dessert Spoon cheesecake with fresh berries Beverage A to Z pinot grigio A to Z claret Rolling Rock, Mirror Pond Pale Ale, Fat Tire Amber and Kaliber Reception Menu Hors doeuvres Mini pitas stuffed with hummus and greek salad Dungeness crab cakes with smoky tomato cream for dipping Gazpacho shots Caprese skewers: cherry tomatoes, basil and fresh mozzarella Ginger steamed shrimp dumplings Mini cheeseburgers with roasted mushrooms Open faced BLT panini Portabella mushroom with rosemary sauce and pickled red onion Beverage Rolling Rock, Mirror Pond Pale Ale, Fat Tire Amber Ale and Kaliber A to Z pinot grigio A to Z claret Limonata, aranciata and bottled water Mojitos Fresh peach cosmopolitans served through an ice martini luge www.devilsfoodcatering.com Eric Cable : Wedding Photographer Grade : A+ Holy cow! What can I say about Eric that I haven’t already said other than the fact that he COMPLETELY lived up to our expectations and then some. We booked Eric in 2004, almost two years before our wedding. Photography was one of the most important aspects of the wedding to us and we wanted to get what I perceive as the best. I still believe he’s the best in town. For what we paid for we got an engagement session, unlimited coverage on the day of the wedding (he started at 11:30am and went until 12:30am), two photographers (Eric and his assistant, who took some great shots as well), all of our digital files in both black and white and color on discs, a proof book and all of our files hosted on his site as well. Eric is a photojournalistic photographer. In fact, long before he started shooting weddings he did work for the AP. He has an incredible eye and there’s a richness to his photos that I don’t see in a lot of other photos. Both he and his assistant were so laid back and were hardly noticed, which can be seen in the pictures, as no one seemed to be uncomfortable with someone capturing their every movement (practically) for a day. I would hire Eric over and over if I needed to. In fact, I’ve already talked to him to see if he would take pictures of us in a year or two once we want to update pictures of ourselves. Without a doubt, he’s an amazing photographer! www.profilephoto.com Nocturnal : Reception Venue Grade : A My husband and I had been together for five years when we got engaged and seven years by the time we married. So, even though we were getting married, we had already committed to each other by purchasing a house together, owning our cars together, being listed on each others bank accounts and having spent holidays with each others’ families for the past 7 years. So, when it came to our wedding, we wanted to throw a celebration. Since we’re pretty non-traditional people to begin with, we didn’t feel the need to follow tradition in many aspects of our wedding. We decided we wanted to throw a late-night party for our reception with a lounge feel. Amazingly, there aren’t a whole lot of venues that can accommodate this appropriately in Portland. Somehow we found Nocturnal. Bethany Pratt, the owner, is probably in her late 20s or early 30s. She’s a creative type and has done an amazing job of remodeling/decorating the venue…or hiring someone to do it. You can rent sections of the venue or the whole thing, which we did. There’s a ballroom, a basement with the coolest bar I’ve ever seen (courtesy of the fact that Bethany’s parents own Pratt & Larson tile) and stained cement floors, an outdoor courtyard and then a kitchen off the back courtyard. In terms of an urban/modern space, there’s nothing like it in Portland. Bethany is lacking in enthusiasm and interpersonal skills to do the job that she does (she needs to hire me to sell her space for her!), however, she was always accommodating and willing to work with us. When we first booked the venue, she had a bubbly, fun girl working with her that I’m sure handled much of the client-end of things. My feeling is that Bethany is a more introverted, quiet type that struggles with really selling her space. I would definitely rent the space again, especially for the price. Even though its wonderfully decorated and you really wouldn’t have to do anything to it if you didn’t want to, it also allows for some fantastic decorating if that’s what you’re after. www.nocturnalpdx.com Mt Tabor Amphitheatre : Ceremony Venue Grade : C Well, its dealing with the City of Portland so it can’t be anything too spectacular. In reality, the process was fairly painless, other than the fact that they tried to charge us $100 to use the electrical outlets, telling me that it was for the key to the breaker box so we could use power, only to find out there was power without it. My husband and I are both very outdoorsy, your stereotypical Oregonians in that respect. It only seemed appropriate to have an outdoor ceremony in a beautiful location. The amphitheatre is especially cool since it’s an extinct volcano, I think the only extinct volcano within a city’s limits in the country. When you rent the space, you have it for the entire day, which was good in terms of decorating. The only downside (to some people, anyway) is that it’s a public park, so outsiders can watch, which they did. In fact, it was cool because the amphitheatre is adjacent to the basketball courts in the park. When the ceremony was about to begin, all of the basketball players took a seat on the court and were impromptu guests to our ceremony. There were also quite a few people that stood above the amphitheatre to watch. While this might bother some people, my husband and I didn’t mind in the least. In reality, I might do the same if I were in a public park and saw a wedding happening. www.portlandonline.com Matthew Hoff : Officiant Grade : A This is a friend of ours, actually Sept2005’s husband. We asked him to marry us as he is such a good friend but also because he’s a charismatic, funny public speaker. He did not let us down. We gave him a lot of creative license and while I think that made him nervous, he did with it exactly what we wanted. One minute we would be laughing hysterically and the next crying. He had the perfect combination of funny and serious…we couldn’t have picked a more perfect person for the role! Jitterblooms : Florist Grade : A I almost don’t need to write a vendor review on Jessica since so many people on The Knot have used her. She’s fantastic. I felt like she really understood what I was going for when we began talking…and she totally did. Not only that, she was very flexible when I needed to add some last minute boutonnieres and purchase five flats of wheat grass for our centerpieces. My bouquet was the first all green bouquet she had done and it turned out so well. She’s such a talented lady! www.jitterblooms.com Four Up Inc : Photobooth Photography Grade : A Oh my gosh, this was SUCH a hit! And it seemed like the more people drank, the better and better the pictures got. The guests loved watching other people take theirs as well as doing their own. Manny, that’s the owner of Four Up Inc, was even cracking up with some of the poses. Our package allowed for a printout of each set of pictures to the guest and then we get a copy of all of the digital files on a disc. Since we didn’t do favors, I kind of considered this a favor in a sense. It was so incredibly entertaining and I would highly recommend Manny if you can fit it into your budget. www.fourupinc.com Nicole Wagner : Makeup Artist Grade : A Nicole did makeup non-stop for six hours straight. She did makeup for both of the moms, all five maids of honor, rosy cheeks and lip gloss for the two flower girls and my makeup. Everyone raved about their makeup, some even asked for the colors and how she did it so they could recreate it another time. She’s so talented at making you look like yourself only better. She was so patient with my mom who couldn’t stop crying when Nicole was trying to get her makeup done, and originally only four of the maids of honor wanted to have their makeup done. However, upon seeing everyone else get done up, the fifth maid wanted her makeup done as well. Nicole was so flexible in making that happen, even though she had allotted a very specific amount of time for each. MAC Cosmetics are my regular day-to-day makeup. When I found a new product that I really liked, I emailed Nicole to see if she could use it instead of the foundation she had picked out for me (I don’t use foundation so I was a bit apprehensive). Nicole was totally open to it and even went and bought it at the MAC store so I didn’t have to buy foundation that I would never wear again. I would definitely hire her again. www.perfectbride.blogspot.com Patti Green Salon 77 : Hair Stylist Grade : A Patti is great, what can I say? She’s my regular hairstylist who I’ve been seeing for probably about four years. She doesn’t do wedding styles unless you’re one of her regular clients. However, the girl gives an amazing haircut so if you’re looking for a new stylist, Patti’s your girl. She moved here from NYC where she worked for Toni & Guy. Patti did a great job of doing my hair, which was no small task since my hair is stick straight and I wanted waves. She also did my husband’s hair, she’s his regular stylist as well. And while there’s not much to be done with 1.5 inches of hair, somehow it always looks so great when she does his. www.seventyseven.us Toast Productions : Event Design/Setup Grade : A I met these ladies through a friend of mine. I’ve never met a more resourceful group of ladies. When I said we wanted an ice cream wedding cake, they searched the city high and low looking for someone willing to do it. When I said we wanted a custom-made martini ice luge for not a lot of money, they found it. Rachael, of Toast Productions, is a graphic designer, so she has a great sense of design. While I had a coordinator already hired by the time I met Rachael and Sarah (they’re sisters), I knew I could utilize their skills to turn our reception into what we wanted. We met several times to discuss setup, layout and logistics. On the day of the wedding, they picked up everything for the reception, which was a lot, and spent hours setting it up. They also handled all of the vendors coming into Nocturnal to insure everything was setup just so. These ladies are native Portlanders and extremely well networked. While this is a new business venture for them, you never would have known by their ability to recreate what our vision had been. They also did all of our cleanup for us and promptly delivered it back to my mom’s house the day after the wedding. www.toast-productions.com Look Weddings : Wedding Coordinator Grade : A- Cassia has been doing wedding coordination for about two years. She started because she enjoyed planning her own wedding so much. I work with her at my job and inquired about her services when I heard she was doing coordination. Her design of our custom built website alone was amazing. She used the graphics that my husband’s sister had created for our stationery and created a fairly extensive website. She also contacted all of our vendors the week of the wedding to verify their services for the day of. She setup our entire ceremony (which was hundreds of paper bag luminaries, tables, chairs, etc) and coordinated from there on. Cassia is a fairly reserved person and I think at times is intimidated to exert her assertiveness. However, I think this will only get better as she continues to work. Because she works a full time job, I think she’s become a bit worn down by doing both a full time coordination business along with her job. At this time, I don’t think she’s taking on any new weddings until 2007. www.lookweddings.com Kristin Bradetich : Graphic Design for Stationery Grade : A+ Well, Kristin is my husband’s older sister. By career, she designs logos for apparel for a small athletic apparel company in Boulder. When we asked her to help us with our stationery, she was very enthusiastic. She did a great job of taking our ideas and turning them into something that was stylish, unique and really created the essence of our wedding. She designed a logo we put on everything, our save the dates, invitations (including RSVP and Reception cards), rehearsal dinner invitations, programs, menu cards, Just Married sign for our getaway car and thank you cards. While she doesn’t create custom invitations for people, she should probably consider it as she’s very talented. Anders Printing : Stationery Printing Grade : B I worked with Jill at Anders to get the majority of our printing done. It felt good to be working with a local company to complete our printing needs. Jill was very friendly and helpful and they did a great job of getting the work turned around in a short time period. They printed everything from our logos on stickers to our save the dates, invitations and rehearsal dinner invitations. After getting quotes for our save the dates, I didn’t search around after that to see if I could find a better deal. So, when we had our invitations printed offset, I don’t know if it was cheaper than another printer. I was very clear with my requests on each job (thanks to the help of the graphic designer). However, when our invitations were ready, she charged me an extra $25 and I had A LOT of extra copies, far more than I had requested. I meant to question why we had been charged more than originally quoted and why we had so many extras but I never got around to it. I probably should have asked for a discount since they asked if they could put our invitations on their website. All in all, this was a good experience. www.andersprinting.com DJ Stay in School - Martin Wilson : Reception DJ Grade : B My husband is a big fan of electronica music. So, when it came time to hire a DJ, my husband took on this role. We contacted Connie Wohn of Stylus 503 (a DJ cooperative), thanks to a referral from Bethany of Nocturnal. Connie sent us a whole package of samples of different DJs. We chose Martin because of his style, obviously. He did a great job but I think there was too much going on at the reception (photobooth, downstairs bar, outdoor courtyard) to really get people dancing. While people did dance, I think they would have done more of it had we not had so much else going on. Martin did que up the wrong music (we provided specific music for specific events during the evening since he doesn’t have the regular wedding DJ collection) for the Mother/Son dance and didn’t que up any music for the cake cutting. However, I don’t think the cake cutting music was his fault as the coordinator didn’t let him know the cake was going to make its grand entrance. www.djstayinschool.com Taste of Honey - Honey Everett : Wedding Cake Grade : A As mentioned before, we wanted an ice cream cake as our wedding cake. Neither of us like cake. Amazingly, getting someone to make a wedding cake out of ice cream is harder than you might imagine. Every person we contacted acted like we were crazy. However, when we found Honey, she definitely knew what she was talking about. There are a lot of logistics involved with an ice cream wedding cake, i.e. delivery, setup, serving it, icing it, etc. Honey had such confidence that I wasn’t the least bit worried. We had three flavors, one of which being mint chocolate chip (the others I don’t remember), with a brownie bottom. Honey delivered and setup the cake after the reception had started. It tasted great and looked fantastic, even though it had started to melt, which I found somewhat charming, being as that it was ice cream cake! Oregon Chamber Players : Ceremony Musicians Grade : B- This was another responsibility of my husband’s. We picked all non-traditional music (Coldplay, The Verve, Enya) and had to find the sheet music for all of the songs we wanted played. Originally, we were going to use the Metropolitan Youth Symphony. However, once they started to review the sheet music for the songs we wanted played, they realized that they didn’t really currently have that kind of depth. Last minute, three weeks before the wedding, we had to find someone new. Considering the amount of time they had, the Oregon Chamber Players did great. They did mess up on one of the songs but it wasn’t really worth getting upset over. I also would have preferred a string quartet (which was our original plan) but that wasn’t really their fault. www.oregonchamberplayers.org Blizzard Motors : Getaway Car Grade : A Almost two years ago my husband and I bought a car from this lot (its in SE Portland). The lot is primarily fine European cars. When we were there to pick up our newly purchased car, the owner of the lot told us he would loan us a car of our choice for our wedding. My fiance chose a convertible Porsche to drive from the ceremony. It was a beautiful little black shiny thing and my husband thoroughly enjoyed driving it. I don’t know if Doug would be willing to rent out any of his cars but if you’re interested it might not hurt to ask. Western Culinary Institute : Martini Ice Luge Grade : A This was one of the best budget friendly finds of our entire wedding. We really wanted to have a martini luge but found that they were rather expensive to have made…that was, until we found out about the Western Culinary Institute’s ice sculpture class. Basically, they told us they could create anything we wanted and all we had to do was provide them with a drawing. My mom, who’s an artist, drew a great design, in keeping with our theme and stationery, and we provided it to WCI. They not only did a great job of recreating it but the cost included transporting it, delivery and setup. We paid more than they asked for, to donate towards their program, but regardless it was well worth it. Definitely one of the main highlights of the reception for our guests. Spa La La : Pre-Wedding Pampering Grade : B+ As part of my gift to the ladies in the wedding, I treated them to manicures and pedicures at Spa La La. While it’s not the best manicure and pedicure in town (my best friend and I often refer to them as the chop shop), the decor and vibe is great and they’ll serve you all the mimosas you want. We had twelve of us (the moms, five maids of honor, two readers, the two flower girls and myself) there and it was like our own little private party. The staff was very friendly and efficient and I think the ladies all enjoyed getting their nails done. www.spalala.net The Face Place – Dorene Klippel : Facial and Brazilian Wax Grade : A I’ve gone to Dorene every month for the last six years for a Brazilian wax. She does a fantastic job at those…well, it’s a Brazilian wax so it’s not like it feels good but in terms of the final look, she does a tremendous job. However, I decided to get a facial from her as well. Wow! Her facial was by far the best facial I’ve ever had…not only did I fall asleep but she did such an incredibly thorough job. It will be hard not to make getting a facial from her a monthly occurrence as well. www.waxqueen.com Salon 77 – Mahria Martinez : Brow Wax Grade : A+ I pretty much have caterpillars for eyebrows…I’m not kidding. So, not only do my eyebrows need to be professionally groomed on a regular basis but they need to be done well. Mahria is a dream…seriously, she’s absolutely amazing. It’s the only kind of waxing she does…you know if a girl can make a living off of just waxing eyebrows, she’s got to be good! And not only that, she’s the sweetest thing you’ve ever met. www.seventyseven.us Diane Jensen : Massage Grade : A+ So, I have to admit that before my husband and I bought our house, Diane was our landlord. However, my husband has some pretty severe back injuries (thanks to a motorcycle) and is always up for a massage. That being said, we get a lot of massages. Diane is fantastic. She works in a chiropractic clinic off of NW 23rd (which the chiropractor there is also fantastic, Suzanne Lady) and does pretty much any type of massage you’d like. If I were to say I have a regular LMT, Diane would be it…and without failure, I fall asleep on her table every time. She’s fantastic and a lot cheaper than a mediocre spa massage. And, she is so incredibly kind and sweet as well…you can’t beat that! She used to have a website but it doesn’t look like she does anymore. Contact me if you want to get in touch with her. Embellish Design : Wedding Dress Grade : A+ I went shopping on several different occasions for a wedding dress. After searching most of Portland for the dress, I decided to visit Terri at Embellish Design. Now, I would not even waste time looking for dresses to order. In the end, my dress cost less than any of my final choices of the dresses I found in the salons. Not only that, the experience was so incredibly fun. Originally, I went into her studio with pictures of my final choices as well as other dresses I liked. We went through each picture and discussed what I liked about each one. We took elements from all of those to create my dress. Terri is so knowledgeable about what she does and extremely talented in the art of designing and sewing gowns. We discussed everything from different fabrics to different styles and the pluses and negatives of each. In the end, I had a dress that was exactly what I wanted, custom fit to my body. I would highly recommend working with Terri. I hope that I’ll have a reason for her to make me another dress (she makes party dresses too) some time. www.embellishdesign.com Patty Lehner : Wedding Jewelry Grade : A+ I saw a variation of my wedding dress in an Oregon Bride magazine months before my wedding. The earrings that the model was wearing were wonderful. When I looked up where they came from, the magazine said Ella Posie (which is now closed but was on NE Broadway). Carmen (who is also a wedding coordinator) of Ella Posie got me in touch with Patty, who had designed the jewelry. Patty was an absolute delight to work with…kind of like working with your spunky grandmother. We talked about what I wanted and she worked efficiently to get pieces done for me. She made a variation of the earrings I wanted with several different types of pearls and different lengths so I had something to choose from. Then, she made a bangle to match. And when I asked for some extra pearls and crystals for my ring bearer pillow and hair jewelry, not only did she have no problem sending me on my way with a little bag of each but she also refused to charge me for them when I tried to pay her. August Veils : Hair Jewelry Grade : A Patty referred me to Andrea to have my hair jewelry made (Patty doesn’t like to make it). I brought the pearls and crystals that Patty had used in my jewelry to have Andrea create some sparkle for my hair. She created exactly what I was looking for and in a very short amount of time. www.augustveils.com Cromwell Formalwear : Tuxedo Rentals Grade : A While my husband bought a suit for the wedding, we needed rentals for everyone else. Cromwell’s had a good selection and a helpful staff. They kept us informed on everyone who had, or hadn’t, been fitted and I didn’t hear of any problems that anyone had with their rentals. www.cromwellformalwear.com Twist : Wedding Rings Grade : A We searched for quite some time to find rings that we really loved. While I love the traditional platinum eternity band, I wanted something a little different to go with my princess cut solitaire. My husband wanted a platinum ring but not completely plain. Twist, although not a store you would typically think of for wedding bands, had just what we were looking for. The staff was very friendly and when they ordered our rings, they said it would take eight weeks to get them in (which was cutting it really close). Two weeks later, we received a call letting us know that our rings were in. I love the uniqueness of our rings! www.twistonline.com Shane Co : Engagement Ring Grade : C+ In one week, my husband sold his motorcycle, decided to ask me to marry him and bought a ring. The ring is exactly what I would have picked out, a plain platinum band with a princess cut solitaire. However, if I had had a say in it, I never would have gotten my ring at Shane Co. I think their staff is kind of tacky, not to mention their showroom, and I’m always frustrated by their service when I take my ring in to be cleaned or polished...and lets not even begin to discuss their ads! www.shaneco.com Hotel Lucia : Wedding Night Hotel Grade : A I love this place! We booked their “Did I Mention I Want You?” package in a King Suite. When we arrived at the hotel with nothing but the wedding clothes we were still wearing, they were quick to check us in. Our bed was covered in rose petals, there was music playing, champagne being chilled and a box of toys, i.e. body crayons, furry handcuffs and a book of positions for every day of the year. We ordered room service at about 1:30am because neither of us really ate at our reception. They were prompt and the food was tasty. I wish we didn’t live in Portland so we had more reasons to stay here…it’s such a chic hotel! www.hotellucia.com Bluestar Charter : Guest Transportation Grade : C Originally, we were expecting a lot of guests from out of state. We booked a charter bus to pick up guests from downtown Portland and transport them to Mt Tabor Park and then to Nocturnal. Unfortunately, my husbands grandfather passed away two months before our wedding and many of what we assumed would be the out of town guests could no longer make it due to their last minute flights to the funeral. Regardless, I still think this was a good thing to have. However, we revised our timeline for the bus and faxed it in. For whatever reason, they didn’t follow this and were 1.5 hours early to pick up guests and consequently ended their evening 1.5 hours earlier than we were originally anticipating. I’m not sure why they were running on the old timeline as I had faxed the revised one to them. While in the grand scheme of things, it wasn’t that big of a deal, I was irritated that we had paid for something and then couldn’t even utilize it for 1.5 hours. www.bluestarbus.com The Party Place : Chair Rentals Grade : A Although Mt Tabor Amphitheatre has some benches, we rented some chairs as well to insure we had enough seating. To be honest, I have no idea if this all worked out. I assume they arrived on time as they were all set up prior to the ceremony. And I assume they were picked up just fine since I haven’t heard from them about not getting their chairs back or something. Unforgettable Honeymoons Renee Duane-Meyer : Travel Agent Grade : A for knowledge, C for personality When it came time to plan our honeymoon, we were running out of energy, especially to plan the fantastic honeymoon we both wanted. While we both found Renee to be fairly pretentious and full of herself, she was very knowledgeable. At first, we wanted to go to Bora Bora and Taha’a. However, Renee couldn’t find us any availability for the room types we wanted. She asked us if we would consider Fiji, which we of course would and did. She booked us for 7 nights at Qamea Resort and Spa in Fiji in a premium villa. The resort was amazing but I grew a bit concerned when four different couples at the resort (which has a maximum capacity for 28 adults total) had been booked there with Renee from Unforgettable Honeymoons. I don’t know what sort of a kickback Renee receives for referring clients there and I guess it doesn’t really matter because the resort really is all she says it is. However, it doesn’t feel very good to feel like she’s only sending people to that one place, especially when we already felt like she had a pretty inflated ego. My best friend and her husband booked through Unforgettable Honeymoons for their honeymoon, not with Renee, and said their experience was great. If I had it to do over again, I would try to book with another travel agent there. www.unforgettablehoneymoons.com Qamea Resort and Spa : Honeymoon Grade : A+ Wow! This place was incredible, even when it was overcast most of the week we were there! We flew for close to 14 hours, PDX to LAX, LAX to Nadi, Fiji and then on a puddle jumper from Nadi to Taveuni. Then we were driven in a Range Rover for 20 minutes on a dirt rode to a beach where we got on a boat and went on a 10-minute boat ride across to the island of Qamea. We were greeted by a smiling and friendly staff, taken to their restaurant/lounge villa where we were served cocktails and fruit plates and given a quick rundown of the resort. Our accommodations were amazing. Our villa included a daybed and a pool on our deck, a large outdoor shower, a large bathroom that included a walk-in closet, two sinks, a towel warmer, large shower and then a large room with a four-poster bed on a platform with amazing linens and sheer curtains hanging, and then a living area with a couch, coffee table, stereo, lounge chairs, etc. I’ve never stayed in such an incredible place. The staff was so incredibly friendly, the food was some of the best food I’ve ever eaten. We snorkeled, went for a hike in the rainforest, swam in waterfalls, went to visit a village, did some nude sunbathing on our own private beach for an afternoon, my husband did some traditional Fijian hand-line fishing, kava ceremonies, a meek ceremony, beach volleyball and we visited the spa every day. The staff would make you snacks in between meals if you were hungry, the coral and the seashells were amazing and the rainforest absolutely incredible. It was the perfect way to end such an incredible experience. www.qamea.com Teness Herman : Intimate Portraits Grade : A+ WOW. This was an absolutely amazing experience. Teness is absolutely amazing. She made me feel so comfortable and relaxed…an absolute necessity to create the kind of pictures I was going for. I felt like I was taking pictures with a dear old friend. She and I spent months discussing the look and feel of the shoot. She recommended I look at a book called Women Before 10am by Veronique Vial. If you like the style of my intimate portraits (aka Boudoir Pictures…sorry, I think it’s a cheesy name), I would definitely recommend you check out this book for inspiration. We shot for three and a half hours and could have easily gone on for another two. She used multiple cameras and twice as many lenses with nothing but natural light, which really helped in creating a sensual feel. Her enthusiasm, creativity and eye for the perfect shot are truly unparalleled. If you don’t have room in your budget to do this as a wedding gift, I would highly recommend it as a first (paper) anniversary gift. www.teness.com
Devils Food Catering : Caterer Grade : A Charles and his crew catered both our rehearsal dinner and reception. We worked together to create menus that reflected both the style of our events and personalized to our tastes. Our guests raved about the food. The staff was so professional but also just really cool people, the kind you’d love to go out for drinks with. Charles is so laid back and since we were going the creative/non-traditional route in everything we did, I really appreciated that he was willing to be creative and think outside of the box without it costing an arm and a leg. I would definitely use them again should I need catering…oh, and they just moved their kitchen into the old Family Supper restaurant in the Gotham Building so cool! Rehearsal Dinner Menu Hors deouvres Marbella marinated chicken skewered with green olive Grilled three cheese paninis with sassy sauce Dinner Sliced spice rubbed pork tenderloin with onion relish Herb roasted filets of salmon with dill cream Mixed greens salad with blackberry, onion, gorgonzola and thyme vinaigrette Grilled, roasted and blanched vegetables Fresh sliced fruit Rustic baguette with butter Dessert Spoon cheesecake with fresh berries Beverage A to Z pinot grigio A to Z claret Rolling Rock, Mirror Pond Pale Ale, Fat Tire Amber and Kaliber Reception Menu Hors doeuvres Mini pitas stuffed with hummus and greek salad Dungeness crab cakes with smoky tomato cream for dipping Gazpacho shots Caprese skewers: cherry tomatoes, basil and fresh mozzarella Ginger steamed shrimp dumplings Mini cheeseburgers with roasted mushrooms Open faced BLT panini Portabella mushroom with rosemary sauce and pickled red onion Beverage Rolling Rock, Mirror Pond Pale Ale, Fat Tire Amber Ale and Kaliber A to Z pinot grigio A to Z claret Limonata, aranciata and bottled water Mojitos Fresh peach cosmopolitans served through an ice martini luge www.devilsfoodcatering.com Eric Cable : Wedding Photographer Grade : A+ Holy cow! What can I say about Eric that I haven’t already said other than the fact that he COMPLETELY lived up to our expectations and then some. We booked Eric in 2004, almost two years before our wedding. Photography was one of the most important aspects of the wedding to us and we wanted to get what I perceive as the best. I still believe he’s the best in town. For what we paid for we got an engagement session, unlimited coverage on the day of the wedding (he started at 11:30am and went until 12:30am), two photographers (Eric and his assistant, who took some great shots as well), all of our digital files in both black and white and color on discs, a proof book and all of our files hosted on his site as well. Eric is a photojournalistic photographer. In fact, long before he started shooting weddings he did work for the AP. He has an incredible eye and there’s a richness to his photos that I don’t see in a lot of other photos. Both he and his assistant were so laid back and were hardly noticed, which can be seen in the pictures, as no one seemed to be uncomfortable with someone capturing their every movement (practically) for a day. I would hire Eric over and over if I needed to. In fact, I’ve already talked to him to see if he would take pictures of us in a year or two once we want to update pictures of ourselves. Without a doubt, he’s an amazing photographer! www.profilephoto.com Nocturnal : Reception Venue Grade : A My husband and I had been together for five years when we got engaged and seven years by the time we married. So, even though we were getting married, we had already committed to each other by purchasing a house together, owning our cars together, being listed on each others bank accounts and having spent holidays with each others’ families for the past 7 years. So, when it came to our wedding, we wanted to throw a celebration. Since we’re pretty non-traditional people to begin with, we didn’t feel the need to follow tradition in many aspects of our wedding. We decided we wanted to throw a late-night party for our reception with a lounge feel. Amazingly, there aren’t a whole lot of venues that can accommodate this appropriately in Portland. Somehow we found Nocturnal. Bethany Pratt, the owner, is probably in her late 20s or early 30s. She’s a creative type and has done an amazing job of remodeling/decorating the venue…or hiring someone to do it. You can rent sections of the venue or the whole thing, which we did. There’s a ballroom, a basement with the coolest bar I’ve ever seen (courtesy of the fact that Bethany’s parents own Pratt & Larson tile) and stained cement floors, an outdoor courtyard and then a kitchen off the back courtyard. In terms of an urban/modern space, there’s nothing like it in Portland. Bethany is lacking in enthusiasm and interpersonal skills to do the job that she does (she needs to hire me to sell her space for her!), however, she was always accommodating and willing to work with us. When we first booked the venue, she had a bubbly, fun girl working with her that I’m sure handled much of the client-end of things. My feeling is that Bethany is a more introverted, quiet type that struggles with really selling her space. I would definitely rent the space again, especially for the price. Even though its wonderfully decorated and you really wouldn’t have to do anything to it if you didn’t want to, it also allows for some fantastic decorating if that’s what you’re after. www.nocturnalpdx.com Mt Tabor Amphitheatre : Ceremony Venue Grade : C Well, its dealing with the City of Portland so it can’t be anything too spectacular. In reality, the process was fairly painless, other than the fact that they tried to charge us $100 to use the electrical outlets, telling me that it was for the key to the breaker box so we could use power, only to find out there was power without it. My husband and I are both very outdoorsy, your stereotypical Oregonians in that respect. It only seemed appropriate to have an outdoor ceremony in a beautiful location. The amphitheatre is especially cool since it’s an extinct volcano, I think the only extinct volcano within a city’s limits in the country. When you rent the space, you have it for the entire day, which was good in terms of decorating. The only downside (to some people, anyway) is that it’s a public park, so outsiders can watch, which they did. In fact, it was cool because the amphitheatre is adjacent to the basketball courts in the park. When the ceremony was about to begin, all of the basketball players took a seat on the court and were impromptu guests to our ceremony. There were also quite a few people that stood above the amphitheatre to watch. While this might bother some people, my husband and I didn’t mind in the least. In reality, I might do the same if I were in a public park and saw a wedding happening. www.portlandonline.com Matthew Hoff : Officiant Grade : A This is a friend of ours, actually Sept2005’s husband. We asked him to marry us as he is such a good friend but also because he’s a charismatic, funny public speaker. He did not let us down. We gave him a lot of creative license and while I think that made him nervous, he did with it exactly what we wanted. One minute we would be laughing hysterically and the next crying. He had the perfect combination of funny and serious…we couldn’t have picked a more perfect person for the role! Jitterblooms : Florist Grade : A I almost don’t need to write a vendor review on Jessica since so many people on The Knot have used her. She’s fantastic. I felt like she really understood what I was going for when we began talking…and she totally did. Not only that, she was very flexible when I needed to add some last minute boutonnieres and purchase five flats of wheat grass for our centerpieces. My bouquet was the first all green bouquet she had done and it turned out so well. She’s such a talented lady! www.jitterblooms.com Four Up Inc : Photobooth Photography Grade : A Oh my gosh, this was SUCH a hit! And it seemed like the more people drank, the better and better the pictures got. The guests loved watching other people take theirs as well as doing their own. Manny, that’s the owner of Four Up Inc, was even cracking up with some of the poses. Our package allowed for a printout of each set of pictures to the guest and then we get a copy of all of the digital files on a disc. Since we didn’t do favors, I kind of considered this a favor in a sense. It was so incredibly entertaining and I would highly recommend Manny if you can fit it into your budget. www.fourupinc.com Nicole Wagner : Makeup Artist Grade : A Nicole did makeup non-stop for six hours straight. She did makeup for both of the moms, all five maids of honor, rosy cheeks and lip gloss for the two flower girls and my makeup. Everyone raved about their makeup, some even asked for the colors and how she did it so they could recreate it another time. She’s so talented at making you look like yourself only better. She was so patient with my mom who couldn’t stop crying when Nicole was trying to get her makeup done, and originally only four of the maids of honor wanted to have their makeup done. However, upon seeing everyone else get done up, the fifth maid wanted her makeup done as well. Nicole was so flexible in making that happen, even though she had allotted a very specific amount of time for each. MAC Cosmetics are my regular day-to-day makeup. When I found a new product that I really liked, I emailed Nicole to see if she could use it instead of the foundation she had picked out for me (I don’t use foundation so I was a bit apprehensive). Nicole was totally open to it and even went and bought it at the MAC store so I didn’t have to buy foundation that I would never wear again. I would definitely hire her again. www.perfectbride.blogspot.com Patti Green Salon 77 : Hair Stylist Grade : A Patti is great, what can I say? She’s my regular hairstylist who I’ve been seeing for probably about four years. She doesn’t do wedding styles unless you’re one of her regular clients. However, the girl gives an amazing haircut so if you’re looking for a new stylist, Patti’s your girl. She moved here from NYC where she worked for Toni & Guy. Patti did a great job of doing my hair, which was no small task since my hair is stick straight and I wanted waves. She also did my husband’s hair, she’s his regular stylist as well. And while there’s not much to be done with 1.5 inches of hair, somehow it always looks so great when she does his. www.seventyseven.us Toast Productions : Event Design/Setup Grade : A I met these ladies through a friend of mine. I’ve never met a more resourceful group of ladies. When I said we wanted an ice cream wedding cake, they searched the city high and low looking for someone willing to do it. When I said we wanted a custom-made martini ice luge for not a lot of money, they found it. Rachael, of Toast Productions, is a graphic designer, so she has a great sense of design. While I had a coordinator already hired by the time I met Rachael and Sarah (they’re sisters), I knew I could utilize their skills to turn our reception into what we wanted. We met several times to discuss setup, layout and logistics. On the day of the wedding, they picked up everything for the reception, which was a lot, and spent hours setting it up. They also handled all of the vendors coming into Nocturnal to insure everything was setup just so. These ladies are native Portlanders and extremely well networked. While this is a new business venture for them, you never would have known by their ability to recreate what our vision had been. They also did all of our cleanup for us and promptly delivered it back to my mom’s house the day after the wedding. www.toast-productions.com Look Weddings : Wedding Coordinator Grade : A- Cassia has been doing wedding coordination for about two years. She started because she enjoyed planning her own wedding so much. I work with her at my job and inquired about her services when I heard she was doing coordination. Her design of our custom built website alone was amazing. She used the graphics that my husband’s sister had created for our stationery and created a fairly extensive website. She also contacted all of our vendors the week of the wedding to verify their services for the day of. She setup our entire ceremony (which was hundreds of paper bag luminaries, tables, chairs, etc) and coordinated from there on. Cassia is a fairly reserved person and I think at times is intimidated to exert her assertiveness. However, I think this will only get better as she continues to work. Because she works a full time job, I think she’s become a bit worn down by doing both a full time coordination business along with her job. At this time, I don’t think she’s taking on any new weddings until 2007. www.lookweddings.com Kristin Bradetich : Graphic Design for Stationery Grade : A+ Well, Kristin is my husband’s older sister. By career, she designs logos for apparel for a small athletic apparel company in Boulder. When we asked her to help us with our stationery, she was very enthusiastic. She did a great job of taking our ideas and turning them into something that was stylish, unique and really created the essence of our wedding. She designed a logo we put on everything, our save the dates, invitations (including RSVP and Reception cards), rehearsal dinner invitations, programs, menu cards, Just Married sign for our getaway car and thank you cards. While she doesn’t create custom invitations for people, she should probably consider it as she’s very talented. Anders Printing : Stationery Printing Grade : B I worked with Jill at Anders to get the majority of our printing done. It felt good to be working with a local company to complete our printing needs. Jill was very friendly and helpful and they did a great job of getting the work turned around in a short time period. They printed everything from our logos on stickers to our save the dates, invitations and rehearsal dinner invitations. After getting quotes for our save the dates, I didn’t search around after that to see if I could find a better deal. So, when we had our invitations printed offset, I don’t know if it was cheaper than another printer. I was very clear with my requests on each job (thanks to the help of the graphic designer). However, when our invitations were ready, she charged me an extra $25 and I had A LOT of extra copies, far more than I had requested. I meant to question why we had been charged more than originally quoted and why we had so many extras but I never got around to it. I probably should have asked for a discount since they asked if they could put our invitations on their website. All in all, this was a good experience. www.andersprinting.com DJ Stay in School - Martin Wilson : Reception DJ Grade : B My husband is a big fan of electronica music. So, when it came time to hire a DJ, my husband took on this role. We contacted Connie Wohn of Stylus 503 (a DJ cooperative), thanks to a referral from Bethany of Nocturnal. Connie sent us a whole package of samples of different DJs. We chose Martin because of his style, obviously. He did a great job but I think there was too much going on at the reception (photobooth, downstairs bar, outdoor courtyard) to really get people dancing. While people did dance, I think they would have done more of it had we not had so much else going on. Martin did que up the wrong music (we provided specific music for specific events during the evening since he doesn’t have the regular wedding DJ collection) for the Mother/Son dance and didn’t que up any music for the cake cutting. However, I don’t think the cake cutting music was his fault as the coordinator didn’t let him know the cake was going to make its grand entrance. www.djstayinschool.com Taste of Honey - Honey Everett : Wedding Cake Grade : A As mentioned before, we wanted an ice cream cake as our wedding cake. Neither of us like cake. Amazingly, getting someone to make a wedding cake out of ice cream is harder than you might imagine. Every person we contacted acted like we were crazy. However, when we found Honey, she definitely knew what she was talking about. There are a lot of logistics involved with an ice cream wedding cake, i.e. delivery, setup, serving it, icing it, etc. Honey had such confidence that I wasn’t the least bit worried. We had three flavors, one of which being mint chocolate chip (the others I don’t remember), with a brownie bottom. Honey delivered and setup the cake after the reception had started. It tasted great and looked fantastic, even though it had started to melt, which I found somewhat charming, being as that it was ice cream cake! Oregon Chamber Players : Ceremony Musicians Grade : B- This was another responsibility of my husband’s. We picked all non-traditional music (Coldplay, The Verve, Enya) and had to find the sheet music for all of the songs we wanted played. Originally, we were going to use the Metropolitan Youth Symphony. However, once they started to review the sheet music for the songs we wanted played, they realized that they didn’t really currently have that kind of depth. Last minute, three weeks before the wedding, we had to find someone new. Considering the amount of time they had, the Oregon Chamber Players did great. They did mess up on one of the songs but it wasn’t really worth getting upset over. I also would have preferred a string quartet (which was our original plan) but that wasn’t really their fault. www.oregonchamberplayers.org Blizzard Motors : Getaway Car Grade : A Almost two years ago my husband and I bought a car from this lot (its in SE Portland). The lot is primarily fine European cars. When we were there to pick up our newly purchased car, the owner of the lot told us he would loan us a car of our choice for our wedding. My fiance chose a convertible Porsche to drive from the ceremony. It was a beautiful little black shiny thing and my husband thoroughly enjoyed driving it. I don’t know if Doug would be willing to rent out any of his cars but if you’re interested it might not hurt to ask. Western Culinary Institute : Martini Ice Luge Grade : A This was one of the best budget friendly finds of our entire wedding. We really wanted to have a martini luge but found that they were rather expensive to have made…that was, until we found out about the Western Culinary Institute’s ice sculpture class. Basically, they told us they could create anything we wanted and all we had to do was provide them with a drawing. My mom, who’s an artist, drew a great design, in keeping with our theme and stationery, and we provided it to WCI. They not only did a great job of recreating it but the cost included transporting it, delivery and setup. We paid more than they asked for, to donate towards their program, but regardless it was well worth it. Definitely one of the main highlights of the reception for our guests. Spa La La : Pre-Wedding Pampering Grade : B+ As part of my gift to the ladies in the wedding, I treated them to manicures and pedicures at Spa La La. While it’s not the best manicure and pedicure in town (my best friend and I often refer to them as the chop shop), the decor and vibe is great and they’ll serve you all the mimosas you want. We had twelve of us (the moms, five maids of honor, two readers, the two flower girls and myself) there and it was like our own little private party. The staff was very friendly and efficient and I think the ladies all enjoyed getting their nails done. www.spalala.net The Face Place – Dorene Klippel : Facial and Brazilian Wax Grade : A I’ve gone to Dorene every month for the last six years for a Brazilian wax. She does a fantastic job at those…well, it’s a Brazilian wax so it’s not like it feels good but in terms of the final look, she does a tremendous job. However, I decided to get a facial from her as well. Wow! Her facial was by far the best facial I’ve ever had…not only did I fall asleep but she did such an incredibly thorough job. It will be hard not to make getting a facial from her a monthly occurrence as well. www.waxqueen.com Salon 77 – Mahria Martinez : Brow Wax Grade : A+ I pretty much have caterpillars for eyebrows…I’m not kidding. So, not only do my eyebrows need to be professionally groomed on a regular basis but they need to be done well. Mahria is a dream…seriously, she’s absolutely amazing. It’s the only kind of waxing she does…you know if a girl can make a living off of just waxing eyebrows, she’s got to be good! And not only that, she’s the sweetest thing you’ve ever met. www.seventyseven.us Diane Jensen : Massage Grade : A+ So, I have to admit that before my husband and I bought our house, Diane was our landlord. However, my husband has some pretty severe back injuries (thanks to a motorcycle) and is always up for a massage. That being said, we get a lot of massages. Diane is fantastic. She works in a chiropractic clinic off of NW 23rd (which the chiropractor there is also fantastic, Suzanne Lady) and does pretty much any type of massage you’d like. If I were to say I have a regular LMT, Diane would be it…and without failure, I fall asleep on her table every time. She’s fantastic and a lot cheaper than a mediocre spa massage. And, she is so incredibly kind and sweet as well…you can’t beat that! She used to have a website but it doesn’t look like she does anymore. Contact me if you want to get in touch with her. Embellish Design : Wedding Dress Grade : A+ I went shopping on several different occasions for a wedding dress. After searching most of Portland for the dress, I decided to visit Terri at Embellish Design. Now, I would not even waste time looking for dresses to order. In the end, my dress cost less than any of my final choices of the dresses I found in the salons. Not only that, the experience was so incredibly fun. Originally, I went into her studio with pictures of my final choices as well as other dresses I liked. We went through each picture and discussed what I liked about each one. We took elements from all of those to create my dress. Terri is so knowledgeable about what she does and extremely talented in the art of designing and sewing gowns. We discussed everything from different fabrics to different styles and the pluses and negatives of each. In the end, I had a dress that was exactly what I wanted, custom fit to my body. I would highly recommend working with Terri. I hope that I’ll have a reason for her to make me another dress (she makes party dresses too) some time. www.embellishdesign.com Patty Lehner : Wedding Jewelry Grade : A+ I saw a variation of my wedding dress in an Oregon Bride magazine months before my wedding. The earrings that the model was wearing were wonderful. When I looked up where they came from, the magazine said Ella Posie (which is now closed but was on NE Broadway). Carmen (who is also a wedding coordinator) of Ella Posie got me in touch with Patty, who had designed the jewelry. Patty was an absolute delight to work with…kind of like working with your spunky grandmother. We talked about what I wanted and she worked efficiently to get pieces done for me. She made a variation of the earrings I wanted with several different types of pearls and different lengths so I had something to choose from. Then, she made a bangle to match. And when I asked for some extra pearls and crystals for my ring bearer pillow and hair jewelry, not only did she have no problem sending me on my way with a little bag of each but she also refused to charge me for them when I tried to pay her. August Veils : Hair Jewelry Grade : A Patty referred me to Andrea to have my hair jewelry made (Patty doesn’t like to make it). I brought the pearls and crystals that Patty had used in my jewelry to have Andrea create some sparkle for my hair. She created exactly what I was looking for and in a very short amount of time. www.augustveils.com Cromwell Formalwear : Tuxedo Rentals Grade : A While my husband bought a suit for the wedding, we needed rentals for everyone else. Cromwell’s had a good selection and a helpful staff. They kept us informed on everyone who had, or hadn’t, been fitted and I didn’t hear of any problems that anyone had with their rentals. www.cromwellformalwear.com Twist : Wedding Rings Grade : A We searched for quite some time to find rings that we really loved. While I love the traditional platinum eternity band, I wanted something a little different to go with my princess cut solitaire. My husband wanted a platinum ring but not completely plain. Twist, although not a store you would typically think of for wedding bands, had just what we were looking for. The staff was very friendly and when they ordered our rings, they said it would take eight weeks to get them in (which was cutting it really close). Two weeks later, we received a call letting us know that our rings were in. I love the uniqueness of our rings! www.twistonline.com Shane Co : Engagement Ring Grade : C+ In one week, my husband sold his motorcycle, decided to ask me to marry him and bought a ring. The ring is exactly what I would have picked out, a plain platinum band with a princess cut solitaire. However, if I had had a say in it, I never would have gotten my ring at Shane Co. I think their staff is kind of tacky, not to mention their showroom, and I’m always frustrated by their service when I take my ring in to be cleaned or polished...and lets not even begin to discuss their ads! www.shaneco.com Hotel Lucia : Wedding Night Hotel Grade : A I love this place! We booked their “Did I Mention I Want You?” package in a King Suite. When we arrived at the hotel with nothing but the wedding clothes we were still wearing, they were quick to check us in. Our bed was covered in rose petals, there was music playing, champagne being chilled and a box of toys, i.e. body crayons, furry handcuffs and a book of positions for every day of the year. We ordered room service at about 1:30am because neither of us really ate at our reception. They were prompt and the food was tasty. I wish we didn’t live in Portland so we had more reasons to stay here…it’s such a chic hotel! www.hotellucia.com Bluestar Charter : Guest Transportation Grade : C Originally, we were expecting a lot of guests from out of state. We booked a charter bus to pick up guests from downtown Portland and transport them to Mt Tabor Park and then to Nocturnal. Unfortunately, my husbands grandfather passed away two months before our wedding and many of what we assumed would be the out of town guests could no longer make it due to their last minute flights to the funeral. Regardless, I still think this was a good thing to have. However, we revised our timeline for the bus and faxed it in. For whatever reason, they didn’t follow this and were 1.5 hours early to pick up guests and consequently ended their evening 1.5 hours earlier than we were originally anticipating. I’m not sure why they were running on the old timeline as I had faxed the revised one to them. While in the grand scheme of things, it wasn’t that big of a deal, I was irritated that we had paid for something and then couldn’t even utilize it for 1.5 hours. www.bluestarbus.com The Party Place : Chair Rentals Grade : A Although Mt Tabor Amphitheatre has some benches, we rented some chairs as well to insure we had enough seating. To be honest, I have no idea if this all worked out. I assume they arrived on time as they were all set up prior to the ceremony. And I assume they were picked up just fine since I haven’t heard from them about not getting their chairs back or something. Unforgettable Honeymoons Renee Duane-Meyer : Travel Agent Grade : A for knowledge, C for personality When it came time to plan our honeymoon, we were running out of energy, especially to plan the fantastic honeymoon we both wanted. While we both found Renee to be fairly pretentious and full of herself, she was very knowledgeable. At first, we wanted to go to Bora Bora and Taha’a. However, Renee couldn’t find us any availability for the room types we wanted. She asked us if we would consider Fiji, which we of course would and did. She booked us for 7 nights at Qamea Resort and Spa in Fiji in a premium villa. The resort was amazing but I grew a bit concerned when four different couples at the resort (which has a maximum capacity for 28 adults total) had been booked there with Renee from Unforgettable Honeymoons. I don’t know what sort of a kickback Renee receives for referring clients there and I guess it doesn’t really matter because the resort really is all she says it is. However, it doesn’t feel very good to feel like she’s only sending people to that one place, especially when we already felt like she had a pretty inflated ego. My best friend and her husband booked through Unforgettable Honeymoons for their honeymoon, not with Renee, and said their experience was great. If I had it to do over again, I would try to book with another travel agent there. www.unforgettablehoneymoons.com Qamea Resort and Spa : Honeymoon Grade : A+ Wow! This place was incredible, even when it was overcast most of the week we were there! We flew for close to 14 hours, PDX to LAX, LAX to Nadi, Fiji and then on a puddle jumper from Nadi to Taveuni. Then we were driven in a Range Rover for 20 minutes on a dirt rode to a beach where we got on a boat and went on a 10-minute boat ride across to the island of Qamea. We were greeted by a smiling and friendly staff, taken to their restaurant/lounge villa where we were served cocktails and fruit plates and given a quick rundown of the resort. Our accommodations were amazing. Our villa included a daybed and a pool on our deck, a large outdoor shower, a large bathroom that included a walk-in closet, two sinks, a towel warmer, large shower and then a large room with a four-poster bed on a platform with amazing linens and sheer curtains hanging, and then a living area with a couch, coffee table, stereo, lounge chairs, etc. I’ve never stayed in such an incredible place. The staff was so incredibly friendly, the food was some of the best food I’ve ever eaten. We snorkeled, went for a hike in the rainforest, swam in waterfalls, went to visit a village, did some nude sunbathing on our own private beach for an afternoon, my husband did some traditional Fijian hand-line fishing, kava ceremonies, a meek ceremony, beach volleyball and we visited the spa every day. The staff would make you snacks in between meals if you were hungry, the coral and the seashells were amazing and the rainforest absolutely incredible. It was the perfect way to end such an incredible experience. www.qamea.com Teness Herman : Intimate Portraits Grade : A+ WOW. This was an absolutely amazing experience. Teness is absolutely amazing. She made me feel so comfortable and relaxed…an absolute necessity to create the kind of pictures I was going for. I felt like I was taking pictures with a dear old friend. She and I spent months discussing the look and feel of the shoot. She recommended I look at a book called Women Before 10am by Veronique Vial. If you like the style of my intimate portraits (aka Boudoir Pictures…sorry, I think it’s a cheesy name), I would definitely recommend you check out this book for inspiration. We shot for three and a half hours and could have easily gone on for another two. She used multiple cameras and twice as many lenses with nothing but natural light, which really helped in creating a sensual feel. Her enthusiasm, creativity and eye for the perfect shot are truly unparalleled. If you don’t have room in your budget to do this as a wedding gift, I would highly recommend it as a first (paper) anniversary gift. www.teness.com
Rehearsal Dinner Menu Hors deouvres Marbella marinated chicken skewered with green olive Grilled three cheese paninis with sassy sauce Dinner Sliced spice rubbed pork tenderloin with onion relish Herb roasted filets of salmon with dill cream Mixed greens salad with blackberry, onion, gorgonzola and thyme vinaigrette Grilled, roasted and blanched vegetables Fresh sliced fruit Rustic baguette with butter Dessert Spoon cheesecake with fresh berries Beverage A to Z pinot grigio A to Z claret Rolling Rock, Mirror Pond Pale Ale, Fat Tire Amber and Kaliber Reception Menu Hors doeuvres Mini pitas stuffed with hummus and greek salad Dungeness crab cakes with smoky tomato cream for dipping Gazpacho shots Caprese skewers: cherry tomatoes, basil and fresh mozzarella Ginger steamed shrimp dumplings Mini cheeseburgers with roasted mushrooms Open faced BLT panini Portabella mushroom with rosemary sauce and pickled red onion Beverage Rolling Rock, Mirror Pond Pale Ale, Fat Tire Amber Ale and Kaliber A to Z pinot grigio A to Z claret Limonata, aranciata and bottled water Mojitos Fresh peach cosmopolitans served through an ice martini luge www.devilsfoodcatering.com Eric Cable : Wedding Photographer Grade : A+ Holy cow! What can I say about Eric that I haven’t already said other than the fact that he COMPLETELY lived up to our expectations and then some. We booked Eric in 2004, almost two years before our wedding. Photography was one of the most important aspects of the wedding to us and we wanted to get what I perceive as the best. I still believe he’s the best in town. For what we paid for we got an engagement session, unlimited coverage on the day of the wedding (he started at 11:30am and went until 12:30am), two photographers (Eric and his assistant, who took some great shots as well), all of our digital files in both black and white and color on discs, a proof book and all of our files hosted on his site as well. Eric is a photojournalistic photographer. In fact, long before he started shooting weddings he did work for the AP. He has an incredible eye and there’s a richness to his photos that I don’t see in a lot of other photos. Both he and his assistant were so laid back and were hardly noticed, which can be seen in the pictures, as no one seemed to be uncomfortable with someone capturing their every movement (practically) for a day. I would hire Eric over and over if I needed to. In fact, I’ve already talked to him to see if he would take pictures of us in a year or two once we want to update pictures of ourselves. Without a doubt, he’s an amazing photographer! www.profilephoto.com Nocturnal : Reception Venue Grade : A My husband and I had been together for five years when we got engaged and seven years by the time we married. So, even though we were getting married, we had already committed to each other by purchasing a house together, owning our cars together, being listed on each others bank accounts and having spent holidays with each others’ families for the past 7 years. So, when it came to our wedding, we wanted to throw a celebration. Since we’re pretty non-traditional people to begin with, we didn’t feel the need to follow tradition in many aspects of our wedding. We decided we wanted to throw a late-night party for our reception with a lounge feel. Amazingly, there aren’t a whole lot of venues that can accommodate this appropriately in Portland. Somehow we found Nocturnal. Bethany Pratt, the owner, is probably in her late 20s or early 30s. She’s a creative type and has done an amazing job of remodeling/decorating the venue…or hiring someone to do it. You can rent sections of the venue or the whole thing, which we did. There’s a ballroom, a basement with the coolest bar I’ve ever seen (courtesy of the fact that Bethany’s parents own Pratt & Larson tile) and stained cement floors, an outdoor courtyard and then a kitchen off the back courtyard. In terms of an urban/modern space, there’s nothing like it in Portland. Bethany is lacking in enthusiasm and interpersonal skills to do the job that she does (she needs to hire me to sell her space for her!), however, she was always accommodating and willing to work with us. When we first booked the venue, she had a bubbly, fun girl working with her that I’m sure handled much of the client-end of things. My feeling is that Bethany is a more introverted, quiet type that struggles with really selling her space. I would definitely rent the space again, especially for the price. Even though its wonderfully decorated and you really wouldn’t have to do anything to it if you didn’t want to, it also allows for some fantastic decorating if that’s what you’re after. www.nocturnalpdx.com Mt Tabor Amphitheatre : Ceremony Venue Grade : C Well, its dealing with the City of Portland so it can’t be anything too spectacular. In reality, the process was fairly painless, other than the fact that they tried to charge us $100 to use the electrical outlets, telling me that it was for the key to the breaker box so we could use power, only to find out there was power without it. My husband and I are both very outdoorsy, your stereotypical Oregonians in that respect. It only seemed appropriate to have an outdoor ceremony in a beautiful location. The amphitheatre is especially cool since it’s an extinct volcano, I think the only extinct volcano within a city’s limits in the country. When you rent the space, you have it for the entire day, which was good in terms of decorating. The only downside (to some people, anyway) is that it’s a public park, so outsiders can watch, which they did. In fact, it was cool because the amphitheatre is adjacent to the basketball courts in the park. When the ceremony was about to begin, all of the basketball players took a seat on the court and were impromptu guests to our ceremony. There were also quite a few people that stood above the amphitheatre to watch. While this might bother some people, my husband and I didn’t mind in the least. In reality, I might do the same if I were in a public park and saw a wedding happening. www.portlandonline.com Matthew Hoff : Officiant Grade : A This is a friend of ours, actually Sept2005’s husband. We asked him to marry us as he is such a good friend but also because he’s a charismatic, funny public speaker. He did not let us down. We gave him a lot of creative license and while I think that made him nervous, he did with it exactly what we wanted. One minute we would be laughing hysterically and the next crying. He had the perfect combination of funny and serious…we couldn’t have picked a more perfect person for the role! Jitterblooms : Florist Grade : A I almost don’t need to write a vendor review on Jessica since so many people on The Knot have used her. She’s fantastic. I felt like she really understood what I was going for when we began talking…and she totally did. Not only that, she was very flexible when I needed to add some last minute boutonnieres and purchase five flats of wheat grass for our centerpieces. My bouquet was the first all green bouquet she had done and it turned out so well. She’s such a talented lady! www.jitterblooms.com Four Up Inc : Photobooth Photography Grade : A Oh my gosh, this was SUCH a hit! And it seemed like the more people drank, the better and better the pictures got. The guests loved watching other people take theirs as well as doing their own. Manny, that’s the owner of Four Up Inc, was even cracking up with some of the poses. Our package allowed for a printout of each set of pictures to the guest and then we get a copy of all of the digital files on a disc. Since we didn’t do favors, I kind of considered this a favor in a sense. It was so incredibly entertaining and I would highly recommend Manny if you can fit it into your budget. www.fourupinc.com Nicole Wagner : Makeup Artist Grade : A Nicole did makeup non-stop for six hours straight. She did makeup for both of the moms, all five maids of honor, rosy cheeks and lip gloss for the two flower girls and my makeup. Everyone raved about their makeup, some even asked for the colors and how she did it so they could recreate it another time. She’s so talented at making you look like yourself only better. She was so patient with my mom who couldn’t stop crying when Nicole was trying to get her makeup done, and originally only four of the maids of honor wanted to have their makeup done. However, upon seeing everyone else get done up, the fifth maid wanted her makeup done as well. Nicole was so flexible in making that happen, even though she had allotted a very specific amount of time for each. MAC Cosmetics are my regular day-to-day makeup. When I found a new product that I really liked, I emailed Nicole to see if she could use it instead of the foundation she had picked out for me (I don’t use foundation so I was a bit apprehensive). Nicole was totally open to it and even went and bought it at the MAC store so I didn’t have to buy foundation that I would never wear again. I would definitely hire her again. www.perfectbride.blogspot.com Patti Green Salon 77 : Hair Stylist Grade : A Patti is great, what can I say? She’s my regular hairstylist who I’ve been seeing for probably about four years. She doesn’t do wedding styles unless you’re one of her regular clients. However, the girl gives an amazing haircut so if you’re looking for a new stylist, Patti’s your girl. She moved here from NYC where she worked for Toni & Guy. Patti did a great job of doing my hair, which was no small task since my hair is stick straight and I wanted waves. She also did my husband’s hair, she’s his regular stylist as well. And while there’s not much to be done with 1.5 inches of hair, somehow it always looks so great when she does his. www.seventyseven.us Toast Productions : Event Design/Setup Grade : A I met these ladies through a friend of mine. I’ve never met a more resourceful group of ladies. When I said we wanted an ice cream wedding cake, they searched the city high and low looking for someone willing to do it. When I said we wanted a custom-made martini ice luge for not a lot of money, they found it. Rachael, of Toast Productions, is a graphic designer, so she has a great sense of design. While I had a coordinator already hired by the time I met Rachael and Sarah (they’re sisters), I knew I could utilize their skills to turn our reception into what we wanted. We met several times to discuss setup, layout and logistics. On the day of the wedding, they picked up everything for the reception, which was a lot, and spent hours setting it up. They also handled all of the vendors coming into Nocturnal to insure everything was setup just so. These ladies are native Portlanders and extremely well networked. While this is a new business venture for them, you never would have known by their ability to recreate what our vision had been. They also did all of our cleanup for us and promptly delivered it back to my mom’s house the day after the wedding. www.toast-productions.com Look Weddings : Wedding Coordinator Grade : A- Cassia has been doing wedding coordination for about two years. She started because she enjoyed planning her own wedding so much. I work with her at my job and inquired about her services when I heard she was doing coordination. Her design of our custom built website alone was amazing. She used the graphics that my husband’s sister had created for our stationery and created a fairly extensive website. She also contacted all of our vendors the week of the wedding to verify their services for the day of. She setup our entire ceremony (which was hundreds of paper bag luminaries, tables, chairs, etc) and coordinated from there on. Cassia is a fairly reserved person and I think at times is intimidated to exert her assertiveness. However, I think this will only get better as she continues to work. Because she works a full time job, I think she’s become a bit worn down by doing both a full time coordination business along with her job. At this time, I don’t think she’s taking on any new weddings until 2007. www.lookweddings.com Kristin Bradetich : Graphic Design for Stationery Grade : A+ Well, Kristin is my husband’s older sister. By career, she designs logos for apparel for a small athletic apparel company in Boulder. When we asked her to help us with our stationery, she was very enthusiastic. She did a great job of taking our ideas and turning them into something that was stylish, unique and really created the essence of our wedding. She designed a logo we put on everything, our save the dates, invitations (including RSVP and Reception cards), rehearsal dinner invitations, programs, menu cards, Just Married sign for our getaway car and thank you cards. While she doesn’t create custom invitations for people, she should probably consider it as she’s very talented. Anders Printing : Stationery Printing Grade : B I worked with Jill at Anders to get the majority of our printing done. It felt good to be working with a local company to complete our printing needs. Jill was very friendly and helpful and they did a great job of getting the work turned around in a short time period. They printed everything from our logos on stickers to our save the dates, invitations and rehearsal dinner invitations. After getting quotes for our save the dates, I didn’t search around after that to see if I could find a better deal. So, when we had our invitations printed offset, I don’t know if it was cheaper than another printer. I was very clear with my requests on each job (thanks to the help of the graphic designer). However, when our invitations were ready, she charged me an extra $25 and I had A LOT of extra copies, far more than I had requested. I meant to question why we had been charged more than originally quoted and why we had so many extras but I never got around to it. I probably should have asked for a discount since they asked if they could put our invitations on their website. All in all, this was a good experience. www.andersprinting.com DJ Stay in School - Martin Wilson : Reception DJ Grade : B My husband is a big fan of electronica music. So, when it came time to hire a DJ, my husband took on this role. We contacted Connie Wohn of Stylus 503 (a DJ cooperative), thanks to a referral from Bethany of Nocturnal. Connie sent us a whole package of samples of different DJs. We chose Martin because of his style, obviously. He did a great job but I think there was too much going on at the reception (photobooth, downstairs bar, outdoor courtyard) to really get people dancing. While people did dance, I think they would have done more of it had we not had so much else going on. Martin did que up the wrong music (we provided specific music for specific events during the evening since he doesn’t have the regular wedding DJ collection) for the Mother/Son dance and didn’t que up any music for the cake cutting. However, I don’t think the cake cutting music was his fault as the coordinator didn’t let him know the cake was going to make its grand entrance. www.djstayinschool.com Taste of Honey - Honey Everett : Wedding Cake Grade : A As mentioned before, we wanted an ice cream cake as our wedding cake. Neither of us like cake. Amazingly, getting someone to make a wedding cake out of ice cream is harder than you might imagine. Every person we contacted acted like we were crazy. However, when we found Honey, she definitely knew what she was talking about. There are a lot of logistics involved with an ice cream wedding cake, i.e. delivery, setup, serving it, icing it, etc. Honey had such confidence that I wasn’t the least bit worried. We had three flavors, one of which being mint chocolate chip (the others I don’t remember), with a brownie bottom. Honey delivered and setup the cake after the reception had started. It tasted great and looked fantastic, even though it had started to melt, which I found somewhat charming, being as that it was ice cream cake! Oregon Chamber Players : Ceremony Musicians Grade : B- This was another responsibility of my husband’s. We picked all non-traditional music (Coldplay, The Verve, Enya) and had to find the sheet music for all of the songs we wanted played. Originally, we were going to use the Metropolitan Youth Symphony. However, once they started to review the sheet music for the songs we wanted played, they realized that they didn’t really currently have that kind of depth. Last minute, three weeks before the wedding, we had to find someone new. Considering the amount of time they had, the Oregon Chamber Players did great. They did mess up on one of the songs but it wasn’t really worth getting upset over. I also would have preferred a string quartet (which was our original plan) but that wasn’t really their fault. www.oregonchamberplayers.org Blizzard Motors : Getaway Car Grade : A Almost two years ago my husband and I bought a car from this lot (its in SE Portland). The lot is primarily fine European cars. When we were there to pick up our newly purchased car, the owner of the lot told us he would loan us a car of our choice for our wedding. My fiance chose a convertible Porsche to drive from the ceremony. It was a beautiful little black shiny thing and my husband thoroughly enjoyed driving it. I don’t know if Doug would be willing to rent out any of his cars but if you’re interested it might not hurt to ask. Western Culinary Institute : Martini Ice Luge Grade : A This was one of the best budget friendly finds of our entire wedding. We really wanted to have a martini luge but found that they were rather expensive to have made…that was, until we found out about the Western Culinary Institute’s ice sculpture class. Basically, they told us they could create anything we wanted and all we had to do was provide them with a drawing. My mom, who’s an artist, drew a great design, in keeping with our theme and stationery, and we provided it to WCI. They not only did a great job of recreating it but the cost included transporting it, delivery and setup. We paid more than they asked for, to donate towards their program, but regardless it was well worth it. Definitely one of the main highlights of the reception for our guests. Spa La La : Pre-Wedding Pampering Grade : B+ As part of my gift to the ladies in the wedding, I treated them to manicures and pedicures at Spa La La. While it’s not the best manicure and pedicure in town (my best friend and I often refer to them as the chop shop), the decor and vibe is great and they’ll serve you all the mimosas you want. We had twelve of us (the moms, five maids of honor, two readers, the two flower girls and myself) there and it was like our own little private party. The staff was very friendly and efficient and I think the ladies all enjoyed getting their nails done. www.spalala.net The Face Place – Dorene Klippel : Facial and Brazilian Wax Grade : A I’ve gone to Dorene every month for the last six years for a Brazilian wax. She does a fantastic job at those…well, it’s a Brazilian wax so it’s not like it feels good but in terms of the final look, she does a tremendous job. However, I decided to get a facial from her as well. Wow! Her facial was by far the best facial I’ve ever had…not only did I fall asleep but she did such an incredibly thorough job. It will be hard not to make getting a facial from her a monthly occurrence as well. www.waxqueen.com Salon 77 – Mahria Martinez : Brow Wax Grade : A+ I pretty much have caterpillars for eyebrows…I’m not kidding. So, not only do my eyebrows need to be professionally groomed on a regular basis but they need to be done well. Mahria is a dream…seriously, she’s absolutely amazing. It’s the only kind of waxing she does…you know if a girl can make a living off of just waxing eyebrows, she’s got to be good! And not only that, she’s the sweetest thing you’ve ever met. www.seventyseven.us Diane Jensen : Massage Grade : A+ So, I have to admit that before my husband and I bought our house, Diane was our landlord. However, my husband has some pretty severe back injuries (thanks to a motorcycle) and is always up for a massage. That being said, we get a lot of massages. Diane is fantastic. She works in a chiropractic clinic off of NW 23rd (which the chiropractor there is also fantastic, Suzanne Lady) and does pretty much any type of massage you’d like. If I were to say I have a regular LMT, Diane would be it…and without failure, I fall asleep on her table every time. She’s fantastic and a lot cheaper than a mediocre spa massage. And, she is so incredibly kind and sweet as well…you can’t beat that! She used to have a website but it doesn’t look like she does anymore. Contact me if you want to get in touch with her. Embellish Design : Wedding Dress Grade : A+ I went shopping on several different occasions for a wedding dress. After searching most of Portland for the dress, I decided to visit Terri at Embellish Design. Now, I would not even waste time looking for dresses to order. In the end, my dress cost less than any of my final choices of the dresses I found in the salons. Not only that, the experience was so incredibly fun. Originally, I went into her studio with pictures of my final choices as well as other dresses I liked. We went through each picture and discussed what I liked about each one. We took elements from all of those to create my dress. Terri is so knowledgeable about what she does and extremely talented in the art of designing and sewing gowns. We discussed everything from different fabrics to different styles and the pluses and negatives of each. In the end, I had a dress that was exactly what I wanted, custom fit to my body. I would highly recommend working with Terri. I hope that I’ll have a reason for her to make me another dress (she makes party dresses too) some time. www.embellishdesign.com Patty Lehner : Wedding Jewelry Grade : A+ I saw a variation of my wedding dress in an Oregon Bride magazine months before my wedding. The earrings that the model was wearing were wonderful. When I looked up where they came from, the magazine said Ella Posie (which is now closed but was on NE Broadway). Carmen (who is also a wedding coordinator) of Ella Posie got me in touch with Patty, who had designed the jewelry. Patty was an absolute delight to work with…kind of like working with your spunky grandmother. We talked about what I wanted and she worked efficiently to get pieces done for me. She made a variation of the earrings I wanted with several different types of pearls and different lengths so I had something to choose from. Then, she made a bangle to match. And when I asked for some extra pearls and crystals for my ring bearer pillow and hair jewelry, not only did she have no problem sending me on my way with a little bag of each but she also refused to charge me for them when I tried to pay her. August Veils : Hair Jewelry Grade : A Patty referred me to Andrea to have my hair jewelry made (Patty doesn’t like to make it). I brought the pearls and crystals that Patty had used in my jewelry to have Andrea create some sparkle for my hair. She created exactly what I was looking for and in a very short amount of time. www.augustveils.com Cromwell Formalwear : Tuxedo Rentals Grade : A While my husband bought a suit for the wedding, we needed rentals for everyone else. Cromwell’s had a good selection and a helpful staff. They kept us informed on everyone who had, or hadn’t, been fitted and I didn’t hear of any problems that anyone had with their rentals. www.cromwellformalwear.com Twist : Wedding Rings Grade : A We searched for quite some time to find rings that we really loved. While I love the traditional platinum eternity band, I wanted something a little different to go with my princess cut solitaire. My husband wanted a platinum ring but not completely plain. Twist, although not a store you would typically think of for wedding bands, had just what we were looking for. The staff was very friendly and when they ordered our rings, they said it would take eight weeks to get them in (which was cutting it really close). Two weeks later, we received a call letting us know that our rings were in. I love the uniqueness of our rings! www.twistonline.com Shane Co : Engagement Ring Grade : C+ In one week, my husband sold his motorcycle, decided to ask me to marry him and bought a ring. The ring is exactly what I would have picked out, a plain platinum band with a princess cut solitaire. However, if I had had a say in it, I never would have gotten my ring at Shane Co. I think their staff is kind of tacky, not to mention their showroom, and I’m always frustrated by their service when I take my ring in to be cleaned or polished...and lets not even begin to discuss their ads! www.shaneco.com Hotel Lucia : Wedding Night Hotel Grade : A I love this place! We booked their “Did I Mention I Want You?” package in a King Suite. When we arrived at the hotel with nothing but the wedding clothes we were still wearing, they were quick to check us in. Our bed was covered in rose petals, there was music playing, champagne being chilled and a box of toys, i.e. body crayons, furry handcuffs and a book of positions for every day of the year. We ordered room service at about 1:30am because neither of us really ate at our reception. They were prompt and the food was tasty. I wish we didn’t live in Portland so we had more reasons to stay here…it’s such a chic hotel! www.hotellucia.com Bluestar Charter : Guest Transportation Grade : C Originally, we were expecting a lot of guests from out of state. We booked a charter bus to pick up guests from downtown Portland and transport them to Mt Tabor Park and then to Nocturnal. Unfortunately, my husbands grandfather passed away two months before our wedding and many of what we assumed would be the out of town guests could no longer make it due to their last minute flights to the funeral. Regardless, I still think this was a good thing to have. However, we revised our timeline for the bus and faxed it in. For whatever reason, they didn’t follow this and were 1.5 hours early to pick up guests and consequently ended their evening 1.5 hours earlier than we were originally anticipating. I’m not sure why they were running on the old timeline as I had faxed the revised one to them. While in the grand scheme of things, it wasn’t that big of a deal, I was irritated that we had paid for something and then couldn’t even utilize it for 1.5 hours. www.bluestarbus.com The Party Place : Chair Rentals Grade : A Although Mt Tabor Amphitheatre has some benches, we rented some chairs as well to insure we had enough seating. To be honest, I have no idea if this all worked out. I assume they arrived on time as they were all set up prior to the ceremony. And I assume they were picked up just fine since I haven’t heard from them about not getting their chairs back or something. Unforgettable Honeymoons Renee Duane-Meyer : Travel Agent Grade : A for knowledge, C for personality When it came time to plan our honeymoon, we were running out of energy, especially to plan the fantastic honeymoon we both wanted. While we both found Renee to be fairly pretentious and full of herself, she was very knowledgeable. At first, we wanted to go to Bora Bora and Taha’a. However, Renee couldn’t find us any availability for the room types we wanted. She asked us if we would consider Fiji, which we of course would and did. She booked us for 7 nights at Qamea Resort and Spa in Fiji in a premium villa. The resort was amazing but I grew a bit concerned when four different couples at the resort (which has a maximum capacity for 28 adults total) had been booked there with Renee from Unforgettable Honeymoons. I don’t know what sort of a kickback Renee receives for referring clients there and I guess it doesn’t really matter because the resort really is all she says it is. However, it doesn’t feel very good to feel like she’s only sending people to that one place, especially when we already felt like she had a pretty inflated ego. My best friend and her husband booked through Unforgettable Honeymoons for their honeymoon, not with Renee, and said their experience was great. If I had it to do over again, I would try to book with another travel agent there. www.unforgettablehoneymoons.com Qamea Resort and Spa : Honeymoon Grade : A+ Wow! This place was incredible, even when it was overcast most of the week we were there! We flew for close to 14 hours, PDX to LAX, LAX to Nadi, Fiji and then on a puddle jumper from Nadi to Taveuni. Then we were driven in a Range Rover for 20 minutes on a dirt rode to a beach where we got on a boat and went on a 10-minute boat ride across to the island of Qamea. We were greeted by a smiling and friendly staff, taken to their restaurant/lounge villa where we were served cocktails and fruit plates and given a quick rundown of the resort. Our accommodations were amazing. Our villa included a daybed and a pool on our deck, a large outdoor shower, a large bathroom that included a walk-in closet, two sinks, a towel warmer, large shower and then a large room with a four-poster bed on a platform with amazing linens and sheer curtains hanging, and then a living area with a couch, coffee table, stereo, lounge chairs, etc. I’ve never stayed in such an incredible place. The staff was so incredibly friendly, the food was some of the best food I’ve ever eaten. We snorkeled, went for a hike in the rainforest, swam in waterfalls, went to visit a village, did some nude sunbathing on our own private beach for an afternoon, my husband did some traditional Fijian hand-line fishing, kava ceremonies, a meek ceremony, beach volleyball and we visited the spa every day. The staff would make you snacks in between meals if you were hungry, the coral and the seashells were amazing and the rainforest absolutely incredible. It was the perfect way to end such an incredible experience. www.qamea.com Teness Herman : Intimate Portraits Grade : A+ WOW. This was an absolutely amazing experience. Teness is absolutely amazing. She made me feel so comfortable and relaxed…an absolute necessity to create the kind of pictures I was going for. I felt like I was taking pictures with a dear old friend. She and I spent months discussing the look and feel of the shoot. She recommended I look at a book called Women Before 10am by Veronique Vial. If you like the style of my intimate portraits (aka Boudoir Pictures…sorry, I think it’s a cheesy name), I would definitely recommend you check out this book for inspiration. We shot for three and a half hours and could have easily gone on for another two. She used multiple cameras and twice as many lenses with nothing but natural light, which really helped in creating a sensual feel. Her enthusiasm, creativity and eye for the perfect shot are truly unparalleled. If you don’t have room in your budget to do this as a wedding gift, I would highly recommend it as a first (paper) anniversary gift. www.teness.com
Hors deouvres Marbella marinated chicken skewered with green olive Grilled three cheese paninis with sassy sauce Dinner Sliced spice rubbed pork tenderloin with onion relish Herb roasted filets of salmon with dill cream Mixed greens salad with blackberry, onion, gorgonzola and thyme vinaigrette Grilled, roasted and blanched vegetables Fresh sliced fruit Rustic baguette with butter Dessert Spoon cheesecake with fresh berries Beverage A to Z pinot grigio A to Z claret Rolling Rock, Mirror Pond Pale Ale, Fat Tire Amber and Kaliber Reception Menu Hors doeuvres Mini pitas stuffed with hummus and greek salad Dungeness crab cakes with smoky tomato cream for dipping Gazpacho shots Caprese skewers: cherry tomatoes, basil and fresh mozzarella Ginger steamed shrimp dumplings Mini cheeseburgers with roasted mushrooms Open faced BLT panini Portabella mushroom with rosemary sauce and pickled red onion Beverage Rolling Rock, Mirror Pond Pale Ale, Fat Tire Amber Ale and Kaliber A to Z pinot grigio A to Z claret Limonata, aranciata and bottled water Mojitos Fresh peach cosmopolitans served through an ice martini luge www.devilsfoodcatering.com Eric Cable : Wedding Photographer Grade : A+ Holy cow! What can I say about Eric that I haven’t already said other than the fact that he COMPLETELY lived up to our expectations and then some. We booked Eric in 2004, almost two years before our wedding. Photography was one of the most important aspects of the wedding to us and we wanted to get what I perceive as the best. I still believe he’s the best in town. For what we paid for we got an engagement session, unlimited coverage on the day of the wedding (he started at 11:30am and went until 12:30am), two photographers (Eric and his assistant, who took some great shots as well), all of our digital files in both black and white and color on discs, a proof book and all of our files hosted on his site as well. Eric is a photojournalistic photographer. In fact, long before he started shooting weddings he did work for the AP. He has an incredible eye and there’s a richness to his photos that I don’t see in a lot of other photos. Both he and his assistant were so laid back and were hardly noticed, which can be seen in the pictures, as no one seemed to be uncomfortable with someone capturing their every movement (practically) for a day. I would hire Eric over and over if I needed to. In fact, I’ve already talked to him to see if he would take pictures of us in a year or two once we want to update pictures of ourselves. Without a doubt, he’s an amazing photographer! www.profilephoto.com Nocturnal : Reception Venue Grade : A My husband and I had been together for five years when we got engaged and seven years by the time we married. So, even though we were getting married, we had already committed to each other by purchasing a house together, owning our cars together, being listed on each others bank accounts and having spent holidays with each others’ families for the past 7 years. So, when it came to our wedding, we wanted to throw a celebration. Since we’re pretty non-traditional people to begin with, we didn’t feel the need to follow tradition in many aspects of our wedding. We decided we wanted to throw a late-night party for our reception with a lounge feel. Amazingly, there aren’t a whole lot of venues that can accommodate this appropriately in Portland. Somehow we found Nocturnal. Bethany Pratt, the owner, is probably in her late 20s or early 30s. She’s a creative type and has done an amazing job of remodeling/decorating the venue…or hiring someone to do it. You can rent sections of the venue or the whole thing, which we did. There’s a ballroom, a basement with the coolest bar I’ve ever seen (courtesy of the fact that Bethany’s parents own Pratt & Larson tile) and stained cement floors, an outdoor courtyard and then a kitchen off the back courtyard. In terms of an urban/modern space, there’s nothing like it in Portland. Bethany is lacking in enthusiasm and interpersonal skills to do the job that she does (she needs to hire me to sell her space for her!), however, she was always accommodating and willing to work with us. When we first booked the venue, she had a bubbly, fun girl working with her that I’m sure handled much of the client-end of things. My feeling is that Bethany is a more introverted, quiet type that struggles with really selling her space. I would definitely rent the space again, especially for the price. Even though its wonderfully decorated and you really wouldn’t have to do anything to it if you didn’t want to, it also allows for some fantastic decorating if that’s what you’re after. www.nocturnalpdx.com Mt Tabor Amphitheatre : Ceremony Venue Grade : C Well, its dealing with the City of Portland so it can’t be anything too spectacular. In reality, the process was fairly painless, other than the fact that they tried to charge us $100 to use the electrical outlets, telling me that it was for the key to the breaker box so we could use power, only to find out there was power without it. My husband and I are both very outdoorsy, your stereotypical Oregonians in that respect. It only seemed appropriate to have an outdoor ceremony in a beautiful location. The amphitheatre is especially cool since it’s an extinct volcano, I think the only extinct volcano within a city’s limits in the country. When you rent the space, you have it for the entire day, which was good in terms of decorating. The only downside (to some people, anyway) is that it’s a public park, so outsiders can watch, which they did. In fact, it was cool because the amphitheatre is adjacent to the basketball courts in the park. When the ceremony was about to begin, all of the basketball players took a seat on the court and were impromptu guests to our ceremony. There were also quite a few people that stood above the amphitheatre to watch. While this might bother some people, my husband and I didn’t mind in the least. In reality, I might do the same if I were in a public park and saw a wedding happening. www.portlandonline.com Matthew Hoff : Officiant Grade : A This is a friend of ours, actually Sept2005’s husband. We asked him to marry us as he is such a good friend but also because he’s a charismatic, funny public speaker. He did not let us down. We gave him a lot of creative license and while I think that made him nervous, he did with it exactly what we wanted. One minute we would be laughing hysterically and the next crying. He had the perfect combination of funny and serious…we couldn’t have picked a more perfect person for the role! Jitterblooms : Florist Grade : A I almost don’t need to write a vendor review on Jessica since so many people on The Knot have used her. She’s fantastic. I felt like she really understood what I was going for when we began talking…and she totally did. Not only that, she was very flexible when I needed to add some last minute boutonnieres and purchase five flats of wheat grass for our centerpieces. My bouquet was the first all green bouquet she had done and it turned out so well. She’s such a talented lady! www.jitterblooms.com Four Up Inc : Photobooth Photography Grade : A Oh my gosh, this was SUCH a hit! And it seemed like the more people drank, the better and better the pictures got. The guests loved watching other people take theirs as well as doing their own. Manny, that’s the owner of Four Up Inc, was even cracking up with some of the poses. Our package allowed for a printout of each set of pictures to the guest and then we get a copy of all of the digital files on a disc. Since we didn’t do favors, I kind of considered this a favor in a sense. It was so incredibly entertaining and I would highly recommend Manny if you can fit it into your budget. www.fourupinc.com Nicole Wagner : Makeup Artist Grade : A Nicole did makeup non-stop for six hours straight. She did makeup for both of the moms, all five maids of honor, rosy cheeks and lip gloss for the two flower girls and my makeup. Everyone raved about their makeup, some even asked for the colors and how she did it so they could recreate it another time. She’s so talented at making you look like yourself only better. She was so patient with my mom who couldn’t stop crying when Nicole was trying to get her makeup done, and originally only four of the maids of honor wanted to have their makeup done. However, upon seeing everyone else get done up, the fifth maid wanted her makeup done as well. Nicole was so flexible in making that happen, even though she had allotted a very specific amount of time for each. MAC Cosmetics are my regular day-to-day makeup. When I found a new product that I really liked, I emailed Nicole to see if she could use it instead of the foundation she had picked out for me (I don’t use foundation so I was a bit apprehensive). Nicole was totally open to it and even went and bought it at the MAC store so I didn’t have to buy foundation that I would never wear again. I would definitely hire her again. www.perfectbride.blogspot.com Patti Green Salon 77 : Hair Stylist Grade : A Patti is great, what can I say? She’s my regular hairstylist who I’ve been seeing for probably about four years. She doesn’t do wedding styles unless you’re one of her regular clients. However, the girl gives an amazing haircut so if you’re looking for a new stylist, Patti’s your girl. She moved here from NYC where she worked for Toni & Guy. Patti did a great job of doing my hair, which was no small task since my hair is stick straight and I wanted waves. She also did my husband’s hair, she’s his regular stylist as well. And while there’s not much to be done with 1.5 inches of hair, somehow it always looks so great when she does his. www.seventyseven.us Toast Productions : Event Design/Setup Grade : A I met these ladies through a friend of mine. I’ve never met a more resourceful group of ladies. When I said we wanted an ice cream wedding cake, they searched the city high and low looking for someone willing to do it. When I said we wanted a custom-made martini ice luge for not a lot of money, they found it. Rachael, of Toast Productions, is a graphic designer, so she has a great sense of design. While I had a coordinator already hired by the time I met Rachael and Sarah (they’re sisters), I knew I could utilize their skills to turn our reception into what we wanted. We met several times to discuss setup, layout and logistics. On the day of the wedding, they picked up everything for the reception, which was a lot, and spent hours setting it up. They also handled all of the vendors coming into Nocturnal to insure everything was setup just so. These ladies are native Portlanders and extremely well networked. While this is a new business venture for them, you never would have known by their ability to recreate what our vision had been. They also did all of our cleanup for us and promptly delivered it back to my mom’s house the day after the wedding. www.toast-productions.com Look Weddings : Wedding Coordinator Grade : A- Cassia has been doing wedding coordination for about two years. She started because she enjoyed planning her own wedding so much. I work with her at my job and inquired about her services when I heard she was doing coordination. Her design of our custom built website alone was amazing. She used the graphics that my husband’s sister had created for our stationery and created a fairly extensive website. She also contacted all of our vendors the week of the wedding to verify their services for the day of. She setup our entire ceremony (which was hundreds of paper bag luminaries, tables, chairs, etc) and coordinated from there on. Cassia is a fairly reserved person and I think at times is intimidated to exert her assertiveness. However, I think this will only get better as she continues to work. Because she works a full time job, I think she’s become a bit worn down by doing both a full time coordination business along with her job. At this time, I don’t think she’s taking on any new weddings until 2007. www.lookweddings.com Kristin Bradetich : Graphic Design for Stationery Grade : A+ Well, Kristin is my husband’s older sister. By career, she designs logos for apparel for a small athletic apparel company in Boulder. When we asked her to help us with our stationery, she was very enthusiastic. She did a great job of taking our ideas and turning them into something that was stylish, unique and really created the essence of our wedding. She designed a logo we put on everything, our save the dates, invitations (including RSVP and Reception cards), rehearsal dinner invitations, programs, menu cards, Just Married sign for our getaway car and thank you cards. While she doesn’t create custom invitations for people, she should probably consider it as she’s very talented. Anders Printing : Stationery Printing Grade : B I worked with Jill at Anders to get the majority of our printing done. It felt good to be working with a local company to complete our printing needs. Jill was very friendly and helpful and they did a great job of getting the work turned around in a short time period. They printed everything from our logos on stickers to our save the dates, invitations and rehearsal dinner invitations. After getting quotes for our save the dates, I didn’t search around after that to see if I could find a better deal. So, when we had our invitations printed offset, I don’t know if it was cheaper than another printer. I was very clear with my requests on each job (thanks to the help of the graphic designer). However, when our invitations were ready, she charged me an extra $25 and I had A LOT of extra copies, far more than I had requested. I meant to question why we had been charged more than originally quoted and why we had so many extras but I never got around to it. I probably should have asked for a discount since they asked if they could put our invitations on their website. All in all, this was a good experience. www.andersprinting.com DJ Stay in School - Martin Wilson : Reception DJ Grade : B My husband is a big fan of electronica music. So, when it came time to hire a DJ, my husband took on this role. We contacted Connie Wohn of Stylus 503 (a DJ cooperative), thanks to a referral from Bethany of Nocturnal. Connie sent us a whole package of samples of different DJs. We chose Martin because of his style, obviously. He did a great job but I think there was too much going on at the reception (photobooth, downstairs bar, outdoor courtyard) to really get people dancing. While people did dance, I think they would have done more of it had we not had so much else going on. Martin did que up the wrong music (we provided specific music for specific events during the evening since he doesn’t have the regular wedding DJ collection) for the Mother/Son dance and didn’t que up any music for the cake cutting. However, I don’t think the cake cutting music was his fault as the coordinator didn’t let him know the cake was going to make its grand entrance. www.djstayinschool.com Taste of Honey - Honey Everett : Wedding Cake Grade : A As mentioned before, we wanted an ice cream cake as our wedding cake. Neither of us like cake. Amazingly, getting someone to make a wedding cake out of ice cream is harder than you might imagine. Every person we contacted acted like we were crazy. However, when we found Honey, she definitely knew what she was talking about. There are a lot of logistics involved with an ice cream wedding cake, i.e. delivery, setup, serving it, icing it, etc. Honey had such confidence that I wasn’t the least bit worried. We had three flavors, one of which being mint chocolate chip (the others I don’t remember), with a brownie bottom. Honey delivered and setup the cake after the reception had started. It tasted great and looked fantastic, even though it had started to melt, which I found somewhat charming, being as that it was ice cream cake! Oregon Chamber Players : Ceremony Musicians Grade : B- This was another responsibility of my husband’s. We picked all non-traditional music (Coldplay, The Verve, Enya) and had to find the sheet music for all of the songs we wanted played. Originally, we were going to use the Metropolitan Youth Symphony. However, once they started to review the sheet music for the songs we wanted played, they realized that they didn’t really currently have that kind of depth. Last minute, three weeks before the wedding, we had to find someone new. Considering the amount of time they had, the Oregon Chamber Players did great. They did mess up on one of the songs but it wasn’t really worth getting upset over. I also would have preferred a string quartet (which was our original plan) but that wasn’t really their fault. www.oregonchamberplayers.org Blizzard Motors : Getaway Car Grade : A Almost two years ago my husband and I bought a car from this lot (its in SE Portland). The lot is primarily fine European cars. When we were there to pick up our newly purchased car, the owner of the lot told us he would loan us a car of our choice for our wedding. My fiance chose a convertible Porsche to drive from the ceremony. It was a beautiful little black shiny thing and my husband thoroughly enjoyed driving it. I don’t know if Doug would be willing to rent out any of his cars but if you’re interested it might not hurt to ask. Western Culinary Institute : Martini Ice Luge Grade : A This was one of the best budget friendly finds of our entire wedding. We really wanted to have a martini luge but found that they were rather expensive to have made…that was, until we found out about the Western Culinary Institute’s ice sculpture class. Basically, they told us they could create anything we wanted and all we had to do was provide them with a drawing. My mom, who’s an artist, drew a great design, in keeping with our theme and stationery, and we provided it to WCI. They not only did a great job of recreating it but the cost included transporting it, delivery and setup. We paid more than they asked for, to donate towards their program, but regardless it was well worth it. Definitely one of the main highlights of the reception for our guests. Spa La La : Pre-Wedding Pampering Grade : B+ As part of my gift to the ladies in the wedding, I treated them to manicures and pedicures at Spa La La. While it’s not the best manicure and pedicure in town (my best friend and I often refer to them as the chop shop), the decor and vibe is great and they’ll serve you all the mimosas you want. We had twelve of us (the moms, five maids of honor, two readers, the two flower girls and myself) there and it was like our own little private party. The staff was very friendly and efficient and I think the ladies all enjoyed getting their nails done. www.spalala.net The Face Place – Dorene Klippel : Facial and Brazilian Wax Grade : A I’ve gone to Dorene every month for the last six years for a Brazilian wax. She does a fantastic job at those…well, it’s a Brazilian wax so it’s not like it feels good but in terms of the final look, she does a tremendous job. However, I decided to get a facial from her as well. Wow! Her facial was by far the best facial I’ve ever had…not only did I fall asleep but she did such an incredibly thorough job. It will be hard not to make getting a facial from her a monthly occurrence as well. www.waxqueen.com Salon 77 – Mahria Martinez : Brow Wax Grade : A+ I pretty much have caterpillars for eyebrows…I’m not kidding. So, not only do my eyebrows need to be professionally groomed on a regular basis but they need to be done well. Mahria is a dream…seriously, she’s absolutely amazing. It’s the only kind of waxing she does…you know if a girl can make a living off of just waxing eyebrows, she’s got to be good! And not only that, she’s the sweetest thing you’ve ever met. www.seventyseven.us Diane Jensen : Massage Grade : A+ So, I have to admit that before my husband and I bought our house, Diane was our landlord. However, my husband has some pretty severe back injuries (thanks to a motorcycle) and is always up for a massage. That being said, we get a lot of massages. Diane is fantastic. She works in a chiropractic clinic off of NW 23rd (which the chiropractor there is also fantastic, Suzanne Lady) and does pretty much any type of massage you’d like. If I were to say I have a regular LMT, Diane would be it…and without failure, I fall asleep on her table every time. She’s fantastic and a lot cheaper than a mediocre spa massage. And, she is so incredibly kind and sweet as well…you can’t beat that! She used to have a website but it doesn’t look like she does anymore. Contact me if you want to get in touch with her. Embellish Design : Wedding Dress Grade : A+ I went shopping on several different occasions for a wedding dress. After searching most of Portland for the dress, I decided to visit Terri at Embellish Design. Now, I would not even waste time looking for dresses to order. In the end, my dress cost less than any of my final choices of the dresses I found in the salons. Not only that, the experience was so incredibly fun. Originally, I went into her studio with pictures of my final choices as well as other dresses I liked. We went through each picture and discussed what I liked about each one. We took elements from all of those to create my dress. Terri is so knowledgeable about what she does and extremely talented in the art of designing and sewing gowns. We discussed everything from different fabrics to different styles and the pluses and negatives of each. In the end, I had a dress that was exactly what I wanted, custom fit to my body. I would highly recommend working with Terri. I hope that I’ll have a reason for her to make me another dress (she makes party dresses too) some time. www.embellishdesign.com Patty Lehner : Wedding Jewelry Grade : A+ I saw a variation of my wedding dress in an Oregon Bride magazine months before my wedding. The earrings that the model was wearing were wonderful. When I looked up where they came from, the magazine said Ella Posie (which is now closed but was on NE Broadway). Carmen (who is also a wedding coordinator) of Ella Posie got me in touch with Patty, who had designed the jewelry. Patty was an absolute delight to work with…kind of like working with your spunky grandmother. We talked about what I wanted and she worked efficiently to get pieces done for me. She made a variation of the earrings I wanted with several different types of pearls and different lengths so I had something to choose from. Then, she made a bangle to match. And when I asked for some extra pearls and crystals for my ring bearer pillow and hair jewelry, not only did she have no problem sending me on my way with a little bag of each but she also refused to charge me for them when I tried to pay her. August Veils : Hair Jewelry Grade : A Patty referred me to Andrea to have my hair jewelry made (Patty doesn’t like to make it). I brought the pearls and crystals that Patty had used in my jewelry to have Andrea create some sparkle for my hair. She created exactly what I was looking for and in a very short amount of time. www.augustveils.com Cromwell Formalwear : Tuxedo Rentals Grade : A While my husband bought a suit for the wedding, we needed rentals for everyone else. Cromwell’s had a good selection and a helpful staff. They kept us informed on everyone who had, or hadn’t, been fitted and I didn’t hear of any problems that anyone had with their rentals. www.cromwellformalwear.com Twist : Wedding Rings Grade : A We searched for quite some time to find rings that we really loved. While I love the traditional platinum eternity band, I wanted something a little different to go with my princess cut solitaire. My husband wanted a platinum ring but not completely plain. Twist, although not a store you would typically think of for wedding bands, had just what we were looking for. The staff was very friendly and when they ordered our rings, they said it would take eight weeks to get them in (which was cutting it really close). Two weeks later, we received a call letting us know that our rings were in. I love the uniqueness of our rings! www.twistonline.com Shane Co : Engagement Ring Grade : C+ In one week, my husband sold his motorcycle, decided to ask me to marry him and bought a ring. The ring is exactly what I would have picked out, a plain platinum band with a princess cut solitaire. However, if I had had a say in it, I never would have gotten my ring at Shane Co. I think their staff is kind of tacky, not to mention their showroom, and I’m always frustrated by their service when I take my ring in to be cleaned or polished...and lets not even begin to discuss their ads! www.shaneco.com Hotel Lucia : Wedding Night Hotel Grade : A I love this place! We booked their “Did I Mention I Want You?” package in a King Suite. When we arrived at the hotel with nothing but the wedding clothes we were still wearing, they were quick to check us in. Our bed was covered in rose petals, there was music playing, champagne being chilled and a box of toys, i.e. body crayons, furry handcuffs and a book of positions for every day of the year. We ordered room service at about 1:30am because neither of us really ate at our reception. They were prompt and the food was tasty. I wish we didn’t live in Portland so we had more reasons to stay here…it’s such a chic hotel! www.hotellucia.com Bluestar Charter : Guest Transportation Grade : C Originally, we were expecting a lot of guests from out of state. We booked a charter bus to pick up guests from downtown Portland and transport them to Mt Tabor Park and then to Nocturnal. Unfortunately, my husbands grandfather passed away two months before our wedding and many of what we assumed would be the out of town guests could no longer make it due to their last minute flights to the funeral. Regardless, I still think this was a good thing to have. However, we revised our timeline for the bus and faxed it in. For whatever reason, they didn’t follow this and were 1.5 hours early to pick up guests and consequently ended their evening 1.5 hours earlier than we were originally anticipating. I’m not sure why they were running on the old timeline as I had faxed the revised one to them. While in the grand scheme of things, it wasn’t that big of a deal, I was irritated that we had paid for something and then couldn’t even utilize it for 1.5 hours. www.bluestarbus.com The Party Place : Chair Rentals Grade : A Although Mt Tabor Amphitheatre has some benches, we rented some chairs as well to insure we had enough seating. To be honest, I have no idea if this all worked out. I assume they arrived on time as they were all set up prior to the ceremony. And I assume they were picked up just fine since I haven’t heard from them about not getting their chairs back or something. Unforgettable Honeymoons Renee Duane-Meyer : Travel Agent Grade : A for knowledge, C for personality When it came time to plan our honeymoon, we were running out of energy, especially to plan the fantastic honeymoon we both wanted. While we both found Renee to be fairly pretentious and full of herself, she was very knowledgeable. At first, we wanted to go to Bora Bora and Taha’a. However, Renee couldn’t find us any availability for the room types we wanted. She asked us if we would consider Fiji, which we of course would and did. She booked us for 7 nights at Qamea Resort and Spa in Fiji in a premium villa. The resort was amazing but I grew a bit concerned when four different couples at the resort (which has a maximum capacity for 28 adults total) had been booked there with Renee from Unforgettable Honeymoons. I don’t know what sort of a kickback Renee receives for referring clients there and I guess it doesn’t really matter because the resort really is all she says it is. However, it doesn’t feel very good to feel like she’s only sending people to that one place, especially when we already felt like she had a pretty inflated ego. My best friend and her husband booked through Unforgettable Honeymoons for their honeymoon, not with Renee, and said their experience was great. If I had it to do over again, I would try to book with another travel agent there. www.unforgettablehoneymoons.com Qamea Resort and Spa : Honeymoon Grade : A+ Wow! This place was incredible, even when it was overcast most of the week we were there! We flew for close to 14 hours, PDX to LAX, LAX to Nadi, Fiji and then on a puddle jumper from Nadi to Taveuni. Then we were driven in a Range Rover for 20 minutes on a dirt rode to a beach where we got on a boat and went on a 10-minute boat ride across to the island of Qamea. We were greeted by a smiling and friendly staff, taken to their restaurant/lounge villa where we were served cocktails and fruit plates and given a quick rundown of the resort. Our accommodations were amazing. Our villa included a daybed and a pool on our deck, a large outdoor shower, a large bathroom that included a walk-in closet, two sinks, a towel warmer, large shower and then a large room with a four-poster bed on a platform with amazing linens and sheer curtains hanging, and then a living area with a couch, coffee table, stereo, lounge chairs, etc. I’ve never stayed in such an incredible place. The staff was so incredibly friendly, the food was some of the best food I’ve ever eaten. We snorkeled, went for a hike in the rainforest, swam in waterfalls, went to visit a village, did some nude sunbathing on our own private beach for an afternoon, my husband did some traditional Fijian hand-line fishing, kava ceremonies, a meek ceremony, beach volleyball and we visited the spa every day. The staff would make you snacks in between meals if you were hungry, the coral and the seashells were amazing and the rainforest absolutely incredible. It was the perfect way to end such an incredible experience. www.qamea.com Teness Herman : Intimate Portraits Grade : A+ WOW. This was an absolutely amazing experience. Teness is absolutely amazing. She made me feel so comfortable and relaxed…an absolute necessity to create the kind of pictures I was going for. I felt like I was taking pictures with a dear old friend. She and I spent months discussing the look and feel of the shoot. She recommended I look at a book called Women Before 10am by Veronique Vial. If you like the style of my intimate portraits (aka Boudoir Pictures…sorry, I think it’s a cheesy name), I would definitely recommend you check out this book for inspiration. We shot for three and a half hours and could have easily gone on for another two. She used multiple cameras and twice as many lenses with nothing but natural light, which really helped in creating a sensual feel. Her enthusiasm, creativity and eye for the perfect shot are truly unparalleled. If you don’t have room in your budget to do this as a wedding gift, I would highly recommend it as a first (paper) anniversary gift. www.teness.com
Dinner Sliced spice rubbed pork tenderloin with onion relish Herb roasted filets of salmon with dill cream Mixed greens salad with blackberry, onion, gorgonzola and thyme vinaigrette Grilled, roasted and blanched vegetables Fresh sliced fruit Rustic baguette with butter Dessert Spoon cheesecake with fresh berries Beverage A to Z pinot grigio A to Z claret Rolling Rock, Mirror Pond Pale Ale, Fat Tire Amber and Kaliber Reception Menu Hors doeuvres Mini pitas stuffed with hummus and greek salad Dungeness crab cakes with smoky tomato cream for dipping Gazpacho shots Caprese skewers: cherry tomatoes, basil and fresh mozzarella Ginger steamed shrimp dumplings Mini cheeseburgers with roasted mushrooms Open faced BLT panini Portabella mushroom with rosemary sauce and pickled red onion Beverage Rolling Rock, Mirror Pond Pale Ale, Fat Tire Amber Ale and Kaliber A to Z pinot grigio A to Z claret Limonata, aranciata and bottled water Mojitos Fresh peach cosmopolitans served through an ice martini luge www.devilsfoodcatering.com Eric Cable : Wedding Photographer Grade : A+ Holy cow! What can I say about Eric that I haven’t already said other than the fact that he COMPLETELY lived up to our expectations and then some. We booked Eric in 2004, almost two years before our wedding. Photography was one of the most important aspects of the wedding to us and we wanted to get what I perceive as the best. I still believe he’s the best in town. For what we paid for we got an engagement session, unlimited coverage on the day of the wedding (he started at 11:30am and went until 12:30am), two photographers (Eric and his assistant, who took some great shots as well), all of our digital files in both black and white and color on discs, a proof book and all of our files hosted on his site as well. Eric is a photojournalistic photographer. In fact, long before he started shooting weddings he did work for the AP. He has an incredible eye and there’s a richness to his photos that I don’t see in a lot of other photos. Both he and his assistant were so laid back and were hardly noticed, which can be seen in the pictures, as no one seemed to be uncomfortable with someone capturing their every movement (practically) for a day. I would hire Eric over and over if I needed to. In fact, I’ve already talked to him to see if he would take pictures of us in a year or two once we want to update pictures of ourselves. Without a doubt, he’s an amazing photographer! www.profilephoto.com Nocturnal : Reception Venue Grade : A My husband and I had been together for five years when we got engaged and seven years by the time we married. So, even though we were getting married, we had already committed to each other by purchasing a house together, owning our cars together, being listed on each others bank accounts and having spent holidays with each others’ families for the past 7 years. So, when it came to our wedding, we wanted to throw a celebration. Since we’re pretty non-traditional people to begin with, we didn’t feel the need to follow tradition in many aspects of our wedding. We decided we wanted to throw a late-night party for our reception with a lounge feel. Amazingly, there aren’t a whole lot of venues that can accommodate this appropriately in Portland. Somehow we found Nocturnal. Bethany Pratt, the owner, is probably in her late 20s or early 30s. She’s a creative type and has done an amazing job of remodeling/decorating the venue…or hiring someone to do it. You can rent sections of the venue or the whole thing, which we did. There’s a ballroom, a basement with the coolest bar I’ve ever seen (courtesy of the fact that Bethany’s parents own Pratt & Larson tile) and stained cement floors, an outdoor courtyard and then a kitchen off the back courtyard. In terms of an urban/modern space, there’s nothing like it in Portland. Bethany is lacking in enthusiasm and interpersonal skills to do the job that she does (she needs to hire me to sell her space for her!), however, she was always accommodating and willing to work with us. When we first booked the venue, she had a bubbly, fun girl working with her that I’m sure handled much of the client-end of things. My feeling is that Bethany is a more introverted, quiet type that struggles with really selling her space. I would definitely rent the space again, especially for the price. Even though its wonderfully decorated and you really wouldn’t have to do anything to it if you didn’t want to, it also allows for some fantastic decorating if that’s what you’re after. www.nocturnalpdx.com Mt Tabor Amphitheatre : Ceremony Venue Grade : C Well, its dealing with the City of Portland so it can’t be anything too spectacular. In reality, the process was fairly painless, other than the fact that they tried to charge us $100 to use the electrical outlets, telling me that it was for the key to the breaker box so we could use power, only to find out there was power without it. My husband and I are both very outdoorsy, your stereotypical Oregonians in that respect. It only seemed appropriate to have an outdoor ceremony in a beautiful location. The amphitheatre is especially cool since it’s an extinct volcano, I think the only extinct volcano within a city’s limits in the country. When you rent the space, you have it for the entire day, which was good in terms of decorating. The only downside (to some people, anyway) is that it’s a public park, so outsiders can watch, which they did. In fact, it was cool because the amphitheatre is adjacent to the basketball courts in the park. When the ceremony was about to begin, all of the basketball players took a seat on the court and were impromptu guests to our ceremony. There were also quite a few people that stood above the amphitheatre to watch. While this might bother some people, my husband and I didn’t mind in the least. In reality, I might do the same if I were in a public park and saw a wedding happening. www.portlandonline.com Matthew Hoff : Officiant Grade : A This is a friend of ours, actually Sept2005’s husband. We asked him to marry us as he is such a good friend but also because he’s a charismatic, funny public speaker. He did not let us down. We gave him a lot of creative license and while I think that made him nervous, he did with it exactly what we wanted. One minute we would be laughing hysterically and the next crying. He had the perfect combination of funny and serious…we couldn’t have picked a more perfect person for the role! Jitterblooms : Florist Grade : A I almost don’t need to write a vendor review on Jessica since so many people on The Knot have used her. She’s fantastic. I felt like she really understood what I was going for when we began talking…and she totally did. Not only that, she was very flexible when I needed to add some last minute boutonnieres and purchase five flats of wheat grass for our centerpieces. My bouquet was the first all green bouquet she had done and it turned out so well. She’s such a talented lady! www.jitterblooms.com Four Up Inc : Photobooth Photography Grade : A Oh my gosh, this was SUCH a hit! And it seemed like the more people drank, the better and better the pictures got. The guests loved watching other people take theirs as well as doing their own. Manny, that’s the owner of Four Up Inc, was even cracking up with some of the poses. Our package allowed for a printout of each set of pictures to the guest and then we get a copy of all of the digital files on a disc. Since we didn’t do favors, I kind of considered this a favor in a sense. It was so incredibly entertaining and I would highly recommend Manny if you can fit it into your budget. www.fourupinc.com Nicole Wagner : Makeup Artist Grade : A Nicole did makeup non-stop for six hours straight. She did makeup for both of the moms, all five maids of honor, rosy cheeks and lip gloss for the two flower girls and my makeup. Everyone raved about their makeup, some even asked for the colors and how she did it so they could recreate it another time. She’s so talented at making you look like yourself only better. She was so patient with my mom who couldn’t stop crying when Nicole was trying to get her makeup done, and originally only four of the maids of honor wanted to have their makeup done. However, upon seeing everyone else get done up, the fifth maid wanted her makeup done as well. Nicole was so flexible in making that happen, even though she had allotted a very specific amount of time for each. MAC Cosmetics are my regular day-to-day makeup. When I found a new product that I really liked, I emailed Nicole to see if she could use it instead of the foundation she had picked out for me (I don’t use foundation so I was a bit apprehensive). Nicole was totally open to it and even went and bought it at the MAC store so I didn’t have to buy foundation that I would never wear again. I would definitely hire her again. www.perfectbride.blogspot.com Patti Green Salon 77 : Hair Stylist Grade : A Patti is great, what can I say? She’s my regular hairstylist who I’ve been seeing for probably about four years. She doesn’t do wedding styles unless you’re one of her regular clients. However, the girl gives an amazing haircut so if you’re looking for a new stylist, Patti’s your girl. She moved here from NYC where she worked for Toni & Guy. Patti did a great job of doing my hair, which was no small task since my hair is stick straight and I wanted waves. She also did my husband’s hair, she’s his regular stylist as well. And while there’s not much to be done with 1.5 inches of hair, somehow it always looks so great when she does his. www.seventyseven.us Toast Productions : Event Design/Setup Grade : A I met these ladies through a friend of mine. I’ve never met a more resourceful group of ladies. When I said we wanted an ice cream wedding cake, they searched the city high and low looking for someone willing to do it. When I said we wanted a custom-made martini ice luge for not a lot of money, they found it. Rachael, of Toast Productions, is a graphic designer, so she has a great sense of design. While I had a coordinator already hired by the time I met Rachael and Sarah (they’re sisters), I knew I could utilize their skills to turn our reception into what we wanted. We met several times to discuss setup, layout and logistics. On the day of the wedding, they picked up everything for the reception, which was a lot, and spent hours setting it up. They also handled all of the vendors coming into Nocturnal to insure everything was setup just so. These ladies are native Portlanders and extremely well networked. While this is a new business venture for them, you never would have known by their ability to recreate what our vision had been. They also did all of our cleanup for us and promptly delivered it back to my mom’s house the day after the wedding. www.toast-productions.com Look Weddings : Wedding Coordinator Grade : A- Cassia has been doing wedding coordination for about two years. She started because she enjoyed planning her own wedding so much. I work with her at my job and inquired about her services when I heard she was doing coordination. Her design of our custom built website alone was amazing. She used the graphics that my husband’s sister had created for our stationery and created a fairly extensive website. She also contacted all of our vendors the week of the wedding to verify their services for the day of. She setup our entire ceremony (which was hundreds of paper bag luminaries, tables, chairs, etc) and coordinated from there on. Cassia is a fairly reserved person and I think at times is intimidated to exert her assertiveness. However, I think this will only get better as she continues to work. Because she works a full time job, I think she’s become a bit worn down by doing both a full time coordination business along with her job. At this time, I don’t think she’s taking on any new weddings until 2007. www.lookweddings.com Kristin Bradetich : Graphic Design for Stationery Grade : A+ Well, Kristin is my husband’s older sister. By career, she designs logos for apparel for a small athletic apparel company in Boulder. When we asked her to help us with our stationery, she was very enthusiastic. She did a great job of taking our ideas and turning them into something that was stylish, unique and really created the essence of our wedding. She designed a logo we put on everything, our save the dates, invitations (including RSVP and Reception cards), rehearsal dinner invitations, programs, menu cards, Just Married sign for our getaway car and thank you cards. While she doesn’t create custom invitations for people, she should probably consider it as she’s very talented. Anders Printing : Stationery Printing Grade : B I worked with Jill at Anders to get the majority of our printing done. It felt good to be working with a local company to complete our printing needs. Jill was very friendly and helpful and they did a great job of getting the work turned around in a short time period. They printed everything from our logos on stickers to our save the dates, invitations and rehearsal dinner invitations. After getting quotes for our save the dates, I didn’t search around after that to see if I could find a better deal. So, when we had our invitations printed offset, I don’t know if it was cheaper than another printer. I was very clear with my requests on each job (thanks to the help of the graphic designer). However, when our invitations were ready, she charged me an extra $25 and I had A LOT of extra copies, far more than I had requested. I meant to question why we had been charged more than originally quoted and why we had so many extras but I never got around to it. I probably should have asked for a discount since they asked if they could put our invitations on their website. All in all, this was a good experience. www.andersprinting.com DJ Stay in School - Martin Wilson : Reception DJ Grade : B My husband is a big fan of electronica music. So, when it came time to hire a DJ, my husband took on this role. We contacted Connie Wohn of Stylus 503 (a DJ cooperative), thanks to a referral from Bethany of Nocturnal. Connie sent us a whole package of samples of different DJs. We chose Martin because of his style, obviously. He did a great job but I think there was too much going on at the reception (photobooth, downstairs bar, outdoor courtyard) to really get people dancing. While people did dance, I think they would have done more of it had we not had so much else going on. Martin did que up the wrong music (we provided specific music for specific events during the evening since he doesn’t have the regular wedding DJ collection) for the Mother/Son dance and didn’t que up any music for the cake cutting. However, I don’t think the cake cutting music was his fault as the coordinator didn’t let him know the cake was going to make its grand entrance. www.djstayinschool.com Taste of Honey - Honey Everett : Wedding Cake Grade : A As mentioned before, we wanted an ice cream cake as our wedding cake. Neither of us like cake. Amazingly, getting someone to make a wedding cake out of ice cream is harder than you might imagine. Every person we contacted acted like we were crazy. However, when we found Honey, she definitely knew what she was talking about. There are a lot of logistics involved with an ice cream wedding cake, i.e. delivery, setup, serving it, icing it, etc. Honey had such confidence that I wasn’t the least bit worried. We had three flavors, one of which being mint chocolate chip (the others I don’t remember), with a brownie bottom. Honey delivered and setup the cake after the reception had started. It tasted great and looked fantastic, even though it had started to melt, which I found somewhat charming, being as that it was ice cream cake! Oregon Chamber Players : Ceremony Musicians Grade : B- This was another responsibility of my husband’s. We picked all non-traditional music (Coldplay, The Verve, Enya) and had to find the sheet music for all of the songs we wanted played. Originally, we were going to use the Metropolitan Youth Symphony. However, once they started to review the sheet music for the songs we wanted played, they realized that they didn’t really currently have that kind of depth. Last minute, three weeks before the wedding, we had to find someone new. Considering the amount of time they had, the Oregon Chamber Players did great. They did mess up on one of the songs but it wasn’t really worth getting upset over. I also would have preferred a string quartet (which was our original plan) but that wasn’t really their fault. www.oregonchamberplayers.org Blizzard Motors : Getaway Car Grade : A Almost two years ago my husband and I bought a car from this lot (its in SE Portland). The lot is primarily fine European cars. When we were there to pick up our newly purchased car, the owner of the lot told us he would loan us a car of our choice for our wedding. My fiance chose a convertible Porsche to drive from the ceremony. It was a beautiful little black shiny thing and my husband thoroughly enjoyed driving it. I don’t know if Doug would be willing to rent out any of his cars but if you’re interested it might not hurt to ask. Western Culinary Institute : Martini Ice Luge Grade : A This was one of the best budget friendly finds of our entire wedding. We really wanted to have a martini luge but found that they were rather expensive to have made…that was, until we found out about the Western Culinary Institute’s ice sculpture class. Basically, they told us they could create anything we wanted and all we had to do was provide them with a drawing. My mom, who’s an artist, drew a great design, in keeping with our theme and stationery, and we provided it to WCI. They not only did a great job of recreating it but the cost included transporting it, delivery and setup. We paid more than they asked for, to donate towards their program, but regardless it was well worth it. Definitely one of the main highlights of the reception for our guests. Spa La La : Pre-Wedding Pampering Grade : B+ As part of my gift to the ladies in the wedding, I treated them to manicures and pedicures at Spa La La. While it’s not the best manicure and pedicure in town (my best friend and I often refer to them as the chop shop), the decor and vibe is great and they’ll serve you all the mimosas you want. We had twelve of us (the moms, five maids of honor, two readers, the two flower girls and myself) there and it was like our own little private party. The staff was very friendly and efficient and I think the ladies all enjoyed getting their nails done. www.spalala.net The Face Place – Dorene Klippel : Facial and Brazilian Wax Grade : A I’ve gone to Dorene every month for the last six years for a Brazilian wax. She does a fantastic job at those…well, it’s a Brazilian wax so it’s not like it feels good but in terms of the final look, she does a tremendous job. However, I decided to get a facial from her as well. Wow! Her facial was by far the best facial I’ve ever had…not only did I fall asleep but she did such an incredibly thorough job. It will be hard not to make getting a facial from her a monthly occurrence as well. www.waxqueen.com Salon 77 – Mahria Martinez : Brow Wax Grade : A+ I pretty much have caterpillars for eyebrows…I’m not kidding. So, not only do my eyebrows need to be professionally groomed on a regular basis but they need to be done well. Mahria is a dream…seriously, she’s absolutely amazing. It’s the only kind of waxing she does…you know if a girl can make a living off of just waxing eyebrows, she’s got to be good! And not only that, she’s the sweetest thing you’ve ever met. www.seventyseven.us Diane Jensen : Massage Grade : A+ So, I have to admit that before my husband and I bought our house, Diane was our landlord. However, my husband has some pretty severe back injuries (thanks to a motorcycle) and is always up for a massage. That being said, we get a lot of massages. Diane is fantastic. She works in a chiropractic clinic off of NW 23rd (which the chiropractor there is also fantastic, Suzanne Lady) and does pretty much any type of massage you’d like. If I were to say I have a regular LMT, Diane would be it…and without failure, I fall asleep on her table every time. She’s fantastic and a lot cheaper than a mediocre spa massage. And, she is so incredibly kind and sweet as well…you can’t beat that! She used to have a website but it doesn’t look like she does anymore. Contact me if you want to get in touch with her. Embellish Design : Wedding Dress Grade : A+ I went shopping on several different occasions for a wedding dress. After searching most of Portland for the dress, I decided to visit Terri at Embellish Design. Now, I would not even waste time looking for dresses to order. In the end, my dress cost less than any of my final choices of the dresses I found in the salons. Not only that, the experience was so incredibly fun. Originally, I went into her studio with pictures of my final choices as well as other dresses I liked. We went through each picture and discussed what I liked about each one. We took elements from all of those to create my dress. Terri is so knowledgeable about what she does and extremely talented in the art of designing and sewing gowns. We discussed everything from different fabrics to different styles and the pluses and negatives of each. In the end, I had a dress that was exactly what I wanted, custom fit to my body. I would highly recommend working with Terri. I hope that I’ll have a reason for her to make me another dress (she makes party dresses too) some time. www.embellishdesign.com Patty Lehner : Wedding Jewelry Grade : A+ I saw a variation of my wedding dress in an Oregon Bride magazine months before my wedding. The earrings that the model was wearing were wonderful. When I looked up where they came from, the magazine said Ella Posie (which is now closed but was on NE Broadway). Carmen (who is also a wedding coordinator) of Ella Posie got me in touch with Patty, who had designed the jewelry. Patty was an absolute delight to work with…kind of like working with your spunky grandmother. We talked about what I wanted and she worked efficiently to get pieces done for me. She made a variation of the earrings I wanted with several different types of pearls and different lengths so I had something to choose from. Then, she made a bangle to match. And when I asked for some extra pearls and crystals for my ring bearer pillow and hair jewelry, not only did she have no problem sending me on my way with a little bag of each but she also refused to charge me for them when I tried to pay her. August Veils : Hair Jewelry Grade : A Patty referred me to Andrea to have my hair jewelry made (Patty doesn’t like to make it). I brought the pearls and crystals that Patty had used in my jewelry to have Andrea create some sparkle for my hair. She created exactly what I was looking for and in a very short amount of time. www.augustveils.com Cromwell Formalwear : Tuxedo Rentals Grade : A While my husband bought a suit for the wedding, we needed rentals for everyone else. Cromwell’s had a good selection and a helpful staff. They kept us informed on everyone who had, or hadn’t, been fitted and I didn’t hear of any problems that anyone had with their rentals. www.cromwellformalwear.com Twist : Wedding Rings Grade : A We searched for quite some time to find rings that we really loved. While I love the traditional platinum eternity band, I wanted something a little different to go with my princess cut solitaire. My husband wanted a platinum ring but not completely plain. Twist, although not a store you would typically think of for wedding bands, had just what we were looking for. The staff was very friendly and when they ordered our rings, they said it would take eight weeks to get them in (which was cutting it really close). Two weeks later, we received a call letting us know that our rings were in. I love the uniqueness of our rings! www.twistonline.com Shane Co : Engagement Ring Grade : C+ In one week, my husband sold his motorcycle, decided to ask me to marry him and bought a ring. The ring is exactly what I would have picked out, a plain platinum band with a princess cut solitaire. However, if I had had a say in it, I never would have gotten my ring at Shane Co. I think their staff is kind of tacky, not to mention their showroom, and I’m always frustrated by their service when I take my ring in to be cleaned or polished...and lets not even begin to discuss their ads! www.shaneco.com Hotel Lucia : Wedding Night Hotel Grade : A I love this place! We booked their “Did I Mention I Want You?” package in a King Suite. When we arrived at the hotel with nothing but the wedding clothes we were still wearing, they were quick to check us in. Our bed was covered in rose petals, there was music playing, champagne being chilled and a box of toys, i.e. body crayons, furry handcuffs and a book of positions for every day of the year. We ordered room service at about 1:30am because neither of us really ate at our reception. They were prompt and the food was tasty. I wish we didn’t live in Portland so we had more reasons to stay here…it’s such a chic hotel! www.hotellucia.com Bluestar Charter : Guest Transportation Grade : C Originally, we were expecting a lot of guests from out of state. We booked a charter bus to pick up guests from downtown Portland and transport them to Mt Tabor Park and then to Nocturnal. Unfortunately, my husbands grandfather passed away two months before our wedding and many of what we assumed would be the out of town guests could no longer make it due to their last minute flights to the funeral. Regardless, I still think this was a good thing to have. However, we revised our timeline for the bus and faxed it in. For whatever reason, they didn’t follow this and were 1.5 hours early to pick up guests and consequently ended their evening 1.5 hours earlier than we were originally anticipating. I’m not sure why they were running on the old timeline as I had faxed the revised one to them. While in the grand scheme of things, it wasn’t that big of a deal, I was irritated that we had paid for something and then couldn’t even utilize it for 1.5 hours. www.bluestarbus.com The Party Place : Chair Rentals Grade : A Although Mt Tabor Amphitheatre has some benches, we rented some chairs as well to insure we had enough seating. To be honest, I have no idea if this all worked out. I assume they arrived on time as they were all set up prior to the ceremony. And I assume they were picked up just fine since I haven’t heard from them about not getting their chairs back or something. Unforgettable Honeymoons Renee Duane-Meyer : Travel Agent Grade : A for knowledge, C for personality When it came time to plan our honeymoon, we were running out of energy, especially to plan the fantastic honeymoon we both wanted. While we both found Renee to be fairly pretentious and full of herself, she was very knowledgeable. At first, we wanted to go to Bora Bora and Taha’a. However, Renee couldn’t find us any availability for the room types we wanted. She asked us if we would consider Fiji, which we of course would and did. She booked us for 7 nights at Qamea Resort and Spa in Fiji in a premium villa. The resort was amazing but I grew a bit concerned when four different couples at the resort (which has a maximum capacity for 28 adults total) had been booked there with Renee from Unforgettable Honeymoons. I don’t know what sort of a kickback Renee receives for referring clients there and I guess it doesn’t really matter because the resort really is all she says it is. However, it doesn’t feel very good to feel like she’s only sending people to that one place, especially when we already felt like she had a pretty inflated ego. My best friend and her husband booked through Unforgettable Honeymoons for their honeymoon, not with Renee, and said their experience was great. If I had it to do over again, I would try to book with another travel agent there. www.unforgettablehoneymoons.com Qamea Resort and Spa : Honeymoon Grade : A+ Wow! This place was incredible, even when it was overcast most of the week we were there! We flew for close to 14 hours, PDX to LAX, LAX to Nadi, Fiji and then on a puddle jumper from Nadi to Taveuni. Then we were driven in a Range Rover for 20 minutes on a dirt rode to a beach where we got on a boat and went on a 10-minute boat ride across to the island of Qamea. We were greeted by a smiling and friendly staff, taken to their restaurant/lounge villa where we were served cocktails and fruit plates and given a quick rundown of the resort. Our accommodations were amazing. Our villa included a daybed and a pool on our deck, a large outdoor shower, a large bathroom that included a walk-in closet, two sinks, a towel warmer, large shower and then a large room with a four-poster bed on a platform with amazing linens and sheer curtains hanging, and then a living area with a couch, coffee table, stereo, lounge chairs, etc. I’ve never stayed in such an incredible place. The staff was so incredibly friendly, the food was some of the best food I’ve ever eaten. We snorkeled, went for a hike in the rainforest, swam in waterfalls, went to visit a village, did some nude sunbathing on our own private beach for an afternoon, my husband did some traditional Fijian hand-line fishing, kava ceremonies, a meek ceremony, beach volleyball and we visited the spa every day. The staff would make you snacks in between meals if you were hungry, the coral and the seashells were amazing and the rainforest absolutely incredible. It was the perfect way to end such an incredible experience. www.qamea.com Teness Herman : Intimate Portraits Grade : A+ WOW. This was an absolutely amazing experience. Teness is absolutely amazing. She made me feel so comfortable and relaxed…an absolute necessity to create the kind of pictures I was going for. I felt like I was taking pictures with a dear old friend. She and I spent months discussing the look and feel of the shoot. She recommended I look at a book called Women Before 10am by Veronique Vial. If you like the style of my intimate portraits (aka Boudoir Pictures…sorry, I think it’s a cheesy name), I would definitely recommend you check out this book for inspiration. We shot for three and a half hours and could have easily gone on for another two. She used multiple cameras and twice as many lenses with nothing but natural light, which really helped in creating a sensual feel. Her enthusiasm, creativity and eye for the perfect shot are truly unparalleled. If you don’t have room in your budget to do this as a wedding gift, I would highly recommend it as a first (paper) anniversary gift. www.teness.com
Dessert Spoon cheesecake with fresh berries Beverage A to Z pinot grigio A to Z claret Rolling Rock, Mirror Pond Pale Ale, Fat Tire Amber and Kaliber Reception Menu Hors doeuvres Mini pitas stuffed with hummus and greek salad Dungeness crab cakes with smoky tomato cream for dipping Gazpacho shots Caprese skewers: cherry tomatoes, basil and fresh mozzarella Ginger steamed shrimp dumplings Mini cheeseburgers with roasted mushrooms Open faced BLT panini Portabella mushroom with rosemary sauce and pickled red onion Beverage Rolling Rock, Mirror Pond Pale Ale, Fat Tire Amber Ale and Kaliber A to Z pinot grigio A to Z claret Limonata, aranciata and bottled water Mojitos Fresh peach cosmopolitans served through an ice martini luge www.devilsfoodcatering.com Eric Cable : Wedding Photographer Grade : A+ Holy cow! What can I say about Eric that I haven’t already said other than the fact that he COMPLETELY lived up to our expectations and then some. We booked Eric in 2004, almost two years before our wedding. Photography was one of the most important aspects of the wedding to us and we wanted to get what I perceive as the best. I still believe he’s the best in town. For what we paid for we got an engagement session, unlimited coverage on the day of the wedding (he started at 11:30am and went until 12:30am), two photographers (Eric and his assistant, who took some great shots as well), all of our digital files in both black and white and color on discs, a proof book and all of our files hosted on his site as well. Eric is a photojournalistic photographer. In fact, long before he started shooting weddings he did work for the AP. He has an incredible eye and there’s a richness to his photos that I don’t see in a lot of other photos. Both he and his assistant were so laid back and were hardly noticed, which can be seen in the pictures, as no one seemed to be uncomfortable with someone capturing their every movement (practically) for a day. I would hire Eric over and over if I needed to. In fact, I’ve already talked to him to see if he would take pictures of us in a year or two once we want to update pictures of ourselves. Without a doubt, he’s an amazing photographer! www.profilephoto.com Nocturnal : Reception Venue Grade : A My husband and I had been together for five years when we got engaged and seven years by the time we married. So, even though we were getting married, we had already committed to each other by purchasing a house together, owning our cars together, being listed on each others bank accounts and having spent holidays with each others’ families for the past 7 years. So, when it came to our wedding, we wanted to throw a celebration. Since we’re pretty non-traditional people to begin with, we didn’t feel the need to follow tradition in many aspects of our wedding. We decided we wanted to throw a late-night party for our reception with a lounge feel. Amazingly, there aren’t a whole lot of venues that can accommodate this appropriately in Portland. Somehow we found Nocturnal. Bethany Pratt, the owner, is probably in her late 20s or early 30s. She’s a creative type and has done an amazing job of remodeling/decorating the venue…or hiring someone to do it. You can rent sections of the venue or the whole thing, which we did. There’s a ballroom, a basement with the coolest bar I’ve ever seen (courtesy of the fact that Bethany’s parents own Pratt & Larson tile) and stained cement floors, an outdoor courtyard and then a kitchen off the back courtyard. In terms of an urban/modern space, there’s nothing like it in Portland. Bethany is lacking in enthusiasm and interpersonal skills to do the job that she does (she needs to hire me to sell her space for her!), however, she was always accommodating and willing to work with us. When we first booked the venue, she had a bubbly, fun girl working with her that I’m sure handled much of the client-end of things. My feeling is that Bethany is a more introverted, quiet type that struggles with really selling her space. I would definitely rent the space again, especially for the price. Even though its wonderfully decorated and you really wouldn’t have to do anything to it if you didn’t want to, it also allows for some fantastic decorating if that’s what you’re after. www.nocturnalpdx.com Mt Tabor Amphitheatre : Ceremony Venue Grade : C Well, its dealing with the City of Portland so it can’t be anything too spectacular. In reality, the process was fairly painless, other than the fact that they tried to charge us $100 to use the electrical outlets, telling me that it was for the key to the breaker box so we could use power, only to find out there was power without it. My husband and I are both very outdoorsy, your stereotypical Oregonians in that respect. It only seemed appropriate to have an outdoor ceremony in a beautiful location. The amphitheatre is especially cool since it’s an extinct volcano, I think the only extinct volcano within a city’s limits in the country. When you rent the space, you have it for the entire day, which was good in terms of decorating. The only downside (to some people, anyway) is that it’s a public park, so outsiders can watch, which they did. In fact, it was cool because the amphitheatre is adjacent to the basketball courts in the park. When the ceremony was about to begin, all of the basketball players took a seat on the court and were impromptu guests to our ceremony. There were also quite a few people that stood above the amphitheatre to watch. While this might bother some people, my husband and I didn’t mind in the least. In reality, I might do the same if I were in a public park and saw a wedding happening. www.portlandonline.com Matthew Hoff : Officiant Grade : A This is a friend of ours, actually Sept2005’s husband. We asked him to marry us as he is such a good friend but also because he’s a charismatic, funny public speaker. He did not let us down. We gave him a lot of creative license and while I think that made him nervous, he did with it exactly what we wanted. One minute we would be laughing hysterically and the next crying. He had the perfect combination of funny and serious…we couldn’t have picked a more perfect person for the role! Jitterblooms : Florist Grade : A I almost don’t need to write a vendor review on Jessica since so many people on The Knot have used her. She’s fantastic. I felt like she really understood what I was going for when we began talking…and she totally did. Not only that, she was very flexible when I needed to add some last minute boutonnieres and purchase five flats of wheat grass for our centerpieces. My bouquet was the first all green bouquet she had done and it turned out so well. She’s such a talented lady! www.jitterblooms.com Four Up Inc : Photobooth Photography Grade : A Oh my gosh, this was SUCH a hit! And it seemed like the more people drank, the better and better the pictures got. The guests loved watching other people take theirs as well as doing their own. Manny, that’s the owner of Four Up Inc, was even cracking up with some of the poses. Our package allowed for a printout of each set of pictures to the guest and then we get a copy of all of the digital files on a disc. Since we didn’t do favors, I kind of considered this a favor in a sense. It was so incredibly entertaining and I would highly recommend Manny if you can fit it into your budget. www.fourupinc.com Nicole Wagner : Makeup Artist Grade : A Nicole did makeup non-stop for six hours straight. She did makeup for both of the moms, all five maids of honor, rosy cheeks and lip gloss for the two flower girls and my makeup. Everyone raved about their makeup, some even asked for the colors and how she did it so they could recreate it another time. She’s so talented at making you look like yourself only better. She was so patient with my mom who couldn’t stop crying when Nicole was trying to get her makeup done, and originally only four of the maids of honor wanted to have their makeup done. However, upon seeing everyone else get done up, the fifth maid wanted her makeup done as well. Nicole was so flexible in making that happen, even though she had allotted a very specific amount of time for each. MAC Cosmetics are my regular day-to-day makeup. When I found a new product that I really liked, I emailed Nicole to see if she could use it instead of the foundation she had picked out for me (I don’t use foundation so I was a bit apprehensive). Nicole was totally open to it and even went and bought it at the MAC store so I didn’t have to buy foundation that I would never wear again. I would definitely hire her again. www.perfectbride.blogspot.com Patti Green Salon 77 : Hair Stylist Grade : A Patti is great, what can I say? She’s my regular hairstylist who I’ve been seeing for probably about four years. She doesn’t do wedding styles unless you’re one of her regular clients. However, the girl gives an amazing haircut so if you’re looking for a new stylist, Patti’s your girl. She moved here from NYC where she worked for Toni & Guy. Patti did a great job of doing my hair, which was no small task since my hair is stick straight and I wanted waves. She also did my husband’s hair, she’s his regular stylist as well. And while there’s not much to be done with 1.5 inches of hair, somehow it always looks so great when she does his. www.seventyseven.us Toast Productions : Event Design/Setup Grade : A I met these ladies through a friend of mine. I’ve never met a more resourceful group of ladies. When I said we wanted an ice cream wedding cake, they searched the city high and low looking for someone willing to do it. When I said we wanted a custom-made martini ice luge for not a lot of money, they found it. Rachael, of Toast Productions, is a graphic designer, so she has a great sense of design. While I had a coordinator already hired by the time I met Rachael and Sarah (they’re sisters), I knew I could utilize their skills to turn our reception into what we wanted. We met several times to discuss setup, layout and logistics. On the day of the wedding, they picked up everything for the reception, which was a lot, and spent hours setting it up. They also handled all of the vendors coming into Nocturnal to insure everything was setup just so. These ladies are native Portlanders and extremely well networked. While this is a new business venture for them, you never would have known by their ability to recreate what our vision had been. They also did all of our cleanup for us and promptly delivered it back to my mom’s house the day after the wedding. www.toast-productions.com Look Weddings : Wedding Coordinator Grade : A- Cassia has been doing wedding coordination for about two years. She started because she enjoyed planning her own wedding so much. I work with her at my job and inquired about her services when I heard she was doing coordination. Her design of our custom built website alone was amazing. She used the graphics that my husband’s sister had created for our stationery and created a fairly extensive website. She also contacted all of our vendors the week of the wedding to verify their services for the day of. She setup our entire ceremony (which was hundreds of paper bag luminaries, tables, chairs, etc) and coordinated from there on. Cassia is a fairly reserved person and I think at times is intimidated to exert her assertiveness. However, I think this will only get better as she continues to work. Because she works a full time job, I think she’s become a bit worn down by doing both a full time coordination business along with her job. At this time, I don’t think she’s taking on any new weddings until 2007. www.lookweddings.com Kristin Bradetich : Graphic Design for Stationery Grade : A+ Well, Kristin is my husband’s older sister. By career, she designs logos for apparel for a small athletic apparel company in Boulder. When we asked her to help us with our stationery, she was very enthusiastic. She did a great job of taking our ideas and turning them into something that was stylish, unique and really created the essence of our wedding. She designed a logo we put on everything, our save the dates, invitations (including RSVP and Reception cards), rehearsal dinner invitations, programs, menu cards, Just Married sign for our getaway car and thank you cards. While she doesn’t create custom invitations for people, she should probably consider it as she’s very talented. Anders Printing : Stationery Printing Grade : B I worked with Jill at Anders to get the majority of our printing done. It felt good to be working with a local company to complete our printing needs. Jill was very friendly and helpful and they did a great job of getting the work turned around in a short time period. They printed everything from our logos on stickers to our save the dates, invitations and rehearsal dinner invitations. After getting quotes for our save the dates, I didn’t search around after that to see if I could find a better deal. So, when we had our invitations printed offset, I don’t know if it was cheaper than another printer. I was very clear with my requests on each job (thanks to the help of the graphic designer). However, when our invitations were ready, she charged me an extra $25 and I had A LOT of extra copies, far more than I had requested. I meant to question why we had been charged more than originally quoted and why we had so many extras but I never got around to it. I probably should have asked for a discount since they asked if they could put our invitations on their website. All in all, this was a good experience. www.andersprinting.com DJ Stay in School - Martin Wilson : Reception DJ Grade : B My husband is a big fan of electronica music. So, when it came time to hire a DJ, my husband took on this role. We contacted Connie Wohn of Stylus 503 (a DJ cooperative), thanks to a referral from Bethany of Nocturnal. Connie sent us a whole package of samples of different DJs. We chose Martin because of his style, obviously. He did a great job but I think there was too much going on at the reception (photobooth, downstairs bar, outdoor courtyard) to really get people dancing. While people did dance, I think they would have done more of it had we not had so much else going on. Martin did que up the wrong music (we provided specific music for specific events during the evening since he doesn’t have the regular wedding DJ collection) for the Mother/Son dance and didn’t que up any music for the cake cutting. However, I don’t think the cake cutting music was his fault as the coordinator didn’t let him know the cake was going to make its grand entrance. www.djstayinschool.com Taste of Honey - Honey Everett : Wedding Cake Grade : A As mentioned before, we wanted an ice cream cake as our wedding cake. Neither of us like cake. Amazingly, getting someone to make a wedding cake out of ice cream is harder than you might imagine. Every person we contacted acted like we were crazy. However, when we found Honey, she definitely knew what she was talking about. There are a lot of logistics involved with an ice cream wedding cake, i.e. delivery, setup, serving it, icing it, etc. Honey had such confidence that I wasn’t the least bit worried. We had three flavors, one of which being mint chocolate chip (the others I don’t remember), with a brownie bottom. Honey delivered and setup the cake after the reception had started. It tasted great and looked fantastic, even though it had started to melt, which I found somewhat charming, being as that it was ice cream cake! Oregon Chamber Players : Ceremony Musicians Grade : B- This was another responsibility of my husband’s. We picked all non-traditional music (Coldplay, The Verve, Enya) and had to find the sheet music for all of the songs we wanted played. Originally, we were going to use the Metropolitan Youth Symphony. However, once they started to review the sheet music for the songs we wanted played, they realized that they didn’t really currently have that kind of depth. Last minute, three weeks before the wedding, we had to find someone new. Considering the amount of time they had, the Oregon Chamber Players did great. They did mess up on one of the songs but it wasn’t really worth getting upset over. I also would have preferred a string quartet (which was our original plan) but that wasn’t really their fault. www.oregonchamberplayers.org Blizzard Motors : Getaway Car Grade : A Almost two years ago my husband and I bought a car from this lot (its in SE Portland). The lot is primarily fine European cars. When we were there to pick up our newly purchased car, the owner of the lot told us he would loan us a car of our choice for our wedding. My fiance chose a convertible Porsche to drive from the ceremony. It was a beautiful little black shiny thing and my husband thoroughly enjoyed driving it. I don’t know if Doug would be willing to rent out any of his cars but if you’re interested it might not hurt to ask. Western Culinary Institute : Martini Ice Luge Grade : A This was one of the best budget friendly finds of our entire wedding. We really wanted to have a martini luge but found that they were rather expensive to have made…that was, until we found out about the Western Culinary Institute’s ice sculpture class. Basically, they told us they could create anything we wanted and all we had to do was provide them with a drawing. My mom, who’s an artist, drew a great design, in keeping with our theme and stationery, and we provided it to WCI. They not only did a great job of recreating it but the cost included transporting it, delivery and setup. We paid more than they asked for, to donate towards their program, but regardless it was well worth it. Definitely one of the main highlights of the reception for our guests. Spa La La : Pre-Wedding Pampering Grade : B+ As part of my gift to the ladies in the wedding, I treated them to manicures and pedicures at Spa La La. While it’s not the best manicure and pedicure in town (my best friend and I often refer to them as the chop shop), the decor and vibe is great and they’ll serve you all the mimosas you want. We had twelve of us (the moms, five maids of honor, two readers, the two flower girls and myself) there and it was like our own little private party. The staff was very friendly and efficient and I think the ladies all enjoyed getting their nails done. www.spalala.net The Face Place – Dorene Klippel : Facial and Brazilian Wax Grade : A I’ve gone to Dorene every month for the last six years for a Brazilian wax. She does a fantastic job at those…well, it’s a Brazilian wax so it’s not like it feels good but in terms of the final look, she does a tremendous job. However, I decided to get a facial from her as well. Wow! Her facial was by far the best facial I’ve ever had…not only did I fall asleep but she did such an incredibly thorough job. It will be hard not to make getting a facial from her a monthly occurrence as well. www.waxqueen.com Salon 77 – Mahria Martinez : Brow Wax Grade : A+ I pretty much have caterpillars for eyebrows…I’m not kidding. So, not only do my eyebrows need to be professionally groomed on a regular basis but they need to be done well. Mahria is a dream…seriously, she’s absolutely amazing. It’s the only kind of waxing she does…you know if a girl can make a living off of just waxing eyebrows, she’s got to be good! And not only that, she’s the sweetest thing you’ve ever met. www.seventyseven.us Diane Jensen : Massage Grade : A+ So, I have to admit that before my husband and I bought our house, Diane was our landlord. However, my husband has some pretty severe back injuries (thanks to a motorcycle) and is always up for a massage. That being said, we get a lot of massages. Diane is fantastic. She works in a chiropractic clinic off of NW 23rd (which the chiropractor there is also fantastic, Suzanne Lady) and does pretty much any type of massage you’d like. If I were to say I have a regular LMT, Diane would be it…and without failure, I fall asleep on her table every time. She’s fantastic and a lot cheaper than a mediocre spa massage. And, she is so incredibly kind and sweet as well…you can’t beat that! She used to have a website but it doesn’t look like she does anymore. Contact me if you want to get in touch with her. Embellish Design : Wedding Dress Grade : A+ I went shopping on several different occasions for a wedding dress. After searching most of Portland for the dress, I decided to visit Terri at Embellish Design. Now, I would not even waste time looking for dresses to order. In the end, my dress cost less than any of my final choices of the dresses I found in the salons. Not only that, the experience was so incredibly fun. Originally, I went into her studio with pictures of my final choices as well as other dresses I liked. We went through each picture and discussed what I liked about each one. We took elements from all of those to create my dress. Terri is so knowledgeable about what she does and extremely talented in the art of designing and sewing gowns. We discussed everything from different fabrics to different styles and the pluses and negatives of each. In the end, I had a dress that was exactly what I wanted, custom fit to my body. I would highly recommend working with Terri. I hope that I’ll have a reason for her to make me another dress (she makes party dresses too) some time. www.embellishdesign.com Patty Lehner : Wedding Jewelry Grade : A+ I saw a variation of my wedding dress in an Oregon Bride magazine months before my wedding. The earrings that the model was wearing were wonderful. When I looked up where they came from, the magazine said Ella Posie (which is now closed but was on NE Broadway). Carmen (who is also a wedding coordinator) of Ella Posie got me in touch with Patty, who had designed the jewelry. Patty was an absolute delight to work with…kind of like working with your spunky grandmother. We talked about what I wanted and she worked efficiently to get pieces done for me. She made a variation of the earrings I wanted with several different types of pearls and different lengths so I had something to choose from. Then, she made a bangle to match. And when I asked for some extra pearls and crystals for my ring bearer pillow and hair jewelry, not only did she have no problem sending me on my way with a little bag of each but she also refused to charge me for them when I tried to pay her. August Veils : Hair Jewelry Grade : A Patty referred me to Andrea to have my hair jewelry made (Patty doesn’t like to make it). I brought the pearls and crystals that Patty had used in my jewelry to have Andrea create some sparkle for my hair. She created exactly what I was looking for and in a very short amount of time. www.augustveils.com Cromwell Formalwear : Tuxedo Rentals Grade : A While my husband bought a suit for the wedding, we needed rentals for everyone else. Cromwell’s had a good selection and a helpful staff. They kept us informed on everyone who had, or hadn’t, been fitted and I didn’t hear of any problems that anyone had with their rentals. www.cromwellformalwear.com Twist : Wedding Rings Grade : A We searched for quite some time to find rings that we really loved. While I love the traditional platinum eternity band, I wanted something a little different to go with my princess cut solitaire. My husband wanted a platinum ring but not completely plain. Twist, although not a store you would typically think of for wedding bands, had just what we were looking for. The staff was very friendly and when they ordered our rings, they said it would take eight weeks to get them in (which was cutting it really close). Two weeks later, we received a call letting us know that our rings were in. I love the uniqueness of our rings! www.twistonline.com Shane Co : Engagement Ring Grade : C+ In one week, my husband sold his motorcycle, decided to ask me to marry him and bought a ring. The ring is exactly what I would have picked out, a plain platinum band with a princess cut solitaire. However, if I had had a say in it, I never would have gotten my ring at Shane Co. I think their staff is kind of tacky, not to mention their showroom, and I’m always frustrated by their service when I take my ring in to be cleaned or polished...and lets not even begin to discuss their ads! www.shaneco.com Hotel Lucia : Wedding Night Hotel Grade : A I love this place! We booked their “Did I Mention I Want You?” package in a King Suite. When we arrived at the hotel with nothing but the wedding clothes we were still wearing, they were quick to check us in. Our bed was covered in rose petals, there was music playing, champagne being chilled and a box of toys, i.e. body crayons, furry handcuffs and a book of positions for every day of the year. We ordered room service at about 1:30am because neither of us really ate at our reception. They were prompt and the food was tasty. I wish we didn’t live in Portland so we had more reasons to stay here…it’s such a chic hotel! www.hotellucia.com Bluestar Charter : Guest Transportation Grade : C Originally, we were expecting a lot of guests from out of state. We booked a charter bus to pick up guests from downtown Portland and transport them to Mt Tabor Park and then to Nocturnal. Unfortunately, my husbands grandfather passed away two months before our wedding and many of what we assumed would be the out of town guests could no longer make it due to their last minute flights to the funeral. Regardless, I still think this was a good thing to have. However, we revised our timeline for the bus and faxed it in. For whatever reason, they didn’t follow this and were 1.5 hours early to pick up guests and consequently ended their evening 1.5 hours earlier than we were originally anticipating. I’m not sure why they were running on the old timeline as I had faxed the revised one to them. While in the grand scheme of things, it wasn’t that big of a deal, I was irritated that we had paid for something and then couldn’t even utilize it for 1.5 hours. www.bluestarbus.com The Party Place : Chair Rentals Grade : A Although Mt Tabor Amphitheatre has some benches, we rented some chairs as well to insure we had enough seating. To be honest, I have no idea if this all worked out. I assume they arrived on time as they were all set up prior to the ceremony. And I assume they were picked up just fine since I haven’t heard from them about not getting their chairs back or something. Unforgettable Honeymoons Renee Duane-Meyer : Travel Agent Grade : A for knowledge, C for personality When it came time to plan our honeymoon, we were running out of energy, especially to plan the fantastic honeymoon we both wanted. While we both found Renee to be fairly pretentious and full of herself, she was very knowledgeable. At first, we wanted to go to Bora Bora and Taha’a. However, Renee couldn’t find us any availability for the room types we wanted. She asked us if we would consider Fiji, which we of course would and did. She booked us for 7 nights at Qamea Resort and Spa in Fiji in a premium villa. The resort was amazing but I grew a bit concerned when four different couples at the resort (which has a maximum capacity for 28 adults total) had been booked there with Renee from Unforgettable Honeymoons. I don’t know what sort of a kickback Renee receives for referring clients there and I guess it doesn’t really matter because the resort really is all she says it is. However, it doesn’t feel very good to feel like she’s only sending people to that one place, especially when we already felt like she had a pretty inflated ego. My best friend and her husband booked through Unforgettable Honeymoons for their honeymoon, not with Renee, and said their experience was great. If I had it to do over again, I would try to book with another travel agent there. www.unforgettablehoneymoons.com Qamea Resort and Spa : Honeymoon Grade : A+ Wow! This place was incredible, even when it was overcast most of the week we were there! We flew for close to 14 hours, PDX to LAX, LAX to Nadi, Fiji and then on a puddle jumper from Nadi to Taveuni. Then we were driven in a Range Rover for 20 minutes on a dirt rode to a beach where we got on a boat and went on a 10-minute boat ride across to the island of Qamea. We were greeted by a smiling and friendly staff, taken to their restaurant/lounge villa where we were served cocktails and fruit plates and given a quick rundown of the resort. Our accommodations were amazing. Our villa included a daybed and a pool on our deck, a large outdoor shower, a large bathroom that included a walk-in closet, two sinks, a towel warmer, large shower and then a large room with a four-poster bed on a platform with amazing linens and sheer curtains hanging, and then a living area with a couch, coffee table, stereo, lounge chairs, etc. I’ve never stayed in such an incredible place. The staff was so incredibly friendly, the food was some of the best food I’ve ever eaten. We snorkeled, went for a hike in the rainforest, swam in waterfalls, went to visit a village, did some nude sunbathing on our own private beach for an afternoon, my husband did some traditional Fijian hand-line fishing, kava ceremonies, a meek ceremony, beach volleyball and we visited the spa every day. The staff would make you snacks in between meals if you were hungry, the coral and the seashells were amazing and the rainforest absolutely incredible. It was the perfect way to end such an incredible experience. www.qamea.com Teness Herman : Intimate Portraits Grade : A+ WOW. This was an absolutely amazing experience. Teness is absolutely amazing. She made me feel so comfortable and relaxed…an absolute necessity to create the kind of pictures I was going for. I felt like I was taking pictures with a dear old friend. She and I spent months discussing the look and feel of the shoot. She recommended I look at a book called Women Before 10am by Veronique Vial. If you like the style of my intimate portraits (aka Boudoir Pictures…sorry, I think it’s a cheesy name), I would definitely recommend you check out this book for inspiration. We shot for three and a half hours and could have easily gone on for another two. She used multiple cameras and twice as many lenses with nothing but natural light, which really helped in creating a sensual feel. Her enthusiasm, creativity and eye for the perfect shot are truly unparalleled. If you don’t have room in your budget to do this as a wedding gift, I would highly recommend it as a first (paper) anniversary gift. www.teness.com
Beverage A to Z pinot grigio A to Z claret Rolling Rock, Mirror Pond Pale Ale, Fat Tire Amber and Kaliber Reception Menu Hors doeuvres Mini pitas stuffed with hummus and greek salad Dungeness crab cakes with smoky tomato cream for dipping Gazpacho shots Caprese skewers: cherry tomatoes, basil and fresh mozzarella Ginger steamed shrimp dumplings Mini cheeseburgers with roasted mushrooms Open faced BLT panini Portabella mushroom with rosemary sauce and pickled red onion Beverage Rolling Rock, Mirror Pond Pale Ale, Fat Tire Amber Ale and Kaliber A to Z pinot grigio A to Z claret Limonata, aranciata and bottled water Mojitos Fresh peach cosmopolitans served through an ice martini luge www.devilsfoodcatering.com Eric Cable : Wedding Photographer Grade : A+ Holy cow! What can I say about Eric that I haven’t already said other than the fact that he COMPLETELY lived up to our expectations and then some. We booked Eric in 2004, almost two years before our wedding. Photography was one of the most important aspects of the wedding to us and we wanted to get what I perceive as the best. I still believe he’s the best in town. For what we paid for we got an engagement session, unlimited coverage on the day of the wedding (he started at 11:30am and went until 12:30am), two photographers (Eric and his assistant, who took some great shots as well), all of our digital files in both black and white and color on discs, a proof book and all of our files hosted on his site as well. Eric is a photojournalistic photographer. In fact, long before he started shooting weddings he did work for the AP. He has an incredible eye and there’s a richness to his photos that I don’t see in a lot of other photos. Both he and his assistant were so laid back and were hardly noticed, which can be seen in the pictures, as no one seemed to be uncomfortable with someone capturing their every movement (practically) for a day. I would hire Eric over and over if I needed to. In fact, I’ve already talked to him to see if he would take pictures of us in a year or two once we want to update pictures of ourselves. Without a doubt, he’s an amazing photographer! www.profilephoto.com Nocturnal : Reception Venue Grade : A My husband and I had been together for five years when we got engaged and seven years by the time we married. So, even though we were getting married, we had already committed to each other by purchasing a house together, owning our cars together, being listed on each others bank accounts and having spent holidays with each others’ families for the past 7 years. So, when it came to our wedding, we wanted to throw a celebration. Since we’re pretty non-traditional people to begin with, we didn’t feel the need to follow tradition in many aspects of our wedding. We decided we wanted to throw a late-night party for our reception with a lounge feel. Amazingly, there aren’t a whole lot of venues that can accommodate this appropriately in Portland. Somehow we found Nocturnal. Bethany Pratt, the owner, is probably in her late 20s or early 30s. She’s a creative type and has done an amazing job of remodeling/decorating the venue…or hiring someone to do it. You can rent sections of the venue or the whole thing, which we did. There’s a ballroom, a basement with the coolest bar I’ve ever seen (courtesy of the fact that Bethany’s parents own Pratt & Larson tile) and stained cement floors, an outdoor courtyard and then a kitchen off the back courtyard. In terms of an urban/modern space, there’s nothing like it in Portland. Bethany is lacking in enthusiasm and interpersonal skills to do the job that she does (she needs to hire me to sell her space for her!), however, she was always accommodating and willing to work with us. When we first booked the venue, she had a bubbly, fun girl working with her that I’m sure handled much of the client-end of things. My feeling is that Bethany is a more introverted, quiet type that struggles with really selling her space. I would definitely rent the space again, especially for the price. Even though its wonderfully decorated and you really wouldn’t have to do anything to it if you didn’t want to, it also allows for some fantastic decorating if that’s what you’re after. www.nocturnalpdx.com Mt Tabor Amphitheatre : Ceremony Venue Grade : C Well, its dealing with the City of Portland so it can’t be anything too spectacular. In reality, the process was fairly painless, other than the fact that they tried to charge us $100 to use the electrical outlets, telling me that it was for the key to the breaker box so we could use power, only to find out there was power without it. My husband and I are both very outdoorsy, your stereotypical Oregonians in that respect. It only seemed appropriate to have an outdoor ceremony in a beautiful location. The amphitheatre is especially cool since it’s an extinct volcano, I think the only extinct volcano within a city’s limits in the country. When you rent the space, you have it for the entire day, which was good in terms of decorating. The only downside (to some people, anyway) is that it’s a public park, so outsiders can watch, which they did. In fact, it was cool because the amphitheatre is adjacent to the basketball courts in the park. When the ceremony was about to begin, all of the basketball players took a seat on the court and were impromptu guests to our ceremony. There were also quite a few people that stood above the amphitheatre to watch. While this might bother some people, my husband and I didn’t mind in the least. In reality, I might do the same if I were in a public park and saw a wedding happening. www.portlandonline.com Matthew Hoff : Officiant Grade : A This is a friend of ours, actually Sept2005’s husband. We asked him to marry us as he is such a good friend but also because he’s a charismatic, funny public speaker. He did not let us down. We gave him a lot of creative license and while I think that made him nervous, he did with it exactly what we wanted. One minute we would be laughing hysterically and the next crying. He had the perfect combination of funny and serious…we couldn’t have picked a more perfect person for the role! Jitterblooms : Florist Grade : A I almost don’t need to write a vendor review on Jessica since so many people on The Knot have used her. She’s fantastic. I felt like she really understood what I was going for when we began talking…and she totally did. Not only that, she was very flexible when I needed to add some last minute boutonnieres and purchase five flats of wheat grass for our centerpieces. My bouquet was the first all green bouquet she had done and it turned out so well. She’s such a talented lady! www.jitterblooms.com Four Up Inc : Photobooth Photography Grade : A Oh my gosh, this was SUCH a hit! And it seemed like the more people drank, the better and better the pictures got. The guests loved watching other people take theirs as well as doing their own. Manny, that’s the owner of Four Up Inc, was even cracking up with some of the poses. Our package allowed for a printout of each set of pictures to the guest and then we get a copy of all of the digital files on a disc. Since we didn’t do favors, I kind of considered this a favor in a sense. It was so incredibly entertaining and I would highly recommend Manny if you can fit it into your budget. www.fourupinc.com Nicole Wagner : Makeup Artist Grade : A Nicole did makeup non-stop for six hours straight. She did makeup for both of the moms, all five maids of honor, rosy cheeks and lip gloss for the two flower girls and my makeup. Everyone raved about their makeup, some even asked for the colors and how she did it so they could recreate it another time. She’s so talented at making you look like yourself only better. She was so patient with my mom who couldn’t stop crying when Nicole was trying to get her makeup done, and originally only four of the maids of honor wanted to have their makeup done. However, upon seeing everyone else get done up, the fifth maid wanted her makeup done as well. Nicole was so flexible in making that happen, even though she had allotted a very specific amount of time for each. MAC Cosmetics are my regular day-to-day makeup. When I found a new product that I really liked, I emailed Nicole to see if she could use it instead of the foundation she had picked out for me (I don’t use foundation so I was a bit apprehensive). Nicole was totally open to it and even went and bought it at the MAC store so I didn’t have to buy foundation that I would never wear again. I would definitely hire her again. www.perfectbride.blogspot.com Patti Green Salon 77 : Hair Stylist Grade : A Patti is great, what can I say? She’s my regular hairstylist who I’ve been seeing for probably about four years. She doesn’t do wedding styles unless you’re one of her regular clients. However, the girl gives an amazing haircut so if you’re looking for a new stylist, Patti’s your girl. She moved here from NYC where she worked for Toni & Guy. Patti did a great job of doing my hair, which was no small task since my hair is stick straight and I wanted waves. She also did my husband’s hair, she’s his regular stylist as well. And while there’s not much to be done with 1.5 inches of hair, somehow it always looks so great when she does his. www.seventyseven.us Toast Productions : Event Design/Setup Grade : A I met these ladies through a friend of mine. I’ve never met a more resourceful group of ladies. When I said we wanted an ice cream wedding cake, they searched the city high and low looking for someone willing to do it. When I said we wanted a custom-made martini ice luge for not a lot of money, they found it. Rachael, of Toast Productions, is a graphic designer, so she has a great sense of design. While I had a coordinator already hired by the time I met Rachael and Sarah (they’re sisters), I knew I could utilize their skills to turn our reception into what we wanted. We met several times to discuss setup, layout and logistics. On the day of the wedding, they picked up everything for the reception, which was a lot, and spent hours setting it up. They also handled all of the vendors coming into Nocturnal to insure everything was setup just so. These ladies are native Portlanders and extremely well networked. While this is a new business venture for them, you never would have known by their ability to recreate what our vision had been. They also did all of our cleanup for us and promptly delivered it back to my mom’s house the day after the wedding. www.toast-productions.com Look Weddings : Wedding Coordinator Grade : A- Cassia has been doing wedding coordination for about two years. She started because she enjoyed planning her own wedding so much. I work with her at my job and inquired about her services when I heard she was doing coordination. Her design of our custom built website alone was amazing. She used the graphics that my husband’s sister had created for our stationery and created a fairly extensive website. She also contacted all of our vendors the week of the wedding to verify their services for the day of. She setup our entire ceremony (which was hundreds of paper bag luminaries, tables, chairs, etc) and coordinated from there on. Cassia is a fairly reserved person and I think at times is intimidated to exert her assertiveness. However, I think this will only get better as she continues to work. Because she works a full time job, I think she’s become a bit worn down by doing both a full time coordination business along with her job. At this time, I don’t think she’s taking on any new weddings until 2007. www.lookweddings.com Kristin Bradetich : Graphic Design for Stationery Grade : A+ Well, Kristin is my husband’s older sister. By career, she designs logos for apparel for a small athletic apparel company in Boulder. When we asked her to help us with our stationery, she was very enthusiastic. She did a great job of taking our ideas and turning them into something that was stylish, unique and really created the essence of our wedding. She designed a logo we put on everything, our save the dates, invitations (including RSVP and Reception cards), rehearsal dinner invitations, programs, menu cards, Just Married sign for our getaway car and thank you cards. While she doesn’t create custom invitations for people, she should probably consider it as she’s very talented. Anders Printing : Stationery Printing Grade : B I worked with Jill at Anders to get the majority of our printing done. It felt good to be working with a local company to complete our printing needs. Jill was very friendly and helpful and they did a great job of getting the work turned around in a short time period. They printed everything from our logos on stickers to our save the dates, invitations and rehearsal dinner invitations. After getting quotes for our save the dates, I didn’t search around after that to see if I could find a better deal. So, when we had our invitations printed offset, I don’t know if it was cheaper than another printer. I was very clear with my requests on each job (thanks to the help of the graphic designer). However, when our invitations were ready, she charged me an extra $25 and I had A LOT of extra copies, far more than I had requested. I meant to question why we had been charged more than originally quoted and why we had so many extras but I never got around to it. I probably should have asked for a discount since they asked if they could put our invitations on their website. All in all, this was a good experience. www.andersprinting.com DJ Stay in School - Martin Wilson : Reception DJ Grade : B My husband is a big fan of electronica music. So, when it came time to hire a DJ, my husband took on this role. We contacted Connie Wohn of Stylus 503 (a DJ cooperative), thanks to a referral from Bethany of Nocturnal. Connie sent us a whole package of samples of different DJs. We chose Martin because of his style, obviously. He did a great job but I think there was too much going on at the reception (photobooth, downstairs bar, outdoor courtyard) to really get people dancing. While people did dance, I think they would have done more of it had we not had so much else going on. Martin did que up the wrong music (we provided specific music for specific events during the evening since he doesn’t have the regular wedding DJ collection) for the Mother/Son dance and didn’t que up any music for the cake cutting. However, I don’t think the cake cutting music was his fault as the coordinator didn’t let him know the cake was going to make its grand entrance. www.djstayinschool.com Taste of Honey - Honey Everett : Wedding Cake Grade : A As mentioned before, we wanted an ice cream cake as our wedding cake. Neither of us like cake. Amazingly, getting someone to make a wedding cake out of ice cream is harder than you might imagine. Every person we contacted acted like we were crazy. However, when we found Honey, she definitely knew what she was talking about. There are a lot of logistics involved with an ice cream wedding cake, i.e. delivery, setup, serving it, icing it, etc. Honey had such confidence that I wasn’t the least bit worried. We had three flavors, one of which being mint chocolate chip (the others I don’t remember), with a brownie bottom. Honey delivered and setup the cake after the reception had started. It tasted great and looked fantastic, even though it had started to melt, which I found somewhat charming, being as that it was ice cream cake! Oregon Chamber Players : Ceremony Musicians Grade : B- This was another responsibility of my husband’s. We picked all non-traditional music (Coldplay, The Verve, Enya) and had to find the sheet music for all of the songs we wanted played. Originally, we were going to use the Metropolitan Youth Symphony. However, once they started to review the sheet music for the songs we wanted played, they realized that they didn’t really currently have that kind of depth. Last minute, three weeks before the wedding, we had to find someone new. Considering the amount of time they had, the Oregon Chamber Players did great. They did mess up on one of the songs but it wasn’t really worth getting upset over. I also would have preferred a string quartet (which was our original plan) but that wasn’t really their fault. www.oregonchamberplayers.org Blizzard Motors : Getaway Car Grade : A Almost two years ago my husband and I bought a car from this lot (its in SE Portland). The lot is primarily fine European cars. When we were there to pick up our newly purchased car, the owner of the lot told us he would loan us a car of our choice for our wedding. My fiance chose a convertible Porsche to drive from the ceremony. It was a beautiful little black shiny thing and my husband thoroughly enjoyed driving it. I don’t know if Doug would be willing to rent out any of his cars but if you’re interested it might not hurt to ask. Western Culinary Institute : Martini Ice Luge Grade : A This was one of the best budget friendly finds of our entire wedding. We really wanted to have a martini luge but found that they were rather expensive to have made…that was, until we found out about the Western Culinary Institute’s ice sculpture class. Basically, they told us they could create anything we wanted and all we had to do was provide them with a drawing. My mom, who’s an artist, drew a great design, in keeping with our theme and stationery, and we provided it to WCI. They not only did a great job of recreating it but the cost included transporting it, delivery and setup. We paid more than they asked for, to donate towards their program, but regardless it was well worth it. Definitely one of the main highlights of the reception for our guests. Spa La La : Pre-Wedding Pampering Grade : B+ As part of my gift to the ladies in the wedding, I treated them to manicures and pedicures at Spa La La. While it’s not the best manicure and pedicure in town (my best friend and I often refer to them as the chop shop), the decor and vibe is great and they’ll serve you all the mimosas you want. We had twelve of us (the moms, five maids of honor, two readers, the two flower girls and myself) there and it was like our own little private party. The staff was very friendly and efficient and I think the ladies all enjoyed getting their nails done. www.spalala.net The Face Place – Dorene Klippel : Facial and Brazilian Wax Grade : A I’ve gone to Dorene every month for the last six years for a Brazilian wax. She does a fantastic job at those…well, it’s a Brazilian wax so it’s not like it feels good but in terms of the final look, she does a tremendous job. However, I decided to get a facial from her as well. Wow! Her facial was by far the best facial I’ve ever had…not only did I fall asleep but she did such an incredibly thorough job. It will be hard not to make getting a facial from her a monthly occurrence as well. www.waxqueen.com Salon 77 – Mahria Martinez : Brow Wax Grade : A+ I pretty much have caterpillars for eyebrows…I’m not kidding. So, not only do my eyebrows need to be professionally groomed on a regular basis but they need to be done well. Mahria is a dream…seriously, she’s absolutely amazing. It’s the only kind of waxing she does…you know if a girl can make a living off of just waxing eyebrows, she’s got to be good! And not only that, she’s the sweetest thing you’ve ever met. www.seventyseven.us Diane Jensen : Massage Grade : A+ So, I have to admit that before my husband and I bought our house, Diane was our landlord. However, my husband has some pretty severe back injuries (thanks to a motorcycle) and is always up for a massage. That being said, we get a lot of massages. Diane is fantastic. She works in a chiropractic clinic off of NW 23rd (which the chiropractor there is also fantastic, Suzanne Lady) and does pretty much any type of massage you’d like. If I were to say I have a regular LMT, Diane would be it…and without failure, I fall asleep on her table every time. She’s fantastic and a lot cheaper than a mediocre spa massage. And, she is so incredibly kind and sweet as well…you can’t beat that! She used to have a website but it doesn’t look like she does anymore. Contact me if you want to get in touch with her. Embellish Design : Wedding Dress Grade : A+ I went shopping on several different occasions for a wedding dress. After searching most of Portland for the dress, I decided to visit Terri at Embellish Design. Now, I would not even waste time looking for dresses to order. In the end, my dress cost less than any of my final choices of the dresses I found in the salons. Not only that, the experience was so incredibly fun. Originally, I went into her studio with pictures of my final choices as well as other dresses I liked. We went through each picture and discussed what I liked about each one. We took elements from all of those to create my dress. Terri is so knowledgeable about what she does and extremely talented in the art of designing and sewing gowns. We discussed everything from different fabrics to different styles and the pluses and negatives of each. In the end, I had a dress that was exactly what I wanted, custom fit to my body. I would highly recommend working with Terri. I hope that I’ll have a reason for her to make me another dress (she makes party dresses too) some time. www.embellishdesign.com Patty Lehner : Wedding Jewelry Grade : A+ I saw a variation of my wedding dress in an Oregon Bride magazine months before my wedding. The earrings that the model was wearing were wonderful. When I looked up where they came from, the magazine said Ella Posie (which is now closed but was on NE Broadway). Carmen (who is also a wedding coordinator) of Ella Posie got me in touch with Patty, who had designed the jewelry. Patty was an absolute delight to work with…kind of like working with your spunky grandmother. We talked about what I wanted and she worked efficiently to get pieces done for me. She made a variation of the earrings I wanted with several different types of pearls and different lengths so I had something to choose from. Then, she made a bangle to match. And when I asked for some extra pearls and crystals for my ring bearer pillow and hair jewelry, not only did she have no problem sending me on my way with a little bag of each but she also refused to charge me for them when I tried to pay her. August Veils : Hair Jewelry Grade : A Patty referred me to Andrea to have my hair jewelry made (Patty doesn’t like to make it). I brought the pearls and crystals that Patty had used in my jewelry to have Andrea create some sparkle for my hair. She created exactly what I was looking for and in a very short amount of time. www.augustveils.com Cromwell Formalwear : Tuxedo Rentals Grade : A While my husband bought a suit for the wedding, we needed rentals for everyone else. Cromwell’s had a good selection and a helpful staff. They kept us informed on everyone who had, or hadn’t, been fitted and I didn’t hear of any problems that anyone had with their rentals. www.cromwellformalwear.com Twist : Wedding Rings Grade : A We searched for quite some time to find rings that we really loved. While I love the traditional platinum eternity band, I wanted something a little different to go with my princess cut solitaire. My husband wanted a platinum ring but not completely plain. Twist, although not a store you would typically think of for wedding bands, had just what we were looking for. The staff was very friendly and when they ordered our rings, they said it would take eight weeks to get them in (which was cutting it really close). Two weeks later, we received a call letting us know that our rings were in. I love the uniqueness of our rings! www.twistonline.com Shane Co : Engagement Ring Grade : C+ In one week, my husband sold his motorcycle, decided to ask me to marry him and bought a ring. The ring is exactly what I would have picked out, a plain platinum band with a princess cut solitaire. However, if I had had a say in it, I never would have gotten my ring at Shane Co. I think their staff is kind of tacky, not to mention their showroom, and I’m always frustrated by their service when I take my ring in to be cleaned or polished...and lets not even begin to discuss their ads! www.shaneco.com Hotel Lucia : Wedding Night Hotel Grade : A I love this place! We booked their “Did I Mention I Want You?” package in a King Suite. When we arrived at the hotel with nothing but the wedding clothes we were still wearing, they were quick to check us in. Our bed was covered in rose petals, there was music playing, champagne being chilled and a box of toys, i.e. body crayons, furry handcuffs and a book of positions for every day of the year. We ordered room service at about 1:30am because neither of us really ate at our reception. They were prompt and the food was tasty. I wish we didn’t live in Portland so we had more reasons to stay here…it’s such a chic hotel! www.hotellucia.com Bluestar Charter : Guest Transportation Grade : C Originally, we were expecting a lot of guests from out of state. We booked a charter bus to pick up guests from downtown Portland and transport them to Mt Tabor Park and then to Nocturnal. Unfortunately, my husbands grandfather passed away two months before our wedding and many of what we assumed would be the out of town guests could no longer make it due to their last minute flights to the funeral. Regardless, I still think this was a good thing to have. However, we revised our timeline for the bus and faxed it in. For whatever reason, they didn’t follow this and were 1.5 hours early to pick up guests and consequently ended their evening 1.5 hours earlier than we were originally anticipating. I’m not sure why they were running on the old timeline as I had faxed the revised one to them. While in the grand scheme of things, it wasn’t that big of a deal, I was irritated that we had paid for something and then couldn’t even utilize it for 1.5 hours. www.bluestarbus.com The Party Place : Chair Rentals Grade : A Although Mt Tabor Amphitheatre has some benches, we rented some chairs as well to insure we had enough seating. To be honest, I have no idea if this all worked out. I assume they arrived on time as they were all set up prior to the ceremony. And I assume they were picked up just fine since I haven’t heard from them about not getting their chairs back or something. Unforgettable Honeymoons Renee Duane-Meyer : Travel Agent Grade : A for knowledge, C for personality When it came time to plan our honeymoon, we were running out of energy, especially to plan the fantastic honeymoon we both wanted. While we both found Renee to be fairly pretentious and full of herself, she was very knowledgeable. At first, we wanted to go to Bora Bora and Taha’a. However, Renee couldn’t find us any availability for the room types we wanted. She asked us if we would consider Fiji, which we of course would and did. She booked us for 7 nights at Qamea Resort and Spa in Fiji in a premium villa. The resort was amazing but I grew a bit concerned when four different couples at the resort (which has a maximum capacity for 28 adults total) had been booked there with Renee from Unforgettable Honeymoons. I don’t know what sort of a kickback Renee receives for referring clients there and I guess it doesn’t really matter because the resort really is all she says it is. However, it doesn’t feel very good to feel like she’s only sending people to that one place, especially when we already felt like she had a pretty inflated ego. My best friend and her husband booked through Unforgettable Honeymoons for their honeymoon, not with Renee, and said their experience was great. If I had it to do over again, I would try to book with another travel agent there. www.unforgettablehoneymoons.com Qamea Resort and Spa : Honeymoon Grade : A+ Wow! This place was incredible, even when it was overcast most of the week we were there! We flew for close to 14 hours, PDX to LAX, LAX to Nadi, Fiji and then on a puddle jumper from Nadi to Taveuni. Then we were driven in a Range Rover for 20 minutes on a dirt rode to a beach where we got on a boat and went on a 10-minute boat ride across to the island of Qamea. We were greeted by a smiling and friendly staff, taken to their restaurant/lounge villa where we were served cocktails and fruit plates and given a quick rundown of the resort. Our accommodations were amazing. Our villa included a daybed and a pool on our deck, a large outdoor shower, a large bathroom that included a walk-in closet, two sinks, a towel warmer, large shower and then a large room with a four-poster bed on a platform with amazing linens and sheer curtains hanging, and then a living area with a couch, coffee table, stereo, lounge chairs, etc. I’ve never stayed in such an incredible place. The staff was so incredibly friendly, the food was some of the best food I’ve ever eaten. We snorkeled, went for a hike in the rainforest, swam in waterfalls, went to visit a village, did some nude sunbathing on our own private beach for an afternoon, my husband did some traditional Fijian hand-line fishing, kava ceremonies, a meek ceremony, beach volleyball and we visited the spa every day. The staff would make you snacks in between meals if you were hungry, the coral and the seashells were amazing and the rainforest absolutely incredible. It was the perfect way to end such an incredible experience. www.qamea.com Teness Herman : Intimate Portraits Grade : A+ WOW. This was an absolutely amazing experience. Teness is absolutely amazing. She made me feel so comfortable and relaxed…an absolute necessity to create the kind of pictures I was going for. I felt like I was taking pictures with a dear old friend. She and I spent months discussing the look and feel of the shoot. She recommended I look at a book called Women Before 10am by Veronique Vial. If you like the style of my intimate portraits (aka Boudoir Pictures…sorry, I think it’s a cheesy name), I would definitely recommend you check out this book for inspiration. We shot for three and a half hours and could have easily gone on for another two. She used multiple cameras and twice as many lenses with nothing but natural light, which really helped in creating a sensual feel. Her enthusiasm, creativity and eye for the perfect shot are truly unparalleled. If you don’t have room in your budget to do this as a wedding gift, I would highly recommend it as a first (paper) anniversary gift. www.teness.com
Reception Menu Hors doeuvres Mini pitas stuffed with hummus and greek salad Dungeness crab cakes with smoky tomato cream for dipping Gazpacho shots Caprese skewers: cherry tomatoes, basil and fresh mozzarella Ginger steamed shrimp dumplings Mini cheeseburgers with roasted mushrooms Open faced BLT panini Portabella mushroom with rosemary sauce and pickled red onion Beverage Rolling Rock, Mirror Pond Pale Ale, Fat Tire Amber Ale and Kaliber A to Z pinot grigio A to Z claret Limonata, aranciata and bottled water Mojitos Fresh peach cosmopolitans served through an ice martini luge www.devilsfoodcatering.com Eric Cable : Wedding Photographer Grade : A+ Holy cow! What can I say about Eric that I haven’t already said other than the fact that he COMPLETELY lived up to our expectations and then some. We booked Eric in 2004, almost two years before our wedding. Photography was one of the most important aspects of the wedding to us and we wanted to get what I perceive as the best. I still believe he’s the best in town. For what we paid for we got an engagement session, unlimited coverage on the day of the wedding (he started at 11:30am and went until 12:30am), two photographers (Eric and his assistant, who took some great shots as well), all of our digital files in both black and white and color on discs, a proof book and all of our files hosted on his site as well. Eric is a photojournalistic photographer. In fact, long before he started shooting weddings he did work for the AP. He has an incredible eye and there’s a richness to his photos that I don’t see in a lot of other photos. Both he and his assistant were so laid back and were hardly noticed, which can be seen in the pictures, as no one seemed to be uncomfortable with someone capturing their every movement (practically) for a day. I would hire Eric over and over if I needed to. In fact, I’ve already talked to him to see if he would take pictures of us in a year or two once we want to update pictures of ourselves. Without a doubt, he’s an amazing photographer! www.profilephoto.com Nocturnal : Reception Venue Grade : A My husband and I had been together for five years when we got engaged and seven years by the time we married. So, even though we were getting married, we had already committed to each other by purchasing a house together, owning our cars together, being listed on each others bank accounts and having spent holidays with each others’ families for the past 7 years. So, when it came to our wedding, we wanted to throw a celebration. Since we’re pretty non-traditional people to begin with, we didn’t feel the need to follow tradition in many aspects of our wedding. We decided we wanted to throw a late-night party for our reception with a lounge feel. Amazingly, there aren’t a whole lot of venues that can accommodate this appropriately in Portland. Somehow we found Nocturnal. Bethany Pratt, the owner, is probably in her late 20s or early 30s. She’s a creative type and has done an amazing job of remodeling/decorating the venue…or hiring someone to do it. You can rent sections of the venue or the whole thing, which we did. There’s a ballroom, a basement with the coolest bar I’ve ever seen (courtesy of the fact that Bethany’s parents own Pratt & Larson tile) and stained cement floors, an outdoor courtyard and then a kitchen off the back courtyard. In terms of an urban/modern space, there’s nothing like it in Portland. Bethany is lacking in enthusiasm and interpersonal skills to do the job that she does (she needs to hire me to sell her space for her!), however, she was always accommodating and willing to work with us. When we first booked the venue, she had a bubbly, fun girl working with her that I’m sure handled much of the client-end of things. My feeling is that Bethany is a more introverted, quiet type that struggles with really selling her space. I would definitely rent the space again, especially for the price. Even though its wonderfully decorated and you really wouldn’t have to do anything to it if you didn’t want to, it also allows for some fantastic decorating if that’s what you’re after. www.nocturnalpdx.com Mt Tabor Amphitheatre : Ceremony Venue Grade : C Well, its dealing with the City of Portland so it can’t be anything too spectacular. In reality, the process was fairly painless, other than the fact that they tried to charge us $100 to use the electrical outlets, telling me that it was for the key to the breaker box so we could use power, only to find out there was power without it. My husband and I are both very outdoorsy, your stereotypical Oregonians in that respect. It only seemed appropriate to have an outdoor ceremony in a beautiful location. The amphitheatre is especially cool since it’s an extinct volcano, I think the only extinct volcano within a city’s limits in the country. When you rent the space, you have it for the entire day, which was good in terms of decorating. The only downside (to some people, anyway) is that it’s a public park, so outsiders can watch, which they did. In fact, it was cool because the amphitheatre is adjacent to the basketball courts in the park. When the ceremony was about to begin, all of the basketball players took a seat on the court and were impromptu guests to our ceremony. There were also quite a few people that stood above the amphitheatre to watch. While this might bother some people, my husband and I didn’t mind in the least. In reality, I might do the same if I were in a public park and saw a wedding happening. www.portlandonline.com Matthew Hoff : Officiant Grade : A This is a friend of ours, actually Sept2005’s husband. We asked him to marry us as he is such a good friend but also because he’s a charismatic, funny public speaker. He did not let us down. We gave him a lot of creative license and while I think that made him nervous, he did with it exactly what we wanted. One minute we would be laughing hysterically and the next crying. He had the perfect combination of funny and serious…we couldn’t have picked a more perfect person for the role! Jitterblooms : Florist Grade : A I almost don’t need to write a vendor review on Jessica since so many people on The Knot have used her. She’s fantastic. I felt like she really understood what I was going for when we began talking…and she totally did. Not only that, she was very flexible when I needed to add some last minute boutonnieres and purchase five flats of wheat grass for our centerpieces. My bouquet was the first all green bouquet she had done and it turned out so well. She’s such a talented lady! www.jitterblooms.com Four Up Inc : Photobooth Photography Grade : A Oh my gosh, this was SUCH a hit! And it seemed like the more people drank, the better and better the pictures got. The guests loved watching other people take theirs as well as doing their own. Manny, that’s the owner of Four Up Inc, was even cracking up with some of the poses. Our package allowed for a printout of each set of pictures to the guest and then we get a copy of all of the digital files on a disc. Since we didn’t do favors, I kind of considered this a favor in a sense. It was so incredibly entertaining and I would highly recommend Manny if you can fit it into your budget. www.fourupinc.com Nicole Wagner : Makeup Artist Grade : A Nicole did makeup non-stop for six hours straight. She did makeup for both of the moms, all five maids of honor, rosy cheeks and lip gloss for the two flower girls and my makeup. Everyone raved about their makeup, some even asked for the colors and how she did it so they could recreate it another time. She’s so talented at making you look like yourself only better. She was so patient with my mom who couldn’t stop crying when Nicole was trying to get her makeup done, and originally only four of the maids of honor wanted to have their makeup done. However, upon seeing everyone else get done up, the fifth maid wanted her makeup done as well. Nicole was so flexible in making that happen, even though she had allotted a very specific amount of time for each. MAC Cosmetics are my regular day-to-day makeup. When I found a new product that I really liked, I emailed Nicole to see if she could use it instead of the foundation she had picked out for me (I don’t use foundation so I was a bit apprehensive). Nicole was totally open to it and even went and bought it at the MAC store so I didn’t have to buy foundation that I would never wear again. I would definitely hire her again. www.perfectbride.blogspot.com Patti Green Salon 77 : Hair Stylist Grade : A Patti is great, what can I say? She’s my regular hairstylist who I’ve been seeing for probably about four years. She doesn’t do wedding styles unless you’re one of her regular clients. However, the girl gives an amazing haircut so if you’re looking for a new stylist, Patti’s your girl. She moved here from NYC where she worked for Toni & Guy. Patti did a great job of doing my hair, which was no small task since my hair is stick straight and I wanted waves. She also did my husband’s hair, she’s his regular stylist as well. And while there’s not much to be done with 1.5 inches of hair, somehow it always looks so great when she does his. www.seventyseven.us Toast Productions : Event Design/Setup Grade : A I met these ladies through a friend of mine. I’ve never met a more resourceful group of ladies. When I said we wanted an ice cream wedding cake, they searched the city high and low looking for someone willing to do it. When I said we wanted a custom-made martini ice luge for not a lot of money, they found it. Rachael, of Toast Productions, is a graphic designer, so she has a great sense of design. While I had a coordinator already hired by the time I met Rachael and Sarah (they’re sisters), I knew I could utilize their skills to turn our reception into what we wanted. We met several times to discuss setup, layout and logistics. On the day of the wedding, they picked up everything for the reception, which was a lot, and spent hours setting it up. They also handled all of the vendors coming into Nocturnal to insure everything was setup just so. These ladies are native Portlanders and extremely well networked. While this is a new business venture for them, you never would have known by their ability to recreate what our vision had been. They also did all of our cleanup for us and promptly delivered it back to my mom’s house the day after the wedding. www.toast-productions.com Look Weddings : Wedding Coordinator Grade : A- Cassia has been doing wedding coordination for about two years. She started because she enjoyed planning her own wedding so much. I work with her at my job and inquired about her services when I heard she was doing coordination. Her design of our custom built website alone was amazing. She used the graphics that my husband’s sister had created for our stationery and created a fairly extensive website. She also contacted all of our vendors the week of the wedding to verify their services for the day of. She setup our entire ceremony (which was hundreds of paper bag luminaries, tables, chairs, etc) and coordinated from there on. Cassia is a fairly reserved person and I think at times is intimidated to exert her assertiveness. However, I think this will only get better as she continues to work. Because she works a full time job, I think she’s become a bit worn down by doing both a full time coordination business along with her job. At this time, I don’t think she’s taking on any new weddings until 2007. www.lookweddings.com Kristin Bradetich : Graphic Design for Stationery Grade : A+ Well, Kristin is my husband’s older sister. By career, she designs logos for apparel for a small athletic apparel company in Boulder. When we asked her to help us with our stationery, she was very enthusiastic. She did a great job of taking our ideas and turning them into something that was stylish, unique and really created the essence of our wedding. She designed a logo we put on everything, our save the dates, invitations (including RSVP and Reception cards), rehearsal dinner invitations, programs, menu cards, Just Married sign for our getaway car and thank you cards. While she doesn’t create custom invitations for people, she should probably consider it as she’s very talented. Anders Printing : Stationery Printing Grade : B I worked with Jill at Anders to get the majority of our printing done. It felt good to be working with a local company to complete our printing needs. Jill was very friendly and helpful and they did a great job of getting the work turned around in a short time period. They printed everything from our logos on stickers to our save the dates, invitations and rehearsal dinner invitations. After getting quotes for our save the dates, I didn’t search around after that to see if I could find a better deal. So, when we had our invitations printed offset, I don’t know if it was cheaper than another printer. I was very clear with my requests on each job (thanks to the help of the graphic designer). However, when our invitations were ready, she charged me an extra $25 and I had A LOT of extra copies, far more than I had requested. I meant to question why we had been charged more than originally quoted and why we had so many extras but I never got around to it. I probably should have asked for a discount since they asked if they could put our invitations on their website. All in all, this was a good experience. www.andersprinting.com DJ Stay in School - Martin Wilson : Reception DJ Grade : B My husband is a big fan of electronica music. So, when it came time to hire a DJ, my husband took on this role. We contacted Connie Wohn of Stylus 503 (a DJ cooperative), thanks to a referral from Bethany of Nocturnal. Connie sent us a whole package of samples of different DJs. We chose Martin because of his style, obviously. He did a great job but I think there was too much going on at the reception (photobooth, downstairs bar, outdoor courtyard) to really get people dancing. While people did dance, I think they would have done more of it had we not had so much else going on. Martin did que up the wrong music (we provided specific music for specific events during the evening since he doesn’t have the regular wedding DJ collection) for the Mother/Son dance and didn’t que up any music for the cake cutting. However, I don’t think the cake cutting music was his fault as the coordinator didn’t let him know the cake was going to make its grand entrance. www.djstayinschool.com Taste of Honey - Honey Everett : Wedding Cake Grade : A As mentioned before, we wanted an ice cream cake as our wedding cake. Neither of us like cake. Amazingly, getting someone to make a wedding cake out of ice cream is harder than you might imagine. Every person we contacted acted like we were crazy. However, when we found Honey, she definitely knew what she was talking about. There are a lot of logistics involved with an ice cream wedding cake, i.e. delivery, setup, serving it, icing it, etc. Honey had such confidence that I wasn’t the least bit worried. We had three flavors, one of which being mint chocolate chip (the others I don’t remember), with a brownie bottom. Honey delivered and setup the cake after the reception had started. It tasted great and looked fantastic, even though it had started to melt, which I found somewhat charming, being as that it was ice cream cake! Oregon Chamber Players : Ceremony Musicians Grade : B- This was another responsibility of my husband’s. We picked all non-traditional music (Coldplay, The Verve, Enya) and had to find the sheet music for all of the songs we wanted played. Originally, we were going to use the Metropolitan Youth Symphony. However, once they started to review the sheet music for the songs we wanted played, they realized that they didn’t really currently have that kind of depth. Last minute, three weeks before the wedding, we had to find someone new. Considering the amount of time they had, the Oregon Chamber Players did great. They did mess up on one of the songs but it wasn’t really worth getting upset over. I also would have preferred a string quartet (which was our original plan) but that wasn’t really their fault. www.oregonchamberplayers.org Blizzard Motors : Getaway Car Grade : A Almost two years ago my husband and I bought a car from this lot (its in SE Portland). The lot is primarily fine European cars. When we were there to pick up our newly purchased car, the owner of the lot told us he would loan us a car of our choice for our wedding. My fiance chose a convertible Porsche to drive from the ceremony. It was a beautiful little black shiny thing and my husband thoroughly enjoyed driving it. I don’t know if Doug would be willing to rent out any of his cars but if you’re interested it might not hurt to ask. Western Culinary Institute : Martini Ice Luge Grade : A This was one of the best budget friendly finds of our entire wedding. We really wanted to have a martini luge but found that they were rather expensive to have made…that was, until we found out about the Western Culinary Institute’s ice sculpture class. Basically, they told us they could create anything we wanted and all we had to do was provide them with a drawing. My mom, who’s an artist, drew a great design, in keeping with our theme and stationery, and we provided it to WCI. They not only did a great job of recreating it but the cost included transporting it, delivery and setup. We paid more than they asked for, to donate towards their program, but regardless it was well worth it. Definitely one of the main highlights of the reception for our guests. Spa La La : Pre-Wedding Pampering Grade : B+ As part of my gift to the ladies in the wedding, I treated them to manicures and pedicures at Spa La La. While it’s not the best manicure and pedicure in town (my best friend and I often refer to them as the chop shop), the decor and vibe is great and they’ll serve you all the mimosas you want. We had twelve of us (the moms, five maids of honor, two readers, the two flower girls and myself) there and it was like our own little private party. The staff was very friendly and efficient and I think the ladies all enjoyed getting their nails done. www.spalala.net The Face Place – Dorene Klippel : Facial and Brazilian Wax Grade : A I’ve gone to Dorene every month for the last six years for a Brazilian wax. She does a fantastic job at those…well, it’s a Brazilian wax so it’s not like it feels good but in terms of the final look, she does a tremendous job. However, I decided to get a facial from her as well. Wow! Her facial was by far the best facial I’ve ever had…not only did I fall asleep but she did such an incredibly thorough job. It will be hard not to make getting a facial from her a monthly occurrence as well. www.waxqueen.com Salon 77 – Mahria Martinez : Brow Wax Grade : A+ I pretty much have caterpillars for eyebrows…I’m not kidding. So, not only do my eyebrows need to be professionally groomed on a regular basis but they need to be done well. Mahria is a dream…seriously, she’s absolutely amazing. It’s the only kind of waxing she does…you know if a girl can make a living off of just waxing eyebrows, she’s got to be good! And not only that, she’s the sweetest thing you’ve ever met. www.seventyseven.us Diane Jensen : Massage Grade : A+ So, I have to admit that before my husband and I bought our house, Diane was our landlord. However, my husband has some pretty severe back injuries (thanks to a motorcycle) and is always up for a massage. That being said, we get a lot of massages. Diane is fantastic. She works in a chiropractic clinic off of NW 23rd (which the chiropractor there is also fantastic, Suzanne Lady) and does pretty much any type of massage you’d like. If I were to say I have a regular LMT, Diane would be it…and without failure, I fall asleep on her table every time. She’s fantastic and a lot cheaper than a mediocre spa massage. And, she is so incredibly kind and sweet as well…you can’t beat that! She used to have a website but it doesn’t look like she does anymore. Contact me if you want to get in touch with her. Embellish Design : Wedding Dress Grade : A+ I went shopping on several different occasions for a wedding dress. After searching most of Portland for the dress, I decided to visit Terri at Embellish Design. Now, I would not even waste time looking for dresses to order. In the end, my dress cost less than any of my final choices of the dresses I found in the salons. Not only that, the experience was so incredibly fun. Originally, I went into her studio with pictures of my final choices as well as other dresses I liked. We went through each picture and discussed what I liked about each one. We took elements from all of those to create my dress. Terri is so knowledgeable about what she does and extremely talented in the art of designing and sewing gowns. We discussed everything from different fabrics to different styles and the pluses and negatives of each. In the end, I had a dress that was exactly what I wanted, custom fit to my body. I would highly recommend working with Terri. I hope that I’ll have a reason for her to make me another dress (she makes party dresses too) some time. www.embellishdesign.com Patty Lehner : Wedding Jewelry Grade : A+ I saw a variation of my wedding dress in an Oregon Bride magazine months before my wedding. The earrings that the model was wearing were wonderful. When I looked up where they came from, the magazine said Ella Posie (which is now closed but was on NE Broadway). Carmen (who is also a wedding coordinator) of Ella Posie got me in touch with Patty, who had designed the jewelry. Patty was an absolute delight to work with…kind of like working with your spunky grandmother. We talked about what I wanted and she worked efficiently to get pieces done for me. She made a variation of the earrings I wanted with several different types of pearls and different lengths so I had something to choose from. Then, she made a bangle to match. And when I asked for some extra pearls and crystals for my ring bearer pillow and hair jewelry, not only did she have no problem sending me on my way with a little bag of each but she also refused to charge me for them when I tried to pay her. August Veils : Hair Jewelry Grade : A Patty referred me to Andrea to have my hair jewelry made (Patty doesn’t like to make it). I brought the pearls and crystals that Patty had used in my jewelry to have Andrea create some sparkle for my hair. She created exactly what I was looking for and in a very short amount of time. www.augustveils.com Cromwell Formalwear : Tuxedo Rentals Grade : A While my husband bought a suit for the wedding, we needed rentals for everyone else. Cromwell’s had a good selection and a helpful staff. They kept us informed on everyone who had, or hadn’t, been fitted and I didn’t hear of any problems that anyone had with their rentals. www.cromwellformalwear.com Twist : Wedding Rings Grade : A We searched for quite some time to find rings that we really loved. While I love the traditional platinum eternity band, I wanted something a little different to go with my princess cut solitaire. My husband wanted a platinum ring but not completely plain. Twist, although not a store you would typically think of for wedding bands, had just what we were looking for. The staff was very friendly and when they ordered our rings, they said it would take eight weeks to get them in (which was cutting it really close). Two weeks later, we received a call letting us know that our rings were in. I love the uniqueness of our rings! www.twistonline.com Shane Co : Engagement Ring Grade : C+ In one week, my husband sold his motorcycle, decided to ask me to marry him and bought a ring. The ring is exactly what I would have picked out, a plain platinum band with a princess cut solitaire. However, if I had had a say in it, I never would have gotten my ring at Shane Co. I think their staff is kind of tacky, not to mention their showroom, and I’m always frustrated by their service when I take my ring in to be cleaned or polished...and lets not even begin to discuss their ads! www.shaneco.com Hotel Lucia : Wedding Night Hotel Grade : A I love this place! We booked their “Did I Mention I Want You?” package in a King Suite. When we arrived at the hotel with nothing but the wedding clothes we were still wearing, they were quick to check us in. Our bed was covered in rose petals, there was music playing, champagne being chilled and a box of toys, i.e. body crayons, furry handcuffs and a book of positions for every day of the year. We ordered room service at about 1:30am because neither of us really ate at our reception. They were prompt and the food was tasty. I wish we didn’t live in Portland so we had more reasons to stay here…it’s such a chic hotel! www.hotellucia.com Bluestar Charter : Guest Transportation Grade : C Originally, we were expecting a lot of guests from out of state. We booked a charter bus to pick up guests from downtown Portland and transport them to Mt Tabor Park and then to Nocturnal. Unfortunately, my husbands grandfather passed away two months before our wedding and many of what we assumed would be the out of town guests could no longer make it due to their last minute flights to the funeral. Regardless, I still think this was a good thing to have. However, we revised our timeline for the bus and faxed it in. For whatever reason, they didn’t follow this and were 1.5 hours early to pick up guests and consequently ended their evening 1.5 hours earlier than we were originally anticipating. I’m not sure why they were running on the old timeline as I had faxed the revised one to them. While in the grand scheme of things, it wasn’t that big of a deal, I was irritated that we had paid for something and then couldn’t even utilize it for 1.5 hours. www.bluestarbus.com The Party Place : Chair Rentals Grade : A Although Mt Tabor Amphitheatre has some benches, we rented some chairs as well to insure we had enough seating. To be honest, I have no idea if this all worked out. I assume they arrived on time as they were all set up prior to the ceremony. And I assume they were picked up just fine since I haven’t heard from them about not getting their chairs back or something. Unforgettable Honeymoons Renee Duane-Meyer : Travel Agent Grade : A for knowledge, C for personality When it came time to plan our honeymoon, we were running out of energy, especially to plan the fantastic honeymoon we both wanted. While we both found Renee to be fairly pretentious and full of herself, she was very knowledgeable. At first, we wanted to go to Bora Bora and Taha’a. However, Renee couldn’t find us any availability for the room types we wanted. She asked us if we would consider Fiji, which we of course would and did. She booked us for 7 nights at Qamea Resort and Spa in Fiji in a premium villa. The resort was amazing but I grew a bit concerned when four different couples at the resort (which has a maximum capacity for 28 adults total) had been booked there with Renee from Unforgettable Honeymoons. I don’t know what sort of a kickback Renee receives for referring clients there and I guess it doesn’t really matter because the resort really is all she says it is. However, it doesn’t feel very good to feel like she’s only sending people to that one place, especially when we already felt like she had a pretty inflated ego. My best friend and her husband booked through Unforgettable Honeymoons for their honeymoon, not with Renee, and said their experience was great. If I had it to do over again, I would try to book with another travel agent there. www.unforgettablehoneymoons.com Qamea Resort and Spa : Honeymoon Grade : A+ Wow! This place was incredible, even when it was overcast most of the week we were there! We flew for close to 14 hours, PDX to LAX, LAX to Nadi, Fiji and then on a puddle jumper from Nadi to Taveuni. Then we were driven in a Range Rover for 20 minutes on a dirt rode to a beach where we got on a boat and went on a 10-minute boat ride across to the island of Qamea. We were greeted by a smiling and friendly staff, taken to their restaurant/lounge villa where we were served cocktails and fruit plates and given a quick rundown of the resort. Our accommodations were amazing. Our villa included a daybed and a pool on our deck, a large outdoor shower, a large bathroom that included a walk-in closet, two sinks, a towel warmer, large shower and then a large room with a four-poster bed on a platform with amazing linens and sheer curtains hanging, and then a living area with a couch, coffee table, stereo, lounge chairs, etc. I’ve never stayed in such an incredible place. The staff was so incredibly friendly, the food was some of the best food I’ve ever eaten. We snorkeled, went for a hike in the rainforest, swam in waterfalls, went to visit a village, did some nude sunbathing on our own private beach for an afternoon, my husband did some traditional Fijian hand-line fishing, kava ceremonies, a meek ceremony, beach volleyball and we visited the spa every day. The staff would make you snacks in between meals if you were hungry, the coral and the seashells were amazing and the rainforest absolutely incredible. It was the perfect way to end such an incredible experience. www.qamea.com Teness Herman : Intimate Portraits Grade : A+ WOW. This was an absolutely amazing experience. Teness is absolutely amazing. She made me feel so comfortable and relaxed…an absolute necessity to create the kind of pictures I was going for. I felt like I was taking pictures with a dear old friend. She and I spent months discussing the look and feel of the shoot. She recommended I look at a book called Women Before 10am by Veronique Vial. If you like the style of my intimate portraits (aka Boudoir Pictures…sorry, I think it’s a cheesy name), I would definitely recommend you check out this book for inspiration. We shot for three and a half hours and could have easily gone on for another two. She used multiple cameras and twice as many lenses with nothing but natural light, which really helped in creating a sensual feel. Her enthusiasm, creativity and eye for the perfect shot are truly unparalleled. If you don’t have room in your budget to do this as a wedding gift, I would highly recommend it as a first (paper) anniversary gift. www.teness.com
Hors doeuvres Mini pitas stuffed with hummus and greek salad Dungeness crab cakes with smoky tomato cream for dipping Gazpacho shots Caprese skewers: cherry tomatoes, basil and fresh mozzarella Ginger steamed shrimp dumplings Mini cheeseburgers with roasted mushrooms Open faced BLT panini Portabella mushroom with rosemary sauce and pickled red onion Beverage Rolling Rock, Mirror Pond Pale Ale, Fat Tire Amber Ale and Kaliber A to Z pinot grigio A to Z claret Limonata, aranciata and bottled water Mojitos Fresh peach cosmopolitans served through an ice martini luge www.devilsfoodcatering.com Eric Cable : Wedding Photographer Grade : A+ Holy cow! What can I say about Eric that I haven’t already said other than the fact that he COMPLETELY lived up to our expectations and then some. We booked Eric in 2004, almost two years before our wedding. Photography was one of the most important aspects of the wedding to us and we wanted to get what I perceive as the best. I still believe he’s the best in town. For what we paid for we got an engagement session, unlimited coverage on the day of the wedding (he started at 11:30am and went until 12:30am), two photographers (Eric and his assistant, who took some great shots as well), all of our digital files in both black and white and color on discs, a proof book and all of our files hosted on his site as well. Eric is a photojournalistic photographer. In fact, long before he started shooting weddings he did work for the AP. He has an incredible eye and there’s a richness to his photos that I don’t see in a lot of other photos. Both he and his assistant were so laid back and were hardly noticed, which can be seen in the pictures, as no one seemed to be uncomfortable with someone capturing their every movement (practically) for a day. I would hire Eric over and over if I needed to. In fact, I’ve already talked to him to see if he would take pictures of us in a year or two once we want to update pictures of ourselves. Without a doubt, he’s an amazing photographer! www.profilephoto.com Nocturnal : Reception Venue Grade : A My husband and I had been together for five years when we got engaged and seven years by the time we married. So, even though we were getting married, we had already committed to each other by purchasing a house together, owning our cars together, being listed on each others bank accounts and having spent holidays with each others’ families for the past 7 years. So, when it came to our wedding, we wanted to throw a celebration. Since we’re pretty non-traditional people to begin with, we didn’t feel the need to follow tradition in many aspects of our wedding. We decided we wanted to throw a late-night party for our reception with a lounge feel. Amazingly, there aren’t a whole lot of venues that can accommodate this appropriately in Portland. Somehow we found Nocturnal. Bethany Pratt, the owner, is probably in her late 20s or early 30s. She’s a creative type and has done an amazing job of remodeling/decorating the venue…or hiring someone to do it. You can rent sections of the venue or the whole thing, which we did. There’s a ballroom, a basement with the coolest bar I’ve ever seen (courtesy of the fact that Bethany’s parents own Pratt & Larson tile) and stained cement floors, an outdoor courtyard and then a kitchen off the back courtyard. In terms of an urban/modern space, there’s nothing like it in Portland. Bethany is lacking in enthusiasm and interpersonal skills to do the job that she does (she needs to hire me to sell her space for her!), however, she was always accommodating and willing to work with us. When we first booked the venue, she had a bubbly, fun girl working with her that I’m sure handled much of the client-end of things. My feeling is that Bethany is a more introverted, quiet type that struggles with really selling her space. I would definitely rent the space again, especially for the price. Even though its wonderfully decorated and you really wouldn’t have to do anything to it if you didn’t want to, it also allows for some fantastic decorating if that’s what you’re after. www.nocturnalpdx.com Mt Tabor Amphitheatre : Ceremony Venue Grade : C Well, its dealing with the City of Portland so it can’t be anything too spectacular. In reality, the process was fairly painless, other than the fact that they tried to charge us $100 to use the electrical outlets, telling me that it was for the key to the breaker box so we could use power, only to find out there was power without it. My husband and I are both very outdoorsy, your stereotypical Oregonians in that respect. It only seemed appropriate to have an outdoor ceremony in a beautiful location. The amphitheatre is especially cool since it’s an extinct volcano, I think the only extinct volcano within a city’s limits in the country. When you rent the space, you have it for the entire day, which was good in terms of decorating. The only downside (to some people, anyway) is that it’s a public park, so outsiders can watch, which they did. In fact, it was cool because the amphitheatre is adjacent to the basketball courts in the park. When the ceremony was about to begin, all of the basketball players took a seat on the court and were impromptu guests to our ceremony. There were also quite a few people that stood above the amphitheatre to watch. While this might bother some people, my husband and I didn’t mind in the least. In reality, I might do the same if I were in a public park and saw a wedding happening. www.portlandonline.com Matthew Hoff : Officiant Grade : A This is a friend of ours, actually Sept2005’s husband. We asked him to marry us as he is such a good friend but also because he’s a charismatic, funny public speaker. He did not let us down. We gave him a lot of creative license and while I think that made him nervous, he did with it exactly what we wanted. One minute we would be laughing hysterically and the next crying. He had the perfect combination of funny and serious…we couldn’t have picked a more perfect person for the role! Jitterblooms : Florist Grade : A I almost don’t need to write a vendor review on Jessica since so many people on The Knot have used her. She’s fantastic. I felt like she really understood what I was going for when we began talking…and she totally did. Not only that, she was very flexible when I needed to add some last minute boutonnieres and purchase five flats of wheat grass for our centerpieces. My bouquet was the first all green bouquet she had done and it turned out so well. She’s such a talented lady! www.jitterblooms.com Four Up Inc : Photobooth Photography Grade : A Oh my gosh, this was SUCH a hit! And it seemed like the more people drank, the better and better the pictures got. The guests loved watching other people take theirs as well as doing their own. Manny, that’s the owner of Four Up Inc, was even cracking up with some of the poses. Our package allowed for a printout of each set of pictures to the guest and then we get a copy of all of the digital files on a disc. Since we didn’t do favors, I kind of considered this a favor in a sense. It was so incredibly entertaining and I would highly recommend Manny if you can fit it into your budget. www.fourupinc.com Nicole Wagner : Makeup Artist Grade : A Nicole did makeup non-stop for six hours straight. She did makeup for both of the moms, all five maids of honor, rosy cheeks and lip gloss for the two flower girls and my makeup. Everyone raved about their makeup, some even asked for the colors and how she did it so they could recreate it another time. She’s so talented at making you look like yourself only better. She was so patient with my mom who couldn’t stop crying when Nicole was trying to get her makeup done, and originally only four of the maids of honor wanted to have their makeup done. However, upon seeing everyone else get done up, the fifth maid wanted her makeup done as well. Nicole was so flexible in making that happen, even though she had allotted a very specific amount of time for each. MAC Cosmetics are my regular day-to-day makeup. When I found a new product that I really liked, I emailed Nicole to see if she could use it instead of the foundation she had picked out for me (I don’t use foundation so I was a bit apprehensive). Nicole was totally open to it and even went and bought it at the MAC store so I didn’t have to buy foundation that I would never wear again. I would definitely hire her again. www.perfectbride.blogspot.com Patti Green Salon 77 : Hair Stylist Grade : A Patti is great, what can I say? She’s my regular hairstylist who I’ve been seeing for probably about four years. She doesn’t do wedding styles unless you’re one of her regular clients. However, the girl gives an amazing haircut so if you’re looking for a new stylist, Patti’s your girl. She moved here from NYC where she worked for Toni & Guy. Patti did a great job of doing my hair, which was no small task since my hair is stick straight and I wanted waves. She also did my husband’s hair, she’s his regular stylist as well. And while there’s not much to be done with 1.5 inches of hair, somehow it always looks so great when she does his. www.seventyseven.us Toast Productions : Event Design/Setup Grade : A I met these ladies through a friend of mine. I’ve never met a more resourceful group of ladies. When I said we wanted an ice cream wedding cake, they searched the city high and low looking for someone willing to do it. When I said we wanted a custom-made martini ice luge for not a lot of money, they found it. Rachael, of Toast Productions, is a graphic designer, so she has a great sense of design. While I had a coordinator already hired by the time I met Rachael and Sarah (they’re sisters), I knew I could utilize their skills to turn our reception into what we wanted. We met several times to discuss setup, layout and logistics. On the day of the wedding, they picked up everything for the reception, which was a lot, and spent hours setting it up. They also handled all of the vendors coming into Nocturnal to insure everything was setup just so. These ladies are native Portlanders and extremely well networked. While this is a new business venture for them, you never would have known by their ability to recreate what our vision had been. They also did all of our cleanup for us and promptly delivered it back to my mom’s house the day after the wedding. www.toast-productions.com Look Weddings : Wedding Coordinator Grade : A- Cassia has been doing wedding coordination for about two years. She started because she enjoyed planning her own wedding so much. I work with her at my job and inquired about her services when I heard she was doing coordination. Her design of our custom built website alone was amazing. She used the graphics that my husband’s sister had created for our stationery and created a fairly extensive website. She also contacted all of our vendors the week of the wedding to verify their services for the day of. She setup our entire ceremony (which was hundreds of paper bag luminaries, tables, chairs, etc) and coordinated from there on. Cassia is a fairly reserved person and I think at times is intimidated to exert her assertiveness. However, I think this will only get better as she continues to work. Because she works a full time job, I think she’s become a bit worn down by doing both a full time coordination business along with her job. At this time, I don’t think she’s taking on any new weddings until 2007. www.lookweddings.com Kristin Bradetich : Graphic Design for Stationery Grade : A+ Well, Kristin is my husband’s older sister. By career, she designs logos for apparel for a small athletic apparel company in Boulder. When we asked her to help us with our stationery, she was very enthusiastic. She did a great job of taking our ideas and turning them into something that was stylish, unique and really created the essence of our wedding. She designed a logo we put on everything, our save the dates, invitations (including RSVP and Reception cards), rehearsal dinner invitations, programs, menu cards, Just Married sign for our getaway car and thank you cards. While she doesn’t create custom invitations for people, she should probably consider it as she’s very talented. Anders Printing : Stationery Printing Grade : B I worked with Jill at Anders to get the majority of our printing done. It felt good to be working with a local company to complete our printing needs. Jill was very friendly and helpful and they did a great job of getting the work turned around in a short time period. They printed everything from our logos on stickers to our save the dates, invitations and rehearsal dinner invitations. After getting quotes for our save the dates, I didn’t search around after that to see if I could find a better deal. So, when we had our invitations printed offset, I don’t know if it was cheaper than another printer. I was very clear with my requests on each job (thanks to the help of the graphic designer). However, when our invitations were ready, she charged me an extra $25 and I had A LOT of extra copies, far more than I had requested. I meant to question why we had been charged more than originally quoted and why we had so many extras but I never got around to it. I probably should have asked for a discount since they asked if they could put our invitations on their website. All in all, this was a good experience. www.andersprinting.com DJ Stay in School - Martin Wilson : Reception DJ Grade : B My husband is a big fan of electronica music. So, when it came time to hire a DJ, my husband took on this role. We contacted Connie Wohn of Stylus 503 (a DJ cooperative), thanks to a referral from Bethany of Nocturnal. Connie sent us a whole package of samples of different DJs. We chose Martin because of his style, obviously. He did a great job but I think there was too much going on at the reception (photobooth, downstairs bar, outdoor courtyard) to really get people dancing. While people did dance, I think they would have done more of it had we not had so much else going on. Martin did que up the wrong music (we provided specific music for specific events during the evening since he doesn’t have the regular wedding DJ collection) for the Mother/Son dance and didn’t que up any music for the cake cutting. However, I don’t think the cake cutting music was his fault as the coordinator didn’t let him know the cake was going to make its grand entrance. www.djstayinschool.com Taste of Honey - Honey Everett : Wedding Cake Grade : A As mentioned before, we wanted an ice cream cake as our wedding cake. Neither of us like cake. Amazingly, getting someone to make a wedding cake out of ice cream is harder than you might imagine. Every person we contacted acted like we were crazy. However, when we found Honey, she definitely knew what she was talking about. There are a lot of logistics involved with an ice cream wedding cake, i.e. delivery, setup, serving it, icing it, etc. Honey had such confidence that I wasn’t the least bit worried. We had three flavors, one of which being mint chocolate chip (the others I don’t remember), with a brownie bottom. Honey delivered and setup the cake after the reception had started. It tasted great and looked fantastic, even though it had started to melt, which I found somewhat charming, being as that it was ice cream cake! Oregon Chamber Players : Ceremony Musicians Grade : B- This was another responsibility of my husband’s. We picked all non-traditional music (Coldplay, The Verve, Enya) and had to find the sheet music for all of the songs we wanted played. Originally, we were going to use the Metropolitan Youth Symphony. However, once they started to review the sheet music for the songs we wanted played, they realized that they didn’t really currently have that kind of depth. Last minute, three weeks before the wedding, we had to find someone new. Considering the amount of time they had, the Oregon Chamber Players did great. They did mess up on one of the songs but it wasn’t really worth getting upset over. I also would have preferred a string quartet (which was our original plan) but that wasn’t really their fault. www.oregonchamberplayers.org Blizzard Motors : Getaway Car Grade : A Almost two years ago my husband and I bought a car from this lot (its in SE Portland). The lot is primarily fine European cars. When we were there to pick up our newly purchased car, the owner of the lot told us he would loan us a car of our choice for our wedding. My fiance chose a convertible Porsche to drive from the ceremony. It was a beautiful little black shiny thing and my husband thoroughly enjoyed driving it. I don’t know if Doug would be willing to rent out any of his cars but if you’re interested it might not hurt to ask. Western Culinary Institute : Martini Ice Luge Grade : A This was one of the best budget friendly finds of our entire wedding. We really wanted to have a martini luge but found that they were rather expensive to have made…that was, until we found out about the Western Culinary Institute’s ice sculpture class. Basically, they told us they could create anything we wanted and all we had to do was provide them with a drawing. My mom, who’s an artist, drew a great design, in keeping with our theme and stationery, and we provided it to WCI. They not only did a great job of recreating it but the cost included transporting it, delivery and setup. We paid more than they asked for, to donate towards their program, but regardless it was well worth it. Definitely one of the main highlights of the reception for our guests. Spa La La : Pre-Wedding Pampering Grade : B+ As part of my gift to the ladies in the wedding, I treated them to manicures and pedicures at Spa La La. While it’s not the best manicure and pedicure in town (my best friend and I often refer to them as the chop shop), the decor and vibe is great and they’ll serve you all the mimosas you want. We had twelve of us (the moms, five maids of honor, two readers, the two flower girls and myself) there and it was like our own little private party. The staff was very friendly and efficient and I think the ladies all enjoyed getting their nails done. www.spalala.net The Face Place – Dorene Klippel : Facial and Brazilian Wax Grade : A I’ve gone to Dorene every month for the last six years for a Brazilian wax. She does a fantastic job at those…well, it’s a Brazilian wax so it’s not like it feels good but in terms of the final look, she does a tremendous job. However, I decided to get a facial from her as well. Wow! Her facial was by far the best facial I’ve ever had…not only did I fall asleep but she did such an incredibly thorough job. It will be hard not to make getting a facial from her a monthly occurrence as well. www.waxqueen.com Salon 77 – Mahria Martinez : Brow Wax Grade : A+ I pretty much have caterpillars for eyebrows…I’m not kidding. So, not only do my eyebrows need to be professionally groomed on a regular basis but they need to be done well. Mahria is a dream…seriously, she’s absolutely amazing. It’s the only kind of waxing she does…you know if a girl can make a living off of just waxing eyebrows, she’s got to be good! And not only that, she’s the sweetest thing you’ve ever met. www.seventyseven.us Diane Jensen : Massage Grade : A+ So, I have to admit that before my husband and I bought our house, Diane was our landlord. However, my husband has some pretty severe back injuries (thanks to a motorcycle) and is always up for a massage. That being said, we get a lot of massages. Diane is fantastic. She works in a chiropractic clinic off of NW 23rd (which the chiropractor there is also fantastic, Suzanne Lady) and does pretty much any type of massage you’d like. If I were to say I have a regular LMT, Diane would be it…and without failure, I fall asleep on her table every time. She’s fantastic and a lot cheaper than a mediocre spa massage. And, she is so incredibly kind and sweet as well…you can’t beat that! She used to have a website but it doesn’t look like she does anymore. Contact me if you want to get in touch with her. Embellish Design : Wedding Dress Grade : A+ I went shopping on several different occasions for a wedding dress. After searching most of Portland for the dress, I decided to visit Terri at Embellish Design. Now, I would not even waste time looking for dresses to order. In the end, my dress cost less than any of my final choices of the dresses I found in the salons. Not only that, the experience was so incredibly fun. Originally, I went into her studio with pictures of my final choices as well as other dresses I liked. We went through each picture and discussed what I liked about each one. We took elements from all of those to create my dress. Terri is so knowledgeable about what she does and extremely talented in the art of designing and sewing gowns. We discussed everything from different fabrics to different styles and the pluses and negatives of each. In the end, I had a dress that was exactly what I wanted, custom fit to my body. I would highly recommend working with Terri. I hope that I’ll have a reason for her to make me another dress (she makes party dresses too) some time. www.embellishdesign.com Patty Lehner : Wedding Jewelry Grade : A+ I saw a variation of my wedding dress in an Oregon Bride magazine months before my wedding. The earrings that the model was wearing were wonderful. When I looked up where they came from, the magazine said Ella Posie (which is now closed but was on NE Broadway). Carmen (who is also a wedding coordinator) of Ella Posie got me in touch with Patty, who had designed the jewelry. Patty was an absolute delight to work with…kind of like working with your spunky grandmother. We talked about what I wanted and she worked efficiently to get pieces done for me. She made a variation of the earrings I wanted with several different types of pearls and different lengths so I had something to choose from. Then, she made a bangle to match. And when I asked for some extra pearls and crystals for my ring bearer pillow and hair jewelry, not only did she have no problem sending me on my way with a little bag of each but she also refused to charge me for them when I tried to pay her. August Veils : Hair Jewelry Grade : A Patty referred me to Andrea to have my hair jewelry made (Patty doesn’t like to make it). I brought the pearls and crystals that Patty had used in my jewelry to have Andrea create some sparkle for my hair. She created exactly what I was looking for and in a very short amount of time. www.augustveils.com Cromwell Formalwear : Tuxedo Rentals Grade : A While my husband bought a suit for the wedding, we needed rentals for everyone else. Cromwell’s had a good selection and a helpful staff. They kept us informed on everyone who had, or hadn’t, been fitted and I didn’t hear of any problems that anyone had with their rentals. www.cromwellformalwear.com Twist : Wedding Rings Grade : A We searched for quite some time to find rings that we really loved. While I love the traditional platinum eternity band, I wanted something a little different to go with my princess cut solitaire. My husband wanted a platinum ring but not completely plain. Twist, although not a store you would typically think of for wedding bands, had just what we were looking for. The staff was very friendly and when they ordered our rings, they said it would take eight weeks to get them in (which was cutting it really close). Two weeks later, we received a call letting us know that our rings were in. I love the uniqueness of our rings! www.twistonline.com Shane Co : Engagement Ring Grade : C+ In one week, my husband sold his motorcycle, decided to ask me to marry him and bought a ring. The ring is exactly what I would have picked out, a plain platinum band with a princess cut solitaire. However, if I had had a say in it, I never would have gotten my ring at Shane Co. I think their staff is kind of tacky, not to mention their showroom, and I’m always frustrated by their service when I take my ring in to be cleaned or polished...and lets not even begin to discuss their ads! www.shaneco.com Hotel Lucia : Wedding Night Hotel Grade : A I love this place! We booked their “Did I Mention I Want You?” package in a King Suite. When we arrived at the hotel with nothing but the wedding clothes we were still wearing, they were quick to check us in. Our bed was covered in rose petals, there was music playing, champagne being chilled and a box of toys, i.e. body crayons, furry handcuffs and a book of positions for every day of the year. We ordered room service at about 1:30am because neither of us really ate at our reception. They were prompt and the food was tasty. I wish we didn’t live in Portland so we had more reasons to stay here…it’s such a chic hotel! www.hotellucia.com Bluestar Charter : Guest Transportation Grade : C Originally, we were expecting a lot of guests from out of state. We booked a charter bus to pick up guests from downtown Portland and transport them to Mt Tabor Park and then to Nocturnal. Unfortunately, my husbands grandfather passed away two months before our wedding and many of what we assumed would be the out of town guests could no longer make it due to their last minute flights to the funeral. Regardless, I still think this was a good thing to have. However, we revised our timeline for the bus and faxed it in. For whatever reason, they didn’t follow this and were 1.5 hours early to pick up guests and consequently ended their evening 1.5 hours earlier than we were originally anticipating. I’m not sure why they were running on the old timeline as I had faxed the revised one to them. While in the grand scheme of things, it wasn’t that big of a deal, I was irritated that we had paid for something and then couldn’t even utilize it for 1.5 hours. www.bluestarbus.com The Party Place : Chair Rentals Grade : A Although Mt Tabor Amphitheatre has some benches, we rented some chairs as well to insure we had enough seating. To be honest, I have no idea if this all worked out. I assume they arrived on time as they were all set up prior to the ceremony. And I assume they were picked up just fine since I haven’t heard from them about not getting their chairs back or something. Unforgettable Honeymoons Renee Duane-Meyer : Travel Agent Grade : A for knowledge, C for personality When it came time to plan our honeymoon, we were running out of energy, especially to plan the fantastic honeymoon we both wanted. While we both found Renee to be fairly pretentious and full of herself, she was very knowledgeable. At first, we wanted to go to Bora Bora and Taha’a. However, Renee couldn’t find us any availability for the room types we wanted. She asked us if we would consider Fiji, which we of course would and did. She booked us for 7 nights at Qamea Resort and Spa in Fiji in a premium villa. The resort was amazing but I grew a bit concerned when four different couples at the resort (which has a maximum capacity for 28 adults total) had been booked there with Renee from Unforgettable Honeymoons. I don’t know what sort of a kickback Renee receives for referring clients there and I guess it doesn’t really matter because the resort really is all she says it is. However, it doesn’t feel very good to feel like she’s only sending people to that one place, especially when we already felt like she had a pretty inflated ego. My best friend and her husband booked through Unforgettable Honeymoons for their honeymoon, not with Renee, and said their experience was great. If I had it to do over again, I would try to book with another travel agent there. www.unforgettablehoneymoons.com Qamea Resort and Spa : Honeymoon Grade : A+ Wow! This place was incredible, even when it was overcast most of the week we were there! We flew for close to 14 hours, PDX to LAX, LAX to Nadi, Fiji and then on a puddle jumper from Nadi to Taveuni. Then we were driven in a Range Rover for 20 minutes on a dirt rode to a beach where we got on a boat and went on a 10-minute boat ride across to the island of Qamea. We were greeted by a smiling and friendly staff, taken to their restaurant/lounge villa where we were served cocktails and fruit plates and given a quick rundown of the resort. Our accommodations were amazing. Our villa included a daybed and a pool on our deck, a large outdoor shower, a large bathroom that included a walk-in closet, two sinks, a towel warmer, large shower and then a large room with a four-poster bed on a platform with amazing linens and sheer curtains hanging, and then a living area with a couch, coffee table, stereo, lounge chairs, etc. I’ve never stayed in such an incredible place. The staff was so incredibly friendly, the food was some of the best food I’ve ever eaten. We snorkeled, went for a hike in the rainforest, swam in waterfalls, went to visit a village, did some nude sunbathing on our own private beach for an afternoon, my husband did some traditional Fijian hand-line fishing, kava ceremonies, a meek ceremony, beach volleyball and we visited the spa every day. The staff would make you snacks in between meals if you were hungry, the coral and the seashells were amazing and the rainforest absolutely incredible. It was the perfect way to end such an incredible experience. www.qamea.com Teness Herman : Intimate Portraits Grade : A+ WOW. This was an absolutely amazing experience. Teness is absolutely amazing. She made me feel so comfortable and relaxed…an absolute necessity to create the kind of pictures I was going for. I felt like I was taking pictures with a dear old friend. She and I spent months discussing the look and feel of the shoot. She recommended I look at a book called Women Before 10am by Veronique Vial. If you like the style of my intimate portraits (aka Boudoir Pictures…sorry, I think it’s a cheesy name), I would definitely recommend you check out this book for inspiration. We shot for three and a half hours and could have easily gone on for another two. She used multiple cameras and twice as many lenses with nothing but natural light, which really helped in creating a sensual feel. Her enthusiasm, creativity and eye for the perfect shot are truly unparalleled. If you don’t have room in your budget to do this as a wedding gift, I would highly recommend it as a first (paper) anniversary gift. www.teness.com
Beverage Rolling Rock, Mirror Pond Pale Ale, Fat Tire Amber Ale and Kaliber A to Z pinot grigio A to Z claret Limonata, aranciata and bottled water Mojitos Fresh peach cosmopolitans served through an ice martini luge www.devilsfoodcatering.com Eric Cable : Wedding Photographer Grade : A+ Holy cow! What can I say about Eric that I haven’t already said other than the fact that he COMPLETELY lived up to our expectations and then some. We booked Eric in 2004, almost two years before our wedding. Photography was one of the most important aspects of the wedding to us and we wanted to get what I perceive as the best. I still believe he’s the best in town. For what we paid for we got an engagement session, unlimited coverage on the day of the wedding (he started at 11:30am and went until 12:30am), two photographers (Eric and his assistant, who took some great shots as well), all of our digital files in both black and white and color on discs, a proof book and all of our files hosted on his site as well. Eric is a photojournalistic photographer. In fact, long before he started shooting weddings he did work for the AP. He has an incredible eye and there’s a richness to his photos that I don’t see in a lot of other photos. Both he and his assistant were so laid back and were hardly noticed, which can be seen in the pictures, as no one seemed to be uncomfortable with someone capturing their every movement (practically) for a day. I would hire Eric over and over if I needed to. In fact, I’ve already talked to him to see if he would take pictures of us in a year or two once we want to update pictures of ourselves. Without a doubt, he’s an amazing photographer! www.profilephoto.com Nocturnal : Reception Venue Grade : A My husband and I had been together for five years when we got engaged and seven years by the time we married. So, even though we were getting married, we had already committed to each other by purchasing a house together, owning our cars together, being listed on each others bank accounts and having spent holidays with each others’ families for the past 7 years. So, when it came to our wedding, we wanted to throw a celebration. Since we’re pretty non-traditional people to begin with, we didn’t feel the need to follow tradition in many aspects of our wedding. We decided we wanted to throw a late-night party for our reception with a lounge feel. Amazingly, there aren’t a whole lot of venues that can accommodate this appropriately in Portland. Somehow we found Nocturnal. Bethany Pratt, the owner, is probably in her late 20s or early 30s. She’s a creative type and has done an amazing job of remodeling/decorating the venue…or hiring someone to do it. You can rent sections of the venue or the whole thing, which we did. There’s a ballroom, a basement with the coolest bar I’ve ever seen (courtesy of the fact that Bethany’s parents own Pratt & Larson tile) and stained cement floors, an outdoor courtyard and then a kitchen off the back courtyard. In terms of an urban/modern space, there’s nothing like it in Portland. Bethany is lacking in enthusiasm and interpersonal skills to do the job that she does (she needs to hire me to sell her space for her!), however, she was always accommodating and willing to work with us. When we first booked the venue, she had a bubbly, fun girl working with her that I’m sure handled much of the client-end of things. My feeling is that Bethany is a more introverted, quiet type that struggles with really selling her space. I would definitely rent the space again, especially for the price. Even though its wonderfully decorated and you really wouldn’t have to do anything to it if you didn’t want to, it also allows for some fantastic decorating if that’s what you’re after. www.nocturnalpdx.com Mt Tabor Amphitheatre : Ceremony Venue Grade : C Well, its dealing with the City of Portland so it can’t be anything too spectacular. In reality, the process was fairly painless, other than the fact that they tried to charge us $100 to use the electrical outlets, telling me that it was for the key to the breaker box so we could use power, only to find out there was power without it. My husband and I are both very outdoorsy, your stereotypical Oregonians in that respect. It only seemed appropriate to have an outdoor ceremony in a beautiful location. The amphitheatre is especially cool since it’s an extinct volcano, I think the only extinct volcano within a city’s limits in the country. When you rent the space, you have it for the entire day, which was good in terms of decorating. The only downside (to some people, anyway) is that it’s a public park, so outsiders can watch, which they did. In fact, it was cool because the amphitheatre is adjacent to the basketball courts in the park. When the ceremony was about to begin, all of the basketball players took a seat on the court and were impromptu guests to our ceremony. There were also quite a few people that stood above the amphitheatre to watch. While this might bother some people, my husband and I didn’t mind in the least. In reality, I might do the same if I were in a public park and saw a wedding happening. www.portlandonline.com Matthew Hoff : Officiant Grade : A This is a friend of ours, actually Sept2005’s husband. We asked him to marry us as he is such a good friend but also because he’s a charismatic, funny public speaker. He did not let us down. We gave him a lot of creative license and while I think that made him nervous, he did with it exactly what we wanted. One minute we would be laughing hysterically and the next crying. He had the perfect combination of funny and serious…we couldn’t have picked a more perfect person for the role! Jitterblooms : Florist Grade : A I almost don’t need to write a vendor review on Jessica since so many people on The Knot have used her. She’s fantastic. I felt like she really understood what I was going for when we began talking…and she totally did. Not only that, she was very flexible when I needed to add some last minute boutonnieres and purchase five flats of wheat grass for our centerpieces. My bouquet was the first all green bouquet she had done and it turned out so well. She’s such a talented lady! www.jitterblooms.com Four Up Inc : Photobooth Photography Grade : A Oh my gosh, this was SUCH a hit! And it seemed like the more people drank, the better and better the pictures got. The guests loved watching other people take theirs as well as doing their own. Manny, that’s the owner of Four Up Inc, was even cracking up with some of the poses. Our package allowed for a printout of each set of pictures to the guest and then we get a copy of all of the digital files on a disc. Since we didn’t do favors, I kind of considered this a favor in a sense. It was so incredibly entertaining and I would highly recommend Manny if you can fit it into your budget. www.fourupinc.com Nicole Wagner : Makeup Artist Grade : A Nicole did makeup non-stop for six hours straight. She did makeup for both of the moms, all five maids of honor, rosy cheeks and lip gloss for the two flower girls and my makeup. Everyone raved about their makeup, some even asked for the colors and how she did it so they could recreate it another time. She’s so talented at making you look like yourself only better. She was so patient with my mom who couldn’t stop crying when Nicole was trying to get her makeup done, and originally only four of the maids of honor wanted to have their makeup done. However, upon seeing everyone else get done up, the fifth maid wanted her makeup done as well. Nicole was so flexible in making that happen, even though she had allotted a very specific amount of time for each. MAC Cosmetics are my regular day-to-day makeup. When I found a new product that I really liked, I emailed Nicole to see if she could use it instead of the foundation she had picked out for me (I don’t use foundation so I was a bit apprehensive). Nicole was totally open to it and even went and bought it at the MAC store so I didn’t have to buy foundation that I would never wear again. I would definitely hire her again. www.perfectbride.blogspot.com Patti Green Salon 77 : Hair Stylist Grade : A Patti is great, what can I say? She’s my regular hairstylist who I’ve been seeing for probably about four years. She doesn’t do wedding styles unless you’re one of her regular clients. However, the girl gives an amazing haircut so if you’re looking for a new stylist, Patti’s your girl. She moved here from NYC where she worked for Toni & Guy. Patti did a great job of doing my hair, which was no small task since my hair is stick straight and I wanted waves. She also did my husband’s hair, she’s his regular stylist as well. And while there’s not much to be done with 1.5 inches of hair, somehow it always looks so great when she does his. www.seventyseven.us Toast Productions : Event Design/Setup Grade : A I met these ladies through a friend of mine. I’ve never met a more resourceful group of ladies. When I said we wanted an ice cream wedding cake, they searched the city high and low looking for someone willing to do it. When I said we wanted a custom-made martini ice luge for not a lot of money, they found it. Rachael, of Toast Productions, is a graphic designer, so she has a great sense of design. While I had a coordinator already hired by the time I met Rachael and Sarah (they’re sisters), I knew I could utilize their skills to turn our reception into what we wanted. We met several times to discuss setup, layout and logistics. On the day of the wedding, they picked up everything for the reception, which was a lot, and spent hours setting it up. They also handled all of the vendors coming into Nocturnal to insure everything was setup just so. These ladies are native Portlanders and extremely well networked. While this is a new business venture for them, you never would have known by their ability to recreate what our vision had been. They also did all of our cleanup for us and promptly delivered it back to my mom’s house the day after the wedding. www.toast-productions.com Look Weddings : Wedding Coordinator Grade : A- Cassia has been doing wedding coordination for about two years. She started because she enjoyed planning her own wedding so much. I work with her at my job and inquired about her services when I heard she was doing coordination. Her design of our custom built website alone was amazing. She used the graphics that my husband’s sister had created for our stationery and created a fairly extensive website. She also contacted all of our vendors the week of the wedding to verify their services for the day of. She setup our entire ceremony (which was hundreds of paper bag luminaries, tables, chairs, etc) and coordinated from there on. Cassia is a fairly reserved person and I think at times is intimidated to exert her assertiveness. However, I think this will only get better as she continues to work. Because she works a full time job, I think she’s become a bit worn down by doing both a full time coordination business along with her job. At this time, I don’t think she’s taking on any new weddings until 2007. www.lookweddings.com Kristin Bradetich : Graphic Design for Stationery Grade : A+ Well, Kristin is my husband’s older sister. By career, she designs logos for apparel for a small athletic apparel company in Boulder. When we asked her to help us with our stationery, she was very enthusiastic. She did a great job of taking our ideas and turning them into something that was stylish, unique and really created the essence of our wedding. She designed a logo we put on everything, our save the dates, invitations (including RSVP and Reception cards), rehearsal dinner invitations, programs, menu cards, Just Married sign for our getaway car and thank you cards. While she doesn’t create custom invitations for people, she should probably consider it as she’s very talented. Anders Printing : Stationery Printing Grade : B I worked with Jill at Anders to get the majority of our printing done. It felt good to be working with a local company to complete our printing needs. Jill was very friendly and helpful and they did a great job of getting the work turned around in a short time period. They printed everything from our logos on stickers to our save the dates, invitations and rehearsal dinner invitations. After getting quotes for our save the dates, I didn’t search around after that to see if I could find a better deal. So, when we had our invitations printed offset, I don’t know if it was cheaper than another printer. I was very clear with my requests on each job (thanks to the help of the graphic designer). However, when our invitations were ready, she charged me an extra $25 and I had A LOT of extra copies, far more than I had requested. I meant to question why we had been charged more than originally quoted and why we had so many extras but I never got around to it. I probably should have asked for a discount since they asked if they could put our invitations on their website. All in all, this was a good experience. www.andersprinting.com DJ Stay in School - Martin Wilson : Reception DJ Grade : B My husband is a big fan of electronica music. So, when it came time to hire a DJ, my husband took on this role. We contacted Connie Wohn of Stylus 503 (a DJ cooperative), thanks to a referral from Bethany of Nocturnal. Connie sent us a whole package of samples of different DJs. We chose Martin because of his style, obviously. He did a great job but I think there was too much going on at the reception (photobooth, downstairs bar, outdoor courtyard) to really get people dancing. While people did dance, I think they would have done more of it had we not had so much else going on. Martin did que up the wrong music (we provided specific music for specific events during the evening since he doesn’t have the regular wedding DJ collection) for the Mother/Son dance and didn’t que up any music for the cake cutting. However, I don’t think the cake cutting music was his fault as the coordinator didn’t let him know the cake was going to make its grand entrance. www.djstayinschool.com Taste of Honey - Honey Everett : Wedding Cake Grade : A As mentioned before, we wanted an ice cream cake as our wedding cake. Neither of us like cake. Amazingly, getting someone to make a wedding cake out of ice cream is harder than you might imagine. Every person we contacted acted like we were crazy. However, when we found Honey, she definitely knew what she was talking about. There are a lot of logistics involved with an ice cream wedding cake, i.e. delivery, setup, serving it, icing it, etc. Honey had such confidence that I wasn’t the least bit worried. We had three flavors, one of which being mint chocolate chip (the others I don’t remember), with a brownie bottom. Honey delivered and setup the cake after the reception had started. It tasted great and looked fantastic, even though it had started to melt, which I found somewhat charming, being as that it was ice cream cake! Oregon Chamber Players : Ceremony Musicians Grade : B- This was another responsibility of my husband’s. We picked all non-traditional music (Coldplay, The Verve, Enya) and had to find the sheet music for all of the songs we wanted played. Originally, we were going to use the Metropolitan Youth Symphony. However, once they started to review the sheet music for the songs we wanted played, they realized that they didn’t really currently have that kind of depth. Last minute, three weeks before the wedding, we had to find someone new. Considering the amount of time they had, the Oregon Chamber Players did great. They did mess up on one of the songs but it wasn’t really worth getting upset over. I also would have preferred a string quartet (which was our original plan) but that wasn’t really their fault. www.oregonchamberplayers.org Blizzard Motors : Getaway Car Grade : A Almost two years ago my husband and I bought a car from this lot (its in SE Portland). The lot is primarily fine European cars. When we were there to pick up our newly purchased car, the owner of the lot told us he would loan us a car of our choice for our wedding. My fiance chose a convertible Porsche to drive from the ceremony. It was a beautiful little black shiny thing and my husband thoroughly enjoyed driving it. I don’t know if Doug would be willing to rent out any of his cars but if you’re interested it might not hurt to ask. Western Culinary Institute : Martini Ice Luge Grade : A This was one of the best budget friendly finds of our entire wedding. We really wanted to have a martini luge but found that they were rather expensive to have made…that was, until we found out about the Western Culinary Institute’s ice sculpture class. Basically, they told us they could create anything we wanted and all we had to do was provide them with a drawing. My mom, who’s an artist, drew a great design, in keeping with our theme and stationery, and we provided it to WCI. They not only did a great job of recreating it but the cost included transporting it, delivery and setup. We paid more than they asked for, to donate towards their program, but regardless it was well worth it. Definitely one of the main highlights of the reception for our guests. Spa La La : Pre-Wedding Pampering Grade : B+ As part of my gift to the ladies in the wedding, I treated them to manicures and pedicures at Spa La La. While it’s not the best manicure and pedicure in town (my best friend and I often refer to them as the chop shop), the decor and vibe is great and they’ll serve you all the mimosas you want. We had twelve of us (the moms, five maids of honor, two readers, the two flower girls and myself) there and it was like our own little private party. The staff was very friendly and efficient and I think the ladies all enjoyed getting their nails done. www.spalala.net The Face Place – Dorene Klippel : Facial and Brazilian Wax Grade : A I’ve gone to Dorene every month for the last six years for a Brazilian wax. She does a fantastic job at those…well, it’s a Brazilian wax so it’s not like it feels good but in terms of the final look, she does a tremendous job. However, I decided to get a facial from her as well. Wow! Her facial was by far the best facial I’ve ever had…not only did I fall asleep but she did such an incredibly thorough job. It will be hard not to make getting a facial from her a monthly occurrence as well. www.waxqueen.com Salon 77 – Mahria Martinez : Brow Wax Grade : A+ I pretty much have caterpillars for eyebrows…I’m not kidding. So, not only do my eyebrows need to be professionally groomed on a regular basis but they need to be done well. Mahria is a dream…seriously, she’s absolutely amazing. It’s the only kind of waxing she does…you know if a girl can make a living off of just waxing eyebrows, she’s got to be good! And not only that, she’s the sweetest thing you’ve ever met. www.seventyseven.us Diane Jensen : Massage Grade : A+ So, I have to admit that before my husband and I bought our house, Diane was our landlord. However, my husband has some pretty severe back injuries (thanks to a motorcycle) and is always up for a massage. That being said, we get a lot of massages. Diane is fantastic. She works in a chiropractic clinic off of NW 23rd (which the chiropractor there is also fantastic, Suzanne Lady) and does pretty much any type of massage you’d like. If I were to say I have a regular LMT, Diane would be it…and without failure, I fall asleep on her table every time. She’s fantastic and a lot cheaper than a mediocre spa massage. And, she is so incredibly kind and sweet as well…you can’t beat that! She used to have a website but it doesn’t look like she does anymore. Contact me if you want to get in touch with her. Embellish Design : Wedding Dress Grade : A+ I went shopping on several different occasions for a wedding dress. After searching most of Portland for the dress, I decided to visit Terri at Embellish Design. Now, I would not even waste time looking for dresses to order. In the end, my dress cost less than any of my final choices of the dresses I found in the salons. Not only that, the experience was so incredibly fun. Originally, I went into her studio with pictures of my final choices as well as other dresses I liked. We went through each picture and discussed what I liked about each one. We took elements from all of those to create my dress. Terri is so knowledgeable about what she does and extremely talented in the art of designing and sewing gowns. We discussed everything from different fabrics to different styles and the pluses and negatives of each. In the end, I had a dress that was exactly what I wanted, custom fit to my body. I would highly recommend working with Terri. I hope that I’ll have a reason for her to make me another dress (she makes party dresses too) some time. www.embellishdesign.com Patty Lehner : Wedding Jewelry Grade : A+ I saw a variation of my wedding dress in an Oregon Bride magazine months before my wedding. The earrings that the model was wearing were wonderful. When I looked up where they came from, the magazine said Ella Posie (which is now closed but was on NE Broadway). Carmen (who is also a wedding coordinator) of Ella Posie got me in touch with Patty, who had designed the jewelry. Patty was an absolute delight to work with…kind of like working with your spunky grandmother. We talked about what I wanted and she worked efficiently to get pieces done for me. She made a variation of the earrings I wanted with several different types of pearls and different lengths so I had something to choose from. Then, she made a bangle to match. And when I asked for some extra pearls and crystals for my ring bearer pillow and hair jewelry, not only did she have no problem sending me on my way with a little bag of each but she also refused to charge me for them when I tried to pay her. August Veils : Hair Jewelry Grade : A Patty referred me to Andrea to have my hair jewelry made (Patty doesn’t like to make it). I brought the pearls and crystals that Patty had used in my jewelry to have Andrea create some sparkle for my hair. She created exactly what I was looking for and in a very short amount of time. www.augustveils.com Cromwell Formalwear : Tuxedo Rentals Grade : A While my husband bought a suit for the wedding, we needed rentals for everyone else. Cromwell’s had a good selection and a helpful staff. They kept us informed on everyone who had, or hadn’t, been fitted and I didn’t hear of any problems that anyone had with their rentals. www.cromwellformalwear.com Twist : Wedding Rings Grade : A We searched for quite some time to find rings that we really loved. While I love the traditional platinum eternity band, I wanted something a little different to go with my princess cut solitaire. My husband wanted a platinum ring but not completely plain. Twist, although not a store you would typically think of for wedding bands, had just what we were looking for. The staff was very friendly and when they ordered our rings, they said it would take eight weeks to get them in (which was cutting it really close). Two weeks later, we received a call letting us know that our rings were in. I love the uniqueness of our rings! www.twistonline.com Shane Co : Engagement Ring Grade : C+ In one week, my husband sold his motorcycle, decided to ask me to marry him and bought a ring. The ring is exactly what I would have picked out, a plain platinum band with a princess cut solitaire. However, if I had had a say in it, I never would have gotten my ring at Shane Co. I think their staff is kind of tacky, not to mention their showroom, and I’m always frustrated by their service when I take my ring in to be cleaned or polished...and lets not even begin to discuss their ads! www.shaneco.com Hotel Lucia : Wedding Night Hotel Grade : A I love this place! We booked their “Did I Mention I Want You?” package in a King Suite. When we arrived at the hotel with nothing but the wedding clothes we were still wearing, they were quick to check us in. Our bed was covered in rose petals, there was music playing, champagne being chilled and a box of toys, i.e. body crayons, furry handcuffs and a book of positions for every day of the year. We ordered room service at about 1:30am because neither of us really ate at our reception. They were prompt and the food was tasty. I wish we didn’t live in Portland so we had more reasons to stay here…it’s such a chic hotel! www.hotellucia.com Bluestar Charter : Guest Transportation Grade : C Originally, we were expecting a lot of guests from out of state. We booked a charter bus to pick up guests from downtown Portland and transport them to Mt Tabor Park and then to Nocturnal. Unfortunately, my husbands grandfather passed away two months before our wedding and many of what we assumed would be the out of town guests could no longer make it due to their last minute flights to the funeral. Regardless, I still think this was a good thing to have. However, we revised our timeline for the bus and faxed it in. For whatever reason, they didn’t follow this and were 1.5 hours early to pick up guests and consequently ended their evening 1.5 hours earlier than we were originally anticipating. I’m not sure why they were running on the old timeline as I had faxed the revised one to them. While in the grand scheme of things, it wasn’t that big of a deal, I was irritated that we had paid for something and then couldn’t even utilize it for 1.5 hours. www.bluestarbus.com The Party Place : Chair Rentals Grade : A Although Mt Tabor Amphitheatre has some benches, we rented some chairs as well to insure we had enough seating. To be honest, I have no idea if this all worked out. I assume they arrived on time as they were all set up prior to the ceremony. And I assume they were picked up just fine since I haven’t heard from them about not getting their chairs back or something. Unforgettable Honeymoons Renee Duane-Meyer : Travel Agent Grade : A for knowledge, C for personality When it came time to plan our honeymoon, we were running out of energy, especially to plan the fantastic honeymoon we both wanted. While we both found Renee to be fairly pretentious and full of herself, she was very knowledgeable. At first, we wanted to go to Bora Bora and Taha’a. However, Renee couldn’t find us any availability for the room types we wanted. She asked us if we would consider Fiji, which we of course would and did. She booked us for 7 nights at Qamea Resort and Spa in Fiji in a premium villa. The resort was amazing but I grew a bit concerned when four different couples at the resort (which has a maximum capacity for 28 adults total) had been booked there with Renee from Unforgettable Honeymoons. I don’t know what sort of a kickback Renee receives for referring clients there and I guess it doesn’t really matter because the resort really is all she says it is. However, it doesn’t feel very good to feel like she’s only sending people to that one place, especially when we already felt like she had a pretty inflated ego. My best friend and her husband booked through Unforgettable Honeymoons for their honeymoon, not with Renee, and said their experience was great. If I had it to do over again, I would try to book with another travel agent there. www.unforgettablehoneymoons.com Qamea Resort and Spa : Honeymoon Grade : A+ Wow! This place was incredible, even when it was overcast most of the week we were there! We flew for close to 14 hours, PDX to LAX, LAX to Nadi, Fiji and then on a puddle jumper from Nadi to Taveuni. Then we were driven in a Range Rover for 20 minutes on a dirt rode to a beach where we got on a boat and went on a 10-minute boat ride across to the island of Qamea. We were greeted by a smiling and friendly staff, taken to their restaurant/lounge villa where we were served cocktails and fruit plates and given a quick rundown of the resort. Our accommodations were amazing. Our villa included a daybed and a pool on our deck, a large outdoor shower, a large bathroom that included a walk-in closet, two sinks, a towel warmer, large shower and then a large room with a four-poster bed on a platform with amazing linens and sheer curtains hanging, and then a living area with a couch, coffee table, stereo, lounge chairs, etc. I’ve never stayed in such an incredible place. The staff was so incredibly friendly, the food was some of the best food I’ve ever eaten. We snorkeled, went for a hike in the rainforest, swam in waterfalls, went to visit a village, did some nude sunbathing on our own private beach for an afternoon, my husband did some traditional Fijian hand-line fishing, kava ceremonies, a meek ceremony, beach volleyball and we visited the spa every day. The staff would make you snacks in between meals if you were hungry, the coral and the seashells were amazing and the rainforest absolutely incredible. It was the perfect way to end such an incredible experience. www.qamea.com Teness Herman : Intimate Portraits Grade : A+ WOW. This was an absolutely amazing experience. Teness is absolutely amazing. She made me feel so comfortable and relaxed…an absolute necessity to create the kind of pictures I was going for. I felt like I was taking pictures with a dear old friend. She and I spent months discussing the look and feel of the shoot. She recommended I look at a book called Women Before 10am by Veronique Vial. If you like the style of my intimate portraits (aka Boudoir Pictures…sorry, I think it’s a cheesy name), I would definitely recommend you check out this book for inspiration. We shot for three and a half hours and could have easily gone on for another two. She used multiple cameras and twice as many lenses with nothing but natural light, which really helped in creating a sensual feel. Her enthusiasm, creativity and eye for the perfect shot are truly unparalleled. If you don’t have room in your budget to do this as a wedding gift, I would highly recommend it as a first (paper) anniversary gift. www.teness.com
www.devilsfoodcatering.com Eric Cable : Wedding Photographer Grade : A+ Holy cow! What can I say about Eric that I haven’t already said other than the fact that he COMPLETELY lived up to our expectations and then some. We booked Eric in 2004, almost two years before our wedding. Photography was one of the most important aspects of the wedding to us and we wanted to get what I perceive as the best. I still believe he’s the best in town. For what we paid for we got an engagement session, unlimited coverage on the day of the wedding (he started at 11:30am and went until 12:30am), two photographers (Eric and his assistant, who took some great shots as well), all of our digital files in both black and white and color on discs, a proof book and all of our files hosted on his site as well. Eric is a photojournalistic photographer. In fact, long before he started shooting weddings he did work for the AP. He has an incredible eye and there’s a richness to his photos that I don’t see in a lot of other photos. Both he and his assistant were so laid back and were hardly noticed, which can be seen in the pictures, as no one seemed to be uncomfortable with someone capturing their every movement (practically) for a day. I would hire Eric over and over if I needed to. In fact, I’ve already talked to him to see if he would take pictures of us in a year or two once we want to update pictures of ourselves. Without a doubt, he’s an amazing photographer! www.profilephoto.com Nocturnal : Reception Venue Grade : A My husband and I had been together for five years when we got engaged and seven years by the time we married. So, even though we were getting married, we had already committed to each other by purchasing a house together, owning our cars together, being listed on each others bank accounts and having spent holidays with each others’ families for the past 7 years. So, when it came to our wedding, we wanted to throw a celebration. Since we’re pretty non-traditional people to begin with, we didn’t feel the need to follow tradition in many aspects of our wedding. We decided we wanted to throw a late-night party for our reception with a lounge feel. Amazingly, there aren’t a whole lot of venues that can accommodate this appropriately in Portland. Somehow we found Nocturnal. Bethany Pratt, the owner, is probably in her late 20s or early 30s. She’s a creative type and has done an amazing job of remodeling/decorating the venue…or hiring someone to do it. You can rent sections of the venue or the whole thing, which we did. There’s a ballroom, a basement with the coolest bar I’ve ever seen (courtesy of the fact that Bethany’s parents own Pratt & Larson tile) and stained cement floors, an outdoor courtyard and then a kitchen off the back courtyard. In terms of an urban/modern space, there’s nothing like it in Portland. Bethany is lacking in enthusiasm and interpersonal skills to do the job that she does (she needs to hire me to sell her space for her!), however, she was always accommodating and willing to work with us. When we first booked the venue, she had a bubbly, fun girl working with her that I’m sure handled much of the client-end of things. My feeling is that Bethany is a more introverted, quiet type that struggles with really selling her space. I would definitely rent the space again, especially for the price. Even though its wonderfully decorated and you really wouldn’t have to do anything to it if you didn’t want to, it also allows for some fantastic decorating if that’s what you’re after. www.nocturnalpdx.com Mt Tabor Amphitheatre : Ceremony Venue Grade : C Well, its dealing with the City of Portland so it can’t be anything too spectacular. In reality, the process was fairly painless, other than the fact that they tried to charge us $100 to use the electrical outlets, telling me that it was for the key to the breaker box so we could use power, only to find out there was power without it. My husband and I are both very outdoorsy, your stereotypical Oregonians in that respect. It only seemed appropriate to have an outdoor ceremony in a beautiful location. The amphitheatre is especially cool since it’s an extinct volcano, I think the only extinct volcano within a city’s limits in the country. When you rent the space, you have it for the entire day, which was good in terms of decorating. The only downside (to some people, anyway) is that it’s a public park, so outsiders can watch, which they did. In fact, it was cool because the amphitheatre is adjacent to the basketball courts in the park. When the ceremony was about to begin, all of the basketball players took a seat on the court and were impromptu guests to our ceremony. There were also quite a few people that stood above the amphitheatre to watch. While this might bother some people, my husband and I didn’t mind in the least. In reality, I might do the same if I were in a public park and saw a wedding happening. www.portlandonline.com Matthew Hoff : Officiant Grade : A This is a friend of ours, actually Sept2005’s husband. We asked him to marry us as he is such a good friend but also because he’s a charismatic, funny public speaker. He did not let us down. We gave him a lot of creative license and while I think that made him nervous, he did with it exactly what we wanted. One minute we would be laughing hysterically and the next crying. He had the perfect combination of funny and serious…we couldn’t have picked a more perfect person for the role! Jitterblooms : Florist Grade : A I almost don’t need to write a vendor review on Jessica since so many people on The Knot have used her. She’s fantastic. I felt like she really understood what I was going for when we began talking…and she totally did. Not only that, she was very flexible when I needed to add some last minute boutonnieres and purchase five flats of wheat grass for our centerpieces. My bouquet was the first all green bouquet she had done and it turned out so well. She’s such a talented lady! www.jitterblooms.com Four Up Inc : Photobooth Photography Grade : A Oh my gosh, this was SUCH a hit! And it seemed like the more people drank, the better and better the pictures got. The guests loved watching other people take theirs as well as doing their own. Manny, that’s the owner of Four Up Inc, was even cracking up with some of the poses. Our package allowed for a printout of each set of pictures to the guest and then we get a copy of all of the digital files on a disc. Since we didn’t do favors, I kind of considered this a favor in a sense. It was so incredibly entertaining and I would highly recommend Manny if you can fit it into your budget. www.fourupinc.com Nicole Wagner : Makeup Artist Grade : A Nicole did makeup non-stop for six hours straight. She did makeup for both of the moms, all five maids of honor, rosy cheeks and lip gloss for the two flower girls and my makeup. Everyone raved about their makeup, some even asked for the colors and how she did it so they could recreate it another time. She’s so talented at making you look like yourself only better. She was so patient with my mom who couldn’t stop crying when Nicole was trying to get her makeup done, and originally only four of the maids of honor wanted to have their makeup done. However, upon seeing everyone else get done up, the fifth maid wanted her makeup done as well. Nicole was so flexible in making that happen, even though she had allotted a very specific amount of time for each. MAC Cosmetics are my regular day-to-day makeup. When I found a new product that I really liked, I emailed Nicole to see if she could use it instead of the foundation she had picked out for me (I don’t use foundation so I was a bit apprehensive). Nicole was totally open to it and even went and bought it at the MAC store so I didn’t have to buy foundation that I would never wear again. I would definitely hire her again. www.perfectbride.blogspot.com Patti Green Salon 77 : Hair Stylist Grade : A Patti is great, what can I say? She’s my regular hairstylist who I’ve been seeing for probably about four years. She doesn’t do wedding styles unless you’re one of her regular clients. However, the girl gives an amazing haircut so if you’re looking for a new stylist, Patti’s your girl. She moved here from NYC where she worked for Toni & Guy. Patti did a great job of doing my hair, which was no small task since my hair is stick straight and I wanted waves. She also did my husband’s hair, she’s his regular stylist as well. And while there’s not much to be done with 1.5 inches of hair, somehow it always looks so great when she does his. www.seventyseven.us Toast Productions : Event Design/Setup Grade : A I met these ladies through a friend of mine. I’ve never met a more resourceful group of ladies. When I said we wanted an ice cream wedding cake, they searched the city high and low looking for someone willing to do it. When I said we wanted a custom-made martini ice luge for not a lot of money, they found it. Rachael, of Toast Productions, is a graphic designer, so she has a great sense of design. While I had a coordinator already hired by the time I met Rachael and Sarah (they’re sisters), I knew I could utilize their skills to turn our reception into what we wanted. We met several times to discuss setup, layout and logistics. On the day of the wedding, they picked up everything for the reception, which was a lot, and spent hours setting it up. They also handled all of the vendors coming into Nocturnal to insure everything was setup just so. These ladies are native Portlanders and extremely well networked. While this is a new business venture for them, you never would have known by their ability to recreate what our vision had been. They also did all of our cleanup for us and promptly delivered it back to my mom’s house the day after the wedding. www.toast-productions.com Look Weddings : Wedding Coordinator Grade : A- Cassia has been doing wedding coordination for about two years. She started because she enjoyed planning her own wedding so much. I work with her at my job and inquired about her services when I heard she was doing coordination. Her design of our custom built website alone was amazing. She used the graphics that my husband’s sister had created for our stationery and created a fairly extensive website. She also contacted all of our vendors the week of the wedding to verify their services for the day of. She setup our entire ceremony (which was hundreds of paper bag luminaries, tables, chairs, etc) and coordinated from there on. Cassia is a fairly reserved person and I think at times is intimidated to exert her assertiveness. However, I think this will only get better as she continues to work. Because she works a full time job, I think she’s become a bit worn down by doing both a full time coordination business along with her job. At this time, I don’t think she’s taking on any new weddings until 2007. www.lookweddings.com Kristin Bradetich : Graphic Design for Stationery Grade : A+ Well, Kristin is my husband’s older sister. By career, she designs logos for apparel for a small athletic apparel company in Boulder. When we asked her to help us with our stationery, she was very enthusiastic. She did a great job of taking our ideas and turning them into something that was stylish, unique and really created the essence of our wedding. She designed a logo we put on everything, our save the dates, invitations (including RSVP and Reception cards), rehearsal dinner invitations, programs, menu cards, Just Married sign for our getaway car and thank you cards. While she doesn’t create custom invitations for people, she should probably consider it as she’s very talented. Anders Printing : Stationery Printing Grade : B I worked with Jill at Anders to get the majority of our printing done. It felt good to be working with a local company to complete our printing needs. Jill was very friendly and helpful and they did a great job of getting the work turned around in a short time period. They printed everything from our logos on stickers to our save the dates, invitations and rehearsal dinner invitations. After getting quotes for our save the dates, I didn’t search around after that to see if I could find a better deal. So, when we had our invitations printed offset, I don’t know if it was cheaper than another printer. I was very clear with my requests on each job (thanks to the help of the graphic designer). However, when our invitations were ready, she charged me an extra $25 and I had A LOT of extra copies, far more than I had requested. I meant to question why we had been charged more than originally quoted and why we had so many extras but I never got around to it. I probably should have asked for a discount since they asked if they could put our invitations on their website. All in all, this was a good experience. www.andersprinting.com DJ Stay in School - Martin Wilson : Reception DJ Grade : B My husband is a big fan of electronica music. So, when it came time to hire a DJ, my husband took on this role. We contacted Connie Wohn of Stylus 503 (a DJ cooperative), thanks to a referral from Bethany of Nocturnal. Connie sent us a whole package of samples of different DJs. We chose Martin because of his style, obviously. He did a great job but I think there was too much going on at the reception (photobooth, downstairs bar, outdoor courtyard) to really get people dancing. While people did dance, I think they would have done more of it had we not had so much else going on. Martin did que up the wrong music (we provided specific music for specific events during the evening since he doesn’t have the regular wedding DJ collection) for the Mother/Son dance and didn’t que up any music for the cake cutting. However, I don’t think the cake cutting music was his fault as the coordinator didn’t let him know the cake was going to make its grand entrance. www.djstayinschool.com Taste of Honey - Honey Everett : Wedding Cake Grade : A As mentioned before, we wanted an ice cream cake as our wedding cake. Neither of us like cake. Amazingly, getting someone to make a wedding cake out of ice cream is harder than you might imagine. Every person we contacted acted like we were crazy. However, when we found Honey, she definitely knew what she was talking about. There are a lot of logistics involved with an ice cream wedding cake, i.e. delivery, setup, serving it, icing it, etc. Honey had such confidence that I wasn’t the least bit worried. We had three flavors, one of which being mint chocolate chip (the others I don’t remember), with a brownie bottom. Honey delivered and setup the cake after the reception had started. It tasted great and looked fantastic, even though it had started to melt, which I found somewhat charming, being as that it was ice cream cake! Oregon Chamber Players : Ceremony Musicians Grade : B- This was another responsibility of my husband’s. We picked all non-traditional music (Coldplay, The Verve, Enya) and had to find the sheet music for all of the songs we wanted played. Originally, we were going to use the Metropolitan Youth Symphony. However, once they started to review the sheet music for the songs we wanted played, they realized that they didn’t really currently have that kind of depth. Last minute, three weeks before the wedding, we had to find someone new. Considering the amount of time they had, the Oregon Chamber Players did great. They did mess up on one of the songs but it wasn’t really worth getting upset over. I also would have preferred a string quartet (which was our original plan) but that wasn’t really their fault. www.oregonchamberplayers.org Blizzard Motors : Getaway Car Grade : A Almost two years ago my husband and I bought a car from this lot (its in SE Portland). The lot is primarily fine European cars. When we were there to pick up our newly purchased car, the owner of the lot told us he would loan us a car of our choice for our wedding. My fiance chose a convertible Porsche to drive from the ceremony. It was a beautiful little black shiny thing and my husband thoroughly enjoyed driving it. I don’t know if Doug would be willing to rent out any of his cars but if you’re interested it might not hurt to ask. Western Culinary Institute : Martini Ice Luge Grade : A This was one of the best budget friendly finds of our entire wedding. We really wanted to have a martini luge but found that they were rather expensive to have made…that was, until we found out about the Western Culinary Institute’s ice sculpture class. Basically, they told us they could create anything we wanted and all we had to do was provide them with a drawing. My mom, who’s an artist, drew a great design, in keeping with our theme and stationery, and we provided it to WCI. They not only did a great job of recreating it but the cost included transporting it, delivery and setup. We paid more than they asked for, to donate towards their program, but regardless it was well worth it. Definitely one of the main highlights of the reception for our guests. Spa La La : Pre-Wedding Pampering Grade : B+ As part of my gift to the ladies in the wedding, I treated them to manicures and pedicures at Spa La La. While it’s not the best manicure and pedicure in town (my best friend and I often refer to them as the chop shop), the decor and vibe is great and they’ll serve you all the mimosas you want. We had twelve of us (the moms, five maids of honor, two readers, the two flower girls and myself) there and it was like our own little private party. The staff was very friendly and efficient and I think the ladies all enjoyed getting their nails done. www.spalala.net The Face Place – Dorene Klippel : Facial and Brazilian Wax Grade : A I’ve gone to Dorene every month for the last six years for a Brazilian wax. She does a fantastic job at those…well, it’s a Brazilian wax so it’s not like it feels good but in terms of the final look, she does a tremendous job. However, I decided to get a facial from her as well. Wow! Her facial was by far the best facial I’ve ever had…not only did I fall asleep but she did such an incredibly thorough job. It will be hard not to make getting a facial from her a monthly occurrence as well. www.waxqueen.com Salon 77 – Mahria Martinez : Brow Wax Grade : A+ I pretty much have caterpillars for eyebrows…I’m not kidding. So, not only do my eyebrows need to be professionally groomed on a regular basis but they need to be done well. Mahria is a dream…seriously, she’s absolutely amazing. It’s the only kind of waxing she does…you know if a girl can make a living off of just waxing eyebrows, she’s got to be good! And not only that, she’s the sweetest thing you’ve ever met. www.seventyseven.us Diane Jensen : Massage Grade : A+ So, I have to admit that before my husband and I bought our house, Diane was our landlord. However, my husband has some pretty severe back injuries (thanks to a motorcycle) and is always up for a massage. That being said, we get a lot of massages. Diane is fantastic. She works in a chiropractic clinic off of NW 23rd (which the chiropractor there is also fantastic, Suzanne Lady) and does pretty much any type of massage you’d like. If I were to say I have a regular LMT, Diane would be it…and without failure, I fall asleep on her table every time. She’s fantastic and a lot cheaper than a mediocre spa massage. And, she is so incredibly kind and sweet as well…you can’t beat that! She used to have a website but it doesn’t look like she does anymore. Contact me if you want to get in touch with her. Embellish Design : Wedding Dress Grade : A+ I went shopping on several different occasions for a wedding dress. After searching most of Portland for the dress, I decided to visit Terri at Embellish Design. Now, I would not even waste time looking for dresses to order. In the end, my dress cost less than any of my final choices of the dresses I found in the salons. Not only that, the experience was so incredibly fun. Originally, I went into her studio with pictures of my final choices as well as other dresses I liked. We went through each picture and discussed what I liked about each one. We took elements from all of those to create my dress. Terri is so knowledgeable about what she does and extremely talented in the art of designing and sewing gowns. We discussed everything from different fabrics to different styles and the pluses and negatives of each. In the end, I had a dress that was exactly what I wanted, custom fit to my body. I would highly recommend working with Terri. I hope that I’ll have a reason for her to make me another dress (she makes party dresses too) some time. www.embellishdesign.com Patty Lehner : Wedding Jewelry Grade : A+ I saw a variation of my wedding dress in an Oregon Bride magazine months before my wedding. The earrings that the model was wearing were wonderful. When I looked up where they came from, the magazine said Ella Posie (which is now closed but was on NE Broadway). Carmen (who is also a wedding coordinator) of Ella Posie got me in touch with Patty, who had designed the jewelry. Patty was an absolute delight to work with…kind of like working with your spunky grandmother. We talked about what I wanted and she worked efficiently to get pieces done for me. She made a variation of the earrings I wanted with several different types of pearls and different lengths so I had something to choose from. Then, she made a bangle to match. And when I asked for some extra pearls and crystals for my ring bearer pillow and hair jewelry, not only did she have no problem sending me on my way with a little bag of each but she also refused to charge me for them when I tried to pay her. August Veils : Hair Jewelry Grade : A Patty referred me to Andrea to have my hair jewelry made (Patty doesn’t like to make it). I brought the pearls and crystals that Patty had used in my jewelry to have Andrea create some sparkle for my hair. She created exactly what I was looking for and in a very short amount of time. www.augustveils.com Cromwell Formalwear : Tuxedo Rentals Grade : A While my husband bought a suit for the wedding, we needed rentals for everyone else. Cromwell’s had a good selection and a helpful staff. They kept us informed on everyone who had, or hadn’t, been fitted and I didn’t hear of any problems that anyone had with their rentals. www.cromwellformalwear.com Twist : Wedding Rings Grade : A We searched for quite some time to find rings that we really loved. While I love the traditional platinum eternity band, I wanted something a little different to go with my princess cut solitaire. My husband wanted a platinum ring but not completely plain. Twist, although not a store you would typically think of for wedding bands, had just what we were looking for. The staff was very friendly and when they ordered our rings, they said it would take eight weeks to get them in (which was cutting it really close). Two weeks later, we received a call letting us know that our rings were in. I love the uniqueness of our rings! www.twistonline.com Shane Co : Engagement Ring Grade : C+ In one week, my husband sold his motorcycle, decided to ask me to marry him and bought a ring. The ring is exactly what I would have picked out, a plain platinum band with a princess cut solitaire. However, if I had had a say in it, I never would have gotten my ring at Shane Co. I think their staff is kind of tacky, not to mention their showroom, and I’m always frustrated by their service when I take my ring in to be cleaned or polished...and lets not even begin to discuss their ads! www.shaneco.com Hotel Lucia : Wedding Night Hotel Grade : A I love this place! We booked their “Did I Mention I Want You?” package in a King Suite. When we arrived at the hotel with nothing but the wedding clothes we were still wearing, they were quick to check us in. Our bed was covered in rose petals, there was music playing, champagne being chilled and a box of toys, i.e. body crayons, furry handcuffs and a book of positions for every day of the year. We ordered room service at about 1:30am because neither of us really ate at our reception. They were prompt and the food was tasty. I wish we didn’t live in Portland so we had more reasons to stay here…it’s such a chic hotel! www.hotellucia.com Bluestar Charter : Guest Transportation Grade : C Originally, we were expecting a lot of guests from out of state. We booked a charter bus to pick up guests from downtown Portland and transport them to Mt Tabor Park and then to Nocturnal. Unfortunately, my husbands grandfather passed away two months before our wedding and many of what we assumed would be the out of town guests could no longer make it due to their last minute flights to the funeral. Regardless, I still think this was a good thing to have. However, we revised our timeline for the bus and faxed it in. For whatever reason, they didn’t follow this and were 1.5 hours early to pick up guests and consequently ended their evening 1.5 hours earlier than we were originally anticipating. I’m not sure why they were running on the old timeline as I had faxed the revised one to them. While in the grand scheme of things, it wasn’t that big of a deal, I was irritated that we had paid for something and then couldn’t even utilize it for 1.5 hours. www.bluestarbus.com The Party Place : Chair Rentals Grade : A Although Mt Tabor Amphitheatre has some benches, we rented some chairs as well to insure we had enough seating. To be honest, I have no idea if this all worked out. I assume they arrived on time as they were all set up prior to the ceremony. And I assume they were picked up just fine since I haven’t heard from them about not getting their chairs back or something. Unforgettable Honeymoons Renee Duane-Meyer : Travel Agent Grade : A for knowledge, C for personality When it came time to plan our honeymoon, we were running out of energy, especially to plan the fantastic honeymoon we both wanted. While we both found Renee to be fairly pretentious and full of herself, she was very knowledgeable. At first, we wanted to go to Bora Bora and Taha’a. However, Renee couldn’t find us any availability for the room types we wanted. She asked us if we would consider Fiji, which we of course would and did. She booked us for 7 nights at Qamea Resort and Spa in Fiji in a premium villa. The resort was amazing but I grew a bit concerned when four different couples at the resort (which has a maximum capacity for 28 adults total) had been booked there with Renee from Unforgettable Honeymoons. I don’t know what sort of a kickback Renee receives for referring clients there and I guess it doesn’t really matter because the resort really is all she says it is. However, it doesn’t feel very good to feel like she’s only sending people to that one place, especially when we already felt like she had a pretty inflated ego. My best friend and her husband booked through Unforgettable Honeymoons for their honeymoon, not with Renee, and said their experience was great. If I had it to do over again, I would try to book with another travel agent there. www.unforgettablehoneymoons.com Qamea Resort and Spa : Honeymoon Grade : A+ Wow! This place was incredible, even when it was overcast most of the week we were there! We flew for close to 14 hours, PDX to LAX, LAX to Nadi, Fiji and then on a puddle jumper from Nadi to Taveuni. Then we were driven in a Range Rover for 20 minutes on a dirt rode to a beach where we got on a boat and went on a 10-minute boat ride across to the island of Qamea. We were greeted by a smiling and friendly staff, taken to their restaurant/lounge villa where we were served cocktails and fruit plates and given a quick rundown of the resort. Our accommodations were amazing. Our villa included a daybed and a pool on our deck, a large outdoor shower, a large bathroom that included a walk-in closet, two sinks, a towel warmer, large shower and then a large room with a four-poster bed on a platform with amazing linens and sheer curtains hanging, and then a living area with a couch, coffee table, stereo, lounge chairs, etc. I’ve never stayed in such an incredible place. The staff was so incredibly friendly, the food was some of the best food I’ve ever eaten. We snorkeled, went for a hike in the rainforest, swam in waterfalls, went to visit a village, did some nude sunbathing on our own private beach for an afternoon, my husband did some traditional Fijian hand-line fishing, kava ceremonies, a meek ceremony, beach volleyball and we visited the spa every day. The staff would make you snacks in between meals if you were hungry, the coral and the seashells were amazing and the rainforest absolutely incredible. It was the perfect way to end such an incredible experience. www.qamea.com Teness Herman : Intimate Portraits Grade : A+ WOW. This was an absolutely amazing experience. Teness is absolutely amazing. She made me feel so comfortable and relaxed…an absolute necessity to create the kind of pictures I was going for. I felt like I was taking pictures with a dear old friend. She and I spent months discussing the look and feel of the shoot. She recommended I look at a book called Women Before 10am by Veronique Vial. If you like the style of my intimate portraits (aka Boudoir Pictures…sorry, I think it’s a cheesy name), I would definitely recommend you check out this book for inspiration. We shot for three and a half hours and could have easily gone on for another two. She used multiple cameras and twice as many lenses with nothing but natural light, which really helped in creating a sensual feel. Her enthusiasm, creativity and eye for the perfect shot are truly unparalleled. If you don’t have room in your budget to do this as a wedding gift, I would highly recommend it as a first (paper) anniversary gift. www.teness.com
Eric Cable : Wedding Photographer Grade : A+ Holy cow! What can I say about Eric that I haven’t already said other than the fact that he COMPLETELY lived up to our expectations and then some. We booked Eric in 2004, almost two years before our wedding. Photography was one of the most important aspects of the wedding to us and we wanted to get what I perceive as the best. I still believe he’s the best in town. For what we paid for we got an engagement session, unlimited coverage on the day of the wedding (he started at 11:30am and went until 12:30am), two photographers (Eric and his assistant, who took some great shots as well), all of our digital files in both black and white and color on discs, a proof book and all of our files hosted on his site as well. Eric is a photojournalistic photographer. In fact, long before he started shooting weddings he did work for the AP. He has an incredible eye and there’s a richness to his photos that I don’t see in a lot of other photos. Both he and his assistant were so laid back and were hardly noticed, which can be seen in the pictures, as no one seemed to be uncomfortable with someone capturing their every movement (practically) for a day. I would hire Eric over and over if I needed to. In fact, I’ve already talked to him to see if he would take pictures of us in a year or two once we want to update pictures of ourselves. Without a doubt, he’s an amazing photographer! www.profilephoto.com Nocturnal : Reception Venue Grade : A My husband and I had been together for five years when we got engaged and seven years by the time we married. So, even though we were getting married, we had already committed to each other by purchasing a house together, owning our cars together, being listed on each others bank accounts and having spent holidays with each others’ families for the past 7 years. So, when it came to our wedding, we wanted to throw a celebration. Since we’re pretty non-traditional people to begin with, we didn’t feel the need to follow tradition in many aspects of our wedding. We decided we wanted to throw a late-night party for our reception with a lounge feel. Amazingly, there aren’t a whole lot of venues that can accommodate this appropriately in Portland. Somehow we found Nocturnal. Bethany Pratt, the owner, is probably in her late 20s or early 30s. She’s a creative type and has done an amazing job of remodeling/decorating the venue…or hiring someone to do it. You can rent sections of the venue or the whole thing, which we did. There’s a ballroom, a basement with the coolest bar I’ve ever seen (courtesy of the fact that Bethany’s parents own Pratt & Larson tile) and stained cement floors, an outdoor courtyard and then a kitchen off the back courtyard. In terms of an urban/modern space, there’s nothing like it in Portland. Bethany is lacking in enthusiasm and interpersonal skills to do the job that she does (she needs to hire me to sell her space for her!), however, she was always accommodating and willing to work with us. When we first booked the venue, she had a bubbly, fun girl working with her that I’m sure handled much of the client-end of things. My feeling is that Bethany is a more introverted, quiet type that struggles with really selling her space. I would definitely rent the space again, especially for the price. Even though its wonderfully decorated and you really wouldn’t have to do anything to it if you didn’t want to, it also allows for some fantastic decorating if that’s what you’re after. www.nocturnalpdx.com Mt Tabor Amphitheatre : Ceremony Venue Grade : C Well, its dealing with the City of Portland so it can’t be anything too spectacular. In reality, the process was fairly painless, other than the fact that they tried to charge us $100 to use the electrical outlets, telling me that it was for the key to the breaker box so we could use power, only to find out there was power without it. My husband and I are both very outdoorsy, your stereotypical Oregonians in that respect. It only seemed appropriate to have an outdoor ceremony in a beautiful location. The amphitheatre is especially cool since it’s an extinct volcano, I think the only extinct volcano within a city’s limits in the country. When you rent the space, you have it for the entire day, which was good in terms of decorating. The only downside (to some people, anyway) is that it’s a public park, so outsiders can watch, which they did. In fact, it was cool because the amphitheatre is adjacent to the basketball courts in the park. When the ceremony was about to begin, all of the basketball players took a seat on the court and were impromptu guests to our ceremony. There were also quite a few people that stood above the amphitheatre to watch. While this might bother some people, my husband and I didn’t mind in the least. In reality, I might do the same if I were in a public park and saw a wedding happening. www.portlandonline.com Matthew Hoff : Officiant Grade : A This is a friend of ours, actually Sept2005’s husband. We asked him to marry us as he is such a good friend but also because he’s a charismatic, funny public speaker. He did not let us down. We gave him a lot of creative license and while I think that made him nervous, he did with it exactly what we wanted. One minute we would be laughing hysterically and the next crying. He had the perfect combination of funny and serious…we couldn’t have picked a more perfect person for the role! Jitterblooms : Florist Grade : A I almost don’t need to write a vendor review on Jessica since so many people on The Knot have used her. She’s fantastic. I felt like she really understood what I was going for when we began talking…and she totally did. Not only that, she was very flexible when I needed to add some last minute boutonnieres and purchase five flats of wheat grass for our centerpieces. My bouquet was the first all green bouquet she had done and it turned out so well. She’s such a talented lady! www.jitterblooms.com Four Up Inc : Photobooth Photography Grade : A Oh my gosh, this was SUCH a hit! And it seemed like the more people drank, the better and better the pictures got. The guests loved watching other people take theirs as well as doing their own. Manny, that’s the owner of Four Up Inc, was even cracking up with some of the poses. Our package allowed for a printout of each set of pictures to the guest and then we get a copy of all of the digital files on a disc. Since we didn’t do favors, I kind of considered this a favor in a sense. It was so incredibly entertaining and I would highly recommend Manny if you can fit it into your budget. www.fourupinc.com Nicole Wagner : Makeup Artist Grade : A Nicole did makeup non-stop for six hours straight. She did makeup for both of the moms, all five maids of honor, rosy cheeks and lip gloss for the two flower girls and my makeup. Everyone raved about their makeup, some even asked for the colors and how she did it so they could recreate it another time. She’s so talented at making you look like yourself only better. She was so patient with my mom who couldn’t stop crying when Nicole was trying to get her makeup done, and originally only four of the maids of honor wanted to have their makeup done. However, upon seeing everyone else get done up, the fifth maid wanted her makeup done as well. Nicole was so flexible in making that happen, even though she had allotted a very specific amount of time for each. MAC Cosmetics are my regular day-to-day makeup. When I found a new product that I really liked, I emailed Nicole to see if she could use it instead of the foundation she had picked out for me (I don’t use foundation so I was a bit apprehensive). Nicole was totally open to it and even went and bought it at the MAC store so I didn’t have to buy foundation that I would never wear again. I would definitely hire her again. www.perfectbride.blogspot.com Patti Green Salon 77 : Hair Stylist Grade : A Patti is great, what can I say? She’s my regular hairstylist who I’ve been seeing for probably about four years. She doesn’t do wedding styles unless you’re one of her regular clients. However, the girl gives an amazing haircut so if you’re looking for a new stylist, Patti’s your girl. She moved here from NYC where she worked for Toni & Guy. Patti did a great job of doing my hair, which was no small task since my hair is stick straight and I wanted waves. She also did my husband’s hair, she’s his regular stylist as well. And while there’s not much to be done with 1.5 inches of hair, somehow it always looks so great when she does his. www.seventyseven.us Toast Productions : Event Design/Setup Grade : A I met these ladies through a friend of mine. I’ve never met a more resourceful group of ladies. When I said we wanted an ice cream wedding cake, they searched the city high and low looking for someone willing to do it. When I said we wanted a custom-made martini ice luge for not a lot of money, they found it. Rachael, of Toast Productions, is a graphic designer, so she has a great sense of design. While I had a coordinator already hired by the time I met Rachael and Sarah (they’re sisters), I knew I could utilize their skills to turn our reception into what we wanted. We met several times to discuss setup, layout and logistics. On the day of the wedding, they picked up everything for the reception, which was a lot, and spent hours setting it up. They also handled all of the vendors coming into Nocturnal to insure everything was setup just so. These ladies are native Portlanders and extremely well networked. While this is a new business venture for them, you never would have known by their ability to recreate what our vision had been. They also did all of our cleanup for us and promptly delivered it back to my mom’s house the day after the wedding. www.toast-productions.com Look Weddings : Wedding Coordinator Grade : A- Cassia has been doing wedding coordination for about two years. She started because she enjoyed planning her own wedding so much. I work with her at my job and inquired about her services when I heard she was doing coordination. Her design of our custom built website alone was amazing. She used the graphics that my husband’s sister had created for our stationery and created a fairly extensive website. She also contacted all of our vendors the week of the wedding to verify their services for the day of. She setup our entire ceremony (which was hundreds of paper bag luminaries, tables, chairs, etc) and coordinated from there on. Cassia is a fairly reserved person and I think at times is intimidated to exert her assertiveness. However, I think this will only get better as she continues to work. Because she works a full time job, I think she’s become a bit worn down by doing both a full time coordination business along with her job. At this time, I don’t think she’s taking on any new weddings until 2007. www.lookweddings.com Kristin Bradetich : Graphic Design for Stationery Grade : A+ Well, Kristin is my husband’s older sister. By career, she designs logos for apparel for a small athletic apparel company in Boulder. When we asked her to help us with our stationery, she was very enthusiastic. She did a great job of taking our ideas and turning them into something that was stylish, unique and really created the essence of our wedding. She designed a logo we put on everything, our save the dates, invitations (including RSVP and Reception cards), rehearsal dinner invitations, programs, menu cards, Just Married sign for our getaway car and thank you cards. While she doesn’t create custom invitations for people, she should probably consider it as she’s very talented. Anders Printing : Stationery Printing Grade : B I worked with Jill at Anders to get the majority of our printing done. It felt good to be working with a local company to complete our printing needs. Jill was very friendly and helpful and they did a great job of getting the work turned around in a short time period. They printed everything from our logos on stickers to our save the dates, invitations and rehearsal dinner invitations. After getting quotes for our save the dates, I didn’t search around after that to see if I could find a better deal. So, when we had our invitations printed offset, I don’t know if it was cheaper than another printer. I was very clear with my requests on each job (thanks to the help of the graphic designer). However, when our invitations were ready, she charged me an extra $25 and I had A LOT of extra copies, far more than I had requested. I meant to question why we had been charged more than originally quoted and why we had so many extras but I never got around to it. I probably should have asked for a discount since they asked if they could put our invitations on their website. All in all, this was a good experience. www.andersprinting.com DJ Stay in School - Martin Wilson : Reception DJ Grade : B My husband is a big fan of electronica music. So, when it came time to hire a DJ, my husband took on this role. We contacted Connie Wohn of Stylus 503 (a DJ cooperative), thanks to a referral from Bethany of Nocturnal. Connie sent us a whole package of samples of different DJs. We chose Martin because of his style, obviously. He did a great job but I think there was too much going on at the reception (photobooth, downstairs bar, outdoor courtyard) to really get people dancing. While people did dance, I think they would have done more of it had we not had so much else going on. Martin did que up the wrong music (we provided specific music for specific events during the evening since he doesn’t have the regular wedding DJ collection) for the Mother/Son dance and didn’t que up any music for the cake cutting. However, I don’t think the cake cutting music was his fault as the coordinator didn’t let him know the cake was going to make its grand entrance. www.djstayinschool.com Taste of Honey - Honey Everett : Wedding Cake Grade : A As mentioned before, we wanted an ice cream cake as our wedding cake. Neither of us like cake. Amazingly, getting someone to make a wedding cake out of ice cream is harder than you might imagine. Every person we contacted acted like we were crazy. However, when we found Honey, she definitely knew what she was talking about. There are a lot of logistics involved with an ice cream wedding cake, i.e. delivery, setup, serving it, icing it, etc. Honey had such confidence that I wasn’t the least bit worried. We had three flavors, one of which being mint chocolate chip (the others I don’t remember), with a brownie bottom. Honey delivered and setup the cake after the reception had started. It tasted great and looked fantastic, even though it had started to melt, which I found somewhat charming, being as that it was ice cream cake! Oregon Chamber Players : Ceremony Musicians Grade : B- This was another responsibility of my husband’s. We picked all non-traditional music (Coldplay, The Verve, Enya) and had to find the sheet music for all of the songs we wanted played. Originally, we were going to use the Metropolitan Youth Symphony. However, once they started to review the sheet music for the songs we wanted played, they realized that they didn’t really currently have that kind of depth. Last minute, three weeks before the wedding, we had to find someone new. Considering the amount of time they had, the Oregon Chamber Players did great. They did mess up on one of the songs but it wasn’t really worth getting upset over. I also would have preferred a string quartet (which was our original plan) but that wasn’t really their fault. www.oregonchamberplayers.org Blizzard Motors : Getaway Car Grade : A Almost two years ago my husband and I bought a car from this lot (its in SE Portland). The lot is primarily fine European cars. When we were there to pick up our newly purchased car, the owner of the lot told us he would loan us a car of our choice for our wedding. My fiance chose a convertible Porsche to drive from the ceremony. It was a beautiful little black shiny thing and my husband thoroughly enjoyed driving it. I don’t know if Doug would be willing to rent out any of his cars but if you’re interested it might not hurt to ask. Western Culinary Institute : Martini Ice Luge Grade : A This was one of the best budget friendly finds of our entire wedding. We really wanted to have a martini luge but found that they were rather expensive to have made…that was, until we found out about the Western Culinary Institute’s ice sculpture class. Basically, they told us they could create anything we wanted and all we had to do was provide them with a drawing. My mom, who’s an artist, drew a great design, in keeping with our theme and stationery, and we provided it to WCI. They not only did a great job of recreating it but the cost included transporting it, delivery and setup. We paid more than they asked for, to donate towards their program, but regardless it was well worth it. Definitely one of the main highlights of the reception for our guests. Spa La La : Pre-Wedding Pampering Grade : B+ As part of my gift to the ladies in the wedding, I treated them to manicures and pedicures at Spa La La. While it’s not the best manicure and pedicure in town (my best friend and I often refer to them as the chop shop), the decor and vibe is great and they’ll serve you all the mimosas you want. We had twelve of us (the moms, five maids of honor, two readers, the two flower girls and myself) there and it was like our own little private party. The staff was very friendly and efficient and I think the ladies all enjoyed getting their nails done. www.spalala.net The Face Place – Dorene Klippel : Facial and Brazilian Wax Grade : A I’ve gone to Dorene every month for the last six years for a Brazilian wax. She does a fantastic job at those…well, it’s a Brazilian wax so it’s not like it feels good but in terms of the final look, she does a tremendous job. However, I decided to get a facial from her as well. Wow! Her facial was by far the best facial I’ve ever had…not only did I fall asleep but she did such an incredibly thorough job. It will be hard not to make getting a facial from her a monthly occurrence as well. www.waxqueen.com Salon 77 – Mahria Martinez : Brow Wax Grade : A+ I pretty much have caterpillars for eyebrows…I’m not kidding. So, not only do my eyebrows need to be professionally groomed on a regular basis but they need to be done well. Mahria is a dream…seriously, she’s absolutely amazing. It’s the only kind of waxing she does…you know if a girl can make a living off of just waxing eyebrows, she’s got to be good! And not only that, she’s the sweetest thing you’ve ever met. www.seventyseven.us Diane Jensen : Massage Grade : A+ So, I have to admit that before my husband and I bought our house, Diane was our landlord. However, my husband has some pretty severe back injuries (thanks to a motorcycle) and is always up for a massage. That being said, we get a lot of massages. Diane is fantastic. She works in a chiropractic clinic off of NW 23rd (which the chiropractor there is also fantastic, Suzanne Lady) and does pretty much any type of massage you’d like. If I were to say I have a regular LMT, Diane would be it…and without failure, I fall asleep on her table every time. She’s fantastic and a lot cheaper than a mediocre spa massage. And, she is so incredibly kind and sweet as well…you can’t beat that! She used to have a website but it doesn’t look like she does anymore. Contact me if you want to get in touch with her. Embellish Design : Wedding Dress Grade : A+ I went shopping on several different occasions for a wedding dress. After searching most of Portland for the dress, I decided to visit Terri at Embellish Design. Now, I would not even waste time looking for dresses to order. In the end, my dress cost less than any of my final choices of the dresses I found in the salons. Not only that, the experience was so incredibly fun. Originally, I went into her studio with pictures of my final choices as well as other dresses I liked. We went through each picture and discussed what I liked about each one. We took elements from all of those to create my dress. Terri is so knowledgeable about what she does and extremely talented in the art of designing and sewing gowns. We discussed everything from different fabrics to different styles and the pluses and negatives of each. In the end, I had a dress that was exactly what I wanted, custom fit to my body. I would highly recommend working with Terri. I hope that I’ll have a reason for her to make me another dress (she makes party dresses too) some time. www.embellishdesign.com Patty Lehner : Wedding Jewelry Grade : A+ I saw a variation of my wedding dress in an Oregon Bride magazine months before my wedding. The earrings that the model was wearing were wonderful. When I looked up where they came from, the magazine said Ella Posie (which is now closed but was on NE Broadway). Carmen (who is also a wedding coordinator) of Ella Posie got me in touch with Patty, who had designed the jewelry. Patty was an absolute delight to work with…kind of like working with your spunky grandmother. We talked about what I wanted and she worked efficiently to get pieces done for me. She made a variation of the earrings I wanted with several different types of pearls and different lengths so I had something to choose from. Then, she made a bangle to match. And when I asked for some extra pearls and crystals for my ring bearer pillow and hair jewelry, not only did she have no problem sending me on my way with a little bag of each but she also refused to charge me for them when I tried to pay her. August Veils : Hair Jewelry Grade : A Patty referred me to Andrea to have my hair jewelry made (Patty doesn’t like to make it). I brought the pearls and crystals that Patty had used in my jewelry to have Andrea create some sparkle for my hair. She created exactly what I was looking for and in a very short amount of time. www.augustveils.com Cromwell Formalwear : Tuxedo Rentals Grade : A While my husband bought a suit for the wedding, we needed rentals for everyone else. Cromwell’s had a good selection and a helpful staff. They kept us informed on everyone who had, or hadn’t, been fitted and I didn’t hear of any problems that anyone had with their rentals. www.cromwellformalwear.com Twist : Wedding Rings Grade : A We searched for quite some time to find rings that we really loved. While I love the traditional platinum eternity band, I wanted something a little different to go with my princess cut solitaire. My husband wanted a platinum ring but not completely plain. Twist, although not a store you would typically think of for wedding bands, had just what we were looking for. The staff was very friendly and when they ordered our rings, they said it would take eight weeks to get them in (which was cutting it really close). Two weeks later, we received a call letting us know that our rings were in. I love the uniqueness of our rings! www.twistonline.com Shane Co : Engagement Ring Grade : C+ In one week, my husband sold his motorcycle, decided to ask me to marry him and bought a ring. The ring is exactly what I would have picked out, a plain platinum band with a princess cut solitaire. However, if I had had a say in it, I never would have gotten my ring at Shane Co. I think their staff is kind of tacky, not to mention their showroom, and I’m always frustrated by their service when I take my ring in to be cleaned or polished...and lets not even begin to discuss their ads! www.shaneco.com Hotel Lucia : Wedding Night Hotel Grade : A I love this place! We booked their “Did I Mention I Want You?” package in a King Suite. When we arrived at the hotel with nothing but the wedding clothes we were still wearing, they were quick to check us in. Our bed was covered in rose petals, there was music playing, champagne being chilled and a box of toys, i.e. body crayons, furry handcuffs and a book of positions for every day of the year. We ordered room service at about 1:30am because neither of us really ate at our reception. They were prompt and the food was tasty. I wish we didn’t live in Portland so we had more reasons to stay here…it’s such a chic hotel! www.hotellucia.com Bluestar Charter : Guest Transportation Grade : C Originally, we were expecting a lot of guests from out of state. We booked a charter bus to pick up guests from downtown Portland and transport them to Mt Tabor Park and then to Nocturnal. Unfortunately, my husbands grandfather passed away two months before our wedding and many of what we assumed would be the out of town guests could no longer make it due to their last minute flights to the funeral. Regardless, I still think this was a good thing to have. However, we revised our timeline for the bus and faxed it in. For whatever reason, they didn’t follow this and were 1.5 hours early to pick up guests and consequently ended their evening 1.5 hours earlier than we were originally anticipating. I’m not sure why they were running on the old timeline as I had faxed the revised one to them. While in the grand scheme of things, it wasn’t that big of a deal, I was irritated that we had paid for something and then couldn’t even utilize it for 1.5 hours. www.bluestarbus.com The Party Place : Chair Rentals Grade : A Although Mt Tabor Amphitheatre has some benches, we rented some chairs as well to insure we had enough seating. To be honest, I have no idea if this all worked out. I assume they arrived on time as they were all set up prior to the ceremony. And I assume they were picked up just fine since I haven’t heard from them about not getting their chairs back or something. Unforgettable Honeymoons Renee Duane-Meyer : Travel Agent Grade : A for knowledge, C for personality When it came time to plan our honeymoon, we were running out of energy, especially to plan the fantastic honeymoon we both wanted. While we both found Renee to be fairly pretentious and full of herself, she was very knowledgeable. At first, we wanted to go to Bora Bora and Taha’a. However, Renee couldn’t find us any availability for the room types we wanted. She asked us if we would consider Fiji, which we of course would and did. She booked us for 7 nights at Qamea Resort and Spa in Fiji in a premium villa. The resort was amazing but I grew a bit concerned when four different couples at the resort (which has a maximum capacity for 28 adults total) had been booked there with Renee from Unforgettable Honeymoons. I don’t know what sort of a kickback Renee receives for referring clients there and I guess it doesn’t really matter because the resort really is all she says it is. However, it doesn’t feel very good to feel like she’s only sending people to that one place, especially when we already felt like she had a pretty inflated ego. My best friend and her husband booked through Unforgettable Honeymoons for their honeymoon, not with Renee, and said their experience was great. If I had it to do over again, I would try to book with another travel agent there. www.unforgettablehoneymoons.com Qamea Resort and Spa : Honeymoon Grade : A+ Wow! This place was incredible, even when it was overcast most of the week we were there! We flew for close to 14 hours, PDX to LAX, LAX to Nadi, Fiji and then on a puddle jumper from Nadi to Taveuni. Then we were driven in a Range Rover for 20 minutes on a dirt rode to a beach where we got on a boat and went on a 10-minute boat ride across to the island of Qamea. We were greeted by a smiling and friendly staff, taken to their restaurant/lounge villa where we were served cocktails and fruit plates and given a quick rundown of the resort. Our accommodations were amazing. Our villa included a daybed and a pool on our deck, a large outdoor shower, a large bathroom that included a walk-in closet, two sinks, a towel warmer, large shower and then a large room with a four-poster bed on a platform with amazing linens and sheer curtains hanging, and then a living area with a couch, coffee table, stereo, lounge chairs, etc. I’ve never stayed in such an incredible place. The staff was so incredibly friendly, the food was some of the best food I’ve ever eaten. We snorkeled, went for a hike in the rainforest, swam in waterfalls, went to visit a village, did some nude sunbathing on our own private beach for an afternoon, my husband did some traditional Fijian hand-line fishing, kava ceremonies, a meek ceremony, beach volleyball and we visited the spa every day. The staff would make you snacks in between meals if you were hungry, the coral and the seashells were amazing and the rainforest absolutely incredible. It was the perfect way to end such an incredible experience. www.qamea.com Teness Herman : Intimate Portraits Grade : A+ WOW. This was an absolutely amazing experience. Teness is absolutely amazing. She made me feel so comfortable and relaxed…an absolute necessity to create the kind of pictures I was going for. I felt like I was taking pictures with a dear old friend. She and I spent months discussing the look and feel of the shoot. She recommended I look at a book called Women Before 10am by Veronique Vial. If you like the style of my intimate portraits (aka Boudoir Pictures…sorry, I think it’s a cheesy name), I would definitely recommend you check out this book for inspiration. We shot for three and a half hours and could have easily gone on for another two. She used multiple cameras and twice as many lenses with nothing but natural light, which really helped in creating a sensual feel. Her enthusiasm, creativity and eye for the perfect shot are truly unparalleled. If you don’t have room in your budget to do this as a wedding gift, I would highly recommend it as a first (paper) anniversary gift. www.teness.com
www.profilephoto.com Nocturnal : Reception Venue Grade : A My husband and I had been together for five years when we got engaged and seven years by the time we married. So, even though we were getting married, we had already committed to each other by purchasing a house together, owning our cars together, being listed on each others bank accounts and having spent holidays with each others’ families for the past 7 years. So, when it came to our wedding, we wanted to throw a celebration. Since we’re pretty non-traditional people to begin with, we didn’t feel the need to follow tradition in many aspects of our wedding. We decided we wanted to throw a late-night party for our reception with a lounge feel. Amazingly, there aren’t a whole lot of venues that can accommodate this appropriately in Portland. Somehow we found Nocturnal. Bethany Pratt, the owner, is probably in her late 20s or early 30s. She’s a creative type and has done an amazing job of remodeling/decorating the venue…or hiring someone to do it. You can rent sections of the venue or the whole thing, which we did. There’s a ballroom, a basement with the coolest bar I’ve ever seen (courtesy of the fact that Bethany’s parents own Pratt & Larson tile) and stained cement floors, an outdoor courtyard and then a kitchen off the back courtyard. In terms of an urban/modern space, there’s nothing like it in Portland. Bethany is lacking in enthusiasm and interpersonal skills to do the job that she does (she needs to hire me to sell her space for her!), however, she was always accommodating and willing to work with us. When we first booked the venue, she had a bubbly, fun girl working with her that I’m sure handled much of the client-end of things. My feeling is that Bethany is a more introverted, quiet type that struggles with really selling her space. I would definitely rent the space again, especially for the price. Even though its wonderfully decorated and you really wouldn’t have to do anything to it if you didn’t want to, it also allows for some fantastic decorating if that’s what you’re after. www.nocturnalpdx.com Mt Tabor Amphitheatre : Ceremony Venue Grade : C Well, its dealing with the City of Portland so it can’t be anything too spectacular. In reality, the process was fairly painless, other than the fact that they tried to charge us $100 to use the electrical outlets, telling me that it was for the key to the breaker box so we could use power, only to find out there was power without it. My husband and I are both very outdoorsy, your stereotypical Oregonians in that respect. It only seemed appropriate to have an outdoor ceremony in a beautiful location. The amphitheatre is especially cool since it’s an extinct volcano, I think the only extinct volcano within a city’s limits in the country. When you rent the space, you have it for the entire day, which was good in terms of decorating. The only downside (to some people, anyway) is that it’s a public park, so outsiders can watch, which they did. In fact, it was cool because the amphitheatre is adjacent to the basketball courts in the park. When the ceremony was about to begin, all of the basketball players took a seat on the court and were impromptu guests to our ceremony. There were also quite a few people that stood above the amphitheatre to watch. While this might bother some people, my husband and I didn’t mind in the least. In reality, I might do the same if I were in a public park and saw a wedding happening. www.portlandonline.com Matthew Hoff : Officiant Grade : A This is a friend of ours, actually Sept2005’s husband. We asked him to marry us as he is such a good friend but also because he’s a charismatic, funny public speaker. He did not let us down. We gave him a lot of creative license and while I think that made him nervous, he did with it exactly what we wanted. One minute we would be laughing hysterically and the next crying. He had the perfect combination of funny and serious…we couldn’t have picked a more perfect person for the role! Jitterblooms : Florist Grade : A I almost don’t need to write a vendor review on Jessica since so many people on The Knot have used her. She’s fantastic. I felt like she really understood what I was going for when we began talking…and she totally did. Not only that, she was very flexible when I needed to add some last minute boutonnieres and purchase five flats of wheat grass for our centerpieces. My bouquet was the first all green bouquet she had done and it turned out so well. She’s such a talented lady! www.jitterblooms.com Four Up Inc : Photobooth Photography Grade : A Oh my gosh, this was SUCH a hit! And it seemed like the more people drank, the better and better the pictures got. The guests loved watching other people take theirs as well as doing their own. Manny, that’s the owner of Four Up Inc, was even cracking up with some of the poses. Our package allowed for a printout of each set of pictures to the guest and then we get a copy of all of the digital files on a disc. Since we didn’t do favors, I kind of considered this a favor in a sense. It was so incredibly entertaining and I would highly recommend Manny if you can fit it into your budget. www.fourupinc.com Nicole Wagner : Makeup Artist Grade : A Nicole did makeup non-stop for six hours straight. She did makeup for both of the moms, all five maids of honor, rosy cheeks and lip gloss for the two flower girls and my makeup. Everyone raved about their makeup, some even asked for the colors and how she did it so they could recreate it another time. She’s so talented at making you look like yourself only better. She was so patient with my mom who couldn’t stop crying when Nicole was trying to get her makeup done, and originally only four of the maids of honor wanted to have their makeup done. However, upon seeing everyone else get done up, the fifth maid wanted her makeup done as well. Nicole was so flexible in making that happen, even though she had allotted a very specific amount of time for each. MAC Cosmetics are my regular day-to-day makeup. When I found a new product that I really liked, I emailed Nicole to see if she could use it instead of the foundation she had picked out for me (I don’t use foundation so I was a bit apprehensive). Nicole was totally open to it and even went and bought it at the MAC store so I didn’t have to buy foundation that I would never wear again. I would definitely hire her again. www.perfectbride.blogspot.com Patti Green Salon 77 : Hair Stylist Grade : A Patti is great, what can I say? She’s my regular hairstylist who I’ve been seeing for probably about four years. She doesn’t do wedding styles unless you’re one of her regular clients. However, the girl gives an amazing haircut so if you’re looking for a new stylist, Patti’s your girl. She moved here from NYC where she worked for Toni & Guy. Patti did a great job of doing my hair, which was no small task since my hair is stick straight and I wanted waves. She also did my husband’s hair, she’s his regular stylist as well. And while there’s not much to be done with 1.5 inches of hair, somehow it always looks so great when she does his. www.seventyseven.us Toast Productions : Event Design/Setup Grade : A I met these ladies through a friend of mine. I’ve never met a more resourceful group of ladies. When I said we wanted an ice cream wedding cake, they searched the city high and low looking for someone willing to do it. When I said we wanted a custom-made martini ice luge for not a lot of money, they found it. Rachael, of Toast Productions, is a graphic designer, so she has a great sense of design. While I had a coordinator already hired by the time I met Rachael and Sarah (they’re sisters), I knew I could utilize their skills to turn our reception into what we wanted. We met several times to discuss setup, layout and logistics. On the day of the wedding, they picked up everything for the reception, which was a lot, and spent hours setting it up. They also handled all of the vendors coming into Nocturnal to insure everything was setup just so. These ladies are native Portlanders and extremely well networked. While this is a new business venture for them, you never would have known by their ability to recreate what our vision had been. They also did all of our cleanup for us and promptly delivered it back to my mom’s house the day after the wedding. www.toast-productions.com Look Weddings : Wedding Coordinator Grade : A- Cassia has been doing wedding coordination for about two years. She started because she enjoyed planning her own wedding so much. I work with her at my job and inquired about her services when I heard she was doing coordination. Her design of our custom built website alone was amazing. She used the graphics that my husband’s sister had created for our stationery and created a fairly extensive website. She also contacted all of our vendors the week of the wedding to verify their services for the day of. She setup our entire ceremony (which was hundreds of paper bag luminaries, tables, chairs, etc) and coordinated from there on. Cassia is a fairly reserved person and I think at times is intimidated to exert her assertiveness. However, I think this will only get better as she continues to work. Because she works a full time job, I think she’s become a bit worn down by doing both a full time coordination business along with her job. At this time, I don’t think she’s taking on any new weddings until 2007. www.lookweddings.com Kristin Bradetich : Graphic Design for Stationery Grade : A+ Well, Kristin is my husband’s older sister. By career, she designs logos for apparel for a small athletic apparel company in Boulder. When we asked her to help us with our stationery, she was very enthusiastic. She did a great job of taking our ideas and turning them into something that was stylish, unique and really created the essence of our wedding. She designed a logo we put on everything, our save the dates, invitations (including RSVP and Reception cards), rehearsal dinner invitations, programs, menu cards, Just Married sign for our getaway car and thank you cards. While she doesn’t create custom invitations for people, she should probably consider it as she’s very talented. Anders Printing : Stationery Printing Grade : B I worked with Jill at Anders to get the majority of our printing done. It felt good to be working with a local company to complete our printing needs. Jill was very friendly and helpful and they did a great job of getting the work turned around in a short time period. They printed everything from our logos on stickers to our save the dates, invitations and rehearsal dinner invitations. After getting quotes for our save the dates, I didn’t search around after that to see if I could find a better deal. So, when we had our invitations printed offset, I don’t know if it was cheaper than another printer. I was very clear with my requests on each job (thanks to the help of the graphic designer). However, when our invitations were ready, she charged me an extra $25 and I had A LOT of extra copies, far more than I had requested. I meant to question why we had been charged more than originally quoted and why we had so many extras but I never got around to it. I probably should have asked for a discount since they asked if they could put our invitations on their website. All in all, this was a good experience. www.andersprinting.com DJ Stay in School - Martin Wilson : Reception DJ Grade : B My husband is a big fan of electronica music. So, when it came time to hire a DJ, my husband took on this role. We contacted Connie Wohn of Stylus 503 (a DJ cooperative), thanks to a referral from Bethany of Nocturnal. Connie sent us a whole package of samples of different DJs. We chose Martin because of his style, obviously. He did a great job but I think there was too much going on at the reception (photobooth, downstairs bar, outdoor courtyard) to really get people dancing. While people did dance, I think they would have done more of it had we not had so much else going on. Martin did que up the wrong music (we provided specific music for specific events during the evening since he doesn’t have the regular wedding DJ collection) for the Mother/Son dance and didn’t que up any music for the cake cutting. However, I don’t think the cake cutting music was his fault as the coordinator didn’t let him know the cake was going to make its grand entrance. www.djstayinschool.com Taste of Honey - Honey Everett : Wedding Cake Grade : A As mentioned before, we wanted an ice cream cake as our wedding cake. Neither of us like cake. Amazingly, getting someone to make a wedding cake out of ice cream is harder than you might imagine. Every person we contacted acted like we were crazy. However, when we found Honey, she definitely knew what she was talking about. There are a lot of logistics involved with an ice cream wedding cake, i.e. delivery, setup, serving it, icing it, etc. Honey had such confidence that I wasn’t the least bit worried. We had three flavors, one of which being mint chocolate chip (the others I don’t remember), with a brownie bottom. Honey delivered and setup the cake after the reception had started. It tasted great and looked fantastic, even though it had started to melt, which I found somewhat charming, being as that it was ice cream cake! Oregon Chamber Players : Ceremony Musicians Grade : B- This was another responsibility of my husband’s. We picked all non-traditional music (Coldplay, The Verve, Enya) and had to find the sheet music for all of the songs we wanted played. Originally, we were going to use the Metropolitan Youth Symphony. However, once they started to review the sheet music for the songs we wanted played, they realized that they didn’t really currently have that kind of depth. Last minute, three weeks before the wedding, we had to find someone new. Considering the amount of time they had, the Oregon Chamber Players did great. They did mess up on one of the songs but it wasn’t really worth getting upset over. I also would have preferred a string quartet (which was our original plan) but that wasn’t really their fault. www.oregonchamberplayers.org Blizzard Motors : Getaway Car Grade : A Almost two years ago my husband and I bought a car from this lot (its in SE Portland). The lot is primarily fine European cars. When we were there to pick up our newly purchased car, the owner of the lot told us he would loan us a car of our choice for our wedding. My fiance chose a convertible Porsche to drive from the ceremony. It was a beautiful little black shiny thing and my husband thoroughly enjoyed driving it. I don’t know if Doug would be willing to rent out any of his cars but if you’re interested it might not hurt to ask. Western Culinary Institute : Martini Ice Luge Grade : A This was one of the best budget friendly finds of our entire wedding. We really wanted to have a martini luge but found that they were rather expensive to have made…that was, until we found out about the Western Culinary Institute’s ice sculpture class. Basically, they told us they could create anything we wanted and all we had to do was provide them with a drawing. My mom, who’s an artist, drew a great design, in keeping with our theme and stationery, and we provided it to WCI. They not only did a great job of recreating it but the cost included transporting it, delivery and setup. We paid more than they asked for, to donate towards their program, but regardless it was well worth it. Definitely one of the main highlights of the reception for our guests. Spa La La : Pre-Wedding Pampering Grade : B+ As part of my gift to the ladies in the wedding, I treated them to manicures and pedicures at Spa La La. While it’s not the best manicure and pedicure in town (my best friend and I often refer to them as the chop shop), the decor and vibe is great and they’ll serve you all the mimosas you want. We had twelve of us (the moms, five maids of honor, two readers, the two flower girls and myself) there and it was like our own little private party. The staff was very friendly and efficient and I think the ladies all enjoyed getting their nails done. www.spalala.net The Face Place – Dorene Klippel : Facial and Brazilian Wax Grade : A I’ve gone to Dorene every month for the last six years for a Brazilian wax. She does a fantastic job at those…well, it’s a Brazilian wax so it’s not like it feels good but in terms of the final look, she does a tremendous job. However, I decided to get a facial from her as well. Wow! Her facial was by far the best facial I’ve ever had…not only did I fall asleep but she did such an incredibly thorough job. It will be hard not to make getting a facial from her a monthly occurrence as well. www.waxqueen.com Salon 77 – Mahria Martinez : Brow Wax Grade : A+ I pretty much have caterpillars for eyebrows…I’m not kidding. So, not only do my eyebrows need to be professionally groomed on a regular basis but they need to be done well. Mahria is a dream…seriously, she’s absolutely amazing. It’s the only kind of waxing she does…you know if a girl can make a living off of just waxing eyebrows, she’s got to be good! And not only that, she’s the sweetest thing you’ve ever met. www.seventyseven.us Diane Jensen : Massage Grade : A+ So, I have to admit that before my husband and I bought our house, Diane was our landlord. However, my husband has some pretty severe back injuries (thanks to a motorcycle) and is always up for a massage. That being said, we get a lot of massages. Diane is fantastic. She works in a chiropractic clinic off of NW 23rd (which the chiropractor there is also fantastic, Suzanne Lady) and does pretty much any type of massage you’d like. If I were to say I have a regular LMT, Diane would be it…and without failure, I fall asleep on her table every time. She’s fantastic and a lot cheaper than a mediocre spa massage. And, she is so incredibly kind and sweet as well…you can’t beat that! She used to have a website but it doesn’t look like she does anymore. Contact me if you want to get in touch with her. Embellish Design : Wedding Dress Grade : A+ I went shopping on several different occasions for a wedding dress. After searching most of Portland for the dress, I decided to visit Terri at Embellish Design. Now, I would not even waste time looking for dresses to order. In the end, my dress cost less than any of my final choices of the dresses I found in the salons. Not only that, the experience was so incredibly fun. Originally, I went into her studio with pictures of my final choices as well as other dresses I liked. We went through each picture and discussed what I liked about each one. We took elements from all of those to create my dress. Terri is so knowledgeable about what she does and extremely talented in the art of designing and sewing gowns. We discussed everything from different fabrics to different styles and the pluses and negatives of each. In the end, I had a dress that was exactly what I wanted, custom fit to my body. I would highly recommend working with Terri. I hope that I’ll have a reason for her to make me another dress (she makes party dresses too) some time. www.embellishdesign.com Patty Lehner : Wedding Jewelry Grade : A+ I saw a variation of my wedding dress in an Oregon Bride magazine months before my wedding. The earrings that the model was wearing were wonderful. When I looked up where they came from, the magazine said Ella Posie (which is now closed but was on NE Broadway). Carmen (who is also a wedding coordinator) of Ella Posie got me in touch with Patty, who had designed the jewelry. Patty was an absolute delight to work with…kind of like working with your spunky grandmother. We talked about what I wanted and she worked efficiently to get pieces done for me. She made a variation of the earrings I wanted with several different types of pearls and different lengths so I had something to choose from. Then, she made a bangle to match. And when I asked for some extra pearls and crystals for my ring bearer pillow and hair jewelry, not only did she have no problem sending me on my way with a little bag of each but she also refused to charge me for them when I tried to pay her. August Veils : Hair Jewelry Grade : A Patty referred me to Andrea to have my hair jewelry made (Patty doesn’t like to make it). I brought the pearls and crystals that Patty had used in my jewelry to have Andrea create some sparkle for my hair. She created exactly what I was looking for and in a very short amount of time. www.augustveils.com Cromwell Formalwear : Tuxedo Rentals Grade : A While my husband bought a suit for the wedding, we needed rentals for everyone else. Cromwell’s had a good selection and a helpful staff. They kept us informed on everyone who had, or hadn’t, been fitted and I didn’t hear of any problems that anyone had with their rentals. www.cromwellformalwear.com Twist : Wedding Rings Grade : A We searched for quite some time to find rings that we really loved. While I love the traditional platinum eternity band, I wanted something a little different to go with my princess cut solitaire. My husband wanted a platinum ring but not completely plain. Twist, although not a store you would typically think of for wedding bands, had just what we were looking for. The staff was very friendly and when they ordered our rings, they said it would take eight weeks to get them in (which was cutting it really close). Two weeks later, we received a call letting us know that our rings were in. I love the uniqueness of our rings! www.twistonline.com Shane Co : Engagement Ring Grade : C+ In one week, my husband sold his motorcycle, decided to ask me to marry him and bought a ring. The ring is exactly what I would have picked out, a plain platinum band with a princess cut solitaire. However, if I had had a say in it, I never would have gotten my ring at Shane Co. I think their staff is kind of tacky, not to mention their showroom, and I’m always frustrated by their service when I take my ring in to be cleaned or polished...and lets not even begin to discuss their ads! www.shaneco.com Hotel Lucia : Wedding Night Hotel Grade : A I love this place! We booked their “Did I Mention I Want You?” package in a King Suite. When we arrived at the hotel with nothing but the wedding clothes we were still wearing, they were quick to check us in. Our bed was covered in rose petals, there was music playing, champagne being chilled and a box of toys, i.e. body crayons, furry handcuffs and a book of positions for every day of the year. We ordered room service at about 1:30am because neither of us really ate at our reception. They were prompt and the food was tasty. I wish we didn’t live in Portland so we had more reasons to stay here…it’s such a chic hotel! www.hotellucia.com Bluestar Charter : Guest Transportation Grade : C Originally, we were expecting a lot of guests from out of state. We booked a charter bus to pick up guests from downtown Portland and transport them to Mt Tabor Park and then to Nocturnal. Unfortunately, my husbands grandfather passed away two months before our wedding and many of what we assumed would be the out of town guests could no longer make it due to their last minute flights to the funeral. Regardless, I still think this was a good thing to have. However, we revised our timeline for the bus and faxed it in. For whatever reason, they didn’t follow this and were 1.5 hours early to pick up guests and consequently ended their evening 1.5 hours earlier than we were originally anticipating. I’m not sure why they were running on the old timeline as I had faxed the revised one to them. While in the grand scheme of things, it wasn’t that big of a deal, I was irritated that we had paid for something and then couldn’t even utilize it for 1.5 hours. www.bluestarbus.com The Party Place : Chair Rentals Grade : A Although Mt Tabor Amphitheatre has some benches, we rented some chairs as well to insure we had enough seating. To be honest, I have no idea if this all worked out. I assume they arrived on time as they were all set up prior to the ceremony. And I assume they were picked up just fine since I haven’t heard from them about not getting their chairs back or something. Unforgettable Honeymoons Renee Duane-Meyer : Travel Agent Grade : A for knowledge, C for personality When it came time to plan our honeymoon, we were running out of energy, especially to plan the fantastic honeymoon we both wanted. While we both found Renee to be fairly pretentious and full of herself, she was very knowledgeable. At first, we wanted to go to Bora Bora and Taha’a. However, Renee couldn’t find us any availability for the room types we wanted. She asked us if we would consider Fiji, which we of course would and did. She booked us for 7 nights at Qamea Resort and Spa in Fiji in a premium villa. The resort was amazing but I grew a bit concerned when four different couples at the resort (which has a maximum capacity for 28 adults total) had been booked there with Renee from Unforgettable Honeymoons. I don’t know what sort of a kickback Renee receives for referring clients there and I guess it doesn’t really matter because the resort really is all she says it is. However, it doesn’t feel very good to feel like she’s only sending people to that one place, especially when we already felt like she had a pretty inflated ego. My best friend and her husband booked through Unforgettable Honeymoons for their honeymoon, not with Renee, and said their experience was great. If I had it to do over again, I would try to book with another travel agent there. www.unforgettablehoneymoons.com Qamea Resort and Spa : Honeymoon Grade : A+ Wow! This place was incredible, even when it was overcast most of the week we were there! We flew for close to 14 hours, PDX to LAX, LAX to Nadi, Fiji and then on a puddle jumper from Nadi to Taveuni. Then we were driven in a Range Rover for 20 minutes on a dirt rode to a beach where we got on a boat and went on a 10-minute boat ride across to the island of Qamea. We were greeted by a smiling and friendly staff, taken to their restaurant/lounge villa where we were served cocktails and fruit plates and given a quick rundown of the resort. Our accommodations were amazing. Our villa included a daybed and a pool on our deck, a large outdoor shower, a large bathroom that included a walk-in closet, two sinks, a towel warmer, large shower and then a large room with a four-poster bed on a platform with amazing linens and sheer curtains hanging, and then a living area with a couch, coffee table, stereo, lounge chairs, etc. I’ve never stayed in such an incredible place. The staff was so incredibly friendly, the food was some of the best food I’ve ever eaten. We snorkeled, went for a hike in the rainforest, swam in waterfalls, went to visit a village, did some nude sunbathing on our own private beach for an afternoon, my husband did some traditional Fijian hand-line fishing, kava ceremonies, a meek ceremony, beach volleyball and we visited the spa every day. The staff would make you snacks in between meals if you were hungry, the coral and the seashells were amazing and the rainforest absolutely incredible. It was the perfect way to end such an incredible experience. www.qamea.com Teness Herman : Intimate Portraits Grade : A+ WOW. This was an absolutely amazing experience. Teness is absolutely amazing. She made me feel so comfortable and relaxed…an absolute necessity to create the kind of pictures I was going for. I felt like I was taking pictures with a dear old friend. She and I spent months discussing the look and feel of the shoot. She recommended I look at a book called Women Before 10am by Veronique Vial. If you like the style of my intimate portraits (aka Boudoir Pictures…sorry, I think it’s a cheesy name), I would definitely recommend you check out this book for inspiration. We shot for three and a half hours and could have easily gone on for another two. She used multiple cameras and twice as many lenses with nothing but natural light, which really helped in creating a sensual feel. Her enthusiasm, creativity and eye for the perfect shot are truly unparalleled. If you don’t have room in your budget to do this as a wedding gift, I would highly recommend it as a first (paper) anniversary gift. www.teness.com
Nocturnal : Reception Venue Grade : A My husband and I had been together for five years when we got engaged and seven years by the time we married. So, even though we were getting married, we had already committed to each other by purchasing a house together, owning our cars together, being listed on each others bank accounts and having spent holidays with each others’ families for the past 7 years. So, when it came to our wedding, we wanted to throw a celebration. Since we’re pretty non-traditional people to begin with, we didn’t feel the need to follow tradition in many aspects of our wedding. We decided we wanted to throw a late-night party for our reception with a lounge feel. Amazingly, there aren’t a whole lot of venues that can accommodate this appropriately in Portland. Somehow we found Nocturnal. Bethany Pratt, the owner, is probably in her late 20s or early 30s. She’s a creative type and has done an amazing job of remodeling/decorating the venue…or hiring someone to do it. You can rent sections of the venue or the whole thing, which we did. There’s a ballroom, a basement with the coolest bar I’ve ever seen (courtesy of the fact that Bethany’s parents own Pratt & Larson tile) and stained cement floors, an outdoor courtyard and then a kitchen off the back courtyard. In terms of an urban/modern space, there’s nothing like it in Portland. Bethany is lacking in enthusiasm and interpersonal skills to do the job that she does (she needs to hire me to sell her space for her!), however, she was always accommodating and willing to work with us. When we first booked the venue, she had a bubbly, fun girl working with her that I’m sure handled much of the client-end of things. My feeling is that Bethany is a more introverted, quiet type that struggles with really selling her space. I would definitely rent the space again, especially for the price. Even though its wonderfully decorated and you really wouldn’t have to do anything to it if you didn’t want to, it also allows for some fantastic decorating if that’s what you’re after. www.nocturnalpdx.com Mt Tabor Amphitheatre : Ceremony Venue Grade : C Well, its dealing with the City of Portland so it can’t be anything too spectacular. In reality, the process was fairly painless, other than the fact that they tried to charge us $100 to use the electrical outlets, telling me that it was for the key to the breaker box so we could use power, only to find out there was power without it. My husband and I are both very outdoorsy, your stereotypical Oregonians in that respect. It only seemed appropriate to have an outdoor ceremony in a beautiful location. The amphitheatre is especially cool since it’s an extinct volcano, I think the only extinct volcano within a city’s limits in the country. When you rent the space, you have it for the entire day, which was good in terms of decorating. The only downside (to some people, anyway) is that it’s a public park, so outsiders can watch, which they did. In fact, it was cool because the amphitheatre is adjacent to the basketball courts in the park. When the ceremony was about to begin, all of the basketball players took a seat on the court and were impromptu guests to our ceremony. There were also quite a few people that stood above the amphitheatre to watch. While this might bother some people, my husband and I didn’t mind in the least. In reality, I might do the same if I were in a public park and saw a wedding happening. www.portlandonline.com Matthew Hoff : Officiant Grade : A This is a friend of ours, actually Sept2005’s husband. We asked him to marry us as he is such a good friend but also because he’s a charismatic, funny public speaker. He did not let us down. We gave him a lot of creative license and while I think that made him nervous, he did with it exactly what we wanted. One minute we would be laughing hysterically and the next crying. He had the perfect combination of funny and serious…we couldn’t have picked a more perfect person for the role! Jitterblooms : Florist Grade : A I almost don’t need to write a vendor review on Jessica since so many people on The Knot have used her. She’s fantastic. I felt like she really understood what I was going for when we began talking…and she totally did. Not only that, she was very flexible when I needed to add some last minute boutonnieres and purchase five flats of wheat grass for our centerpieces. My bouquet was the first all green bouquet she had done and it turned out so well. She’s such a talented lady! www.jitterblooms.com Four Up Inc : Photobooth Photography Grade : A Oh my gosh, this was SUCH a hit! And it seemed like the more people drank, the better and better the pictures got. The guests loved watching other people take theirs as well as doing their own. Manny, that’s the owner of Four Up Inc, was even cracking up with some of the poses. Our package allowed for a printout of each set of pictures to the guest and then we get a copy of all of the digital files on a disc. Since we didn’t do favors, I kind of considered this a favor in a sense. It was so incredibly entertaining and I would highly recommend Manny if you can fit it into your budget. www.fourupinc.com Nicole Wagner : Makeup Artist Grade : A Nicole did makeup non-stop for six hours straight. She did makeup for both of the moms, all five maids of honor, rosy cheeks and lip gloss for the two flower girls and my makeup. Everyone raved about their makeup, some even asked for the colors and how she did it so they could recreate it another time. She’s so talented at making you look like yourself only better. She was so patient with my mom who couldn’t stop crying when Nicole was trying to get her makeup done, and originally only four of the maids of honor wanted to have their makeup done. However, upon seeing everyone else get done up, the fifth maid wanted her makeup done as well. Nicole was so flexible in making that happen, even though she had allotted a very specific amount of time for each. MAC Cosmetics are my regular day-to-day makeup. When I found a new product that I really liked, I emailed Nicole to see if she could use it instead of the foundation she had picked out for me (I don’t use foundation so I was a bit apprehensive). Nicole was totally open to it and even went and bought it at the MAC store so I didn’t have to buy foundation that I would never wear again. I would definitely hire her again. www.perfectbride.blogspot.com Patti Green Salon 77 : Hair Stylist Grade : A Patti is great, what can I say? She’s my regular hairstylist who I’ve been seeing for probably about four years. She doesn’t do wedding styles unless you’re one of her regular clients. However, the girl gives an amazing haircut so if you’re looking for a new stylist, Patti’s your girl. She moved here from NYC where she worked for Toni & Guy. Patti did a great job of doing my hair, which was no small task since my hair is stick straight and I wanted waves. She also did my husband’s hair, she’s his regular stylist as well. And while there’s not much to be done with 1.5 inches of hair, somehow it always looks so great when she does his. www.seventyseven.us Toast Productions : Event Design/Setup Grade : A I met these ladies through a friend of mine. I’ve never met a more resourceful group of ladies. When I said we wanted an ice cream wedding cake, they searched the city high and low looking for someone willing to do it. When I said we wanted a custom-made martini ice luge for not a lot of money, they found it. Rachael, of Toast Productions, is a graphic designer, so she has a great sense of design. While I had a coordinator already hired by the time I met Rachael and Sarah (they’re sisters), I knew I could utilize their skills to turn our reception into what we wanted. We met several times to discuss setup, layout and logistics. On the day of the wedding, they picked up everything for the reception, which was a lot, and spent hours setting it up. They also handled all of the vendors coming into Nocturnal to insure everything was setup just so. These ladies are native Portlanders and extremely well networked. While this is a new business venture for them, you never would have known by their ability to recreate what our vision had been. They also did all of our cleanup for us and promptly delivered it back to my mom’s house the day after the wedding. www.toast-productions.com Look Weddings : Wedding Coordinator Grade : A- Cassia has been doing wedding coordination for about two years. She started because she enjoyed planning her own wedding so much. I work with her at my job and inquired about her services when I heard she was doing coordination. Her design of our custom built website alone was amazing. She used the graphics that my husband’s sister had created for our stationery and created a fairly extensive website. She also contacted all of our vendors the week of the wedding to verify their services for the day of. She setup our entire ceremony (which was hundreds of paper bag luminaries, tables, chairs, etc) and coordinated from there on. Cassia is a fairly reserved person and I think at times is intimidated to exert her assertiveness. However, I think this will only get better as she continues to work. Because she works a full time job, I think she’s become a bit worn down by doing both a full time coordination business along with her job. At this time, I don’t think she’s taking on any new weddings until 2007. www.lookweddings.com Kristin Bradetich : Graphic Design for Stationery Grade : A+ Well, Kristin is my husband’s older sister. By career, she designs logos for apparel for a small athletic apparel company in Boulder. When we asked her to help us with our stationery, she was very enthusiastic. She did a great job of taking our ideas and turning them into something that was stylish, unique and really created the essence of our wedding. She designed a logo we put on everything, our save the dates, invitations (including RSVP and Reception cards), rehearsal dinner invitations, programs, menu cards, Just Married sign for our getaway car and thank you cards. While she doesn’t create custom invitations for people, she should probably consider it as she’s very talented. Anders Printing : Stationery Printing Grade : B I worked with Jill at Anders to get the majority of our printing done. It felt good to be working with a local company to complete our printing needs. Jill was very friendly and helpful and they did a great job of getting the work turned around in a short time period. They printed everything from our logos on stickers to our save the dates, invitations and rehearsal dinner invitations. After getting quotes for our save the dates, I didn’t search around after that to see if I could find a better deal. So, when we had our invitations printed offset, I don’t know if it was cheaper than another printer. I was very clear with my requests on each job (thanks to the help of the graphic designer). However, when our invitations were ready, she charged me an extra $25 and I had A LOT of extra copies, far more than I had requested. I meant to question why we had been charged more than originally quoted and why we had so many extras but I never got around to it. I probably should have asked for a discount since they asked if they could put our invitations on their website. All in all, this was a good experience. www.andersprinting.com DJ Stay in School - Martin Wilson : Reception DJ Grade : B My husband is a big fan of electronica music. So, when it came time to hire a DJ, my husband took on this role. We contacted Connie Wohn of Stylus 503 (a DJ cooperative), thanks to a referral from Bethany of Nocturnal. Connie sent us a whole package of samples of different DJs. We chose Martin because of his style, obviously. He did a great job but I think there was too much going on at the reception (photobooth, downstairs bar, outdoor courtyard) to really get people dancing. While people did dance, I think they would have done more of it had we not had so much else going on. Martin did que up the wrong music (we provided specific music for specific events during the evening since he doesn’t have the regular wedding DJ collection) for the Mother/Son dance and didn’t que up any music for the cake cutting. However, I don’t think the cake cutting music was his fault as the coordinator didn’t let him know the cake was going to make its grand entrance. www.djstayinschool.com Taste of Honey - Honey Everett : Wedding Cake Grade : A As mentioned before, we wanted an ice cream cake as our wedding cake. Neither of us like cake. Amazingly, getting someone to make a wedding cake out of ice cream is harder than you might imagine. Every person we contacted acted like we were crazy. However, when we found Honey, she definitely knew what she was talking about. There are a lot of logistics involved with an ice cream wedding cake, i.e. delivery, setup, serving it, icing it, etc. Honey had such confidence that I wasn’t the least bit worried. We had three flavors, one of which being mint chocolate chip (the others I don’t remember), with a brownie bottom. Honey delivered and setup the cake after the reception had started. It tasted great and looked fantastic, even though it had started to melt, which I found somewhat charming, being as that it was ice cream cake! Oregon Chamber Players : Ceremony Musicians Grade : B- This was another responsibility of my husband’s. We picked all non-traditional music (Coldplay, The Verve, Enya) and had to find the sheet music for all of the songs we wanted played. Originally, we were going to use the Metropolitan Youth Symphony. However, once they started to review the sheet music for the songs we wanted played, they realized that they didn’t really currently have that kind of depth. Last minute, three weeks before the wedding, we had to find someone new. Considering the amount of time they had, the Oregon Chamber Players did great. They did mess up on one of the songs but it wasn’t really worth getting upset over. I also would have preferred a string quartet (which was our original plan) but that wasn’t really their fault. www.oregonchamberplayers.org Blizzard Motors : Getaway Car Grade : A Almost two years ago my husband and I bought a car from this lot (its in SE Portland). The lot is primarily fine European cars. When we were there to pick up our newly purchased car, the owner of the lot told us he would loan us a car of our choice for our wedding. My fiance chose a convertible Porsche to drive from the ceremony. It was a beautiful little black shiny thing and my husband thoroughly enjoyed driving it. I don’t know if Doug would be willing to rent out any of his cars but if you’re interested it might not hurt to ask. Western Culinary Institute : Martini Ice Luge Grade : A This was one of the best budget friendly finds of our entire wedding. We really wanted to have a martini luge but found that they were rather expensive to have made…that was, until we found out about the Western Culinary Institute’s ice sculpture class. Basically, they told us they could create anything we wanted and all we had to do was provide them with a drawing. My mom, who’s an artist, drew a great design, in keeping with our theme and stationery, and we provided it to WCI. They not only did a great job of recreating it but the cost included transporting it, delivery and setup. We paid more than they asked for, to donate towards their program, but regardless it was well worth it. Definitely one of the main highlights of the reception for our guests. Spa La La : Pre-Wedding Pampering Grade : B+ As part of my gift to the ladies in the wedding, I treated them to manicures and pedicures at Spa La La. While it’s not the best manicure and pedicure in town (my best friend and I often refer to them as the chop shop), the decor and vibe is great and they’ll serve you all the mimosas you want. We had twelve of us (the moms, five maids of honor, two readers, the two flower girls and myself) there and it was like our own little private party. The staff was very friendly and efficient and I think the ladies all enjoyed getting their nails done. www.spalala.net The Face Place – Dorene Klippel : Facial and Brazilian Wax Grade : A I’ve gone to Dorene every month for the last six years for a Brazilian wax. She does a fantastic job at those…well, it’s a Brazilian wax so it’s not like it feels good but in terms of the final look, she does a tremendous job. However, I decided to get a facial from her as well. Wow! Her facial was by far the best facial I’ve ever had…not only did I fall asleep but she did such an incredibly thorough job. It will be hard not to make getting a facial from her a monthly occurrence as well. www.waxqueen.com Salon 77 – Mahria Martinez : Brow Wax Grade : A+ I pretty much have caterpillars for eyebrows…I’m not kidding. So, not only do my eyebrows need to be professionally groomed on a regular basis but they need to be done well. Mahria is a dream…seriously, she’s absolutely amazing. It’s the only kind of waxing she does…you know if a girl can make a living off of just waxing eyebrows, she’s got to be good! And not only that, she’s the sweetest thing you’ve ever met. www.seventyseven.us Diane Jensen : Massage Grade : A+ So, I have to admit that before my husband and I bought our house, Diane was our landlord. However, my husband has some pretty severe back injuries (thanks to a motorcycle) and is always up for a massage. That being said, we get a lot of massages. Diane is fantastic. She works in a chiropractic clinic off of NW 23rd (which the chiropractor there is also fantastic, Suzanne Lady) and does pretty much any type of massage you’d like. If I were to say I have a regular LMT, Diane would be it…and without failure, I fall asleep on her table every time. She’s fantastic and a lot cheaper than a mediocre spa massage. And, she is so incredibly kind and sweet as well…you can’t beat that! She used to have a website but it doesn’t look like she does anymore. Contact me if you want to get in touch with her. Embellish Design : Wedding Dress Grade : A+ I went shopping on several different occasions for a wedding dress. After searching most of Portland for the dress, I decided to visit Terri at Embellish Design. Now, I would not even waste time looking for dresses to order. In the end, my dress cost less than any of my final choices of the dresses I found in the salons. Not only that, the experience was so incredibly fun. Originally, I went into her studio with pictures of my final choices as well as other dresses I liked. We went through each picture and discussed what I liked about each one. We took elements from all of those to create my dress. Terri is so knowledgeable about what she does and extremely talented in the art of designing and sewing gowns. We discussed everything from different fabrics to different styles and the pluses and negatives of each. In the end, I had a dress that was exactly what I wanted, custom fit to my body. I would highly recommend working with Terri. I hope that I’ll have a reason for her to make me another dress (she makes party dresses too) some time. www.embellishdesign.com Patty Lehner : Wedding Jewelry Grade : A+ I saw a variation of my wedding dress in an Oregon Bride magazine months before my wedding. The earrings that the model was wearing were wonderful. When I looked up where they came from, the magazine said Ella Posie (which is now closed but was on NE Broadway). Carmen (who is also a wedding coordinator) of Ella Posie got me in touch with Patty, who had designed the jewelry. Patty was an absolute delight to work with…kind of like working with your spunky grandmother. We talked about what I wanted and she worked efficiently to get pieces done for me. She made a variation of the earrings I wanted with several different types of pearls and different lengths so I had something to choose from. Then, she made a bangle to match. And when I asked for some extra pearls and crystals for my ring bearer pillow and hair jewelry, not only did she have no problem sending me on my way with a little bag of each but she also refused to charge me for them when I tried to pay her. August Veils : Hair Jewelry Grade : A Patty referred me to Andrea to have my hair jewelry made (Patty doesn’t like to make it). I brought the pearls and crystals that Patty had used in my jewelry to have Andrea create some sparkle for my hair. She created exactly what I was looking for and in a very short amount of time. www.augustveils.com Cromwell Formalwear : Tuxedo Rentals Grade : A While my husband bought a suit for the wedding, we needed rentals for everyone else. Cromwell’s had a good selection and a helpful staff. They kept us informed on everyone who had, or hadn’t, been fitted and I didn’t hear of any problems that anyone had with their rentals. www.cromwellformalwear.com Twist : Wedding Rings Grade : A We searched for quite some time to find rings that we really loved. While I love the traditional platinum eternity band, I wanted something a little different to go with my princess cut solitaire. My husband wanted a platinum ring but not completely plain. Twist, although not a store you would typically think of for wedding bands, had just what we were looking for. The staff was very friendly and when they ordered our rings, they said it would take eight weeks to get them in (which was cutting it really close). Two weeks later, we received a call letting us know that our rings were in. I love the uniqueness of our rings! www.twistonline.com Shane Co : Engagement Ring Grade : C+ In one week, my husband sold his motorcycle, decided to ask me to marry him and bought a ring. The ring is exactly what I would have picked out, a plain platinum band with a princess cut solitaire. However, if I had had a say in it, I never would have gotten my ring at Shane Co. I think their staff is kind of tacky, not to mention their showroom, and I’m always frustrated by their service when I take my ring in to be cleaned or polished...and lets not even begin to discuss their ads! www.shaneco.com Hotel Lucia : Wedding Night Hotel Grade : A I love this place! We booked their “Did I Mention I Want You?” package in a King Suite. When we arrived at the hotel with nothing but the wedding clothes we were still wearing, they were quick to check us in. Our bed was covered in rose petals, there was music playing, champagne being chilled and a box of toys, i.e. body crayons, furry handcuffs and a book of positions for every day of the year. We ordered room service at about 1:30am because neither of us really ate at our reception. They were prompt and the food was tasty. I wish we didn’t live in Portland so we had more reasons to stay here…it’s such a chic hotel! www.hotellucia.com Bluestar Charter : Guest Transportation Grade : C Originally, we were expecting a lot of guests from out of state. We booked a charter bus to pick up guests from downtown Portland and transport them to Mt Tabor Park and then to Nocturnal. Unfortunately, my husbands grandfather passed away two months before our wedding and many of what we assumed would be the out of town guests could no longer make it due to their last minute flights to the funeral. Regardless, I still think this was a good thing to have. However, we revised our timeline for the bus and faxed it in. For whatever reason, they didn’t follow this and were 1.5 hours early to pick up guests and consequently ended their evening 1.5 hours earlier than we were originally anticipating. I’m not sure why they were running on the old timeline as I had faxed the revised one to them. While in the grand scheme of things, it wasn’t that big of a deal, I was irritated that we had paid for something and then couldn’t even utilize it for 1.5 hours. www.bluestarbus.com The Party Place : Chair Rentals Grade : A Although Mt Tabor Amphitheatre has some benches, we rented some chairs as well to insure we had enough seating. To be honest, I have no idea if this all worked out. I assume they arrived on time as they were all set up prior to the ceremony. And I assume they were picked up just fine since I haven’t heard from them about not getting their chairs back or something. Unforgettable Honeymoons Renee Duane-Meyer : Travel Agent Grade : A for knowledge, C for personality When it came time to plan our honeymoon, we were running out of energy, especially to plan the fantastic honeymoon we both wanted. While we both found Renee to be fairly pretentious and full of herself, she was very knowledgeable. At first, we wanted to go to Bora Bora and Taha’a. However, Renee couldn’t find us any availability for the room types we wanted. She asked us if we would consider Fiji, which we of course would and did. She booked us for 7 nights at Qamea Resort and Spa in Fiji in a premium villa. The resort was amazing but I grew a bit concerned when four different couples at the resort (which has a maximum capacity for 28 adults total) had been booked there with Renee from Unforgettable Honeymoons. I don’t know what sort of a kickback Renee receives for referring clients there and I guess it doesn’t really matter because the resort really is all she says it is. However, it doesn’t feel very good to feel like she’s only sending people to that one place, especially when we already felt like she had a pretty inflated ego. My best friend and her husband booked through Unforgettable Honeymoons for their honeymoon, not with Renee, and said their experience was great. If I had it to do over again, I would try to book with another travel agent there. www.unforgettablehoneymoons.com Qamea Resort and Spa : Honeymoon Grade : A+ Wow! This place was incredible, even when it was overcast most of the week we were there! We flew for close to 14 hours, PDX to LAX, LAX to Nadi, Fiji and then on a puddle jumper from Nadi to Taveuni. Then we were driven in a Range Rover for 20 minutes on a dirt rode to a beach where we got on a boat and went on a 10-minute boat ride across to the island of Qamea. We were greeted by a smiling and friendly staff, taken to their restaurant/lounge villa where we were served cocktails and fruit plates and given a quick rundown of the resort. Our accommodations were amazing. Our villa included a daybed and a pool on our deck, a large outdoor shower, a large bathroom that included a walk-in closet, two sinks, a towel warmer, large shower and then a large room with a four-poster bed on a platform with amazing linens and sheer curtains hanging, and then a living area with a couch, coffee table, stereo, lounge chairs, etc. I’ve never stayed in such an incredible place. The staff was so incredibly friendly, the food was some of the best food I’ve ever eaten. We snorkeled, went for a hike in the rainforest, swam in waterfalls, went to visit a village, did some nude sunbathing on our own private beach for an afternoon, my husband did some traditional Fijian hand-line fishing, kava ceremonies, a meek ceremony, beach volleyball and we visited the spa every day. The staff would make you snacks in between meals if you were hungry, the coral and the seashells were amazing and the rainforest absolutely incredible. It was the perfect way to end such an incredible experience. www.qamea.com Teness Herman : Intimate Portraits Grade : A+ WOW. This was an absolutely amazing experience. Teness is absolutely amazing. She made me feel so comfortable and relaxed…an absolute necessity to create the kind of pictures I was going for. I felt like I was taking pictures with a dear old friend. She and I spent months discussing the look and feel of the shoot. She recommended I look at a book called Women Before 10am by Veronique Vial. If you like the style of my intimate portraits (aka Boudoir Pictures…sorry, I think it’s a cheesy name), I would definitely recommend you check out this book for inspiration. We shot for three and a half hours and could have easily gone on for another two. She used multiple cameras and twice as many lenses with nothing but natural light, which really helped in creating a sensual feel. Her enthusiasm, creativity and eye for the perfect shot are truly unparalleled. If you don’t have room in your budget to do this as a wedding gift, I would highly recommend it as a first (paper) anniversary gift. www.teness.com
www.nocturnalpdx.com Mt Tabor Amphitheatre : Ceremony Venue Grade : C Well, its dealing with the City of Portland so it can’t be anything too spectacular. In reality, the process was fairly painless, other than the fact that they tried to charge us $100 to use the electrical outlets, telling me that it was for the key to the breaker box so we could use power, only to find out there was power without it. My husband and I are both very outdoorsy, your stereotypical Oregonians in that respect. It only seemed appropriate to have an outdoor ceremony in a beautiful location. The amphitheatre is especially cool since it’s an extinct volcano, I think the only extinct volcano within a city’s limits in the country. When you rent the space, you have it for the entire day, which was good in terms of decorating. The only downside (to some people, anyway) is that it’s a public park, so outsiders can watch, which they did. In fact, it was cool because the amphitheatre is adjacent to the basketball courts in the park. When the ceremony was about to begin, all of the basketball players took a seat on the court and were impromptu guests to our ceremony. There were also quite a few people that stood above the amphitheatre to watch. While this might bother some people, my husband and I didn’t mind in the least. In reality, I might do the same if I were in a public park and saw a wedding happening. www.portlandonline.com Matthew Hoff : Officiant Grade : A This is a friend of ours, actually Sept2005’s husband. We asked him to marry us as he is such a good friend but also because he’s a charismatic, funny public speaker. He did not let us down. We gave him a lot of creative license and while I think that made him nervous, he did with it exactly what we wanted. One minute we would be laughing hysterically and the next crying. He had the perfect combination of funny and serious…we couldn’t have picked a more perfect person for the role! Jitterblooms : Florist Grade : A I almost don’t need to write a vendor review on Jessica since so many people on The Knot have used her. She’s fantastic. I felt like she really understood what I was going for when we began talking…and she totally did. Not only that, she was very flexible when I needed to add some last minute boutonnieres and purchase five flats of wheat grass for our centerpieces. My bouquet was the first all green bouquet she had done and it turned out so well. She’s such a talented lady! www.jitterblooms.com Four Up Inc : Photobooth Photography Grade : A Oh my gosh, this was SUCH a hit! And it seemed like the more people drank, the better and better the pictures got. The guests loved watching other people take theirs as well as doing their own. Manny, that’s the owner of Four Up Inc, was even cracking up with some of the poses. Our package allowed for a printout of each set of pictures to the guest and then we get a copy of all of the digital files on a disc. Since we didn’t do favors, I kind of considered this a favor in a sense. It was so incredibly entertaining and I would highly recommend Manny if you can fit it into your budget. www.fourupinc.com Nicole Wagner : Makeup Artist Grade : A Nicole did makeup non-stop for six hours straight. She did makeup for both of the moms, all five maids of honor, rosy cheeks and lip gloss for the two flower girls and my makeup. Everyone raved about their makeup, some even asked for the colors and how she did it so they could recreate it another time. She’s so talented at making you look like yourself only better. She was so patient with my mom who couldn’t stop crying when Nicole was trying to get her makeup done, and originally only four of the maids of honor wanted to have their makeup done. However, upon seeing everyone else get done up, the fifth maid wanted her makeup done as well. Nicole was so flexible in making that happen, even though she had allotted a very specific amount of time for each. MAC Cosmetics are my regular day-to-day makeup. When I found a new product that I really liked, I emailed Nicole to see if she could use it instead of the foundation she had picked out for me (I don’t use foundation so I was a bit apprehensive). Nicole was totally open to it and even went and bought it at the MAC store so I didn’t have to buy foundation that I would never wear again. I would definitely hire her again. www.perfectbride.blogspot.com Patti Green Salon 77 : Hair Stylist Grade : A Patti is great, what can I say? She’s my regular hairstylist who I’ve been seeing for probably about four years. She doesn’t do wedding styles unless you’re one of her regular clients. However, the girl gives an amazing haircut so if you’re looking for a new stylist, Patti’s your girl. She moved here from NYC where she worked for Toni & Guy. Patti did a great job of doing my hair, which was no small task since my hair is stick straight and I wanted waves. She also did my husband’s hair, she’s his regular stylist as well. And while there’s not much to be done with 1.5 inches of hair, somehow it always looks so great when she does his. www.seventyseven.us Toast Productions : Event Design/Setup Grade : A I met these ladies through a friend of mine. I’ve never met a more resourceful group of ladies. When I said we wanted an ice cream wedding cake, they searched the city high and low looking for someone willing to do it. When I said we wanted a custom-made martini ice luge for not a lot of money, they found it. Rachael, of Toast Productions, is a graphic designer, so she has a great sense of design. While I had a coordinator already hired by the time I met Rachael and Sarah (they’re sisters), I knew I could utilize their skills to turn our reception into what we wanted. We met several times to discuss setup, layout and logistics. On the day of the wedding, they picked up everything for the reception, which was a lot, and spent hours setting it up. They also handled all of the vendors coming into Nocturnal to insure everything was setup just so. These ladies are native Portlanders and extremely well networked. While this is a new business venture for them, you never would have known by their ability to recreate what our vision had been. They also did all of our cleanup for us and promptly delivered it back to my mom’s house the day after the wedding. www.toast-productions.com Look Weddings : Wedding Coordinator Grade : A- Cassia has been doing wedding coordination for about two years. She started because she enjoyed planning her own wedding so much. I work with her at my job and inquired about her services when I heard she was doing coordination. Her design of our custom built website alone was amazing. She used the graphics that my husband’s sister had created for our stationery and created a fairly extensive website. She also contacted all of our vendors the week of the wedding to verify their services for the day of. She setup our entire ceremony (which was hundreds of paper bag luminaries, tables, chairs, etc) and coordinated from there on. Cassia is a fairly reserved person and I think at times is intimidated to exert her assertiveness. However, I think this will only get better as she continues to work. Because she works a full time job, I think she’s become a bit worn down by doing both a full time coordination business along with her job. At this time, I don’t think she’s taking on any new weddings until 2007. www.lookweddings.com Kristin Bradetich : Graphic Design for Stationery Grade : A+ Well, Kristin is my husband’s older sister. By career, she designs logos for apparel for a small athletic apparel company in Boulder. When we asked her to help us with our stationery, she was very enthusiastic. She did a great job of taking our ideas and turning them into something that was stylish, unique and really created the essence of our wedding. She designed a logo we put on everything, our save the dates, invitations (including RSVP and Reception cards), rehearsal dinner invitations, programs, menu cards, Just Married sign for our getaway car and thank you cards. While she doesn’t create custom invitations for people, she should probably consider it as she’s very talented. Anders Printing : Stationery Printing Grade : B I worked with Jill at Anders to get the majority of our printing done. It felt good to be working with a local company to complete our printing needs. Jill was very friendly and helpful and they did a great job of getting the work turned around in a short time period. They printed everything from our logos on stickers to our save the dates, invitations and rehearsal dinner invitations. After getting quotes for our save the dates, I didn’t search around after that to see if I could find a better deal. So, when we had our invitations printed offset, I don’t know if it was cheaper than another printer. I was very clear with my requests on each job (thanks to the help of the graphic designer). However, when our invitations were ready, she charged me an extra $25 and I had A LOT of extra copies, far more than I had requested. I meant to question why we had been charged more than originally quoted and why we had so many extras but I never got around to it. I probably should have asked for a discount since they asked if they could put our invitations on their website. All in all, this was a good experience. www.andersprinting.com DJ Stay in School - Martin Wilson : Reception DJ Grade : B My husband is a big fan of electronica music. So, when it came time to hire a DJ, my husband took on this role. We contacted Connie Wohn of Stylus 503 (a DJ cooperative), thanks to a referral from Bethany of Nocturnal. Connie sent us a whole package of samples of different DJs. We chose Martin because of his style, obviously. He did a great job but I think there was too much going on at the reception (photobooth, downstairs bar, outdoor courtyard) to really get people dancing. While people did dance, I think they would have done more of it had we not had so much else going on. Martin did que up the wrong music (we provided specific music for specific events during the evening since he doesn’t have the regular wedding DJ collection) for the Mother/Son dance and didn’t que up any music for the cake cutting. However, I don’t think the cake cutting music was his fault as the coordinator didn’t let him know the cake was going to make its grand entrance. www.djstayinschool.com Taste of Honey - Honey Everett : Wedding Cake Grade : A As mentioned before, we wanted an ice cream cake as our wedding cake. Neither of us like cake. Amazingly, getting someone to make a wedding cake out of ice cream is harder than you might imagine. Every person we contacted acted like we were crazy. However, when we found Honey, she definitely knew what she was talking about. There are a lot of logistics involved with an ice cream wedding cake, i.e. delivery, setup, serving it, icing it, etc. Honey had such confidence that I wasn’t the least bit worried. We had three flavors, one of which being mint chocolate chip (the others I don’t remember), with a brownie bottom. Honey delivered and setup the cake after the reception had started. It tasted great and looked fantastic, even though it had started to melt, which I found somewhat charming, being as that it was ice cream cake! Oregon Chamber Players : Ceremony Musicians Grade : B- This was another responsibility of my husband’s. We picked all non-traditional music (Coldplay, The Verve, Enya) and had to find the sheet music for all of the songs we wanted played. Originally, we were going to use the Metropolitan Youth Symphony. However, once they started to review the sheet music for the songs we wanted played, they realized that they didn’t really currently have that kind of depth. Last minute, three weeks before the wedding, we had to find someone new. Considering the amount of time they had, the Oregon Chamber Players did great. They did mess up on one of the songs but it wasn’t really worth getting upset over. I also would have preferred a string quartet (which was our original plan) but that wasn’t really their fault. www.oregonchamberplayers.org Blizzard Motors : Getaway Car Grade : A Almost two years ago my husband and I bought a car from this lot (its in SE Portland). The lot is primarily fine European cars. When we were there to pick up our newly purchased car, the owner of the lot told us he would loan us a car of our choice for our wedding. My fiance chose a convertible Porsche to drive from the ceremony. It was a beautiful little black shiny thing and my husband thoroughly enjoyed driving it. I don’t know if Doug would be willing to rent out any of his cars but if you’re interested it might not hurt to ask. Western Culinary Institute : Martini Ice Luge Grade : A This was one of the best budget friendly finds of our entire wedding. We really wanted to have a martini luge but found that they were rather expensive to have made…that was, until we found out about the Western Culinary Institute’s ice sculpture class. Basically, they told us they could create anything we wanted and all we had to do was provide them with a drawing. My mom, who’s an artist, drew a great design, in keeping with our theme and stationery, and we provided it to WCI. They not only did a great job of recreating it but the cost included transporting it, delivery and setup. We paid more than they asked for, to donate towards their program, but regardless it was well worth it. Definitely one of the main highlights of the reception for our guests. Spa La La : Pre-Wedding Pampering Grade : B+ As part of my gift to the ladies in the wedding, I treated them to manicures and pedicures at Spa La La. While it’s not the best manicure and pedicure in town (my best friend and I often refer to them as the chop shop), the decor and vibe is great and they’ll serve you all the mimosas you want. We had twelve of us (the moms, five maids of honor, two readers, the two flower girls and myself) there and it was like our own little private party. The staff was very friendly and efficient and I think the ladies all enjoyed getting their nails done. www.spalala.net The Face Place – Dorene Klippel : Facial and Brazilian Wax Grade : A I’ve gone to Dorene every month for the last six years for a Brazilian wax. She does a fantastic job at those…well, it’s a Brazilian wax so it’s not like it feels good but in terms of the final look, she does a tremendous job. However, I decided to get a facial from her as well. Wow! Her facial was by far the best facial I’ve ever had…not only did I fall asleep but she did such an incredibly thorough job. It will be hard not to make getting a facial from her a monthly occurrence as well. www.waxqueen.com Salon 77 – Mahria Martinez : Brow Wax Grade : A+ I pretty much have caterpillars for eyebrows…I’m not kidding. So, not only do my eyebrows need to be professionally groomed on a regular basis but they need to be done well. Mahria is a dream…seriously, she’s absolutely amazing. It’s the only kind of waxing she does…you know if a girl can make a living off of just waxing eyebrows, she’s got to be good! And not only that, she’s the sweetest thing you’ve ever met. www.seventyseven.us Diane Jensen : Massage Grade : A+ So, I have to admit that before my husband and I bought our house, Diane was our landlord. However, my husband has some pretty severe back injuries (thanks to a motorcycle) and is always up for a massage. That being said, we get a lot of massages. Diane is fantastic. She works in a chiropractic clinic off of NW 23rd (which the chiropractor there is also fantastic, Suzanne Lady) and does pretty much any type of massage you’d like. If I were to say I have a regular LMT, Diane would be it…and without failure, I fall asleep on her table every time. She’s fantastic and a lot cheaper than a mediocre spa massage. And, she is so incredibly kind and sweet as well…you can’t beat that! She used to have a website but it doesn’t look like she does anymore. Contact me if you want to get in touch with her. Embellish Design : Wedding Dress Grade : A+ I went shopping on several different occasions for a wedding dress. After searching most of Portland for the dress, I decided to visit Terri at Embellish Design. Now, I would not even waste time looking for dresses to order. In the end, my dress cost less than any of my final choices of the dresses I found in the salons. Not only that, the experience was so incredibly fun. Originally, I went into her studio with pictures of my final choices as well as other dresses I liked. We went through each picture and discussed what I liked about each one. We took elements from all of those to create my dress. Terri is so knowledgeable about what she does and extremely talented in the art of designing and sewing gowns. We discussed everything from different fabrics to different styles and the pluses and negatives of each. In the end, I had a dress that was exactly what I wanted, custom fit to my body. I would highly recommend working with Terri. I hope that I’ll have a reason for her to make me another dress (she makes party dresses too) some time. www.embellishdesign.com Patty Lehner : Wedding Jewelry Grade : A+ I saw a variation of my wedding dress in an Oregon Bride magazine months before my wedding. The earrings that the model was wearing were wonderful. When I looked up where they came from, the magazine said Ella Posie (which is now closed but was on NE Broadway). Carmen (who is also a wedding coordinator) of Ella Posie got me in touch with Patty, who had designed the jewelry. Patty was an absolute delight to work with…kind of like working with your spunky grandmother. We talked about what I wanted and she worked efficiently to get pieces done for me. She made a variation of the earrings I wanted with several different types of pearls and different lengths so I had something to choose from. Then, she made a bangle to match. And when I asked for some extra pearls and crystals for my ring bearer pillow and hair jewelry, not only did she have no problem sending me on my way with a little bag of each but she also refused to charge me for them when I tried to pay her. August Veils : Hair Jewelry Grade : A Patty referred me to Andrea to have my hair jewelry made (Patty doesn’t like to make it). I brought the pearls and crystals that Patty had used in my jewelry to have Andrea create some sparkle for my hair. She created exactly what I was looking for and in a very short amount of time. www.augustveils.com Cromwell Formalwear : Tuxedo Rentals Grade : A While my husband bought a suit for the wedding, we needed rentals for everyone else. Cromwell’s had a good selection and a helpful staff. They kept us informed on everyone who had, or hadn’t, been fitted and I didn’t hear of any problems that anyone had with their rentals. www.cromwellformalwear.com Twist : Wedding Rings Grade : A We searched for quite some time to find rings that we really loved. While I love the traditional platinum eternity band, I wanted something a little different to go with my princess cut solitaire. My husband wanted a platinum ring but not completely plain. Twist, although not a store you would typically think of for wedding bands, had just what we were looking for. The staff was very friendly and when they ordered our rings, they said it would take eight weeks to get them in (which was cutting it really close). Two weeks later, we received a call letting us know that our rings were in. I love the uniqueness of our rings! www.twistonline.com Shane Co : Engagement Ring Grade : C+ In one week, my husband sold his motorcycle, decided to ask me to marry him and bought a ring. The ring is exactly what I would have picked out, a plain platinum band with a princess cut solitaire. However, if I had had a say in it, I never would have gotten my ring at Shane Co. I think their staff is kind of tacky, not to mention their showroom, and I’m always frustrated by their service when I take my ring in to be cleaned or polished...and lets not even begin to discuss their ads! www.shaneco.com Hotel Lucia : Wedding Night Hotel Grade : A I love this place! We booked their “Did I Mention I Want You?” package in a King Suite. When we arrived at the hotel with nothing but the wedding clothes we were still wearing, they were quick to check us in. Our bed was covered in rose petals, there was music playing, champagne being chilled and a box of toys, i.e. body crayons, furry handcuffs and a book of positions for every day of the year. We ordered room service at about 1:30am because neither of us really ate at our reception. They were prompt and the food was tasty. I wish we didn’t live in Portland so we had more reasons to stay here…it’s such a chic hotel! www.hotellucia.com Bluestar Charter : Guest Transportation Grade : C Originally, we were expecting a lot of guests from out of state. We booked a charter bus to pick up guests from downtown Portland and transport them to Mt Tabor Park and then to Nocturnal. Unfortunately, my husbands grandfather passed away two months before our wedding and many of what we assumed would be the out of town guests could no longer make it due to their last minute flights to the funeral. Regardless, I still think this was a good thing to have. However, we revised our timeline for the bus and faxed it in. For whatever reason, they didn’t follow this and were 1.5 hours early to pick up guests and consequently ended their evening 1.5 hours earlier than we were originally anticipating. I’m not sure why they were running on the old timeline as I had faxed the revised one to them. While in the grand scheme of things, it wasn’t that big of a deal, I was irritated that we had paid for something and then couldn’t even utilize it for 1.5 hours. www.bluestarbus.com The Party Place : Chair Rentals Grade : A Although Mt Tabor Amphitheatre has some benches, we rented some chairs as well to insure we had enough seating. To be honest, I have no idea if this all worked out. I assume they arrived on time as they were all set up prior to the ceremony. And I assume they were picked up just fine since I haven’t heard from them about not getting their chairs back or something. Unforgettable Honeymoons Renee Duane-Meyer : Travel Agent Grade : A for knowledge, C for personality When it came time to plan our honeymoon, we were running out of energy, especially to plan the fantastic honeymoon we both wanted. While we both found Renee to be fairly pretentious and full of herself, she was very knowledgeable. At first, we wanted to go to Bora Bora and Taha’a. However, Renee couldn’t find us any availability for the room types we wanted. She asked us if we would consider Fiji, which we of course would and did. She booked us for 7 nights at Qamea Resort and Spa in Fiji in a premium villa. The resort was amazing but I grew a bit concerned when four different couples at the resort (which has a maximum capacity for 28 adults total) had been booked there with Renee from Unforgettable Honeymoons. I don’t know what sort of a kickback Renee receives for referring clients there and I guess it doesn’t really matter because the resort really is all she says it is. However, it doesn’t feel very good to feel like she’s only sending people to that one place, especially when we already felt like she had a pretty inflated ego. My best friend and her husband booked through Unforgettable Honeymoons for their honeymoon, not with Renee, and said their experience was great. If I had it to do over again, I would try to book with another travel agent there. www.unforgettablehoneymoons.com Qamea Resort and Spa : Honeymoon Grade : A+ Wow! This place was incredible, even when it was overcast most of the week we were there! We flew for close to 14 hours, PDX to LAX, LAX to Nadi, Fiji and then on a puddle jumper from Nadi to Taveuni. Then we were driven in a Range Rover for 20 minutes on a dirt rode to a beach where we got on a boat and went on a 10-minute boat ride across to the island of Qamea. We were greeted by a smiling and friendly staff, taken to their restaurant/lounge villa where we were served cocktails and fruit plates and given a quick rundown of the resort. Our accommodations were amazing. Our villa included a daybed and a pool on our deck, a large outdoor shower, a large bathroom that included a walk-in closet, two sinks, a towel warmer, large shower and then a large room with a four-poster bed on a platform with amazing linens and sheer curtains hanging, and then a living area with a couch, coffee table, stereo, lounge chairs, etc. I’ve never stayed in such an incredible place. The staff was so incredibly friendly, the food was some of the best food I’ve ever eaten. We snorkeled, went for a hike in the rainforest, swam in waterfalls, went to visit a village, did some nude sunbathing on our own private beach for an afternoon, my husband did some traditional Fijian hand-line fishing, kava ceremonies, a meek ceremony, beach volleyball and we visited the spa every day. The staff would make you snacks in between meals if you were hungry, the coral and the seashells were amazing and the rainforest absolutely incredible. It was the perfect way to end such an incredible experience. www.qamea.com Teness Herman : Intimate Portraits Grade : A+ WOW. This was an absolutely amazing experience. Teness is absolutely amazing. She made me feel so comfortable and relaxed…an absolute necessity to create the kind of pictures I was going for. I felt like I was taking pictures with a dear old friend. She and I spent months discussing the look and feel of the shoot. She recommended I look at a book called Women Before 10am by Veronique Vial. If you like the style of my intimate portraits (aka Boudoir Pictures…sorry, I think it’s a cheesy name), I would definitely recommend you check out this book for inspiration. We shot for three and a half hours and could have easily gone on for another two. She used multiple cameras and twice as many lenses with nothing but natural light, which really helped in creating a sensual feel. Her enthusiasm, creativity and eye for the perfect shot are truly unparalleled. If you don’t have room in your budget to do this as a wedding gift, I would highly recommend it as a first (paper) anniversary gift. www.teness.com
Mt Tabor Amphitheatre : Ceremony Venue Grade : C Well, its dealing with the City of Portland so it can’t be anything too spectacular. In reality, the process was fairly painless, other than the fact that they tried to charge us $100 to use the electrical outlets, telling me that it was for the key to the breaker box so we could use power, only to find out there was power without it. My husband and I are both very outdoorsy, your stereotypical Oregonians in that respect. It only seemed appropriate to have an outdoor ceremony in a beautiful location. The amphitheatre is especially cool since it’s an extinct volcano, I think the only extinct volcano within a city’s limits in the country. When you rent the space, you have it for the entire day, which was good in terms of decorating. The only downside (to some people, anyway) is that it’s a public park, so outsiders can watch, which they did. In fact, it was cool because the amphitheatre is adjacent to the basketball courts in the park. When the ceremony was about to begin, all of the basketball players took a seat on the court and were impromptu guests to our ceremony. There were also quite a few people that stood above the amphitheatre to watch. While this might bother some people, my husband and I didn’t mind in the least. In reality, I might do the same if I were in a public park and saw a wedding happening. www.portlandonline.com Matthew Hoff : Officiant Grade : A This is a friend of ours, actually Sept2005’s husband. We asked him to marry us as he is such a good friend but also because he’s a charismatic, funny public speaker. He did not let us down. We gave him a lot of creative license and while I think that made him nervous, he did with it exactly what we wanted. One minute we would be laughing hysterically and the next crying. He had the perfect combination of funny and serious…we couldn’t have picked a more perfect person for the role! Jitterblooms : Florist Grade : A I almost don’t need to write a vendor review on Jessica since so many people on The Knot have used her. She’s fantastic. I felt like she really understood what I was going for when we began talking…and she totally did. Not only that, she was very flexible when I needed to add some last minute boutonnieres and purchase five flats of wheat grass for our centerpieces. My bouquet was the first all green bouquet she had done and it turned out so well. She’s such a talented lady! www.jitterblooms.com Four Up Inc : Photobooth Photography Grade : A Oh my gosh, this was SUCH a hit! And it seemed like the more people drank, the better and better the pictures got. The guests loved watching other people take theirs as well as doing their own. Manny, that’s the owner of Four Up Inc, was even cracking up with some of the poses. Our package allowed for a printout of each set of pictures to the guest and then we get a copy of all of the digital files on a disc. Since we didn’t do favors, I kind of considered this a favor in a sense. It was so incredibly entertaining and I would highly recommend Manny if you can fit it into your budget. www.fourupinc.com Nicole Wagner : Makeup Artist Grade : A Nicole did makeup non-stop for six hours straight. She did makeup for both of the moms, all five maids of honor, rosy cheeks and lip gloss for the two flower girls and my makeup. Everyone raved about their makeup, some even asked for the colors and how she did it so they could recreate it another time. She’s so talented at making you look like yourself only better. She was so patient with my mom who couldn’t stop crying when Nicole was trying to get her makeup done, and originally only four of the maids of honor wanted to have their makeup done. However, upon seeing everyone else get done up, the fifth maid wanted her makeup done as well. Nicole was so flexible in making that happen, even though she had allotted a very specific amount of time for each. MAC Cosmetics are my regular day-to-day makeup. When I found a new product that I really liked, I emailed Nicole to see if she could use it instead of the foundation she had picked out for me (I don’t use foundation so I was a bit apprehensive). Nicole was totally open to it and even went and bought it at the MAC store so I didn’t have to buy foundation that I would never wear again. I would definitely hire her again. www.perfectbride.blogspot.com Patti Green Salon 77 : Hair Stylist Grade : A Patti is great, what can I say? She’s my regular hairstylist who I’ve been seeing for probably about four years. She doesn’t do wedding styles unless you’re one of her regular clients. However, the girl gives an amazing haircut so if you’re looking for a new stylist, Patti’s your girl. She moved here from NYC where she worked for Toni & Guy. Patti did a great job of doing my hair, which was no small task since my hair is stick straight and I wanted waves. She also did my husband’s hair, she’s his regular stylist as well. And while there’s not much to be done with 1.5 inches of hair, somehow it always looks so great when she does his. www.seventyseven.us Toast Productions : Event Design/Setup Grade : A I met these ladies through a friend of mine. I’ve never met a more resourceful group of ladies. When I said we wanted an ice cream wedding cake, they searched the city high and low looking for someone willing to do it. When I said we wanted a custom-made martini ice luge for not a lot of money, they found it. Rachael, of Toast Productions, is a graphic designer, so she has a great sense of design. While I had a coordinator already hired by the time I met Rachael and Sarah (they’re sisters), I knew I could utilize their skills to turn our reception into what we wanted. We met several times to discuss setup, layout and logistics. On the day of the wedding, they picked up everything for the reception, which was a lot, and spent hours setting it up. They also handled all of the vendors coming into Nocturnal to insure everything was setup just so. These ladies are native Portlanders and extremely well networked. While this is a new business venture for them, you never would have known by their ability to recreate what our vision had been. They also did all of our cleanup for us and promptly delivered it back to my mom’s house the day after the wedding. www.toast-productions.com Look Weddings : Wedding Coordinator Grade : A- Cassia has been doing wedding coordination for about two years. She started because she enjoyed planning her own wedding so much. I work with her at my job and inquired about her services when I heard she was doing coordination. Her design of our custom built website alone was amazing. She used the graphics that my husband’s sister had created for our stationery and created a fairly extensive website. She also contacted all of our vendors the week of the wedding to verify their services for the day of. She setup our entire ceremony (which was hundreds of paper bag luminaries, tables, chairs, etc) and coordinated from there on. Cassia is a fairly reserved person and I think at times is intimidated to exert her assertiveness. However, I think this will only get better as she continues to work. Because she works a full time job, I think she’s become a bit worn down by doing both a full time coordination business along with her job. At this time, I don’t think she’s taking on any new weddings until 2007. www.lookweddings.com Kristin Bradetich : Graphic Design for Stationery Grade : A+ Well, Kristin is my husband’s older sister. By career, she designs logos for apparel for a small athletic apparel company in Boulder. When we asked her to help us with our stationery, she was very enthusiastic. She did a great job of taking our ideas and turning them into something that was stylish, unique and really created the essence of our wedding. She designed a logo we put on everything, our save the dates, invitations (including RSVP and Reception cards), rehearsal dinner invitations, programs, menu cards, Just Married sign for our getaway car and thank you cards. While she doesn’t create custom invitations for people, she should probably consider it as she’s very talented. Anders Printing : Stationery Printing Grade : B I worked with Jill at Anders to get the majority of our printing done. It felt good to be working with a local company to complete our printing needs. Jill was very friendly and helpful and they did a great job of getting the work turned around in a short time period. They printed everything from our logos on stickers to our save the dates, invitations and rehearsal dinner invitations. After getting quotes for our save the dates, I didn’t search around after that to see if I could find a better deal. So, when we had our invitations printed offset, I don’t know if it was cheaper than another printer. I was very clear with my requests on each job (thanks to the help of the graphic designer). However, when our invitations were ready, she charged me an extra $25 and I had A LOT of extra copies, far more than I had requested. I meant to question why we had been charged more than originally quoted and why we had so many extras but I never got around to it. I probably should have asked for a discount since they asked if they could put our invitations on their website. All in all, this was a good experience. www.andersprinting.com DJ Stay in School - Martin Wilson : Reception DJ Grade : B My husband is a big fan of electronica music. So, when it came time to hire a DJ, my husband took on this role. We contacted Connie Wohn of Stylus 503 (a DJ cooperative), thanks to a referral from Bethany of Nocturnal. Connie sent us a whole package of samples of different DJs. We chose Martin because of his style, obviously. He did a great job but I think there was too much going on at the reception (photobooth, downstairs bar, outdoor courtyard) to really get people dancing. While people did dance, I think they would have done more of it had we not had so much else going on. Martin did que up the wrong music (we provided specific music for specific events during the evening since he doesn’t have the regular wedding DJ collection) for the Mother/Son dance and didn’t que up any music for the cake cutting. However, I don’t think the cake cutting music was his fault as the coordinator didn’t let him know the cake was going to make its grand entrance. www.djstayinschool.com Taste of Honey - Honey Everett : Wedding Cake Grade : A As mentioned before, we wanted an ice cream cake as our wedding cake. Neither of us like cake. Amazingly, getting someone to make a wedding cake out of ice cream is harder than you might imagine. Every person we contacted acted like we were crazy. However, when we found Honey, she definitely knew what she was talking about. There are a lot of logistics involved with an ice cream wedding cake, i.e. delivery, setup, serving it, icing it, etc. Honey had such confidence that I wasn’t the least bit worried. We had three flavors, one of which being mint chocolate chip (the others I don’t remember), with a brownie bottom. Honey delivered and setup the cake after the reception had started. It tasted great and looked fantastic, even though it had started to melt, which I found somewhat charming, being as that it was ice cream cake! Oregon Chamber Players : Ceremony Musicians Grade : B- This was another responsibility of my husband’s. We picked all non-traditional music (Coldplay, The Verve, Enya) and had to find the sheet music for all of the songs we wanted played. Originally, we were going to use the Metropolitan Youth Symphony. However, once they started to review the sheet music for the songs we wanted played, they realized that they didn’t really currently have that kind of depth. Last minute, three weeks before the wedding, we had to find someone new. Considering the amount of time they had, the Oregon Chamber Players did great. They did mess up on one of the songs but it wasn’t really worth getting upset over. I also would have preferred a string quartet (which was our original plan) but that wasn’t really their fault. www.oregonchamberplayers.org Blizzard Motors : Getaway Car Grade : A Almost two years ago my husband and I bought a car from this lot (its in SE Portland). The lot is primarily fine European cars. When we were there to pick up our newly purchased car, the owner of the lot told us he would loan us a car of our choice for our wedding. My fiance chose a convertible Porsche to drive from the ceremony. It was a beautiful little black shiny thing and my husband thoroughly enjoyed driving it. I don’t know if Doug would be willing to rent out any of his cars but if you’re interested it might not hurt to ask. Western Culinary Institute : Martini Ice Luge Grade : A This was one of the best budget friendly finds of our entire wedding. We really wanted to have a martini luge but found that they were rather expensive to have made…that was, until we found out about the Western Culinary Institute’s ice sculpture class. Basically, they told us they could create anything we wanted and all we had to do was provide them with a drawing. My mom, who’s an artist, drew a great design, in keeping with our theme and stationery, and we provided it to WCI. They not only did a great job of recreating it but the cost included transporting it, delivery and setup. We paid more than they asked for, to donate towards their program, but regardless it was well worth it. Definitely one of the main highlights of the reception for our guests. Spa La La : Pre-Wedding Pampering Grade : B+ As part of my gift to the ladies in the wedding, I treated them to manicures and pedicures at Spa La La. While it’s not the best manicure and pedicure in town (my best friend and I often refer to them as the chop shop), the decor and vibe is great and they’ll serve you all the mimosas you want. We had twelve of us (the moms, five maids of honor, two readers, the two flower girls and myself) there and it was like our own little private party. The staff was very friendly and efficient and I think the ladies all enjoyed getting their nails done. www.spalala.net The Face Place – Dorene Klippel : Facial and Brazilian Wax Grade : A I’ve gone to Dorene every month for the last six years for a Brazilian wax. She does a fantastic job at those…well, it’s a Brazilian wax so it’s not like it feels good but in terms of the final look, she does a tremendous job. However, I decided to get a facial from her as well. Wow! Her facial was by far the best facial I’ve ever had…not only did I fall asleep but she did such an incredibly thorough job. It will be hard not to make getting a facial from her a monthly occurrence as well. www.waxqueen.com Salon 77 – Mahria Martinez : Brow Wax Grade : A+ I pretty much have caterpillars for eyebrows…I’m not kidding. So, not only do my eyebrows need to be professionally groomed on a regular basis but they need to be done well. Mahria is a dream…seriously, she’s absolutely amazing. It’s the only kind of waxing she does…you know if a girl can make a living off of just waxing eyebrows, she’s got to be good! And not only that, she’s the sweetest thing you’ve ever met. www.seventyseven.us Diane Jensen : Massage Grade : A+ So, I have to admit that before my husband and I bought our house, Diane was our landlord. However, my husband has some pretty severe back injuries (thanks to a motorcycle) and is always up for a massage. That being said, we get a lot of massages. Diane is fantastic. She works in a chiropractic clinic off of NW 23rd (which the chiropractor there is also fantastic, Suzanne Lady) and does pretty much any type of massage you’d like. If I were to say I have a regular LMT, Diane would be it…and without failure, I fall asleep on her table every time. She’s fantastic and a lot cheaper than a mediocre spa massage. And, she is so incredibly kind and sweet as well…you can’t beat that! She used to have a website but it doesn’t look like she does anymore. Contact me if you want to get in touch with her. Embellish Design : Wedding Dress Grade : A+ I went shopping on several different occasions for a wedding dress. After searching most of Portland for the dress, I decided to visit Terri at Embellish Design. Now, I would not even waste time looking for dresses to order. In the end, my dress cost less than any of my final choices of the dresses I found in the salons. Not only that, the experience was so incredibly fun. Originally, I went into her studio with pictures of my final choices as well as other dresses I liked. We went through each picture and discussed what I liked about each one. We took elements from all of those to create my dress. Terri is so knowledgeable about what she does and extremely talented in the art of designing and sewing gowns. We discussed everything from different fabrics to different styles and the pluses and negatives of each. In the end, I had a dress that was exactly what I wanted, custom fit to my body. I would highly recommend working with Terri. I hope that I’ll have a reason for her to make me another dress (she makes party dresses too) some time. www.embellishdesign.com Patty Lehner : Wedding Jewelry Grade : A+ I saw a variation of my wedding dress in an Oregon Bride magazine months before my wedding. The earrings that the model was wearing were wonderful. When I looked up where they came from, the magazine said Ella Posie (which is now closed but was on NE Broadway). Carmen (who is also a wedding coordinator) of Ella Posie got me in touch with Patty, who had designed the jewelry. Patty was an absolute delight to work with…kind of like working with your spunky grandmother. We talked about what I wanted and she worked efficiently to get pieces done for me. She made a variation of the earrings I wanted with several different types of pearls and different lengths so I had something to choose from. Then, she made a bangle to match. And when I asked for some extra pearls and crystals for my ring bearer pillow and hair jewelry, not only did she have no problem sending me on my way with a little bag of each but she also refused to charge me for them when I tried to pay her. August Veils : Hair Jewelry Grade : A Patty referred me to Andrea to have my hair jewelry made (Patty doesn’t like to make it). I brought the pearls and crystals that Patty had used in my jewelry to have Andrea create some sparkle for my hair. She created exactly what I was looking for and in a very short amount of time. www.augustveils.com Cromwell Formalwear : Tuxedo Rentals Grade : A While my husband bought a suit for the wedding, we needed rentals for everyone else. Cromwell’s had a good selection and a helpful staff. They kept us informed on everyone who had, or hadn’t, been fitted and I didn’t hear of any problems that anyone had with their rentals. www.cromwellformalwear.com Twist : Wedding Rings Grade : A We searched for quite some time to find rings that we really loved. While I love the traditional platinum eternity band, I wanted something a little different to go with my princess cut solitaire. My husband wanted a platinum ring but not completely plain. Twist, although not a store you would typically think of for wedding bands, had just what we were looking for. The staff was very friendly and when they ordered our rings, they said it would take eight weeks to get them in (which was cutting it really close). Two weeks later, we received a call letting us know that our rings were in. I love the uniqueness of our rings! www.twistonline.com Shane Co : Engagement Ring Grade : C+ In one week, my husband sold his motorcycle, decided to ask me to marry him and bought a ring. The ring is exactly what I would have picked out, a plain platinum band with a princess cut solitaire. However, if I had had a say in it, I never would have gotten my ring at Shane Co. I think their staff is kind of tacky, not to mention their showroom, and I’m always frustrated by their service when I take my ring in to be cleaned or polished...and lets not even begin to discuss their ads! www.shaneco.com Hotel Lucia : Wedding Night Hotel Grade : A I love this place! We booked their “Did I Mention I Want You?” package in a King Suite. When we arrived at the hotel with nothing but the wedding clothes we were still wearing, they were quick to check us in. Our bed was covered in rose petals, there was music playing, champagne being chilled and a box of toys, i.e. body crayons, furry handcuffs and a book of positions for every day of the year. We ordered room service at about 1:30am because neither of us really ate at our reception. They were prompt and the food was tasty. I wish we didn’t live in Portland so we had more reasons to stay here…it’s such a chic hotel! www.hotellucia.com Bluestar Charter : Guest Transportation Grade : C Originally, we were expecting a lot of guests from out of state. We booked a charter bus to pick up guests from downtown Portland and transport them to Mt Tabor Park and then to Nocturnal. Unfortunately, my husbands grandfather passed away two months before our wedding and many of what we assumed would be the out of town guests could no longer make it due to their last minute flights to the funeral. Regardless, I still think this was a good thing to have. However, we revised our timeline for the bus and faxed it in. For whatever reason, they didn’t follow this and were 1.5 hours early to pick up guests and consequently ended their evening 1.5 hours earlier than we were originally anticipating. I’m not sure why they were running on the old timeline as I had faxed the revised one to them. While in the grand scheme of things, it wasn’t that big of a deal, I was irritated that we had paid for something and then couldn’t even utilize it for 1.5 hours. www.bluestarbus.com The Party Place : Chair Rentals Grade : A Although Mt Tabor Amphitheatre has some benches, we rented some chairs as well to insure we had enough seating. To be honest, I have no idea if this all worked out. I assume they arrived on time as they were all set up prior to the ceremony. And I assume they were picked up just fine since I haven’t heard from them about not getting their chairs back or something. Unforgettable Honeymoons Renee Duane-Meyer : Travel Agent Grade : A for knowledge, C for personality When it came time to plan our honeymoon, we were running out of energy, especially to plan the fantastic honeymoon we both wanted. While we both found Renee to be fairly pretentious and full of herself, she was very knowledgeable. At first, we wanted to go to Bora Bora and Taha’a. However, Renee couldn’t find us any availability for the room types we wanted. She asked us if we would consider Fiji, which we of course would and did. She booked us for 7 nights at Qamea Resort and Spa in Fiji in a premium villa. The resort was amazing but I grew a bit concerned when four different couples at the resort (which has a maximum capacity for 28 adults total) had been booked there with Renee from Unforgettable Honeymoons. I don’t know what sort of a kickback Renee receives for referring clients there and I guess it doesn’t really matter because the resort really is all she says it is. However, it doesn’t feel very good to feel like she’s only sending people to that one place, especially when we already felt like she had a pretty inflated ego. My best friend and her husband booked through Unforgettable Honeymoons for their honeymoon, not with Renee, and said their experience was great. If I had it to do over again, I would try to book with another travel agent there. www.unforgettablehoneymoons.com Qamea Resort and Spa : Honeymoon Grade : A+ Wow! This place was incredible, even when it was overcast most of the week we were there! We flew for close to 14 hours, PDX to LAX, LAX to Nadi, Fiji and then on a puddle jumper from Nadi to Taveuni. Then we were driven in a Range Rover for 20 minutes on a dirt rode to a beach where we got on a boat and went on a 10-minute boat ride across to the island of Qamea. We were greeted by a smiling and friendly staff, taken to their restaurant/lounge villa where we were served cocktails and fruit plates and given a quick rundown of the resort. Our accommodations were amazing. Our villa included a daybed and a pool on our deck, a large outdoor shower, a large bathroom that included a walk-in closet, two sinks, a towel warmer, large shower and then a large room with a four-poster bed on a platform with amazing linens and sheer curtains hanging, and then a living area with a couch, coffee table, stereo, lounge chairs, etc. I’ve never stayed in such an incredible place. The staff was so incredibly friendly, the food was some of the best food I’ve ever eaten. We snorkeled, went for a hike in the rainforest, swam in waterfalls, went to visit a village, did some nude sunbathing on our own private beach for an afternoon, my husband did some traditional Fijian hand-line fishing, kava ceremonies, a meek ceremony, beach volleyball and we visited the spa every day. The staff would make you snacks in between meals if you were hungry, the coral and the seashells were amazing and the rainforest absolutely incredible. It was the perfect way to end such an incredible experience. www.qamea.com Teness Herman : Intimate Portraits Grade : A+ WOW. This was an absolutely amazing experience. Teness is absolutely amazing. She made me feel so comfortable and relaxed…an absolute necessity to create the kind of pictures I was going for. I felt like I was taking pictures with a dear old friend. She and I spent months discussing the look and feel of the shoot. She recommended I look at a book called Women Before 10am by Veronique Vial. If you like the style of my intimate portraits (aka Boudoir Pictures…sorry, I think it’s a cheesy name), I would definitely recommend you check out this book for inspiration. We shot for three and a half hours and could have easily gone on for another two. She used multiple cameras and twice as many lenses with nothing but natural light, which really helped in creating a sensual feel. Her enthusiasm, creativity and eye for the perfect shot are truly unparalleled. If you don’t have room in your budget to do this as a wedding gift, I would highly recommend it as a first (paper) anniversary gift. www.teness.com
www.portlandonline.com Matthew Hoff : Officiant Grade : A This is a friend of ours, actually Sept2005’s husband. We asked him to marry us as he is such a good friend but also because he’s a charismatic, funny public speaker. He did not let us down. We gave him a lot of creative license and while I think that made him nervous, he did with it exactly what we wanted. One minute we would be laughing hysterically and the next crying. He had the perfect combination of funny and serious…we couldn’t have picked a more perfect person for the role! Jitterblooms : Florist Grade : A I almost don’t need to write a vendor review on Jessica since so many people on The Knot have used her. She’s fantastic. I felt like she really understood what I was going for when we began talking…and she totally did. Not only that, she was very flexible when I needed to add some last minute boutonnieres and purchase five flats of wheat grass for our centerpieces. My bouquet was the first all green bouquet she had done and it turned out so well. She’s such a talented lady! www.jitterblooms.com Four Up Inc : Photobooth Photography Grade : A Oh my gosh, this was SUCH a hit! And it seemed like the more people drank, the better and better the pictures got. The guests loved watching other people take theirs as well as doing their own. Manny, that’s the owner of Four Up Inc, was even cracking up with some of the poses. Our package allowed for a printout of each set of pictures to the guest and then we get a copy of all of the digital files on a disc. Since we didn’t do favors, I kind of considered this a favor in a sense. It was so incredibly entertaining and I would highly recommend Manny if you can fit it into your budget. www.fourupinc.com Nicole Wagner : Makeup Artist Grade : A Nicole did makeup non-stop for six hours straight. She did makeup for both of the moms, all five maids of honor, rosy cheeks and lip gloss for the two flower girls and my makeup. Everyone raved about their makeup, some even asked for the colors and how she did it so they could recreate it another time. She’s so talented at making you look like yourself only better. She was so patient with my mom who couldn’t stop crying when Nicole was trying to get her makeup done, and originally only four of the maids of honor wanted to have their makeup done. However, upon seeing everyone else get done up, the fifth maid wanted her makeup done as well. Nicole was so flexible in making that happen, even though she had allotted a very specific amount of time for each. MAC Cosmetics are my regular day-to-day makeup. When I found a new product that I really liked, I emailed Nicole to see if she could use it instead of the foundation she had picked out for me (I don’t use foundation so I was a bit apprehensive). Nicole was totally open to it and even went and bought it at the MAC store so I didn’t have to buy foundation that I would never wear again. I would definitely hire her again. www.perfectbride.blogspot.com Patti Green Salon 77 : Hair Stylist Grade : A Patti is great, what can I say? She’s my regular hairstylist who I’ve been seeing for probably about four years. She doesn’t do wedding styles unless you’re one of her regular clients. However, the girl gives an amazing haircut so if you’re looking for a new stylist, Patti’s your girl. She moved here from NYC where she worked for Toni & Guy. Patti did a great job of doing my hair, which was no small task since my hair is stick straight and I wanted waves. She also did my husband’s hair, she’s his regular stylist as well. And while there’s not much to be done with 1.5 inches of hair, somehow it always looks so great when she does his. www.seventyseven.us Toast Productions : Event Design/Setup Grade : A I met these ladies through a friend of mine. I’ve never met a more resourceful group of ladies. When I said we wanted an ice cream wedding cake, they searched the city high and low looking for someone willing to do it. When I said we wanted a custom-made martini ice luge for not a lot of money, they found it. Rachael, of Toast Productions, is a graphic designer, so she has a great sense of design. While I had a coordinator already hired by the time I met Rachael and Sarah (they’re sisters), I knew I could utilize their skills to turn our reception into what we wanted. We met several times to discuss setup, layout and logistics. On the day of the wedding, they picked up everything for the reception, which was a lot, and spent hours setting it up. They also handled all of the vendors coming into Nocturnal to insure everything was setup just so. These ladies are native Portlanders and extremely well networked. While this is a new business venture for them, you never would have known by their ability to recreate what our vision had been. They also did all of our cleanup for us and promptly delivered it back to my mom’s house the day after the wedding. www.toast-productions.com Look Weddings : Wedding Coordinator Grade : A- Cassia has been doing wedding coordination for about two years. She started because she enjoyed planning her own wedding so much. I work with her at my job and inquired about her services when I heard she was doing coordination. Her design of our custom built website alone was amazing. She used the graphics that my husband’s sister had created for our stationery and created a fairly extensive website. She also contacted all of our vendors the week of the wedding to verify their services for the day of. She setup our entire ceremony (which was hundreds of paper bag luminaries, tables, chairs, etc) and coordinated from there on. Cassia is a fairly reserved person and I think at times is intimidated to exert her assertiveness. However, I think this will only get better as she continues to work. Because she works a full time job, I think she’s become a bit worn down by doing both a full time coordination business along with her job. At this time, I don’t think she’s taking on any new weddings until 2007. www.lookweddings.com Kristin Bradetich : Graphic Design for Stationery Grade : A+ Well, Kristin is my husband’s older sister. By career, she designs logos for apparel for a small athletic apparel company in Boulder. When we asked her to help us with our stationery, she was very enthusiastic. She did a great job of taking our ideas and turning them into something that was stylish, unique and really created the essence of our wedding. She designed a logo we put on everything, our save the dates, invitations (including RSVP and Reception cards), rehearsal dinner invitations, programs, menu cards, Just Married sign for our getaway car and thank you cards. While she doesn’t create custom invitations for people, she should probably consider it as she’s very talented. Anders Printing : Stationery Printing Grade : B I worked with Jill at Anders to get the majority of our printing done. It felt good to be working with a local company to complete our printing needs. Jill was very friendly and helpful and they did a great job of getting the work turned around in a short time period. They printed everything from our logos on stickers to our save the dates, invitations and rehearsal dinner invitations. After getting quotes for our save the dates, I didn’t search around after that to see if I could find a better deal. So, when we had our invitations printed offset, I don’t know if it was cheaper than another printer. I was very clear with my requests on each job (thanks to the help of the graphic designer). However, when our invitations were ready, she charged me an extra $25 and I had A LOT of extra copies, far more than I had requested. I meant to question why we had been charged more than originally quoted and why we had so many extras but I never got around to it. I probably should have asked for a discount since they asked if they could put our invitations on their website. All in all, this was a good experience. www.andersprinting.com DJ Stay in School - Martin Wilson : Reception DJ Grade : B My husband is a big fan of electronica music. So, when it came time to hire a DJ, my husband took on this role. We contacted Connie Wohn of Stylus 503 (a DJ cooperative), thanks to a referral from Bethany of Nocturnal. Connie sent us a whole package of samples of different DJs. We chose Martin because of his style, obviously. He did a great job but I think there was too much going on at the reception (photobooth, downstairs bar, outdoor courtyard) to really get people dancing. While people did dance, I think they would have done more of it had we not had so much else going on. Martin did que up the wrong music (we provided specific music for specific events during the evening since he doesn’t have the regular wedding DJ collection) for the Mother/Son dance and didn’t que up any music for the cake cutting. However, I don’t think the cake cutting music was his fault as the coordinator didn’t let him know the cake was going to make its grand entrance. www.djstayinschool.com Taste of Honey - Honey Everett : Wedding Cake Grade : A As mentioned before, we wanted an ice cream cake as our wedding cake. Neither of us like cake. Amazingly, getting someone to make a wedding cake out of ice cream is harder than you might imagine. Every person we contacted acted like we were crazy. However, when we found Honey, she definitely knew what she was talking about. There are a lot of logistics involved with an ice cream wedding cake, i.e. delivery, setup, serving it, icing it, etc. Honey had such confidence that I wasn’t the least bit worried. We had three flavors, one of which being mint chocolate chip (the others I don’t remember), with a brownie bottom. Honey delivered and setup the cake after the reception had started. It tasted great and looked fantastic, even though it had started to melt, which I found somewhat charming, being as that it was ice cream cake! Oregon Chamber Players : Ceremony Musicians Grade : B- This was another responsibility of my husband’s. We picked all non-traditional music (Coldplay, The Verve, Enya) and had to find the sheet music for all of the songs we wanted played. Originally, we were going to use the Metropolitan Youth Symphony. However, once they started to review the sheet music for the songs we wanted played, they realized that they didn’t really currently have that kind of depth. Last minute, three weeks before the wedding, we had to find someone new. Considering the amount of time they had, the Oregon Chamber Players did great. They did mess up on one of the songs but it wasn’t really worth getting upset over. I also would have preferred a string quartet (which was our original plan) but that wasn’t really their fault. www.oregonchamberplayers.org Blizzard Motors : Getaway Car Grade : A Almost two years ago my husband and I bought a car from this lot (its in SE Portland). The lot is primarily fine European cars. When we were there to pick up our newly purchased car, the owner of the lot told us he would loan us a car of our choice for our wedding. My fiance chose a convertible Porsche to drive from the ceremony. It was a beautiful little black shiny thing and my husband thoroughly enjoyed driving it. I don’t know if Doug would be willing to rent out any of his cars but if you’re interested it might not hurt to ask. Western Culinary Institute : Martini Ice Luge Grade : A This was one of the best budget friendly finds of our entire wedding. We really wanted to have a martini luge but found that they were rather expensive to have made…that was, until we found out about the Western Culinary Institute’s ice sculpture class. Basically, they told us they could create anything we wanted and all we had to do was provide them with a drawing. My mom, who’s an artist, drew a great design, in keeping with our theme and stationery, and we provided it to WCI. They not only did a great job of recreating it but the cost included transporting it, delivery and setup. We paid more than they asked for, to donate towards their program, but regardless it was well worth it. Definitely one of the main highlights of the reception for our guests. Spa La La : Pre-Wedding Pampering Grade : B+ As part of my gift to the ladies in the wedding, I treated them to manicures and pedicures at Spa La La. While it’s not the best manicure and pedicure in town (my best friend and I often refer to them as the chop shop), the decor and vibe is great and they’ll serve you all the mimosas you want. We had twelve of us (the moms, five maids of honor, two readers, the two flower girls and myself) there and it was like our own little private party. The staff was very friendly and efficient and I think the ladies all enjoyed getting their nails done. www.spalala.net The Face Place – Dorene Klippel : Facial and Brazilian Wax Grade : A I’ve gone to Dorene every month for the last six years for a Brazilian wax. She does a fantastic job at those…well, it’s a Brazilian wax so it’s not like it feels good but in terms of the final look, she does a tremendous job. However, I decided to get a facial from her as well. Wow! Her facial was by far the best facial I’ve ever had…not only did I fall asleep but she did such an incredibly thorough job. It will be hard not to make getting a facial from her a monthly occurrence as well. www.waxqueen.com Salon 77 – Mahria Martinez : Brow Wax Grade : A+ I pretty much have caterpillars for eyebrows…I’m not kidding. So, not only do my eyebrows need to be professionally groomed on a regular basis but they need to be done well. Mahria is a dream…seriously, she’s absolutely amazing. It’s the only kind of waxing she does…you know if a girl can make a living off of just waxing eyebrows, she’s got to be good! And not only that, she’s the sweetest thing you’ve ever met. www.seventyseven.us Diane Jensen : Massage Grade : A+ So, I have to admit that before my husband and I bought our house, Diane was our landlord. However, my husband has some pretty severe back injuries (thanks to a motorcycle) and is always up for a massage. That being said, we get a lot of massages. Diane is fantastic. She works in a chiropractic clinic off of NW 23rd (which the chiropractor there is also fantastic, Suzanne Lady) and does pretty much any type of massage you’d like. If I were to say I have a regular LMT, Diane would be it…and without failure, I fall asleep on her table every time. She’s fantastic and a lot cheaper than a mediocre spa massage. And, she is so incredibly kind and sweet as well…you can’t beat that! She used to have a website but it doesn’t look like she does anymore. Contact me if you want to get in touch with her. Embellish Design : Wedding Dress Grade : A+ I went shopping on several different occasions for a wedding dress. After searching most of Portland for the dress, I decided to visit Terri at Embellish Design. Now, I would not even waste time looking for dresses to order. In the end, my dress cost less than any of my final choices of the dresses I found in the salons. Not only that, the experience was so incredibly fun. Originally, I went into her studio with pictures of my final choices as well as other dresses I liked. We went through each picture and discussed what I liked about each one. We took elements from all of those to create my dress. Terri is so knowledgeable about what she does and extremely talented in the art of designing and sewing gowns. We discussed everything from different fabrics to different styles and the pluses and negatives of each. In the end, I had a dress that was exactly what I wanted, custom fit to my body. I would highly recommend working with Terri. I hope that I’ll have a reason for her to make me another dress (she makes party dresses too) some time. www.embellishdesign.com Patty Lehner : Wedding Jewelry Grade : A+ I saw a variation of my wedding dress in an Oregon Bride magazine months before my wedding. The earrings that the model was wearing were wonderful. When I looked up where they came from, the magazine said Ella Posie (which is now closed but was on NE Broadway). Carmen (who is also a wedding coordinator) of Ella Posie got me in touch with Patty, who had designed the jewelry. Patty was an absolute delight to work with…kind of like working with your spunky grandmother. We talked about what I wanted and she worked efficiently to get pieces done for me. She made a variation of the earrings I wanted with several different types of pearls and different lengths so I had something to choose from. Then, she made a bangle to match. And when I asked for some extra pearls and crystals for my ring bearer pillow and hair jewelry, not only did she have no problem sending me on my way with a little bag of each but she also refused to charge me for them when I tried to pay her. August Veils : Hair Jewelry Grade : A Patty referred me to Andrea to have my hair jewelry made (Patty doesn’t like to make it). I brought the pearls and crystals that Patty had used in my jewelry to have Andrea create some sparkle for my hair. She created exactly what I was looking for and in a very short amount of time. www.augustveils.com Cromwell Formalwear : Tuxedo Rentals Grade : A While my husband bought a suit for the wedding, we needed rentals for everyone else. Cromwell’s had a good selection and a helpful staff. They kept us informed on everyone who had, or hadn’t, been fitted and I didn’t hear of any problems that anyone had with their rentals. www.cromwellformalwear.com Twist : Wedding Rings Grade : A We searched for quite some time to find rings that we really loved. While I love the traditional platinum eternity band, I wanted something a little different to go with my princess cut solitaire. My husband wanted a platinum ring but not completely plain. Twist, although not a store you would typically think of for wedding bands, had just what we were looking for. The staff was very friendly and when they ordered our rings, they said it would take eight weeks to get them in (which was cutting it really close). Two weeks later, we received a call letting us know that our rings were in. I love the uniqueness of our rings! www.twistonline.com Shane Co : Engagement Ring Grade : C+ In one week, my husband sold his motorcycle, decided to ask me to marry him and bought a ring. The ring is exactly what I would have picked out, a plain platinum band with a princess cut solitaire. However, if I had had a say in it, I never would have gotten my ring at Shane Co. I think their staff is kind of tacky, not to mention their showroom, and I’m always frustrated by their service when I take my ring in to be cleaned or polished...and lets not even begin to discuss their ads! www.shaneco.com Hotel Lucia : Wedding Night Hotel Grade : A I love this place! We booked their “Did I Mention I Want You?” package in a King Suite. When we arrived at the hotel with nothing but the wedding clothes we were still wearing, they were quick to check us in. Our bed was covered in rose petals, there was music playing, champagne being chilled and a box of toys, i.e. body crayons, furry handcuffs and a book of positions for every day of the year. We ordered room service at about 1:30am because neither of us really ate at our reception. They were prompt and the food was tasty. I wish we didn’t live in Portland so we had more reasons to stay here…it’s such a chic hotel! www.hotellucia.com Bluestar Charter : Guest Transportation Grade : C Originally, we were expecting a lot of guests from out of state. We booked a charter bus to pick up guests from downtown Portland and transport them to Mt Tabor Park and then to Nocturnal. Unfortunately, my husbands grandfather passed away two months before our wedding and many of what we assumed would be the out of town guests could no longer make it due to their last minute flights to the funeral. Regardless, I still think this was a good thing to have. However, we revised our timeline for the bus and faxed it in. For whatever reason, they didn’t follow this and were 1.5 hours early to pick up guests and consequently ended their evening 1.5 hours earlier than we were originally anticipating. I’m not sure why they were running on the old timeline as I had faxed the revised one to them. While in the grand scheme of things, it wasn’t that big of a deal, I was irritated that we had paid for something and then couldn’t even utilize it for 1.5 hours. www.bluestarbus.com The Party Place : Chair Rentals Grade : A Although Mt Tabor Amphitheatre has some benches, we rented some chairs as well to insure we had enough seating. To be honest, I have no idea if this all worked out. I assume they arrived on time as they were all set up prior to the ceremony. And I assume they were picked up just fine since I haven’t heard from them about not getting their chairs back or something. Unforgettable Honeymoons Renee Duane-Meyer : Travel Agent Grade : A for knowledge, C for personality When it came time to plan our honeymoon, we were running out of energy, especially to plan the fantastic honeymoon we both wanted. While we both found Renee to be fairly pretentious and full of herself, she was very knowledgeable. At first, we wanted to go to Bora Bora and Taha’a. However, Renee couldn’t find us any availability for the room types we wanted. She asked us if we would consider Fiji, which we of course would and did. She booked us for 7 nights at Qamea Resort and Spa in Fiji in a premium villa. The resort was amazing but I grew a bit concerned when four different couples at the resort (which has a maximum capacity for 28 adults total) had been booked there with Renee from Unforgettable Honeymoons. I don’t know what sort of a kickback Renee receives for referring clients there and I guess it doesn’t really matter because the resort really is all she says it is. However, it doesn’t feel very good to feel like she’s only sending people to that one place, especially when we already felt like she had a pretty inflated ego. My best friend and her husband booked through Unforgettable Honeymoons for their honeymoon, not with Renee, and said their experience was great. If I had it to do over again, I would try to book with another travel agent there. www.unforgettablehoneymoons.com Qamea Resort and Spa : Honeymoon Grade : A+ Wow! This place was incredible, even when it was overcast most of the week we were there! We flew for close to 14 hours, PDX to LAX, LAX to Nadi, Fiji and then on a puddle jumper from Nadi to Taveuni. Then we were driven in a Range Rover for 20 minutes on a dirt rode to a beach where we got on a boat and went on a 10-minute boat ride across to the island of Qamea. We were greeted by a smiling and friendly staff, taken to their restaurant/lounge villa where we were served cocktails and fruit plates and given a quick rundown of the resort. Our accommodations were amazing. Our villa included a daybed and a pool on our deck, a large outdoor shower, a large bathroom that included a walk-in closet, two sinks, a towel warmer, large shower and then a large room with a four-poster bed on a platform with amazing linens and sheer curtains hanging, and then a living area with a couch, coffee table, stereo, lounge chairs, etc. I’ve never stayed in such an incredible place. The staff was so incredibly friendly, the food was some of the best food I’ve ever eaten. We snorkeled, went for a hike in the rainforest, swam in waterfalls, went to visit a village, did some nude sunbathing on our own private beach for an afternoon, my husband did some traditional Fijian hand-line fishing, kava ceremonies, a meek ceremony, beach volleyball and we visited the spa every day. The staff would make you snacks in between meals if you were hungry, the coral and the seashells were amazing and the rainforest absolutely incredible. It was the perfect way to end such an incredible experience. www.qamea.com Teness Herman : Intimate Portraits Grade : A+ WOW. This was an absolutely amazing experience. Teness is absolutely amazing. She made me feel so comfortable and relaxed…an absolute necessity to create the kind of pictures I was going for. I felt like I was taking pictures with a dear old friend. She and I spent months discussing the look and feel of the shoot. She recommended I look at a book called Women Before 10am by Veronique Vial. If you like the style of my intimate portraits (aka Boudoir Pictures…sorry, I think it’s a cheesy name), I would definitely recommend you check out this book for inspiration. We shot for three and a half hours and could have easily gone on for another two. She used multiple cameras and twice as many lenses with nothing but natural light, which really helped in creating a sensual feel. Her enthusiasm, creativity and eye for the perfect shot are truly unparalleled. If you don’t have room in your budget to do this as a wedding gift, I would highly recommend it as a first (paper) anniversary gift. www.teness.com
Matthew Hoff : Officiant Grade : A This is a friend of ours, actually Sept2005’s husband. We asked him to marry us as he is such a good friend but also because he’s a charismatic, funny public speaker. He did not let us down. We gave him a lot of creative license and while I think that made him nervous, he did with it exactly what we wanted. One minute we would be laughing hysterically and the next crying. He had the perfect combination of funny and serious…we couldn’t have picked a more perfect person for the role! Jitterblooms : Florist Grade : A I almost don’t need to write a vendor review on Jessica since so many people on The Knot have used her. She’s fantastic. I felt like she really understood what I was going for when we began talking…and she totally did. Not only that, she was very flexible when I needed to add some last minute boutonnieres and purchase five flats of wheat grass for our centerpieces. My bouquet was the first all green bouquet she had done and it turned out so well. She’s such a talented lady! www.jitterblooms.com Four Up Inc : Photobooth Photography Grade : A Oh my gosh, this was SUCH a hit! And it seemed like the more people drank, the better and better the pictures got. The guests loved watching other people take theirs as well as doing their own. Manny, that’s the owner of Four Up Inc, was even cracking up with some of the poses. Our package allowed for a printout of each set of pictures to the guest and then we get a copy of all of the digital files on a disc. Since we didn’t do favors, I kind of considered this a favor in a sense. It was so incredibly entertaining and I would highly recommend Manny if you can fit it into your budget. www.fourupinc.com Nicole Wagner : Makeup Artist Grade : A Nicole did makeup non-stop for six hours straight. She did makeup for both of the moms, all five maids of honor, rosy cheeks and lip gloss for the two flower girls and my makeup. Everyone raved about their makeup, some even asked for the colors and how she did it so they could recreate it another time. She’s so talented at making you look like yourself only better. She was so patient with my mom who couldn’t stop crying when Nicole was trying to get her makeup done, and originally only four of the maids of honor wanted to have their makeup done. However, upon seeing everyone else get done up, the fifth maid wanted her makeup done as well. Nicole was so flexible in making that happen, even though she had allotted a very specific amount of time for each. MAC Cosmetics are my regular day-to-day makeup. When I found a new product that I really liked, I emailed Nicole to see if she could use it instead of the foundation she had picked out for me (I don’t use foundation so I was a bit apprehensive). Nicole was totally open to it and even went and bought it at the MAC store so I didn’t have to buy foundation that I would never wear again. I would definitely hire her again. www.perfectbride.blogspot.com Patti Green Salon 77 : Hair Stylist Grade : A Patti is great, what can I say? She’s my regular hairstylist who I’ve been seeing for probably about four years. She doesn’t do wedding styles unless you’re one of her regular clients. However, the girl gives an amazing haircut so if you’re looking for a new stylist, Patti’s your girl. She moved here from NYC where she worked for Toni & Guy. Patti did a great job of doing my hair, which was no small task since my hair is stick straight and I wanted waves. She also did my husband’s hair, she’s his regular stylist as well. And while there’s not much to be done with 1.5 inches of hair, somehow it always looks so great when she does his. www.seventyseven.us Toast Productions : Event Design/Setup Grade : A I met these ladies through a friend of mine. I’ve never met a more resourceful group of ladies. When I said we wanted an ice cream wedding cake, they searched the city high and low looking for someone willing to do it. When I said we wanted a custom-made martini ice luge for not a lot of money, they found it. Rachael, of Toast Productions, is a graphic designer, so she has a great sense of design. While I had a coordinator already hired by the time I met Rachael and Sarah (they’re sisters), I knew I could utilize their skills to turn our reception into what we wanted. We met several times to discuss setup, layout and logistics. On the day of the wedding, they picked up everything for the reception, which was a lot, and spent hours setting it up. They also handled all of the vendors coming into Nocturnal to insure everything was setup just so. These ladies are native Portlanders and extremely well networked. While this is a new business venture for them, you never would have known by their ability to recreate what our vision had been. They also did all of our cleanup for us and promptly delivered it back to my mom’s house the day after the wedding. www.toast-productions.com Look Weddings : Wedding Coordinator Grade : A- Cassia has been doing wedding coordination for about two years. She started because she enjoyed planning her own wedding so much. I work with her at my job and inquired about her services when I heard she was doing coordination. Her design of our custom built website alone was amazing. She used the graphics that my husband’s sister had created for our stationery and created a fairly extensive website. She also contacted all of our vendors the week of the wedding to verify their services for the day of. She setup our entire ceremony (which was hundreds of paper bag luminaries, tables, chairs, etc) and coordinated from there on. Cassia is a fairly reserved person and I think at times is intimidated to exert her assertiveness. However, I think this will only get better as she continues to work. Because she works a full time job, I think she’s become a bit worn down by doing both a full time coordination business along with her job. At this time, I don’t think she’s taking on any new weddings until 2007. www.lookweddings.com Kristin Bradetich : Graphic Design for Stationery Grade : A+ Well, Kristin is my husband’s older sister. By career, she designs logos for apparel for a small athletic apparel company in Boulder. When we asked her to help us with our stationery, she was very enthusiastic. She did a great job of taking our ideas and turning them into something that was stylish, unique and really created the essence of our wedding. She designed a logo we put on everything, our save the dates, invitations (including RSVP and Reception cards), rehearsal dinner invitations, programs, menu cards, Just Married sign for our getaway car and thank you cards. While she doesn’t create custom invitations for people, she should probably consider it as she’s very talented. Anders Printing : Stationery Printing Grade : B I worked with Jill at Anders to get the majority of our printing done. It felt good to be working with a local company to complete our printing needs. Jill was very friendly and helpful and they did a great job of getting the work turned around in a short time period. They printed everything from our logos on stickers to our save the dates, invitations and rehearsal dinner invitations. After getting quotes for our save the dates, I didn’t search around after that to see if I could find a better deal. So, when we had our invitations printed offset, I don’t know if it was cheaper than another printer. I was very clear with my requests on each job (thanks to the help of the graphic designer). However, when our invitations were ready, she charged me an extra $25 and I had A LOT of extra copies, far more than I had requested. I meant to question why we had been charged more than originally quoted and why we had so many extras but I never got around to it. I probably should have asked for a discount since they asked if they could put our invitations on their website. All in all, this was a good experience. www.andersprinting.com DJ Stay in School - Martin Wilson : Reception DJ Grade : B My husband is a big fan of electronica music. So, when it came time to hire a DJ, my husband took on this role. We contacted Connie Wohn of Stylus 503 (a DJ cooperative), thanks to a referral from Bethany of Nocturnal. Connie sent us a whole package of samples of different DJs. We chose Martin because of his style, obviously. He did a great job but I think there was too much going on at the reception (photobooth, downstairs bar, outdoor courtyard) to really get people dancing. While people did dance, I think they would have done more of it had we not had so much else going on. Martin did que up the wrong music (we provided specific music for specific events during the evening since he doesn’t have the regular wedding DJ collection) for the Mother/Son dance and didn’t que up any music for the cake cutting. However, I don’t think the cake cutting music was his fault as the coordinator didn’t let him know the cake was going to make its grand entrance. www.djstayinschool.com Taste of Honey - Honey Everett : Wedding Cake Grade : A As mentioned before, we wanted an ice cream cake as our wedding cake. Neither of us like cake. Amazingly, getting someone to make a wedding cake out of ice cream is harder than you might imagine. Every person we contacted acted like we were crazy. However, when we found Honey, she definitely knew what she was talking about. There are a lot of logistics involved with an ice cream wedding cake, i.e. delivery, setup, serving it, icing it, etc. Honey had such confidence that I wasn’t the least bit worried. We had three flavors, one of which being mint chocolate chip (the others I don’t remember), with a brownie bottom. Honey delivered and setup the cake after the reception had started. It tasted great and looked fantastic, even though it had started to melt, which I found somewhat charming, being as that it was ice cream cake! Oregon Chamber Players : Ceremony Musicians Grade : B- This was another responsibility of my husband’s. We picked all non-traditional music (Coldplay, The Verve, Enya) and had to find the sheet music for all of the songs we wanted played. Originally, we were going to use the Metropolitan Youth Symphony. However, once they started to review the sheet music for the songs we wanted played, they realized that they didn’t really currently have that kind of depth. Last minute, three weeks before the wedding, we had to find someone new. Considering the amount of time they had, the Oregon Chamber Players did great. They did mess up on one of the songs but it wasn’t really worth getting upset over. I also would have preferred a string quartet (which was our original plan) but that wasn’t really their fault. www.oregonchamberplayers.org Blizzard Motors : Getaway Car Grade : A Almost two years ago my husband and I bought a car from this lot (its in SE Portland). The lot is primarily fine European cars. When we were there to pick up our newly purchased car, the owner of the lot told us he would loan us a car of our choice for our wedding. My fiance chose a convertible Porsche to drive from the ceremony. It was a beautiful little black shiny thing and my husband thoroughly enjoyed driving it. I don’t know if Doug would be willing to rent out any of his cars but if you’re interested it might not hurt to ask. Western Culinary Institute : Martini Ice Luge Grade : A This was one of the best budget friendly finds of our entire wedding. We really wanted to have a martini luge but found that they were rather expensive to have made…that was, until we found out about the Western Culinary Institute’s ice sculpture class. Basically, they told us they could create anything we wanted and all we had to do was provide them with a drawing. My mom, who’s an artist, drew a great design, in keeping with our theme and stationery, and we provided it to WCI. They not only did a great job of recreating it but the cost included transporting it, delivery and setup. We paid more than they asked for, to donate towards their program, but regardless it was well worth it. Definitely one of the main highlights of the reception for our guests. Spa La La : Pre-Wedding Pampering Grade : B+ As part of my gift to the ladies in the wedding, I treated them to manicures and pedicures at Spa La La. While it’s not the best manicure and pedicure in town (my best friend and I often refer to them as the chop shop), the decor and vibe is great and they’ll serve you all the mimosas you want. We had twelve of us (the moms, five maids of honor, two readers, the two flower girls and myself) there and it was like our own little private party. The staff was very friendly and efficient and I think the ladies all enjoyed getting their nails done. www.spalala.net The Face Place – Dorene Klippel : Facial and Brazilian Wax Grade : A I’ve gone to Dorene every month for the last six years for a Brazilian wax. She does a fantastic job at those…well, it’s a Brazilian wax so it’s not like it feels good but in terms of the final look, she does a tremendous job. However, I decided to get a facial from her as well. Wow! Her facial was by far the best facial I’ve ever had…not only did I fall asleep but she did such an incredibly thorough job. It will be hard not to make getting a facial from her a monthly occurrence as well. www.waxqueen.com Salon 77 – Mahria Martinez : Brow Wax Grade : A+ I pretty much have caterpillars for eyebrows…I’m not kidding. So, not only do my eyebrows need to be professionally groomed on a regular basis but they need to be done well. Mahria is a dream…seriously, she’s absolutely amazing. It’s the only kind of waxing she does…you know if a girl can make a living off of just waxing eyebrows, she’s got to be good! And not only that, she’s the sweetest thing you’ve ever met. www.seventyseven.us Diane Jensen : Massage Grade : A+ So, I have to admit that before my husband and I bought our house, Diane was our landlord. However, my husband has some pretty severe back injuries (thanks to a motorcycle) and is always up for a massage. That being said, we get a lot of massages. Diane is fantastic. She works in a chiropractic clinic off of NW 23rd (which the chiropractor there is also fantastic, Suzanne Lady) and does pretty much any type of massage you’d like. If I were to say I have a regular LMT, Diane would be it…and without failure, I fall asleep on her table every time. She’s fantastic and a lot cheaper than a mediocre spa massage. And, she is so incredibly kind and sweet as well…you can’t beat that! She used to have a website but it doesn’t look like she does anymore. Contact me if you want to get in touch with her. Embellish Design : Wedding Dress Grade : A+ I went shopping on several different occasions for a wedding dress. After searching most of Portland for the dress, I decided to visit Terri at Embellish Design. Now, I would not even waste time looking for dresses to order. In the end, my dress cost less than any of my final choices of the dresses I found in the salons. Not only that, the experience was so incredibly fun. Originally, I went into her studio with pictures of my final choices as well as other dresses I liked. We went through each picture and discussed what I liked about each one. We took elements from all of those to create my dress. Terri is so knowledgeable about what she does and extremely talented in the art of designing and sewing gowns. We discussed everything from different fabrics to different styles and the pluses and negatives of each. In the end, I had a dress that was exactly what I wanted, custom fit to my body. I would highly recommend working with Terri. I hope that I’ll have a reason for her to make me another dress (she makes party dresses too) some time. www.embellishdesign.com Patty Lehner : Wedding Jewelry Grade : A+ I saw a variation of my wedding dress in an Oregon Bride magazine months before my wedding. The earrings that the model was wearing were wonderful. When I looked up where they came from, the magazine said Ella Posie (which is now closed but was on NE Broadway). Carmen (who is also a wedding coordinator) of Ella Posie got me in touch with Patty, who had designed the jewelry. Patty was an absolute delight to work with…kind of like working with your spunky grandmother. We talked about what I wanted and she worked efficiently to get pieces done for me. She made a variation of the earrings I wanted with several different types of pearls and different lengths so I had something to choose from. Then, she made a bangle to match. And when I asked for some extra pearls and crystals for my ring bearer pillow and hair jewelry, not only did she have no problem sending me on my way with a little bag of each but she also refused to charge me for them when I tried to pay her. August Veils : Hair Jewelry Grade : A Patty referred me to Andrea to have my hair jewelry made (Patty doesn’t like to make it). I brought the pearls and crystals that Patty had used in my jewelry to have Andrea create some sparkle for my hair. She created exactly what I was looking for and in a very short amount of time. www.augustveils.com Cromwell Formalwear : Tuxedo Rentals Grade : A While my husband bought a suit for the wedding, we needed rentals for everyone else. Cromwell’s had a good selection and a helpful staff. They kept us informed on everyone who had, or hadn’t, been fitted and I didn’t hear of any problems that anyone had with their rentals. www.cromwellformalwear.com Twist : Wedding Rings Grade : A We searched for quite some time to find rings that we really loved. While I love the traditional platinum eternity band, I wanted something a little different to go with my princess cut solitaire. My husband wanted a platinum ring but not completely plain. Twist, although not a store you would typically think of for wedding bands, had just what we were looking for. The staff was very friendly and when they ordered our rings, they said it would take eight weeks to get them in (which was cutting it really close). Two weeks later, we received a call letting us know that our rings were in. I love the uniqueness of our rings! www.twistonline.com Shane Co : Engagement Ring Grade : C+ In one week, my husband sold his motorcycle, decided to ask me to marry him and bought a ring. The ring is exactly what I would have picked out, a plain platinum band with a princess cut solitaire. However, if I had had a say in it, I never would have gotten my ring at Shane Co. I think their staff is kind of tacky, not to mention their showroom, and I’m always frustrated by their service when I take my ring in to be cleaned or polished...and lets not even begin to discuss their ads! www.shaneco.com Hotel Lucia : Wedding Night Hotel Grade : A I love this place! We booked their “Did I Mention I Want You?” package in a King Suite. When we arrived at the hotel with nothing but the wedding clothes we were still wearing, they were quick to check us in. Our bed was covered in rose petals, there was music playing, champagne being chilled and a box of toys, i.e. body crayons, furry handcuffs and a book of positions for every day of the year. We ordered room service at about 1:30am because neither of us really ate at our reception. They were prompt and the food was tasty. I wish we didn’t live in Portland so we had more reasons to stay here…it’s such a chic hotel! www.hotellucia.com Bluestar Charter : Guest Transportation Grade : C Originally, we were expecting a lot of guests from out of state. We booked a charter bus to pick up guests from downtown Portland and transport them to Mt Tabor Park and then to Nocturnal. Unfortunately, my husbands grandfather passed away two months before our wedding and many of what we assumed would be the out of town guests could no longer make it due to their last minute flights to the funeral. Regardless, I still think this was a good thing to have. However, we revised our timeline for the bus and faxed it in. For whatever reason, they didn’t follow this and were 1.5 hours early to pick up guests and consequently ended their evening 1.5 hours earlier than we were originally anticipating. I’m not sure why they were running on the old timeline as I had faxed the revised one to them. While in the grand scheme of things, it wasn’t that big of a deal, I was irritated that we had paid for something and then couldn’t even utilize it for 1.5 hours. www.bluestarbus.com The Party Place : Chair Rentals Grade : A Although Mt Tabor Amphitheatre has some benches, we rented some chairs as well to insure we had enough seating. To be honest, I have no idea if this all worked out. I assume they arrived on time as they were all set up prior to the ceremony. And I assume they were picked up just fine since I haven’t heard from them about not getting their chairs back or something. Unforgettable Honeymoons Renee Duane-Meyer : Travel Agent Grade : A for knowledge, C for personality When it came time to plan our honeymoon, we were running out of energy, especially to plan the fantastic honeymoon we both wanted. While we both found Renee to be fairly pretentious and full of herself, she was very knowledgeable. At first, we wanted to go to Bora Bora and Taha’a. However, Renee couldn’t find us any availability for the room types we wanted. She asked us if we would consider Fiji, which we of course would and did. She booked us for 7 nights at Qamea Resort and Spa in Fiji in a premium villa. The resort was amazing but I grew a bit concerned when four different couples at the resort (which has a maximum capacity for 28 adults total) had been booked there with Renee from Unforgettable Honeymoons. I don’t know what sort of a kickback Renee receives for referring clients there and I guess it doesn’t really matter because the resort really is all she says it is. However, it doesn’t feel very good to feel like she’s only sending people to that one place, especially when we already felt like she had a pretty inflated ego. My best friend and her husband booked through Unforgettable Honeymoons for their honeymoon, not with Renee, and said their experience was great. If I had it to do over again, I would try to book with another travel agent there. www.unforgettablehoneymoons.com Qamea Resort and Spa : Honeymoon Grade : A+ Wow! This place was incredible, even when it was overcast most of the week we were there! We flew for close to 14 hours, PDX to LAX, LAX to Nadi, Fiji and then on a puddle jumper from Nadi to Taveuni. Then we were driven in a Range Rover for 20 minutes on a dirt rode to a beach where we got on a boat and went on a 10-minute boat ride across to the island of Qamea. We were greeted by a smiling and friendly staff, taken to their restaurant/lounge villa where we were served cocktails and fruit plates and given a quick rundown of the resort. Our accommodations were amazing. Our villa included a daybed and a pool on our deck, a large outdoor shower, a large bathroom that included a walk-in closet, two sinks, a towel warmer, large shower and then a large room with a four-poster bed on a platform with amazing linens and sheer curtains hanging, and then a living area with a couch, coffee table, stereo, lounge chairs, etc. I’ve never stayed in such an incredible place. The staff was so incredibly friendly, the food was some of the best food I’ve ever eaten. We snorkeled, went for a hike in the rainforest, swam in waterfalls, went to visit a village, did some nude sunbathing on our own private beach for an afternoon, my husband did some traditional Fijian hand-line fishing, kava ceremonies, a meek ceremony, beach volleyball and we visited the spa every day. The staff would make you snacks in between meals if you were hungry, the coral and the seashells were amazing and the rainforest absolutely incredible. It was the perfect way to end such an incredible experience. www.qamea.com Teness Herman : Intimate Portraits Grade : A+ WOW. This was an absolutely amazing experience. Teness is absolutely amazing. She made me feel so comfortable and relaxed…an absolute necessity to create the kind of pictures I was going for. I felt like I was taking pictures with a dear old friend. She and I spent months discussing the look and feel of the shoot. She recommended I look at a book called Women Before 10am by Veronique Vial. If you like the style of my intimate portraits (aka Boudoir Pictures…sorry, I think it’s a cheesy name), I would definitely recommend you check out this book for inspiration. We shot for three and a half hours and could have easily gone on for another two. She used multiple cameras and twice as many lenses with nothing but natural light, which really helped in creating a sensual feel. Her enthusiasm, creativity and eye for the perfect shot are truly unparalleled. If you don’t have room in your budget to do this as a wedding gift, I would highly recommend it as a first (paper) anniversary gift. www.teness.com
Jitterblooms : Florist Grade : A I almost don’t need to write a vendor review on Jessica since so many people on The Knot have used her. She’s fantastic. I felt like she really understood what I was going for when we began talking…and she totally did. Not only that, she was very flexible when I needed to add some last minute boutonnieres and purchase five flats of wheat grass for our centerpieces. My bouquet was the first all green bouquet she had done and it turned out so well. She’s such a talented lady! www.jitterblooms.com Four Up Inc : Photobooth Photography Grade : A Oh my gosh, this was SUCH a hit! And it seemed like the more people drank, the better and better the pictures got. The guests loved watching other people take theirs as well as doing their own. Manny, that’s the owner of Four Up Inc, was even cracking up with some of the poses. Our package allowed for a printout of each set of pictures to the guest and then we get a copy of all of the digital files on a disc. Since we didn’t do favors, I kind of considered this a favor in a sense. It was so incredibly entertaining and I would highly recommend Manny if you can fit it into your budget. www.fourupinc.com Nicole Wagner : Makeup Artist Grade : A Nicole did makeup non-stop for six hours straight. She did makeup for both of the moms, all five maids of honor, rosy cheeks and lip gloss for the two flower girls and my makeup. Everyone raved about their makeup, some even asked for the colors and how she did it so they could recreate it another time. She’s so talented at making you look like yourself only better. She was so patient with my mom who couldn’t stop crying when Nicole was trying to get her makeup done, and originally only four of the maids of honor wanted to have their makeup done. However, upon seeing everyone else get done up, the fifth maid wanted her makeup done as well. Nicole was so flexible in making that happen, even though she had allotted a very specific amount of time for each. MAC Cosmetics are my regular day-to-day makeup. When I found a new product that I really liked, I emailed Nicole to see if she could use it instead of the foundation she had picked out for me (I don’t use foundation so I was a bit apprehensive). Nicole was totally open to it and even went and bought it at the MAC store so I didn’t have to buy foundation that I would never wear again. I would definitely hire her again. www.perfectbride.blogspot.com Patti Green Salon 77 : Hair Stylist Grade : A Patti is great, what can I say? She’s my regular hairstylist who I’ve been seeing for probably about four years. She doesn’t do wedding styles unless you’re one of her regular clients. However, the girl gives an amazing haircut so if you’re looking for a new stylist, Patti’s your girl. She moved here from NYC where she worked for Toni & Guy. Patti did a great job of doing my hair, which was no small task since my hair is stick straight and I wanted waves. She also did my husband’s hair, she’s his regular stylist as well. And while there’s not much to be done with 1.5 inches of hair, somehow it always looks so great when she does his. www.seventyseven.us Toast Productions : Event Design/Setup Grade : A I met these ladies through a friend of mine. I’ve never met a more resourceful group of ladies. When I said we wanted an ice cream wedding cake, they searched the city high and low looking for someone willing to do it. When I said we wanted a custom-made martini ice luge for not a lot of money, they found it. Rachael, of Toast Productions, is a graphic designer, so she has a great sense of design. While I had a coordinator already hired by the time I met Rachael and Sarah (they’re sisters), I knew I could utilize their skills to turn our reception into what we wanted. We met several times to discuss setup, layout and logistics. On the day of the wedding, they picked up everything for the reception, which was a lot, and spent hours setting it up. They also handled all of the vendors coming into Nocturnal to insure everything was setup just so. These ladies are native Portlanders and extremely well networked. While this is a new business venture for them, you never would have known by their ability to recreate what our vision had been. They also did all of our cleanup for us and promptly delivered it back to my mom’s house the day after the wedding. www.toast-productions.com Look Weddings : Wedding Coordinator Grade : A- Cassia has been doing wedding coordination for about two years. She started because she enjoyed planning her own wedding so much. I work with her at my job and inquired about her services when I heard she was doing coordination. Her design of our custom built website alone was amazing. She used the graphics that my husband’s sister had created for our stationery and created a fairly extensive website. She also contacted all of our vendors the week of the wedding to verify their services for the day of. She setup our entire ceremony (which was hundreds of paper bag luminaries, tables, chairs, etc) and coordinated from there on. Cassia is a fairly reserved person and I think at times is intimidated to exert her assertiveness. However, I think this will only get better as she continues to work. Because she works a full time job, I think she’s become a bit worn down by doing both a full time coordination business along with her job. At this time, I don’t think she’s taking on any new weddings until 2007. www.lookweddings.com Kristin Bradetich : Graphic Design for Stationery Grade : A+ Well, Kristin is my husband’s older sister. By career, she designs logos for apparel for a small athletic apparel company in Boulder. When we asked her to help us with our stationery, she was very enthusiastic. She did a great job of taking our ideas and turning them into something that was stylish, unique and really created the essence of our wedding. She designed a logo we put on everything, our save the dates, invitations (including RSVP and Reception cards), rehearsal dinner invitations, programs, menu cards, Just Married sign for our getaway car and thank you cards. While she doesn’t create custom invitations for people, she should probably consider it as she’s very talented. Anders Printing : Stationery Printing Grade : B I worked with Jill at Anders to get the majority of our printing done. It felt good to be working with a local company to complete our printing needs. Jill was very friendly and helpful and they did a great job of getting the work turned around in a short time period. They printed everything from our logos on stickers to our save the dates, invitations and rehearsal dinner invitations. After getting quotes for our save the dates, I didn’t search around after that to see if I could find a better deal. So, when we had our invitations printed offset, I don’t know if it was cheaper than another printer. I was very clear with my requests on each job (thanks to the help of the graphic designer). However, when our invitations were ready, she charged me an extra $25 and I had A LOT of extra copies, far more than I had requested. I meant to question why we had been charged more than originally quoted and why we had so many extras but I never got around to it. I probably should have asked for a discount since they asked if they could put our invitations on their website. All in all, this was a good experience. www.andersprinting.com DJ Stay in School - Martin Wilson : Reception DJ Grade : B My husband is a big fan of electronica music. So, when it came time to hire a DJ, my husband took on this role. We contacted Connie Wohn of Stylus 503 (a DJ cooperative), thanks to a referral from Bethany of Nocturnal. Connie sent us a whole package of samples of different DJs. We chose Martin because of his style, obviously. He did a great job but I think there was too much going on at the reception (photobooth, downstairs bar, outdoor courtyard) to really get people dancing. While people did dance, I think they would have done more of it had we not had so much else going on. Martin did que up the wrong music (we provided specific music for specific events during the evening since he doesn’t have the regular wedding DJ collection) for the Mother/Son dance and didn’t que up any music for the cake cutting. However, I don’t think the cake cutting music was his fault as the coordinator didn’t let him know the cake was going to make its grand entrance. www.djstayinschool.com Taste of Honey - Honey Everett : Wedding Cake Grade : A As mentioned before, we wanted an ice cream cake as our wedding cake. Neither of us like cake. Amazingly, getting someone to make a wedding cake out of ice cream is harder than you might imagine. Every person we contacted acted like we were crazy. However, when we found Honey, she definitely knew what she was talking about. There are a lot of logistics involved with an ice cream wedding cake, i.e. delivery, setup, serving it, icing it, etc. Honey had such confidence that I wasn’t the least bit worried. We had three flavors, one of which being mint chocolate chip (the others I don’t remember), with a brownie bottom. Honey delivered and setup the cake after the reception had started. It tasted great and looked fantastic, even though it had started to melt, which I found somewhat charming, being as that it was ice cream cake! Oregon Chamber Players : Ceremony Musicians Grade : B- This was another responsibility of my husband’s. We picked all non-traditional music (Coldplay, The Verve, Enya) and had to find the sheet music for all of the songs we wanted played. Originally, we were going to use the Metropolitan Youth Symphony. However, once they started to review the sheet music for the songs we wanted played, they realized that they didn’t really currently have that kind of depth. Last minute, three weeks before the wedding, we had to find someone new. Considering the amount of time they had, the Oregon Chamber Players did great. They did mess up on one of the songs but it wasn’t really worth getting upset over. I also would have preferred a string quartet (which was our original plan) but that wasn’t really their fault. www.oregonchamberplayers.org Blizzard Motors : Getaway Car Grade : A Almost two years ago my husband and I bought a car from this lot (its in SE Portland). The lot is primarily fine European cars. When we were there to pick up our newly purchased car, the owner of the lot told us he would loan us a car of our choice for our wedding. My fiance chose a convertible Porsche to drive from the ceremony. It was a beautiful little black shiny thing and my husband thoroughly enjoyed driving it. I don’t know if Doug would be willing to rent out any of his cars but if you’re interested it might not hurt to ask. Western Culinary Institute : Martini Ice Luge Grade : A This was one of the best budget friendly finds of our entire wedding. We really wanted to have a martini luge but found that they were rather expensive to have made…that was, until we found out about the Western Culinary Institute’s ice sculpture class. Basically, they told us they could create anything we wanted and all we had to do was provide them with a drawing. My mom, who’s an artist, drew a great design, in keeping with our theme and stationery, and we provided it to WCI. They not only did a great job of recreating it but the cost included transporting it, delivery and setup. We paid more than they asked for, to donate towards their program, but regardless it was well worth it. Definitely one of the main highlights of the reception for our guests. Spa La La : Pre-Wedding Pampering Grade : B+ As part of my gift to the ladies in the wedding, I treated them to manicures and pedicures at Spa La La. While it’s not the best manicure and pedicure in town (my best friend and I often refer to them as the chop shop), the decor and vibe is great and they’ll serve you all the mimosas you want. We had twelve of us (the moms, five maids of honor, two readers, the two flower girls and myself) there and it was like our own little private party. The staff was very friendly and efficient and I think the ladies all enjoyed getting their nails done. www.spalala.net The Face Place – Dorene Klippel : Facial and Brazilian Wax Grade : A I’ve gone to Dorene every month for the last six years for a Brazilian wax. She does a fantastic job at those…well, it’s a Brazilian wax so it’s not like it feels good but in terms of the final look, she does a tremendous job. However, I decided to get a facial from her as well. Wow! Her facial was by far the best facial I’ve ever had…not only did I fall asleep but she did such an incredibly thorough job. It will be hard not to make getting a facial from her a monthly occurrence as well. www.waxqueen.com Salon 77 – Mahria Martinez : Brow Wax Grade : A+ I pretty much have caterpillars for eyebrows…I’m not kidding. So, not only do my eyebrows need to be professionally groomed on a regular basis but they need to be done well. Mahria is a dream…seriously, she’s absolutely amazing. It’s the only kind of waxing she does…you know if a girl can make a living off of just waxing eyebrows, she’s got to be good! And not only that, she’s the sweetest thing you’ve ever met. www.seventyseven.us Diane Jensen : Massage Grade : A+ So, I have to admit that before my husband and I bought our house, Diane was our landlord. However, my husband has some pretty severe back injuries (thanks to a motorcycle) and is always up for a massage. That being said, we get a lot of massages. Diane is fantastic. She works in a chiropractic clinic off of NW 23rd (which the chiropractor there is also fantastic, Suzanne Lady) and does pretty much any type of massage you’d like. If I were to say I have a regular LMT, Diane would be it…and without failure, I fall asleep on her table every time. She’s fantastic and a lot cheaper than a mediocre spa massage. And, she is so incredibly kind and sweet as well…you can’t beat that! She used to have a website but it doesn’t look like she does anymore. Contact me if you want to get in touch with her. Embellish Design : Wedding Dress Grade : A+ I went shopping on several different occasions for a wedding dress. After searching most of Portland for the dress, I decided to visit Terri at Embellish Design. Now, I would not even waste time looking for dresses to order. In the end, my dress cost less than any of my final choices of the dresses I found in the salons. Not only that, the experience was so incredibly fun. Originally, I went into her studio with pictures of my final choices as well as other dresses I liked. We went through each picture and discussed what I liked about each one. We took elements from all of those to create my dress. Terri is so knowledgeable about what she does and extremely talented in the art of designing and sewing gowns. We discussed everything from different fabrics to different styles and the pluses and negatives of each. In the end, I had a dress that was exactly what I wanted, custom fit to my body. I would highly recommend working with Terri. I hope that I’ll have a reason for her to make me another dress (she makes party dresses too) some time. www.embellishdesign.com Patty Lehner : Wedding Jewelry Grade : A+ I saw a variation of my wedding dress in an Oregon Bride magazine months before my wedding. The earrings that the model was wearing were wonderful. When I looked up where they came from, the magazine said Ella Posie (which is now closed but was on NE Broadway). Carmen (who is also a wedding coordinator) of Ella Posie got me in touch with Patty, who had designed the jewelry. Patty was an absolute delight to work with…kind of like working with your spunky grandmother. We talked about what I wanted and she worked efficiently to get pieces done for me. She made a variation of the earrings I wanted with several different types of pearls and different lengths so I had something to choose from. Then, she made a bangle to match. And when I asked for some extra pearls and crystals for my ring bearer pillow and hair jewelry, not only did she have no problem sending me on my way with a little bag of each but she also refused to charge me for them when I tried to pay her. August Veils : Hair Jewelry Grade : A Patty referred me to Andrea to have my hair jewelry made (Patty doesn’t like to make it). I brought the pearls and crystals that Patty had used in my jewelry to have Andrea create some sparkle for my hair. She created exactly what I was looking for and in a very short amount of time. www.augustveils.com Cromwell Formalwear : Tuxedo Rentals Grade : A While my husband bought a suit for the wedding, we needed rentals for everyone else. Cromwell’s had a good selection and a helpful staff. They kept us informed on everyone who had, or hadn’t, been fitted and I didn’t hear of any problems that anyone had with their rentals. www.cromwellformalwear.com Twist : Wedding Rings Grade : A We searched for quite some time to find rings that we really loved. While I love the traditional platinum eternity band, I wanted something a little different to go with my princess cut solitaire. My husband wanted a platinum ring but not completely plain. Twist, although not a store you would typically think of for wedding bands, had just what we were looking for. The staff was very friendly and when they ordered our rings, they said it would take eight weeks to get them in (which was cutting it really close). Two weeks later, we received a call letting us know that our rings were in. I love the uniqueness of our rings! www.twistonline.com Shane Co : Engagement Ring Grade : C+ In one week, my husband sold his motorcycle, decided to ask me to marry him and bought a ring. The ring is exactly what I would have picked out, a plain platinum band with a princess cut solitaire. However, if I had had a say in it, I never would have gotten my ring at Shane Co. I think their staff is kind of tacky, not to mention their showroom, and I’m always frustrated by their service when I take my ring in to be cleaned or polished...and lets not even begin to discuss their ads! www.shaneco.com Hotel Lucia : Wedding Night Hotel Grade : A I love this place! We booked their “Did I Mention I Want You?” package in a King Suite. When we arrived at the hotel with nothing but the wedding clothes we were still wearing, they were quick to check us in. Our bed was covered in rose petals, there was music playing, champagne being chilled and a box of toys, i.e. body crayons, furry handcuffs and a book of positions for every day of the year. We ordered room service at about 1:30am because neither of us really ate at our reception. They were prompt and the food was tasty. I wish we didn’t live in Portland so we had more reasons to stay here…it’s such a chic hotel! www.hotellucia.com Bluestar Charter : Guest Transportation Grade : C Originally, we were expecting a lot of guests from out of state. We booked a charter bus to pick up guests from downtown Portland and transport them to Mt Tabor Park and then to Nocturnal. Unfortunately, my husbands grandfather passed away two months before our wedding and many of what we assumed would be the out of town guests could no longer make it due to their last minute flights to the funeral. Regardless, I still think this was a good thing to have. However, we revised our timeline for the bus and faxed it in. For whatever reason, they didn’t follow this and were 1.5 hours early to pick up guests and consequently ended their evening 1.5 hours earlier than we were originally anticipating. I’m not sure why they were running on the old timeline as I had faxed the revised one to them. While in the grand scheme of things, it wasn’t that big of a deal, I was irritated that we had paid for something and then couldn’t even utilize it for 1.5 hours. www.bluestarbus.com The Party Place : Chair Rentals Grade : A Although Mt Tabor Amphitheatre has some benches, we rented some chairs as well to insure we had enough seating. To be honest, I have no idea if this all worked out. I assume they arrived on time as they were all set up prior to the ceremony. And I assume they were picked up just fine since I haven’t heard from them about not getting their chairs back or something. Unforgettable Honeymoons Renee Duane-Meyer : Travel Agent Grade : A for knowledge, C for personality When it came time to plan our honeymoon, we were running out of energy, especially to plan the fantastic honeymoon we both wanted. While we both found Renee to be fairly pretentious and full of herself, she was very knowledgeable. At first, we wanted to go to Bora Bora and Taha’a. However, Renee couldn’t find us any availability for the room types we wanted. She asked us if we would consider Fiji, which we of course would and did. She booked us for 7 nights at Qamea Resort and Spa in Fiji in a premium villa. The resort was amazing but I grew a bit concerned when four different couples at the resort (which has a maximum capacity for 28 adults total) had been booked there with Renee from Unforgettable Honeymoons. I don’t know what sort of a kickback Renee receives for referring clients there and I guess it doesn’t really matter because the resort really is all she says it is. However, it doesn’t feel very good to feel like she’s only sending people to that one place, especially when we already felt like she had a pretty inflated ego. My best friend and her husband booked through Unforgettable Honeymoons for their honeymoon, not with Renee, and said their experience was great. If I had it to do over again, I would try to book with another travel agent there. www.unforgettablehoneymoons.com Qamea Resort and Spa : Honeymoon Grade : A+ Wow! This place was incredible, even when it was overcast most of the week we were there! We flew for close to 14 hours, PDX to LAX, LAX to Nadi, Fiji and then on a puddle jumper from Nadi to Taveuni. Then we were driven in a Range Rover for 20 minutes on a dirt rode to a beach where we got on a boat and went on a 10-minute boat ride across to the island of Qamea. We were greeted by a smiling and friendly staff, taken to their restaurant/lounge villa where we were served cocktails and fruit plates and given a quick rundown of the resort. Our accommodations were amazing. Our villa included a daybed and a pool on our deck, a large outdoor shower, a large bathroom that included a walk-in closet, two sinks, a towel warmer, large shower and then a large room with a four-poster bed on a platform with amazing linens and sheer curtains hanging, and then a living area with a couch, coffee table, stereo, lounge chairs, etc. I’ve never stayed in such an incredible place. The staff was so incredibly friendly, the food was some of the best food I’ve ever eaten. We snorkeled, went for a hike in the rainforest, swam in waterfalls, went to visit a village, did some nude sunbathing on our own private beach for an afternoon, my husband did some traditional Fijian hand-line fishing, kava ceremonies, a meek ceremony, beach volleyball and we visited the spa every day. The staff would make you snacks in between meals if you were hungry, the coral and the seashells were amazing and the rainforest absolutely incredible. It was the perfect way to end such an incredible experience. www.qamea.com Teness Herman : Intimate Portraits Grade : A+ WOW. This was an absolutely amazing experience. Teness is absolutely amazing. She made me feel so comfortable and relaxed…an absolute necessity to create the kind of pictures I was going for. I felt like I was taking pictures with a dear old friend. She and I spent months discussing the look and feel of the shoot. She recommended I look at a book called Women Before 10am by Veronique Vial. If you like the style of my intimate portraits (aka Boudoir Pictures…sorry, I think it’s a cheesy name), I would definitely recommend you check out this book for inspiration. We shot for three and a half hours and could have easily gone on for another two. She used multiple cameras and twice as many lenses with nothing but natural light, which really helped in creating a sensual feel. Her enthusiasm, creativity and eye for the perfect shot are truly unparalleled. If you don’t have room in your budget to do this as a wedding gift, I would highly recommend it as a first (paper) anniversary gift. www.teness.com
www.jitterblooms.com Four Up Inc : Photobooth Photography Grade : A Oh my gosh, this was SUCH a hit! And it seemed like the more people drank, the better and better the pictures got. The guests loved watching other people take theirs as well as doing their own. Manny, that’s the owner of Four Up Inc, was even cracking up with some of the poses. Our package allowed for a printout of each set of pictures to the guest and then we get a copy of all of the digital files on a disc. Since we didn’t do favors, I kind of considered this a favor in a sense. It was so incredibly entertaining and I would highly recommend Manny if you can fit it into your budget. www.fourupinc.com Nicole Wagner : Makeup Artist Grade : A Nicole did makeup non-stop for six hours straight. She did makeup for both of the moms, all five maids of honor, rosy cheeks and lip gloss for the two flower girls and my makeup. Everyone raved about their makeup, some even asked for the colors and how she did it so they could recreate it another time. She’s so talented at making you look like yourself only better. She was so patient with my mom who couldn’t stop crying when Nicole was trying to get her makeup done, and originally only four of the maids of honor wanted to have their makeup done. However, upon seeing everyone else get done up, the fifth maid wanted her makeup done as well. Nicole was so flexible in making that happen, even though she had allotted a very specific amount of time for each. MAC Cosmetics are my regular day-to-day makeup. When I found a new product that I really liked, I emailed Nicole to see if she could use it instead of the foundation she had picked out for me (I don’t use foundation so I was a bit apprehensive). Nicole was totally open to it and even went and bought it at the MAC store so I didn’t have to buy foundation that I would never wear again. I would definitely hire her again. www.perfectbride.blogspot.com Patti Green Salon 77 : Hair Stylist Grade : A Patti is great, what can I say? She’s my regular hairstylist who I’ve been seeing for probably about four years. She doesn’t do wedding styles unless you’re one of her regular clients. However, the girl gives an amazing haircut so if you’re looking for a new stylist, Patti’s your girl. She moved here from NYC where she worked for Toni & Guy. Patti did a great job of doing my hair, which was no small task since my hair is stick straight and I wanted waves. She also did my husband’s hair, she’s his regular stylist as well. And while there’s not much to be done with 1.5 inches of hair, somehow it always looks so great when she does his. www.seventyseven.us Toast Productions : Event Design/Setup Grade : A I met these ladies through a friend of mine. I’ve never met a more resourceful group of ladies. When I said we wanted an ice cream wedding cake, they searched the city high and low looking for someone willing to do it. When I said we wanted a custom-made martini ice luge for not a lot of money, they found it. Rachael, of Toast Productions, is a graphic designer, so she has a great sense of design. While I had a coordinator already hired by the time I met Rachael and Sarah (they’re sisters), I knew I could utilize their skills to turn our reception into what we wanted. We met several times to discuss setup, layout and logistics. On the day of the wedding, they picked up everything for the reception, which was a lot, and spent hours setting it up. They also handled all of the vendors coming into Nocturnal to insure everything was setup just so. These ladies are native Portlanders and extremely well networked. While this is a new business venture for them, you never would have known by their ability to recreate what our vision had been. They also did all of our cleanup for us and promptly delivered it back to my mom’s house the day after the wedding. www.toast-productions.com Look Weddings : Wedding Coordinator Grade : A- Cassia has been doing wedding coordination for about two years. She started because she enjoyed planning her own wedding so much. I work with her at my job and inquired about her services when I heard she was doing coordination. Her design of our custom built website alone was amazing. She used the graphics that my husband’s sister had created for our stationery and created a fairly extensive website. She also contacted all of our vendors the week of the wedding to verify their services for the day of. She setup our entire ceremony (which was hundreds of paper bag luminaries, tables, chairs, etc) and coordinated from there on. Cassia is a fairly reserved person and I think at times is intimidated to exert her assertiveness. However, I think this will only get better as she continues to work. Because she works a full time job, I think she’s become a bit worn down by doing both a full time coordination business along with her job. At this time, I don’t think she’s taking on any new weddings until 2007. www.lookweddings.com Kristin Bradetich : Graphic Design for Stationery Grade : A+ Well, Kristin is my husband’s older sister. By career, she designs logos for apparel for a small athletic apparel company in Boulder. When we asked her to help us with our stationery, she was very enthusiastic. She did a great job of taking our ideas and turning them into something that was stylish, unique and really created the essence of our wedding. She designed a logo we put on everything, our save the dates, invitations (including RSVP and Reception cards), rehearsal dinner invitations, programs, menu cards, Just Married sign for our getaway car and thank you cards. While she doesn’t create custom invitations for people, she should probably consider it as she’s very talented. Anders Printing : Stationery Printing Grade : B I worked with Jill at Anders to get the majority of our printing done. It felt good to be working with a local company to complete our printing needs. Jill was very friendly and helpful and they did a great job of getting the work turned around in a short time period. They printed everything from our logos on stickers to our save the dates, invitations and rehearsal dinner invitations. After getting quotes for our save the dates, I didn’t search around after that to see if I could find a better deal. So, when we had our invitations printed offset, I don’t know if it was cheaper than another printer. I was very clear with my requests on each job (thanks to the help of the graphic designer). However, when our invitations were ready, she charged me an extra $25 and I had A LOT of extra copies, far more than I had requested. I meant to question why we had been charged more than originally quoted and why we had so many extras but I never got around to it. I probably should have asked for a discount since they asked if they could put our invitations on their website. All in all, this was a good experience. www.andersprinting.com DJ Stay in School - Martin Wilson : Reception DJ Grade : B My husband is a big fan of electronica music. So, when it came time to hire a DJ, my husband took on this role. We contacted Connie Wohn of Stylus 503 (a DJ cooperative), thanks to a referral from Bethany of Nocturnal. Connie sent us a whole package of samples of different DJs. We chose Martin because of his style, obviously. He did a great job but I think there was too much going on at the reception (photobooth, downstairs bar, outdoor courtyard) to really get people dancing. While people did dance, I think they would have done more of it had we not had so much else going on. Martin did que up the wrong music (we provided specific music for specific events during the evening since he doesn’t have the regular wedding DJ collection) for the Mother/Son dance and didn’t que up any music for the cake cutting. However, I don’t think the cake cutting music was his fault as the coordinator didn’t let him know the cake was going to make its grand entrance. www.djstayinschool.com Taste of Honey - Honey Everett : Wedding Cake Grade : A As mentioned before, we wanted an ice cream cake as our wedding cake. Neither of us like cake. Amazingly, getting someone to make a wedding cake out of ice cream is harder than you might imagine. Every person we contacted acted like we were crazy. However, when we found Honey, she definitely knew what she was talking about. There are a lot of logistics involved with an ice cream wedding cake, i.e. delivery, setup, serving it, icing it, etc. Honey had such confidence that I wasn’t the least bit worried. We had three flavors, one of which being mint chocolate chip (the others I don’t remember), with a brownie bottom. Honey delivered and setup the cake after the reception had started. It tasted great and looked fantastic, even though it had started to melt, which I found somewhat charming, being as that it was ice cream cake! Oregon Chamber Players : Ceremony Musicians Grade : B- This was another responsibility of my husband’s. We picked all non-traditional music (Coldplay, The Verve, Enya) and had to find the sheet music for all of the songs we wanted played. Originally, we were going to use the Metropolitan Youth Symphony. However, once they started to review the sheet music for the songs we wanted played, they realized that they didn’t really currently have that kind of depth. Last minute, three weeks before the wedding, we had to find someone new. Considering the amount of time they had, the Oregon Chamber Players did great. They did mess up on one of the songs but it wasn’t really worth getting upset over. I also would have preferred a string quartet (which was our original plan) but that wasn’t really their fault. www.oregonchamberplayers.org Blizzard Motors : Getaway Car Grade : A Almost two years ago my husband and I bought a car from this lot (its in SE Portland). The lot is primarily fine European cars. When we were there to pick up our newly purchased car, the owner of the lot told us he would loan us a car of our choice for our wedding. My fiance chose a convertible Porsche to drive from the ceremony. It was a beautiful little black shiny thing and my husband thoroughly enjoyed driving it. I don’t know if Doug would be willing to rent out any of his cars but if you’re interested it might not hurt to ask. Western Culinary Institute : Martini Ice Luge Grade : A This was one of the best budget friendly finds of our entire wedding. We really wanted to have a martini luge but found that they were rather expensive to have made…that was, until we found out about the Western Culinary Institute’s ice sculpture class. Basically, they told us they could create anything we wanted and all we had to do was provide them with a drawing. My mom, who’s an artist, drew a great design, in keeping with our theme and stationery, and we provided it to WCI. They not only did a great job of recreating it but the cost included transporting it, delivery and setup. We paid more than they asked for, to donate towards their program, but regardless it was well worth it. Definitely one of the main highlights of the reception for our guests. Spa La La : Pre-Wedding Pampering Grade : B+ As part of my gift to the ladies in the wedding, I treated them to manicures and pedicures at Spa La La. While it’s not the best manicure and pedicure in town (my best friend and I often refer to them as the chop shop), the decor and vibe is great and they’ll serve you all the mimosas you want. We had twelve of us (the moms, five maids of honor, two readers, the two flower girls and myself) there and it was like our own little private party. The staff was very friendly and efficient and I think the ladies all enjoyed getting their nails done. www.spalala.net The Face Place – Dorene Klippel : Facial and Brazilian Wax Grade : A I’ve gone to Dorene every month for the last six years for a Brazilian wax. She does a fantastic job at those…well, it’s a Brazilian wax so it’s not like it feels good but in terms of the final look, she does a tremendous job. However, I decided to get a facial from her as well. Wow! Her facial was by far the best facial I’ve ever had…not only did I fall asleep but she did such an incredibly thorough job. It will be hard not to make getting a facial from her a monthly occurrence as well. www.waxqueen.com Salon 77 – Mahria Martinez : Brow Wax Grade : A+ I pretty much have caterpillars for eyebrows…I’m not kidding. So, not only do my eyebrows need to be professionally groomed on a regular basis but they need to be done well. Mahria is a dream…seriously, she’s absolutely amazing. It’s the only kind of waxing she does…you know if a girl can make a living off of just waxing eyebrows, she’s got to be good! And not only that, she’s the sweetest thing you’ve ever met. www.seventyseven.us Diane Jensen : Massage Grade : A+ So, I have to admit that before my husband and I bought our house, Diane was our landlord. However, my husband has some pretty severe back injuries (thanks to a motorcycle) and is always up for a massage. That being said, we get a lot of massages. Diane is fantastic. She works in a chiropractic clinic off of NW 23rd (which the chiropractor there is also fantastic, Suzanne Lady) and does pretty much any type of massage you’d like. If I were to say I have a regular LMT, Diane would be it…and without failure, I fall asleep on her table every time. She’s fantastic and a lot cheaper than a mediocre spa massage. And, she is so incredibly kind and sweet as well…you can’t beat that! She used to have a website but it doesn’t look like she does anymore. Contact me if you want to get in touch with her. Embellish Design : Wedding Dress Grade : A+ I went shopping on several different occasions for a wedding dress. After searching most of Portland for the dress, I decided to visit Terri at Embellish Design. Now, I would not even waste time looking for dresses to order. In the end, my dress cost less than any of my final choices of the dresses I found in the salons. Not only that, the experience was so incredibly fun. Originally, I went into her studio with pictures of my final choices as well as other dresses I liked. We went through each picture and discussed what I liked about each one. We took elements from all of those to create my dress. Terri is so knowledgeable about what she does and extremely talented in the art of designing and sewing gowns. We discussed everything from different fabrics to different styles and the pluses and negatives of each. In the end, I had a dress that was exactly what I wanted, custom fit to my body. I would highly recommend working with Terri. I hope that I’ll have a reason for her to make me another dress (she makes party dresses too) some time. www.embellishdesign.com Patty Lehner : Wedding Jewelry Grade : A+ I saw a variation of my wedding dress in an Oregon Bride magazine months before my wedding. The earrings that the model was wearing were wonderful. When I looked up where they came from, the magazine said Ella Posie (which is now closed but was on NE Broadway). Carmen (who is also a wedding coordinator) of Ella Posie got me in touch with Patty, who had designed the jewelry. Patty was an absolute delight to work with…kind of like working with your spunky grandmother. We talked about what I wanted and she worked efficiently to get pieces done for me. She made a variation of the earrings I wanted with several different types of pearls and different lengths so I had something to choose from. Then, she made a bangle to match. And when I asked for some extra pearls and crystals for my ring bearer pillow and hair jewelry, not only did she have no problem sending me on my way with a little bag of each but she also refused to charge me for them when I tried to pay her. August Veils : Hair Jewelry Grade : A Patty referred me to Andrea to have my hair jewelry made (Patty doesn’t like to make it). I brought the pearls and crystals that Patty had used in my jewelry to have Andrea create some sparkle for my hair. She created exactly what I was looking for and in a very short amount of time. www.augustveils.com Cromwell Formalwear : Tuxedo Rentals Grade : A While my husband bought a suit for the wedding, we needed rentals for everyone else. Cromwell’s had a good selection and a helpful staff. They kept us informed on everyone who had, or hadn’t, been fitted and I didn’t hear of any problems that anyone had with their rentals. www.cromwellformalwear.com Twist : Wedding Rings Grade : A We searched for quite some time to find rings that we really loved. While I love the traditional platinum eternity band, I wanted something a little different to go with my princess cut solitaire. My husband wanted a platinum ring but not completely plain. Twist, although not a store you would typically think of for wedding bands, had just what we were looking for. The staff was very friendly and when they ordered our rings, they said it would take eight weeks to get them in (which was cutting it really close). Two weeks later, we received a call letting us know that our rings were in. I love the uniqueness of our rings! www.twistonline.com Shane Co : Engagement Ring Grade : C+ In one week, my husband sold his motorcycle, decided to ask me to marry him and bought a ring. The ring is exactly what I would have picked out, a plain platinum band with a princess cut solitaire. However, if I had had a say in it, I never would have gotten my ring at Shane Co. I think their staff is kind of tacky, not to mention their showroom, and I’m always frustrated by their service when I take my ring in to be cleaned or polished...and lets not even begin to discuss their ads! www.shaneco.com Hotel Lucia : Wedding Night Hotel Grade : A I love this place! We booked their “Did I Mention I Want You?” package in a King Suite. When we arrived at the hotel with nothing but the wedding clothes we were still wearing, they were quick to check us in. Our bed was covered in rose petals, there was music playing, champagne being chilled and a box of toys, i.e. body crayons, furry handcuffs and a book of positions for every day of the year. We ordered room service at about 1:30am because neither of us really ate at our reception. They were prompt and the food was tasty. I wish we didn’t live in Portland so we had more reasons to stay here…it’s such a chic hotel! www.hotellucia.com Bluestar Charter : Guest Transportation Grade : C Originally, we were expecting a lot of guests from out of state. We booked a charter bus to pick up guests from downtown Portland and transport them to Mt Tabor Park and then to Nocturnal. Unfortunately, my husbands grandfather passed away two months before our wedding and many of what we assumed would be the out of town guests could no longer make it due to their last minute flights to the funeral. Regardless, I still think this was a good thing to have. However, we revised our timeline for the bus and faxed it in. For whatever reason, they didn’t follow this and were 1.5 hours early to pick up guests and consequently ended their evening 1.5 hours earlier than we were originally anticipating. I’m not sure why they were running on the old timeline as I had faxed the revised one to them. While in the grand scheme of things, it wasn’t that big of a deal, I was irritated that we had paid for something and then couldn’t even utilize it for 1.5 hours. www.bluestarbus.com The Party Place : Chair Rentals Grade : A Although Mt Tabor Amphitheatre has some benches, we rented some chairs as well to insure we had enough seating. To be honest, I have no idea if this all worked out. I assume they arrived on time as they were all set up prior to the ceremony. And I assume they were picked up just fine since I haven’t heard from them about not getting their chairs back or something. Unforgettable Honeymoons Renee Duane-Meyer : Travel Agent Grade : A for knowledge, C for personality When it came time to plan our honeymoon, we were running out of energy, especially to plan the fantastic honeymoon we both wanted. While we both found Renee to be fairly pretentious and full of herself, she was very knowledgeable. At first, we wanted to go to Bora Bora and Taha’a. However, Renee couldn’t find us any availability for the room types we wanted. She asked us if we would consider Fiji, which we of course would and did. She booked us for 7 nights at Qamea Resort and Spa in Fiji in a premium villa. The resort was amazing but I grew a bit concerned when four different couples at the resort (which has a maximum capacity for 28 adults total) had been booked there with Renee from Unforgettable Honeymoons. I don’t know what sort of a kickback Renee receives for referring clients there and I guess it doesn’t really matter because the resort really is all she says it is. However, it doesn’t feel very good to feel like she’s only sending people to that one place, especially when we already felt like she had a pretty inflated ego. My best friend and her husband booked through Unforgettable Honeymoons for their honeymoon, not with Renee, and said their experience was great. If I had it to do over again, I would try to book with another travel agent there. www.unforgettablehoneymoons.com Qamea Resort and Spa : Honeymoon Grade : A+ Wow! This place was incredible, even when it was overcast most of the week we were there! We flew for close to 14 hours, PDX to LAX, LAX to Nadi, Fiji and then on a puddle jumper from Nadi to Taveuni. Then we were driven in a Range Rover for 20 minutes on a dirt rode to a beach where we got on a boat and went on a 10-minute boat ride across to the island of Qamea. We were greeted by a smiling and friendly staff, taken to their restaurant/lounge villa where we were served cocktails and fruit plates and given a quick rundown of the resort. Our accommodations were amazing. Our villa included a daybed and a pool on our deck, a large outdoor shower, a large bathroom that included a walk-in closet, two sinks, a towel warmer, large shower and then a large room with a four-poster bed on a platform with amazing linens and sheer curtains hanging, and then a living area with a couch, coffee table, stereo, lounge chairs, etc. I’ve never stayed in such an incredible place. The staff was so incredibly friendly, the food was some of the best food I’ve ever eaten. We snorkeled, went for a hike in the rainforest, swam in waterfalls, went to visit a village, did some nude sunbathing on our own private beach for an afternoon, my husband did some traditional Fijian hand-line fishing, kava ceremonies, a meek ceremony, beach volleyball and we visited the spa every day. The staff would make you snacks in between meals if you were hungry, the coral and the seashells were amazing and the rainforest absolutely incredible. It was the perfect way to end such an incredible experience. www.qamea.com Teness Herman : Intimate Portraits Grade : A+ WOW. This was an absolutely amazing experience. Teness is absolutely amazing. She made me feel so comfortable and relaxed…an absolute necessity to create the kind of pictures I was going for. I felt like I was taking pictures with a dear old friend. She and I spent months discussing the look and feel of the shoot. She recommended I look at a book called Women Before 10am by Veronique Vial. If you like the style of my intimate portraits (aka Boudoir Pictures…sorry, I think it’s a cheesy name), I would definitely recommend you check out this book for inspiration. We shot for three and a half hours and could have easily gone on for another two. She used multiple cameras and twice as many lenses with nothing but natural light, which really helped in creating a sensual feel. Her enthusiasm, creativity and eye for the perfect shot are truly unparalleled. If you don’t have room in your budget to do this as a wedding gift, I would highly recommend it as a first (paper) anniversary gift. www.teness.com
Four Up Inc : Photobooth Photography Grade : A Oh my gosh, this was SUCH a hit! And it seemed like the more people drank, the better and better the pictures got. The guests loved watching other people take theirs as well as doing their own. Manny, that’s the owner of Four Up Inc, was even cracking up with some of the poses. Our package allowed for a printout of each set of pictures to the guest and then we get a copy of all of the digital files on a disc. Since we didn’t do favors, I kind of considered this a favor in a sense. It was so incredibly entertaining and I would highly recommend Manny if you can fit it into your budget. www.fourupinc.com Nicole Wagner : Makeup Artist Grade : A Nicole did makeup non-stop for six hours straight. She did makeup for both of the moms, all five maids of honor, rosy cheeks and lip gloss for the two flower girls and my makeup. Everyone raved about their makeup, some even asked for the colors and how she did it so they could recreate it another time. She’s so talented at making you look like yourself only better. She was so patient with my mom who couldn’t stop crying when Nicole was trying to get her makeup done, and originally only four of the maids of honor wanted to have their makeup done. However, upon seeing everyone else get done up, the fifth maid wanted her makeup done as well. Nicole was so flexible in making that happen, even though she had allotted a very specific amount of time for each. MAC Cosmetics are my regular day-to-day makeup. When I found a new product that I really liked, I emailed Nicole to see if she could use it instead of the foundation she had picked out for me (I don’t use foundation so I was a bit apprehensive). Nicole was totally open to it and even went and bought it at the MAC store so I didn’t have to buy foundation that I would never wear again. I would definitely hire her again. www.perfectbride.blogspot.com Patti Green Salon 77 : Hair Stylist Grade : A Patti is great, what can I say? She’s my regular hairstylist who I’ve been seeing for probably about four years. She doesn’t do wedding styles unless you’re one of her regular clients. However, the girl gives an amazing haircut so if you’re looking for a new stylist, Patti’s your girl. She moved here from NYC where she worked for Toni & Guy. Patti did a great job of doing my hair, which was no small task since my hair is stick straight and I wanted waves. She also did my husband’s hair, she’s his regular stylist as well. And while there’s not much to be done with 1.5 inches of hair, somehow it always looks so great when she does his. www.seventyseven.us Toast Productions : Event Design/Setup Grade : A I met these ladies through a friend of mine. I’ve never met a more resourceful group of ladies. When I said we wanted an ice cream wedding cake, they searched the city high and low looking for someone willing to do it. When I said we wanted a custom-made martini ice luge for not a lot of money, they found it. Rachael, of Toast Productions, is a graphic designer, so she has a great sense of design. While I had a coordinator already hired by the time I met Rachael and Sarah (they’re sisters), I knew I could utilize their skills to turn our reception into what we wanted. We met several times to discuss setup, layout and logistics. On the day of the wedding, they picked up everything for the reception, which was a lot, and spent hours setting it up. They also handled all of the vendors coming into Nocturnal to insure everything was setup just so. These ladies are native Portlanders and extremely well networked. While this is a new business venture for them, you never would have known by their ability to recreate what our vision had been. They also did all of our cleanup for us and promptly delivered it back to my mom’s house the day after the wedding. www.toast-productions.com Look Weddings : Wedding Coordinator Grade : A- Cassia has been doing wedding coordination for about two years. She started because she enjoyed planning her own wedding so much. I work with her at my job and inquired about her services when I heard she was doing coordination. Her design of our custom built website alone was amazing. She used the graphics that my husband’s sister had created for our stationery and created a fairly extensive website. She also contacted all of our vendors the week of the wedding to verify their services for the day of. She setup our entire ceremony (which was hundreds of paper bag luminaries, tables, chairs, etc) and coordinated from there on. Cassia is a fairly reserved person and I think at times is intimidated to exert her assertiveness. However, I think this will only get better as she continues to work. Because she works a full time job, I think she’s become a bit worn down by doing both a full time coordination business along with her job. At this time, I don’t think she’s taking on any new weddings until 2007. www.lookweddings.com Kristin Bradetich : Graphic Design for Stationery Grade : A+ Well, Kristin is my husband’s older sister. By career, she designs logos for apparel for a small athletic apparel company in Boulder. When we asked her to help us with our stationery, she was very enthusiastic. She did a great job of taking our ideas and turning them into something that was stylish, unique and really created the essence of our wedding. She designed a logo we put on everything, our save the dates, invitations (including RSVP and Reception cards), rehearsal dinner invitations, programs, menu cards, Just Married sign for our getaway car and thank you cards. While she doesn’t create custom invitations for people, she should probably consider it as she’s very talented. Anders Printing : Stationery Printing Grade : B I worked with Jill at Anders to get the majority of our printing done. It felt good to be working with a local company to complete our printing needs. Jill was very friendly and helpful and they did a great job of getting the work turned around in a short time period. They printed everything from our logos on stickers to our save the dates, invitations and rehearsal dinner invitations. After getting quotes for our save the dates, I didn’t search around after that to see if I could find a better deal. So, when we had our invitations printed offset, I don’t know if it was cheaper than another printer. I was very clear with my requests on each job (thanks to the help of the graphic designer). However, when our invitations were ready, she charged me an extra $25 and I had A LOT of extra copies, far more than I had requested. I meant to question why we had been charged more than originally quoted and why we had so many extras but I never got around to it. I probably should have asked for a discount since they asked if they could put our invitations on their website. All in all, this was a good experience. www.andersprinting.com DJ Stay in School - Martin Wilson : Reception DJ Grade : B My husband is a big fan of electronica music. So, when it came time to hire a DJ, my husband took on this role. We contacted Connie Wohn of Stylus 503 (a DJ cooperative), thanks to a referral from Bethany of Nocturnal. Connie sent us a whole package of samples of different DJs. We chose Martin because of his style, obviously. He did a great job but I think there was too much going on at the reception (photobooth, downstairs bar, outdoor courtyard) to really get people dancing. While people did dance, I think they would have done more of it had we not had so much else going on. Martin did que up the wrong music (we provided specific music for specific events during the evening since he doesn’t have the regular wedding DJ collection) for the Mother/Son dance and didn’t que up any music for the cake cutting. However, I don’t think the cake cutting music was his fault as the coordinator didn’t let him know the cake was going to make its grand entrance. www.djstayinschool.com Taste of Honey - Honey Everett : Wedding Cake Grade : A As mentioned before, we wanted an ice cream cake as our wedding cake. Neither of us like cake. Amazingly, getting someone to make a wedding cake out of ice cream is harder than you might imagine. Every person we contacted acted like we were crazy. However, when we found Honey, she definitely knew what she was talking about. There are a lot of logistics involved with an ice cream wedding cake, i.e. delivery, setup, serving it, icing it, etc. Honey had such confidence that I wasn’t the least bit worried. We had three flavors, one of which being mint chocolate chip (the others I don’t remember), with a brownie bottom. Honey delivered and setup the cake after the reception had started. It tasted great and looked fantastic, even though it had started to melt, which I found somewhat charming, being as that it was ice cream cake! Oregon Chamber Players : Ceremony Musicians Grade : B- This was another responsibility of my husband’s. We picked all non-traditional music (Coldplay, The Verve, Enya) and had to find the sheet music for all of the songs we wanted played. Originally, we were going to use the Metropolitan Youth Symphony. However, once they started to review the sheet music for the songs we wanted played, they realized that they didn’t really currently have that kind of depth. Last minute, three weeks before the wedding, we had to find someone new. Considering the amount of time they had, the Oregon Chamber Players did great. They did mess up on one of the songs but it wasn’t really worth getting upset over. I also would have preferred a string quartet (which was our original plan) but that wasn’t really their fault. www.oregonchamberplayers.org Blizzard Motors : Getaway Car Grade : A Almost two years ago my husband and I bought a car from this lot (its in SE Portland). The lot is primarily fine European cars. When we were there to pick up our newly purchased car, the owner of the lot told us he would loan us a car of our choice for our wedding. My fiance chose a convertible Porsche to drive from the ceremony. It was a beautiful little black shiny thing and my husband thoroughly enjoyed driving it. I don’t know if Doug would be willing to rent out any of his cars but if you’re interested it might not hurt to ask. Western Culinary Institute : Martini Ice Luge Grade : A This was one of the best budget friendly finds of our entire wedding. We really wanted to have a martini luge but found that they were rather expensive to have made…that was, until we found out about the Western Culinary Institute’s ice sculpture class. Basically, they told us they could create anything we wanted and all we had to do was provide them with a drawing. My mom, who’s an artist, drew a great design, in keeping with our theme and stationery, and we provided it to WCI. They not only did a great job of recreating it but the cost included transporting it, delivery and setup. We paid more than they asked for, to donate towards their program, but regardless it was well worth it. Definitely one of the main highlights of the reception for our guests. Spa La La : Pre-Wedding Pampering Grade : B+ As part of my gift to the ladies in the wedding, I treated them to manicures and pedicures at Spa La La. While it’s not the best manicure and pedicure in town (my best friend and I often refer to them as the chop shop), the decor and vibe is great and they’ll serve you all the mimosas you want. We had twelve of us (the moms, five maids of honor, two readers, the two flower girls and myself) there and it was like our own little private party. The staff was very friendly and efficient and I think the ladies all enjoyed getting their nails done. www.spalala.net The Face Place – Dorene Klippel : Facial and Brazilian Wax Grade : A I’ve gone to Dorene every month for the last six years for a Brazilian wax. She does a fantastic job at those…well, it’s a Brazilian wax so it’s not like it feels good but in terms of the final look, she does a tremendous job. However, I decided to get a facial from her as well. Wow! Her facial was by far the best facial I’ve ever had…not only did I fall asleep but she did such an incredibly thorough job. It will be hard not to make getting a facial from her a monthly occurrence as well. www.waxqueen.com Salon 77 – Mahria Martinez : Brow Wax Grade : A+ I pretty much have caterpillars for eyebrows…I’m not kidding. So, not only do my eyebrows need to be professionally groomed on a regular basis but they need to be done well. Mahria is a dream…seriously, she’s absolutely amazing. It’s the only kind of waxing she does…you know if a girl can make a living off of just waxing eyebrows, she’s got to be good! And not only that, she’s the sweetest thing you’ve ever met. www.seventyseven.us Diane Jensen : Massage Grade : A+ So, I have to admit that before my husband and I bought our house, Diane was our landlord. However, my husband has some pretty severe back injuries (thanks to a motorcycle) and is always up for a massage. That being said, we get a lot of massages. Diane is fantastic. She works in a chiropractic clinic off of NW 23rd (which the chiropractor there is also fantastic, Suzanne Lady) and does pretty much any type of massage you’d like. If I were to say I have a regular LMT, Diane would be it…and without failure, I fall asleep on her table every time. She’s fantastic and a lot cheaper than a mediocre spa massage. And, she is so incredibly kind and sweet as well…you can’t beat that! She used to have a website but it doesn’t look like she does anymore. Contact me if you want to get in touch with her. Embellish Design : Wedding Dress Grade : A+ I went shopping on several different occasions for a wedding dress. After searching most of Portland for the dress, I decided to visit Terri at Embellish Design. Now, I would not even waste time looking for dresses to order. In the end, my dress cost less than any of my final choices of the dresses I found in the salons. Not only that, the experience was so incredibly fun. Originally, I went into her studio with pictures of my final choices as well as other dresses I liked. We went through each picture and discussed what I liked about each one. We took elements from all of those to create my dress. Terri is so knowledgeable about what she does and extremely talented in the art of designing and sewing gowns. We discussed everything from different fabrics to different styles and the pluses and negatives of each. In the end, I had a dress that was exactly what I wanted, custom fit to my body. I would highly recommend working with Terri. I hope that I’ll have a reason for her to make me another dress (she makes party dresses too) some time. www.embellishdesign.com Patty Lehner : Wedding Jewelry Grade : A+ I saw a variation of my wedding dress in an Oregon Bride magazine months before my wedding. The earrings that the model was wearing were wonderful. When I looked up where they came from, the magazine said Ella Posie (which is now closed but was on NE Broadway). Carmen (who is also a wedding coordinator) of Ella Posie got me in touch with Patty, who had designed the jewelry. Patty was an absolute delight to work with…kind of like working with your spunky grandmother. We talked about what I wanted and she worked efficiently to get pieces done for me. She made a variation of the earrings I wanted with several different types of pearls and different lengths so I had something to choose from. Then, she made a bangle to match. And when I asked for some extra pearls and crystals for my ring bearer pillow and hair jewelry, not only did she have no problem sending me on my way with a little bag of each but she also refused to charge me for them when I tried to pay her. August Veils : Hair Jewelry Grade : A Patty referred me to Andrea to have my hair jewelry made (Patty doesn’t like to make it). I brought the pearls and crystals that Patty had used in my jewelry to have Andrea create some sparkle for my hair. She created exactly what I was looking for and in a very short amount of time. www.augustveils.com Cromwell Formalwear : Tuxedo Rentals Grade : A While my husband bought a suit for the wedding, we needed rentals for everyone else. Cromwell’s had a good selection and a helpful staff. They kept us informed on everyone who had, or hadn’t, been fitted and I didn’t hear of any problems that anyone had with their rentals. www.cromwellformalwear.com Twist : Wedding Rings Grade : A We searched for quite some time to find rings that we really loved. While I love the traditional platinum eternity band, I wanted something a little different to go with my princess cut solitaire. My husband wanted a platinum ring but not completely plain. Twist, although not a store you would typically think of for wedding bands, had just what we were looking for. The staff was very friendly and when they ordered our rings, they said it would take eight weeks to get them in (which was cutting it really close). Two weeks later, we received a call letting us know that our rings were in. I love the uniqueness of our rings! www.twistonline.com Shane Co : Engagement Ring Grade : C+ In one week, my husband sold his motorcycle, decided to ask me to marry him and bought a ring. The ring is exactly what I would have picked out, a plain platinum band with a princess cut solitaire. However, if I had had a say in it, I never would have gotten my ring at Shane Co. I think their staff is kind of tacky, not to mention their showroom, and I’m always frustrated by their service when I take my ring in to be cleaned or polished...and lets not even begin to discuss their ads! www.shaneco.com Hotel Lucia : Wedding Night Hotel Grade : A I love this place! We booked their “Did I Mention I Want You?” package in a King Suite. When we arrived at the hotel with nothing but the wedding clothes we were still wearing, they were quick to check us in. Our bed was covered in rose petals, there was music playing, champagne being chilled and a box of toys, i.e. body crayons, furry handcuffs and a book of positions for every day of the year. We ordered room service at about 1:30am because neither of us really ate at our reception. They were prompt and the food was tasty. I wish we didn’t live in Portland so we had more reasons to stay here…it’s such a chic hotel! www.hotellucia.com Bluestar Charter : Guest Transportation Grade : C Originally, we were expecting a lot of guests from out of state. We booked a charter bus to pick up guests from downtown Portland and transport them to Mt Tabor Park and then to Nocturnal. Unfortunately, my husbands grandfather passed away two months before our wedding and many of what we assumed would be the out of town guests could no longer make it due to their last minute flights to the funeral. Regardless, I still think this was a good thing to have. However, we revised our timeline for the bus and faxed it in. For whatever reason, they didn’t follow this and were 1.5 hours early to pick up guests and consequently ended their evening 1.5 hours earlier than we were originally anticipating. I’m not sure why they were running on the old timeline as I had faxed the revised one to them. While in the grand scheme of things, it wasn’t that big of a deal, I was irritated that we had paid for something and then couldn’t even utilize it for 1.5 hours. www.bluestarbus.com The Party Place : Chair Rentals Grade : A Although Mt Tabor Amphitheatre has some benches, we rented some chairs as well to insure we had enough seating. To be honest, I have no idea if this all worked out. I assume they arrived on time as they were all set up prior to the ceremony. And I assume they were picked up just fine since I haven’t heard from them about not getting their chairs back or something. Unforgettable Honeymoons Renee Duane-Meyer : Travel Agent Grade : A for knowledge, C for personality When it came time to plan our honeymoon, we were running out of energy, especially to plan the fantastic honeymoon we both wanted. While we both found Renee to be fairly pretentious and full of herself, she was very knowledgeable. At first, we wanted to go to Bora Bora and Taha’a. However, Renee couldn’t find us any availability for the room types we wanted. She asked us if we would consider Fiji, which we of course would and did. She booked us for 7 nights at Qamea Resort and Spa in Fiji in a premium villa. The resort was amazing but I grew a bit concerned when four different couples at the resort (which has a maximum capacity for 28 adults total) had been booked there with Renee from Unforgettable Honeymoons. I don’t know what sort of a kickback Renee receives for referring clients there and I guess it doesn’t really matter because the resort really is all she says it is. However, it doesn’t feel very good to feel like she’s only sending people to that one place, especially when we already felt like she had a pretty inflated ego. My best friend and her husband booked through Unforgettable Honeymoons for their honeymoon, not with Renee, and said their experience was great. If I had it to do over again, I would try to book with another travel agent there. www.unforgettablehoneymoons.com Qamea Resort and Spa : Honeymoon Grade : A+ Wow! This place was incredible, even when it was overcast most of the week we were there! We flew for close to 14 hours, PDX to LAX, LAX to Nadi, Fiji and then on a puddle jumper from Nadi to Taveuni. Then we were driven in a Range Rover for 20 minutes on a dirt rode to a beach where we got on a boat and went on a 10-minute boat ride across to the island of Qamea. We were greeted by a smiling and friendly staff, taken to their restaurant/lounge villa where we were served cocktails and fruit plates and given a quick rundown of the resort. Our accommodations were amazing. Our villa included a daybed and a pool on our deck, a large outdoor shower, a large bathroom that included a walk-in closet, two sinks, a towel warmer, large shower and then a large room with a four-poster bed on a platform with amazing linens and sheer curtains hanging, and then a living area with a couch, coffee table, stereo, lounge chairs, etc. I’ve never stayed in such an incredible place. The staff was so incredibly friendly, the food was some of the best food I’ve ever eaten. We snorkeled, went for a hike in the rainforest, swam in waterfalls, went to visit a village, did some nude sunbathing on our own private beach for an afternoon, my husband did some traditional Fijian hand-line fishing, kava ceremonies, a meek ceremony, beach volleyball and we visited the spa every day. The staff would make you snacks in between meals if you were hungry, the coral and the seashells were amazing and the rainforest absolutely incredible. It was the perfect way to end such an incredible experience. www.qamea.com Teness Herman : Intimate Portraits Grade : A+ WOW. This was an absolutely amazing experience. Teness is absolutely amazing. She made me feel so comfortable and relaxed…an absolute necessity to create the kind of pictures I was going for. I felt like I was taking pictures with a dear old friend. She and I spent months discussing the look and feel of the shoot. She recommended I look at a book called Women Before 10am by Veronique Vial. If you like the style of my intimate portraits (aka Boudoir Pictures…sorry, I think it’s a cheesy name), I would definitely recommend you check out this book for inspiration. We shot for three and a half hours and could have easily gone on for another two. She used multiple cameras and twice as many lenses with nothing but natural light, which really helped in creating a sensual feel. Her enthusiasm, creativity and eye for the perfect shot are truly unparalleled. If you don’t have room in your budget to do this as a wedding gift, I would highly recommend it as a first (paper) anniversary gift. www.teness.com
www.fourupinc.com Nicole Wagner : Makeup Artist Grade : A Nicole did makeup non-stop for six hours straight. She did makeup for both of the moms, all five maids of honor, rosy cheeks and lip gloss for the two flower girls and my makeup. Everyone raved about their makeup, some even asked for the colors and how she did it so they could recreate it another time. She’s so talented at making you look like yourself only better. She was so patient with my mom who couldn’t stop crying when Nicole was trying to get her makeup done, and originally only four of the maids of honor wanted to have their makeup done. However, upon seeing everyone else get done up, the fifth maid wanted her makeup done as well. Nicole was so flexible in making that happen, even though she had allotted a very specific amount of time for each. MAC Cosmetics are my regular day-to-day makeup. When I found a new product that I really liked, I emailed Nicole to see if she could use it instead of the foundation she had picked out for me (I don’t use foundation so I was a bit apprehensive). Nicole was totally open to it and even went and bought it at the MAC store so I didn’t have to buy foundation that I would never wear again. I would definitely hire her again. www.perfectbride.blogspot.com Patti Green Salon 77 : Hair Stylist Grade : A Patti is great, what can I say? She’s my regular hairstylist who I’ve been seeing for probably about four years. She doesn’t do wedding styles unless you’re one of her regular clients. However, the girl gives an amazing haircut so if you’re looking for a new stylist, Patti’s your girl. She moved here from NYC where she worked for Toni & Guy. Patti did a great job of doing my hair, which was no small task since my hair is stick straight and I wanted waves. She also did my husband’s hair, she’s his regular stylist as well. And while there’s not much to be done with 1.5 inches of hair, somehow it always looks so great when she does his. www.seventyseven.us Toast Productions : Event Design/Setup Grade : A I met these ladies through a friend of mine. I’ve never met a more resourceful group of ladies. When I said we wanted an ice cream wedding cake, they searched the city high and low looking for someone willing to do it. When I said we wanted a custom-made martini ice luge for not a lot of money, they found it. Rachael, of Toast Productions, is a graphic designer, so she has a great sense of design. While I had a coordinator already hired by the time I met Rachael and Sarah (they’re sisters), I knew I could utilize their skills to turn our reception into what we wanted. We met several times to discuss setup, layout and logistics. On the day of the wedding, they picked up everything for the reception, which was a lot, and spent hours setting it up. They also handled all of the vendors coming into Nocturnal to insure everything was setup just so. These ladies are native Portlanders and extremely well networked. While this is a new business venture for them, you never would have known by their ability to recreate what our vision had been. They also did all of our cleanup for us and promptly delivered it back to my mom’s house the day after the wedding. www.toast-productions.com Look Weddings : Wedding Coordinator Grade : A- Cassia has been doing wedding coordination for about two years. She started because she enjoyed planning her own wedding so much. I work with her at my job and inquired about her services when I heard she was doing coordination. Her design of our custom built website alone was amazing. She used the graphics that my husband’s sister had created for our stationery and created a fairly extensive website. She also contacted all of our vendors the week of the wedding to verify their services for the day of. She setup our entire ceremony (which was hundreds of paper bag luminaries, tables, chairs, etc) and coordinated from there on. Cassia is a fairly reserved person and I think at times is intimidated to exert her assertiveness. However, I think this will only get better as she continues to work. Because she works a full time job, I think she’s become a bit worn down by doing both a full time coordination business along with her job. At this time, I don’t think she’s taking on any new weddings until 2007. www.lookweddings.com Kristin Bradetich : Graphic Design for Stationery Grade : A+ Well, Kristin is my husband’s older sister. By career, she designs logos for apparel for a small athletic apparel company in Boulder. When we asked her to help us with our stationery, she was very enthusiastic. She did a great job of taking our ideas and turning them into something that was stylish, unique and really created the essence of our wedding. She designed a logo we put on everything, our save the dates, invitations (including RSVP and Reception cards), rehearsal dinner invitations, programs, menu cards, Just Married sign for our getaway car and thank you cards. While she doesn’t create custom invitations for people, she should probably consider it as she’s very talented. Anders Printing : Stationery Printing Grade : B I worked with Jill at Anders to get the majority of our printing done. It felt good to be working with a local company to complete our printing needs. Jill was very friendly and helpful and they did a great job of getting the work turned around in a short time period. They printed everything from our logos on stickers to our save the dates, invitations and rehearsal dinner invitations. After getting quotes for our save the dates, I didn’t search around after that to see if I could find a better deal. So, when we had our invitations printed offset, I don’t know if it was cheaper than another printer. I was very clear with my requests on each job (thanks to the help of the graphic designer). However, when our invitations were ready, she charged me an extra $25 and I had A LOT of extra copies, far more than I had requested. I meant to question why we had been charged more than originally quoted and why we had so many extras but I never got around to it. I probably should have asked for a discount since they asked if they could put our invitations on their website. All in all, this was a good experience. www.andersprinting.com DJ Stay in School - Martin Wilson : Reception DJ Grade : B My husband is a big fan of electronica music. So, when it came time to hire a DJ, my husband took on this role. We contacted Connie Wohn of Stylus 503 (a DJ cooperative), thanks to a referral from Bethany of Nocturnal. Connie sent us a whole package of samples of different DJs. We chose Martin because of his style, obviously. He did a great job but I think there was too much going on at the reception (photobooth, downstairs bar, outdoor courtyard) to really get people dancing. While people did dance, I think they would have done more of it had we not had so much else going on. Martin did que up the wrong music (we provided specific music for specific events during the evening since he doesn’t have the regular wedding DJ collection) for the Mother/Son dance and didn’t que up any music for the cake cutting. However, I don’t think the cake cutting music was his fault as the coordinator didn’t let him know the cake was going to make its grand entrance. www.djstayinschool.com Taste of Honey - Honey Everett : Wedding Cake Grade : A As mentioned before, we wanted an ice cream cake as our wedding cake. Neither of us like cake. Amazingly, getting someone to make a wedding cake out of ice cream is harder than you might imagine. Every person we contacted acted like we were crazy. However, when we found Honey, she definitely knew what she was talking about. There are a lot of logistics involved with an ice cream wedding cake, i.e. delivery, setup, serving it, icing it, etc. Honey had such confidence that I wasn’t the least bit worried. We had three flavors, one of which being mint chocolate chip (the others I don’t remember), with a brownie bottom. Honey delivered and setup the cake after the reception had started. It tasted great and looked fantastic, even though it had started to melt, which I found somewhat charming, being as that it was ice cream cake! Oregon Chamber Players : Ceremony Musicians Grade : B- This was another responsibility of my husband’s. We picked all non-traditional music (Coldplay, The Verve, Enya) and had to find the sheet music for all of the songs we wanted played. Originally, we were going to use the Metropolitan Youth Symphony. However, once they started to review the sheet music for the songs we wanted played, they realized that they didn’t really currently have that kind of depth. Last minute, three weeks before the wedding, we had to find someone new. Considering the amount of time they had, the Oregon Chamber Players did great. They did mess up on one of the songs but it wasn’t really worth getting upset over. I also would have preferred a string quartet (which was our original plan) but that wasn’t really their fault. www.oregonchamberplayers.org Blizzard Motors : Getaway Car Grade : A Almost two years ago my husband and I bought a car from this lot (its in SE Portland). The lot is primarily fine European cars. When we were there to pick up our newly purchased car, the owner of the lot told us he would loan us a car of our choice for our wedding. My fiance chose a convertible Porsche to drive from the ceremony. It was a beautiful little black shiny thing and my husband thoroughly enjoyed driving it. I don’t know if Doug would be willing to rent out any of his cars but if you’re interested it might not hurt to ask. Western Culinary Institute : Martini Ice Luge Grade : A This was one of the best budget friendly finds of our entire wedding. We really wanted to have a martini luge but found that they were rather expensive to have made…that was, until we found out about the Western Culinary Institute’s ice sculpture class. Basically, they told us they could create anything we wanted and all we had to do was provide them with a drawing. My mom, who’s an artist, drew a great design, in keeping with our theme and stationery, and we provided it to WCI. They not only did a great job of recreating it but the cost included transporting it, delivery and setup. We paid more than they asked for, to donate towards their program, but regardless it was well worth it. Definitely one of the main highlights of the reception for our guests. Spa La La : Pre-Wedding Pampering Grade : B+ As part of my gift to the ladies in the wedding, I treated them to manicures and pedicures at Spa La La. While it’s not the best manicure and pedicure in town (my best friend and I often refer to them as the chop shop), the decor and vibe is great and they’ll serve you all the mimosas you want. We had twelve of us (the moms, five maids of honor, two readers, the two flower girls and myself) there and it was like our own little private party. The staff was very friendly and efficient and I think the ladies all enjoyed getting their nails done. www.spalala.net The Face Place – Dorene Klippel : Facial and Brazilian Wax Grade : A I’ve gone to Dorene every month for the last six years for a Brazilian wax. She does a fantastic job at those…well, it’s a Brazilian wax so it’s not like it feels good but in terms of the final look, she does a tremendous job. However, I decided to get a facial from her as well. Wow! Her facial was by far the best facial I’ve ever had…not only did I fall asleep but she did such an incredibly thorough job. It will be hard not to make getting a facial from her a monthly occurrence as well. www.waxqueen.com Salon 77 – Mahria Martinez : Brow Wax Grade : A+ I pretty much have caterpillars for eyebrows…I’m not kidding. So, not only do my eyebrows need to be professionally groomed on a regular basis but they need to be done well. Mahria is a dream…seriously, she’s absolutely amazing. It’s the only kind of waxing she does…you know if a girl can make a living off of just waxing eyebrows, she’s got to be good! And not only that, she’s the sweetest thing you’ve ever met. www.seventyseven.us Diane Jensen : Massage Grade : A+ So, I have to admit that before my husband and I bought our house, Diane was our landlord. However, my husband has some pretty severe back injuries (thanks to a motorcycle) and is always up for a massage. That being said, we get a lot of massages. Diane is fantastic. She works in a chiropractic clinic off of NW 23rd (which the chiropractor there is also fantastic, Suzanne Lady) and does pretty much any type of massage you’d like. If I were to say I have a regular LMT, Diane would be it…and without failure, I fall asleep on her table every time. She’s fantastic and a lot cheaper than a mediocre spa massage. And, she is so incredibly kind and sweet as well…you can’t beat that! She used to have a website but it doesn’t look like she does anymore. Contact me if you want to get in touch with her. Embellish Design : Wedding Dress Grade : A+ I went shopping on several different occasions for a wedding dress. After searching most of Portland for the dress, I decided to visit Terri at Embellish Design. Now, I would not even waste time looking for dresses to order. In the end, my dress cost less than any of my final choices of the dresses I found in the salons. Not only that, the experience was so incredibly fun. Originally, I went into her studio with pictures of my final choices as well as other dresses I liked. We went through each picture and discussed what I liked about each one. We took elements from all of those to create my dress. Terri is so knowledgeable about what she does and extremely talented in the art of designing and sewing gowns. We discussed everything from different fabrics to different styles and the pluses and negatives of each. In the end, I had a dress that was exactly what I wanted, custom fit to my body. I would highly recommend working with Terri. I hope that I’ll have a reason for her to make me another dress (she makes party dresses too) some time. www.embellishdesign.com Patty Lehner : Wedding Jewelry Grade : A+ I saw a variation of my wedding dress in an Oregon Bride magazine months before my wedding. The earrings that the model was wearing were wonderful. When I looked up where they came from, the magazine said Ella Posie (which is now closed but was on NE Broadway). Carmen (who is also a wedding coordinator) of Ella Posie got me in touch with Patty, who had designed the jewelry. Patty was an absolute delight to work with…kind of like working with your spunky grandmother. We talked about what I wanted and she worked efficiently to get pieces done for me. She made a variation of the earrings I wanted with several different types of pearls and different lengths so I had something to choose from. Then, she made a bangle to match. And when I asked for some extra pearls and crystals for my ring bearer pillow and hair jewelry, not only did she have no problem sending me on my way with a little bag of each but she also refused to charge me for them when I tried to pay her. August Veils : Hair Jewelry Grade : A Patty referred me to Andrea to have my hair jewelry made (Patty doesn’t like to make it). I brought the pearls and crystals that Patty had used in my jewelry to have Andrea create some sparkle for my hair. She created exactly what I was looking for and in a very short amount of time. www.augustveils.com Cromwell Formalwear : Tuxedo Rentals Grade : A While my husband bought a suit for the wedding, we needed rentals for everyone else. Cromwell’s had a good selection and a helpful staff. They kept us informed on everyone who had, or hadn’t, been fitted and I didn’t hear of any problems that anyone had with their rentals. www.cromwellformalwear.com Twist : Wedding Rings Grade : A We searched for quite some time to find rings that we really loved. While I love the traditional platinum eternity band, I wanted something a little different to go with my princess cut solitaire. My husband wanted a platinum ring but not completely plain. Twist, although not a store you would typically think of for wedding bands, had just what we were looking for. The staff was very friendly and when they ordered our rings, they said it would take eight weeks to get them in (which was cutting it really close). Two weeks later, we received a call letting us know that our rings were in. I love the uniqueness of our rings! www.twistonline.com Shane Co : Engagement Ring Grade : C+ In one week, my husband sold his motorcycle, decided to ask me to marry him and bought a ring. The ring is exactly what I would have picked out, a plain platinum band with a princess cut solitaire. However, if I had had a say in it, I never would have gotten my ring at Shane Co. I think their staff is kind of tacky, not to mention their showroom, and I’m always frustrated by their service when I take my ring in to be cleaned or polished...and lets not even begin to discuss their ads! www.shaneco.com Hotel Lucia : Wedding Night Hotel Grade : A I love this place! We booked their “Did I Mention I Want You?” package in a King Suite. When we arrived at the hotel with nothing but the wedding clothes we were still wearing, they were quick to check us in. Our bed was covered in rose petals, there was music playing, champagne being chilled and a box of toys, i.e. body crayons, furry handcuffs and a book of positions for every day of the year. We ordered room service at about 1:30am because neither of us really ate at our reception. They were prompt and the food was tasty. I wish we didn’t live in Portland so we had more reasons to stay here…it’s such a chic hotel! www.hotellucia.com Bluestar Charter : Guest Transportation Grade : C Originally, we were expecting a lot of guests from out of state. We booked a charter bus to pick up guests from downtown Portland and transport them to Mt Tabor Park and then to Nocturnal. Unfortunately, my husbands grandfather passed away two months before our wedding and many of what we assumed would be the out of town guests could no longer make it due to their last minute flights to the funeral. Regardless, I still think this was a good thing to have. However, we revised our timeline for the bus and faxed it in. For whatever reason, they didn’t follow this and were 1.5 hours early to pick up guests and consequently ended their evening 1.5 hours earlier than we were originally anticipating. I’m not sure why they were running on the old timeline as I had faxed the revised one to them. While in the grand scheme of things, it wasn’t that big of a deal, I was irritated that we had paid for something and then couldn’t even utilize it for 1.5 hours. www.bluestarbus.com The Party Place : Chair Rentals Grade : A Although Mt Tabor Amphitheatre has some benches, we rented some chairs as well to insure we had enough seating. To be honest, I have no idea if this all worked out. I assume they arrived on time as they were all set up prior to the ceremony. And I assume they were picked up just fine since I haven’t heard from them about not getting their chairs back or something. Unforgettable Honeymoons Renee Duane-Meyer : Travel Agent Grade : A for knowledge, C for personality When it came time to plan our honeymoon, we were running out of energy, especially to plan the fantastic honeymoon we both wanted. While we both found Renee to be fairly pretentious and full of herself, she was very knowledgeable. At first, we wanted to go to Bora Bora and Taha’a. However, Renee couldn’t find us any availability for the room types we wanted. She asked us if we would consider Fiji, which we of course would and did. She booked us for 7 nights at Qamea Resort and Spa in Fiji in a premium villa. The resort was amazing but I grew a bit concerned when four different couples at the resort (which has a maximum capacity for 28 adults total) had been booked there with Renee from Unforgettable Honeymoons. I don’t know what sort of a kickback Renee receives for referring clients there and I guess it doesn’t really matter because the resort really is all she says it is. However, it doesn’t feel very good to feel like she’s only sending people to that one place, especially when we already felt like she had a pretty inflated ego. My best friend and her husband booked through Unforgettable Honeymoons for their honeymoon, not with Renee, and said their experience was great. If I had it to do over again, I would try to book with another travel agent there. www.unforgettablehoneymoons.com Qamea Resort and Spa : Honeymoon Grade : A+ Wow! This place was incredible, even when it was overcast most of the week we were there! We flew for close to 14 hours, PDX to LAX, LAX to Nadi, Fiji and then on a puddle jumper from Nadi to Taveuni. Then we were driven in a Range Rover for 20 minutes on a dirt rode to a beach where we got on a boat and went on a 10-minute boat ride across to the island of Qamea. We were greeted by a smiling and friendly staff, taken to their restaurant/lounge villa where we were served cocktails and fruit plates and given a quick rundown of the resort. Our accommodations were amazing. Our villa included a daybed and a pool on our deck, a large outdoor shower, a large bathroom that included a walk-in closet, two sinks, a towel warmer, large shower and then a large room with a four-poster bed on a platform with amazing linens and sheer curtains hanging, and then a living area with a couch, coffee table, stereo, lounge chairs, etc. I’ve never stayed in such an incredible place. The staff was so incredibly friendly, the food was some of the best food I’ve ever eaten. We snorkeled, went for a hike in the rainforest, swam in waterfalls, went to visit a village, did some nude sunbathing on our own private beach for an afternoon, my husband did some traditional Fijian hand-line fishing, kava ceremonies, a meek ceremony, beach volleyball and we visited the spa every day. The staff would make you snacks in between meals if you were hungry, the coral and the seashells were amazing and the rainforest absolutely incredible. It was the perfect way to end such an incredible experience. www.qamea.com Teness Herman : Intimate Portraits Grade : A+ WOW. This was an absolutely amazing experience. Teness is absolutely amazing. She made me feel so comfortable and relaxed…an absolute necessity to create the kind of pictures I was going for. I felt like I was taking pictures with a dear old friend. She and I spent months discussing the look and feel of the shoot. She recommended I look at a book called Women Before 10am by Veronique Vial. If you like the style of my intimate portraits (aka Boudoir Pictures…sorry, I think it’s a cheesy name), I would definitely recommend you check out this book for inspiration. We shot for three and a half hours and could have easily gone on for another two. She used multiple cameras and twice as many lenses with nothing but natural light, which really helped in creating a sensual feel. Her enthusiasm, creativity and eye for the perfect shot are truly unparalleled. If you don’t have room in your budget to do this as a wedding gift, I would highly recommend it as a first (paper) anniversary gift. www.teness.com
Nicole Wagner : Makeup Artist Grade : A Nicole did makeup non-stop for six hours straight. She did makeup for both of the moms, all five maids of honor, rosy cheeks and lip gloss for the two flower girls and my makeup. Everyone raved about their makeup, some even asked for the colors and how she did it so they could recreate it another time. She’s so talented at making you look like yourself only better. She was so patient with my mom who couldn’t stop crying when Nicole was trying to get her makeup done, and originally only four of the maids of honor wanted to have their makeup done. However, upon seeing everyone else get done up, the fifth maid wanted her makeup done as well. Nicole was so flexible in making that happen, even though she had allotted a very specific amount of time for each. MAC Cosmetics are my regular day-to-day makeup. When I found a new product that I really liked, I emailed Nicole to see if she could use it instead of the foundation she had picked out for me (I don’t use foundation so I was a bit apprehensive). Nicole was totally open to it and even went and bought it at the MAC store so I didn’t have to buy foundation that I would never wear again. I would definitely hire her again. www.perfectbride.blogspot.com Patti Green Salon 77 : Hair Stylist Grade : A Patti is great, what can I say? She’s my regular hairstylist who I’ve been seeing for probably about four years. She doesn’t do wedding styles unless you’re one of her regular clients. However, the girl gives an amazing haircut so if you’re looking for a new stylist, Patti’s your girl. She moved here from NYC where she worked for Toni & Guy. Patti did a great job of doing my hair, which was no small task since my hair is stick straight and I wanted waves. She also did my husband’s hair, she’s his regular stylist as well. And while there’s not much to be done with 1.5 inches of hair, somehow it always looks so great when she does his. www.seventyseven.us Toast Productions : Event Design/Setup Grade : A I met these ladies through a friend of mine. I’ve never met a more resourceful group of ladies. When I said we wanted an ice cream wedding cake, they searched the city high and low looking for someone willing to do it. When I said we wanted a custom-made martini ice luge for not a lot of money, they found it. Rachael, of Toast Productions, is a graphic designer, so she has a great sense of design. While I had a coordinator already hired by the time I met Rachael and Sarah (they’re sisters), I knew I could utilize their skills to turn our reception into what we wanted. We met several times to discuss setup, layout and logistics. On the day of the wedding, they picked up everything for the reception, which was a lot, and spent hours setting it up. They also handled all of the vendors coming into Nocturnal to insure everything was setup just so. These ladies are native Portlanders and extremely well networked. While this is a new business venture for them, you never would have known by their ability to recreate what our vision had been. They also did all of our cleanup for us and promptly delivered it back to my mom’s house the day after the wedding. www.toast-productions.com Look Weddings : Wedding Coordinator Grade : A- Cassia has been doing wedding coordination for about two years. She started because she enjoyed planning her own wedding so much. I work with her at my job and inquired about her services when I heard she was doing coordination. Her design of our custom built website alone was amazing. She used the graphics that my husband’s sister had created for our stationery and created a fairly extensive website. She also contacted all of our vendors the week of the wedding to verify their services for the day of. She setup our entire ceremony (which was hundreds of paper bag luminaries, tables, chairs, etc) and coordinated from there on. Cassia is a fairly reserved person and I think at times is intimidated to exert her assertiveness. However, I think this will only get better as she continues to work. Because she works a full time job, I think she’s become a bit worn down by doing both a full time coordination business along with her job. At this time, I don’t think she’s taking on any new weddings until 2007. www.lookweddings.com Kristin Bradetich : Graphic Design for Stationery Grade : A+ Well, Kristin is my husband’s older sister. By career, she designs logos for apparel for a small athletic apparel company in Boulder. When we asked her to help us with our stationery, she was very enthusiastic. She did a great job of taking our ideas and turning them into something that was stylish, unique and really created the essence of our wedding. She designed a logo we put on everything, our save the dates, invitations (including RSVP and Reception cards), rehearsal dinner invitations, programs, menu cards, Just Married sign for our getaway car and thank you cards. While she doesn’t create custom invitations for people, she should probably consider it as she’s very talented. Anders Printing : Stationery Printing Grade : B I worked with Jill at Anders to get the majority of our printing done. It felt good to be working with a local company to complete our printing needs. Jill was very friendly and helpful and they did a great job of getting the work turned around in a short time period. They printed everything from our logos on stickers to our save the dates, invitations and rehearsal dinner invitations. After getting quotes for our save the dates, I didn’t search around after that to see if I could find a better deal. So, when we had our invitations printed offset, I don’t know if it was cheaper than another printer. I was very clear with my requests on each job (thanks to the help of the graphic designer). However, when our invitations were ready, she charged me an extra $25 and I had A LOT of extra copies, far more than I had requested. I meant to question why we had been charged more than originally quoted and why we had so many extras but I never got around to it. I probably should have asked for a discount since they asked if they could put our invitations on their website. All in all, this was a good experience. www.andersprinting.com DJ Stay in School - Martin Wilson : Reception DJ Grade : B My husband is a big fan of electronica music. So, when it came time to hire a DJ, my husband took on this role. We contacted Connie Wohn of Stylus 503 (a DJ cooperative), thanks to a referral from Bethany of Nocturnal. Connie sent us a whole package of samples of different DJs. We chose Martin because of his style, obviously. He did a great job but I think there was too much going on at the reception (photobooth, downstairs bar, outdoor courtyard) to really get people dancing. While people did dance, I think they would have done more of it had we not had so much else going on. Martin did que up the wrong music (we provided specific music for specific events during the evening since he doesn’t have the regular wedding DJ collection) for the Mother/Son dance and didn’t que up any music for the cake cutting. However, I don’t think the cake cutting music was his fault as the coordinator didn’t let him know the cake was going to make its grand entrance. www.djstayinschool.com Taste of Honey - Honey Everett : Wedding Cake Grade : A As mentioned before, we wanted an ice cream cake as our wedding cake. Neither of us like cake. Amazingly, getting someone to make a wedding cake out of ice cream is harder than you might imagine. Every person we contacted acted like we were crazy. However, when we found Honey, she definitely knew what she was talking about. There are a lot of logistics involved with an ice cream wedding cake, i.e. delivery, setup, serving it, icing it, etc. Honey had such confidence that I wasn’t the least bit worried. We had three flavors, one of which being mint chocolate chip (the others I don’t remember), with a brownie bottom. Honey delivered and setup the cake after the reception had started. It tasted great and looked fantastic, even though it had started to melt, which I found somewhat charming, being as that it was ice cream cake! Oregon Chamber Players : Ceremony Musicians Grade : B- This was another responsibility of my husband’s. We picked all non-traditional music (Coldplay, The Verve, Enya) and had to find the sheet music for all of the songs we wanted played. Originally, we were going to use the Metropolitan Youth Symphony. However, once they started to review the sheet music for the songs we wanted played, they realized that they didn’t really currently have that kind of depth. Last minute, three weeks before the wedding, we had to find someone new. Considering the amount of time they had, the Oregon Chamber Players did great. They did mess up on one of the songs but it wasn’t really worth getting upset over. I also would have preferred a string quartet (which was our original plan) but that wasn’t really their fault. www.oregonchamberplayers.org Blizzard Motors : Getaway Car Grade : A Almost two years ago my husband and I bought a car from this lot (its in SE Portland). The lot is primarily fine European cars. When we were there to pick up our newly purchased car, the owner of the lot told us he would loan us a car of our choice for our wedding. My fiance chose a convertible Porsche to drive from the ceremony. It was a beautiful little black shiny thing and my husband thoroughly enjoyed driving it. I don’t know if Doug would be willing to rent out any of his cars but if you’re interested it might not hurt to ask. Western Culinary Institute : Martini Ice Luge Grade : A This was one of the best budget friendly finds of our entire wedding. We really wanted to have a martini luge but found that they were rather expensive to have made…that was, until we found out about the Western Culinary Institute’s ice sculpture class. Basically, they told us they could create anything we wanted and all we had to do was provide them with a drawing. My mom, who’s an artist, drew a great design, in keeping with our theme and stationery, and we provided it to WCI. They not only did a great job of recreating it but the cost included transporting it, delivery and setup. We paid more than they asked for, to donate towards their program, but regardless it was well worth it. Definitely one of the main highlights of the reception for our guests. Spa La La : Pre-Wedding Pampering Grade : B+ As part of my gift to the ladies in the wedding, I treated them to manicures and pedicures at Spa La La. While it’s not the best manicure and pedicure in town (my best friend and I often refer to them as the chop shop), the decor and vibe is great and they’ll serve you all the mimosas you want. We had twelve of us (the moms, five maids of honor, two readers, the two flower girls and myself) there and it was like our own little private party. The staff was very friendly and efficient and I think the ladies all enjoyed getting their nails done. www.spalala.net The Face Place – Dorene Klippel : Facial and Brazilian Wax Grade : A I’ve gone to Dorene every month for the last six years for a Brazilian wax. She does a fantastic job at those…well, it’s a Brazilian wax so it’s not like it feels good but in terms of the final look, she does a tremendous job. However, I decided to get a facial from her as well. Wow! Her facial was by far the best facial I’ve ever had…not only did I fall asleep but she did such an incredibly thorough job. It will be hard not to make getting a facial from her a monthly occurrence as well. www.waxqueen.com Salon 77 – Mahria Martinez : Brow Wax Grade : A+ I pretty much have caterpillars for eyebrows…I’m not kidding. So, not only do my eyebrows need to be professionally groomed on a regular basis but they need to be done well. Mahria is a dream…seriously, she’s absolutely amazing. It’s the only kind of waxing she does…you know if a girl can make a living off of just waxing eyebrows, she’s got to be good! And not only that, she’s the sweetest thing you’ve ever met. www.seventyseven.us Diane Jensen : Massage Grade : A+ So, I have to admit that before my husband and I bought our house, Diane was our landlord. However, my husband has some pretty severe back injuries (thanks to a motorcycle) and is always up for a massage. That being said, we get a lot of massages. Diane is fantastic. She works in a chiropractic clinic off of NW 23rd (which the chiropractor there is also fantastic, Suzanne Lady) and does pretty much any type of massage you’d like. If I were to say I have a regular LMT, Diane would be it…and without failure, I fall asleep on her table every time. She’s fantastic and a lot cheaper than a mediocre spa massage. And, she is so incredibly kind and sweet as well…you can’t beat that! She used to have a website but it doesn’t look like she does anymore. Contact me if you want to get in touch with her. Embellish Design : Wedding Dress Grade : A+ I went shopping on several different occasions for a wedding dress. After searching most of Portland for the dress, I decided to visit Terri at Embellish Design. Now, I would not even waste time looking for dresses to order. In the end, my dress cost less than any of my final choices of the dresses I found in the salons. Not only that, the experience was so incredibly fun. Originally, I went into her studio with pictures of my final choices as well as other dresses I liked. We went through each picture and discussed what I liked about each one. We took elements from all of those to create my dress. Terri is so knowledgeable about what she does and extremely talented in the art of designing and sewing gowns. We discussed everything from different fabrics to different styles and the pluses and negatives of each. In the end, I had a dress that was exactly what I wanted, custom fit to my body. I would highly recommend working with Terri. I hope that I’ll have a reason for her to make me another dress (she makes party dresses too) some time. www.embellishdesign.com Patty Lehner : Wedding Jewelry Grade : A+ I saw a variation of my wedding dress in an Oregon Bride magazine months before my wedding. The earrings that the model was wearing were wonderful. When I looked up where they came from, the magazine said Ella Posie (which is now closed but was on NE Broadway). Carmen (who is also a wedding coordinator) of Ella Posie got me in touch with Patty, who had designed the jewelry. Patty was an absolute delight to work with…kind of like working with your spunky grandmother. We talked about what I wanted and she worked efficiently to get pieces done for me. She made a variation of the earrings I wanted with several different types of pearls and different lengths so I had something to choose from. Then, she made a bangle to match. And when I asked for some extra pearls and crystals for my ring bearer pillow and hair jewelry, not only did she have no problem sending me on my way with a little bag of each but she also refused to charge me for them when I tried to pay her. August Veils : Hair Jewelry Grade : A Patty referred me to Andrea to have my hair jewelry made (Patty doesn’t like to make it). I brought the pearls and crystals that Patty had used in my jewelry to have Andrea create some sparkle for my hair. She created exactly what I was looking for and in a very short amount of time. www.augustveils.com Cromwell Formalwear : Tuxedo Rentals Grade : A While my husband bought a suit for the wedding, we needed rentals for everyone else. Cromwell’s had a good selection and a helpful staff. They kept us informed on everyone who had, or hadn’t, been fitted and I didn’t hear of any problems that anyone had with their rentals. www.cromwellformalwear.com Twist : Wedding Rings Grade : A We searched for quite some time to find rings that we really loved. While I love the traditional platinum eternity band, I wanted something a little different to go with my princess cut solitaire. My husband wanted a platinum ring but not completely plain. Twist, although not a store you would typically think of for wedding bands, had just what we were looking for. The staff was very friendly and when they ordered our rings, they said it would take eight weeks to get them in (which was cutting it really close). Two weeks later, we received a call letting us know that our rings were in. I love the uniqueness of our rings! www.twistonline.com Shane Co : Engagement Ring Grade : C+ In one week, my husband sold his motorcycle, decided to ask me to marry him and bought a ring. The ring is exactly what I would have picked out, a plain platinum band with a princess cut solitaire. However, if I had had a say in it, I never would have gotten my ring at Shane Co. I think their staff is kind of tacky, not to mention their showroom, and I’m always frustrated by their service when I take my ring in to be cleaned or polished...and lets not even begin to discuss their ads! www.shaneco.com Hotel Lucia : Wedding Night Hotel Grade : A I love this place! We booked their “Did I Mention I Want You?” package in a King Suite. When we arrived at the hotel with nothing but the wedding clothes we were still wearing, they were quick to check us in. Our bed was covered in rose petals, there was music playing, champagne being chilled and a box of toys, i.e. body crayons, furry handcuffs and a book of positions for every day of the year. We ordered room service at about 1:30am because neither of us really ate at our reception. They were prompt and the food was tasty. I wish we didn’t live in Portland so we had more reasons to stay here…it’s such a chic hotel! www.hotellucia.com Bluestar Charter : Guest Transportation Grade : C Originally, we were expecting a lot of guests from out of state. We booked a charter bus to pick up guests from downtown Portland and transport them to Mt Tabor Park and then to Nocturnal. Unfortunately, my husbands grandfather passed away two months before our wedding and many of what we assumed would be the out of town guests could no longer make it due to their last minute flights to the funeral. Regardless, I still think this was a good thing to have. However, we revised our timeline for the bus and faxed it in. For whatever reason, they didn’t follow this and were 1.5 hours early to pick up guests and consequently ended their evening 1.5 hours earlier than we were originally anticipating. I’m not sure why they were running on the old timeline as I had faxed the revised one to them. While in the grand scheme of things, it wasn’t that big of a deal, I was irritated that we had paid for something and then couldn’t even utilize it for 1.5 hours. www.bluestarbus.com The Party Place : Chair Rentals Grade : A Although Mt Tabor Amphitheatre has some benches, we rented some chairs as well to insure we had enough seating. To be honest, I have no idea if this all worked out. I assume they arrived on time as they were all set up prior to the ceremony. And I assume they were picked up just fine since I haven’t heard from them about not getting their chairs back or something. Unforgettable Honeymoons Renee Duane-Meyer : Travel Agent Grade : A for knowledge, C for personality When it came time to plan our honeymoon, we were running out of energy, especially to plan the fantastic honeymoon we both wanted. While we both found Renee to be fairly pretentious and full of herself, she was very knowledgeable. At first, we wanted to go to Bora Bora and Taha’a. However, Renee couldn’t find us any availability for the room types we wanted. She asked us if we would consider Fiji, which we of course would and did. She booked us for 7 nights at Qamea Resort and Spa in Fiji in a premium villa. The resort was amazing but I grew a bit concerned when four different couples at the resort (which has a maximum capacity for 28 adults total) had been booked there with Renee from Unforgettable Honeymoons. I don’t know what sort of a kickback Renee receives for referring clients there and I guess it doesn’t really matter because the resort really is all she says it is. However, it doesn’t feel very good to feel like she’s only sending people to that one place, especially when we already felt like she had a pretty inflated ego. My best friend and her husband booked through Unforgettable Honeymoons for their honeymoon, not with Renee, and said their experience was great. If I had it to do over again, I would try to book with another travel agent there. www.unforgettablehoneymoons.com Qamea Resort and Spa : Honeymoon Grade : A+ Wow! This place was incredible, even when it was overcast most of the week we were there! We flew for close to 14 hours, PDX to LAX, LAX to Nadi, Fiji and then on a puddle jumper from Nadi to Taveuni. Then we were driven in a Range Rover for 20 minutes on a dirt rode to a beach where we got on a boat and went on a 10-minute boat ride across to the island of Qamea. We were greeted by a smiling and friendly staff, taken to their restaurant/lounge villa where we were served cocktails and fruit plates and given a quick rundown of the resort. Our accommodations were amazing. Our villa included a daybed and a pool on our deck, a large outdoor shower, a large bathroom that included a walk-in closet, two sinks, a towel warmer, large shower and then a large room with a four-poster bed on a platform with amazing linens and sheer curtains hanging, and then a living area with a couch, coffee table, stereo, lounge chairs, etc. I’ve never stayed in such an incredible place. The staff was so incredibly friendly, the food was some of the best food I’ve ever eaten. We snorkeled, went for a hike in the rainforest, swam in waterfalls, went to visit a village, did some nude sunbathing on our own private beach for an afternoon, my husband did some traditional Fijian hand-line fishing, kava ceremonies, a meek ceremony, beach volleyball and we visited the spa every day. The staff would make you snacks in between meals if you were hungry, the coral and the seashells were amazing and the rainforest absolutely incredible. It was the perfect way to end such an incredible experience. www.qamea.com Teness Herman : Intimate Portraits Grade : A+ WOW. This was an absolutely amazing experience. Teness is absolutely amazing. She made me feel so comfortable and relaxed…an absolute necessity to create the kind of pictures I was going for. I felt like I was taking pictures with a dear old friend. She and I spent months discussing the look and feel of the shoot. She recommended I look at a book called Women Before 10am by Veronique Vial. If you like the style of my intimate portraits (aka Boudoir Pictures…sorry, I think it’s a cheesy name), I would definitely recommend you check out this book for inspiration. We shot for three and a half hours and could have easily gone on for another two. She used multiple cameras and twice as many lenses with nothing but natural light, which really helped in creating a sensual feel. Her enthusiasm, creativity and eye for the perfect shot are truly unparalleled. If you don’t have room in your budget to do this as a wedding gift, I would highly recommend it as a first (paper) anniversary gift. www.teness.com
www.perfectbride.blogspot.com Patti Green Salon 77 : Hair Stylist Grade : A Patti is great, what can I say? She’s my regular hairstylist who I’ve been seeing for probably about four years. She doesn’t do wedding styles unless you’re one of her regular clients. However, the girl gives an amazing haircut so if you’re looking for a new stylist, Patti’s your girl. She moved here from NYC where she worked for Toni & Guy. Patti did a great job of doing my hair, which was no small task since my hair is stick straight and I wanted waves. She also did my husband’s hair, she’s his regular stylist as well. And while there’s not much to be done with 1.5 inches of hair, somehow it always looks so great when she does his. www.seventyseven.us Toast Productions : Event Design/Setup Grade : A I met these ladies through a friend of mine. I’ve never met a more resourceful group of ladies. When I said we wanted an ice cream wedding cake, they searched the city high and low looking for someone willing to do it. When I said we wanted a custom-made martini ice luge for not a lot of money, they found it. Rachael, of Toast Productions, is a graphic designer, so she has a great sense of design. While I had a coordinator already hired by the time I met Rachael and Sarah (they’re sisters), I knew I could utilize their skills to turn our reception into what we wanted. We met several times to discuss setup, layout and logistics. On the day of the wedding, they picked up everything for the reception, which was a lot, and spent hours setting it up. They also handled all of the vendors coming into Nocturnal to insure everything was setup just so. These ladies are native Portlanders and extremely well networked. While this is a new business venture for them, you never would have known by their ability to recreate what our vision had been. They also did all of our cleanup for us and promptly delivered it back to my mom’s house the day after the wedding. www.toast-productions.com Look Weddings : Wedding Coordinator Grade : A- Cassia has been doing wedding coordination for about two years. She started because she enjoyed planning her own wedding so much. I work with her at my job and inquired about her services when I heard she was doing coordination. Her design of our custom built website alone was amazing. She used the graphics that my husband’s sister had created for our stationery and created a fairly extensive website. She also contacted all of our vendors the week of the wedding to verify their services for the day of. She setup our entire ceremony (which was hundreds of paper bag luminaries, tables, chairs, etc) and coordinated from there on. Cassia is a fairly reserved person and I think at times is intimidated to exert her assertiveness. However, I think this will only get better as she continues to work. Because she works a full time job, I think she’s become a bit worn down by doing both a full time coordination business along with her job. At this time, I don’t think she’s taking on any new weddings until 2007. www.lookweddings.com Kristin Bradetich : Graphic Design for Stationery Grade : A+ Well, Kristin is my husband’s older sister. By career, she designs logos for apparel for a small athletic apparel company in Boulder. When we asked her to help us with our stationery, she was very enthusiastic. She did a great job of taking our ideas and turning them into something that was stylish, unique and really created the essence of our wedding. She designed a logo we put on everything, our save the dates, invitations (including RSVP and Reception cards), rehearsal dinner invitations, programs, menu cards, Just Married sign for our getaway car and thank you cards. While she doesn’t create custom invitations for people, she should probably consider it as she’s very talented. Anders Printing : Stationery Printing Grade : B I worked with Jill at Anders to get the majority of our printing done. It felt good to be working with a local company to complete our printing needs. Jill was very friendly and helpful and they did a great job of getting the work turned around in a short time period. They printed everything from our logos on stickers to our save the dates, invitations and rehearsal dinner invitations. After getting quotes for our save the dates, I didn’t search around after that to see if I could find a better deal. So, when we had our invitations printed offset, I don’t know if it was cheaper than another printer. I was very clear with my requests on each job (thanks to the help of the graphic designer). However, when our invitations were ready, she charged me an extra $25 and I had A LOT of extra copies, far more than I had requested. I meant to question why we had been charged more than originally quoted and why we had so many extras but I never got around to it. I probably should have asked for a discount since they asked if they could put our invitations on their website. All in all, this was a good experience. www.andersprinting.com DJ Stay in School - Martin Wilson : Reception DJ Grade : B My husband is a big fan of electronica music. So, when it came time to hire a DJ, my husband took on this role. We contacted Connie Wohn of Stylus 503 (a DJ cooperative), thanks to a referral from Bethany of Nocturnal. Connie sent us a whole package of samples of different DJs. We chose Martin because of his style, obviously. He did a great job but I think there was too much going on at the reception (photobooth, downstairs bar, outdoor courtyard) to really get people dancing. While people did dance, I think they would have done more of it had we not had so much else going on. Martin did que up the wrong music (we provided specific music for specific events during the evening since he doesn’t have the regular wedding DJ collection) for the Mother/Son dance and didn’t que up any music for the cake cutting. However, I don’t think the cake cutting music was his fault as the coordinator didn’t let him know the cake was going to make its grand entrance. www.djstayinschool.com Taste of Honey - Honey Everett : Wedding Cake Grade : A As mentioned before, we wanted an ice cream cake as our wedding cake. Neither of us like cake. Amazingly, getting someone to make a wedding cake out of ice cream is harder than you might imagine. Every person we contacted acted like we were crazy. However, when we found Honey, she definitely knew what she was talking about. There are a lot of logistics involved with an ice cream wedding cake, i.e. delivery, setup, serving it, icing it, etc. Honey had such confidence that I wasn’t the least bit worried. We had three flavors, one of which being mint chocolate chip (the others I don’t remember), with a brownie bottom. Honey delivered and setup the cake after the reception had started. It tasted great and looked fantastic, even though it had started to melt, which I found somewhat charming, being as that it was ice cream cake! Oregon Chamber Players : Ceremony Musicians Grade : B- This was another responsibility of my husband’s. We picked all non-traditional music (Coldplay, The Verve, Enya) and had to find the sheet music for all of the songs we wanted played. Originally, we were going to use the Metropolitan Youth Symphony. However, once they started to review the sheet music for the songs we wanted played, they realized that they didn’t really currently have that kind of depth. Last minute, three weeks before the wedding, we had to find someone new. Considering the amount of time they had, the Oregon Chamber Players did great. They did mess up on one of the songs but it wasn’t really worth getting upset over. I also would have preferred a string quartet (which was our original plan) but that wasn’t really their fault. www.oregonchamberplayers.org Blizzard Motors : Getaway Car Grade : A Almost two years ago my husband and I bought a car from this lot (its in SE Portland). The lot is primarily fine European cars. When we were there to pick up our newly purchased car, the owner of the lot told us he would loan us a car of our choice for our wedding. My fiance chose a convertible Porsche to drive from the ceremony. It was a beautiful little black shiny thing and my husband thoroughly enjoyed driving it. I don’t know if Doug would be willing to rent out any of his cars but if you’re interested it might not hurt to ask. Western Culinary Institute : Martini Ice Luge Grade : A This was one of the best budget friendly finds of our entire wedding. We really wanted to have a martini luge but found that they were rather expensive to have made…that was, until we found out about the Western Culinary Institute’s ice sculpture class. Basically, they told us they could create anything we wanted and all we had to do was provide them with a drawing. My mom, who’s an artist, drew a great design, in keeping with our theme and stationery, and we provided it to WCI. They not only did a great job of recreating it but the cost included transporting it, delivery and setup. We paid more than they asked for, to donate towards their program, but regardless it was well worth it. Definitely one of the main highlights of the reception for our guests. Spa La La : Pre-Wedding Pampering Grade : B+ As part of my gift to the ladies in the wedding, I treated them to manicures and pedicures at Spa La La. While it’s not the best manicure and pedicure in town (my best friend and I often refer to them as the chop shop), the decor and vibe is great and they’ll serve you all the mimosas you want. We had twelve of us (the moms, five maids of honor, two readers, the two flower girls and myself) there and it was like our own little private party. The staff was very friendly and efficient and I think the ladies all enjoyed getting their nails done. www.spalala.net The Face Place – Dorene Klippel : Facial and Brazilian Wax Grade : A I’ve gone to Dorene every month for the last six years for a Brazilian wax. She does a fantastic job at those…well, it’s a Brazilian wax so it’s not like it feels good but in terms of the final look, she does a tremendous job. However, I decided to get a facial from her as well. Wow! Her facial was by far the best facial I’ve ever had…not only did I fall asleep but she did such an incredibly thorough job. It will be hard not to make getting a facial from her a monthly occurrence as well. www.waxqueen.com Salon 77 – Mahria Martinez : Brow Wax Grade : A+ I pretty much have caterpillars for eyebrows…I’m not kidding. So, not only do my eyebrows need to be professionally groomed on a regular basis but they need to be done well. Mahria is a dream…seriously, she’s absolutely amazing. It’s the only kind of waxing she does…you know if a girl can make a living off of just waxing eyebrows, she’s got to be good! And not only that, she’s the sweetest thing you’ve ever met. www.seventyseven.us Diane Jensen : Massage Grade : A+ So, I have to admit that before my husband and I bought our house, Diane was our landlord. However, my husband has some pretty severe back injuries (thanks to a motorcycle) and is always up for a massage. That being said, we get a lot of massages. Diane is fantastic. She works in a chiropractic clinic off of NW 23rd (which the chiropractor there is also fantastic, Suzanne Lady) and does pretty much any type of massage you’d like. If I were to say I have a regular LMT, Diane would be it…and without failure, I fall asleep on her table every time. She’s fantastic and a lot cheaper than a mediocre spa massage. And, she is so incredibly kind and sweet as well…you can’t beat that! She used to have a website but it doesn’t look like she does anymore. Contact me if you want to get in touch with her. Embellish Design : Wedding Dress Grade : A+ I went shopping on several different occasions for a wedding dress. After searching most of Portland for the dress, I decided to visit Terri at Embellish Design. Now, I would not even waste time looking for dresses to order. In the end, my dress cost less than any of my final choices of the dresses I found in the salons. Not only that, the experience was so incredibly fun. Originally, I went into her studio with pictures of my final choices as well as other dresses I liked. We went through each picture and discussed what I liked about each one. We took elements from all of those to create my dress. Terri is so knowledgeable about what she does and extremely talented in the art of designing and sewing gowns. We discussed everything from different fabrics to different styles and the pluses and negatives of each. In the end, I had a dress that was exactly what I wanted, custom fit to my body. I would highly recommend working with Terri. I hope that I’ll have a reason for her to make me another dress (she makes party dresses too) some time. www.embellishdesign.com Patty Lehner : Wedding Jewelry Grade : A+ I saw a variation of my wedding dress in an Oregon Bride magazine months before my wedding. The earrings that the model was wearing were wonderful. When I looked up where they came from, the magazine said Ella Posie (which is now closed but was on NE Broadway). Carmen (who is also a wedding coordinator) of Ella Posie got me in touch with Patty, who had designed the jewelry. Patty was an absolute delight to work with…kind of like working with your spunky grandmother. We talked about what I wanted and she worked efficiently to get pieces done for me. She made a variation of the earrings I wanted with several different types of pearls and different lengths so I had something to choose from. Then, she made a bangle to match. And when I asked for some extra pearls and crystals for my ring bearer pillow and hair jewelry, not only did she have no problem sending me on my way with a little bag of each but she also refused to charge me for them when I tried to pay her. August Veils : Hair Jewelry Grade : A Patty referred me to Andrea to have my hair jewelry made (Patty doesn’t like to make it). I brought the pearls and crystals that Patty had used in my jewelry to have Andrea create some sparkle for my hair. She created exactly what I was looking for and in a very short amount of time. www.augustveils.com Cromwell Formalwear : Tuxedo Rentals Grade : A While my husband bought a suit for the wedding, we needed rentals for everyone else. Cromwell’s had a good selection and a helpful staff. They kept us informed on everyone who had, or hadn’t, been fitted and I didn’t hear of any problems that anyone had with their rentals. www.cromwellformalwear.com Twist : Wedding Rings Grade : A We searched for quite some time to find rings that we really loved. While I love the traditional platinum eternity band, I wanted something a little different to go with my princess cut solitaire. My husband wanted a platinum ring but not completely plain. Twist, although not a store you would typically think of for wedding bands, had just what we were looking for. The staff was very friendly and when they ordered our rings, they said it would take eight weeks to get them in (which was cutting it really close). Two weeks later, we received a call letting us know that our rings were in. I love the uniqueness of our rings! www.twistonline.com Shane Co : Engagement Ring Grade : C+ In one week, my husband sold his motorcycle, decided to ask me to marry him and bought a ring. The ring is exactly what I would have picked out, a plain platinum band with a princess cut solitaire. However, if I had had a say in it, I never would have gotten my ring at Shane Co. I think their staff is kind of tacky, not to mention their showroom, and I’m always frustrated by their service when I take my ring in to be cleaned or polished...and lets not even begin to discuss their ads! www.shaneco.com Hotel Lucia : Wedding Night Hotel Grade : A I love this place! We booked their “Did I Mention I Want You?” package in a King Suite. When we arrived at the hotel with nothing but the wedding clothes we were still wearing, they were quick to check us in. Our bed was covered in rose petals, there was music playing, champagne being chilled and a box of toys, i.e. body crayons, furry handcuffs and a book of positions for every day of the year. We ordered room service at about 1:30am because neither of us really ate at our reception. They were prompt and the food was tasty. I wish we didn’t live in Portland so we had more reasons to stay here…it’s such a chic hotel! www.hotellucia.com Bluestar Charter : Guest Transportation Grade : C Originally, we were expecting a lot of guests from out of state. We booked a charter bus to pick up guests from downtown Portland and transport them to Mt Tabor Park and then to Nocturnal. Unfortunately, my husbands grandfather passed away two months before our wedding and many of what we assumed would be the out of town guests could no longer make it due to their last minute flights to the funeral. Regardless, I still think this was a good thing to have. However, we revised our timeline for the bus and faxed it in. For whatever reason, they didn’t follow this and were 1.5 hours early to pick up guests and consequently ended their evening 1.5 hours earlier than we were originally anticipating. I’m not sure why they were running on the old timeline as I had faxed the revised one to them. While in the grand scheme of things, it wasn’t that big of a deal, I was irritated that we had paid for something and then couldn’t even utilize it for 1.5 hours. www.bluestarbus.com The Party Place : Chair Rentals Grade : A Although Mt Tabor Amphitheatre has some benches, we rented some chairs as well to insure we had enough seating. To be honest, I have no idea if this all worked out. I assume they arrived on time as they were all set up prior to the ceremony. And I assume they were picked up just fine since I haven’t heard from them about not getting their chairs back or something. Unforgettable Honeymoons Renee Duane-Meyer : Travel Agent Grade : A for knowledge, C for personality When it came time to plan our honeymoon, we were running out of energy, especially to plan the fantastic honeymoon we both wanted. While we both found Renee to be fairly pretentious and full of herself, she was very knowledgeable. At first, we wanted to go to Bora Bora and Taha’a. However, Renee couldn’t find us any availability for the room types we wanted. She asked us if we would consider Fiji, which we of course would and did. She booked us for 7 nights at Qamea Resort and Spa in Fiji in a premium villa. The resort was amazing but I grew a bit concerned when four different couples at the resort (which has a maximum capacity for 28 adults total) had been booked there with Renee from Unforgettable Honeymoons. I don’t know what sort of a kickback Renee receives for referring clients there and I guess it doesn’t really matter because the resort really is all she says it is. However, it doesn’t feel very good to feel like she’s only sending people to that one place, especially when we already felt like she had a pretty inflated ego. My best friend and her husband booked through Unforgettable Honeymoons for their honeymoon, not with Renee, and said their experience was great. If I had it to do over again, I would try to book with another travel agent there. www.unforgettablehoneymoons.com Qamea Resort and Spa : Honeymoon Grade : A+ Wow! This place was incredible, even when it was overcast most of the week we were there! We flew for close to 14 hours, PDX to LAX, LAX to Nadi, Fiji and then on a puddle jumper from Nadi to Taveuni. Then we were driven in a Range Rover for 20 minutes on a dirt rode to a beach where we got on a boat and went on a 10-minute boat ride across to the island of Qamea. We were greeted by a smiling and friendly staff, taken to their restaurant/lounge villa where we were served cocktails and fruit plates and given a quick rundown of the resort. Our accommodations were amazing. Our villa included a daybed and a pool on our deck, a large outdoor shower, a large bathroom that included a walk-in closet, two sinks, a towel warmer, large shower and then a large room with a four-poster bed on a platform with amazing linens and sheer curtains hanging, and then a living area with a couch, coffee table, stereo, lounge chairs, etc. I’ve never stayed in such an incredible place. The staff was so incredibly friendly, the food was some of the best food I’ve ever eaten. We snorkeled, went for a hike in the rainforest, swam in waterfalls, went to visit a village, did some nude sunbathing on our own private beach for an afternoon, my husband did some traditional Fijian hand-line fishing, kava ceremonies, a meek ceremony, beach volleyball and we visited the spa every day. The staff would make you snacks in between meals if you were hungry, the coral and the seashells were amazing and the rainforest absolutely incredible. It was the perfect way to end such an incredible experience. www.qamea.com Teness Herman : Intimate Portraits Grade : A+ WOW. This was an absolutely amazing experience. Teness is absolutely amazing. She made me feel so comfortable and relaxed…an absolute necessity to create the kind of pictures I was going for. I felt like I was taking pictures with a dear old friend. She and I spent months discussing the look and feel of the shoot. She recommended I look at a book called Women Before 10am by Veronique Vial. If you like the style of my intimate portraits (aka Boudoir Pictures…sorry, I think it’s a cheesy name), I would definitely recommend you check out this book for inspiration. We shot for three and a half hours and could have easily gone on for another two. She used multiple cameras and twice as many lenses with nothing but natural light, which really helped in creating a sensual feel. Her enthusiasm, creativity and eye for the perfect shot are truly unparalleled. If you don’t have room in your budget to do this as a wedding gift, I would highly recommend it as a first (paper) anniversary gift. www.teness.com
Patti Green Salon 77 : Hair Stylist Grade : A Patti is great, what can I say? She’s my regular hairstylist who I’ve been seeing for probably about four years. She doesn’t do wedding styles unless you’re one of her regular clients. However, the girl gives an amazing haircut so if you’re looking for a new stylist, Patti’s your girl. She moved here from NYC where she worked for Toni & Guy. Patti did a great job of doing my hair, which was no small task since my hair is stick straight and I wanted waves. She also did my husband’s hair, she’s his regular stylist as well. And while there’s not much to be done with 1.5 inches of hair, somehow it always looks so great when she does his. www.seventyseven.us Toast Productions : Event Design/Setup Grade : A I met these ladies through a friend of mine. I’ve never met a more resourceful group of ladies. When I said we wanted an ice cream wedding cake, they searched the city high and low looking for someone willing to do it. When I said we wanted a custom-made martini ice luge for not a lot of money, they found it. Rachael, of Toast Productions, is a graphic designer, so she has a great sense of design. While I had a coordinator already hired by the time I met Rachael and Sarah (they’re sisters), I knew I could utilize their skills to turn our reception into what we wanted. We met several times to discuss setup, layout and logistics. On the day of the wedding, they picked up everything for the reception, which was a lot, and spent hours setting it up. They also handled all of the vendors coming into Nocturnal to insure everything was setup just so. These ladies are native Portlanders and extremely well networked. While this is a new business venture for them, you never would have known by their ability to recreate what our vision had been. They also did all of our cleanup for us and promptly delivered it back to my mom’s house the day after the wedding. www.toast-productions.com Look Weddings : Wedding Coordinator Grade : A- Cassia has been doing wedding coordination for about two years. She started because she enjoyed planning her own wedding so much. I work with her at my job and inquired about her services when I heard she was doing coordination. Her design of our custom built website alone was amazing. She used the graphics that my husband’s sister had created for our stationery and created a fairly extensive website. She also contacted all of our vendors the week of the wedding to verify their services for the day of. She setup our entire ceremony (which was hundreds of paper bag luminaries, tables, chairs, etc) and coordinated from there on. Cassia is a fairly reserved person and I think at times is intimidated to exert her assertiveness. However, I think this will only get better as she continues to work. Because she works a full time job, I think she’s become a bit worn down by doing both a full time coordination business along with her job. At this time, I don’t think she’s taking on any new weddings until 2007. www.lookweddings.com Kristin Bradetich : Graphic Design for Stationery Grade : A+ Well, Kristin is my husband’s older sister. By career, she designs logos for apparel for a small athletic apparel company in Boulder. When we asked her to help us with our stationery, she was very enthusiastic. She did a great job of taking our ideas and turning them into something that was stylish, unique and really created the essence of our wedding. She designed a logo we put on everything, our save the dates, invitations (including RSVP and Reception cards), rehearsal dinner invitations, programs, menu cards, Just Married sign for our getaway car and thank you cards. While she doesn’t create custom invitations for people, she should probably consider it as she’s very talented. Anders Printing : Stationery Printing Grade : B I worked with Jill at Anders to get the majority of our printing done. It felt good to be working with a local company to complete our printing needs. Jill was very friendly and helpful and they did a great job of getting the work turned around in a short time period. They printed everything from our logos on stickers to our save the dates, invitations and rehearsal dinner invitations. After getting quotes for our save the dates, I didn’t search around after that to see if I could find a better deal. So, when we had our invitations printed offset, I don’t know if it was cheaper than another printer. I was very clear with my requests on each job (thanks to the help of the graphic designer). However, when our invitations were ready, she charged me an extra $25 and I had A LOT of extra copies, far more than I had requested. I meant to question why we had been charged more than originally quoted and why we had so many extras but I never got around to it. I probably should have asked for a discount since they asked if they could put our invitations on their website. All in all, this was a good experience. www.andersprinting.com DJ Stay in School - Martin Wilson : Reception DJ Grade : B My husband is a big fan of electronica music. So, when it came time to hire a DJ, my husband took on this role. We contacted Connie Wohn of Stylus 503 (a DJ cooperative), thanks to a referral from Bethany of Nocturnal. Connie sent us a whole package of samples of different DJs. We chose Martin because of his style, obviously. He did a great job but I think there was too much going on at the reception (photobooth, downstairs bar, outdoor courtyard) to really get people dancing. While people did dance, I think they would have done more of it had we not had so much else going on. Martin did que up the wrong music (we provided specific music for specific events during the evening since he doesn’t have the regular wedding DJ collection) for the Mother/Son dance and didn’t que up any music for the cake cutting. However, I don’t think the cake cutting music was his fault as the coordinator didn’t let him know the cake was going to make its grand entrance. www.djstayinschool.com Taste of Honey - Honey Everett : Wedding Cake Grade : A As mentioned before, we wanted an ice cream cake as our wedding cake. Neither of us like cake. Amazingly, getting someone to make a wedding cake out of ice cream is harder than you might imagine. Every person we contacted acted like we were crazy. However, when we found Honey, she definitely knew what she was talking about. There are a lot of logistics involved with an ice cream wedding cake, i.e. delivery, setup, serving it, icing it, etc. Honey had such confidence that I wasn’t the least bit worried. We had three flavors, one of which being mint chocolate chip (the others I don’t remember), with a brownie bottom. Honey delivered and setup the cake after the reception had started. It tasted great and looked fantastic, even though it had started to melt, which I found somewhat charming, being as that it was ice cream cake! Oregon Chamber Players : Ceremony Musicians Grade : B- This was another responsibility of my husband’s. We picked all non-traditional music (Coldplay, The Verve, Enya) and had to find the sheet music for all of the songs we wanted played. Originally, we were going to use the Metropolitan Youth Symphony. However, once they started to review the sheet music for the songs we wanted played, they realized that they didn’t really currently have that kind of depth. Last minute, three weeks before the wedding, we had to find someone new. Considering the amount of time they had, the Oregon Chamber Players did great. They did mess up on one of the songs but it wasn’t really worth getting upset over. I also would have preferred a string quartet (which was our original plan) but that wasn’t really their fault. www.oregonchamberplayers.org Blizzard Motors : Getaway Car Grade : A Almost two years ago my husband and I bought a car from this lot (its in SE Portland). The lot is primarily fine European cars. When we were there to pick up our newly purchased car, the owner of the lot told us he would loan us a car of our choice for our wedding. My fiance chose a convertible Porsche to drive from the ceremony. It was a beautiful little black shiny thing and my husband thoroughly enjoyed driving it. I don’t know if Doug would be willing to rent out any of his cars but if you’re interested it might not hurt to ask. Western Culinary Institute : Martini Ice Luge Grade : A This was one of the best budget friendly finds of our entire wedding. We really wanted to have a martini luge but found that they were rather expensive to have made…that was, until we found out about the Western Culinary Institute’s ice sculpture class. Basically, they told us they could create anything we wanted and all we had to do was provide them with a drawing. My mom, who’s an artist, drew a great design, in keeping with our theme and stationery, and we provided it to WCI. They not only did a great job of recreating it but the cost included transporting it, delivery and setup. We paid more than they asked for, to donate towards their program, but regardless it was well worth it. Definitely one of the main highlights of the reception for our guests. Spa La La : Pre-Wedding Pampering Grade : B+ As part of my gift to the ladies in the wedding, I treated them to manicures and pedicures at Spa La La. While it’s not the best manicure and pedicure in town (my best friend and I often refer to them as the chop shop), the decor and vibe is great and they’ll serve you all the mimosas you want. We had twelve of us (the moms, five maids of honor, two readers, the two flower girls and myself) there and it was like our own little private party. The staff was very friendly and efficient and I think the ladies all enjoyed getting their nails done. www.spalala.net The Face Place – Dorene Klippel : Facial and Brazilian Wax Grade : A I’ve gone to Dorene every month for the last six years for a Brazilian wax. She does a fantastic job at those…well, it’s a Brazilian wax so it’s not like it feels good but in terms of the final look, she does a tremendous job. However, I decided to get a facial from her as well. Wow! Her facial was by far the best facial I’ve ever had…not only did I fall asleep but she did such an incredibly thorough job. It will be hard not to make getting a facial from her a monthly occurrence as well. www.waxqueen.com Salon 77 – Mahria Martinez : Brow Wax Grade : A+ I pretty much have caterpillars for eyebrows…I’m not kidding. So, not only do my eyebrows need to be professionally groomed on a regular basis but they need to be done well. Mahria is a dream…seriously, she’s absolutely amazing. It’s the only kind of waxing she does…you know if a girl can make a living off of just waxing eyebrows, she’s got to be good! And not only that, she’s the sweetest thing you’ve ever met. www.seventyseven.us Diane Jensen : Massage Grade : A+ So, I have to admit that before my husband and I bought our house, Diane was our landlord. However, my husband has some pretty severe back injuries (thanks to a motorcycle) and is always up for a massage. That being said, we get a lot of massages. Diane is fantastic. She works in a chiropractic clinic off of NW 23rd (which the chiropractor there is also fantastic, Suzanne Lady) and does pretty much any type of massage you’d like. If I were to say I have a regular LMT, Diane would be it…and without failure, I fall asleep on her table every time. She’s fantastic and a lot cheaper than a mediocre spa massage. And, she is so incredibly kind and sweet as well…you can’t beat that! She used to have a website but it doesn’t look like she does anymore. Contact me if you want to get in touch with her. Embellish Design : Wedding Dress Grade : A+ I went shopping on several different occasions for a wedding dress. After searching most of Portland for the dress, I decided to visit Terri at Embellish Design. Now, I would not even waste time looking for dresses to order. In the end, my dress cost less than any of my final choices of the dresses I found in the salons. Not only that, the experience was so incredibly fun. Originally, I went into her studio with pictures of my final choices as well as other dresses I liked. We went through each picture and discussed what I liked about each one. We took elements from all of those to create my dress. Terri is so knowledgeable about what she does and extremely talented in the art of designing and sewing gowns. We discussed everything from different fabrics to different styles and the pluses and negatives of each. In the end, I had a dress that was exactly what I wanted, custom fit to my body. I would highly recommend working with Terri. I hope that I’ll have a reason for her to make me another dress (she makes party dresses too) some time. www.embellishdesign.com Patty Lehner : Wedding Jewelry Grade : A+ I saw a variation of my wedding dress in an Oregon Bride magazine months before my wedding. The earrings that the model was wearing were wonderful. When I looked up where they came from, the magazine said Ella Posie (which is now closed but was on NE Broadway). Carmen (who is also a wedding coordinator) of Ella Posie got me in touch with Patty, who had designed the jewelry. Patty was an absolute delight to work with…kind of like working with your spunky grandmother. We talked about what I wanted and she worked efficiently to get pieces done for me. She made a variation of the earrings I wanted with several different types of pearls and different lengths so I had something to choose from. Then, she made a bangle to match. And when I asked for some extra pearls and crystals for my ring bearer pillow and hair jewelry, not only did she have no problem sending me on my way with a little bag of each but she also refused to charge me for them when I tried to pay her. August Veils : Hair Jewelry Grade : A Patty referred me to Andrea to have my hair jewelry made (Patty doesn’t like to make it). I brought the pearls and crystals that Patty had used in my jewelry to have Andrea create some sparkle for my hair. She created exactly what I was looking for and in a very short amount of time. www.augustveils.com Cromwell Formalwear : Tuxedo Rentals Grade : A While my husband bought a suit for the wedding, we needed rentals for everyone else. Cromwell’s had a good selection and a helpful staff. They kept us informed on everyone who had, or hadn’t, been fitted and I didn’t hear of any problems that anyone had with their rentals. www.cromwellformalwear.com Twist : Wedding Rings Grade : A We searched for quite some time to find rings that we really loved. While I love the traditional platinum eternity band, I wanted something a little different to go with my princess cut solitaire. My husband wanted a platinum ring but not completely plain. Twist, although not a store you would typically think of for wedding bands, had just what we were looking for. The staff was very friendly and when they ordered our rings, they said it would take eight weeks to get them in (which was cutting it really close). Two weeks later, we received a call letting us know that our rings were in. I love the uniqueness of our rings! www.twistonline.com Shane Co : Engagement Ring Grade : C+ In one week, my husband sold his motorcycle, decided to ask me to marry him and bought a ring. The ring is exactly what I would have picked out, a plain platinum band with a princess cut solitaire. However, if I had had a say in it, I never would have gotten my ring at Shane Co. I think their staff is kind of tacky, not to mention their showroom, and I’m always frustrated by their service when I take my ring in to be cleaned or polished...and lets not even begin to discuss their ads! www.shaneco.com Hotel Lucia : Wedding Night Hotel Grade : A I love this place! We booked their “Did I Mention I Want You?” package in a King Suite. When we arrived at the hotel with nothing but the wedding clothes we were still wearing, they were quick to check us in. Our bed was covered in rose petals, there was music playing, champagne being chilled and a box of toys, i.e. body crayons, furry handcuffs and a book of positions for every day of the year. We ordered room service at about 1:30am because neither of us really ate at our reception. They were prompt and the food was tasty. I wish we didn’t live in Portland so we had more reasons to stay here…it’s such a chic hotel! www.hotellucia.com Bluestar Charter : Guest Transportation Grade : C Originally, we were expecting a lot of guests from out of state. We booked a charter bus to pick up guests from downtown Portland and transport them to Mt Tabor Park and then to Nocturnal. Unfortunately, my husbands grandfather passed away two months before our wedding and many of what we assumed would be the out of town guests could no longer make it due to their last minute flights to the funeral. Regardless, I still think this was a good thing to have. However, we revised our timeline for the bus and faxed it in. For whatever reason, they didn’t follow this and were 1.5 hours early to pick up guests and consequently ended their evening 1.5 hours earlier than we were originally anticipating. I’m not sure why they were running on the old timeline as I had faxed the revised one to them. While in the grand scheme of things, it wasn’t that big of a deal, I was irritated that we had paid for something and then couldn’t even utilize it for 1.5 hours. www.bluestarbus.com The Party Place : Chair Rentals Grade : A Although Mt Tabor Amphitheatre has some benches, we rented some chairs as well to insure we had enough seating. To be honest, I have no idea if this all worked out. I assume they arrived on time as they were all set up prior to the ceremony. And I assume they were picked up just fine since I haven’t heard from them about not getting their chairs back or something. Unforgettable Honeymoons Renee Duane-Meyer : Travel Agent Grade : A for knowledge, C for personality When it came time to plan our honeymoon, we were running out of energy, especially to plan the fantastic honeymoon we both wanted. While we both found Renee to be fairly pretentious and full of herself, she was very knowledgeable. At first, we wanted to go to Bora Bora and Taha’a. However, Renee couldn’t find us any availability for the room types we wanted. She asked us if we would consider Fiji, which we of course would and did. She booked us for 7 nights at Qamea Resort and Spa in Fiji in a premium villa. The resort was amazing but I grew a bit concerned when four different couples at the resort (which has a maximum capacity for 28 adults total) had been booked there with Renee from Unforgettable Honeymoons. I don’t know what sort of a kickback Renee receives for referring clients there and I guess it doesn’t really matter because the resort really is all she says it is. However, it doesn’t feel very good to feel like she’s only sending people to that one place, especially when we already felt like she had a pretty inflated ego. My best friend and her husband booked through Unforgettable Honeymoons for their honeymoon, not with Renee, and said their experience was great. If I had it to do over again, I would try to book with another travel agent there. www.unforgettablehoneymoons.com Qamea Resort and Spa : Honeymoon Grade : A+ Wow! This place was incredible, even when it was overcast most of the week we were there! We flew for close to 14 hours, PDX to LAX, LAX to Nadi, Fiji and then on a puddle jumper from Nadi to Taveuni. Then we were driven in a Range Rover for 20 minutes on a dirt rode to a beach where we got on a boat and went on a 10-minute boat ride across to the island of Qamea. We were greeted by a smiling and friendly staff, taken to their restaurant/lounge villa where we were served cocktails and fruit plates and given a quick rundown of the resort. Our accommodations were amazing. Our villa included a daybed and a pool on our deck, a large outdoor shower, a large bathroom that included a walk-in closet, two sinks, a towel warmer, large shower and then a large room with a four-poster bed on a platform with amazing linens and sheer curtains hanging, and then a living area with a couch, coffee table, stereo, lounge chairs, etc. I’ve never stayed in such an incredible place. The staff was so incredibly friendly, the food was some of the best food I’ve ever eaten. We snorkeled, went for a hike in the rainforest, swam in waterfalls, went to visit a village, did some nude sunbathing on our own private beach for an afternoon, my husband did some traditional Fijian hand-line fishing, kava ceremonies, a meek ceremony, beach volleyball and we visited the spa every day. The staff would make you snacks in between meals if you were hungry, the coral and the seashells were amazing and the rainforest absolutely incredible. It was the perfect way to end such an incredible experience. www.qamea.com Teness Herman : Intimate Portraits Grade : A+ WOW. This was an absolutely amazing experience. Teness is absolutely amazing. She made me feel so comfortable and relaxed…an absolute necessity to create the kind of pictures I was going for. I felt like I was taking pictures with a dear old friend. She and I spent months discussing the look and feel of the shoot. She recommended I look at a book called Women Before 10am by Veronique Vial. If you like the style of my intimate portraits (aka Boudoir Pictures…sorry, I think it’s a cheesy name), I would definitely recommend you check out this book for inspiration. We shot for three and a half hours and could have easily gone on for another two. She used multiple cameras and twice as many lenses with nothing but natural light, which really helped in creating a sensual feel. Her enthusiasm, creativity and eye for the perfect shot are truly unparalleled. If you don’t have room in your budget to do this as a wedding gift, I would highly recommend it as a first (paper) anniversary gift. www.teness.com
www.seventyseven.us Toast Productions : Event Design/Setup Grade : A I met these ladies through a friend of mine. I’ve never met a more resourceful group of ladies. When I said we wanted an ice cream wedding cake, they searched the city high and low looking for someone willing to do it. When I said we wanted a custom-made martini ice luge for not a lot of money, they found it. Rachael, of Toast Productions, is a graphic designer, so she has a great sense of design. While I had a coordinator already hired by the time I met Rachael and Sarah (they’re sisters), I knew I could utilize their skills to turn our reception into what we wanted. We met several times to discuss setup, layout and logistics. On the day of the wedding, they picked up everything for the reception, which was a lot, and spent hours setting it up. They also handled all of the vendors coming into Nocturnal to insure everything was setup just so. These ladies are native Portlanders and extremely well networked. While this is a new business venture for them, you never would have known by their ability to recreate what our vision had been. They also did all of our cleanup for us and promptly delivered it back to my mom’s house the day after the wedding. www.toast-productions.com Look Weddings : Wedding Coordinator Grade : A- Cassia has been doing wedding coordination for about two years. She started because she enjoyed planning her own wedding so much. I work with her at my job and inquired about her services when I heard she was doing coordination. Her design of our custom built website alone was amazing. She used the graphics that my husband’s sister had created for our stationery and created a fairly extensive website. She also contacted all of our vendors the week of the wedding to verify their services for the day of. She setup our entire ceremony (which was hundreds of paper bag luminaries, tables, chairs, etc) and coordinated from there on. Cassia is a fairly reserved person and I think at times is intimidated to exert her assertiveness. However, I think this will only get better as she continues to work. Because she works a full time job, I think she’s become a bit worn down by doing both a full time coordination business along with her job. At this time, I don’t think she’s taking on any new weddings until 2007. www.lookweddings.com Kristin Bradetich : Graphic Design for Stationery Grade : A+ Well, Kristin is my husband’s older sister. By career, she designs logos for apparel for a small athletic apparel company in Boulder. When we asked her to help us with our stationery, she was very enthusiastic. She did a great job of taking our ideas and turning them into something that was stylish, unique and really created the essence of our wedding. She designed a logo we put on everything, our save the dates, invitations (including RSVP and Reception cards), rehearsal dinner invitations, programs, menu cards, Just Married sign for our getaway car and thank you cards. While she doesn’t create custom invitations for people, she should probably consider it as she’s very talented. Anders Printing : Stationery Printing Grade : B I worked with Jill at Anders to get the majority of our printing done. It felt good to be working with a local company to complete our printing needs. Jill was very friendly and helpful and they did a great job of getting the work turned around in a short time period. They printed everything from our logos on stickers to our save the dates, invitations and rehearsal dinner invitations. After getting quotes for our save the dates, I didn’t search around after that to see if I could find a better deal. So, when we had our invitations printed offset, I don’t know if it was cheaper than another printer. I was very clear with my requests on each job (thanks to the help of the graphic designer). However, when our invitations were ready, she charged me an extra $25 and I had A LOT of extra copies, far more than I had requested. I meant to question why we had been charged more than originally quoted and why we had so many extras but I never got around to it. I probably should have asked for a discount since they asked if they could put our invitations on their website. All in all, this was a good experience. www.andersprinting.com DJ Stay in School - Martin Wilson : Reception DJ Grade : B My husband is a big fan of electronica music. So, when it came time to hire a DJ, my husband took on this role. We contacted Connie Wohn of Stylus 503 (a DJ cooperative), thanks to a referral from Bethany of Nocturnal. Connie sent us a whole package of samples of different DJs. We chose Martin because of his style, obviously. He did a great job but I think there was too much going on at the reception (photobooth, downstairs bar, outdoor courtyard) to really get people dancing. While people did dance, I think they would have done more of it had we not had so much else going on. Martin did que up the wrong music (we provided specific music for specific events during the evening since he doesn’t have the regular wedding DJ collection) for the Mother/Son dance and didn’t que up any music for the cake cutting. However, I don’t think the cake cutting music was his fault as the coordinator didn’t let him know the cake was going to make its grand entrance. www.djstayinschool.com Taste of Honey - Honey Everett : Wedding Cake Grade : A As mentioned before, we wanted an ice cream cake as our wedding cake. Neither of us like cake. Amazingly, getting someone to make a wedding cake out of ice cream is harder than you might imagine. Every person we contacted acted like we were crazy. However, when we found Honey, she definitely knew what she was talking about. There are a lot of logistics involved with an ice cream wedding cake, i.e. delivery, setup, serving it, icing it, etc. Honey had such confidence that I wasn’t the least bit worried. We had three flavors, one of which being mint chocolate chip (the others I don’t remember), with a brownie bottom. Honey delivered and setup the cake after the reception had started. It tasted great and looked fantastic, even though it had started to melt, which I found somewhat charming, being as that it was ice cream cake! Oregon Chamber Players : Ceremony Musicians Grade : B- This was another responsibility of my husband’s. We picked all non-traditional music (Coldplay, The Verve, Enya) and had to find the sheet music for all of the songs we wanted played. Originally, we were going to use the Metropolitan Youth Symphony. However, once they started to review the sheet music for the songs we wanted played, they realized that they didn’t really currently have that kind of depth. Last minute, three weeks before the wedding, we had to find someone new. Considering the amount of time they had, the Oregon Chamber Players did great. They did mess up on one of the songs but it wasn’t really worth getting upset over. I also would have preferred a string quartet (which was our original plan) but that wasn’t really their fault. www.oregonchamberplayers.org Blizzard Motors : Getaway Car Grade : A Almost two years ago my husband and I bought a car from this lot (its in SE Portland). The lot is primarily fine European cars. When we were there to pick up our newly purchased car, the owner of the lot told us he would loan us a car of our choice for our wedding. My fiance chose a convertible Porsche to drive from the ceremony. It was a beautiful little black shiny thing and my husband thoroughly enjoyed driving it. I don’t know if Doug would be willing to rent out any of his cars but if you’re interested it might not hurt to ask. Western Culinary Institute : Martini Ice Luge Grade : A This was one of the best budget friendly finds of our entire wedding. We really wanted to have a martini luge but found that they were rather expensive to have made…that was, until we found out about the Western Culinary Institute’s ice sculpture class. Basically, they told us they could create anything we wanted and all we had to do was provide them with a drawing. My mom, who’s an artist, drew a great design, in keeping with our theme and stationery, and we provided it to WCI. They not only did a great job of recreating it but the cost included transporting it, delivery and setup. We paid more than they asked for, to donate towards their program, but regardless it was well worth it. Definitely one of the main highlights of the reception for our guests. Spa La La : Pre-Wedding Pampering Grade : B+ As part of my gift to the ladies in the wedding, I treated them to manicures and pedicures at Spa La La. While it’s not the best manicure and pedicure in town (my best friend and I often refer to them as the chop shop), the decor and vibe is great and they’ll serve you all the mimosas you want. We had twelve of us (the moms, five maids of honor, two readers, the two flower girls and myself) there and it was like our own little private party. The staff was very friendly and efficient and I think the ladies all enjoyed getting their nails done. www.spalala.net The Face Place – Dorene Klippel : Facial and Brazilian Wax Grade : A I’ve gone to Dorene every month for the last six years for a Brazilian wax. She does a fantastic job at those…well, it’s a Brazilian wax so it’s not like it feels good but in terms of the final look, she does a tremendous job. However, I decided to get a facial from her as well. Wow! Her facial was by far the best facial I’ve ever had…not only did I fall asleep but she did such an incredibly thorough job. It will be hard not to make getting a facial from her a monthly occurrence as well. www.waxqueen.com Salon 77 – Mahria Martinez : Brow Wax Grade : A+ I pretty much have caterpillars for eyebrows…I’m not kidding. So, not only do my eyebrows need to be professionally groomed on a regular basis but they need to be done well. Mahria is a dream…seriously, she’s absolutely amazing. It’s the only kind of waxing she does…you know if a girl can make a living off of just waxing eyebrows, she’s got to be good! And not only that, she’s the sweetest thing you’ve ever met. www.seventyseven.us Diane Jensen : Massage Grade : A+ So, I have to admit that before my husband and I bought our house, Diane was our landlord. However, my husband has some pretty severe back injuries (thanks to a motorcycle) and is always up for a massage. That being said, we get a lot of massages. Diane is fantastic. She works in a chiropractic clinic off of NW 23rd (which the chiropractor there is also fantastic, Suzanne Lady) and does pretty much any type of massage you’d like. If I were to say I have a regular LMT, Diane would be it…and without failure, I fall asleep on her table every time. She’s fantastic and a lot cheaper than a mediocre spa massage. And, she is so incredibly kind and sweet as well…you can’t beat that! She used to have a website but it doesn’t look like she does anymore. Contact me if you want to get in touch with her. Embellish Design : Wedding Dress Grade : A+ I went shopping on several different occasions for a wedding dress. After searching most of Portland for the dress, I decided to visit Terri at Embellish Design. Now, I would not even waste time looking for dresses to order. In the end, my dress cost less than any of my final choices of the dresses I found in the salons. Not only that, the experience was so incredibly fun. Originally, I went into her studio with pictures of my final choices as well as other dresses I liked. We went through each picture and discussed what I liked about each one. We took elements from all of those to create my dress. Terri is so knowledgeable about what she does and extremely talented in the art of designing and sewing gowns. We discussed everything from different fabrics to different styles and the pluses and negatives of each. In the end, I had a dress that was exactly what I wanted, custom fit to my body. I would highly recommend working with Terri. I hope that I’ll have a reason for her to make me another dress (she makes party dresses too) some time. www.embellishdesign.com Patty Lehner : Wedding Jewelry Grade : A+ I saw a variation of my wedding dress in an Oregon Bride magazine months before my wedding. The earrings that the model was wearing were wonderful. When I looked up where they came from, the magazine said Ella Posie (which is now closed but was on NE Broadway). Carmen (who is also a wedding coordinator) of Ella Posie got me in touch with Patty, who had designed the jewelry. Patty was an absolute delight to work with…kind of like working with your spunky grandmother. We talked about what I wanted and she worked efficiently to get pieces done for me. She made a variation of the earrings I wanted with several different types of pearls and different lengths so I had something to choose from. Then, she made a bangle to match. And when I asked for some extra pearls and crystals for my ring bearer pillow and hair jewelry, not only did she have no problem sending me on my way with a little bag of each but she also refused to charge me for them when I tried to pay her. August Veils : Hair Jewelry Grade : A Patty referred me to Andrea to have my hair jewelry made (Patty doesn’t like to make it). I brought the pearls and crystals that Patty had used in my jewelry to have Andrea create some sparkle for my hair. She created exactly what I was looking for and in a very short amount of time. www.augustveils.com Cromwell Formalwear : Tuxedo Rentals Grade : A While my husband bought a suit for the wedding, we needed rentals for everyone else. Cromwell’s had a good selection and a helpful staff. They kept us informed on everyone who had, or hadn’t, been fitted and I didn’t hear of any problems that anyone had with their rentals. www.cromwellformalwear.com Twist : Wedding Rings Grade : A We searched for quite some time to find rings that we really loved. While I love the traditional platinum eternity band, I wanted something a little different to go with my princess cut solitaire. My husband wanted a platinum ring but not completely plain. Twist, although not a store you would typically think of for wedding bands, had just what we were looking for. The staff was very friendly and when they ordered our rings, they said it would take eight weeks to get them in (which was cutting it really close). Two weeks later, we received a call letting us know that our rings were in. I love the uniqueness of our rings! www.twistonline.com Shane Co : Engagement Ring Grade : C+ In one week, my husband sold his motorcycle, decided to ask me to marry him and bought a ring. The ring is exactly what I would have picked out, a plain platinum band with a princess cut solitaire. However, if I had had a say in it, I never would have gotten my ring at Shane Co. I think their staff is kind of tacky, not to mention their showroom, and I’m always frustrated by their service when I take my ring in to be cleaned or polished...and lets not even begin to discuss their ads! www.shaneco.com Hotel Lucia : Wedding Night Hotel Grade : A I love this place! We booked their “Did I Mention I Want You?” package in a King Suite. When we arrived at the hotel with nothing but the wedding clothes we were still wearing, they were quick to check us in. Our bed was covered in rose petals, there was music playing, champagne being chilled and a box of toys, i.e. body crayons, furry handcuffs and a book of positions for every day of the year. We ordered room service at about 1:30am because neither of us really ate at our reception. They were prompt and the food was tasty. I wish we didn’t live in Portland so we had more reasons to stay here…it’s such a chic hotel! www.hotellucia.com Bluestar Charter : Guest Transportation Grade : C Originally, we were expecting a lot of guests from out of state. We booked a charter bus to pick up guests from downtown Portland and transport them to Mt Tabor Park and then to Nocturnal. Unfortunately, my husbands grandfather passed away two months before our wedding and many of what we assumed would be the out of town guests could no longer make it due to their last minute flights to the funeral. Regardless, I still think this was a good thing to have. However, we revised our timeline for the bus and faxed it in. For whatever reason, they didn’t follow this and were 1.5 hours early to pick up guests and consequently ended their evening 1.5 hours earlier than we were originally anticipating. I’m not sure why they were running on the old timeline as I had faxed the revised one to them. While in the grand scheme of things, it wasn’t that big of a deal, I was irritated that we had paid for something and then couldn’t even utilize it for 1.5 hours. www.bluestarbus.com The Party Place : Chair Rentals Grade : A Although Mt Tabor Amphitheatre has some benches, we rented some chairs as well to insure we had enough seating. To be honest, I have no idea if this all worked out. I assume they arrived on time as they were all set up prior to the ceremony. And I assume they were picked up just fine since I haven’t heard from them about not getting their chairs back or something. Unforgettable Honeymoons Renee Duane-Meyer : Travel Agent Grade : A for knowledge, C for personality When it came time to plan our honeymoon, we were running out of energy, especially to plan the fantastic honeymoon we both wanted. While we both found Renee to be fairly pretentious and full of herself, she was very knowledgeable. At first, we wanted to go to Bora Bora and Taha’a. However, Renee couldn’t find us any availability for the room types we wanted. She asked us if we would consider Fiji, which we of course would and did. She booked us for 7 nights at Qamea Resort and Spa in Fiji in a premium villa. The resort was amazing but I grew a bit concerned when four different couples at the resort (which has a maximum capacity for 28 adults total) had been booked there with Renee from Unforgettable Honeymoons. I don’t know what sort of a kickback Renee receives for referring clients there and I guess it doesn’t really matter because the resort really is all she says it is. However, it doesn’t feel very good to feel like she’s only sending people to that one place, especially when we already felt like she had a pretty inflated ego. My best friend and her husband booked through Unforgettable Honeymoons for their honeymoon, not with Renee, and said their experience was great. If I had it to do over again, I would try to book with another travel agent there. www.unforgettablehoneymoons.com Qamea Resort and Spa : Honeymoon Grade : A+ Wow! This place was incredible, even when it was overcast most of the week we were there! We flew for close to 14 hours, PDX to LAX, LAX to Nadi, Fiji and then on a puddle jumper from Nadi to Taveuni. Then we were driven in a Range Rover for 20 minutes on a dirt rode to a beach where we got on a boat and went on a 10-minute boat ride across to the island of Qamea. We were greeted by a smiling and friendly staff, taken to their restaurant/lounge villa where we were served cocktails and fruit plates and given a quick rundown of the resort. Our accommodations were amazing. Our villa included a daybed and a pool on our deck, a large outdoor shower, a large bathroom that included a walk-in closet, two sinks, a towel warmer, large shower and then a large room with a four-poster bed on a platform with amazing linens and sheer curtains hanging, and then a living area with a couch, coffee table, stereo, lounge chairs, etc. I’ve never stayed in such an incredible place. The staff was so incredibly friendly, the food was some of the best food I’ve ever eaten. We snorkeled, went for a hike in the rainforest, swam in waterfalls, went to visit a village, did some nude sunbathing on our own private beach for an afternoon, my husband did some traditional Fijian hand-line fishing, kava ceremonies, a meek ceremony, beach volleyball and we visited the spa every day. The staff would make you snacks in between meals if you were hungry, the coral and the seashells were amazing and the rainforest absolutely incredible. It was the perfect way to end such an incredible experience. www.qamea.com Teness Herman : Intimate Portraits Grade : A+ WOW. This was an absolutely amazing experience. Teness is absolutely amazing. She made me feel so comfortable and relaxed…an absolute necessity to create the kind of pictures I was going for. I felt like I was taking pictures with a dear old friend. She and I spent months discussing the look and feel of the shoot. She recommended I look at a book called Women Before 10am by Veronique Vial. If you like the style of my intimate portraits (aka Boudoir Pictures…sorry, I think it’s a cheesy name), I would definitely recommend you check out this book for inspiration. We shot for three and a half hours and could have easily gone on for another two. She used multiple cameras and twice as many lenses with nothing but natural light, which really helped in creating a sensual feel. Her enthusiasm, creativity and eye for the perfect shot are truly unparalleled. If you don’t have room in your budget to do this as a wedding gift, I would highly recommend it as a first (paper) anniversary gift. www.teness.com
Toast Productions : Event Design/Setup Grade : A I met these ladies through a friend of mine. I’ve never met a more resourceful group of ladies. When I said we wanted an ice cream wedding cake, they searched the city high and low looking for someone willing to do it. When I said we wanted a custom-made martini ice luge for not a lot of money, they found it. Rachael, of Toast Productions, is a graphic designer, so she has a great sense of design. While I had a coordinator already hired by the time I met Rachael and Sarah (they’re sisters), I knew I could utilize their skills to turn our reception into what we wanted. We met several times to discuss setup, layout and logistics. On the day of the wedding, they picked up everything for the reception, which was a lot, and spent hours setting it up. They also handled all of the vendors coming into Nocturnal to insure everything was setup just so. These ladies are native Portlanders and extremely well networked. While this is a new business venture for them, you never would have known by their ability to recreate what our vision had been. They also did all of our cleanup for us and promptly delivered it back to my mom’s house the day after the wedding. www.toast-productions.com Look Weddings : Wedding Coordinator Grade : A- Cassia has been doing wedding coordination for about two years. She started because she enjoyed planning her own wedding so much. I work with her at my job and inquired about her services when I heard she was doing coordination. Her design of our custom built website alone was amazing. She used the graphics that my husband’s sister had created for our stationery and created a fairly extensive website. She also contacted all of our vendors the week of the wedding to verify their services for the day of. She setup our entire ceremony (which was hundreds of paper bag luminaries, tables, chairs, etc) and coordinated from there on. Cassia is a fairly reserved person and I think at times is intimidated to exert her assertiveness. However, I think this will only get better as she continues to work. Because she works a full time job, I think she’s become a bit worn down by doing both a full time coordination business along with her job. At this time, I don’t think she’s taking on any new weddings until 2007. www.lookweddings.com Kristin Bradetich : Graphic Design for Stationery Grade : A+ Well, Kristin is my husband’s older sister. By career, she designs logos for apparel for a small athletic apparel company in Boulder. When we asked her to help us with our stationery, she was very enthusiastic. She did a great job of taking our ideas and turning them into something that was stylish, unique and really created the essence of our wedding. She designed a logo we put on everything, our save the dates, invitations (including RSVP and Reception cards), rehearsal dinner invitations, programs, menu cards, Just Married sign for our getaway car and thank you cards. While she doesn’t create custom invitations for people, she should probably consider it as she’s very talented. Anders Printing : Stationery Printing Grade : B I worked with Jill at Anders to get the majority of our printing done. It felt good to be working with a local company to complete our printing needs. Jill was very friendly and helpful and they did a great job of getting the work turned around in a short time period. They printed everything from our logos on stickers to our save the dates, invitations and rehearsal dinner invitations. After getting quotes for our save the dates, I didn’t search around after that to see if I could find a better deal. So, when we had our invitations printed offset, I don’t know if it was cheaper than another printer. I was very clear with my requests on each job (thanks to the help of the graphic designer). However, when our invitations were ready, she charged me an extra $25 and I had A LOT of extra copies, far more than I had requested. I meant to question why we had been charged more than originally quoted and why we had so many extras but I never got around to it. I probably should have asked for a discount since they asked if they could put our invitations on their website. All in all, this was a good experience. www.andersprinting.com DJ Stay in School - Martin Wilson : Reception DJ Grade : B My husband is a big fan of electronica music. So, when it came time to hire a DJ, my husband took on this role. We contacted Connie Wohn of Stylus 503 (a DJ cooperative), thanks to a referral from Bethany of Nocturnal. Connie sent us a whole package of samples of different DJs. We chose Martin because of his style, obviously. He did a great job but I think there was too much going on at the reception (photobooth, downstairs bar, outdoor courtyard) to really get people dancing. While people did dance, I think they would have done more of it had we not had so much else going on. Martin did que up the wrong music (we provided specific music for specific events during the evening since he doesn’t have the regular wedding DJ collection) for the Mother/Son dance and didn’t que up any music for the cake cutting. However, I don’t think the cake cutting music was his fault as the coordinator didn’t let him know the cake was going to make its grand entrance. www.djstayinschool.com Taste of Honey - Honey Everett : Wedding Cake Grade : A As mentioned before, we wanted an ice cream cake as our wedding cake. Neither of us like cake. Amazingly, getting someone to make a wedding cake out of ice cream is harder than you might imagine. Every person we contacted acted like we were crazy. However, when we found Honey, she definitely knew what she was talking about. There are a lot of logistics involved with an ice cream wedding cake, i.e. delivery, setup, serving it, icing it, etc. Honey had such confidence that I wasn’t the least bit worried. We had three flavors, one of which being mint chocolate chip (the others I don’t remember), with a brownie bottom. Honey delivered and setup the cake after the reception had started. It tasted great and looked fantastic, even though it had started to melt, which I found somewhat charming, being as that it was ice cream cake! Oregon Chamber Players : Ceremony Musicians Grade : B- This was another responsibility of my husband’s. We picked all non-traditional music (Coldplay, The Verve, Enya) and had to find the sheet music for all of the songs we wanted played. Originally, we were going to use the Metropolitan Youth Symphony. However, once they started to review the sheet music for the songs we wanted played, they realized that they didn’t really currently have that kind of depth. Last minute, three weeks before the wedding, we had to find someone new. Considering the amount of time they had, the Oregon Chamber Players did great. They did mess up on one of the songs but it wasn’t really worth getting upset over. I also would have preferred a string quartet (which was our original plan) but that wasn’t really their fault. www.oregonchamberplayers.org Blizzard Motors : Getaway Car Grade : A Almost two years ago my husband and I bought a car from this lot (its in SE Portland). The lot is primarily fine European cars. When we were there to pick up our newly purchased car, the owner of the lot told us he would loan us a car of our choice for our wedding. My fiance chose a convertible Porsche to drive from the ceremony. It was a beautiful little black shiny thing and my husband thoroughly enjoyed driving it. I don’t know if Doug would be willing to rent out any of his cars but if you’re interested it might not hurt to ask. Western Culinary Institute : Martini Ice Luge Grade : A This was one of the best budget friendly finds of our entire wedding. We really wanted to have a martini luge but found that they were rather expensive to have made…that was, until we found out about the Western Culinary Institute’s ice sculpture class. Basically, they told us they could create anything we wanted and all we had to do was provide them with a drawing. My mom, who’s an artist, drew a great design, in keeping with our theme and stationery, and we provided it to WCI. They not only did a great job of recreating it but the cost included transporting it, delivery and setup. We paid more than they asked for, to donate towards their program, but regardless it was well worth it. Definitely one of the main highlights of the reception for our guests. Spa La La : Pre-Wedding Pampering Grade : B+ As part of my gift to the ladies in the wedding, I treated them to manicures and pedicures at Spa La La. While it’s not the best manicure and pedicure in town (my best friend and I often refer to them as the chop shop), the decor and vibe is great and they’ll serve you all the mimosas you want. We had twelve of us (the moms, five maids of honor, two readers, the two flower girls and myself) there and it was like our own little private party. The staff was very friendly and efficient and I think the ladies all enjoyed getting their nails done. www.spalala.net The Face Place – Dorene Klippel : Facial and Brazilian Wax Grade : A I’ve gone to Dorene every month for the last six years for a Brazilian wax. She does a fantastic job at those…well, it’s a Brazilian wax so it’s not like it feels good but in terms of the final look, she does a tremendous job. However, I decided to get a facial from her as well. Wow! Her facial was by far the best facial I’ve ever had…not only did I fall asleep but she did such an incredibly thorough job. It will be hard not to make getting a facial from her a monthly occurrence as well. www.waxqueen.com Salon 77 – Mahria Martinez : Brow Wax Grade : A+ I pretty much have caterpillars for eyebrows…I’m not kidding. So, not only do my eyebrows need to be professionally groomed on a regular basis but they need to be done well. Mahria is a dream…seriously, she’s absolutely amazing. It’s the only kind of waxing she does…you know if a girl can make a living off of just waxing eyebrows, she’s got to be good! And not only that, she’s the sweetest thing you’ve ever met. www.seventyseven.us Diane Jensen : Massage Grade : A+ So, I have to admit that before my husband and I bought our house, Diane was our landlord. However, my husband has some pretty severe back injuries (thanks to a motorcycle) and is always up for a massage. That being said, we get a lot of massages. Diane is fantastic. She works in a chiropractic clinic off of NW 23rd (which the chiropractor there is also fantastic, Suzanne Lady) and does pretty much any type of massage you’d like. If I were to say I have a regular LMT, Diane would be it…and without failure, I fall asleep on her table every time. She’s fantastic and a lot cheaper than a mediocre spa massage. And, she is so incredibly kind and sweet as well…you can’t beat that! She used to have a website but it doesn’t look like she does anymore. Contact me if you want to get in touch with her. Embellish Design : Wedding Dress Grade : A+ I went shopping on several different occasions for a wedding dress. After searching most of Portland for the dress, I decided to visit Terri at Embellish Design. Now, I would not even waste time looking for dresses to order. In the end, my dress cost less than any of my final choices of the dresses I found in the salons. Not only that, the experience was so incredibly fun. Originally, I went into her studio with pictures of my final choices as well as other dresses I liked. We went through each picture and discussed what I liked about each one. We took elements from all of those to create my dress. Terri is so knowledgeable about what she does and extremely talented in the art of designing and sewing gowns. We discussed everything from different fabrics to different styles and the pluses and negatives of each. In the end, I had a dress that was exactly what I wanted, custom fit to my body. I would highly recommend working with Terri. I hope that I’ll have a reason for her to make me another dress (she makes party dresses too) some time. www.embellishdesign.com Patty Lehner : Wedding Jewelry Grade : A+ I saw a variation of my wedding dress in an Oregon Bride magazine months before my wedding. The earrings that the model was wearing were wonderful. When I looked up where they came from, the magazine said Ella Posie (which is now closed but was on NE Broadway). Carmen (who is also a wedding coordinator) of Ella Posie got me in touch with Patty, who had designed the jewelry. Patty was an absolute delight to work with…kind of like working with your spunky grandmother. We talked about what I wanted and she worked efficiently to get pieces done for me. She made a variation of the earrings I wanted with several different types of pearls and different lengths so I had something to choose from. Then, she made a bangle to match. And when I asked for some extra pearls and crystals for my ring bearer pillow and hair jewelry, not only did she have no problem sending me on my way with a little bag of each but she also refused to charge me for them when I tried to pay her. August Veils : Hair Jewelry Grade : A Patty referred me to Andrea to have my hair jewelry made (Patty doesn’t like to make it). I brought the pearls and crystals that Patty had used in my jewelry to have Andrea create some sparkle for my hair. She created exactly what I was looking for and in a very short amount of time. www.augustveils.com Cromwell Formalwear : Tuxedo Rentals Grade : A While my husband bought a suit for the wedding, we needed rentals for everyone else. Cromwell’s had a good selection and a helpful staff. They kept us informed on everyone who had, or hadn’t, been fitted and I didn’t hear of any problems that anyone had with their rentals. www.cromwellformalwear.com Twist : Wedding Rings Grade : A We searched for quite some time to find rings that we really loved. While I love the traditional platinum eternity band, I wanted something a little different to go with my princess cut solitaire. My husband wanted a platinum ring but not completely plain. Twist, although not a store you would typically think of for wedding bands, had just what we were looking for. The staff was very friendly and when they ordered our rings, they said it would take eight weeks to get them in (which was cutting it really close). Two weeks later, we received a call letting us know that our rings were in. I love the uniqueness of our rings! www.twistonline.com Shane Co : Engagement Ring Grade : C+ In one week, my husband sold his motorcycle, decided to ask me to marry him and bought a ring. The ring is exactly what I would have picked out, a plain platinum band with a princess cut solitaire. However, if I had had a say in it, I never would have gotten my ring at Shane Co. I think their staff is kind of tacky, not to mention their showroom, and I’m always frustrated by their service when I take my ring in to be cleaned or polished...and lets not even begin to discuss their ads! www.shaneco.com Hotel Lucia : Wedding Night Hotel Grade : A I love this place! We booked their “Did I Mention I Want You?” package in a King Suite. When we arrived at the hotel with nothing but the wedding clothes we were still wearing, they were quick to check us in. Our bed was covered in rose petals, there was music playing, champagne being chilled and a box of toys, i.e. body crayons, furry handcuffs and a book of positions for every day of the year. We ordered room service at about 1:30am because neither of us really ate at our reception. They were prompt and the food was tasty. I wish we didn’t live in Portland so we had more reasons to stay here…it’s such a chic hotel! www.hotellucia.com Bluestar Charter : Guest Transportation Grade : C Originally, we were expecting a lot of guests from out of state. We booked a charter bus to pick up guests from downtown Portland and transport them to Mt Tabor Park and then to Nocturnal. Unfortunately, my husbands grandfather passed away two months before our wedding and many of what we assumed would be the out of town guests could no longer make it due to their last minute flights to the funeral. Regardless, I still think this was a good thing to have. However, we revised our timeline for the bus and faxed it in. For whatever reason, they didn’t follow this and were 1.5 hours early to pick up guests and consequently ended their evening 1.5 hours earlier than we were originally anticipating. I’m not sure why they were running on the old timeline as I had faxed the revised one to them. While in the grand scheme of things, it wasn’t that big of a deal, I was irritated that we had paid for something and then couldn’t even utilize it for 1.5 hours. www.bluestarbus.com The Party Place : Chair Rentals Grade : A Although Mt Tabor Amphitheatre has some benches, we rented some chairs as well to insure we had enough seating. To be honest, I have no idea if this all worked out. I assume they arrived on time as they were all set up prior to the ceremony. And I assume they were picked up just fine since I haven’t heard from them about not getting their chairs back or something. Unforgettable Honeymoons Renee Duane-Meyer : Travel Agent Grade : A for knowledge, C for personality When it came time to plan our honeymoon, we were running out of energy, especially to plan the fantastic honeymoon we both wanted. While we both found Renee to be fairly pretentious and full of herself, she was very knowledgeable. At first, we wanted to go to Bora Bora and Taha’a. However, Renee couldn’t find us any availability for the room types we wanted. She asked us if we would consider Fiji, which we of course would and did. She booked us for 7 nights at Qamea Resort and Spa in Fiji in a premium villa. The resort was amazing but I grew a bit concerned when four different couples at the resort (which has a maximum capacity for 28 adults total) had been booked there with Renee from Unforgettable Honeymoons. I don’t know what sort of a kickback Renee receives for referring clients there and I guess it doesn’t really matter because the resort really is all she says it is. However, it doesn’t feel very good to feel like she’s only sending people to that one place, especially when we already felt like she had a pretty inflated ego. My best friend and her husband booked through Unforgettable Honeymoons for their honeymoon, not with Renee, and said their experience was great. If I had it to do over again, I would try to book with another travel agent there. www.unforgettablehoneymoons.com Qamea Resort and Spa : Honeymoon Grade : A+ Wow! This place was incredible, even when it was overcast most of the week we were there! We flew for close to 14 hours, PDX to LAX, LAX to Nadi, Fiji and then on a puddle jumper from Nadi to Taveuni. Then we were driven in a Range Rover for 20 minutes on a dirt rode to a beach where we got on a boat and went on a 10-minute boat ride across to the island of Qamea. We were greeted by a smiling and friendly staff, taken to their restaurant/lounge villa where we were served cocktails and fruit plates and given a quick rundown of the resort. Our accommodations were amazing. Our villa included a daybed and a pool on our deck, a large outdoor shower, a large bathroom that included a walk-in closet, two sinks, a towel warmer, large shower and then a large room with a four-poster bed on a platform with amazing linens and sheer curtains hanging, and then a living area with a couch, coffee table, stereo, lounge chairs, etc. I’ve never stayed in such an incredible place. The staff was so incredibly friendly, the food was some of the best food I’ve ever eaten. We snorkeled, went for a hike in the rainforest, swam in waterfalls, went to visit a village, did some nude sunbathing on our own private beach for an afternoon, my husband did some traditional Fijian hand-line fishing, kava ceremonies, a meek ceremony, beach volleyball and we visited the spa every day. The staff would make you snacks in between meals if you were hungry, the coral and the seashells were amazing and the rainforest absolutely incredible. It was the perfect way to end such an incredible experience. www.qamea.com Teness Herman : Intimate Portraits Grade : A+ WOW. This was an absolutely amazing experience. Teness is absolutely amazing. She made me feel so comfortable and relaxed…an absolute necessity to create the kind of pictures I was going for. I felt like I was taking pictures with a dear old friend. She and I spent months discussing the look and feel of the shoot. She recommended I look at a book called Women Before 10am by Veronique Vial. If you like the style of my intimate portraits (aka Boudoir Pictures…sorry, I think it’s a cheesy name), I would definitely recommend you check out this book for inspiration. We shot for three and a half hours and could have easily gone on for another two. She used multiple cameras and twice as many lenses with nothing but natural light, which really helped in creating a sensual feel. Her enthusiasm, creativity and eye for the perfect shot are truly unparalleled. If you don’t have room in your budget to do this as a wedding gift, I would highly recommend it as a first (paper) anniversary gift. www.teness.com
www.toast-productions.com Look Weddings : Wedding Coordinator Grade : A- Cassia has been doing wedding coordination for about two years. She started because she enjoyed planning her own wedding so much. I work with her at my job and inquired about her services when I heard she was doing coordination. Her design of our custom built website alone was amazing. She used the graphics that my husband’s sister had created for our stationery and created a fairly extensive website. She also contacted all of our vendors the week of the wedding to verify their services for the day of. She setup our entire ceremony (which was hundreds of paper bag luminaries, tables, chairs, etc) and coordinated from there on. Cassia is a fairly reserved person and I think at times is intimidated to exert her assertiveness. However, I think this will only get better as she continues to work. Because she works a full time job, I think she’s become a bit worn down by doing both a full time coordination business along with her job. At this time, I don’t think she’s taking on any new weddings until 2007. www.lookweddings.com Kristin Bradetich : Graphic Design for Stationery Grade : A+ Well, Kristin is my husband’s older sister. By career, she designs logos for apparel for a small athletic apparel company in Boulder. When we asked her to help us with our stationery, she was very enthusiastic. She did a great job of taking our ideas and turning them into something that was stylish, unique and really created the essence of our wedding. She designed a logo we put on everything, our save the dates, invitations (including RSVP and Reception cards), rehearsal dinner invitations, programs, menu cards, Just Married sign for our getaway car and thank you cards. While she doesn’t create custom invitations for people, she should probably consider it as she’s very talented. Anders Printing : Stationery Printing Grade : B I worked with Jill at Anders to get the majority of our printing done. It felt good to be working with a local company to complete our printing needs. Jill was very friendly and helpful and they did a great job of getting the work turned around in a short time period. They printed everything from our logos on stickers to our save the dates, invitations and rehearsal dinner invitations. After getting quotes for our save the dates, I didn’t search around after that to see if I could find a better deal. So, when we had our invitations printed offset, I don’t know if it was cheaper than another printer. I was very clear with my requests on each job (thanks to the help of the graphic designer). However, when our invitations were ready, she charged me an extra $25 and I had A LOT of extra copies, far more than I had requested. I meant to question why we had been charged more than originally quoted and why we had so many extras but I never got around to it. I probably should have asked for a discount since they asked if they could put our invitations on their website. All in all, this was a good experience. www.andersprinting.com DJ Stay in School - Martin Wilson : Reception DJ Grade : B My husband is a big fan of electronica music. So, when it came time to hire a DJ, my husband took on this role. We contacted Connie Wohn of Stylus 503 (a DJ cooperative), thanks to a referral from Bethany of Nocturnal. Connie sent us a whole package of samples of different DJs. We chose Martin because of his style, obviously. He did a great job but I think there was too much going on at the reception (photobooth, downstairs bar, outdoor courtyard) to really get people dancing. While people did dance, I think they would have done more of it had we not had so much else going on. Martin did que up the wrong music (we provided specific music for specific events during the evening since he doesn’t have the regular wedding DJ collection) for the Mother/Son dance and didn’t que up any music for the cake cutting. However, I don’t think the cake cutting music was his fault as the coordinator didn’t let him know the cake was going to make its grand entrance. www.djstayinschool.com Taste of Honey - Honey Everett : Wedding Cake Grade : A As mentioned before, we wanted an ice cream cake as our wedding cake. Neither of us like cake. Amazingly, getting someone to make a wedding cake out of ice cream is harder than you might imagine. Every person we contacted acted like we were crazy. However, when we found Honey, she definitely knew what she was talking about. There are a lot of logistics involved with an ice cream wedding cake, i.e. delivery, setup, serving it, icing it, etc. Honey had such confidence that I wasn’t the least bit worried. We had three flavors, one of which being mint chocolate chip (the others I don’t remember), with a brownie bottom. Honey delivered and setup the cake after the reception had started. It tasted great and looked fantastic, even though it had started to melt, which I found somewhat charming, being as that it was ice cream cake! Oregon Chamber Players : Ceremony Musicians Grade : B- This was another responsibility of my husband’s. We picked all non-traditional music (Coldplay, The Verve, Enya) and had to find the sheet music for all of the songs we wanted played. Originally, we were going to use the Metropolitan Youth Symphony. However, once they started to review the sheet music for the songs we wanted played, they realized that they didn’t really currently have that kind of depth. Last minute, three weeks before the wedding, we had to find someone new. Considering the amount of time they had, the Oregon Chamber Players did great. They did mess up on one of the songs but it wasn’t really worth getting upset over. I also would have preferred a string quartet (which was our original plan) but that wasn’t really their fault. www.oregonchamberplayers.org Blizzard Motors : Getaway Car Grade : A Almost two years ago my husband and I bought a car from this lot (its in SE Portland). The lot is primarily fine European cars. When we were there to pick up our newly purchased car, the owner of the lot told us he would loan us a car of our choice for our wedding. My fiance chose a convertible Porsche to drive from the ceremony. It was a beautiful little black shiny thing and my husband thoroughly enjoyed driving it. I don’t know if Doug would be willing to rent out any of his cars but if you’re interested it might not hurt to ask. Western Culinary Institute : Martini Ice Luge Grade : A This was one of the best budget friendly finds of our entire wedding. We really wanted to have a martini luge but found that they were rather expensive to have made…that was, until we found out about the Western Culinary Institute’s ice sculpture class. Basically, they told us they could create anything we wanted and all we had to do was provide them with a drawing. My mom, who’s an artist, drew a great design, in keeping with our theme and stationery, and we provided it to WCI. They not only did a great job of recreating it but the cost included transporting it, delivery and setup. We paid more than they asked for, to donate towards their program, but regardless it was well worth it. Definitely one of the main highlights of the reception for our guests. Spa La La : Pre-Wedding Pampering Grade : B+ As part of my gift to the ladies in the wedding, I treated them to manicures and pedicures at Spa La La. While it’s not the best manicure and pedicure in town (my best friend and I often refer to them as the chop shop), the decor and vibe is great and they’ll serve you all the mimosas you want. We had twelve of us (the moms, five maids of honor, two readers, the two flower girls and myself) there and it was like our own little private party. The staff was very friendly and efficient and I think the ladies all enjoyed getting their nails done. www.spalala.net The Face Place – Dorene Klippel : Facial and Brazilian Wax Grade : A I’ve gone to Dorene every month for the last six years for a Brazilian wax. She does a fantastic job at those…well, it’s a Brazilian wax so it’s not like it feels good but in terms of the final look, she does a tremendous job. However, I decided to get a facial from her as well. Wow! Her facial was by far the best facial I’ve ever had…not only did I fall asleep but she did such an incredibly thorough job. It will be hard not to make getting a facial from her a monthly occurrence as well. www.waxqueen.com Salon 77 – Mahria Martinez : Brow Wax Grade : A+ I pretty much have caterpillars for eyebrows…I’m not kidding. So, not only do my eyebrows need to be professionally groomed on a regular basis but they need to be done well. Mahria is a dream…seriously, she’s absolutely amazing. It’s the only kind of waxing she does…you know if a girl can make a living off of just waxing eyebrows, she’s got to be good! And not only that, she’s the sweetest thing you’ve ever met. www.seventyseven.us Diane Jensen : Massage Grade : A+ So, I have to admit that before my husband and I bought our house, Diane was our landlord. However, my husband has some pretty severe back injuries (thanks to a motorcycle) and is always up for a massage. That being said, we get a lot of massages. Diane is fantastic. She works in a chiropractic clinic off of NW 23rd (which the chiropractor there is also fantastic, Suzanne Lady) and does pretty much any type of massage you’d like. If I were to say I have a regular LMT, Diane would be it…and without failure, I fall asleep on her table every time. She’s fantastic and a lot cheaper than a mediocre spa massage. And, she is so incredibly kind and sweet as well…you can’t beat that! She used to have a website but it doesn’t look like she does anymore. Contact me if you want to get in touch with her. Embellish Design : Wedding Dress Grade : A+ I went shopping on several different occasions for a wedding dress. After searching most of Portland for the dress, I decided to visit Terri at Embellish Design. Now, I would not even waste time looking for dresses to order. In the end, my dress cost less than any of my final choices of the dresses I found in the salons. Not only that, the experience was so incredibly fun. Originally, I went into her studio with pictures of my final choices as well as other dresses I liked. We went through each picture and discussed what I liked about each one. We took elements from all of those to create my dress. Terri is so knowledgeable about what she does and extremely talented in the art of designing and sewing gowns. We discussed everything from different fabrics to different styles and the pluses and negatives of each. In the end, I had a dress that was exactly what I wanted, custom fit to my body. I would highly recommend working with Terri. I hope that I’ll have a reason for her to make me another dress (she makes party dresses too) some time. www.embellishdesign.com Patty Lehner : Wedding Jewelry Grade : A+ I saw a variation of my wedding dress in an Oregon Bride magazine months before my wedding. The earrings that the model was wearing were wonderful. When I looked up where they came from, the magazine said Ella Posie (which is now closed but was on NE Broadway). Carmen (who is also a wedding coordinator) of Ella Posie got me in touch with Patty, who had designed the jewelry. Patty was an absolute delight to work with…kind of like working with your spunky grandmother. We talked about what I wanted and she worked efficiently to get pieces done for me. She made a variation of the earrings I wanted with several different types of pearls and different lengths so I had something to choose from. Then, she made a bangle to match. And when I asked for some extra pearls and crystals for my ring bearer pillow and hair jewelry, not only did she have no problem sending me on my way with a little bag of each but she also refused to charge me for them when I tried to pay her. August Veils : Hair Jewelry Grade : A Patty referred me to Andrea to have my hair jewelry made (Patty doesn’t like to make it). I brought the pearls and crystals that Patty had used in my jewelry to have Andrea create some sparkle for my hair. She created exactly what I was looking for and in a very short amount of time. www.augustveils.com Cromwell Formalwear : Tuxedo Rentals Grade : A While my husband bought a suit for the wedding, we needed rentals for everyone else. Cromwell’s had a good selection and a helpful staff. They kept us informed on everyone who had, or hadn’t, been fitted and I didn’t hear of any problems that anyone had with their rentals. www.cromwellformalwear.com Twist : Wedding Rings Grade : A We searched for quite some time to find rings that we really loved. While I love the traditional platinum eternity band, I wanted something a little different to go with my princess cut solitaire. My husband wanted a platinum ring but not completely plain. Twist, although not a store you would typically think of for wedding bands, had just what we were looking for. The staff was very friendly and when they ordered our rings, they said it would take eight weeks to get them in (which was cutting it really close). Two weeks later, we received a call letting us know that our rings were in. I love the uniqueness of our rings! www.twistonline.com Shane Co : Engagement Ring Grade : C+ In one week, my husband sold his motorcycle, decided to ask me to marry him and bought a ring. The ring is exactly what I would have picked out, a plain platinum band with a princess cut solitaire. However, if I had had a say in it, I never would have gotten my ring at Shane Co. I think their staff is kind of tacky, not to mention their showroom, and I’m always frustrated by their service when I take my ring in to be cleaned or polished...and lets not even begin to discuss their ads! www.shaneco.com Hotel Lucia : Wedding Night Hotel Grade : A I love this place! We booked their “Did I Mention I Want You?” package in a King Suite. When we arrived at the hotel with nothing but the wedding clothes we were still wearing, they were quick to check us in. Our bed was covered in rose petals, there was music playing, champagne being chilled and a box of toys, i.e. body crayons, furry handcuffs and a book of positions for every day of the year. We ordered room service at about 1:30am because neither of us really ate at our reception. They were prompt and the food was tasty. I wish we didn’t live in Portland so we had more reasons to stay here…it’s such a chic hotel! www.hotellucia.com Bluestar Charter : Guest Transportation Grade : C Originally, we were expecting a lot of guests from out of state. We booked a charter bus to pick up guests from downtown Portland and transport them to Mt Tabor Park and then to Nocturnal. Unfortunately, my husbands grandfather passed away two months before our wedding and many of what we assumed would be the out of town guests could no longer make it due to their last minute flights to the funeral. Regardless, I still think this was a good thing to have. However, we revised our timeline for the bus and faxed it in. For whatever reason, they didn’t follow this and were 1.5 hours early to pick up guests and consequently ended their evening 1.5 hours earlier than we were originally anticipating. I’m not sure why they were running on the old timeline as I had faxed the revised one to them. While in the grand scheme of things, it wasn’t that big of a deal, I was irritated that we had paid for something and then couldn’t even utilize it for 1.5 hours. www.bluestarbus.com The Party Place : Chair Rentals Grade : A Although Mt Tabor Amphitheatre has some benches, we rented some chairs as well to insure we had enough seating. To be honest, I have no idea if this all worked out. I assume they arrived on time as they were all set up prior to the ceremony. And I assume they were picked up just fine since I haven’t heard from them about not getting their chairs back or something. Unforgettable Honeymoons Renee Duane-Meyer : Travel Agent Grade : A for knowledge, C for personality When it came time to plan our honeymoon, we were running out of energy, especially to plan the fantastic honeymoon we both wanted. While we both found Renee to be fairly pretentious and full of herself, she was very knowledgeable. At first, we wanted to go to Bora Bora and Taha’a. However, Renee couldn’t find us any availability for the room types we wanted. She asked us if we would consider Fiji, which we of course would and did. She booked us for 7 nights at Qamea Resort and Spa in Fiji in a premium villa. The resort was amazing but I grew a bit concerned when four different couples at the resort (which has a maximum capacity for 28 adults total) had been booked there with Renee from Unforgettable Honeymoons. I don’t know what sort of a kickback Renee receives for referring clients there and I guess it doesn’t really matter because the resort really is all she says it is. However, it doesn’t feel very good to feel like she’s only sending people to that one place, especially when we already felt like she had a pretty inflated ego. My best friend and her husband booked through Unforgettable Honeymoons for their honeymoon, not with Renee, and said their experience was great. If I had it to do over again, I would try to book with another travel agent there. www.unforgettablehoneymoons.com Qamea Resort and Spa : Honeymoon Grade : A+ Wow! This place was incredible, even when it was overcast most of the week we were there! We flew for close to 14 hours, PDX to LAX, LAX to Nadi, Fiji and then on a puddle jumper from Nadi to Taveuni. Then we were driven in a Range Rover for 20 minutes on a dirt rode to a beach where we got on a boat and went on a 10-minute boat ride across to the island of Qamea. We were greeted by a smiling and friendly staff, taken to their restaurant/lounge villa where we were served cocktails and fruit plates and given a quick rundown of the resort. Our accommodations were amazing. Our villa included a daybed and a pool on our deck, a large outdoor shower, a large bathroom that included a walk-in closet, two sinks, a towel warmer, large shower and then a large room with a four-poster bed on a platform with amazing linens and sheer curtains hanging, and then a living area with a couch, coffee table, stereo, lounge chairs, etc. I’ve never stayed in such an incredible place. The staff was so incredibly friendly, the food was some of the best food I’ve ever eaten. We snorkeled, went for a hike in the rainforest, swam in waterfalls, went to visit a village, did some nude sunbathing on our own private beach for an afternoon, my husband did some traditional Fijian hand-line fishing, kava ceremonies, a meek ceremony, beach volleyball and we visited the spa every day. The staff would make you snacks in between meals if you were hungry, the coral and the seashells were amazing and the rainforest absolutely incredible. It was the perfect way to end such an incredible experience. www.qamea.com Teness Herman : Intimate Portraits Grade : A+ WOW. This was an absolutely amazing experience. Teness is absolutely amazing. She made me feel so comfortable and relaxed…an absolute necessity to create the kind of pictures I was going for. I felt like I was taking pictures with a dear old friend. She and I spent months discussing the look and feel of the shoot. She recommended I look at a book called Women Before 10am by Veronique Vial. If you like the style of my intimate portraits (aka Boudoir Pictures…sorry, I think it’s a cheesy name), I would definitely recommend you check out this book for inspiration. We shot for three and a half hours and could have easily gone on for another two. She used multiple cameras and twice as many lenses with nothing but natural light, which really helped in creating a sensual feel. Her enthusiasm, creativity and eye for the perfect shot are truly unparalleled. If you don’t have room in your budget to do this as a wedding gift, I would highly recommend it as a first (paper) anniversary gift. www.teness.com
Look Weddings : Wedding Coordinator Grade : A- Cassia has been doing wedding coordination for about two years. She started because she enjoyed planning her own wedding so much. I work with her at my job and inquired about her services when I heard she was doing coordination. Her design of our custom built website alone was amazing. She used the graphics that my husband’s sister had created for our stationery and created a fairly extensive website. She also contacted all of our vendors the week of the wedding to verify their services for the day of. She setup our entire ceremony (which was hundreds of paper bag luminaries, tables, chairs, etc) and coordinated from there on. Cassia is a fairly reserved person and I think at times is intimidated to exert her assertiveness. However, I think this will only get better as she continues to work. Because she works a full time job, I think she’s become a bit worn down by doing both a full time coordination business along with her job. At this time, I don’t think she’s taking on any new weddings until 2007. www.lookweddings.com Kristin Bradetich : Graphic Design for Stationery Grade : A+ Well, Kristin is my husband’s older sister. By career, she designs logos for apparel for a small athletic apparel company in Boulder. When we asked her to help us with our stationery, she was very enthusiastic. She did a great job of taking our ideas and turning them into something that was stylish, unique and really created the essence of our wedding. She designed a logo we put on everything, our save the dates, invitations (including RSVP and Reception cards), rehearsal dinner invitations, programs, menu cards, Just Married sign for our getaway car and thank you cards. While she doesn’t create custom invitations for people, she should probably consider it as she’s very talented. Anders Printing : Stationery Printing Grade : B I worked with Jill at Anders to get the majority of our printing done. It felt good to be working with a local company to complete our printing needs. Jill was very friendly and helpful and they did a great job of getting the work turned around in a short time period. They printed everything from our logos on stickers to our save the dates, invitations and rehearsal dinner invitations. After getting quotes for our save the dates, I didn’t search around after that to see if I could find a better deal. So, when we had our invitations printed offset, I don’t know if it was cheaper than another printer. I was very clear with my requests on each job (thanks to the help of the graphic designer). However, when our invitations were ready, she charged me an extra $25 and I had A LOT of extra copies, far more than I had requested. I meant to question why we had been charged more than originally quoted and why we had so many extras but I never got around to it. I probably should have asked for a discount since they asked if they could put our invitations on their website. All in all, this was a good experience. www.andersprinting.com DJ Stay in School - Martin Wilson : Reception DJ Grade : B My husband is a big fan of electronica music. So, when it came time to hire a DJ, my husband took on this role. We contacted Connie Wohn of Stylus 503 (a DJ cooperative), thanks to a referral from Bethany of Nocturnal. Connie sent us a whole package of samples of different DJs. We chose Martin because of his style, obviously. He did a great job but I think there was too much going on at the reception (photobooth, downstairs bar, outdoor courtyard) to really get people dancing. While people did dance, I think they would have done more of it had we not had so much else going on. Martin did que up the wrong music (we provided specific music for specific events during the evening since he doesn’t have the regular wedding DJ collection) for the Mother/Son dance and didn’t que up any music for the cake cutting. However, I don’t think the cake cutting music was his fault as the coordinator didn’t let him know the cake was going to make its grand entrance. www.djstayinschool.com Taste of Honey - Honey Everett : Wedding Cake Grade : A As mentioned before, we wanted an ice cream cake as our wedding cake. Neither of us like cake. Amazingly, getting someone to make a wedding cake out of ice cream is harder than you might imagine. Every person we contacted acted like we were crazy. However, when we found Honey, she definitely knew what she was talking about. There are a lot of logistics involved with an ice cream wedding cake, i.e. delivery, setup, serving it, icing it, etc. Honey had such confidence that I wasn’t the least bit worried. We had three flavors, one of which being mint chocolate chip (the others I don’t remember), with a brownie bottom. Honey delivered and setup the cake after the reception had started. It tasted great and looked fantastic, even though it had started to melt, which I found somewhat charming, being as that it was ice cream cake! Oregon Chamber Players : Ceremony Musicians Grade : B- This was another responsibility of my husband’s. We picked all non-traditional music (Coldplay, The Verve, Enya) and had to find the sheet music for all of the songs we wanted played. Originally, we were going to use the Metropolitan Youth Symphony. However, once they started to review the sheet music for the songs we wanted played, they realized that they didn’t really currently have that kind of depth. Last minute, three weeks before the wedding, we had to find someone new. Considering the amount of time they had, the Oregon Chamber Players did great. They did mess up on one of the songs but it wasn’t really worth getting upset over. I also would have preferred a string quartet (which was our original plan) but that wasn’t really their fault. www.oregonchamberplayers.org Blizzard Motors : Getaway Car Grade : A Almost two years ago my husband and I bought a car from this lot (its in SE Portland). The lot is primarily fine European cars. When we were there to pick up our newly purchased car, the owner of the lot told us he would loan us a car of our choice for our wedding. My fiance chose a convertible Porsche to drive from the ceremony. It was a beautiful little black shiny thing and my husband thoroughly enjoyed driving it. I don’t know if Doug would be willing to rent out any of his cars but if you’re interested it might not hurt to ask. Western Culinary Institute : Martini Ice Luge Grade : A This was one of the best budget friendly finds of our entire wedding. We really wanted to have a martini luge but found that they were rather expensive to have made…that was, until we found out about the Western Culinary Institute’s ice sculpture class. Basically, they told us they could create anything we wanted and all we had to do was provide them with a drawing. My mom, who’s an artist, drew a great design, in keeping with our theme and stationery, and we provided it to WCI. They not only did a great job of recreating it but the cost included transporting it, delivery and setup. We paid more than they asked for, to donate towards their program, but regardless it was well worth it. Definitely one of the main highlights of the reception for our guests. Spa La La : Pre-Wedding Pampering Grade : B+ As part of my gift to the ladies in the wedding, I treated them to manicures and pedicures at Spa La La. While it’s not the best manicure and pedicure in town (my best friend and I often refer to them as the chop shop), the decor and vibe is great and they’ll serve you all the mimosas you want. We had twelve of us (the moms, five maids of honor, two readers, the two flower girls and myself) there and it was like our own little private party. The staff was very friendly and efficient and I think the ladies all enjoyed getting their nails done. www.spalala.net The Face Place – Dorene Klippel : Facial and Brazilian Wax Grade : A I’ve gone to Dorene every month for the last six years for a Brazilian wax. She does a fantastic job at those…well, it’s a Brazilian wax so it’s not like it feels good but in terms of the final look, she does a tremendous job. However, I decided to get a facial from her as well. Wow! Her facial was by far the best facial I’ve ever had…not only did I fall asleep but she did such an incredibly thorough job. It will be hard not to make getting a facial from her a monthly occurrence as well. www.waxqueen.com Salon 77 – Mahria Martinez : Brow Wax Grade : A+ I pretty much have caterpillars for eyebrows…I’m not kidding. So, not only do my eyebrows need to be professionally groomed on a regular basis but they need to be done well. Mahria is a dream…seriously, she’s absolutely amazing. It’s the only kind of waxing she does…you know if a girl can make a living off of just waxing eyebrows, she’s got to be good! And not only that, she’s the sweetest thing you’ve ever met. www.seventyseven.us Diane Jensen : Massage Grade : A+ So, I have to admit that before my husband and I bought our house, Diane was our landlord. However, my husband has some pretty severe back injuries (thanks to a motorcycle) and is always up for a massage. That being said, we get a lot of massages. Diane is fantastic. She works in a chiropractic clinic off of NW 23rd (which the chiropractor there is also fantastic, Suzanne Lady) and does pretty much any type of massage you’d like. If I were to say I have a regular LMT, Diane would be it…and without failure, I fall asleep on her table every time. She’s fantastic and a lot cheaper than a mediocre spa massage. And, she is so incredibly kind and sweet as well…you can’t beat that! She used to have a website but it doesn’t look like she does anymore. Contact me if you want to get in touch with her. Embellish Design : Wedding Dress Grade : A+ I went shopping on several different occasions for a wedding dress. After searching most of Portland for the dress, I decided to visit Terri at Embellish Design. Now, I would not even waste time looking for dresses to order. In the end, my dress cost less than any of my final choices of the dresses I found in the salons. Not only that, the experience was so incredibly fun. Originally, I went into her studio with pictures of my final choices as well as other dresses I liked. We went through each picture and discussed what I liked about each one. We took elements from all of those to create my dress. Terri is so knowledgeable about what she does and extremely talented in the art of designing and sewing gowns. We discussed everything from different fabrics to different styles and the pluses and negatives of each. In the end, I had a dress that was exactly what I wanted, custom fit to my body. I would highly recommend working with Terri. I hope that I’ll have a reason for her to make me another dress (she makes party dresses too) some time. www.embellishdesign.com Patty Lehner : Wedding Jewelry Grade : A+ I saw a variation of my wedding dress in an Oregon Bride magazine months before my wedding. The earrings that the model was wearing were wonderful. When I looked up where they came from, the magazine said Ella Posie (which is now closed but was on NE Broadway). Carmen (who is also a wedding coordinator) of Ella Posie got me in touch with Patty, who had designed the jewelry. Patty was an absolute delight to work with…kind of like working with your spunky grandmother. We talked about what I wanted and she worked efficiently to get pieces done for me. She made a variation of the earrings I wanted with several different types of pearls and different lengths so I had something to choose from. Then, she made a bangle to match. And when I asked for some extra pearls and crystals for my ring bearer pillow and hair jewelry, not only did she have no problem sending me on my way with a little bag of each but she also refused to charge me for them when I tried to pay her. August Veils : Hair Jewelry Grade : A Patty referred me to Andrea to have my hair jewelry made (Patty doesn’t like to make it). I brought the pearls and crystals that Patty had used in my jewelry to have Andrea create some sparkle for my hair. She created exactly what I was looking for and in a very short amount of time. www.augustveils.com Cromwell Formalwear : Tuxedo Rentals Grade : A While my husband bought a suit for the wedding, we needed rentals for everyone else. Cromwell’s had a good selection and a helpful staff. They kept us informed on everyone who had, or hadn’t, been fitted and I didn’t hear of any problems that anyone had with their rentals. www.cromwellformalwear.com Twist : Wedding Rings Grade : A We searched for quite some time to find rings that we really loved. While I love the traditional platinum eternity band, I wanted something a little different to go with my princess cut solitaire. My husband wanted a platinum ring but not completely plain. Twist, although not a store you would typically think of for wedding bands, had just what we were looking for. The staff was very friendly and when they ordered our rings, they said it would take eight weeks to get them in (which was cutting it really close). Two weeks later, we received a call letting us know that our rings were in. I love the uniqueness of our rings! www.twistonline.com Shane Co : Engagement Ring Grade : C+ In one week, my husband sold his motorcycle, decided to ask me to marry him and bought a ring. The ring is exactly what I would have picked out, a plain platinum band with a princess cut solitaire. However, if I had had a say in it, I never would have gotten my ring at Shane Co. I think their staff is kind of tacky, not to mention their showroom, and I’m always frustrated by their service when I take my ring in to be cleaned or polished...and lets not even begin to discuss their ads! www.shaneco.com Hotel Lucia : Wedding Night Hotel Grade : A I love this place! We booked their “Did I Mention I Want You?” package in a King Suite. When we arrived at the hotel with nothing but the wedding clothes we were still wearing, they were quick to check us in. Our bed was covered in rose petals, there was music playing, champagne being chilled and a box of toys, i.e. body crayons, furry handcuffs and a book of positions for every day of the year. We ordered room service at about 1:30am because neither of us really ate at our reception. They were prompt and the food was tasty. I wish we didn’t live in Portland so we had more reasons to stay here…it’s such a chic hotel! www.hotellucia.com Bluestar Charter : Guest Transportation Grade : C Originally, we were expecting a lot of guests from out of state. We booked a charter bus to pick up guests from downtown Portland and transport them to Mt Tabor Park and then to Nocturnal. Unfortunately, my husbands grandfather passed away two months before our wedding and many of what we assumed would be the out of town guests could no longer make it due to their last minute flights to the funeral. Regardless, I still think this was a good thing to have. However, we revised our timeline for the bus and faxed it in. For whatever reason, they didn’t follow this and were 1.5 hours early to pick up guests and consequently ended their evening 1.5 hours earlier than we were originally anticipating. I’m not sure why they were running on the old timeline as I had faxed the revised one to them. While in the grand scheme of things, it wasn’t that big of a deal, I was irritated that we had paid for something and then couldn’t even utilize it for 1.5 hours. www.bluestarbus.com The Party Place : Chair Rentals Grade : A Although Mt Tabor Amphitheatre has some benches, we rented some chairs as well to insure we had enough seating. To be honest, I have no idea if this all worked out. I assume they arrived on time as they were all set up prior to the ceremony. And I assume they were picked up just fine since I haven’t heard from them about not getting their chairs back or something. Unforgettable Honeymoons Renee Duane-Meyer : Travel Agent Grade : A for knowledge, C for personality When it came time to plan our honeymoon, we were running out of energy, especially to plan the fantastic honeymoon we both wanted. While we both found Renee to be fairly pretentious and full of herself, she was very knowledgeable. At first, we wanted to go to Bora Bora and Taha’a. However, Renee couldn’t find us any availability for the room types we wanted. She asked us if we would consider Fiji, which we of course would and did. She booked us for 7 nights at Qamea Resort and Spa in Fiji in a premium villa. The resort was amazing but I grew a bit concerned when four different couples at the resort (which has a maximum capacity for 28 adults total) had been booked there with Renee from Unforgettable Honeymoons. I don’t know what sort of a kickback Renee receives for referring clients there and I guess it doesn’t really matter because the resort really is all she says it is. However, it doesn’t feel very good to feel like she’s only sending people to that one place, especially when we already felt like she had a pretty inflated ego. My best friend and her husband booked through Unforgettable Honeymoons for their honeymoon, not with Renee, and said their experience was great. If I had it to do over again, I would try to book with another travel agent there. www.unforgettablehoneymoons.com Qamea Resort and Spa : Honeymoon Grade : A+ Wow! This place was incredible, even when it was overcast most of the week we were there! We flew for close to 14 hours, PDX to LAX, LAX to Nadi, Fiji and then on a puddle jumper from Nadi to Taveuni. Then we were driven in a Range Rover for 20 minutes on a dirt rode to a beach where we got on a boat and went on a 10-minute boat ride across to the island of Qamea. We were greeted by a smiling and friendly staff, taken to their restaurant/lounge villa where we were served cocktails and fruit plates and given a quick rundown of the resort. Our accommodations were amazing. Our villa included a daybed and a pool on our deck, a large outdoor shower, a large bathroom that included a walk-in closet, two sinks, a towel warmer, large shower and then a large room with a four-poster bed on a platform with amazing linens and sheer curtains hanging, and then a living area with a couch, coffee table, stereo, lounge chairs, etc. I’ve never stayed in such an incredible place. The staff was so incredibly friendly, the food was some of the best food I’ve ever eaten. We snorkeled, went for a hike in the rainforest, swam in waterfalls, went to visit a village, did some nude sunbathing on our own private beach for an afternoon, my husband did some traditional Fijian hand-line fishing, kava ceremonies, a meek ceremony, beach volleyball and we visited the spa every day. The staff would make you snacks in between meals if you were hungry, the coral and the seashells were amazing and the rainforest absolutely incredible. It was the perfect way to end such an incredible experience. www.qamea.com Teness Herman : Intimate Portraits Grade : A+ WOW. This was an absolutely amazing experience. Teness is absolutely amazing. She made me feel so comfortable and relaxed…an absolute necessity to create the kind of pictures I was going for. I felt like I was taking pictures with a dear old friend. She and I spent months discussing the look and feel of the shoot. She recommended I look at a book called Women Before 10am by Veronique Vial. If you like the style of my intimate portraits (aka Boudoir Pictures…sorry, I think it’s a cheesy name), I would definitely recommend you check out this book for inspiration. We shot for three and a half hours and could have easily gone on for another two. She used multiple cameras and twice as many lenses with nothing but natural light, which really helped in creating a sensual feel. Her enthusiasm, creativity and eye for the perfect shot are truly unparalleled. If you don’t have room in your budget to do this as a wedding gift, I would highly recommend it as a first (paper) anniversary gift. www.teness.com
www.lookweddings.com Kristin Bradetich : Graphic Design for Stationery Grade : A+ Well, Kristin is my husband’s older sister. By career, she designs logos for apparel for a small athletic apparel company in Boulder. When we asked her to help us with our stationery, she was very enthusiastic. She did a great job of taking our ideas and turning them into something that was stylish, unique and really created the essence of our wedding. She designed a logo we put on everything, our save the dates, invitations (including RSVP and Reception cards), rehearsal dinner invitations, programs, menu cards, Just Married sign for our getaway car and thank you cards. While she doesn’t create custom invitations for people, she should probably consider it as she’s very talented. Anders Printing : Stationery Printing Grade : B I worked with Jill at Anders to get the majority of our printing done. It felt good to be working with a local company to complete our printing needs. Jill was very friendly and helpful and they did a great job of getting the work turned around in a short time period. They printed everything from our logos on stickers to our save the dates, invitations and rehearsal dinner invitations. After getting quotes for our save the dates, I didn’t search around after that to see if I could find a better deal. So, when we had our invitations printed offset, I don’t know if it was cheaper than another printer. I was very clear with my requests on each job (thanks to the help of the graphic designer). However, when our invitations were ready, she charged me an extra $25 and I had A LOT of extra copies, far more than I had requested. I meant to question why we had been charged more than originally quoted and why we had so many extras but I never got around to it. I probably should have asked for a discount since they asked if they could put our invitations on their website. All in all, this was a good experience. www.andersprinting.com DJ Stay in School - Martin Wilson : Reception DJ Grade : B My husband is a big fan of electronica music. So, when it came time to hire a DJ, my husband took on this role. We contacted Connie Wohn of Stylus 503 (a DJ cooperative), thanks to a referral from Bethany of Nocturnal. Connie sent us a whole package of samples of different DJs. We chose Martin because of his style, obviously. He did a great job but I think there was too much going on at the reception (photobooth, downstairs bar, outdoor courtyard) to really get people dancing. While people did dance, I think they would have done more of it had we not had so much else going on. Martin did que up the wrong music (we provided specific music for specific events during the evening since he doesn’t have the regular wedding DJ collection) for the Mother/Son dance and didn’t que up any music for the cake cutting. However, I don’t think the cake cutting music was his fault as the coordinator didn’t let him know the cake was going to make its grand entrance. www.djstayinschool.com Taste of Honey - Honey Everett : Wedding Cake Grade : A As mentioned before, we wanted an ice cream cake as our wedding cake. Neither of us like cake. Amazingly, getting someone to make a wedding cake out of ice cream is harder than you might imagine. Every person we contacted acted like we were crazy. However, when we found Honey, she definitely knew what she was talking about. There are a lot of logistics involved with an ice cream wedding cake, i.e. delivery, setup, serving it, icing it, etc. Honey had such confidence that I wasn’t the least bit worried. We had three flavors, one of which being mint chocolate chip (the others I don’t remember), with a brownie bottom. Honey delivered and setup the cake after the reception had started. It tasted great and looked fantastic, even though it had started to melt, which I found somewhat charming, being as that it was ice cream cake! Oregon Chamber Players : Ceremony Musicians Grade : B- This was another responsibility of my husband’s. We picked all non-traditional music (Coldplay, The Verve, Enya) and had to find the sheet music for all of the songs we wanted played. Originally, we were going to use the Metropolitan Youth Symphony. However, once they started to review the sheet music for the songs we wanted played, they realized that they didn’t really currently have that kind of depth. Last minute, three weeks before the wedding, we had to find someone new. Considering the amount of time they had, the Oregon Chamber Players did great. They did mess up on one of the songs but it wasn’t really worth getting upset over. I also would have preferred a string quartet (which was our original plan) but that wasn’t really their fault. www.oregonchamberplayers.org Blizzard Motors : Getaway Car Grade : A Almost two years ago my husband and I bought a car from this lot (its in SE Portland). The lot is primarily fine European cars. When we were there to pick up our newly purchased car, the owner of the lot told us he would loan us a car of our choice for our wedding. My fiance chose a convertible Porsche to drive from the ceremony. It was a beautiful little black shiny thing and my husband thoroughly enjoyed driving it. I don’t know if Doug would be willing to rent out any of his cars but if you’re interested it might not hurt to ask. Western Culinary Institute : Martini Ice Luge Grade : A This was one of the best budget friendly finds of our entire wedding. We really wanted to have a martini luge but found that they were rather expensive to have made…that was, until we found out about the Western Culinary Institute’s ice sculpture class. Basically, they told us they could create anything we wanted and all we had to do was provide them with a drawing. My mom, who’s an artist, drew a great design, in keeping with our theme and stationery, and we provided it to WCI. They not only did a great job of recreating it but the cost included transporting it, delivery and setup. We paid more than they asked for, to donate towards their program, but regardless it was well worth it. Definitely one of the main highlights of the reception for our guests. Spa La La : Pre-Wedding Pampering Grade : B+ As part of my gift to the ladies in the wedding, I treated them to manicures and pedicures at Spa La La. While it’s not the best manicure and pedicure in town (my best friend and I often refer to them as the chop shop), the decor and vibe is great and they’ll serve you all the mimosas you want. We had twelve of us (the moms, five maids of honor, two readers, the two flower girls and myself) there and it was like our own little private party. The staff was very friendly and efficient and I think the ladies all enjoyed getting their nails done. www.spalala.net The Face Place – Dorene Klippel : Facial and Brazilian Wax Grade : A I’ve gone to Dorene every month for the last six years for a Brazilian wax. She does a fantastic job at those…well, it’s a Brazilian wax so it’s not like it feels good but in terms of the final look, she does a tremendous job. However, I decided to get a facial from her as well. Wow! Her facial was by far the best facial I’ve ever had…not only did I fall asleep but she did such an incredibly thorough job. It will be hard not to make getting a facial from her a monthly occurrence as well. www.waxqueen.com Salon 77 – Mahria Martinez : Brow Wax Grade : A+ I pretty much have caterpillars for eyebrows…I’m not kidding. So, not only do my eyebrows need to be professionally groomed on a regular basis but they need to be done well. Mahria is a dream…seriously, she’s absolutely amazing. It’s the only kind of waxing she does…you know if a girl can make a living off of just waxing eyebrows, she’s got to be good! And not only that, she’s the sweetest thing you’ve ever met. www.seventyseven.us Diane Jensen : Massage Grade : A+ So, I have to admit that before my husband and I bought our house, Diane was our landlord. However, my husband has some pretty severe back injuries (thanks to a motorcycle) and is always up for a massage. That being said, we get a lot of massages. Diane is fantastic. She works in a chiropractic clinic off of NW 23rd (which the chiropractor there is also fantastic, Suzanne Lady) and does pretty much any type of massage you’d like. If I were to say I have a regular LMT, Diane would be it…and without failure, I fall asleep on her table every time. She’s fantastic and a lot cheaper than a mediocre spa massage. And, she is so incredibly kind and sweet as well…you can’t beat that! She used to have a website but it doesn’t look like she does anymore. Contact me if you want to get in touch with her. Embellish Design : Wedding Dress Grade : A+ I went shopping on several different occasions for a wedding dress. After searching most of Portland for the dress, I decided to visit Terri at Embellish Design. Now, I would not even waste time looking for dresses to order. In the end, my dress cost less than any of my final choices of the dresses I found in the salons. Not only that, the experience was so incredibly fun. Originally, I went into her studio with pictures of my final choices as well as other dresses I liked. We went through each picture and discussed what I liked about each one. We took elements from all of those to create my dress. Terri is so knowledgeable about what she does and extremely talented in the art of designing and sewing gowns. We discussed everything from different fabrics to different styles and the pluses and negatives of each. In the end, I had a dress that was exactly what I wanted, custom fit to my body. I would highly recommend working with Terri. I hope that I’ll have a reason for her to make me another dress (she makes party dresses too) some time. www.embellishdesign.com Patty Lehner : Wedding Jewelry Grade : A+ I saw a variation of my wedding dress in an Oregon Bride magazine months before my wedding. The earrings that the model was wearing were wonderful. When I looked up where they came from, the magazine said Ella Posie (which is now closed but was on NE Broadway). Carmen (who is also a wedding coordinator) of Ella Posie got me in touch with Patty, who had designed the jewelry. Patty was an absolute delight to work with…kind of like working with your spunky grandmother. We talked about what I wanted and she worked efficiently to get pieces done for me. She made a variation of the earrings I wanted with several different types of pearls and different lengths so I had something to choose from. Then, she made a bangle to match. And when I asked for some extra pearls and crystals for my ring bearer pillow and hair jewelry, not only did she have no problem sending me on my way with a little bag of each but she also refused to charge me for them when I tried to pay her. August Veils : Hair Jewelry Grade : A Patty referred me to Andrea to have my hair jewelry made (Patty doesn’t like to make it). I brought the pearls and crystals that Patty had used in my jewelry to have Andrea create some sparkle for my hair. She created exactly what I was looking for and in a very short amount of time. www.augustveils.com Cromwell Formalwear : Tuxedo Rentals Grade : A While my husband bought a suit for the wedding, we needed rentals for everyone else. Cromwell’s had a good selection and a helpful staff. They kept us informed on everyone who had, or hadn’t, been fitted and I didn’t hear of any problems that anyone had with their rentals. www.cromwellformalwear.com Twist : Wedding Rings Grade : A We searched for quite some time to find rings that we really loved. While I love the traditional platinum eternity band, I wanted something a little different to go with my princess cut solitaire. My husband wanted a platinum ring but not completely plain. Twist, although not a store you would typically think of for wedding bands, had just what we were looking for. The staff was very friendly and when they ordered our rings, they said it would take eight weeks to get them in (which was cutting it really close). Two weeks later, we received a call letting us know that our rings were in. I love the uniqueness of our rings! www.twistonline.com Shane Co : Engagement Ring Grade : C+ In one week, my husband sold his motorcycle, decided to ask me to marry him and bought a ring. The ring is exactly what I would have picked out, a plain platinum band with a princess cut solitaire. However, if I had had a say in it, I never would have gotten my ring at Shane Co. I think their staff is kind of tacky, not to mention their showroom, and I’m always frustrated by their service when I take my ring in to be cleaned or polished...and lets not even begin to discuss their ads! www.shaneco.com Hotel Lucia : Wedding Night Hotel Grade : A I love this place! We booked their “Did I Mention I Want You?” package in a King Suite. When we arrived at the hotel with nothing but the wedding clothes we were still wearing, they were quick to check us in. Our bed was covered in rose petals, there was music playing, champagne being chilled and a box of toys, i.e. body crayons, furry handcuffs and a book of positions for every day of the year. We ordered room service at about 1:30am because neither of us really ate at our reception. They were prompt and the food was tasty. I wish we didn’t live in Portland so we had more reasons to stay here…it’s such a chic hotel! www.hotellucia.com Bluestar Charter : Guest Transportation Grade : C Originally, we were expecting a lot of guests from out of state. We booked a charter bus to pick up guests from downtown Portland and transport them to Mt Tabor Park and then to Nocturnal. Unfortunately, my husbands grandfather passed away two months before our wedding and many of what we assumed would be the out of town guests could no longer make it due to their last minute flights to the funeral. Regardless, I still think this was a good thing to have. However, we revised our timeline for the bus and faxed it in. For whatever reason, they didn’t follow this and were 1.5 hours early to pick up guests and consequently ended their evening 1.5 hours earlier than we were originally anticipating. I’m not sure why they were running on the old timeline as I had faxed the revised one to them. While in the grand scheme of things, it wasn’t that big of a deal, I was irritated that we had paid for something and then couldn’t even utilize it for 1.5 hours. www.bluestarbus.com The Party Place : Chair Rentals Grade : A Although Mt Tabor Amphitheatre has some benches, we rented some chairs as well to insure we had enough seating. To be honest, I have no idea if this all worked out. I assume they arrived on time as they were all set up prior to the ceremony. And I assume they were picked up just fine since I haven’t heard from them about not getting their chairs back or something. Unforgettable Honeymoons Renee Duane-Meyer : Travel Agent Grade : A for knowledge, C for personality When it came time to plan our honeymoon, we were running out of energy, especially to plan the fantastic honeymoon we both wanted. While we both found Renee to be fairly pretentious and full of herself, she was very knowledgeable. At first, we wanted to go to Bora Bora and Taha’a. However, Renee couldn’t find us any availability for the room types we wanted. She asked us if we would consider Fiji, which we of course would and did. She booked us for 7 nights at Qamea Resort and Spa in Fiji in a premium villa. The resort was amazing but I grew a bit concerned when four different couples at the resort (which has a maximum capacity for 28 adults total) had been booked there with Renee from Unforgettable Honeymoons. I don’t know what sort of a kickback Renee receives for referring clients there and I guess it doesn’t really matter because the resort really is all she says it is. However, it doesn’t feel very good to feel like she’s only sending people to that one place, especially when we already felt like she had a pretty inflated ego. My best friend and her husband booked through Unforgettable Honeymoons for their honeymoon, not with Renee, and said their experience was great. If I had it to do over again, I would try to book with another travel agent there. www.unforgettablehoneymoons.com Qamea Resort and Spa : Honeymoon Grade : A+ Wow! This place was incredible, even when it was overcast most of the week we were there! We flew for close to 14 hours, PDX to LAX, LAX to Nadi, Fiji and then on a puddle jumper from Nadi to Taveuni. Then we were driven in a Range Rover for 20 minutes on a dirt rode to a beach where we got on a boat and went on a 10-minute boat ride across to the island of Qamea. We were greeted by a smiling and friendly staff, taken to their restaurant/lounge villa where we were served cocktails and fruit plates and given a quick rundown of the resort. Our accommodations were amazing. Our villa included a daybed and a pool on our deck, a large outdoor shower, a large bathroom that included a walk-in closet, two sinks, a towel warmer, large shower and then a large room with a four-poster bed on a platform with amazing linens and sheer curtains hanging, and then a living area with a couch, coffee table, stereo, lounge chairs, etc. I’ve never stayed in such an incredible place. The staff was so incredibly friendly, the food was some of the best food I’ve ever eaten. We snorkeled, went for a hike in the rainforest, swam in waterfalls, went to visit a village, did some nude sunbathing on our own private beach for an afternoon, my husband did some traditional Fijian hand-line fishing, kava ceremonies, a meek ceremony, beach volleyball and we visited the spa every day. The staff would make you snacks in between meals if you were hungry, the coral and the seashells were amazing and the rainforest absolutely incredible. It was the perfect way to end such an incredible experience. www.qamea.com Teness Herman : Intimate Portraits Grade : A+ WOW. This was an absolutely amazing experience. Teness is absolutely amazing. She made me feel so comfortable and relaxed…an absolute necessity to create the kind of pictures I was going for. I felt like I was taking pictures with a dear old friend. She and I spent months discussing the look and feel of the shoot. She recommended I look at a book called Women Before 10am by Veronique Vial. If you like the style of my intimate portraits (aka Boudoir Pictures…sorry, I think it’s a cheesy name), I would definitely recommend you check out this book for inspiration. We shot for three and a half hours and could have easily gone on for another two. She used multiple cameras and twice as many lenses with nothing but natural light, which really helped in creating a sensual feel. Her enthusiasm, creativity and eye for the perfect shot are truly unparalleled. If you don’t have room in your budget to do this as a wedding gift, I would highly recommend it as a first (paper) anniversary gift. www.teness.com
Kristin Bradetich : Graphic Design for Stationery Grade : A+ Well, Kristin is my husband’s older sister. By career, she designs logos for apparel for a small athletic apparel company in Boulder. When we asked her to help us with our stationery, she was very enthusiastic. She did a great job of taking our ideas and turning them into something that was stylish, unique and really created the essence of our wedding. She designed a logo we put on everything, our save the dates, invitations (including RSVP and Reception cards), rehearsal dinner invitations, programs, menu cards, Just Married sign for our getaway car and thank you cards. While she doesn’t create custom invitations for people, she should probably consider it as she’s very talented. Anders Printing : Stationery Printing Grade : B I worked with Jill at Anders to get the majority of our printing done. It felt good to be working with a local company to complete our printing needs. Jill was very friendly and helpful and they did a great job of getting the work turned around in a short time period. They printed everything from our logos on stickers to our save the dates, invitations and rehearsal dinner invitations. After getting quotes for our save the dates, I didn’t search around after that to see if I could find a better deal. So, when we had our invitations printed offset, I don’t know if it was cheaper than another printer. I was very clear with my requests on each job (thanks to the help of the graphic designer). However, when our invitations were ready, she charged me an extra $25 and I had A LOT of extra copies, far more than I had requested. I meant to question why we had been charged more than originally quoted and why we had so many extras but I never got around to it. I probably should have asked for a discount since they asked if they could put our invitations on their website. All in all, this was a good experience. www.andersprinting.com DJ Stay in School - Martin Wilson : Reception DJ Grade : B My husband is a big fan of electronica music. So, when it came time to hire a DJ, my husband took on this role. We contacted Connie Wohn of Stylus 503 (a DJ cooperative), thanks to a referral from Bethany of Nocturnal. Connie sent us a whole package of samples of different DJs. We chose Martin because of his style, obviously. He did a great job but I think there was too much going on at the reception (photobooth, downstairs bar, outdoor courtyard) to really get people dancing. While people did dance, I think they would have done more of it had we not had so much else going on. Martin did que up the wrong music (we provided specific music for specific events during the evening since he doesn’t have the regular wedding DJ collection) for the Mother/Son dance and didn’t que up any music for the cake cutting. However, I don’t think the cake cutting music was his fault as the coordinator didn’t let him know the cake was going to make its grand entrance. www.djstayinschool.com Taste of Honey - Honey Everett : Wedding Cake Grade : A As mentioned before, we wanted an ice cream cake as our wedding cake. Neither of us like cake. Amazingly, getting someone to make a wedding cake out of ice cream is harder than you might imagine. Every person we contacted acted like we were crazy. However, when we found Honey, she definitely knew what she was talking about. There are a lot of logistics involved with an ice cream wedding cake, i.e. delivery, setup, serving it, icing it, etc. Honey had such confidence that I wasn’t the least bit worried. We had three flavors, one of which being mint chocolate chip (the others I don’t remember), with a brownie bottom. Honey delivered and setup the cake after the reception had started. It tasted great and looked fantastic, even though it had started to melt, which I found somewhat charming, being as that it was ice cream cake! Oregon Chamber Players : Ceremony Musicians Grade : B- This was another responsibility of my husband’s. We picked all non-traditional music (Coldplay, The Verve, Enya) and had to find the sheet music for all of the songs we wanted played. Originally, we were going to use the Metropolitan Youth Symphony. However, once they started to review the sheet music for the songs we wanted played, they realized that they didn’t really currently have that kind of depth. Last minute, three weeks before the wedding, we had to find someone new. Considering the amount of time they had, the Oregon Chamber Players did great. They did mess up on one of the songs but it wasn’t really worth getting upset over. I also would have preferred a string quartet (which was our original plan) but that wasn’t really their fault. www.oregonchamberplayers.org Blizzard Motors : Getaway Car Grade : A Almost two years ago my husband and I bought a car from this lot (its in SE Portland). The lot is primarily fine European cars. When we were there to pick up our newly purchased car, the owner of the lot told us he would loan us a car of our choice for our wedding. My fiance chose a convertible Porsche to drive from the ceremony. It was a beautiful little black shiny thing and my husband thoroughly enjoyed driving it. I don’t know if Doug would be willing to rent out any of his cars but if you’re interested it might not hurt to ask. Western Culinary Institute : Martini Ice Luge Grade : A This was one of the best budget friendly finds of our entire wedding. We really wanted to have a martini luge but found that they were rather expensive to have made…that was, until we found out about the Western Culinary Institute’s ice sculpture class. Basically, they told us they could create anything we wanted and all we had to do was provide them with a drawing. My mom, who’s an artist, drew a great design, in keeping with our theme and stationery, and we provided it to WCI. They not only did a great job of recreating it but the cost included transporting it, delivery and setup. We paid more than they asked for, to donate towards their program, but regardless it was well worth it. Definitely one of the main highlights of the reception for our guests. Spa La La : Pre-Wedding Pampering Grade : B+ As part of my gift to the ladies in the wedding, I treated them to manicures and pedicures at Spa La La. While it’s not the best manicure and pedicure in town (my best friend and I often refer to them as the chop shop), the decor and vibe is great and they’ll serve you all the mimosas you want. We had twelve of us (the moms, five maids of honor, two readers, the two flower girls and myself) there and it was like our own little private party. The staff was very friendly and efficient and I think the ladies all enjoyed getting their nails done. www.spalala.net The Face Place – Dorene Klippel : Facial and Brazilian Wax Grade : A I’ve gone to Dorene every month for the last six years for a Brazilian wax. She does a fantastic job at those…well, it’s a Brazilian wax so it’s not like it feels good but in terms of the final look, she does a tremendous job. However, I decided to get a facial from her as well. Wow! Her facial was by far the best facial I’ve ever had…not only did I fall asleep but she did such an incredibly thorough job. It will be hard not to make getting a facial from her a monthly occurrence as well. www.waxqueen.com Salon 77 – Mahria Martinez : Brow Wax Grade : A+ I pretty much have caterpillars for eyebrows…I’m not kidding. So, not only do my eyebrows need to be professionally groomed on a regular basis but they need to be done well. Mahria is a dream…seriously, she’s absolutely amazing. It’s the only kind of waxing she does…you know if a girl can make a living off of just waxing eyebrows, she’s got to be good! And not only that, she’s the sweetest thing you’ve ever met. www.seventyseven.us Diane Jensen : Massage Grade : A+ So, I have to admit that before my husband and I bought our house, Diane was our landlord. However, my husband has some pretty severe back injuries (thanks to a motorcycle) and is always up for a massage. That being said, we get a lot of massages. Diane is fantastic. She works in a chiropractic clinic off of NW 23rd (which the chiropractor there is also fantastic, Suzanne Lady) and does pretty much any type of massage you’d like. If I were to say I have a regular LMT, Diane would be it…and without failure, I fall asleep on her table every time. She’s fantastic and a lot cheaper than a mediocre spa massage. And, she is so incredibly kind and sweet as well…you can’t beat that! She used to have a website but it doesn’t look like she does anymore. Contact me if you want to get in touch with her. Embellish Design : Wedding Dress Grade : A+ I went shopping on several different occasions for a wedding dress. After searching most of Portland for the dress, I decided to visit Terri at Embellish Design. Now, I would not even waste time looking for dresses to order. In the end, my dress cost less than any of my final choices of the dresses I found in the salons. Not only that, the experience was so incredibly fun. Originally, I went into her studio with pictures of my final choices as well as other dresses I liked. We went through each picture and discussed what I liked about each one. We took elements from all of those to create my dress. Terri is so knowledgeable about what she does and extremely talented in the art of designing and sewing gowns. We discussed everything from different fabrics to different styles and the pluses and negatives of each. In the end, I had a dress that was exactly what I wanted, custom fit to my body. I would highly recommend working with Terri. I hope that I’ll have a reason for her to make me another dress (she makes party dresses too) some time. www.embellishdesign.com Patty Lehner : Wedding Jewelry Grade : A+ I saw a variation of my wedding dress in an Oregon Bride magazine months before my wedding. The earrings that the model was wearing were wonderful. When I looked up where they came from, the magazine said Ella Posie (which is now closed but was on NE Broadway). Carmen (who is also a wedding coordinator) of Ella Posie got me in touch with Patty, who had designed the jewelry. Patty was an absolute delight to work with…kind of like working with your spunky grandmother. We talked about what I wanted and she worked efficiently to get pieces done for me. She made a variation of the earrings I wanted with several different types of pearls and different lengths so I had something to choose from. Then, she made a bangle to match. And when I asked for some extra pearls and crystals for my ring bearer pillow and hair jewelry, not only did she have no problem sending me on my way with a little bag of each but she also refused to charge me for them when I tried to pay her. August Veils : Hair Jewelry Grade : A Patty referred me to Andrea to have my hair jewelry made (Patty doesn’t like to make it). I brought the pearls and crystals that Patty had used in my jewelry to have Andrea create some sparkle for my hair. She created exactly what I was looking for and in a very short amount of time. www.augustveils.com Cromwell Formalwear : Tuxedo Rentals Grade : A While my husband bought a suit for the wedding, we needed rentals for everyone else. Cromwell’s had a good selection and a helpful staff. They kept us informed on everyone who had, or hadn’t, been fitted and I didn’t hear of any problems that anyone had with their rentals. www.cromwellformalwear.com Twist : Wedding Rings Grade : A We searched for quite some time to find rings that we really loved. While I love the traditional platinum eternity band, I wanted something a little different to go with my princess cut solitaire. My husband wanted a platinum ring but not completely plain. Twist, although not a store you would typically think of for wedding bands, had just what we were looking for. The staff was very friendly and when they ordered our rings, they said it would take eight weeks to get them in (which was cutting it really close). Two weeks later, we received a call letting us know that our rings were in. I love the uniqueness of our rings! www.twistonline.com Shane Co : Engagement Ring Grade : C+ In one week, my husband sold his motorcycle, decided to ask me to marry him and bought a ring. The ring is exactly what I would have picked out, a plain platinum band with a princess cut solitaire. However, if I had had a say in it, I never would have gotten my ring at Shane Co. I think their staff is kind of tacky, not to mention their showroom, and I’m always frustrated by their service when I take my ring in to be cleaned or polished...and lets not even begin to discuss their ads! www.shaneco.com Hotel Lucia : Wedding Night Hotel Grade : A I love this place! We booked their “Did I Mention I Want You?” package in a King Suite. When we arrived at the hotel with nothing but the wedding clothes we were still wearing, they were quick to check us in. Our bed was covered in rose petals, there was music playing, champagne being chilled and a box of toys, i.e. body crayons, furry handcuffs and a book of positions for every day of the year. We ordered room service at about 1:30am because neither of us really ate at our reception. They were prompt and the food was tasty. I wish we didn’t live in Portland so we had more reasons to stay here…it’s such a chic hotel! www.hotellucia.com Bluestar Charter : Guest Transportation Grade : C Originally, we were expecting a lot of guests from out of state. We booked a charter bus to pick up guests from downtown Portland and transport them to Mt Tabor Park and then to Nocturnal. Unfortunately, my husbands grandfather passed away two months before our wedding and many of what we assumed would be the out of town guests could no longer make it due to their last minute flights to the funeral. Regardless, I still think this was a good thing to have. However, we revised our timeline for the bus and faxed it in. For whatever reason, they didn’t follow this and were 1.5 hours early to pick up guests and consequently ended their evening 1.5 hours earlier than we were originally anticipating. I’m not sure why they were running on the old timeline as I had faxed the revised one to them. While in the grand scheme of things, it wasn’t that big of a deal, I was irritated that we had paid for something and then couldn’t even utilize it for 1.5 hours. www.bluestarbus.com The Party Place : Chair Rentals Grade : A Although Mt Tabor Amphitheatre has some benches, we rented some chairs as well to insure we had enough seating. To be honest, I have no idea if this all worked out. I assume they arrived on time as they were all set up prior to the ceremony. And I assume they were picked up just fine since I haven’t heard from them about not getting their chairs back or something. Unforgettable Honeymoons Renee Duane-Meyer : Travel Agent Grade : A for knowledge, C for personality When it came time to plan our honeymoon, we were running out of energy, especially to plan the fantastic honeymoon we both wanted. While we both found Renee to be fairly pretentious and full of herself, she was very knowledgeable. At first, we wanted to go to Bora Bora and Taha’a. However, Renee couldn’t find us any availability for the room types we wanted. She asked us if we would consider Fiji, which we of course would and did. She booked us for 7 nights at Qamea Resort and Spa in Fiji in a premium villa. The resort was amazing but I grew a bit concerned when four different couples at the resort (which has a maximum capacity for 28 adults total) had been booked there with Renee from Unforgettable Honeymoons. I don’t know what sort of a kickback Renee receives for referring clients there and I guess it doesn’t really matter because the resort really is all she says it is. However, it doesn’t feel very good to feel like she’s only sending people to that one place, especially when we already felt like she had a pretty inflated ego. My best friend and her husband booked through Unforgettable Honeymoons for their honeymoon, not with Renee, and said their experience was great. If I had it to do over again, I would try to book with another travel agent there. www.unforgettablehoneymoons.com Qamea Resort and Spa : Honeymoon Grade : A+ Wow! This place was incredible, even when it was overcast most of the week we were there! We flew for close to 14 hours, PDX to LAX, LAX to Nadi, Fiji and then on a puddle jumper from Nadi to Taveuni. Then we were driven in a Range Rover for 20 minutes on a dirt rode to a beach where we got on a boat and went on a 10-minute boat ride across to the island of Qamea. We were greeted by a smiling and friendly staff, taken to their restaurant/lounge villa where we were served cocktails and fruit plates and given a quick rundown of the resort. Our accommodations were amazing. Our villa included a daybed and a pool on our deck, a large outdoor shower, a large bathroom that included a walk-in closet, two sinks, a towel warmer, large shower and then a large room with a four-poster bed on a platform with amazing linens and sheer curtains hanging, and then a living area with a couch, coffee table, stereo, lounge chairs, etc. I’ve never stayed in such an incredible place. The staff was so incredibly friendly, the food was some of the best food I’ve ever eaten. We snorkeled, went for a hike in the rainforest, swam in waterfalls, went to visit a village, did some nude sunbathing on our own private beach for an afternoon, my husband did some traditional Fijian hand-line fishing, kava ceremonies, a meek ceremony, beach volleyball and we visited the spa every day. The staff would make you snacks in between meals if you were hungry, the coral and the seashells were amazing and the rainforest absolutely incredible. It was the perfect way to end such an incredible experience. www.qamea.com Teness Herman : Intimate Portraits Grade : A+ WOW. This was an absolutely amazing experience. Teness is absolutely amazing. She made me feel so comfortable and relaxed…an absolute necessity to create the kind of pictures I was going for. I felt like I was taking pictures with a dear old friend. She and I spent months discussing the look and feel of the shoot. She recommended I look at a book called Women Before 10am by Veronique Vial. If you like the style of my intimate portraits (aka Boudoir Pictures…sorry, I think it’s a cheesy name), I would definitely recommend you check out this book for inspiration. We shot for three and a half hours and could have easily gone on for another two. She used multiple cameras and twice as many lenses with nothing but natural light, which really helped in creating a sensual feel. Her enthusiasm, creativity and eye for the perfect shot are truly unparalleled. If you don’t have room in your budget to do this as a wedding gift, I would highly recommend it as a first (paper) anniversary gift. www.teness.com
Anders Printing : Stationery Printing Grade : B I worked with Jill at Anders to get the majority of our printing done. It felt good to be working with a local company to complete our printing needs. Jill was very friendly and helpful and they did a great job of getting the work turned around in a short time period. They printed everything from our logos on stickers to our save the dates, invitations and rehearsal dinner invitations. After getting quotes for our save the dates, I didn’t search around after that to see if I could find a better deal. So, when we had our invitations printed offset, I don’t know if it was cheaper than another printer. I was very clear with my requests on each job (thanks to the help of the graphic designer). However, when our invitations were ready, she charged me an extra $25 and I had A LOT of extra copies, far more than I had requested. I meant to question why we had been charged more than originally quoted and why we had so many extras but I never got around to it. I probably should have asked for a discount since they asked if they could put our invitations on their website. All in all, this was a good experience. www.andersprinting.com DJ Stay in School - Martin Wilson : Reception DJ Grade : B My husband is a big fan of electronica music. So, when it came time to hire a DJ, my husband took on this role. We contacted Connie Wohn of Stylus 503 (a DJ cooperative), thanks to a referral from Bethany of Nocturnal. Connie sent us a whole package of samples of different DJs. We chose Martin because of his style, obviously. He did a great job but I think there was too much going on at the reception (photobooth, downstairs bar, outdoor courtyard) to really get people dancing. While people did dance, I think they would have done more of it had we not had so much else going on. Martin did que up the wrong music (we provided specific music for specific events during the evening since he doesn’t have the regular wedding DJ collection) for the Mother/Son dance and didn’t que up any music for the cake cutting. However, I don’t think the cake cutting music was his fault as the coordinator didn’t let him know the cake was going to make its grand entrance. www.djstayinschool.com Taste of Honey - Honey Everett : Wedding Cake Grade : A As mentioned before, we wanted an ice cream cake as our wedding cake. Neither of us like cake. Amazingly, getting someone to make a wedding cake out of ice cream is harder than you might imagine. Every person we contacted acted like we were crazy. However, when we found Honey, she definitely knew what she was talking about. There are a lot of logistics involved with an ice cream wedding cake, i.e. delivery, setup, serving it, icing it, etc. Honey had such confidence that I wasn’t the least bit worried. We had three flavors, one of which being mint chocolate chip (the others I don’t remember), with a brownie bottom. Honey delivered and setup the cake after the reception had started. It tasted great and looked fantastic, even though it had started to melt, which I found somewhat charming, being as that it was ice cream cake! Oregon Chamber Players : Ceremony Musicians Grade : B- This was another responsibility of my husband’s. We picked all non-traditional music (Coldplay, The Verve, Enya) and had to find the sheet music for all of the songs we wanted played. Originally, we were going to use the Metropolitan Youth Symphony. However, once they started to review the sheet music for the songs we wanted played, they realized that they didn’t really currently have that kind of depth. Last minute, three weeks before the wedding, we had to find someone new. Considering the amount of time they had, the Oregon Chamber Players did great. They did mess up on one of the songs but it wasn’t really worth getting upset over. I also would have preferred a string quartet (which was our original plan) but that wasn’t really their fault. www.oregonchamberplayers.org Blizzard Motors : Getaway Car Grade : A Almost two years ago my husband and I bought a car from this lot (its in SE Portland). The lot is primarily fine European cars. When we were there to pick up our newly purchased car, the owner of the lot told us he would loan us a car of our choice for our wedding. My fiance chose a convertible Porsche to drive from the ceremony. It was a beautiful little black shiny thing and my husband thoroughly enjoyed driving it. I don’t know if Doug would be willing to rent out any of his cars but if you’re interested it might not hurt to ask. Western Culinary Institute : Martini Ice Luge Grade : A This was one of the best budget friendly finds of our entire wedding. We really wanted to have a martini luge but found that they were rather expensive to have made…that was, until we found out about the Western Culinary Institute’s ice sculpture class. Basically, they told us they could create anything we wanted and all we had to do was provide them with a drawing. My mom, who’s an artist, drew a great design, in keeping with our theme and stationery, and we provided it to WCI. They not only did a great job of recreating it but the cost included transporting it, delivery and setup. We paid more than they asked for, to donate towards their program, but regardless it was well worth it. Definitely one of the main highlights of the reception for our guests. Spa La La : Pre-Wedding Pampering Grade : B+ As part of my gift to the ladies in the wedding, I treated them to manicures and pedicures at Spa La La. While it’s not the best manicure and pedicure in town (my best friend and I often refer to them as the chop shop), the decor and vibe is great and they’ll serve you all the mimosas you want. We had twelve of us (the moms, five maids of honor, two readers, the two flower girls and myself) there and it was like our own little private party. The staff was very friendly and efficient and I think the ladies all enjoyed getting their nails done. www.spalala.net The Face Place – Dorene Klippel : Facial and Brazilian Wax Grade : A I’ve gone to Dorene every month for the last six years for a Brazilian wax. She does a fantastic job at those…well, it’s a Brazilian wax so it’s not like it feels good but in terms of the final look, she does a tremendous job. However, I decided to get a facial from her as well. Wow! Her facial was by far the best facial I’ve ever had…not only did I fall asleep but she did such an incredibly thorough job. It will be hard not to make getting a facial from her a monthly occurrence as well. www.waxqueen.com Salon 77 – Mahria Martinez : Brow Wax Grade : A+ I pretty much have caterpillars for eyebrows…I’m not kidding. So, not only do my eyebrows need to be professionally groomed on a regular basis but they need to be done well. Mahria is a dream…seriously, she’s absolutely amazing. It’s the only kind of waxing she does…you know if a girl can make a living off of just waxing eyebrows, she’s got to be good! And not only that, she’s the sweetest thing you’ve ever met. www.seventyseven.us Diane Jensen : Massage Grade : A+ So, I have to admit that before my husband and I bought our house, Diane was our landlord. However, my husband has some pretty severe back injuries (thanks to a motorcycle) and is always up for a massage. That being said, we get a lot of massages. Diane is fantastic. She works in a chiropractic clinic off of NW 23rd (which the chiropractor there is also fantastic, Suzanne Lady) and does pretty much any type of massage you’d like. If I were to say I have a regular LMT, Diane would be it…and without failure, I fall asleep on her table every time. She’s fantastic and a lot cheaper than a mediocre spa massage. And, she is so incredibly kind and sweet as well…you can’t beat that! She used to have a website but it doesn’t look like she does anymore. Contact me if you want to get in touch with her. Embellish Design : Wedding Dress Grade : A+ I went shopping on several different occasions for a wedding dress. After searching most of Portland for the dress, I decided to visit Terri at Embellish Design. Now, I would not even waste time looking for dresses to order. In the end, my dress cost less than any of my final choices of the dresses I found in the salons. Not only that, the experience was so incredibly fun. Originally, I went into her studio with pictures of my final choices as well as other dresses I liked. We went through each picture and discussed what I liked about each one. We took elements from all of those to create my dress. Terri is so knowledgeable about what she does and extremely talented in the art of designing and sewing gowns. We discussed everything from different fabrics to different styles and the pluses and negatives of each. In the end, I had a dress that was exactly what I wanted, custom fit to my body. I would highly recommend working with Terri. I hope that I’ll have a reason for her to make me another dress (she makes party dresses too) some time. www.embellishdesign.com Patty Lehner : Wedding Jewelry Grade : A+ I saw a variation of my wedding dress in an Oregon Bride magazine months before my wedding. The earrings that the model was wearing were wonderful. When I looked up where they came from, the magazine said Ella Posie (which is now closed but was on NE Broadway). Carmen (who is also a wedding coordinator) of Ella Posie got me in touch with Patty, who had designed the jewelry. Patty was an absolute delight to work with…kind of like working with your spunky grandmother. We talked about what I wanted and she worked efficiently to get pieces done for me. She made a variation of the earrings I wanted with several different types of pearls and different lengths so I had something to choose from. Then, she made a bangle to match. And when I asked for some extra pearls and crystals for my ring bearer pillow and hair jewelry, not only did she have no problem sending me on my way with a little bag of each but she also refused to charge me for them when I tried to pay her. August Veils : Hair Jewelry Grade : A Patty referred me to Andrea to have my hair jewelry made (Patty doesn’t like to make it). I brought the pearls and crystals that Patty had used in my jewelry to have Andrea create some sparkle for my hair. She created exactly what I was looking for and in a very short amount of time. www.augustveils.com Cromwell Formalwear : Tuxedo Rentals Grade : A While my husband bought a suit for the wedding, we needed rentals for everyone else. Cromwell’s had a good selection and a helpful staff. They kept us informed on everyone who had, or hadn’t, been fitted and I didn’t hear of any problems that anyone had with their rentals. www.cromwellformalwear.com Twist : Wedding Rings Grade : A We searched for quite some time to find rings that we really loved. While I love the traditional platinum eternity band, I wanted something a little different to go with my princess cut solitaire. My husband wanted a platinum ring but not completely plain. Twist, although not a store you would typically think of for wedding bands, had just what we were looking for. The staff was very friendly and when they ordered our rings, they said it would take eight weeks to get them in (which was cutting it really close). Two weeks later, we received a call letting us know that our rings were in. I love the uniqueness of our rings! www.twistonline.com Shane Co : Engagement Ring Grade : C+ In one week, my husband sold his motorcycle, decided to ask me to marry him and bought a ring. The ring is exactly what I would have picked out, a plain platinum band with a princess cut solitaire. However, if I had had a say in it, I never would have gotten my ring at Shane Co. I think their staff is kind of tacky, not to mention their showroom, and I’m always frustrated by their service when I take my ring in to be cleaned or polished...and lets not even begin to discuss their ads! www.shaneco.com Hotel Lucia : Wedding Night Hotel Grade : A I love this place! We booked their “Did I Mention I Want You?” package in a King Suite. When we arrived at the hotel with nothing but the wedding clothes we were still wearing, they were quick to check us in. Our bed was covered in rose petals, there was music playing, champagne being chilled and a box of toys, i.e. body crayons, furry handcuffs and a book of positions for every day of the year. We ordered room service at about 1:30am because neither of us really ate at our reception. They were prompt and the food was tasty. I wish we didn’t live in Portland so we had more reasons to stay here…it’s such a chic hotel! www.hotellucia.com Bluestar Charter : Guest Transportation Grade : C Originally, we were expecting a lot of guests from out of state. We booked a charter bus to pick up guests from downtown Portland and transport them to Mt Tabor Park and then to Nocturnal. Unfortunately, my husbands grandfather passed away two months before our wedding and many of what we assumed would be the out of town guests could no longer make it due to their last minute flights to the funeral. Regardless, I still think this was a good thing to have. However, we revised our timeline for the bus and faxed it in. For whatever reason, they didn’t follow this and were 1.5 hours early to pick up guests and consequently ended their evening 1.5 hours earlier than we were originally anticipating. I’m not sure why they were running on the old timeline as I had faxed the revised one to them. While in the grand scheme of things, it wasn’t that big of a deal, I was irritated that we had paid for something and then couldn’t even utilize it for 1.5 hours. www.bluestarbus.com The Party Place : Chair Rentals Grade : A Although Mt Tabor Amphitheatre has some benches, we rented some chairs as well to insure we had enough seating. To be honest, I have no idea if this all worked out. I assume they arrived on time as they were all set up prior to the ceremony. And I assume they were picked up just fine since I haven’t heard from them about not getting their chairs back or something. Unforgettable Honeymoons Renee Duane-Meyer : Travel Agent Grade : A for knowledge, C for personality When it came time to plan our honeymoon, we were running out of energy, especially to plan the fantastic honeymoon we both wanted. While we both found Renee to be fairly pretentious and full of herself, she was very knowledgeable. At first, we wanted to go to Bora Bora and Taha’a. However, Renee couldn’t find us any availability for the room types we wanted. She asked us if we would consider Fiji, which we of course would and did. She booked us for 7 nights at Qamea Resort and Spa in Fiji in a premium villa. The resort was amazing but I grew a bit concerned when four different couples at the resort (which has a maximum capacity for 28 adults total) had been booked there with Renee from Unforgettable Honeymoons. I don’t know what sort of a kickback Renee receives for referring clients there and I guess it doesn’t really matter because the resort really is all she says it is. However, it doesn’t feel very good to feel like she’s only sending people to that one place, especially when we already felt like she had a pretty inflated ego. My best friend and her husband booked through Unforgettable Honeymoons for their honeymoon, not with Renee, and said their experience was great. If I had it to do over again, I would try to book with another travel agent there. www.unforgettablehoneymoons.com Qamea Resort and Spa : Honeymoon Grade : A+ Wow! This place was incredible, even when it was overcast most of the week we were there! We flew for close to 14 hours, PDX to LAX, LAX to Nadi, Fiji and then on a puddle jumper from Nadi to Taveuni. Then we were driven in a Range Rover for 20 minutes on a dirt rode to a beach where we got on a boat and went on a 10-minute boat ride across to the island of Qamea. We were greeted by a smiling and friendly staff, taken to their restaurant/lounge villa where we were served cocktails and fruit plates and given a quick rundown of the resort. Our accommodations were amazing. Our villa included a daybed and a pool on our deck, a large outdoor shower, a large bathroom that included a walk-in closet, two sinks, a towel warmer, large shower and then a large room with a four-poster bed on a platform with amazing linens and sheer curtains hanging, and then a living area with a couch, coffee table, stereo, lounge chairs, etc. I’ve never stayed in such an incredible place. The staff was so incredibly friendly, the food was some of the best food I’ve ever eaten. We snorkeled, went for a hike in the rainforest, swam in waterfalls, went to visit a village, did some nude sunbathing on our own private beach for an afternoon, my husband did some traditional Fijian hand-line fishing, kava ceremonies, a meek ceremony, beach volleyball and we visited the spa every day. The staff would make you snacks in between meals if you were hungry, the coral and the seashells were amazing and the rainforest absolutely incredible. It was the perfect way to end such an incredible experience. www.qamea.com Teness Herman : Intimate Portraits Grade : A+ WOW. This was an absolutely amazing experience. Teness is absolutely amazing. She made me feel so comfortable and relaxed…an absolute necessity to create the kind of pictures I was going for. I felt like I was taking pictures with a dear old friend. She and I spent months discussing the look and feel of the shoot. She recommended I look at a book called Women Before 10am by Veronique Vial. If you like the style of my intimate portraits (aka Boudoir Pictures…sorry, I think it’s a cheesy name), I would definitely recommend you check out this book for inspiration. We shot for three and a half hours and could have easily gone on for another two. She used multiple cameras and twice as many lenses with nothing but natural light, which really helped in creating a sensual feel. Her enthusiasm, creativity and eye for the perfect shot are truly unparalleled. If you don’t have room in your budget to do this as a wedding gift, I would highly recommend it as a first (paper) anniversary gift. www.teness.com
www.andersprinting.com DJ Stay in School - Martin Wilson : Reception DJ Grade : B My husband is a big fan of electronica music. So, when it came time to hire a DJ, my husband took on this role. We contacted Connie Wohn of Stylus 503 (a DJ cooperative), thanks to a referral from Bethany of Nocturnal. Connie sent us a whole package of samples of different DJs. We chose Martin because of his style, obviously. He did a great job but I think there was too much going on at the reception (photobooth, downstairs bar, outdoor courtyard) to really get people dancing. While people did dance, I think they would have done more of it had we not had so much else going on. Martin did que up the wrong music (we provided specific music for specific events during the evening since he doesn’t have the regular wedding DJ collection) for the Mother/Son dance and didn’t que up any music for the cake cutting. However, I don’t think the cake cutting music was his fault as the coordinator didn’t let him know the cake was going to make its grand entrance. www.djstayinschool.com Taste of Honey - Honey Everett : Wedding Cake Grade : A As mentioned before, we wanted an ice cream cake as our wedding cake. Neither of us like cake. Amazingly, getting someone to make a wedding cake out of ice cream is harder than you might imagine. Every person we contacted acted like we were crazy. However, when we found Honey, she definitely knew what she was talking about. There are a lot of logistics involved with an ice cream wedding cake, i.e. delivery, setup, serving it, icing it, etc. Honey had such confidence that I wasn’t the least bit worried. We had three flavors, one of which being mint chocolate chip (the others I don’t remember), with a brownie bottom. Honey delivered and setup the cake after the reception had started. It tasted great and looked fantastic, even though it had started to melt, which I found somewhat charming, being as that it was ice cream cake! Oregon Chamber Players : Ceremony Musicians Grade : B- This was another responsibility of my husband’s. We picked all non-traditional music (Coldplay, The Verve, Enya) and had to find the sheet music for all of the songs we wanted played. Originally, we were going to use the Metropolitan Youth Symphony. However, once they started to review the sheet music for the songs we wanted played, they realized that they didn’t really currently have that kind of depth. Last minute, three weeks before the wedding, we had to find someone new. Considering the amount of time they had, the Oregon Chamber Players did great. They did mess up on one of the songs but it wasn’t really worth getting upset over. I also would have preferred a string quartet (which was our original plan) but that wasn’t really their fault. www.oregonchamberplayers.org Blizzard Motors : Getaway Car Grade : A Almost two years ago my husband and I bought a car from this lot (its in SE Portland). The lot is primarily fine European cars. When we were there to pick up our newly purchased car, the owner of the lot told us he would loan us a car of our choice for our wedding. My fiance chose a convertible Porsche to drive from the ceremony. It was a beautiful little black shiny thing and my husband thoroughly enjoyed driving it. I don’t know if Doug would be willing to rent out any of his cars but if you’re interested it might not hurt to ask. Western Culinary Institute : Martini Ice Luge Grade : A This was one of the best budget friendly finds of our entire wedding. We really wanted to have a martini luge but found that they were rather expensive to have made…that was, until we found out about the Western Culinary Institute’s ice sculpture class. Basically, they told us they could create anything we wanted and all we had to do was provide them with a drawing. My mom, who’s an artist, drew a great design, in keeping with our theme and stationery, and we provided it to WCI. They not only did a great job of recreating it but the cost included transporting it, delivery and setup. We paid more than they asked for, to donate towards their program, but regardless it was well worth it. Definitely one of the main highlights of the reception for our guests. Spa La La : Pre-Wedding Pampering Grade : B+ As part of my gift to the ladies in the wedding, I treated them to manicures and pedicures at Spa La La. While it’s not the best manicure and pedicure in town (my best friend and I often refer to them as the chop shop), the decor and vibe is great and they’ll serve you all the mimosas you want. We had twelve of us (the moms, five maids of honor, two readers, the two flower girls and myself) there and it was like our own little private party. The staff was very friendly and efficient and I think the ladies all enjoyed getting their nails done. www.spalala.net The Face Place – Dorene Klippel : Facial and Brazilian Wax Grade : A I’ve gone to Dorene every month for the last six years for a Brazilian wax. She does a fantastic job at those…well, it’s a Brazilian wax so it’s not like it feels good but in terms of the final look, she does a tremendous job. However, I decided to get a facial from her as well. Wow! Her facial was by far the best facial I’ve ever had…not only did I fall asleep but she did such an incredibly thorough job. It will be hard not to make getting a facial from her a monthly occurrence as well. www.waxqueen.com Salon 77 – Mahria Martinez : Brow Wax Grade : A+ I pretty much have caterpillars for eyebrows…I’m not kidding. So, not only do my eyebrows need to be professionally groomed on a regular basis but they need to be done well. Mahria is a dream…seriously, she’s absolutely amazing. It’s the only kind of waxing she does…you know if a girl can make a living off of just waxing eyebrows, she’s got to be good! And not only that, she’s the sweetest thing you’ve ever met. www.seventyseven.us Diane Jensen : Massage Grade : A+ So, I have to admit that before my husband and I bought our house, Diane was our landlord. However, my husband has some pretty severe back injuries (thanks to a motorcycle) and is always up for a massage. That being said, we get a lot of massages. Diane is fantastic. She works in a chiropractic clinic off of NW 23rd (which the chiropractor there is also fantastic, Suzanne Lady) and does pretty much any type of massage you’d like. If I were to say I have a regular LMT, Diane would be it…and without failure, I fall asleep on her table every time. She’s fantastic and a lot cheaper than a mediocre spa massage. And, she is so incredibly kind and sweet as well…you can’t beat that! She used to have a website but it doesn’t look like she does anymore. Contact me if you want to get in touch with her. Embellish Design : Wedding Dress Grade : A+ I went shopping on several different occasions for a wedding dress. After searching most of Portland for the dress, I decided to visit Terri at Embellish Design. Now, I would not even waste time looking for dresses to order. In the end, my dress cost less than any of my final choices of the dresses I found in the salons. Not only that, the experience was so incredibly fun. Originally, I went into her studio with pictures of my final choices as well as other dresses I liked. We went through each picture and discussed what I liked about each one. We took elements from all of those to create my dress. Terri is so knowledgeable about what she does and extremely talented in the art of designing and sewing gowns. We discussed everything from different fabrics to different styles and the pluses and negatives of each. In the end, I had a dress that was exactly what I wanted, custom fit to my body. I would highly recommend working with Terri. I hope that I’ll have a reason for her to make me another dress (she makes party dresses too) some time. www.embellishdesign.com Patty Lehner : Wedding Jewelry Grade : A+ I saw a variation of my wedding dress in an Oregon Bride magazine months before my wedding. The earrings that the model was wearing were wonderful. When I looked up where they came from, the magazine said Ella Posie (which is now closed but was on NE Broadway). Carmen (who is also a wedding coordinator) of Ella Posie got me in touch with Patty, who had designed the jewelry. Patty was an absolute delight to work with…kind of like working with your spunky grandmother. We talked about what I wanted and she worked efficiently to get pieces done for me. She made a variation of the earrings I wanted with several different types of pearls and different lengths so I had something to choose from. Then, she made a bangle to match. And when I asked for some extra pearls and crystals for my ring bearer pillow and hair jewelry, not only did she have no problem sending me on my way with a little bag of each but she also refused to charge me for them when I tried to pay her. August Veils : Hair Jewelry Grade : A Patty referred me to Andrea to have my hair jewelry made (Patty doesn’t like to make it). I brought the pearls and crystals that Patty had used in my jewelry to have Andrea create some sparkle for my hair. She created exactly what I was looking for and in a very short amount of time. www.augustveils.com Cromwell Formalwear : Tuxedo Rentals Grade : A While my husband bought a suit for the wedding, we needed rentals for everyone else. Cromwell’s had a good selection and a helpful staff. They kept us informed on everyone who had, or hadn’t, been fitted and I didn’t hear of any problems that anyone had with their rentals. www.cromwellformalwear.com Twist : Wedding Rings Grade : A We searched for quite some time to find rings that we really loved. While I love the traditional platinum eternity band, I wanted something a little different to go with my princess cut solitaire. My husband wanted a platinum ring but not completely plain. Twist, although not a store you would typically think of for wedding bands, had just what we were looking for. The staff was very friendly and when they ordered our rings, they said it would take eight weeks to get them in (which was cutting it really close). Two weeks later, we received a call letting us know that our rings were in. I love the uniqueness of our rings! www.twistonline.com Shane Co : Engagement Ring Grade : C+ In one week, my husband sold his motorcycle, decided to ask me to marry him and bought a ring. The ring is exactly what I would have picked out, a plain platinum band with a princess cut solitaire. However, if I had had a say in it, I never would have gotten my ring at Shane Co. I think their staff is kind of tacky, not to mention their showroom, and I’m always frustrated by their service when I take my ring in to be cleaned or polished...and lets not even begin to discuss their ads! www.shaneco.com Hotel Lucia : Wedding Night Hotel Grade : A I love this place! We booked their “Did I Mention I Want You?” package in a King Suite. When we arrived at the hotel with nothing but the wedding clothes we were still wearing, they were quick to check us in. Our bed was covered in rose petals, there was music playing, champagne being chilled and a box of toys, i.e. body crayons, furry handcuffs and a book of positions for every day of the year. We ordered room service at about 1:30am because neither of us really ate at our reception. They were prompt and the food was tasty. I wish we didn’t live in Portland so we had more reasons to stay here…it’s such a chic hotel! www.hotellucia.com Bluestar Charter : Guest Transportation Grade : C Originally, we were expecting a lot of guests from out of state. We booked a charter bus to pick up guests from downtown Portland and transport them to Mt Tabor Park and then to Nocturnal. Unfortunately, my husbands grandfather passed away two months before our wedding and many of what we assumed would be the out of town guests could no longer make it due to their last minute flights to the funeral. Regardless, I still think this was a good thing to have. However, we revised our timeline for the bus and faxed it in. For whatever reason, they didn’t follow this and were 1.5 hours early to pick up guests and consequently ended their evening 1.5 hours earlier than we were originally anticipating. I’m not sure why they were running on the old timeline as I had faxed the revised one to them. While in the grand scheme of things, it wasn’t that big of a deal, I was irritated that we had paid for something and then couldn’t even utilize it for 1.5 hours. www.bluestarbus.com The Party Place : Chair Rentals Grade : A Although Mt Tabor Amphitheatre has some benches, we rented some chairs as well to insure we had enough seating. To be honest, I have no idea if this all worked out. I assume they arrived on time as they were all set up prior to the ceremony. And I assume they were picked up just fine since I haven’t heard from them about not getting their chairs back or something. Unforgettable Honeymoons Renee Duane-Meyer : Travel Agent Grade : A for knowledge, C for personality When it came time to plan our honeymoon, we were running out of energy, especially to plan the fantastic honeymoon we both wanted. While we both found Renee to be fairly pretentious and full of herself, she was very knowledgeable. At first, we wanted to go to Bora Bora and Taha’a. However, Renee couldn’t find us any availability for the room types we wanted. She asked us if we would consider Fiji, which we of course would and did. She booked us for 7 nights at Qamea Resort and Spa in Fiji in a premium villa. The resort was amazing but I grew a bit concerned when four different couples at the resort (which has a maximum capacity for 28 adults total) had been booked there with Renee from Unforgettable Honeymoons. I don’t know what sort of a kickback Renee receives for referring clients there and I guess it doesn’t really matter because the resort really is all she says it is. However, it doesn’t feel very good to feel like she’s only sending people to that one place, especially when we already felt like she had a pretty inflated ego. My best friend and her husband booked through Unforgettable Honeymoons for their honeymoon, not with Renee, and said their experience was great. If I had it to do over again, I would try to book with another travel agent there. www.unforgettablehoneymoons.com Qamea Resort and Spa : Honeymoon Grade : A+ Wow! This place was incredible, even when it was overcast most of the week we were there! We flew for close to 14 hours, PDX to LAX, LAX to Nadi, Fiji and then on a puddle jumper from Nadi to Taveuni. Then we were driven in a Range Rover for 20 minutes on a dirt rode to a beach where we got on a boat and went on a 10-minute boat ride across to the island of Qamea. We were greeted by a smiling and friendly staff, taken to their restaurant/lounge villa where we were served cocktails and fruit plates and given a quick rundown of the resort. Our accommodations were amazing. Our villa included a daybed and a pool on our deck, a large outdoor shower, a large bathroom that included a walk-in closet, two sinks, a towel warmer, large shower and then a large room with a four-poster bed on a platform with amazing linens and sheer curtains hanging, and then a living area with a couch, coffee table, stereo, lounge chairs, etc. I’ve never stayed in such an incredible place. The staff was so incredibly friendly, the food was some of the best food I’ve ever eaten. We snorkeled, went for a hike in the rainforest, swam in waterfalls, went to visit a village, did some nude sunbathing on our own private beach for an afternoon, my husband did some traditional Fijian hand-line fishing, kava ceremonies, a meek ceremony, beach volleyball and we visited the spa every day. The staff would make you snacks in between meals if you were hungry, the coral and the seashells were amazing and the rainforest absolutely incredible. It was the perfect way to end such an incredible experience. www.qamea.com Teness Herman : Intimate Portraits Grade : A+ WOW. This was an absolutely amazing experience. Teness is absolutely amazing. She made me feel so comfortable and relaxed…an absolute necessity to create the kind of pictures I was going for. I felt like I was taking pictures with a dear old friend. She and I spent months discussing the look and feel of the shoot. She recommended I look at a book called Women Before 10am by Veronique Vial. If you like the style of my intimate portraits (aka Boudoir Pictures…sorry, I think it’s a cheesy name), I would definitely recommend you check out this book for inspiration. We shot for three and a half hours and could have easily gone on for another two. She used multiple cameras and twice as many lenses with nothing but natural light, which really helped in creating a sensual feel. Her enthusiasm, creativity and eye for the perfect shot are truly unparalleled. If you don’t have room in your budget to do this as a wedding gift, I would highly recommend it as a first (paper) anniversary gift. www.teness.com
DJ Stay in School - Martin Wilson : Reception DJ Grade : B My husband is a big fan of electronica music. So, when it came time to hire a DJ, my husband took on this role. We contacted Connie Wohn of Stylus 503 (a DJ cooperative), thanks to a referral from Bethany of Nocturnal. Connie sent us a whole package of samples of different DJs. We chose Martin because of his style, obviously. He did a great job but I think there was too much going on at the reception (photobooth, downstairs bar, outdoor courtyard) to really get people dancing. While people did dance, I think they would have done more of it had we not had so much else going on. Martin did que up the wrong music (we provided specific music for specific events during the evening since he doesn’t have the regular wedding DJ collection) for the Mother/Son dance and didn’t que up any music for the cake cutting. However, I don’t think the cake cutting music was his fault as the coordinator didn’t let him know the cake was going to make its grand entrance. www.djstayinschool.com Taste of Honey - Honey Everett : Wedding Cake Grade : A As mentioned before, we wanted an ice cream cake as our wedding cake. Neither of us like cake. Amazingly, getting someone to make a wedding cake out of ice cream is harder than you might imagine. Every person we contacted acted like we were crazy. However, when we found Honey, she definitely knew what she was talking about. There are a lot of logistics involved with an ice cream wedding cake, i.e. delivery, setup, serving it, icing it, etc. Honey had such confidence that I wasn’t the least bit worried. We had three flavors, one of which being mint chocolate chip (the others I don’t remember), with a brownie bottom. Honey delivered and setup the cake after the reception had started. It tasted great and looked fantastic, even though it had started to melt, which I found somewhat charming, being as that it was ice cream cake! Oregon Chamber Players : Ceremony Musicians Grade : B- This was another responsibility of my husband’s. We picked all non-traditional music (Coldplay, The Verve, Enya) and had to find the sheet music for all of the songs we wanted played. Originally, we were going to use the Metropolitan Youth Symphony. However, once they started to review the sheet music for the songs we wanted played, they realized that they didn’t really currently have that kind of depth. Last minute, three weeks before the wedding, we had to find someone new. Considering the amount of time they had, the Oregon Chamber Players did great. They did mess up on one of the songs but it wasn’t really worth getting upset over. I also would have preferred a string quartet (which was our original plan) but that wasn’t really their fault. www.oregonchamberplayers.org Blizzard Motors : Getaway Car Grade : A Almost two years ago my husband and I bought a car from this lot (its in SE Portland). The lot is primarily fine European cars. When we were there to pick up our newly purchased car, the owner of the lot told us he would loan us a car of our choice for our wedding. My fiance chose a convertible Porsche to drive from the ceremony. It was a beautiful little black shiny thing and my husband thoroughly enjoyed driving it. I don’t know if Doug would be willing to rent out any of his cars but if you’re interested it might not hurt to ask. Western Culinary Institute : Martini Ice Luge Grade : A This was one of the best budget friendly finds of our entire wedding. We really wanted to have a martini luge but found that they were rather expensive to have made…that was, until we found out about the Western Culinary Institute’s ice sculpture class. Basically, they told us they could create anything we wanted and all we had to do was provide them with a drawing. My mom, who’s an artist, drew a great design, in keeping with our theme and stationery, and we provided it to WCI. They not only did a great job of recreating it but the cost included transporting it, delivery and setup. We paid more than they asked for, to donate towards their program, but regardless it was well worth it. Definitely one of the main highlights of the reception for our guests. Spa La La : Pre-Wedding Pampering Grade : B+ As part of my gift to the ladies in the wedding, I treated them to manicures and pedicures at Spa La La. While it’s not the best manicure and pedicure in town (my best friend and I often refer to them as the chop shop), the decor and vibe is great and they’ll serve you all the mimosas you want. We had twelve of us (the moms, five maids of honor, two readers, the two flower girls and myself) there and it was like our own little private party. The staff was very friendly and efficient and I think the ladies all enjoyed getting their nails done. www.spalala.net The Face Place – Dorene Klippel : Facial and Brazilian Wax Grade : A I’ve gone to Dorene every month for the last six years for a Brazilian wax. She does a fantastic job at those…well, it’s a Brazilian wax so it’s not like it feels good but in terms of the final look, she does a tremendous job. However, I decided to get a facial from her as well. Wow! Her facial was by far the best facial I’ve ever had…not only did I fall asleep but she did such an incredibly thorough job. It will be hard not to make getting a facial from her a monthly occurrence as well. www.waxqueen.com Salon 77 – Mahria Martinez : Brow Wax Grade : A+ I pretty much have caterpillars for eyebrows…I’m not kidding. So, not only do my eyebrows need to be professionally groomed on a regular basis but they need to be done well. Mahria is a dream…seriously, she’s absolutely amazing. It’s the only kind of waxing she does…you know if a girl can make a living off of just waxing eyebrows, she’s got to be good! And not only that, she’s the sweetest thing you’ve ever met. www.seventyseven.us Diane Jensen : Massage Grade : A+ So, I have to admit that before my husband and I bought our house, Diane was our landlord. However, my husband has some pretty severe back injuries (thanks to a motorcycle) and is always up for a massage. That being said, we get a lot of massages. Diane is fantastic. She works in a chiropractic clinic off of NW 23rd (which the chiropractor there is also fantastic, Suzanne Lady) and does pretty much any type of massage you’d like. If I were to say I have a regular LMT, Diane would be it…and without failure, I fall asleep on her table every time. She’s fantastic and a lot cheaper than a mediocre spa massage. And, she is so incredibly kind and sweet as well…you can’t beat that! She used to have a website but it doesn’t look like she does anymore. Contact me if you want to get in touch with her. Embellish Design : Wedding Dress Grade : A+ I went shopping on several different occasions for a wedding dress. After searching most of Portland for the dress, I decided to visit Terri at Embellish Design. Now, I would not even waste time looking for dresses to order. In the end, my dress cost less than any of my final choices of the dresses I found in the salons. Not only that, the experience was so incredibly fun. Originally, I went into her studio with pictures of my final choices as well as other dresses I liked. We went through each picture and discussed what I liked about each one. We took elements from all of those to create my dress. Terri is so knowledgeable about what she does and extremely talented in the art of designing and sewing gowns. We discussed everything from different fabrics to different styles and the pluses and negatives of each. In the end, I had a dress that was exactly what I wanted, custom fit to my body. I would highly recommend working with Terri. I hope that I’ll have a reason for her to make me another dress (she makes party dresses too) some time. www.embellishdesign.com Patty Lehner : Wedding Jewelry Grade : A+ I saw a variation of my wedding dress in an Oregon Bride magazine months before my wedding. The earrings that the model was wearing were wonderful. When I looked up where they came from, the magazine said Ella Posie (which is now closed but was on NE Broadway). Carmen (who is also a wedding coordinator) of Ella Posie got me in touch with Patty, who had designed the jewelry. Patty was an absolute delight to work with…kind of like working with your spunky grandmother. We talked about what I wanted and she worked efficiently to get pieces done for me. She made a variation of the earrings I wanted with several different types of pearls and different lengths so I had something to choose from. Then, she made a bangle to match. And when I asked for some extra pearls and crystals for my ring bearer pillow and hair jewelry, not only did she have no problem sending me on my way with a little bag of each but she also refused to charge me for them when I tried to pay her. August Veils : Hair Jewelry Grade : A Patty referred me to Andrea to have my hair jewelry made (Patty doesn’t like to make it). I brought the pearls and crystals that Patty had used in my jewelry to have Andrea create some sparkle for my hair. She created exactly what I was looking for and in a very short amount of time. www.augustveils.com Cromwell Formalwear : Tuxedo Rentals Grade : A While my husband bought a suit for the wedding, we needed rentals for everyone else. Cromwell’s had a good selection and a helpful staff. They kept us informed on everyone who had, or hadn’t, been fitted and I didn’t hear of any problems that anyone had with their rentals. www.cromwellformalwear.com Twist : Wedding Rings Grade : A We searched for quite some time to find rings that we really loved. While I love the traditional platinum eternity band, I wanted something a little different to go with my princess cut solitaire. My husband wanted a platinum ring but not completely plain. Twist, although not a store you would typically think of for wedding bands, had just what we were looking for. The staff was very friendly and when they ordered our rings, they said it would take eight weeks to get them in (which was cutting it really close). Two weeks later, we received a call letting us know that our rings were in. I love the uniqueness of our rings! www.twistonline.com Shane Co : Engagement Ring Grade : C+ In one week, my husband sold his motorcycle, decided to ask me to marry him and bought a ring. The ring is exactly what I would have picked out, a plain platinum band with a princess cut solitaire. However, if I had had a say in it, I never would have gotten my ring at Shane Co. I think their staff is kind of tacky, not to mention their showroom, and I’m always frustrated by their service when I take my ring in to be cleaned or polished...and lets not even begin to discuss their ads! www.shaneco.com Hotel Lucia : Wedding Night Hotel Grade : A I love this place! We booked their “Did I Mention I Want You?” package in a King Suite. When we arrived at the hotel with nothing but the wedding clothes we were still wearing, they were quick to check us in. Our bed was covered in rose petals, there was music playing, champagne being chilled and a box of toys, i.e. body crayons, furry handcuffs and a book of positions for every day of the year. We ordered room service at about 1:30am because neither of us really ate at our reception. They were prompt and the food was tasty. I wish we didn’t live in Portland so we had more reasons to stay here…it’s such a chic hotel! www.hotellucia.com Bluestar Charter : Guest Transportation Grade : C Originally, we were expecting a lot of guests from out of state. We booked a charter bus to pick up guests from downtown Portland and transport them to Mt Tabor Park and then to Nocturnal. Unfortunately, my husbands grandfather passed away two months before our wedding and many of what we assumed would be the out of town guests could no longer make it due to their last minute flights to the funeral. Regardless, I still think this was a good thing to have. However, we revised our timeline for the bus and faxed it in. For whatever reason, they didn’t follow this and were 1.5 hours early to pick up guests and consequently ended their evening 1.5 hours earlier than we were originally anticipating. I’m not sure why they were running on the old timeline as I had faxed the revised one to them. While in the grand scheme of things, it wasn’t that big of a deal, I was irritated that we had paid for something and then couldn’t even utilize it for 1.5 hours. www.bluestarbus.com The Party Place : Chair Rentals Grade : A Although Mt Tabor Amphitheatre has some benches, we rented some chairs as well to insure we had enough seating. To be honest, I have no idea if this all worked out. I assume they arrived on time as they were all set up prior to the ceremony. And I assume they were picked up just fine since I haven’t heard from them about not getting their chairs back or something. Unforgettable Honeymoons Renee Duane-Meyer : Travel Agent Grade : A for knowledge, C for personality When it came time to plan our honeymoon, we were running out of energy, especially to plan the fantastic honeymoon we both wanted. While we both found Renee to be fairly pretentious and full of herself, she was very knowledgeable. At first, we wanted to go to Bora Bora and Taha’a. However, Renee couldn’t find us any availability for the room types we wanted. She asked us if we would consider Fiji, which we of course would and did. She booked us for 7 nights at Qamea Resort and Spa in Fiji in a premium villa. The resort was amazing but I grew a bit concerned when four different couples at the resort (which has a maximum capacity for 28 adults total) had been booked there with Renee from Unforgettable Honeymoons. I don’t know what sort of a kickback Renee receives for referring clients there and I guess it doesn’t really matter because the resort really is all she says it is. However, it doesn’t feel very good to feel like she’s only sending people to that one place, especially when we already felt like she had a pretty inflated ego. My best friend and her husband booked through Unforgettable Honeymoons for their honeymoon, not with Renee, and said their experience was great. If I had it to do over again, I would try to book with another travel agent there. www.unforgettablehoneymoons.com Qamea Resort and Spa : Honeymoon Grade : A+ Wow! This place was incredible, even when it was overcast most of the week we were there! We flew for close to 14 hours, PDX to LAX, LAX to Nadi, Fiji and then on a puddle jumper from Nadi to Taveuni. Then we were driven in a Range Rover for 20 minutes on a dirt rode to a beach where we got on a boat and went on a 10-minute boat ride across to the island of Qamea. We were greeted by a smiling and friendly staff, taken to their restaurant/lounge villa where we were served cocktails and fruit plates and given a quick rundown of the resort. Our accommodations were amazing. Our villa included a daybed and a pool on our deck, a large outdoor shower, a large bathroom that included a walk-in closet, two sinks, a towel warmer, large shower and then a large room with a four-poster bed on a platform with amazing linens and sheer curtains hanging, and then a living area with a couch, coffee table, stereo, lounge chairs, etc. I’ve never stayed in such an incredible place. The staff was so incredibly friendly, the food was some of the best food I’ve ever eaten. We snorkeled, went for a hike in the rainforest, swam in waterfalls, went to visit a village, did some nude sunbathing on our own private beach for an afternoon, my husband did some traditional Fijian hand-line fishing, kava ceremonies, a meek ceremony, beach volleyball and we visited the spa every day. The staff would make you snacks in between meals if you were hungry, the coral and the seashells were amazing and the rainforest absolutely incredible. It was the perfect way to end such an incredible experience. www.qamea.com Teness Herman : Intimate Portraits Grade : A+ WOW. This was an absolutely amazing experience. Teness is absolutely amazing. She made me feel so comfortable and relaxed…an absolute necessity to create the kind of pictures I was going for. I felt like I was taking pictures with a dear old friend. She and I spent months discussing the look and feel of the shoot. She recommended I look at a book called Women Before 10am by Veronique Vial. If you like the style of my intimate portraits (aka Boudoir Pictures…sorry, I think it’s a cheesy name), I would definitely recommend you check out this book for inspiration. We shot for three and a half hours and could have easily gone on for another two. She used multiple cameras and twice as many lenses with nothing but natural light, which really helped in creating a sensual feel. Her enthusiasm, creativity and eye for the perfect shot are truly unparalleled. If you don’t have room in your budget to do this as a wedding gift, I would highly recommend it as a first (paper) anniversary gift. www.teness.com
www.djstayinschool.com Taste of Honey - Honey Everett : Wedding Cake Grade : A As mentioned before, we wanted an ice cream cake as our wedding cake. Neither of us like cake. Amazingly, getting someone to make a wedding cake out of ice cream is harder than you might imagine. Every person we contacted acted like we were crazy. However, when we found Honey, she definitely knew what she was talking about. There are a lot of logistics involved with an ice cream wedding cake, i.e. delivery, setup, serving it, icing it, etc. Honey had such confidence that I wasn’t the least bit worried. We had three flavors, one of which being mint chocolate chip (the others I don’t remember), with a brownie bottom. Honey delivered and setup the cake after the reception had started. It tasted great and looked fantastic, even though it had started to melt, which I found somewhat charming, being as that it was ice cream cake! Oregon Chamber Players : Ceremony Musicians Grade : B- This was another responsibility of my husband’s. We picked all non-traditional music (Coldplay, The Verve, Enya) and had to find the sheet music for all of the songs we wanted played. Originally, we were going to use the Metropolitan Youth Symphony. However, once they started to review the sheet music for the songs we wanted played, they realized that they didn’t really currently have that kind of depth. Last minute, three weeks before the wedding, we had to find someone new. Considering the amount of time they had, the Oregon Chamber Players did great. They did mess up on one of the songs but it wasn’t really worth getting upset over. I also would have preferred a string quartet (which was our original plan) but that wasn’t really their fault. www.oregonchamberplayers.org Blizzard Motors : Getaway Car Grade : A Almost two years ago my husband and I bought a car from this lot (its in SE Portland). The lot is primarily fine European cars. When we were there to pick up our newly purchased car, the owner of the lot told us he would loan us a car of our choice for our wedding. My fiance chose a convertible Porsche to drive from the ceremony. It was a beautiful little black shiny thing and my husband thoroughly enjoyed driving it. I don’t know if Doug would be willing to rent out any of his cars but if you’re interested it might not hurt to ask. Western Culinary Institute : Martini Ice Luge Grade : A This was one of the best budget friendly finds of our entire wedding. We really wanted to have a martini luge but found that they were rather expensive to have made…that was, until we found out about the Western Culinary Institute’s ice sculpture class. Basically, they told us they could create anything we wanted and all we had to do was provide them with a drawing. My mom, who’s an artist, drew a great design, in keeping with our theme and stationery, and we provided it to WCI. They not only did a great job of recreating it but the cost included transporting it, delivery and setup. We paid more than they asked for, to donate towards their program, but regardless it was well worth it. Definitely one of the main highlights of the reception for our guests. Spa La La : Pre-Wedding Pampering Grade : B+ As part of my gift to the ladies in the wedding, I treated them to manicures and pedicures at Spa La La. While it’s not the best manicure and pedicure in town (my best friend and I often refer to them as the chop shop), the decor and vibe is great and they’ll serve you all the mimosas you want. We had twelve of us (the moms, five maids of honor, two readers, the two flower girls and myself) there and it was like our own little private party. The staff was very friendly and efficient and I think the ladies all enjoyed getting their nails done. www.spalala.net The Face Place – Dorene Klippel : Facial and Brazilian Wax Grade : A I’ve gone to Dorene every month for the last six years for a Brazilian wax. She does a fantastic job at those…well, it’s a Brazilian wax so it’s not like it feels good but in terms of the final look, she does a tremendous job. However, I decided to get a facial from her as well. Wow! Her facial was by far the best facial I’ve ever had…not only did I fall asleep but she did such an incredibly thorough job. It will be hard not to make getting a facial from her a monthly occurrence as well. www.waxqueen.com Salon 77 – Mahria Martinez : Brow Wax Grade : A+ I pretty much have caterpillars for eyebrows…I’m not kidding. So, not only do my eyebrows need to be professionally groomed on a regular basis but they need to be done well. Mahria is a dream…seriously, she’s absolutely amazing. It’s the only kind of waxing she does…you know if a girl can make a living off of just waxing eyebrows, she’s got to be good! And not only that, she’s the sweetest thing you’ve ever met. www.seventyseven.us Diane Jensen : Massage Grade : A+ So, I have to admit that before my husband and I bought our house, Diane was our landlord. However, my husband has some pretty severe back injuries (thanks to a motorcycle) and is always up for a massage. That being said, we get a lot of massages. Diane is fantastic. She works in a chiropractic clinic off of NW 23rd (which the chiropractor there is also fantastic, Suzanne Lady) and does pretty much any type of massage you’d like. If I were to say I have a regular LMT, Diane would be it…and without failure, I fall asleep on her table every time. She’s fantastic and a lot cheaper than a mediocre spa massage. And, she is so incredibly kind and sweet as well…you can’t beat that! She used to have a website but it doesn’t look like she does anymore. Contact me if you want to get in touch with her. Embellish Design : Wedding Dress Grade : A+ I went shopping on several different occasions for a wedding dress. After searching most of Portland for the dress, I decided to visit Terri at Embellish Design. Now, I would not even waste time looking for dresses to order. In the end, my dress cost less than any of my final choices of the dresses I found in the salons. Not only that, the experience was so incredibly fun. Originally, I went into her studio with pictures of my final choices as well as other dresses I liked. We went through each picture and discussed what I liked about each one. We took elements from all of those to create my dress. Terri is so knowledgeable about what she does and extremely talented in the art of designing and sewing gowns. We discussed everything from different fabrics to different styles and the pluses and negatives of each. In the end, I had a dress that was exactly what I wanted, custom fit to my body. I would highly recommend working with Terri. I hope that I’ll have a reason for her to make me another dress (she makes party dresses too) some time. www.embellishdesign.com Patty Lehner : Wedding Jewelry Grade : A+ I saw a variation of my wedding dress in an Oregon Bride magazine months before my wedding. The earrings that the model was wearing were wonderful. When I looked up where they came from, the magazine said Ella Posie (which is now closed but was on NE Broadway). Carmen (who is also a wedding coordinator) of Ella Posie got me in touch with Patty, who had designed the jewelry. Patty was an absolute delight to work with…kind of like working with your spunky grandmother. We talked about what I wanted and she worked efficiently to get pieces done for me. She made a variation of the earrings I wanted with several different types of pearls and different lengths so I had something to choose from. Then, she made a bangle to match. And when I asked for some extra pearls and crystals for my ring bearer pillow and hair jewelry, not only did she have no problem sending me on my way with a little bag of each but she also refused to charge me for them when I tried to pay her. August Veils : Hair Jewelry Grade : A Patty referred me to Andrea to have my hair jewelry made (Patty doesn’t like to make it). I brought the pearls and crystals that Patty had used in my jewelry to have Andrea create some sparkle for my hair. She created exactly what I was looking for and in a very short amount of time. www.augustveils.com Cromwell Formalwear : Tuxedo Rentals Grade : A While my husband bought a suit for the wedding, we needed rentals for everyone else. Cromwell’s had a good selection and a helpful staff. They kept us informed on everyone who had, or hadn’t, been fitted and I didn’t hear of any problems that anyone had with their rentals. www.cromwellformalwear.com Twist : Wedding Rings Grade : A We searched for quite some time to find rings that we really loved. While I love the traditional platinum eternity band, I wanted something a little different to go with my princess cut solitaire. My husband wanted a platinum ring but not completely plain. Twist, although not a store you would typically think of for wedding bands, had just what we were looking for. The staff was very friendly and when they ordered our rings, they said it would take eight weeks to get them in (which was cutting it really close). Two weeks later, we received a call letting us know that our rings were in. I love the uniqueness of our rings! www.twistonline.com Shane Co : Engagement Ring Grade : C+ In one week, my husband sold his motorcycle, decided to ask me to marry him and bought a ring. The ring is exactly what I would have picked out, a plain platinum band with a princess cut solitaire. However, if I had had a say in it, I never would have gotten my ring at Shane Co. I think their staff is kind of tacky, not to mention their showroom, and I’m always frustrated by their service when I take my ring in to be cleaned or polished...and lets not even begin to discuss their ads! www.shaneco.com Hotel Lucia : Wedding Night Hotel Grade : A I love this place! We booked their “Did I Mention I Want You?” package in a King Suite. When we arrived at the hotel with nothing but the wedding clothes we were still wearing, they were quick to check us in. Our bed was covered in rose petals, there was music playing, champagne being chilled and a box of toys, i.e. body crayons, furry handcuffs and a book of positions for every day of the year. We ordered room service at about 1:30am because neither of us really ate at our reception. They were prompt and the food was tasty. I wish we didn’t live in Portland so we had more reasons to stay here…it’s such a chic hotel! www.hotellucia.com Bluestar Charter : Guest Transportation Grade : C Originally, we were expecting a lot of guests from out of state. We booked a charter bus to pick up guests from downtown Portland and transport them to Mt Tabor Park and then to Nocturnal. Unfortunately, my husbands grandfather passed away two months before our wedding and many of what we assumed would be the out of town guests could no longer make it due to their last minute flights to the funeral. Regardless, I still think this was a good thing to have. However, we revised our timeline for the bus and faxed it in. For whatever reason, they didn’t follow this and were 1.5 hours early to pick up guests and consequently ended their evening 1.5 hours earlier than we were originally anticipating. I’m not sure why they were running on the old timeline as I had faxed the revised one to them. While in the grand scheme of things, it wasn’t that big of a deal, I was irritated that we had paid for something and then couldn’t even utilize it for 1.5 hours. www.bluestarbus.com The Party Place : Chair Rentals Grade : A Although Mt Tabor Amphitheatre has some benches, we rented some chairs as well to insure we had enough seating. To be honest, I have no idea if this all worked out. I assume they arrived on time as they were all set up prior to the ceremony. And I assume they were picked up just fine since I haven’t heard from them about not getting their chairs back or something. Unforgettable Honeymoons Renee Duane-Meyer : Travel Agent Grade : A for knowledge, C for personality When it came time to plan our honeymoon, we were running out of energy, especially to plan the fantastic honeymoon we both wanted. While we both found Renee to be fairly pretentious and full of herself, she was very knowledgeable. At first, we wanted to go to Bora Bora and Taha’a. However, Renee couldn’t find us any availability for the room types we wanted. She asked us if we would consider Fiji, which we of course would and did. She booked us for 7 nights at Qamea Resort and Spa in Fiji in a premium villa. The resort was amazing but I grew a bit concerned when four different couples at the resort (which has a maximum capacity for 28 adults total) had been booked there with Renee from Unforgettable Honeymoons. I don’t know what sort of a kickback Renee receives for referring clients there and I guess it doesn’t really matter because the resort really is all she says it is. However, it doesn’t feel very good to feel like she’s only sending people to that one place, especially when we already felt like she had a pretty inflated ego. My best friend and her husband booked through Unforgettable Honeymoons for their honeymoon, not with Renee, and said their experience was great. If I had it to do over again, I would try to book with another travel agent there. www.unforgettablehoneymoons.com Qamea Resort and Spa : Honeymoon Grade : A+ Wow! This place was incredible, even when it was overcast most of the week we were there! We flew for close to 14 hours, PDX to LAX, LAX to Nadi, Fiji and then on a puddle jumper from Nadi to Taveuni. Then we were driven in a Range Rover for 20 minutes on a dirt rode to a beach where we got on a boat and went on a 10-minute boat ride across to the island of Qamea. We were greeted by a smiling and friendly staff, taken to their restaurant/lounge villa where we were served cocktails and fruit plates and given a quick rundown of the resort. Our accommodations were amazing. Our villa included a daybed and a pool on our deck, a large outdoor shower, a large bathroom that included a walk-in closet, two sinks, a towel warmer, large shower and then a large room with a four-poster bed on a platform with amazing linens and sheer curtains hanging, and then a living area with a couch, coffee table, stereo, lounge chairs, etc. I’ve never stayed in such an incredible place. The staff was so incredibly friendly, the food was some of the best food I’ve ever eaten. We snorkeled, went for a hike in the rainforest, swam in waterfalls, went to visit a village, did some nude sunbathing on our own private beach for an afternoon, my husband did some traditional Fijian hand-line fishing, kava ceremonies, a meek ceremony, beach volleyball and we visited the spa every day. The staff would make you snacks in between meals if you were hungry, the coral and the seashells were amazing and the rainforest absolutely incredible. It was the perfect way to end such an incredible experience. www.qamea.com Teness Herman : Intimate Portraits Grade : A+ WOW. This was an absolutely amazing experience. Teness is absolutely amazing. She made me feel so comfortable and relaxed…an absolute necessity to create the kind of pictures I was going for. I felt like I was taking pictures with a dear old friend. She and I spent months discussing the look and feel of the shoot. She recommended I look at a book called Women Before 10am by Veronique Vial. If you like the style of my intimate portraits (aka Boudoir Pictures…sorry, I think it’s a cheesy name), I would definitely recommend you check out this book for inspiration. We shot for three and a half hours and could have easily gone on for another two. She used multiple cameras and twice as many lenses with nothing but natural light, which really helped in creating a sensual feel. Her enthusiasm, creativity and eye for the perfect shot are truly unparalleled. If you don’t have room in your budget to do this as a wedding gift, I would highly recommend it as a first (paper) anniversary gift. www.teness.com
Taste of Honey - Honey Everett : Wedding Cake Grade : A As mentioned before, we wanted an ice cream cake as our wedding cake. Neither of us like cake. Amazingly, getting someone to make a wedding cake out of ice cream is harder than you might imagine. Every person we contacted acted like we were crazy. However, when we found Honey, she definitely knew what she was talking about. There are a lot of logistics involved with an ice cream wedding cake, i.e. delivery, setup, serving it, icing it, etc. Honey had such confidence that I wasn’t the least bit worried. We had three flavors, one of which being mint chocolate chip (the others I don’t remember), with a brownie bottom. Honey delivered and setup the cake after the reception had started. It tasted great and looked fantastic, even though it had started to melt, which I found somewhat charming, being as that it was ice cream cake! Oregon Chamber Players : Ceremony Musicians Grade : B- This was another responsibility of my husband’s. We picked all non-traditional music (Coldplay, The Verve, Enya) and had to find the sheet music for all of the songs we wanted played. Originally, we were going to use the Metropolitan Youth Symphony. However, once they started to review the sheet music for the songs we wanted played, they realized that they didn’t really currently have that kind of depth. Last minute, three weeks before the wedding, we had to find someone new. Considering the amount of time they had, the Oregon Chamber Players did great. They did mess up on one of the songs but it wasn’t really worth getting upset over. I also would have preferred a string quartet (which was our original plan) but that wasn’t really their fault. www.oregonchamberplayers.org Blizzard Motors : Getaway Car Grade : A Almost two years ago my husband and I bought a car from this lot (its in SE Portland). The lot is primarily fine European cars. When we were there to pick up our newly purchased car, the owner of the lot told us he would loan us a car of our choice for our wedding. My fiance chose a convertible Porsche to drive from the ceremony. It was a beautiful little black shiny thing and my husband thoroughly enjoyed driving it. I don’t know if Doug would be willing to rent out any of his cars but if you’re interested it might not hurt to ask. Western Culinary Institute : Martini Ice Luge Grade : A This was one of the best budget friendly finds of our entire wedding. We really wanted to have a martini luge but found that they were rather expensive to have made…that was, until we found out about the Western Culinary Institute’s ice sculpture class. Basically, they told us they could create anything we wanted and all we had to do was provide them with a drawing. My mom, who’s an artist, drew a great design, in keeping with our theme and stationery, and we provided it to WCI. They not only did a great job of recreating it but the cost included transporting it, delivery and setup. We paid more than they asked for, to donate towards their program, but regardless it was well worth it. Definitely one of the main highlights of the reception for our guests. Spa La La : Pre-Wedding Pampering Grade : B+ As part of my gift to the ladies in the wedding, I treated them to manicures and pedicures at Spa La La. While it’s not the best manicure and pedicure in town (my best friend and I often refer to them as the chop shop), the decor and vibe is great and they’ll serve you all the mimosas you want. We had twelve of us (the moms, five maids of honor, two readers, the two flower girls and myself) there and it was like our own little private party. The staff was very friendly and efficient and I think the ladies all enjoyed getting their nails done. www.spalala.net The Face Place – Dorene Klippel : Facial and Brazilian Wax Grade : A I’ve gone to Dorene every month for the last six years for a Brazilian wax. She does a fantastic job at those…well, it’s a Brazilian wax so it’s not like it feels good but in terms of the final look, she does a tremendous job. However, I decided to get a facial from her as well. Wow! Her facial was by far the best facial I’ve ever had…not only did I fall asleep but she did such an incredibly thorough job. It will be hard not to make getting a facial from her a monthly occurrence as well. www.waxqueen.com Salon 77 – Mahria Martinez : Brow Wax Grade : A+ I pretty much have caterpillars for eyebrows…I’m not kidding. So, not only do my eyebrows need to be professionally groomed on a regular basis but they need to be done well. Mahria is a dream…seriously, she’s absolutely amazing. It’s the only kind of waxing she does…you know if a girl can make a living off of just waxing eyebrows, she’s got to be good! And not only that, she’s the sweetest thing you’ve ever met. www.seventyseven.us Diane Jensen : Massage Grade : A+ So, I have to admit that before my husband and I bought our house, Diane was our landlord. However, my husband has some pretty severe back injuries (thanks to a motorcycle) and is always up for a massage. That being said, we get a lot of massages. Diane is fantastic. She works in a chiropractic clinic off of NW 23rd (which the chiropractor there is also fantastic, Suzanne Lady) and does pretty much any type of massage you’d like. If I were to say I have a regular LMT, Diane would be it…and without failure, I fall asleep on her table every time. She’s fantastic and a lot cheaper than a mediocre spa massage. And, she is so incredibly kind and sweet as well…you can’t beat that! She used to have a website but it doesn’t look like she does anymore. Contact me if you want to get in touch with her. Embellish Design : Wedding Dress Grade : A+ I went shopping on several different occasions for a wedding dress. After searching most of Portland for the dress, I decided to visit Terri at Embellish Design. Now, I would not even waste time looking for dresses to order. In the end, my dress cost less than any of my final choices of the dresses I found in the salons. Not only that, the experience was so incredibly fun. Originally, I went into her studio with pictures of my final choices as well as other dresses I liked. We went through each picture and discussed what I liked about each one. We took elements from all of those to create my dress. Terri is so knowledgeable about what she does and extremely talented in the art of designing and sewing gowns. We discussed everything from different fabrics to different styles and the pluses and negatives of each. In the end, I had a dress that was exactly what I wanted, custom fit to my body. I would highly recommend working with Terri. I hope that I’ll have a reason for her to make me another dress (she makes party dresses too) some time. www.embellishdesign.com Patty Lehner : Wedding Jewelry Grade : A+ I saw a variation of my wedding dress in an Oregon Bride magazine months before my wedding. The earrings that the model was wearing were wonderful. When I looked up where they came from, the magazine said Ella Posie (which is now closed but was on NE Broadway). Carmen (who is also a wedding coordinator) of Ella Posie got me in touch with Patty, who had designed the jewelry. Patty was an absolute delight to work with…kind of like working with your spunky grandmother. We talked about what I wanted and she worked efficiently to get pieces done for me. She made a variation of the earrings I wanted with several different types of pearls and different lengths so I had something to choose from. Then, she made a bangle to match. And when I asked for some extra pearls and crystals for my ring bearer pillow and hair jewelry, not only did she have no problem sending me on my way with a little bag of each but she also refused to charge me for them when I tried to pay her. August Veils : Hair Jewelry Grade : A Patty referred me to Andrea to have my hair jewelry made (Patty doesn’t like to make it). I brought the pearls and crystals that Patty had used in my jewelry to have Andrea create some sparkle for my hair. She created exactly what I was looking for and in a very short amount of time. www.augustveils.com Cromwell Formalwear : Tuxedo Rentals Grade : A While my husband bought a suit for the wedding, we needed rentals for everyone else. Cromwell’s had a good selection and a helpful staff. They kept us informed on everyone who had, or hadn’t, been fitted and I didn’t hear of any problems that anyone had with their rentals. www.cromwellformalwear.com Twist : Wedding Rings Grade : A We searched for quite some time to find rings that we really loved. While I love the traditional platinum eternity band, I wanted something a little different to go with my princess cut solitaire. My husband wanted a platinum ring but not completely plain. Twist, although not a store you would typically think of for wedding bands, had just what we were looking for. The staff was very friendly and when they ordered our rings, they said it would take eight weeks to get them in (which was cutting it really close). Two weeks later, we received a call letting us know that our rings were in. I love the uniqueness of our rings! www.twistonline.com Shane Co : Engagement Ring Grade : C+ In one week, my husband sold his motorcycle, decided to ask me to marry him and bought a ring. The ring is exactly what I would have picked out, a plain platinum band with a princess cut solitaire. However, if I had had a say in it, I never would have gotten my ring at Shane Co. I think their staff is kind of tacky, not to mention their showroom, and I’m always frustrated by their service when I take my ring in to be cleaned or polished...and lets not even begin to discuss their ads! www.shaneco.com Hotel Lucia : Wedding Night Hotel Grade : A I love this place! We booked their “Did I Mention I Want You?” package in a King Suite. When we arrived at the hotel with nothing but the wedding clothes we were still wearing, they were quick to check us in. Our bed was covered in rose petals, there was music playing, champagne being chilled and a box of toys, i.e. body crayons, furry handcuffs and a book of positions for every day of the year. We ordered room service at about 1:30am because neither of us really ate at our reception. They were prompt and the food was tasty. I wish we didn’t live in Portland so we had more reasons to stay here…it’s such a chic hotel! www.hotellucia.com Bluestar Charter : Guest Transportation Grade : C Originally, we were expecting a lot of guests from out of state. We booked a charter bus to pick up guests from downtown Portland and transport them to Mt Tabor Park and then to Nocturnal. Unfortunately, my husbands grandfather passed away two months before our wedding and many of what we assumed would be the out of town guests could no longer make it due to their last minute flights to the funeral. Regardless, I still think this was a good thing to have. However, we revised our timeline for the bus and faxed it in. For whatever reason, they didn’t follow this and were 1.5 hours early to pick up guests and consequently ended their evening 1.5 hours earlier than we were originally anticipating. I’m not sure why they were running on the old timeline as I had faxed the revised one to them. While in the grand scheme of things, it wasn’t that big of a deal, I was irritated that we had paid for something and then couldn’t even utilize it for 1.5 hours. www.bluestarbus.com The Party Place : Chair Rentals Grade : A Although Mt Tabor Amphitheatre has some benches, we rented some chairs as well to insure we had enough seating. To be honest, I have no idea if this all worked out. I assume they arrived on time as they were all set up prior to the ceremony. And I assume they were picked up just fine since I haven’t heard from them about not getting their chairs back or something. Unforgettable Honeymoons Renee Duane-Meyer : Travel Agent Grade : A for knowledge, C for personality When it came time to plan our honeymoon, we were running out of energy, especially to plan the fantastic honeymoon we both wanted. While we both found Renee to be fairly pretentious and full of herself, she was very knowledgeable. At first, we wanted to go to Bora Bora and Taha’a. However, Renee couldn’t find us any availability for the room types we wanted. She asked us if we would consider Fiji, which we of course would and did. She booked us for 7 nights at Qamea Resort and Spa in Fiji in a premium villa. The resort was amazing but I grew a bit concerned when four different couples at the resort (which has a maximum capacity for 28 adults total) had been booked there with Renee from Unforgettable Honeymoons. I don’t know what sort of a kickback Renee receives for referring clients there and I guess it doesn’t really matter because the resort really is all she says it is. However, it doesn’t feel very good to feel like she’s only sending people to that one place, especially when we already felt like she had a pretty inflated ego. My best friend and her husband booked through Unforgettable Honeymoons for their honeymoon, not with Renee, and said their experience was great. If I had it to do over again, I would try to book with another travel agent there. www.unforgettablehoneymoons.com Qamea Resort and Spa : Honeymoon Grade : A+ Wow! This place was incredible, even when it was overcast most of the week we were there! We flew for close to 14 hours, PDX to LAX, LAX to Nadi, Fiji and then on a puddle jumper from Nadi to Taveuni. Then we were driven in a Range Rover for 20 minutes on a dirt rode to a beach where we got on a boat and went on a 10-minute boat ride across to the island of Qamea. We were greeted by a smiling and friendly staff, taken to their restaurant/lounge villa where we were served cocktails and fruit plates and given a quick rundown of the resort. Our accommodations were amazing. Our villa included a daybed and a pool on our deck, a large outdoor shower, a large bathroom that included a walk-in closet, two sinks, a towel warmer, large shower and then a large room with a four-poster bed on a platform with amazing linens and sheer curtains hanging, and then a living area with a couch, coffee table, stereo, lounge chairs, etc. I’ve never stayed in such an incredible place. The staff was so incredibly friendly, the food was some of the best food I’ve ever eaten. We snorkeled, went for a hike in the rainforest, swam in waterfalls, went to visit a village, did some nude sunbathing on our own private beach for an afternoon, my husband did some traditional Fijian hand-line fishing, kava ceremonies, a meek ceremony, beach volleyball and we visited the spa every day. The staff would make you snacks in between meals if you were hungry, the coral and the seashells were amazing and the rainforest absolutely incredible. It was the perfect way to end such an incredible experience. www.qamea.com Teness Herman : Intimate Portraits Grade : A+ WOW. This was an absolutely amazing experience. Teness is absolutely amazing. She made me feel so comfortable and relaxed…an absolute necessity to create the kind of pictures I was going for. I felt like I was taking pictures with a dear old friend. She and I spent months discussing the look and feel of the shoot. She recommended I look at a book called Women Before 10am by Veronique Vial. If you like the style of my intimate portraits (aka Boudoir Pictures…sorry, I think it’s a cheesy name), I would definitely recommend you check out this book for inspiration. We shot for three and a half hours and could have easily gone on for another two. She used multiple cameras and twice as many lenses with nothing but natural light, which really helped in creating a sensual feel. Her enthusiasm, creativity and eye for the perfect shot are truly unparalleled. If you don’t have room in your budget to do this as a wedding gift, I would highly recommend it as a first (paper) anniversary gift. www.teness.com
Oregon Chamber Players : Ceremony Musicians Grade : B- This was another responsibility of my husband’s. We picked all non-traditional music (Coldplay, The Verve, Enya) and had to find the sheet music for all of the songs we wanted played. Originally, we were going to use the Metropolitan Youth Symphony. However, once they started to review the sheet music for the songs we wanted played, they realized that they didn’t really currently have that kind of depth. Last minute, three weeks before the wedding, we had to find someone new. Considering the amount of time they had, the Oregon Chamber Players did great. They did mess up on one of the songs but it wasn’t really worth getting upset over. I also would have preferred a string quartet (which was our original plan) but that wasn’t really their fault. www.oregonchamberplayers.org Blizzard Motors : Getaway Car Grade : A Almost two years ago my husband and I bought a car from this lot (its in SE Portland). The lot is primarily fine European cars. When we were there to pick up our newly purchased car, the owner of the lot told us he would loan us a car of our choice for our wedding. My fiance chose a convertible Porsche to drive from the ceremony. It was a beautiful little black shiny thing and my husband thoroughly enjoyed driving it. I don’t know if Doug would be willing to rent out any of his cars but if you’re interested it might not hurt to ask. Western Culinary Institute : Martini Ice Luge Grade : A This was one of the best budget friendly finds of our entire wedding. We really wanted to have a martini luge but found that they were rather expensive to have made…that was, until we found out about the Western Culinary Institute’s ice sculpture class. Basically, they told us they could create anything we wanted and all we had to do was provide them with a drawing. My mom, who’s an artist, drew a great design, in keeping with our theme and stationery, and we provided it to WCI. They not only did a great job of recreating it but the cost included transporting it, delivery and setup. We paid more than they asked for, to donate towards their program, but regardless it was well worth it. Definitely one of the main highlights of the reception for our guests. Spa La La : Pre-Wedding Pampering Grade : B+ As part of my gift to the ladies in the wedding, I treated them to manicures and pedicures at Spa La La. While it’s not the best manicure and pedicure in town (my best friend and I often refer to them as the chop shop), the decor and vibe is great and they’ll serve you all the mimosas you want. We had twelve of us (the moms, five maids of honor, two readers, the two flower girls and myself) there and it was like our own little private party. The staff was very friendly and efficient and I think the ladies all enjoyed getting their nails done. www.spalala.net The Face Place – Dorene Klippel : Facial and Brazilian Wax Grade : A I’ve gone to Dorene every month for the last six years for a Brazilian wax. She does a fantastic job at those…well, it’s a Brazilian wax so it’s not like it feels good but in terms of the final look, she does a tremendous job. However, I decided to get a facial from her as well. Wow! Her facial was by far the best facial I’ve ever had…not only did I fall asleep but she did such an incredibly thorough job. It will be hard not to make getting a facial from her a monthly occurrence as well. www.waxqueen.com Salon 77 – Mahria Martinez : Brow Wax Grade : A+ I pretty much have caterpillars for eyebrows…I’m not kidding. So, not only do my eyebrows need to be professionally groomed on a regular basis but they need to be done well. Mahria is a dream…seriously, she’s absolutely amazing. It’s the only kind of waxing she does…you know if a girl can make a living off of just waxing eyebrows, she’s got to be good! And not only that, she’s the sweetest thing you’ve ever met. www.seventyseven.us Diane Jensen : Massage Grade : A+ So, I have to admit that before my husband and I bought our house, Diane was our landlord. However, my husband has some pretty severe back injuries (thanks to a motorcycle) and is always up for a massage. That being said, we get a lot of massages. Diane is fantastic. She works in a chiropractic clinic off of NW 23rd (which the chiropractor there is also fantastic, Suzanne Lady) and does pretty much any type of massage you’d like. If I were to say I have a regular LMT, Diane would be it…and without failure, I fall asleep on her table every time. She’s fantastic and a lot cheaper than a mediocre spa massage. And, she is so incredibly kind and sweet as well…you can’t beat that! She used to have a website but it doesn’t look like she does anymore. Contact me if you want to get in touch with her. Embellish Design : Wedding Dress Grade : A+ I went shopping on several different occasions for a wedding dress. After searching most of Portland for the dress, I decided to visit Terri at Embellish Design. Now, I would not even waste time looking for dresses to order. In the end, my dress cost less than any of my final choices of the dresses I found in the salons. Not only that, the experience was so incredibly fun. Originally, I went into her studio with pictures of my final choices as well as other dresses I liked. We went through each picture and discussed what I liked about each one. We took elements from all of those to create my dress. Terri is so knowledgeable about what she does and extremely talented in the art of designing and sewing gowns. We discussed everything from different fabrics to different styles and the pluses and negatives of each. In the end, I had a dress that was exactly what I wanted, custom fit to my body. I would highly recommend working with Terri. I hope that I’ll have a reason for her to make me another dress (she makes party dresses too) some time. www.embellishdesign.com Patty Lehner : Wedding Jewelry Grade : A+ I saw a variation of my wedding dress in an Oregon Bride magazine months before my wedding. The earrings that the model was wearing were wonderful. When I looked up where they came from, the magazine said Ella Posie (which is now closed but was on NE Broadway). Carmen (who is also a wedding coordinator) of Ella Posie got me in touch with Patty, who had designed the jewelry. Patty was an absolute delight to work with…kind of like working with your spunky grandmother. We talked about what I wanted and she worked efficiently to get pieces done for me. She made a variation of the earrings I wanted with several different types of pearls and different lengths so I had something to choose from. Then, she made a bangle to match. And when I asked for some extra pearls and crystals for my ring bearer pillow and hair jewelry, not only did she have no problem sending me on my way with a little bag of each but she also refused to charge me for them when I tried to pay her. August Veils : Hair Jewelry Grade : A Patty referred me to Andrea to have my hair jewelry made (Patty doesn’t like to make it). I brought the pearls and crystals that Patty had used in my jewelry to have Andrea create some sparkle for my hair. She created exactly what I was looking for and in a very short amount of time. www.augustveils.com Cromwell Formalwear : Tuxedo Rentals Grade : A While my husband bought a suit for the wedding, we needed rentals for everyone else. Cromwell’s had a good selection and a helpful staff. They kept us informed on everyone who had, or hadn’t, been fitted and I didn’t hear of any problems that anyone had with their rentals. www.cromwellformalwear.com Twist : Wedding Rings Grade : A We searched for quite some time to find rings that we really loved. While I love the traditional platinum eternity band, I wanted something a little different to go with my princess cut solitaire. My husband wanted a platinum ring but not completely plain. Twist, although not a store you would typically think of for wedding bands, had just what we were looking for. The staff was very friendly and when they ordered our rings, they said it would take eight weeks to get them in (which was cutting it really close). Two weeks later, we received a call letting us know that our rings were in. I love the uniqueness of our rings! www.twistonline.com Shane Co : Engagement Ring Grade : C+ In one week, my husband sold his motorcycle, decided to ask me to marry him and bought a ring. The ring is exactly what I would have picked out, a plain platinum band with a princess cut solitaire. However, if I had had a say in it, I never would have gotten my ring at Shane Co. I think their staff is kind of tacky, not to mention their showroom, and I’m always frustrated by their service when I take my ring in to be cleaned or polished...and lets not even begin to discuss their ads! www.shaneco.com Hotel Lucia : Wedding Night Hotel Grade : A I love this place! We booked their “Did I Mention I Want You?” package in a King Suite. When we arrived at the hotel with nothing but the wedding clothes we were still wearing, they were quick to check us in. Our bed was covered in rose petals, there was music playing, champagne being chilled and a box of toys, i.e. body crayons, furry handcuffs and a book of positions for every day of the year. We ordered room service at about 1:30am because neither of us really ate at our reception. They were prompt and the food was tasty. I wish we didn’t live in Portland so we had more reasons to stay here…it’s such a chic hotel! www.hotellucia.com Bluestar Charter : Guest Transportation Grade : C Originally, we were expecting a lot of guests from out of state. We booked a charter bus to pick up guests from downtown Portland and transport them to Mt Tabor Park and then to Nocturnal. Unfortunately, my husbands grandfather passed away two months before our wedding and many of what we assumed would be the out of town guests could no longer make it due to their last minute flights to the funeral. Regardless, I still think this was a good thing to have. However, we revised our timeline for the bus and faxed it in. For whatever reason, they didn’t follow this and were 1.5 hours early to pick up guests and consequently ended their evening 1.5 hours earlier than we were originally anticipating. I’m not sure why they were running on the old timeline as I had faxed the revised one to them. While in the grand scheme of things, it wasn’t that big of a deal, I was irritated that we had paid for something and then couldn’t even utilize it for 1.5 hours. www.bluestarbus.com The Party Place : Chair Rentals Grade : A Although Mt Tabor Amphitheatre has some benches, we rented some chairs as well to insure we had enough seating. To be honest, I have no idea if this all worked out. I assume they arrived on time as they were all set up prior to the ceremony. And I assume they were picked up just fine since I haven’t heard from them about not getting their chairs back or something. Unforgettable Honeymoons Renee Duane-Meyer : Travel Agent Grade : A for knowledge, C for personality When it came time to plan our honeymoon, we were running out of energy, especially to plan the fantastic honeymoon we both wanted. While we both found Renee to be fairly pretentious and full of herself, she was very knowledgeable. At first, we wanted to go to Bora Bora and Taha’a. However, Renee couldn’t find us any availability for the room types we wanted. She asked us if we would consider Fiji, which we of course would and did. She booked us for 7 nights at Qamea Resort and Spa in Fiji in a premium villa. The resort was amazing but I grew a bit concerned when four different couples at the resort (which has a maximum capacity for 28 adults total) had been booked there with Renee from Unforgettable Honeymoons. I don’t know what sort of a kickback Renee receives for referring clients there and I guess it doesn’t really matter because the resort really is all she says it is. However, it doesn’t feel very good to feel like she’s only sending people to that one place, especially when we already felt like she had a pretty inflated ego. My best friend and her husband booked through Unforgettable Honeymoons for their honeymoon, not with Renee, and said their experience was great. If I had it to do over again, I would try to book with another travel agent there. www.unforgettablehoneymoons.com Qamea Resort and Spa : Honeymoon Grade : A+ Wow! This place was incredible, even when it was overcast most of the week we were there! We flew for close to 14 hours, PDX to LAX, LAX to Nadi, Fiji and then on a puddle jumper from Nadi to Taveuni. Then we were driven in a Range Rover for 20 minutes on a dirt rode to a beach where we got on a boat and went on a 10-minute boat ride across to the island of Qamea. We were greeted by a smiling and friendly staff, taken to their restaurant/lounge villa where we were served cocktails and fruit plates and given a quick rundown of the resort. Our accommodations were amazing. Our villa included a daybed and a pool on our deck, a large outdoor shower, a large bathroom that included a walk-in closet, two sinks, a towel warmer, large shower and then a large room with a four-poster bed on a platform with amazing linens and sheer curtains hanging, and then a living area with a couch, coffee table, stereo, lounge chairs, etc. I’ve never stayed in such an incredible place. The staff was so incredibly friendly, the food was some of the best food I’ve ever eaten. We snorkeled, went for a hike in the rainforest, swam in waterfalls, went to visit a village, did some nude sunbathing on our own private beach for an afternoon, my husband did some traditional Fijian hand-line fishing, kava ceremonies, a meek ceremony, beach volleyball and we visited the spa every day. The staff would make you snacks in between meals if you were hungry, the coral and the seashells were amazing and the rainforest absolutely incredible. It was the perfect way to end such an incredible experience. www.qamea.com Teness Herman : Intimate Portraits Grade : A+ WOW. This was an absolutely amazing experience. Teness is absolutely amazing. She made me feel so comfortable and relaxed…an absolute necessity to create the kind of pictures I was going for. I felt like I was taking pictures with a dear old friend. She and I spent months discussing the look and feel of the shoot. She recommended I look at a book called Women Before 10am by Veronique Vial. If you like the style of my intimate portraits (aka Boudoir Pictures…sorry, I think it’s a cheesy name), I would definitely recommend you check out this book for inspiration. We shot for three and a half hours and could have easily gone on for another two. She used multiple cameras and twice as many lenses with nothing but natural light, which really helped in creating a sensual feel. Her enthusiasm, creativity and eye for the perfect shot are truly unparalleled. If you don’t have room in your budget to do this as a wedding gift, I would highly recommend it as a first (paper) anniversary gift. www.teness.com
www.oregonchamberplayers.org Blizzard Motors : Getaway Car Grade : A Almost two years ago my husband and I bought a car from this lot (its in SE Portland). The lot is primarily fine European cars. When we were there to pick up our newly purchased car, the owner of the lot told us he would loan us a car of our choice for our wedding. My fiance chose a convertible Porsche to drive from the ceremony. It was a beautiful little black shiny thing and my husband thoroughly enjoyed driving it. I don’t know if Doug would be willing to rent out any of his cars but if you’re interested it might not hurt to ask. Western Culinary Institute : Martini Ice Luge Grade : A This was one of the best budget friendly finds of our entire wedding. We really wanted to have a martini luge but found that they were rather expensive to have made…that was, until we found out about the Western Culinary Institute’s ice sculpture class. Basically, they told us they could create anything we wanted and all we had to do was provide them with a drawing. My mom, who’s an artist, drew a great design, in keeping with our theme and stationery, and we provided it to WCI. They not only did a great job of recreating it but the cost included transporting it, delivery and setup. We paid more than they asked for, to donate towards their program, but regardless it was well worth it. Definitely one of the main highlights of the reception for our guests. Spa La La : Pre-Wedding Pampering Grade : B+ As part of my gift to the ladies in the wedding, I treated them to manicures and pedicures at Spa La La. While it’s not the best manicure and pedicure in town (my best friend and I often refer to them as the chop shop), the decor and vibe is great and they’ll serve you all the mimosas you want. We had twelve of us (the moms, five maids of honor, two readers, the two flower girls and myself) there and it was like our own little private party. The staff was very friendly and efficient and I think the ladies all enjoyed getting their nails done. www.spalala.net The Face Place – Dorene Klippel : Facial and Brazilian Wax Grade : A I’ve gone to Dorene every month for the last six years for a Brazilian wax. She does a fantastic job at those…well, it’s a Brazilian wax so it’s not like it feels good but in terms of the final look, she does a tremendous job. However, I decided to get a facial from her as well. Wow! Her facial was by far the best facial I’ve ever had…not only did I fall asleep but she did such an incredibly thorough job. It will be hard not to make getting a facial from her a monthly occurrence as well. www.waxqueen.com Salon 77 – Mahria Martinez : Brow Wax Grade : A+ I pretty much have caterpillars for eyebrows…I’m not kidding. So, not only do my eyebrows need to be professionally groomed on a regular basis but they need to be done well. Mahria is a dream…seriously, she’s absolutely amazing. It’s the only kind of waxing she does…you know if a girl can make a living off of just waxing eyebrows, she’s got to be good! And not only that, she’s the sweetest thing you’ve ever met. www.seventyseven.us Diane Jensen : Massage Grade : A+ So, I have to admit that before my husband and I bought our house, Diane was our landlord. However, my husband has some pretty severe back injuries (thanks to a motorcycle) and is always up for a massage. That being said, we get a lot of massages. Diane is fantastic. She works in a chiropractic clinic off of NW 23rd (which the chiropractor there is also fantastic, Suzanne Lady) and does pretty much any type of massage you’d like. If I were to say I have a regular LMT, Diane would be it…and without failure, I fall asleep on her table every time. She’s fantastic and a lot cheaper than a mediocre spa massage. And, she is so incredibly kind and sweet as well…you can’t beat that! She used to have a website but it doesn’t look like she does anymore. Contact me if you want to get in touch with her. Embellish Design : Wedding Dress Grade : A+ I went shopping on several different occasions for a wedding dress. After searching most of Portland for the dress, I decided to visit Terri at Embellish Design. Now, I would not even waste time looking for dresses to order. In the end, my dress cost less than any of my final choices of the dresses I found in the salons. Not only that, the experience was so incredibly fun. Originally, I went into her studio with pictures of my final choices as well as other dresses I liked. We went through each picture and discussed what I liked about each one. We took elements from all of those to create my dress. Terri is so knowledgeable about what she does and extremely talented in the art of designing and sewing gowns. We discussed everything from different fabrics to different styles and the pluses and negatives of each. In the end, I had a dress that was exactly what I wanted, custom fit to my body. I would highly recommend working with Terri. I hope that I’ll have a reason for her to make me another dress (she makes party dresses too) some time. www.embellishdesign.com Patty Lehner : Wedding Jewelry Grade : A+ I saw a variation of my wedding dress in an Oregon Bride magazine months before my wedding. The earrings that the model was wearing were wonderful. When I looked up where they came from, the magazine said Ella Posie (which is now closed but was on NE Broadway). Carmen (who is also a wedding coordinator) of Ella Posie got me in touch with Patty, who had designed the jewelry. Patty was an absolute delight to work with…kind of like working with your spunky grandmother. We talked about what I wanted and she worked efficiently to get pieces done for me. She made a variation of the earrings I wanted with several different types of pearls and different lengths so I had something to choose from. Then, she made a bangle to match. And when I asked for some extra pearls and crystals for my ring bearer pillow and hair jewelry, not only did she have no problem sending me on my way with a little bag of each but she also refused to charge me for them when I tried to pay her. August Veils : Hair Jewelry Grade : A Patty referred me to Andrea to have my hair jewelry made (Patty doesn’t like to make it). I brought the pearls and crystals that Patty had used in my jewelry to have Andrea create some sparkle for my hair. She created exactly what I was looking for and in a very short amount of time. www.augustveils.com Cromwell Formalwear : Tuxedo Rentals Grade : A While my husband bought a suit for the wedding, we needed rentals for everyone else. Cromwell’s had a good selection and a helpful staff. They kept us informed on everyone who had, or hadn’t, been fitted and I didn’t hear of any problems that anyone had with their rentals. www.cromwellformalwear.com Twist : Wedding Rings Grade : A We searched for quite some time to find rings that we really loved. While I love the traditional platinum eternity band, I wanted something a little different to go with my princess cut solitaire. My husband wanted a platinum ring but not completely plain. Twist, although not a store you would typically think of for wedding bands, had just what we were looking for. The staff was very friendly and when they ordered our rings, they said it would take eight weeks to get them in (which was cutting it really close). Two weeks later, we received a call letting us know that our rings were in. I love the uniqueness of our rings! www.twistonline.com Shane Co : Engagement Ring Grade : C+ In one week, my husband sold his motorcycle, decided to ask me to marry him and bought a ring. The ring is exactly what I would have picked out, a plain platinum band with a princess cut solitaire. However, if I had had a say in it, I never would have gotten my ring at Shane Co. I think their staff is kind of tacky, not to mention their showroom, and I’m always frustrated by their service when I take my ring in to be cleaned or polished...and lets not even begin to discuss their ads! www.shaneco.com Hotel Lucia : Wedding Night Hotel Grade : A I love this place! We booked their “Did I Mention I Want You?” package in a King Suite. When we arrived at the hotel with nothing but the wedding clothes we were still wearing, they were quick to check us in. Our bed was covered in rose petals, there was music playing, champagne being chilled and a box of toys, i.e. body crayons, furry handcuffs and a book of positions for every day of the year. We ordered room service at about 1:30am because neither of us really ate at our reception. They were prompt and the food was tasty. I wish we didn’t live in Portland so we had more reasons to stay here…it’s such a chic hotel! www.hotellucia.com Bluestar Charter : Guest Transportation Grade : C Originally, we were expecting a lot of guests from out of state. We booked a charter bus to pick up guests from downtown Portland and transport them to Mt Tabor Park and then to Nocturnal. Unfortunately, my husbands grandfather passed away two months before our wedding and many of what we assumed would be the out of town guests could no longer make it due to their last minute flights to the funeral. Regardless, I still think this was a good thing to have. However, we revised our timeline for the bus and faxed it in. For whatever reason, they didn’t follow this and were 1.5 hours early to pick up guests and consequently ended their evening 1.5 hours earlier than we were originally anticipating. I’m not sure why they were running on the old timeline as I had faxed the revised one to them. While in the grand scheme of things, it wasn’t that big of a deal, I was irritated that we had paid for something and then couldn’t even utilize it for 1.5 hours. www.bluestarbus.com The Party Place : Chair Rentals Grade : A Although Mt Tabor Amphitheatre has some benches, we rented some chairs as well to insure we had enough seating. To be honest, I have no idea if this all worked out. I assume they arrived on time as they were all set up prior to the ceremony. And I assume they were picked up just fine since I haven’t heard from them about not getting their chairs back or something. Unforgettable Honeymoons Renee Duane-Meyer : Travel Agent Grade : A for knowledge, C for personality When it came time to plan our honeymoon, we were running out of energy, especially to plan the fantastic honeymoon we both wanted. While we both found Renee to be fairly pretentious and full of herself, she was very knowledgeable. At first, we wanted to go to Bora Bora and Taha’a. However, Renee couldn’t find us any availability for the room types we wanted. She asked us if we would consider Fiji, which we of course would and did. She booked us for 7 nights at Qamea Resort and Spa in Fiji in a premium villa. The resort was amazing but I grew a bit concerned when four different couples at the resort (which has a maximum capacity for 28 adults total) had been booked there with Renee from Unforgettable Honeymoons. I don’t know what sort of a kickback Renee receives for referring clients there and I guess it doesn’t really matter because the resort really is all she says it is. However, it doesn’t feel very good to feel like she’s only sending people to that one place, especially when we already felt like she had a pretty inflated ego. My best friend and her husband booked through Unforgettable Honeymoons for their honeymoon, not with Renee, and said their experience was great. If I had it to do over again, I would try to book with another travel agent there. www.unforgettablehoneymoons.com Qamea Resort and Spa : Honeymoon Grade : A+ Wow! This place was incredible, even when it was overcast most of the week we were there! We flew for close to 14 hours, PDX to LAX, LAX to Nadi, Fiji and then on a puddle jumper from Nadi to Taveuni. Then we were driven in a Range Rover for 20 minutes on a dirt rode to a beach where we got on a boat and went on a 10-minute boat ride across to the island of Qamea. We were greeted by a smiling and friendly staff, taken to their restaurant/lounge villa where we were served cocktails and fruit plates and given a quick rundown of the resort. Our accommodations were amazing. Our villa included a daybed and a pool on our deck, a large outdoor shower, a large bathroom that included a walk-in closet, two sinks, a towel warmer, large shower and then a large room with a four-poster bed on a platform with amazing linens and sheer curtains hanging, and then a living area with a couch, coffee table, stereo, lounge chairs, etc. I’ve never stayed in such an incredible place. The staff was so incredibly friendly, the food was some of the best food I’ve ever eaten. We snorkeled, went for a hike in the rainforest, swam in waterfalls, went to visit a village, did some nude sunbathing on our own private beach for an afternoon, my husband did some traditional Fijian hand-line fishing, kava ceremonies, a meek ceremony, beach volleyball and we visited the spa every day. The staff would make you snacks in between meals if you were hungry, the coral and the seashells were amazing and the rainforest absolutely incredible. It was the perfect way to end such an incredible experience. www.qamea.com Teness Herman : Intimate Portraits Grade : A+ WOW. This was an absolutely amazing experience. Teness is absolutely amazing. She made me feel so comfortable and relaxed…an absolute necessity to create the kind of pictures I was going for. I felt like I was taking pictures with a dear old friend. She and I spent months discussing the look and feel of the shoot. She recommended I look at a book called Women Before 10am by Veronique Vial. If you like the style of my intimate portraits (aka Boudoir Pictures…sorry, I think it’s a cheesy name), I would definitely recommend you check out this book for inspiration. We shot for three and a half hours and could have easily gone on for another two. She used multiple cameras and twice as many lenses with nothing but natural light, which really helped in creating a sensual feel. Her enthusiasm, creativity and eye for the perfect shot are truly unparalleled. If you don’t have room in your budget to do this as a wedding gift, I would highly recommend it as a first (paper) anniversary gift. www.teness.com
Blizzard Motors : Getaway Car Grade : A Almost two years ago my husband and I bought a car from this lot (its in SE Portland). The lot is primarily fine European cars. When we were there to pick up our newly purchased car, the owner of the lot told us he would loan us a car of our choice for our wedding. My fiance chose a convertible Porsche to drive from the ceremony. It was a beautiful little black shiny thing and my husband thoroughly enjoyed driving it. I don’t know if Doug would be willing to rent out any of his cars but if you’re interested it might not hurt to ask. Western Culinary Institute : Martini Ice Luge Grade : A This was one of the best budget friendly finds of our entire wedding. We really wanted to have a martini luge but found that they were rather expensive to have made…that was, until we found out about the Western Culinary Institute’s ice sculpture class. Basically, they told us they could create anything we wanted and all we had to do was provide them with a drawing. My mom, who’s an artist, drew a great design, in keeping with our theme and stationery, and we provided it to WCI. They not only did a great job of recreating it but the cost included transporting it, delivery and setup. We paid more than they asked for, to donate towards their program, but regardless it was well worth it. Definitely one of the main highlights of the reception for our guests. Spa La La : Pre-Wedding Pampering Grade : B+ As part of my gift to the ladies in the wedding, I treated them to manicures and pedicures at Spa La La. While it’s not the best manicure and pedicure in town (my best friend and I often refer to them as the chop shop), the decor and vibe is great and they’ll serve you all the mimosas you want. We had twelve of us (the moms, five maids of honor, two readers, the two flower girls and myself) there and it was like our own little private party. The staff was very friendly and efficient and I think the ladies all enjoyed getting their nails done. www.spalala.net The Face Place – Dorene Klippel : Facial and Brazilian Wax Grade : A I’ve gone to Dorene every month for the last six years for a Brazilian wax. She does a fantastic job at those…well, it’s a Brazilian wax so it’s not like it feels good but in terms of the final look, she does a tremendous job. However, I decided to get a facial from her as well. Wow! Her facial was by far the best facial I’ve ever had…not only did I fall asleep but she did such an incredibly thorough job. It will be hard not to make getting a facial from her a monthly occurrence as well. www.waxqueen.com Salon 77 – Mahria Martinez : Brow Wax Grade : A+ I pretty much have caterpillars for eyebrows…I’m not kidding. So, not only do my eyebrows need to be professionally groomed on a regular basis but they need to be done well. Mahria is a dream…seriously, she’s absolutely amazing. It’s the only kind of waxing she does…you know if a girl can make a living off of just waxing eyebrows, she’s got to be good! And not only that, she’s the sweetest thing you’ve ever met. www.seventyseven.us Diane Jensen : Massage Grade : A+ So, I have to admit that before my husband and I bought our house, Diane was our landlord. However, my husband has some pretty severe back injuries (thanks to a motorcycle) and is always up for a massage. That being said, we get a lot of massages. Diane is fantastic. She works in a chiropractic clinic off of NW 23rd (which the chiropractor there is also fantastic, Suzanne Lady) and does pretty much any type of massage you’d like. If I were to say I have a regular LMT, Diane would be it…and without failure, I fall asleep on her table every time. She’s fantastic and a lot cheaper than a mediocre spa massage. And, she is so incredibly kind and sweet as well…you can’t beat that! She used to have a website but it doesn’t look like she does anymore. Contact me if you want to get in touch with her. Embellish Design : Wedding Dress Grade : A+ I went shopping on several different occasions for a wedding dress. After searching most of Portland for the dress, I decided to visit Terri at Embellish Design. Now, I would not even waste time looking for dresses to order. In the end, my dress cost less than any of my final choices of the dresses I found in the salons. Not only that, the experience was so incredibly fun. Originally, I went into her studio with pictures of my final choices as well as other dresses I liked. We went through each picture and discussed what I liked about each one. We took elements from all of those to create my dress. Terri is so knowledgeable about what she does and extremely talented in the art of designing and sewing gowns. We discussed everything from different fabrics to different styles and the pluses and negatives of each. In the end, I had a dress that was exactly what I wanted, custom fit to my body. I would highly recommend working with Terri. I hope that I’ll have a reason for her to make me another dress (she makes party dresses too) some time. www.embellishdesign.com Patty Lehner : Wedding Jewelry Grade : A+ I saw a variation of my wedding dress in an Oregon Bride magazine months before my wedding. The earrings that the model was wearing were wonderful. When I looked up where they came from, the magazine said Ella Posie (which is now closed but was on NE Broadway). Carmen (who is also a wedding coordinator) of Ella Posie got me in touch with Patty, who had designed the jewelry. Patty was an absolute delight to work with…kind of like working with your spunky grandmother. We talked about what I wanted and she worked efficiently to get pieces done for me. She made a variation of the earrings I wanted with several different types of pearls and different lengths so I had something to choose from. Then, she made a bangle to match. And when I asked for some extra pearls and crystals for my ring bearer pillow and hair jewelry, not only did she have no problem sending me on my way with a little bag of each but she also refused to charge me for them when I tried to pay her. August Veils : Hair Jewelry Grade : A Patty referred me to Andrea to have my hair jewelry made (Patty doesn’t like to make it). I brought the pearls and crystals that Patty had used in my jewelry to have Andrea create some sparkle for my hair. She created exactly what I was looking for and in a very short amount of time. www.augustveils.com Cromwell Formalwear : Tuxedo Rentals Grade : A While my husband bought a suit for the wedding, we needed rentals for everyone else. Cromwell’s had a good selection and a helpful staff. They kept us informed on everyone who had, or hadn’t, been fitted and I didn’t hear of any problems that anyone had with their rentals. www.cromwellformalwear.com Twist : Wedding Rings Grade : A We searched for quite some time to find rings that we really loved. While I love the traditional platinum eternity band, I wanted something a little different to go with my princess cut solitaire. My husband wanted a platinum ring but not completely plain. Twist, although not a store you would typically think of for wedding bands, had just what we were looking for. The staff was very friendly and when they ordered our rings, they said it would take eight weeks to get them in (which was cutting it really close). Two weeks later, we received a call letting us know that our rings were in. I love the uniqueness of our rings! www.twistonline.com Shane Co : Engagement Ring Grade : C+ In one week, my husband sold his motorcycle, decided to ask me to marry him and bought a ring. The ring is exactly what I would have picked out, a plain platinum band with a princess cut solitaire. However, if I had had a say in it, I never would have gotten my ring at Shane Co. I think their staff is kind of tacky, not to mention their showroom, and I’m always frustrated by their service when I take my ring in to be cleaned or polished...and lets not even begin to discuss their ads! www.shaneco.com Hotel Lucia : Wedding Night Hotel Grade : A I love this place! We booked their “Did I Mention I Want You?” package in a King Suite. When we arrived at the hotel with nothing but the wedding clothes we were still wearing, they were quick to check us in. Our bed was covered in rose petals, there was music playing, champagne being chilled and a box of toys, i.e. body crayons, furry handcuffs and a book of positions for every day of the year. We ordered room service at about 1:30am because neither of us really ate at our reception. They were prompt and the food was tasty. I wish we didn’t live in Portland so we had more reasons to stay here…it’s such a chic hotel! www.hotellucia.com Bluestar Charter : Guest Transportation Grade : C Originally, we were expecting a lot of guests from out of state. We booked a charter bus to pick up guests from downtown Portland and transport them to Mt Tabor Park and then to Nocturnal. Unfortunately, my husbands grandfather passed away two months before our wedding and many of what we assumed would be the out of town guests could no longer make it due to their last minute flights to the funeral. Regardless, I still think this was a good thing to have. However, we revised our timeline for the bus and faxed it in. For whatever reason, they didn’t follow this and were 1.5 hours early to pick up guests and consequently ended their evening 1.5 hours earlier than we were originally anticipating. I’m not sure why they were running on the old timeline as I had faxed the revised one to them. While in the grand scheme of things, it wasn’t that big of a deal, I was irritated that we had paid for something and then couldn’t even utilize it for 1.5 hours. www.bluestarbus.com The Party Place : Chair Rentals Grade : A Although Mt Tabor Amphitheatre has some benches, we rented some chairs as well to insure we had enough seating. To be honest, I have no idea if this all worked out. I assume they arrived on time as they were all set up prior to the ceremony. And I assume they were picked up just fine since I haven’t heard from them about not getting their chairs back or something. Unforgettable Honeymoons Renee Duane-Meyer : Travel Agent Grade : A for knowledge, C for personality When it came time to plan our honeymoon, we were running out of energy, especially to plan the fantastic honeymoon we both wanted. While we both found Renee to be fairly pretentious and full of herself, she was very knowledgeable. At first, we wanted to go to Bora Bora and Taha’a. However, Renee couldn’t find us any availability for the room types we wanted. She asked us if we would consider Fiji, which we of course would and did. She booked us for 7 nights at Qamea Resort and Spa in Fiji in a premium villa. The resort was amazing but I grew a bit concerned when four different couples at the resort (which has a maximum capacity for 28 adults total) had been booked there with Renee from Unforgettable Honeymoons. I don’t know what sort of a kickback Renee receives for referring clients there and I guess it doesn’t really matter because the resort really is all she says it is. However, it doesn’t feel very good to feel like she’s only sending people to that one place, especially when we already felt like she had a pretty inflated ego. My best friend and her husband booked through Unforgettable Honeymoons for their honeymoon, not with Renee, and said their experience was great. If I had it to do over again, I would try to book with another travel agent there. www.unforgettablehoneymoons.com Qamea Resort and Spa : Honeymoon Grade : A+ Wow! This place was incredible, even when it was overcast most of the week we were there! We flew for close to 14 hours, PDX to LAX, LAX to Nadi, Fiji and then on a puddle jumper from Nadi to Taveuni. Then we were driven in a Range Rover for 20 minutes on a dirt rode to a beach where we got on a boat and went on a 10-minute boat ride across to the island of Qamea. We were greeted by a smiling and friendly staff, taken to their restaurant/lounge villa where we were served cocktails and fruit plates and given a quick rundown of the resort. Our accommodations were amazing. Our villa included a daybed and a pool on our deck, a large outdoor shower, a large bathroom that included a walk-in closet, two sinks, a towel warmer, large shower and then a large room with a four-poster bed on a platform with amazing linens and sheer curtains hanging, and then a living area with a couch, coffee table, stereo, lounge chairs, etc. I’ve never stayed in such an incredible place. The staff was so incredibly friendly, the food was some of the best food I’ve ever eaten. We snorkeled, went for a hike in the rainforest, swam in waterfalls, went to visit a village, did some nude sunbathing on our own private beach for an afternoon, my husband did some traditional Fijian hand-line fishing, kava ceremonies, a meek ceremony, beach volleyball and we visited the spa every day. The staff would make you snacks in between meals if you were hungry, the coral and the seashells were amazing and the rainforest absolutely incredible. It was the perfect way to end such an incredible experience. www.qamea.com Teness Herman : Intimate Portraits Grade : A+ WOW. This was an absolutely amazing experience. Teness is absolutely amazing. She made me feel so comfortable and relaxed…an absolute necessity to create the kind of pictures I was going for. I felt like I was taking pictures with a dear old friend. She and I spent months discussing the look and feel of the shoot. She recommended I look at a book called Women Before 10am by Veronique Vial. If you like the style of my intimate portraits (aka Boudoir Pictures…sorry, I think it’s a cheesy name), I would definitely recommend you check out this book for inspiration. We shot for three and a half hours and could have easily gone on for another two. She used multiple cameras and twice as many lenses with nothing but natural light, which really helped in creating a sensual feel. Her enthusiasm, creativity and eye for the perfect shot are truly unparalleled. If you don’t have room in your budget to do this as a wedding gift, I would highly recommend it as a first (paper) anniversary gift. www.teness.com
Western Culinary Institute : Martini Ice Luge Grade : A This was one of the best budget friendly finds of our entire wedding. We really wanted to have a martini luge but found that they were rather expensive to have made…that was, until we found out about the Western Culinary Institute’s ice sculpture class. Basically, they told us they could create anything we wanted and all we had to do was provide them with a drawing. My mom, who’s an artist, drew a great design, in keeping with our theme and stationery, and we provided it to WCI. They not only did a great job of recreating it but the cost included transporting it, delivery and setup. We paid more than they asked for, to donate towards their program, but regardless it was well worth it. Definitely one of the main highlights of the reception for our guests. Spa La La : Pre-Wedding Pampering Grade : B+ As part of my gift to the ladies in the wedding, I treated them to manicures and pedicures at Spa La La. While it’s not the best manicure and pedicure in town (my best friend and I often refer to them as the chop shop), the decor and vibe is great and they’ll serve you all the mimosas you want. We had twelve of us (the moms, five maids of honor, two readers, the two flower girls and myself) there and it was like our own little private party. The staff was very friendly and efficient and I think the ladies all enjoyed getting their nails done. www.spalala.net The Face Place – Dorene Klippel : Facial and Brazilian Wax Grade : A I’ve gone to Dorene every month for the last six years for a Brazilian wax. She does a fantastic job at those…well, it’s a Brazilian wax so it’s not like it feels good but in terms of the final look, she does a tremendous job. However, I decided to get a facial from her as well. Wow! Her facial was by far the best facial I’ve ever had…not only did I fall asleep but she did such an incredibly thorough job. It will be hard not to make getting a facial from her a monthly occurrence as well. www.waxqueen.com Salon 77 – Mahria Martinez : Brow Wax Grade : A+ I pretty much have caterpillars for eyebrows…I’m not kidding. So, not only do my eyebrows need to be professionally groomed on a regular basis but they need to be done well. Mahria is a dream…seriously, she’s absolutely amazing. It’s the only kind of waxing she does…you know if a girl can make a living off of just waxing eyebrows, she’s got to be good! And not only that, she’s the sweetest thing you’ve ever met. www.seventyseven.us Diane Jensen : Massage Grade : A+ So, I have to admit that before my husband and I bought our house, Diane was our landlord. However, my husband has some pretty severe back injuries (thanks to a motorcycle) and is always up for a massage. That being said, we get a lot of massages. Diane is fantastic. She works in a chiropractic clinic off of NW 23rd (which the chiropractor there is also fantastic, Suzanne Lady) and does pretty much any type of massage you’d like. If I were to say I have a regular LMT, Diane would be it…and without failure, I fall asleep on her table every time. She’s fantastic and a lot cheaper than a mediocre spa massage. And, she is so incredibly kind and sweet as well…you can’t beat that! She used to have a website but it doesn’t look like she does anymore. Contact me if you want to get in touch with her. Embellish Design : Wedding Dress Grade : A+ I went shopping on several different occasions for a wedding dress. After searching most of Portland for the dress, I decided to visit Terri at Embellish Design. Now, I would not even waste time looking for dresses to order. In the end, my dress cost less than any of my final choices of the dresses I found in the salons. Not only that, the experience was so incredibly fun. Originally, I went into her studio with pictures of my final choices as well as other dresses I liked. We went through each picture and discussed what I liked about each one. We took elements from all of those to create my dress. Terri is so knowledgeable about what she does and extremely talented in the art of designing and sewing gowns. We discussed everything from different fabrics to different styles and the pluses and negatives of each. In the end, I had a dress that was exactly what I wanted, custom fit to my body. I would highly recommend working with Terri. I hope that I’ll have a reason for her to make me another dress (she makes party dresses too) some time. www.embellishdesign.com Patty Lehner : Wedding Jewelry Grade : A+ I saw a variation of my wedding dress in an Oregon Bride magazine months before my wedding. The earrings that the model was wearing were wonderful. When I looked up where they came from, the magazine said Ella Posie (which is now closed but was on NE Broadway). Carmen (who is also a wedding coordinator) of Ella Posie got me in touch with Patty, who had designed the jewelry. Patty was an absolute delight to work with…kind of like working with your spunky grandmother. We talked about what I wanted and she worked efficiently to get pieces done for me. She made a variation of the earrings I wanted with several different types of pearls and different lengths so I had something to choose from. Then, she made a bangle to match. And when I asked for some extra pearls and crystals for my ring bearer pillow and hair jewelry, not only did she have no problem sending me on my way with a little bag of each but she also refused to charge me for them when I tried to pay her. August Veils : Hair Jewelry Grade : A Patty referred me to Andrea to have my hair jewelry made (Patty doesn’t like to make it). I brought the pearls and crystals that Patty had used in my jewelry to have Andrea create some sparkle for my hair. She created exactly what I was looking for and in a very short amount of time. www.augustveils.com Cromwell Formalwear : Tuxedo Rentals Grade : A While my husband bought a suit for the wedding, we needed rentals for everyone else. Cromwell’s had a good selection and a helpful staff. They kept us informed on everyone who had, or hadn’t, been fitted and I didn’t hear of any problems that anyone had with their rentals. www.cromwellformalwear.com Twist : Wedding Rings Grade : A We searched for quite some time to find rings that we really loved. While I love the traditional platinum eternity band, I wanted something a little different to go with my princess cut solitaire. My husband wanted a platinum ring but not completely plain. Twist, although not a store you would typically think of for wedding bands, had just what we were looking for. The staff was very friendly and when they ordered our rings, they said it would take eight weeks to get them in (which was cutting it really close). Two weeks later, we received a call letting us know that our rings were in. I love the uniqueness of our rings! www.twistonline.com Shane Co : Engagement Ring Grade : C+ In one week, my husband sold his motorcycle, decided to ask me to marry him and bought a ring. The ring is exactly what I would have picked out, a plain platinum band with a princess cut solitaire. However, if I had had a say in it, I never would have gotten my ring at Shane Co. I think their staff is kind of tacky, not to mention their showroom, and I’m always frustrated by their service when I take my ring in to be cleaned or polished...and lets not even begin to discuss their ads! www.shaneco.com Hotel Lucia : Wedding Night Hotel Grade : A I love this place! We booked their “Did I Mention I Want You?” package in a King Suite. When we arrived at the hotel with nothing but the wedding clothes we were still wearing, they were quick to check us in. Our bed was covered in rose petals, there was music playing, champagne being chilled and a box of toys, i.e. body crayons, furry handcuffs and a book of positions for every day of the year. We ordered room service at about 1:30am because neither of us really ate at our reception. They were prompt and the food was tasty. I wish we didn’t live in Portland so we had more reasons to stay here…it’s such a chic hotel! www.hotellucia.com Bluestar Charter : Guest Transportation Grade : C Originally, we were expecting a lot of guests from out of state. We booked a charter bus to pick up guests from downtown Portland and transport them to Mt Tabor Park and then to Nocturnal. Unfortunately, my husbands grandfather passed away two months before our wedding and many of what we assumed would be the out of town guests could no longer make it due to their last minute flights to the funeral. Regardless, I still think this was a good thing to have. However, we revised our timeline for the bus and faxed it in. For whatever reason, they didn’t follow this and were 1.5 hours early to pick up guests and consequently ended their evening 1.5 hours earlier than we were originally anticipating. I’m not sure why they were running on the old timeline as I had faxed the revised one to them. While in the grand scheme of things, it wasn’t that big of a deal, I was irritated that we had paid for something and then couldn’t even utilize it for 1.5 hours. www.bluestarbus.com The Party Place : Chair Rentals Grade : A Although Mt Tabor Amphitheatre has some benches, we rented some chairs as well to insure we had enough seating. To be honest, I have no idea if this all worked out. I assume they arrived on time as they were all set up prior to the ceremony. And I assume they were picked up just fine since I haven’t heard from them about not getting their chairs back or something. Unforgettable Honeymoons Renee Duane-Meyer : Travel Agent Grade : A for knowledge, C for personality When it came time to plan our honeymoon, we were running out of energy, especially to plan the fantastic honeymoon we both wanted. While we both found Renee to be fairly pretentious and full of herself, she was very knowledgeable. At first, we wanted to go to Bora Bora and Taha’a. However, Renee couldn’t find us any availability for the room types we wanted. She asked us if we would consider Fiji, which we of course would and did. She booked us for 7 nights at Qamea Resort and Spa in Fiji in a premium villa. The resort was amazing but I grew a bit concerned when four different couples at the resort (which has a maximum capacity for 28 adults total) had been booked there with Renee from Unforgettable Honeymoons. I don’t know what sort of a kickback Renee receives for referring clients there and I guess it doesn’t really matter because the resort really is all she says it is. However, it doesn’t feel very good to feel like she’s only sending people to that one place, especially when we already felt like she had a pretty inflated ego. My best friend and her husband booked through Unforgettable Honeymoons for their honeymoon, not with Renee, and said their experience was great. If I had it to do over again, I would try to book with another travel agent there. www.unforgettablehoneymoons.com Qamea Resort and Spa : Honeymoon Grade : A+ Wow! This place was incredible, even when it was overcast most of the week we were there! We flew for close to 14 hours, PDX to LAX, LAX to Nadi, Fiji and then on a puddle jumper from Nadi to Taveuni. Then we were driven in a Range Rover for 20 minutes on a dirt rode to a beach where we got on a boat and went on a 10-minute boat ride across to the island of Qamea. We were greeted by a smiling and friendly staff, taken to their restaurant/lounge villa where we were served cocktails and fruit plates and given a quick rundown of the resort. Our accommodations were amazing. Our villa included a daybed and a pool on our deck, a large outdoor shower, a large bathroom that included a walk-in closet, two sinks, a towel warmer, large shower and then a large room with a four-poster bed on a platform with amazing linens and sheer curtains hanging, and then a living area with a couch, coffee table, stereo, lounge chairs, etc. I’ve never stayed in such an incredible place. The staff was so incredibly friendly, the food was some of the best food I’ve ever eaten. We snorkeled, went for a hike in the rainforest, swam in waterfalls, went to visit a village, did some nude sunbathing on our own private beach for an afternoon, my husband did some traditional Fijian hand-line fishing, kava ceremonies, a meek ceremony, beach volleyball and we visited the spa every day. The staff would make you snacks in between meals if you were hungry, the coral and the seashells were amazing and the rainforest absolutely incredible. It was the perfect way to end such an incredible experience. www.qamea.com Teness Herman : Intimate Portraits Grade : A+ WOW. This was an absolutely amazing experience. Teness is absolutely amazing. She made me feel so comfortable and relaxed…an absolute necessity to create the kind of pictures I was going for. I felt like I was taking pictures with a dear old friend. She and I spent months discussing the look and feel of the shoot. She recommended I look at a book called Women Before 10am by Veronique Vial. If you like the style of my intimate portraits (aka Boudoir Pictures…sorry, I think it’s a cheesy name), I would definitely recommend you check out this book for inspiration. We shot for three and a half hours and could have easily gone on for another two. She used multiple cameras and twice as many lenses with nothing but natural light, which really helped in creating a sensual feel. Her enthusiasm, creativity and eye for the perfect shot are truly unparalleled. If you don’t have room in your budget to do this as a wedding gift, I would highly recommend it as a first (paper) anniversary gift. www.teness.com
Spa La La : Pre-Wedding Pampering Grade : B+ As part of my gift to the ladies in the wedding, I treated them to manicures and pedicures at Spa La La. While it’s not the best manicure and pedicure in town (my best friend and I often refer to them as the chop shop), the decor and vibe is great and they’ll serve you all the mimosas you want. We had twelve of us (the moms, five maids of honor, two readers, the two flower girls and myself) there and it was like our own little private party. The staff was very friendly and efficient and I think the ladies all enjoyed getting their nails done. www.spalala.net The Face Place – Dorene Klippel : Facial and Brazilian Wax Grade : A I’ve gone to Dorene every month for the last six years for a Brazilian wax. She does a fantastic job at those…well, it’s a Brazilian wax so it’s not like it feels good but in terms of the final look, she does a tremendous job. However, I decided to get a facial from her as well. Wow! Her facial was by far the best facial I’ve ever had…not only did I fall asleep but she did such an incredibly thorough job. It will be hard not to make getting a facial from her a monthly occurrence as well. www.waxqueen.com Salon 77 – Mahria Martinez : Brow Wax Grade : A+ I pretty much have caterpillars for eyebrows…I’m not kidding. So, not only do my eyebrows need to be professionally groomed on a regular basis but they need to be done well. Mahria is a dream…seriously, she’s absolutely amazing. It’s the only kind of waxing she does…you know if a girl can make a living off of just waxing eyebrows, she’s got to be good! And not only that, she’s the sweetest thing you’ve ever met. www.seventyseven.us Diane Jensen : Massage Grade : A+ So, I have to admit that before my husband and I bought our house, Diane was our landlord. However, my husband has some pretty severe back injuries (thanks to a motorcycle) and is always up for a massage. That being said, we get a lot of massages. Diane is fantastic. She works in a chiropractic clinic off of NW 23rd (which the chiropractor there is also fantastic, Suzanne Lady) and does pretty much any type of massage you’d like. If I were to say I have a regular LMT, Diane would be it…and without failure, I fall asleep on her table every time. She’s fantastic and a lot cheaper than a mediocre spa massage. And, she is so incredibly kind and sweet as well…you can’t beat that! She used to have a website but it doesn’t look like she does anymore. Contact me if you want to get in touch with her. Embellish Design : Wedding Dress Grade : A+ I went shopping on several different occasions for a wedding dress. After searching most of Portland for the dress, I decided to visit Terri at Embellish Design. Now, I would not even waste time looking for dresses to order. In the end, my dress cost less than any of my final choices of the dresses I found in the salons. Not only that, the experience was so incredibly fun. Originally, I went into her studio with pictures of my final choices as well as other dresses I liked. We went through each picture and discussed what I liked about each one. We took elements from all of those to create my dress. Terri is so knowledgeable about what she does and extremely talented in the art of designing and sewing gowns. We discussed everything from different fabrics to different styles and the pluses and negatives of each. In the end, I had a dress that was exactly what I wanted, custom fit to my body. I would highly recommend working with Terri. I hope that I’ll have a reason for her to make me another dress (she makes party dresses too) some time. www.embellishdesign.com Patty Lehner : Wedding Jewelry Grade : A+ I saw a variation of my wedding dress in an Oregon Bride magazine months before my wedding. The earrings that the model was wearing were wonderful. When I looked up where they came from, the magazine said Ella Posie (which is now closed but was on NE Broadway). Carmen (who is also a wedding coordinator) of Ella Posie got me in touch with Patty, who had designed the jewelry. Patty was an absolute delight to work with…kind of like working with your spunky grandmother. We talked about what I wanted and she worked efficiently to get pieces done for me. She made a variation of the earrings I wanted with several different types of pearls and different lengths so I had something to choose from. Then, she made a bangle to match. And when I asked for some extra pearls and crystals for my ring bearer pillow and hair jewelry, not only did she have no problem sending me on my way with a little bag of each but she also refused to charge me for them when I tried to pay her. August Veils : Hair Jewelry Grade : A Patty referred me to Andrea to have my hair jewelry made (Patty doesn’t like to make it). I brought the pearls and crystals that Patty had used in my jewelry to have Andrea create some sparkle for my hair. She created exactly what I was looking for and in a very short amount of time. www.augustveils.com Cromwell Formalwear : Tuxedo Rentals Grade : A While my husband bought a suit for the wedding, we needed rentals for everyone else. Cromwell’s had a good selection and a helpful staff. They kept us informed on everyone who had, or hadn’t, been fitted and I didn’t hear of any problems that anyone had with their rentals. www.cromwellformalwear.com Twist : Wedding Rings Grade : A We searched for quite some time to find rings that we really loved. While I love the traditional platinum eternity band, I wanted something a little different to go with my princess cut solitaire. My husband wanted a platinum ring but not completely plain. Twist, although not a store you would typically think of for wedding bands, had just what we were looking for. The staff was very friendly and when they ordered our rings, they said it would take eight weeks to get them in (which was cutting it really close). Two weeks later, we received a call letting us know that our rings were in. I love the uniqueness of our rings! www.twistonline.com Shane Co : Engagement Ring Grade : C+ In one week, my husband sold his motorcycle, decided to ask me to marry him and bought a ring. The ring is exactly what I would have picked out, a plain platinum band with a princess cut solitaire. However, if I had had a say in it, I never would have gotten my ring at Shane Co. I think their staff is kind of tacky, not to mention their showroom, and I’m always frustrated by their service when I take my ring in to be cleaned or polished...and lets not even begin to discuss their ads! www.shaneco.com Hotel Lucia : Wedding Night Hotel Grade : A I love this place! We booked their “Did I Mention I Want You?” package in a King Suite. When we arrived at the hotel with nothing but the wedding clothes we were still wearing, they were quick to check us in. Our bed was covered in rose petals, there was music playing, champagne being chilled and a box of toys, i.e. body crayons, furry handcuffs and a book of positions for every day of the year. We ordered room service at about 1:30am because neither of us really ate at our reception. They were prompt and the food was tasty. I wish we didn’t live in Portland so we had more reasons to stay here…it’s such a chic hotel! www.hotellucia.com Bluestar Charter : Guest Transportation Grade : C Originally, we were expecting a lot of guests from out of state. We booked a charter bus to pick up guests from downtown Portland and transport them to Mt Tabor Park and then to Nocturnal. Unfortunately, my husbands grandfather passed away two months before our wedding and many of what we assumed would be the out of town guests could no longer make it due to their last minute flights to the funeral. Regardless, I still think this was a good thing to have. However, we revised our timeline for the bus and faxed it in. For whatever reason, they didn’t follow this and were 1.5 hours early to pick up guests and consequently ended their evening 1.5 hours earlier than we were originally anticipating. I’m not sure why they were running on the old timeline as I had faxed the revised one to them. While in the grand scheme of things, it wasn’t that big of a deal, I was irritated that we had paid for something and then couldn’t even utilize it for 1.5 hours. www.bluestarbus.com The Party Place : Chair Rentals Grade : A Although Mt Tabor Amphitheatre has some benches, we rented some chairs as well to insure we had enough seating. To be honest, I have no idea if this all worked out. I assume they arrived on time as they were all set up prior to the ceremony. And I assume they were picked up just fine since I haven’t heard from them about not getting their chairs back or something. Unforgettable Honeymoons Renee Duane-Meyer : Travel Agent Grade : A for knowledge, C for personality When it came time to plan our honeymoon, we were running out of energy, especially to plan the fantastic honeymoon we both wanted. While we both found Renee to be fairly pretentious and full of herself, she was very knowledgeable. At first, we wanted to go to Bora Bora and Taha’a. However, Renee couldn’t find us any availability for the room types we wanted. She asked us if we would consider Fiji, which we of course would and did. She booked us for 7 nights at Qamea Resort and Spa in Fiji in a premium villa. The resort was amazing but I grew a bit concerned when four different couples at the resort (which has a maximum capacity for 28 adults total) had been booked there with Renee from Unforgettable Honeymoons. I don’t know what sort of a kickback Renee receives for referring clients there and I guess it doesn’t really matter because the resort really is all she says it is. However, it doesn’t feel very good to feel like she’s only sending people to that one place, especially when we already felt like she had a pretty inflated ego. My best friend and her husband booked through Unforgettable Honeymoons for their honeymoon, not with Renee, and said their experience was great. If I had it to do over again, I would try to book with another travel agent there. www.unforgettablehoneymoons.com Qamea Resort and Spa : Honeymoon Grade : A+ Wow! This place was incredible, even when it was overcast most of the week we were there! We flew for close to 14 hours, PDX to LAX, LAX to Nadi, Fiji and then on a puddle jumper from Nadi to Taveuni. Then we were driven in a Range Rover for 20 minutes on a dirt rode to a beach where we got on a boat and went on a 10-minute boat ride across to the island of Qamea. We were greeted by a smiling and friendly staff, taken to their restaurant/lounge villa where we were served cocktails and fruit plates and given a quick rundown of the resort. Our accommodations were amazing. Our villa included a daybed and a pool on our deck, a large outdoor shower, a large bathroom that included a walk-in closet, two sinks, a towel warmer, large shower and then a large room with a four-poster bed on a platform with amazing linens and sheer curtains hanging, and then a living area with a couch, coffee table, stereo, lounge chairs, etc. I’ve never stayed in such an incredible place. The staff was so incredibly friendly, the food was some of the best food I’ve ever eaten. We snorkeled, went for a hike in the rainforest, swam in waterfalls, went to visit a village, did some nude sunbathing on our own private beach for an afternoon, my husband did some traditional Fijian hand-line fishing, kava ceremonies, a meek ceremony, beach volleyball and we visited the spa every day. The staff would make you snacks in between meals if you were hungry, the coral and the seashells were amazing and the rainforest absolutely incredible. It was the perfect way to end such an incredible experience. www.qamea.com Teness Herman : Intimate Portraits Grade : A+ WOW. This was an absolutely amazing experience. Teness is absolutely amazing. She made me feel so comfortable and relaxed…an absolute necessity to create the kind of pictures I was going for. I felt like I was taking pictures with a dear old friend. She and I spent months discussing the look and feel of the shoot. She recommended I look at a book called Women Before 10am by Veronique Vial. If you like the style of my intimate portraits (aka Boudoir Pictures…sorry, I think it’s a cheesy name), I would definitely recommend you check out this book for inspiration. We shot for three and a half hours and could have easily gone on for another two. She used multiple cameras and twice as many lenses with nothing but natural light, which really helped in creating a sensual feel. Her enthusiasm, creativity and eye for the perfect shot are truly unparalleled. If you don’t have room in your budget to do this as a wedding gift, I would highly recommend it as a first (paper) anniversary gift. www.teness.com
www.spalala.net The Face Place – Dorene Klippel : Facial and Brazilian Wax Grade : A I’ve gone to Dorene every month for the last six years for a Brazilian wax. She does a fantastic job at those…well, it’s a Brazilian wax so it’s not like it feels good but in terms of the final look, she does a tremendous job. However, I decided to get a facial from her as well. Wow! Her facial was by far the best facial I’ve ever had…not only did I fall asleep but she did such an incredibly thorough job. It will be hard not to make getting a facial from her a monthly occurrence as well. www.waxqueen.com Salon 77 – Mahria Martinez : Brow Wax Grade : A+ I pretty much have caterpillars for eyebrows…I’m not kidding. So, not only do my eyebrows need to be professionally groomed on a regular basis but they need to be done well. Mahria is a dream…seriously, she’s absolutely amazing. It’s the only kind of waxing she does…you know if a girl can make a living off of just waxing eyebrows, she’s got to be good! And not only that, she’s the sweetest thing you’ve ever met. www.seventyseven.us Diane Jensen : Massage Grade : A+ So, I have to admit that before my husband and I bought our house, Diane was our landlord. However, my husband has some pretty severe back injuries (thanks to a motorcycle) and is always up for a massage. That being said, we get a lot of massages. Diane is fantastic. She works in a chiropractic clinic off of NW 23rd (which the chiropractor there is also fantastic, Suzanne Lady) and does pretty much any type of massage you’d like. If I were to say I have a regular LMT, Diane would be it…and without failure, I fall asleep on her table every time. She’s fantastic and a lot cheaper than a mediocre spa massage. And, she is so incredibly kind and sweet as well…you can’t beat that! She used to have a website but it doesn’t look like she does anymore. Contact me if you want to get in touch with her. Embellish Design : Wedding Dress Grade : A+ I went shopping on several different occasions for a wedding dress. After searching most of Portland for the dress, I decided to visit Terri at Embellish Design. Now, I would not even waste time looking for dresses to order. In the end, my dress cost less than any of my final choices of the dresses I found in the salons. Not only that, the experience was so incredibly fun. Originally, I went into her studio with pictures of my final choices as well as other dresses I liked. We went through each picture and discussed what I liked about each one. We took elements from all of those to create my dress. Terri is so knowledgeable about what she does and extremely talented in the art of designing and sewing gowns. We discussed everything from different fabrics to different styles and the pluses and negatives of each. In the end, I had a dress that was exactly what I wanted, custom fit to my body. I would highly recommend working with Terri. I hope that I’ll have a reason for her to make me another dress (she makes party dresses too) some time. www.embellishdesign.com Patty Lehner : Wedding Jewelry Grade : A+ I saw a variation of my wedding dress in an Oregon Bride magazine months before my wedding. The earrings that the model was wearing were wonderful. When I looked up where they came from, the magazine said Ella Posie (which is now closed but was on NE Broadway). Carmen (who is also a wedding coordinator) of Ella Posie got me in touch with Patty, who had designed the jewelry. Patty was an absolute delight to work with…kind of like working with your spunky grandmother. We talked about what I wanted and she worked efficiently to get pieces done for me. She made a variation of the earrings I wanted with several different types of pearls and different lengths so I had something to choose from. Then, she made a bangle to match. And when I asked for some extra pearls and crystals for my ring bearer pillow and hair jewelry, not only did she have no problem sending me on my way with a little bag of each but she also refused to charge me for them when I tried to pay her. August Veils : Hair Jewelry Grade : A Patty referred me to Andrea to have my hair jewelry made (Patty doesn’t like to make it). I brought the pearls and crystals that Patty had used in my jewelry to have Andrea create some sparkle for my hair. She created exactly what I was looking for and in a very short amount of time. www.augustveils.com Cromwell Formalwear : Tuxedo Rentals Grade : A While my husband bought a suit for the wedding, we needed rentals for everyone else. Cromwell’s had a good selection and a helpful staff. They kept us informed on everyone who had, or hadn’t, been fitted and I didn’t hear of any problems that anyone had with their rentals. www.cromwellformalwear.com Twist : Wedding Rings Grade : A We searched for quite some time to find rings that we really loved. While I love the traditional platinum eternity band, I wanted something a little different to go with my princess cut solitaire. My husband wanted a platinum ring but not completely plain. Twist, although not a store you would typically think of for wedding bands, had just what we were looking for. The staff was very friendly and when they ordered our rings, they said it would take eight weeks to get them in (which was cutting it really close). Two weeks later, we received a call letting us know that our rings were in. I love the uniqueness of our rings! www.twistonline.com Shane Co : Engagement Ring Grade : C+ In one week, my husband sold his motorcycle, decided to ask me to marry him and bought a ring. The ring is exactly what I would have picked out, a plain platinum band with a princess cut solitaire. However, if I had had a say in it, I never would have gotten my ring at Shane Co. I think their staff is kind of tacky, not to mention their showroom, and I’m always frustrated by their service when I take my ring in to be cleaned or polished...and lets not even begin to discuss their ads! www.shaneco.com Hotel Lucia : Wedding Night Hotel Grade : A I love this place! We booked their “Did I Mention I Want You?” package in a King Suite. When we arrived at the hotel with nothing but the wedding clothes we were still wearing, they were quick to check us in. Our bed was covered in rose petals, there was music playing, champagne being chilled and a box of toys, i.e. body crayons, furry handcuffs and a book of positions for every day of the year. We ordered room service at about 1:30am because neither of us really ate at our reception. They were prompt and the food was tasty. I wish we didn’t live in Portland so we had more reasons to stay here…it’s such a chic hotel! www.hotellucia.com Bluestar Charter : Guest Transportation Grade : C Originally, we were expecting a lot of guests from out of state. We booked a charter bus to pick up guests from downtown Portland and transport them to Mt Tabor Park and then to Nocturnal. Unfortunately, my husbands grandfather passed away two months before our wedding and many of what we assumed would be the out of town guests could no longer make it due to their last minute flights to the funeral. Regardless, I still think this was a good thing to have. However, we revised our timeline for the bus and faxed it in. For whatever reason, they didn’t follow this and were 1.5 hours early to pick up guests and consequently ended their evening 1.5 hours earlier than we were originally anticipating. I’m not sure why they were running on the old timeline as I had faxed the revised one to them. While in the grand scheme of things, it wasn’t that big of a deal, I was irritated that we had paid for something and then couldn’t even utilize it for 1.5 hours. www.bluestarbus.com The Party Place : Chair Rentals Grade : A Although Mt Tabor Amphitheatre has some benches, we rented some chairs as well to insure we had enough seating. To be honest, I have no idea if this all worked out. I assume they arrived on time as they were all set up prior to the ceremony. And I assume they were picked up just fine since I haven’t heard from them about not getting their chairs back or something. Unforgettable Honeymoons Renee Duane-Meyer : Travel Agent Grade : A for knowledge, C for personality When it came time to plan our honeymoon, we were running out of energy, especially to plan the fantastic honeymoon we both wanted. While we both found Renee to be fairly pretentious and full of herself, she was very knowledgeable. At first, we wanted to go to Bora Bora and Taha’a. However, Renee couldn’t find us any availability for the room types we wanted. She asked us if we would consider Fiji, which we of course would and did. She booked us for 7 nights at Qamea Resort and Spa in Fiji in a premium villa. The resort was amazing but I grew a bit concerned when four different couples at the resort (which has a maximum capacity for 28 adults total) had been booked there with Renee from Unforgettable Honeymoons. I don’t know what sort of a kickback Renee receives for referring clients there and I guess it doesn’t really matter because the resort really is all she says it is. However, it doesn’t feel very good to feel like she’s only sending people to that one place, especially when we already felt like she had a pretty inflated ego. My best friend and her husband booked through Unforgettable Honeymoons for their honeymoon, not with Renee, and said their experience was great. If I had it to do over again, I would try to book with another travel agent there. www.unforgettablehoneymoons.com Qamea Resort and Spa : Honeymoon Grade : A+ Wow! This place was incredible, even when it was overcast most of the week we were there! We flew for close to 14 hours, PDX to LAX, LAX to Nadi, Fiji and then on a puddle jumper from Nadi to Taveuni. Then we were driven in a Range Rover for 20 minutes on a dirt rode to a beach where we got on a boat and went on a 10-minute boat ride across to the island of Qamea. We were greeted by a smiling and friendly staff, taken to their restaurant/lounge villa where we were served cocktails and fruit plates and given a quick rundown of the resort. Our accommodations were amazing. Our villa included a daybed and a pool on our deck, a large outdoor shower, a large bathroom that included a walk-in closet, two sinks, a towel warmer, large shower and then a large room with a four-poster bed on a platform with amazing linens and sheer curtains hanging, and then a living area with a couch, coffee table, stereo, lounge chairs, etc. I’ve never stayed in such an incredible place. The staff was so incredibly friendly, the food was some of the best food I’ve ever eaten. We snorkeled, went for a hike in the rainforest, swam in waterfalls, went to visit a village, did some nude sunbathing on our own private beach for an afternoon, my husband did some traditional Fijian hand-line fishing, kava ceremonies, a meek ceremony, beach volleyball and we visited the spa every day. The staff would make you snacks in between meals if you were hungry, the coral and the seashells were amazing and the rainforest absolutely incredible. It was the perfect way to end such an incredible experience. www.qamea.com Teness Herman : Intimate Portraits Grade : A+ WOW. This was an absolutely amazing experience. Teness is absolutely amazing. She made me feel so comfortable and relaxed…an absolute necessity to create the kind of pictures I was going for. I felt like I was taking pictures with a dear old friend. She and I spent months discussing the look and feel of the shoot. She recommended I look at a book called Women Before 10am by Veronique Vial. If you like the style of my intimate portraits (aka Boudoir Pictures…sorry, I think it’s a cheesy name), I would definitely recommend you check out this book for inspiration. We shot for three and a half hours and could have easily gone on for another two. She used multiple cameras and twice as many lenses with nothing but natural light, which really helped in creating a sensual feel. Her enthusiasm, creativity and eye for the perfect shot are truly unparalleled. If you don’t have room in your budget to do this as a wedding gift, I would highly recommend it as a first (paper) anniversary gift. www.teness.com
The Face Place – Dorene Klippel : Facial and Brazilian Wax Grade : A I’ve gone to Dorene every month for the last six years for a Brazilian wax. She does a fantastic job at those…well, it’s a Brazilian wax so it’s not like it feels good but in terms of the final look, she does a tremendous job. However, I decided to get a facial from her as well. Wow! Her facial was by far the best facial I’ve ever had…not only did I fall asleep but she did such an incredibly thorough job. It will be hard not to make getting a facial from her a monthly occurrence as well. www.waxqueen.com Salon 77 – Mahria Martinez : Brow Wax Grade : A+ I pretty much have caterpillars for eyebrows…I’m not kidding. So, not only do my eyebrows need to be professionally groomed on a regular basis but they need to be done well. Mahria is a dream…seriously, she’s absolutely amazing. It’s the only kind of waxing she does…you know if a girl can make a living off of just waxing eyebrows, she’s got to be good! And not only that, she’s the sweetest thing you’ve ever met. www.seventyseven.us Diane Jensen : Massage Grade : A+ So, I have to admit that before my husband and I bought our house, Diane was our landlord. However, my husband has some pretty severe back injuries (thanks to a motorcycle) and is always up for a massage. That being said, we get a lot of massages. Diane is fantastic. She works in a chiropractic clinic off of NW 23rd (which the chiropractor there is also fantastic, Suzanne Lady) and does pretty much any type of massage you’d like. If I were to say I have a regular LMT, Diane would be it…and without failure, I fall asleep on her table every time. She’s fantastic and a lot cheaper than a mediocre spa massage. And, she is so incredibly kind and sweet as well…you can’t beat that! She used to have a website but it doesn’t look like she does anymore. Contact me if you want to get in touch with her. Embellish Design : Wedding Dress Grade : A+ I went shopping on several different occasions for a wedding dress. After searching most of Portland for the dress, I decided to visit Terri at Embellish Design. Now, I would not even waste time looking for dresses to order. In the end, my dress cost less than any of my final choices of the dresses I found in the salons. Not only that, the experience was so incredibly fun. Originally, I went into her studio with pictures of my final choices as well as other dresses I liked. We went through each picture and discussed what I liked about each one. We took elements from all of those to create my dress. Terri is so knowledgeable about what she does and extremely talented in the art of designing and sewing gowns. We discussed everything from different fabrics to different styles and the pluses and negatives of each. In the end, I had a dress that was exactly what I wanted, custom fit to my body. I would highly recommend working with Terri. I hope that I’ll have a reason for her to make me another dress (she makes party dresses too) some time. www.embellishdesign.com Patty Lehner : Wedding Jewelry Grade : A+ I saw a variation of my wedding dress in an Oregon Bride magazine months before my wedding. The earrings that the model was wearing were wonderful. When I looked up where they came from, the magazine said Ella Posie (which is now closed but was on NE Broadway). Carmen (who is also a wedding coordinator) of Ella Posie got me in touch with Patty, who had designed the jewelry. Patty was an absolute delight to work with…kind of like working with your spunky grandmother. We talked about what I wanted and she worked efficiently to get pieces done for me. She made a variation of the earrings I wanted with several different types of pearls and different lengths so I had something to choose from. Then, she made a bangle to match. And when I asked for some extra pearls and crystals for my ring bearer pillow and hair jewelry, not only did she have no problem sending me on my way with a little bag of each but she also refused to charge me for them when I tried to pay her. August Veils : Hair Jewelry Grade : A Patty referred me to Andrea to have my hair jewelry made (Patty doesn’t like to make it). I brought the pearls and crystals that Patty had used in my jewelry to have Andrea create some sparkle for my hair. She created exactly what I was looking for and in a very short amount of time. www.augustveils.com Cromwell Formalwear : Tuxedo Rentals Grade : A While my husband bought a suit for the wedding, we needed rentals for everyone else. Cromwell’s had a good selection and a helpful staff. They kept us informed on everyone who had, or hadn’t, been fitted and I didn’t hear of any problems that anyone had with their rentals. www.cromwellformalwear.com Twist : Wedding Rings Grade : A We searched for quite some time to find rings that we really loved. While I love the traditional platinum eternity band, I wanted something a little different to go with my princess cut solitaire. My husband wanted a platinum ring but not completely plain. Twist, although not a store you would typically think of for wedding bands, had just what we were looking for. The staff was very friendly and when they ordered our rings, they said it would take eight weeks to get them in (which was cutting it really close). Two weeks later, we received a call letting us know that our rings were in. I love the uniqueness of our rings! www.twistonline.com Shane Co : Engagement Ring Grade : C+ In one week, my husband sold his motorcycle, decided to ask me to marry him and bought a ring. The ring is exactly what I would have picked out, a plain platinum band with a princess cut solitaire. However, if I had had a say in it, I never would have gotten my ring at Shane Co. I think their staff is kind of tacky, not to mention their showroom, and I’m always frustrated by their service when I take my ring in to be cleaned or polished...and lets not even begin to discuss their ads! www.shaneco.com Hotel Lucia : Wedding Night Hotel Grade : A I love this place! We booked their “Did I Mention I Want You?” package in a King Suite. When we arrived at the hotel with nothing but the wedding clothes we were still wearing, they were quick to check us in. Our bed was covered in rose petals, there was music playing, champagne being chilled and a box of toys, i.e. body crayons, furry handcuffs and a book of positions for every day of the year. We ordered room service at about 1:30am because neither of us really ate at our reception. They were prompt and the food was tasty. I wish we didn’t live in Portland so we had more reasons to stay here…it’s such a chic hotel! www.hotellucia.com Bluestar Charter : Guest Transportation Grade : C Originally, we were expecting a lot of guests from out of state. We booked a charter bus to pick up guests from downtown Portland and transport them to Mt Tabor Park and then to Nocturnal. Unfortunately, my husbands grandfather passed away two months before our wedding and many of what we assumed would be the out of town guests could no longer make it due to their last minute flights to the funeral. Regardless, I still think this was a good thing to have. However, we revised our timeline for the bus and faxed it in. For whatever reason, they didn’t follow this and were 1.5 hours early to pick up guests and consequently ended their evening 1.5 hours earlier than we were originally anticipating. I’m not sure why they were running on the old timeline as I had faxed the revised one to them. While in the grand scheme of things, it wasn’t that big of a deal, I was irritated that we had paid for something and then couldn’t even utilize it for 1.5 hours. www.bluestarbus.com The Party Place : Chair Rentals Grade : A Although Mt Tabor Amphitheatre has some benches, we rented some chairs as well to insure we had enough seating. To be honest, I have no idea if this all worked out. I assume they arrived on time as they were all set up prior to the ceremony. And I assume they were picked up just fine since I haven’t heard from them about not getting their chairs back or something. Unforgettable Honeymoons Renee Duane-Meyer : Travel Agent Grade : A for knowledge, C for personality When it came time to plan our honeymoon, we were running out of energy, especially to plan the fantastic honeymoon we both wanted. While we both found Renee to be fairly pretentious and full of herself, she was very knowledgeable. At first, we wanted to go to Bora Bora and Taha’a. However, Renee couldn’t find us any availability for the room types we wanted. She asked us if we would consider Fiji, which we of course would and did. She booked us for 7 nights at Qamea Resort and Spa in Fiji in a premium villa. The resort was amazing but I grew a bit concerned when four different couples at the resort (which has a maximum capacity for 28 adults total) had been booked there with Renee from Unforgettable Honeymoons. I don’t know what sort of a kickback Renee receives for referring clients there and I guess it doesn’t really matter because the resort really is all she says it is. However, it doesn’t feel very good to feel like she’s only sending people to that one place, especially when we already felt like she had a pretty inflated ego. My best friend and her husband booked through Unforgettable Honeymoons for their honeymoon, not with Renee, and said their experience was great. If I had it to do over again, I would try to book with another travel agent there. www.unforgettablehoneymoons.com Qamea Resort and Spa : Honeymoon Grade : A+ Wow! This place was incredible, even when it was overcast most of the week we were there! We flew for close to 14 hours, PDX to LAX, LAX to Nadi, Fiji and then on a puddle jumper from Nadi to Taveuni. Then we were driven in a Range Rover for 20 minutes on a dirt rode to a beach where we got on a boat and went on a 10-minute boat ride across to the island of Qamea. We were greeted by a smiling and friendly staff, taken to their restaurant/lounge villa where we were served cocktails and fruit plates and given a quick rundown of the resort. Our accommodations were amazing. Our villa included a daybed and a pool on our deck, a large outdoor shower, a large bathroom that included a walk-in closet, two sinks, a towel warmer, large shower and then a large room with a four-poster bed on a platform with amazing linens and sheer curtains hanging, and then a living area with a couch, coffee table, stereo, lounge chairs, etc. I’ve never stayed in such an incredible place. The staff was so incredibly friendly, the food was some of the best food I’ve ever eaten. We snorkeled, went for a hike in the rainforest, swam in waterfalls, went to visit a village, did some nude sunbathing on our own private beach for an afternoon, my husband did some traditional Fijian hand-line fishing, kava ceremonies, a meek ceremony, beach volleyball and we visited the spa every day. The staff would make you snacks in between meals if you were hungry, the coral and the seashells were amazing and the rainforest absolutely incredible. It was the perfect way to end such an incredible experience. www.qamea.com Teness Herman : Intimate Portraits Grade : A+ WOW. This was an absolutely amazing experience. Teness is absolutely amazing. She made me feel so comfortable and relaxed…an absolute necessity to create the kind of pictures I was going for. I felt like I was taking pictures with a dear old friend. She and I spent months discussing the look and feel of the shoot. She recommended I look at a book called Women Before 10am by Veronique Vial. If you like the style of my intimate portraits (aka Boudoir Pictures…sorry, I think it’s a cheesy name), I would definitely recommend you check out this book for inspiration. We shot for three and a half hours and could have easily gone on for another two. She used multiple cameras and twice as many lenses with nothing but natural light, which really helped in creating a sensual feel. Her enthusiasm, creativity and eye for the perfect shot are truly unparalleled. If you don’t have room in your budget to do this as a wedding gift, I would highly recommend it as a first (paper) anniversary gift. www.teness.com
www.waxqueen.com Salon 77 – Mahria Martinez : Brow Wax Grade : A+ I pretty much have caterpillars for eyebrows…I’m not kidding. So, not only do my eyebrows need to be professionally groomed on a regular basis but they need to be done well. Mahria is a dream…seriously, she’s absolutely amazing. It’s the only kind of waxing she does…you know if a girl can make a living off of just waxing eyebrows, she’s got to be good! And not only that, she’s the sweetest thing you’ve ever met. www.seventyseven.us Diane Jensen : Massage Grade : A+ So, I have to admit that before my husband and I bought our house, Diane was our landlord. However, my husband has some pretty severe back injuries (thanks to a motorcycle) and is always up for a massage. That being said, we get a lot of massages. Diane is fantastic. She works in a chiropractic clinic off of NW 23rd (which the chiropractor there is also fantastic, Suzanne Lady) and does pretty much any type of massage you’d like. If I were to say I have a regular LMT, Diane would be it…and without failure, I fall asleep on her table every time. She’s fantastic and a lot cheaper than a mediocre spa massage. And, she is so incredibly kind and sweet as well…you can’t beat that! She used to have a website but it doesn’t look like she does anymore. Contact me if you want to get in touch with her. Embellish Design : Wedding Dress Grade : A+ I went shopping on several different occasions for a wedding dress. After searching most of Portland for the dress, I decided to visit Terri at Embellish Design. Now, I would not even waste time looking for dresses to order. In the end, my dress cost less than any of my final choices of the dresses I found in the salons. Not only that, the experience was so incredibly fun. Originally, I went into her studio with pictures of my final choices as well as other dresses I liked. We went through each picture and discussed what I liked about each one. We took elements from all of those to create my dress. Terri is so knowledgeable about what she does and extremely talented in the art of designing and sewing gowns. We discussed everything from different fabrics to different styles and the pluses and negatives of each. In the end, I had a dress that was exactly what I wanted, custom fit to my body. I would highly recommend working with Terri. I hope that I’ll have a reason for her to make me another dress (she makes party dresses too) some time. www.embellishdesign.com Patty Lehner : Wedding Jewelry Grade : A+ I saw a variation of my wedding dress in an Oregon Bride magazine months before my wedding. The earrings that the model was wearing were wonderful. When I looked up where they came from, the magazine said Ella Posie (which is now closed but was on NE Broadway). Carmen (who is also a wedding coordinator) of Ella Posie got me in touch with Patty, who had designed the jewelry. Patty was an absolute delight to work with…kind of like working with your spunky grandmother. We talked about what I wanted and she worked efficiently to get pieces done for me. She made a variation of the earrings I wanted with several different types of pearls and different lengths so I had something to choose from. Then, she made a bangle to match. And when I asked for some extra pearls and crystals for my ring bearer pillow and hair jewelry, not only did she have no problem sending me on my way with a little bag of each but she also refused to charge me for them when I tried to pay her. August Veils : Hair Jewelry Grade : A Patty referred me to Andrea to have my hair jewelry made (Patty doesn’t like to make it). I brought the pearls and crystals that Patty had used in my jewelry to have Andrea create some sparkle for my hair. She created exactly what I was looking for and in a very short amount of time. www.augustveils.com Cromwell Formalwear : Tuxedo Rentals Grade : A While my husband bought a suit for the wedding, we needed rentals for everyone else. Cromwell’s had a good selection and a helpful staff. They kept us informed on everyone who had, or hadn’t, been fitted and I didn’t hear of any problems that anyone had with their rentals. www.cromwellformalwear.com Twist : Wedding Rings Grade : A We searched for quite some time to find rings that we really loved. While I love the traditional platinum eternity band, I wanted something a little different to go with my princess cut solitaire. My husband wanted a platinum ring but not completely plain. Twist, although not a store you would typically think of for wedding bands, had just what we were looking for. The staff was very friendly and when they ordered our rings, they said it would take eight weeks to get them in (which was cutting it really close). Two weeks later, we received a call letting us know that our rings were in. I love the uniqueness of our rings! www.twistonline.com Shane Co : Engagement Ring Grade : C+ In one week, my husband sold his motorcycle, decided to ask me to marry him and bought a ring. The ring is exactly what I would have picked out, a plain platinum band with a princess cut solitaire. However, if I had had a say in it, I never would have gotten my ring at Shane Co. I think their staff is kind of tacky, not to mention their showroom, and I’m always frustrated by their service when I take my ring in to be cleaned or polished...and lets not even begin to discuss their ads! www.shaneco.com Hotel Lucia : Wedding Night Hotel Grade : A I love this place! We booked their “Did I Mention I Want You?” package in a King Suite. When we arrived at the hotel with nothing but the wedding clothes we were still wearing, they were quick to check us in. Our bed was covered in rose petals, there was music playing, champagne being chilled and a box of toys, i.e. body crayons, furry handcuffs and a book of positions for every day of the year. We ordered room service at about 1:30am because neither of us really ate at our reception. They were prompt and the food was tasty. I wish we didn’t live in Portland so we had more reasons to stay here…it’s such a chic hotel! www.hotellucia.com Bluestar Charter : Guest Transportation Grade : C Originally, we were expecting a lot of guests from out of state. We booked a charter bus to pick up guests from downtown Portland and transport them to Mt Tabor Park and then to Nocturnal. Unfortunately, my husbands grandfather passed away two months before our wedding and many of what we assumed would be the out of town guests could no longer make it due to their last minute flights to the funeral. Regardless, I still think this was a good thing to have. However, we revised our timeline for the bus and faxed it in. For whatever reason, they didn’t follow this and were 1.5 hours early to pick up guests and consequently ended their evening 1.5 hours earlier than we were originally anticipating. I’m not sure why they were running on the old timeline as I had faxed the revised one to them. While in the grand scheme of things, it wasn’t that big of a deal, I was irritated that we had paid for something and then couldn’t even utilize it for 1.5 hours. www.bluestarbus.com The Party Place : Chair Rentals Grade : A Although Mt Tabor Amphitheatre has some benches, we rented some chairs as well to insure we had enough seating. To be honest, I have no idea if this all worked out. I assume they arrived on time as they were all set up prior to the ceremony. And I assume they were picked up just fine since I haven’t heard from them about not getting their chairs back or something. Unforgettable Honeymoons Renee Duane-Meyer : Travel Agent Grade : A for knowledge, C for personality When it came time to plan our honeymoon, we were running out of energy, especially to plan the fantastic honeymoon we both wanted. While we both found Renee to be fairly pretentious and full of herself, she was very knowledgeable. At first, we wanted to go to Bora Bora and Taha’a. However, Renee couldn’t find us any availability for the room types we wanted. She asked us if we would consider Fiji, which we of course would and did. She booked us for 7 nights at Qamea Resort and Spa in Fiji in a premium villa. The resort was amazing but I grew a bit concerned when four different couples at the resort (which has a maximum capacity for 28 adults total) had been booked there with Renee from Unforgettable Honeymoons. I don’t know what sort of a kickback Renee receives for referring clients there and I guess it doesn’t really matter because the resort really is all she says it is. However, it doesn’t feel very good to feel like she’s only sending people to that one place, especially when we already felt like she had a pretty inflated ego. My best friend and her husband booked through Unforgettable Honeymoons for their honeymoon, not with Renee, and said their experience was great. If I had it to do over again, I would try to book with another travel agent there. www.unforgettablehoneymoons.com Qamea Resort and Spa : Honeymoon Grade : A+ Wow! This place was incredible, even when it was overcast most of the week we were there! We flew for close to 14 hours, PDX to LAX, LAX to Nadi, Fiji and then on a puddle jumper from Nadi to Taveuni. Then we were driven in a Range Rover for 20 minutes on a dirt rode to a beach where we got on a boat and went on a 10-minute boat ride across to the island of Qamea. We were greeted by a smiling and friendly staff, taken to their restaurant/lounge villa where we were served cocktails and fruit plates and given a quick rundown of the resort. Our accommodations were amazing. Our villa included a daybed and a pool on our deck, a large outdoor shower, a large bathroom that included a walk-in closet, two sinks, a towel warmer, large shower and then a large room with a four-poster bed on a platform with amazing linens and sheer curtains hanging, and then a living area with a couch, coffee table, stereo, lounge chairs, etc. I’ve never stayed in such an incredible place. The staff was so incredibly friendly, the food was some of the best food I’ve ever eaten. We snorkeled, went for a hike in the rainforest, swam in waterfalls, went to visit a village, did some nude sunbathing on our own private beach for an afternoon, my husband did some traditional Fijian hand-line fishing, kava ceremonies, a meek ceremony, beach volleyball and we visited the spa every day. The staff would make you snacks in between meals if you were hungry, the coral and the seashells were amazing and the rainforest absolutely incredible. It was the perfect way to end such an incredible experience. www.qamea.com Teness Herman : Intimate Portraits Grade : A+ WOW. This was an absolutely amazing experience. Teness is absolutely amazing. She made me feel so comfortable and relaxed…an absolute necessity to create the kind of pictures I was going for. I felt like I was taking pictures with a dear old friend. She and I spent months discussing the look and feel of the shoot. She recommended I look at a book called Women Before 10am by Veronique Vial. If you like the style of my intimate portraits (aka Boudoir Pictures…sorry, I think it’s a cheesy name), I would definitely recommend you check out this book for inspiration. We shot for three and a half hours and could have easily gone on for another two. She used multiple cameras and twice as many lenses with nothing but natural light, which really helped in creating a sensual feel. Her enthusiasm, creativity and eye for the perfect shot are truly unparalleled. If you don’t have room in your budget to do this as a wedding gift, I would highly recommend it as a first (paper) anniversary gift. www.teness.com
Salon 77 – Mahria Martinez : Brow Wax Grade : A+ I pretty much have caterpillars for eyebrows…I’m not kidding. So, not only do my eyebrows need to be professionally groomed on a regular basis but they need to be done well. Mahria is a dream…seriously, she’s absolutely amazing. It’s the only kind of waxing she does…you know if a girl can make a living off of just waxing eyebrows, she’s got to be good! And not only that, she’s the sweetest thing you’ve ever met. www.seventyseven.us Diane Jensen : Massage Grade : A+ So, I have to admit that before my husband and I bought our house, Diane was our landlord. However, my husband has some pretty severe back injuries (thanks to a motorcycle) and is always up for a massage. That being said, we get a lot of massages. Diane is fantastic. She works in a chiropractic clinic off of NW 23rd (which the chiropractor there is also fantastic, Suzanne Lady) and does pretty much any type of massage you’d like. If I were to say I have a regular LMT, Diane would be it…and without failure, I fall asleep on her table every time. She’s fantastic and a lot cheaper than a mediocre spa massage. And, she is so incredibly kind and sweet as well…you can’t beat that! She used to have a website but it doesn’t look like she does anymore. Contact me if you want to get in touch with her. Embellish Design : Wedding Dress Grade : A+ I went shopping on several different occasions for a wedding dress. After searching most of Portland for the dress, I decided to visit Terri at Embellish Design. Now, I would not even waste time looking for dresses to order. In the end, my dress cost less than any of my final choices of the dresses I found in the salons. Not only that, the experience was so incredibly fun. Originally, I went into her studio with pictures of my final choices as well as other dresses I liked. We went through each picture and discussed what I liked about each one. We took elements from all of those to create my dress. Terri is so knowledgeable about what she does and extremely talented in the art of designing and sewing gowns. We discussed everything from different fabrics to different styles and the pluses and negatives of each. In the end, I had a dress that was exactly what I wanted, custom fit to my body. I would highly recommend working with Terri. I hope that I’ll have a reason for her to make me another dress (she makes party dresses too) some time. www.embellishdesign.com Patty Lehner : Wedding Jewelry Grade : A+ I saw a variation of my wedding dress in an Oregon Bride magazine months before my wedding. The earrings that the model was wearing were wonderful. When I looked up where they came from, the magazine said Ella Posie (which is now closed but was on NE Broadway). Carmen (who is also a wedding coordinator) of Ella Posie got me in touch with Patty, who had designed the jewelry. Patty was an absolute delight to work with…kind of like working with your spunky grandmother. We talked about what I wanted and she worked efficiently to get pieces done for me. She made a variation of the earrings I wanted with several different types of pearls and different lengths so I had something to choose from. Then, she made a bangle to match. And when I asked for some extra pearls and crystals for my ring bearer pillow and hair jewelry, not only did she have no problem sending me on my way with a little bag of each but she also refused to charge me for them when I tried to pay her. August Veils : Hair Jewelry Grade : A Patty referred me to Andrea to have my hair jewelry made (Patty doesn’t like to make it). I brought the pearls and crystals that Patty had used in my jewelry to have Andrea create some sparkle for my hair. She created exactly what I was looking for and in a very short amount of time. www.augustveils.com Cromwell Formalwear : Tuxedo Rentals Grade : A While my husband bought a suit for the wedding, we needed rentals for everyone else. Cromwell’s had a good selection and a helpful staff. They kept us informed on everyone who had, or hadn’t, been fitted and I didn’t hear of any problems that anyone had with their rentals. www.cromwellformalwear.com Twist : Wedding Rings Grade : A We searched for quite some time to find rings that we really loved. While I love the traditional platinum eternity band, I wanted something a little different to go with my princess cut solitaire. My husband wanted a platinum ring but not completely plain. Twist, although not a store you would typically think of for wedding bands, had just what we were looking for. The staff was very friendly and when they ordered our rings, they said it would take eight weeks to get them in (which was cutting it really close). Two weeks later, we received a call letting us know that our rings were in. I love the uniqueness of our rings! www.twistonline.com Shane Co : Engagement Ring Grade : C+ In one week, my husband sold his motorcycle, decided to ask me to marry him and bought a ring. The ring is exactly what I would have picked out, a plain platinum band with a princess cut solitaire. However, if I had had a say in it, I never would have gotten my ring at Shane Co. I think their staff is kind of tacky, not to mention their showroom, and I’m always frustrated by their service when I take my ring in to be cleaned or polished...and lets not even begin to discuss their ads! www.shaneco.com Hotel Lucia : Wedding Night Hotel Grade : A I love this place! We booked their “Did I Mention I Want You?” package in a King Suite. When we arrived at the hotel with nothing but the wedding clothes we were still wearing, they were quick to check us in. Our bed was covered in rose petals, there was music playing, champagne being chilled and a box of toys, i.e. body crayons, furry handcuffs and a book of positions for every day of the year. We ordered room service at about 1:30am because neither of us really ate at our reception. They were prompt and the food was tasty. I wish we didn’t live in Portland so we had more reasons to stay here…it’s such a chic hotel! www.hotellucia.com Bluestar Charter : Guest Transportation Grade : C Originally, we were expecting a lot of guests from out of state. We booked a charter bus to pick up guests from downtown Portland and transport them to Mt Tabor Park and then to Nocturnal. Unfortunately, my husbands grandfather passed away two months before our wedding and many of what we assumed would be the out of town guests could no longer make it due to their last minute flights to the funeral. Regardless, I still think this was a good thing to have. However, we revised our timeline for the bus and faxed it in. For whatever reason, they didn’t follow this and were 1.5 hours early to pick up guests and consequently ended their evening 1.5 hours earlier than we were originally anticipating. I’m not sure why they were running on the old timeline as I had faxed the revised one to them. While in the grand scheme of things, it wasn’t that big of a deal, I was irritated that we had paid for something and then couldn’t even utilize it for 1.5 hours. www.bluestarbus.com The Party Place : Chair Rentals Grade : A Although Mt Tabor Amphitheatre has some benches, we rented some chairs as well to insure we had enough seating. To be honest, I have no idea if this all worked out. I assume they arrived on time as they were all set up prior to the ceremony. And I assume they were picked up just fine since I haven’t heard from them about not getting their chairs back or something. Unforgettable Honeymoons Renee Duane-Meyer : Travel Agent Grade : A for knowledge, C for personality When it came time to plan our honeymoon, we were running out of energy, especially to plan the fantastic honeymoon we both wanted. While we both found Renee to be fairly pretentious and full of herself, she was very knowledgeable. At first, we wanted to go to Bora Bora and Taha’a. However, Renee couldn’t find us any availability for the room types we wanted. She asked us if we would consider Fiji, which we of course would and did. She booked us for 7 nights at Qamea Resort and Spa in Fiji in a premium villa. The resort was amazing but I grew a bit concerned when four different couples at the resort (which has a maximum capacity for 28 adults total) had been booked there with Renee from Unforgettable Honeymoons. I don’t know what sort of a kickback Renee receives for referring clients there and I guess it doesn’t really matter because the resort really is all she says it is. However, it doesn’t feel very good to feel like she’s only sending people to that one place, especially when we already felt like she had a pretty inflated ego. My best friend and her husband booked through Unforgettable Honeymoons for their honeymoon, not with Renee, and said their experience was great. If I had it to do over again, I would try to book with another travel agent there. www.unforgettablehoneymoons.com Qamea Resort and Spa : Honeymoon Grade : A+ Wow! This place was incredible, even when it was overcast most of the week we were there! We flew for close to 14 hours, PDX to LAX, LAX to Nadi, Fiji and then on a puddle jumper from Nadi to Taveuni. Then we were driven in a Range Rover for 20 minutes on a dirt rode to a beach where we got on a boat and went on a 10-minute boat ride across to the island of Qamea. We were greeted by a smiling and friendly staff, taken to their restaurant/lounge villa where we were served cocktails and fruit plates and given a quick rundown of the resort. Our accommodations were amazing. Our villa included a daybed and a pool on our deck, a large outdoor shower, a large bathroom that included a walk-in closet, two sinks, a towel warmer, large shower and then a large room with a four-poster bed on a platform with amazing linens and sheer curtains hanging, and then a living area with a couch, coffee table, stereo, lounge chairs, etc. I’ve never stayed in such an incredible place. The staff was so incredibly friendly, the food was some of the best food I’ve ever eaten. We snorkeled, went for a hike in the rainforest, swam in waterfalls, went to visit a village, did some nude sunbathing on our own private beach for an afternoon, my husband did some traditional Fijian hand-line fishing, kava ceremonies, a meek ceremony, beach volleyball and we visited the spa every day. The staff would make you snacks in between meals if you were hungry, the coral and the seashells were amazing and the rainforest absolutely incredible. It was the perfect way to end such an incredible experience. www.qamea.com Teness Herman : Intimate Portraits Grade : A+ WOW. This was an absolutely amazing experience. Teness is absolutely amazing. She made me feel so comfortable and relaxed…an absolute necessity to create the kind of pictures I was going for. I felt like I was taking pictures with a dear old friend. She and I spent months discussing the look and feel of the shoot. She recommended I look at a book called Women Before 10am by Veronique Vial. If you like the style of my intimate portraits (aka Boudoir Pictures…sorry, I think it’s a cheesy name), I would definitely recommend you check out this book for inspiration. We shot for three and a half hours and could have easily gone on for another two. She used multiple cameras and twice as many lenses with nothing but natural light, which really helped in creating a sensual feel. Her enthusiasm, creativity and eye for the perfect shot are truly unparalleled. If you don’t have room in your budget to do this as a wedding gift, I would highly recommend it as a first (paper) anniversary gift. www.teness.com
www.seventyseven.us Diane Jensen : Massage Grade : A+ So, I have to admit that before my husband and I bought our house, Diane was our landlord. However, my husband has some pretty severe back injuries (thanks to a motorcycle) and is always up for a massage. That being said, we get a lot of massages. Diane is fantastic. She works in a chiropractic clinic off of NW 23rd (which the chiropractor there is also fantastic, Suzanne Lady) and does pretty much any type of massage you’d like. If I were to say I have a regular LMT, Diane would be it…and without failure, I fall asleep on her table every time. She’s fantastic and a lot cheaper than a mediocre spa massage. And, she is so incredibly kind and sweet as well…you can’t beat that! She used to have a website but it doesn’t look like she does anymore. Contact me if you want to get in touch with her. Embellish Design : Wedding Dress Grade : A+ I went shopping on several different occasions for a wedding dress. After searching most of Portland for the dress, I decided to visit Terri at Embellish Design. Now, I would not even waste time looking for dresses to order. In the end, my dress cost less than any of my final choices of the dresses I found in the salons. Not only that, the experience was so incredibly fun. Originally, I went into her studio with pictures of my final choices as well as other dresses I liked. We went through each picture and discussed what I liked about each one. We took elements from all of those to create my dress. Terri is so knowledgeable about what she does and extremely talented in the art of designing and sewing gowns. We discussed everything from different fabrics to different styles and the pluses and negatives of each. In the end, I had a dress that was exactly what I wanted, custom fit to my body. I would highly recommend working with Terri. I hope that I’ll have a reason for her to make me another dress (she makes party dresses too) some time. www.embellishdesign.com Patty Lehner : Wedding Jewelry Grade : A+ I saw a variation of my wedding dress in an Oregon Bride magazine months before my wedding. The earrings that the model was wearing were wonderful. When I looked up where they came from, the magazine said Ella Posie (which is now closed but was on NE Broadway). Carmen (who is also a wedding coordinator) of Ella Posie got me in touch with Patty, who had designed the jewelry. Patty was an absolute delight to work with…kind of like working with your spunky grandmother. We talked about what I wanted and she worked efficiently to get pieces done for me. She made a variation of the earrings I wanted with several different types of pearls and different lengths so I had something to choose from. Then, she made a bangle to match. And when I asked for some extra pearls and crystals for my ring bearer pillow and hair jewelry, not only did she have no problem sending me on my way with a little bag of each but she also refused to charge me for them when I tried to pay her. August Veils : Hair Jewelry Grade : A Patty referred me to Andrea to have my hair jewelry made (Patty doesn’t like to make it). I brought the pearls and crystals that Patty had used in my jewelry to have Andrea create some sparkle for my hair. She created exactly what I was looking for and in a very short amount of time. www.augustveils.com Cromwell Formalwear : Tuxedo Rentals Grade : A While my husband bought a suit for the wedding, we needed rentals for everyone else. Cromwell’s had a good selection and a helpful staff. They kept us informed on everyone who had, or hadn’t, been fitted and I didn’t hear of any problems that anyone had with their rentals. www.cromwellformalwear.com Twist : Wedding Rings Grade : A We searched for quite some time to find rings that we really loved. While I love the traditional platinum eternity band, I wanted something a little different to go with my princess cut solitaire. My husband wanted a platinum ring but not completely plain. Twist, although not a store you would typically think of for wedding bands, had just what we were looking for. The staff was very friendly and when they ordered our rings, they said it would take eight weeks to get them in (which was cutting it really close). Two weeks later, we received a call letting us know that our rings were in. I love the uniqueness of our rings! www.twistonline.com Shane Co : Engagement Ring Grade : C+ In one week, my husband sold his motorcycle, decided to ask me to marry him and bought a ring. The ring is exactly what I would have picked out, a plain platinum band with a princess cut solitaire. However, if I had had a say in it, I never would have gotten my ring at Shane Co. I think their staff is kind of tacky, not to mention their showroom, and I’m always frustrated by their service when I take my ring in to be cleaned or polished...and lets not even begin to discuss their ads! www.shaneco.com Hotel Lucia : Wedding Night Hotel Grade : A I love this place! We booked their “Did I Mention I Want You?” package in a King Suite. When we arrived at the hotel with nothing but the wedding clothes we were still wearing, they were quick to check us in. Our bed was covered in rose petals, there was music playing, champagne being chilled and a box of toys, i.e. body crayons, furry handcuffs and a book of positions for every day of the year. We ordered room service at about 1:30am because neither of us really ate at our reception. They were prompt and the food was tasty. I wish we didn’t live in Portland so we had more reasons to stay here…it’s such a chic hotel! www.hotellucia.com Bluestar Charter : Guest Transportation Grade : C Originally, we were expecting a lot of guests from out of state. We booked a charter bus to pick up guests from downtown Portland and transport them to Mt Tabor Park and then to Nocturnal. Unfortunately, my husbands grandfather passed away two months before our wedding and many of what we assumed would be the out of town guests could no longer make it due to their last minute flights to the funeral. Regardless, I still think this was a good thing to have. However, we revised our timeline for the bus and faxed it in. For whatever reason, they didn’t follow this and were 1.5 hours early to pick up guests and consequently ended their evening 1.5 hours earlier than we were originally anticipating. I’m not sure why they were running on the old timeline as I had faxed the revised one to them. While in the grand scheme of things, it wasn’t that big of a deal, I was irritated that we had paid for something and then couldn’t even utilize it for 1.5 hours. www.bluestarbus.com The Party Place : Chair Rentals Grade : A Although Mt Tabor Amphitheatre has some benches, we rented some chairs as well to insure we had enough seating. To be honest, I have no idea if this all worked out. I assume they arrived on time as they were all set up prior to the ceremony. And I assume they were picked up just fine since I haven’t heard from them about not getting their chairs back or something. Unforgettable Honeymoons Renee Duane-Meyer : Travel Agent Grade : A for knowledge, C for personality When it came time to plan our honeymoon, we were running out of energy, especially to plan the fantastic honeymoon we both wanted. While we both found Renee to be fairly pretentious and full of herself, she was very knowledgeable. At first, we wanted to go to Bora Bora and Taha’a. However, Renee couldn’t find us any availability for the room types we wanted. She asked us if we would consider Fiji, which we of course would and did. She booked us for 7 nights at Qamea Resort and Spa in Fiji in a premium villa. The resort was amazing but I grew a bit concerned when four different couples at the resort (which has a maximum capacity for 28 adults total) had been booked there with Renee from Unforgettable Honeymoons. I don’t know what sort of a kickback Renee receives for referring clients there and I guess it doesn’t really matter because the resort really is all she says it is. However, it doesn’t feel very good to feel like she’s only sending people to that one place, especially when we already felt like she had a pretty inflated ego. My best friend and her husband booked through Unforgettable Honeymoons for their honeymoon, not with Renee, and said their experience was great. If I had it to do over again, I would try to book with another travel agent there. www.unforgettablehoneymoons.com Qamea Resort and Spa : Honeymoon Grade : A+ Wow! This place was incredible, even when it was overcast most of the week we were there! We flew for close to 14 hours, PDX to LAX, LAX to Nadi, Fiji and then on a puddle jumper from Nadi to Taveuni. Then we were driven in a Range Rover for 20 minutes on a dirt rode to a beach where we got on a boat and went on a 10-minute boat ride across to the island of Qamea. We were greeted by a smiling and friendly staff, taken to their restaurant/lounge villa where we were served cocktails and fruit plates and given a quick rundown of the resort. Our accommodations were amazing. Our villa included a daybed and a pool on our deck, a large outdoor shower, a large bathroom that included a walk-in closet, two sinks, a towel warmer, large shower and then a large room with a four-poster bed on a platform with amazing linens and sheer curtains hanging, and then a living area with a couch, coffee table, stereo, lounge chairs, etc. I’ve never stayed in such an incredible place. The staff was so incredibly friendly, the food was some of the best food I’ve ever eaten. We snorkeled, went for a hike in the rainforest, swam in waterfalls, went to visit a village, did some nude sunbathing on our own private beach for an afternoon, my husband did some traditional Fijian hand-line fishing, kava ceremonies, a meek ceremony, beach volleyball and we visited the spa every day. The staff would make you snacks in between meals if you were hungry, the coral and the seashells were amazing and the rainforest absolutely incredible. It was the perfect way to end such an incredible experience. www.qamea.com Teness Herman : Intimate Portraits Grade : A+ WOW. This was an absolutely amazing experience. Teness is absolutely amazing. She made me feel so comfortable and relaxed…an absolute necessity to create the kind of pictures I was going for. I felt like I was taking pictures with a dear old friend. She and I spent months discussing the look and feel of the shoot. She recommended I look at a book called Women Before 10am by Veronique Vial. If you like the style of my intimate portraits (aka Boudoir Pictures…sorry, I think it’s a cheesy name), I would definitely recommend you check out this book for inspiration. We shot for three and a half hours and could have easily gone on for another two. She used multiple cameras and twice as many lenses with nothing but natural light, which really helped in creating a sensual feel. Her enthusiasm, creativity and eye for the perfect shot are truly unparalleled. If you don’t have room in your budget to do this as a wedding gift, I would highly recommend it as a first (paper) anniversary gift. www.teness.com
Diane Jensen : Massage Grade : A+ So, I have to admit that before my husband and I bought our house, Diane was our landlord. However, my husband has some pretty severe back injuries (thanks to a motorcycle) and is always up for a massage. That being said, we get a lot of massages. Diane is fantastic. She works in a chiropractic clinic off of NW 23rd (which the chiropractor there is also fantastic, Suzanne Lady) and does pretty much any type of massage you’d like. If I were to say I have a regular LMT, Diane would be it…and without failure, I fall asleep on her table every time. She’s fantastic and a lot cheaper than a mediocre spa massage. And, she is so incredibly kind and sweet as well…you can’t beat that! She used to have a website but it doesn’t look like she does anymore. Contact me if you want to get in touch with her. Embellish Design : Wedding Dress Grade : A+ I went shopping on several different occasions for a wedding dress. After searching most of Portland for the dress, I decided to visit Terri at Embellish Design. Now, I would not even waste time looking for dresses to order. In the end, my dress cost less than any of my final choices of the dresses I found in the salons. Not only that, the experience was so incredibly fun. Originally, I went into her studio with pictures of my final choices as well as other dresses I liked. We went through each picture and discussed what I liked about each one. We took elements from all of those to create my dress. Terri is so knowledgeable about what she does and extremely talented in the art of designing and sewing gowns. We discussed everything from different fabrics to different styles and the pluses and negatives of each. In the end, I had a dress that was exactly what I wanted, custom fit to my body. I would highly recommend working with Terri. I hope that I’ll have a reason for her to make me another dress (she makes party dresses too) some time. www.embellishdesign.com Patty Lehner : Wedding Jewelry Grade : A+ I saw a variation of my wedding dress in an Oregon Bride magazine months before my wedding. The earrings that the model was wearing were wonderful. When I looked up where they came from, the magazine said Ella Posie (which is now closed but was on NE Broadway). Carmen (who is also a wedding coordinator) of Ella Posie got me in touch with Patty, who had designed the jewelry. Patty was an absolute delight to work with…kind of like working with your spunky grandmother. We talked about what I wanted and she worked efficiently to get pieces done for me. She made a variation of the earrings I wanted with several different types of pearls and different lengths so I had something to choose from. Then, she made a bangle to match. And when I asked for some extra pearls and crystals for my ring bearer pillow and hair jewelry, not only did she have no problem sending me on my way with a little bag of each but she also refused to charge me for them when I tried to pay her. August Veils : Hair Jewelry Grade : A Patty referred me to Andrea to have my hair jewelry made (Patty doesn’t like to make it). I brought the pearls and crystals that Patty had used in my jewelry to have Andrea create some sparkle for my hair. She created exactly what I was looking for and in a very short amount of time. www.augustveils.com Cromwell Formalwear : Tuxedo Rentals Grade : A While my husband bought a suit for the wedding, we needed rentals for everyone else. Cromwell’s had a good selection and a helpful staff. They kept us informed on everyone who had, or hadn’t, been fitted and I didn’t hear of any problems that anyone had with their rentals. www.cromwellformalwear.com Twist : Wedding Rings Grade : A We searched for quite some time to find rings that we really loved. While I love the traditional platinum eternity band, I wanted something a little different to go with my princess cut solitaire. My husband wanted a platinum ring but not completely plain. Twist, although not a store you would typically think of for wedding bands, had just what we were looking for. The staff was very friendly and when they ordered our rings, they said it would take eight weeks to get them in (which was cutting it really close). Two weeks later, we received a call letting us know that our rings were in. I love the uniqueness of our rings! www.twistonline.com Shane Co : Engagement Ring Grade : C+ In one week, my husband sold his motorcycle, decided to ask me to marry him and bought a ring. The ring is exactly what I would have picked out, a plain platinum band with a princess cut solitaire. However, if I had had a say in it, I never would have gotten my ring at Shane Co. I think their staff is kind of tacky, not to mention their showroom, and I’m always frustrated by their service when I take my ring in to be cleaned or polished...and lets not even begin to discuss their ads! www.shaneco.com Hotel Lucia : Wedding Night Hotel Grade : A I love this place! We booked their “Did I Mention I Want You?” package in a King Suite. When we arrived at the hotel with nothing but the wedding clothes we were still wearing, they were quick to check us in. Our bed was covered in rose petals, there was music playing, champagne being chilled and a box of toys, i.e. body crayons, furry handcuffs and a book of positions for every day of the year. We ordered room service at about 1:30am because neither of us really ate at our reception. They were prompt and the food was tasty. I wish we didn’t live in Portland so we had more reasons to stay here…it’s such a chic hotel! www.hotellucia.com Bluestar Charter : Guest Transportation Grade : C Originally, we were expecting a lot of guests from out of state. We booked a charter bus to pick up guests from downtown Portland and transport them to Mt Tabor Park and then to Nocturnal. Unfortunately, my husbands grandfather passed away two months before our wedding and many of what we assumed would be the out of town guests could no longer make it due to their last minute flights to the funeral. Regardless, I still think this was a good thing to have. However, we revised our timeline for the bus and faxed it in. For whatever reason, they didn’t follow this and were 1.5 hours early to pick up guests and consequently ended their evening 1.5 hours earlier than we were originally anticipating. I’m not sure why they were running on the old timeline as I had faxed the revised one to them. While in the grand scheme of things, it wasn’t that big of a deal, I was irritated that we had paid for something and then couldn’t even utilize it for 1.5 hours. www.bluestarbus.com The Party Place : Chair Rentals Grade : A Although Mt Tabor Amphitheatre has some benches, we rented some chairs as well to insure we had enough seating. To be honest, I have no idea if this all worked out. I assume they arrived on time as they were all set up prior to the ceremony. And I assume they were picked up just fine since I haven’t heard from them about not getting their chairs back or something. Unforgettable Honeymoons Renee Duane-Meyer : Travel Agent Grade : A for knowledge, C for personality When it came time to plan our honeymoon, we were running out of energy, especially to plan the fantastic honeymoon we both wanted. While we both found Renee to be fairly pretentious and full of herself, she was very knowledgeable. At first, we wanted to go to Bora Bora and Taha’a. However, Renee couldn’t find us any availability for the room types we wanted. She asked us if we would consider Fiji, which we of course would and did. She booked us for 7 nights at Qamea Resort and Spa in Fiji in a premium villa. The resort was amazing but I grew a bit concerned when four different couples at the resort (which has a maximum capacity for 28 adults total) had been booked there with Renee from Unforgettable Honeymoons. I don’t know what sort of a kickback Renee receives for referring clients there and I guess it doesn’t really matter because the resort really is all she says it is. However, it doesn’t feel very good to feel like she’s only sending people to that one place, especially when we already felt like she had a pretty inflated ego. My best friend and her husband booked through Unforgettable Honeymoons for their honeymoon, not with Renee, and said their experience was great. If I had it to do over again, I would try to book with another travel agent there. www.unforgettablehoneymoons.com Qamea Resort and Spa : Honeymoon Grade : A+ Wow! This place was incredible, even when it was overcast most of the week we were there! We flew for close to 14 hours, PDX to LAX, LAX to Nadi, Fiji and then on a puddle jumper from Nadi to Taveuni. Then we were driven in a Range Rover for 20 minutes on a dirt rode to a beach where we got on a boat and went on a 10-minute boat ride across to the island of Qamea. We were greeted by a smiling and friendly staff, taken to their restaurant/lounge villa where we were served cocktails and fruit plates and given a quick rundown of the resort. Our accommodations were amazing. Our villa included a daybed and a pool on our deck, a large outdoor shower, a large bathroom that included a walk-in closet, two sinks, a towel warmer, large shower and then a large room with a four-poster bed on a platform with amazing linens and sheer curtains hanging, and then a living area with a couch, coffee table, stereo, lounge chairs, etc. I’ve never stayed in such an incredible place. The staff was so incredibly friendly, the food was some of the best food I’ve ever eaten. We snorkeled, went for a hike in the rainforest, swam in waterfalls, went to visit a village, did some nude sunbathing on our own private beach for an afternoon, my husband did some traditional Fijian hand-line fishing, kava ceremonies, a meek ceremony, beach volleyball and we visited the spa every day. The staff would make you snacks in between meals if you were hungry, the coral and the seashells were amazing and the rainforest absolutely incredible. It was the perfect way to end such an incredible experience. www.qamea.com Teness Herman : Intimate Portraits Grade : A+ WOW. This was an absolutely amazing experience. Teness is absolutely amazing. She made me feel so comfortable and relaxed…an absolute necessity to create the kind of pictures I was going for. I felt like I was taking pictures with a dear old friend. She and I spent months discussing the look and feel of the shoot. She recommended I look at a book called Women Before 10am by Veronique Vial. If you like the style of my intimate portraits (aka Boudoir Pictures…sorry, I think it’s a cheesy name), I would definitely recommend you check out this book for inspiration. We shot for three and a half hours and could have easily gone on for another two. She used multiple cameras and twice as many lenses with nothing but natural light, which really helped in creating a sensual feel. Her enthusiasm, creativity and eye for the perfect shot are truly unparalleled. If you don’t have room in your budget to do this as a wedding gift, I would highly recommend it as a first (paper) anniversary gift. www.teness.com
She used to have a website but it doesn’t look like she does anymore. Contact me if you want to get in touch with her. Embellish Design : Wedding Dress Grade : A+ I went shopping on several different occasions for a wedding dress. After searching most of Portland for the dress, I decided to visit Terri at Embellish Design. Now, I would not even waste time looking for dresses to order. In the end, my dress cost less than any of my final choices of the dresses I found in the salons. Not only that, the experience was so incredibly fun. Originally, I went into her studio with pictures of my final choices as well as other dresses I liked. We went through each picture and discussed what I liked about each one. We took elements from all of those to create my dress. Terri is so knowledgeable about what she does and extremely talented in the art of designing and sewing gowns. We discussed everything from different fabrics to different styles and the pluses and negatives of each. In the end, I had a dress that was exactly what I wanted, custom fit to my body. I would highly recommend working with Terri. I hope that I’ll have a reason for her to make me another dress (she makes party dresses too) some time. www.embellishdesign.com Patty Lehner : Wedding Jewelry Grade : A+ I saw a variation of my wedding dress in an Oregon Bride magazine months before my wedding. The earrings that the model was wearing were wonderful. When I looked up where they came from, the magazine said Ella Posie (which is now closed but was on NE Broadway). Carmen (who is also a wedding coordinator) of Ella Posie got me in touch with Patty, who had designed the jewelry. Patty was an absolute delight to work with…kind of like working with your spunky grandmother. We talked about what I wanted and she worked efficiently to get pieces done for me. She made a variation of the earrings I wanted with several different types of pearls and different lengths so I had something to choose from. Then, she made a bangle to match. And when I asked for some extra pearls and crystals for my ring bearer pillow and hair jewelry, not only did she have no problem sending me on my way with a little bag of each but she also refused to charge me for them when I tried to pay her. August Veils : Hair Jewelry Grade : A Patty referred me to Andrea to have my hair jewelry made (Patty doesn’t like to make it). I brought the pearls and crystals that Patty had used in my jewelry to have Andrea create some sparkle for my hair. She created exactly what I was looking for and in a very short amount of time. www.augustveils.com Cromwell Formalwear : Tuxedo Rentals Grade : A While my husband bought a suit for the wedding, we needed rentals for everyone else. Cromwell’s had a good selection and a helpful staff. They kept us informed on everyone who had, or hadn’t, been fitted and I didn’t hear of any problems that anyone had with their rentals. www.cromwellformalwear.com Twist : Wedding Rings Grade : A We searched for quite some time to find rings that we really loved. While I love the traditional platinum eternity band, I wanted something a little different to go with my princess cut solitaire. My husband wanted a platinum ring but not completely plain. Twist, although not a store you would typically think of for wedding bands, had just what we were looking for. The staff was very friendly and when they ordered our rings, they said it would take eight weeks to get them in (which was cutting it really close). Two weeks later, we received a call letting us know that our rings were in. I love the uniqueness of our rings! www.twistonline.com Shane Co : Engagement Ring Grade : C+ In one week, my husband sold his motorcycle, decided to ask me to marry him and bought a ring. The ring is exactly what I would have picked out, a plain platinum band with a princess cut solitaire. However, if I had had a say in it, I never would have gotten my ring at Shane Co. I think their staff is kind of tacky, not to mention their showroom, and I’m always frustrated by their service when I take my ring in to be cleaned or polished...and lets not even begin to discuss their ads! www.shaneco.com Hotel Lucia : Wedding Night Hotel Grade : A I love this place! We booked their “Did I Mention I Want You?” package in a King Suite. When we arrived at the hotel with nothing but the wedding clothes we were still wearing, they were quick to check us in. Our bed was covered in rose petals, there was music playing, champagne being chilled and a box of toys, i.e. body crayons, furry handcuffs and a book of positions for every day of the year. We ordered room service at about 1:30am because neither of us really ate at our reception. They were prompt and the food was tasty. I wish we didn’t live in Portland so we had more reasons to stay here…it’s such a chic hotel! www.hotellucia.com Bluestar Charter : Guest Transportation Grade : C Originally, we were expecting a lot of guests from out of state. We booked a charter bus to pick up guests from downtown Portland and transport them to Mt Tabor Park and then to Nocturnal. Unfortunately, my husbands grandfather passed away two months before our wedding and many of what we assumed would be the out of town guests could no longer make it due to their last minute flights to the funeral. Regardless, I still think this was a good thing to have. However, we revised our timeline for the bus and faxed it in. For whatever reason, they didn’t follow this and were 1.5 hours early to pick up guests and consequently ended their evening 1.5 hours earlier than we were originally anticipating. I’m not sure why they were running on the old timeline as I had faxed the revised one to them. While in the grand scheme of things, it wasn’t that big of a deal, I was irritated that we had paid for something and then couldn’t even utilize it for 1.5 hours. www.bluestarbus.com The Party Place : Chair Rentals Grade : A Although Mt Tabor Amphitheatre has some benches, we rented some chairs as well to insure we had enough seating. To be honest, I have no idea if this all worked out. I assume they arrived on time as they were all set up prior to the ceremony. And I assume they were picked up just fine since I haven’t heard from them about not getting their chairs back or something. Unforgettable Honeymoons Renee Duane-Meyer : Travel Agent Grade : A for knowledge, C for personality When it came time to plan our honeymoon, we were running out of energy, especially to plan the fantastic honeymoon we both wanted. While we both found Renee to be fairly pretentious and full of herself, she was very knowledgeable. At first, we wanted to go to Bora Bora and Taha’a. However, Renee couldn’t find us any availability for the room types we wanted. She asked us if we would consider Fiji, which we of course would and did. She booked us for 7 nights at Qamea Resort and Spa in Fiji in a premium villa. The resort was amazing but I grew a bit concerned when four different couples at the resort (which has a maximum capacity for 28 adults total) had been booked there with Renee from Unforgettable Honeymoons. I don’t know what sort of a kickback Renee receives for referring clients there and I guess it doesn’t really matter because the resort really is all she says it is. However, it doesn’t feel very good to feel like she’s only sending people to that one place, especially when we already felt like she had a pretty inflated ego. My best friend and her husband booked through Unforgettable Honeymoons for their honeymoon, not with Renee, and said their experience was great. If I had it to do over again, I would try to book with another travel agent there. www.unforgettablehoneymoons.com Qamea Resort and Spa : Honeymoon Grade : A+ Wow! This place was incredible, even when it was overcast most of the week we were there! We flew for close to 14 hours, PDX to LAX, LAX to Nadi, Fiji and then on a puddle jumper from Nadi to Taveuni. Then we were driven in a Range Rover for 20 minutes on a dirt rode to a beach where we got on a boat and went on a 10-minute boat ride across to the island of Qamea. We were greeted by a smiling and friendly staff, taken to their restaurant/lounge villa where we were served cocktails and fruit plates and given a quick rundown of the resort. Our accommodations were amazing. Our villa included a daybed and a pool on our deck, a large outdoor shower, a large bathroom that included a walk-in closet, two sinks, a towel warmer, large shower and then a large room with a four-poster bed on a platform with amazing linens and sheer curtains hanging, and then a living area with a couch, coffee table, stereo, lounge chairs, etc. I’ve never stayed in such an incredible place. The staff was so incredibly friendly, the food was some of the best food I’ve ever eaten. We snorkeled, went for a hike in the rainforest, swam in waterfalls, went to visit a village, did some nude sunbathing on our own private beach for an afternoon, my husband did some traditional Fijian hand-line fishing, kava ceremonies, a meek ceremony, beach volleyball and we visited the spa every day. The staff would make you snacks in between meals if you were hungry, the coral and the seashells were amazing and the rainforest absolutely incredible. It was the perfect way to end such an incredible experience. www.qamea.com Teness Herman : Intimate Portraits Grade : A+ WOW. This was an absolutely amazing experience. Teness is absolutely amazing. She made me feel so comfortable and relaxed…an absolute necessity to create the kind of pictures I was going for. I felt like I was taking pictures with a dear old friend. She and I spent months discussing the look and feel of the shoot. She recommended I look at a book called Women Before 10am by Veronique Vial. If you like the style of my intimate portraits (aka Boudoir Pictures…sorry, I think it’s a cheesy name), I would definitely recommend you check out this book for inspiration. We shot for three and a half hours and could have easily gone on for another two. She used multiple cameras and twice as many lenses with nothing but natural light, which really helped in creating a sensual feel. Her enthusiasm, creativity and eye for the perfect shot are truly unparalleled. If you don’t have room in your budget to do this as a wedding gift, I would highly recommend it as a first (paper) anniversary gift. www.teness.com
Embellish Design : Wedding Dress Grade : A+ I went shopping on several different occasions for a wedding dress. After searching most of Portland for the dress, I decided to visit Terri at Embellish Design. Now, I would not even waste time looking for dresses to order. In the end, my dress cost less than any of my final choices of the dresses I found in the salons. Not only that, the experience was so incredibly fun. Originally, I went into her studio with pictures of my final choices as well as other dresses I liked. We went through each picture and discussed what I liked about each one. We took elements from all of those to create my dress. Terri is so knowledgeable about what she does and extremely talented in the art of designing and sewing gowns. We discussed everything from different fabrics to different styles and the pluses and negatives of each. In the end, I had a dress that was exactly what I wanted, custom fit to my body. I would highly recommend working with Terri. I hope that I’ll have a reason for her to make me another dress (she makes party dresses too) some time. www.embellishdesign.com Patty Lehner : Wedding Jewelry Grade : A+ I saw a variation of my wedding dress in an Oregon Bride magazine months before my wedding. The earrings that the model was wearing were wonderful. When I looked up where they came from, the magazine said Ella Posie (which is now closed but was on NE Broadway). Carmen (who is also a wedding coordinator) of Ella Posie got me in touch with Patty, who had designed the jewelry. Patty was an absolute delight to work with…kind of like working with your spunky grandmother. We talked about what I wanted and she worked efficiently to get pieces done for me. She made a variation of the earrings I wanted with several different types of pearls and different lengths so I had something to choose from. Then, she made a bangle to match. And when I asked for some extra pearls and crystals for my ring bearer pillow and hair jewelry, not only did she have no problem sending me on my way with a little bag of each but she also refused to charge me for them when I tried to pay her. August Veils : Hair Jewelry Grade : A Patty referred me to Andrea to have my hair jewelry made (Patty doesn’t like to make it). I brought the pearls and crystals that Patty had used in my jewelry to have Andrea create some sparkle for my hair. She created exactly what I was looking for and in a very short amount of time. www.augustveils.com Cromwell Formalwear : Tuxedo Rentals Grade : A While my husband bought a suit for the wedding, we needed rentals for everyone else. Cromwell’s had a good selection and a helpful staff. They kept us informed on everyone who had, or hadn’t, been fitted and I didn’t hear of any problems that anyone had with their rentals. www.cromwellformalwear.com Twist : Wedding Rings Grade : A We searched for quite some time to find rings that we really loved. While I love the traditional platinum eternity band, I wanted something a little different to go with my princess cut solitaire. My husband wanted a platinum ring but not completely plain. Twist, although not a store you would typically think of for wedding bands, had just what we were looking for. The staff was very friendly and when they ordered our rings, they said it would take eight weeks to get them in (which was cutting it really close). Two weeks later, we received a call letting us know that our rings were in. I love the uniqueness of our rings! www.twistonline.com Shane Co : Engagement Ring Grade : C+ In one week, my husband sold his motorcycle, decided to ask me to marry him and bought a ring. The ring is exactly what I would have picked out, a plain platinum band with a princess cut solitaire. However, if I had had a say in it, I never would have gotten my ring at Shane Co. I think their staff is kind of tacky, not to mention their showroom, and I’m always frustrated by their service when I take my ring in to be cleaned or polished...and lets not even begin to discuss their ads! www.shaneco.com Hotel Lucia : Wedding Night Hotel Grade : A I love this place! We booked their “Did I Mention I Want You?” package in a King Suite. When we arrived at the hotel with nothing but the wedding clothes we were still wearing, they were quick to check us in. Our bed was covered in rose petals, there was music playing, champagne being chilled and a box of toys, i.e. body crayons, furry handcuffs and a book of positions for every day of the year. We ordered room service at about 1:30am because neither of us really ate at our reception. They were prompt and the food was tasty. I wish we didn’t live in Portland so we had more reasons to stay here…it’s such a chic hotel! www.hotellucia.com Bluestar Charter : Guest Transportation Grade : C Originally, we were expecting a lot of guests from out of state. We booked a charter bus to pick up guests from downtown Portland and transport them to Mt Tabor Park and then to Nocturnal. Unfortunately, my husbands grandfather passed away two months before our wedding and many of what we assumed would be the out of town guests could no longer make it due to their last minute flights to the funeral. Regardless, I still think this was a good thing to have. However, we revised our timeline for the bus and faxed it in. For whatever reason, they didn’t follow this and were 1.5 hours early to pick up guests and consequently ended their evening 1.5 hours earlier than we were originally anticipating. I’m not sure why they were running on the old timeline as I had faxed the revised one to them. While in the grand scheme of things, it wasn’t that big of a deal, I was irritated that we had paid for something and then couldn’t even utilize it for 1.5 hours. www.bluestarbus.com The Party Place : Chair Rentals Grade : A Although Mt Tabor Amphitheatre has some benches, we rented some chairs as well to insure we had enough seating. To be honest, I have no idea if this all worked out. I assume they arrived on time as they were all set up prior to the ceremony. And I assume they were picked up just fine since I haven’t heard from them about not getting their chairs back or something. Unforgettable Honeymoons Renee Duane-Meyer : Travel Agent Grade : A for knowledge, C for personality When it came time to plan our honeymoon, we were running out of energy, especially to plan the fantastic honeymoon we both wanted. While we both found Renee to be fairly pretentious and full of herself, she was very knowledgeable. At first, we wanted to go to Bora Bora and Taha’a. However, Renee couldn’t find us any availability for the room types we wanted. She asked us if we would consider Fiji, which we of course would and did. She booked us for 7 nights at Qamea Resort and Spa in Fiji in a premium villa. The resort was amazing but I grew a bit concerned when four different couples at the resort (which has a maximum capacity for 28 adults total) had been booked there with Renee from Unforgettable Honeymoons. I don’t know what sort of a kickback Renee receives for referring clients there and I guess it doesn’t really matter because the resort really is all she says it is. However, it doesn’t feel very good to feel like she’s only sending people to that one place, especially when we already felt like she had a pretty inflated ego. My best friend and her husband booked through Unforgettable Honeymoons for their honeymoon, not with Renee, and said their experience was great. If I had it to do over again, I would try to book with another travel agent there. www.unforgettablehoneymoons.com Qamea Resort and Spa : Honeymoon Grade : A+ Wow! This place was incredible, even when it was overcast most of the week we were there! We flew for close to 14 hours, PDX to LAX, LAX to Nadi, Fiji and then on a puddle jumper from Nadi to Taveuni. Then we were driven in a Range Rover for 20 minutes on a dirt rode to a beach where we got on a boat and went on a 10-minute boat ride across to the island of Qamea. We were greeted by a smiling and friendly staff, taken to their restaurant/lounge villa where we were served cocktails and fruit plates and given a quick rundown of the resort. Our accommodations were amazing. Our villa included a daybed and a pool on our deck, a large outdoor shower, a large bathroom that included a walk-in closet, two sinks, a towel warmer, large shower and then a large room with a four-poster bed on a platform with amazing linens and sheer curtains hanging, and then a living area with a couch, coffee table, stereo, lounge chairs, etc. I’ve never stayed in such an incredible place. The staff was so incredibly friendly, the food was some of the best food I’ve ever eaten. We snorkeled, went for a hike in the rainforest, swam in waterfalls, went to visit a village, did some nude sunbathing on our own private beach for an afternoon, my husband did some traditional Fijian hand-line fishing, kava ceremonies, a meek ceremony, beach volleyball and we visited the spa every day. The staff would make you snacks in between meals if you were hungry, the coral and the seashells were amazing and the rainforest absolutely incredible. It was the perfect way to end such an incredible experience. www.qamea.com Teness Herman : Intimate Portraits Grade : A+ WOW. This was an absolutely amazing experience. Teness is absolutely amazing. She made me feel so comfortable and relaxed…an absolute necessity to create the kind of pictures I was going for. I felt like I was taking pictures with a dear old friend. She and I spent months discussing the look and feel of the shoot. She recommended I look at a book called Women Before 10am by Veronique Vial. If you like the style of my intimate portraits (aka Boudoir Pictures…sorry, I think it’s a cheesy name), I would definitely recommend you check out this book for inspiration. We shot for three and a half hours and could have easily gone on for another two. She used multiple cameras and twice as many lenses with nothing but natural light, which really helped in creating a sensual feel. Her enthusiasm, creativity and eye for the perfect shot are truly unparalleled. If you don’t have room in your budget to do this as a wedding gift, I would highly recommend it as a first (paper) anniversary gift. www.teness.com
www.embellishdesign.com Patty Lehner : Wedding Jewelry Grade : A+ I saw a variation of my wedding dress in an Oregon Bride magazine months before my wedding. The earrings that the model was wearing were wonderful. When I looked up where they came from, the magazine said Ella Posie (which is now closed but was on NE Broadway). Carmen (who is also a wedding coordinator) of Ella Posie got me in touch with Patty, who had designed the jewelry. Patty was an absolute delight to work with…kind of like working with your spunky grandmother. We talked about what I wanted and she worked efficiently to get pieces done for me. She made a variation of the earrings I wanted with several different types of pearls and different lengths so I had something to choose from. Then, she made a bangle to match. And when I asked for some extra pearls and crystals for my ring bearer pillow and hair jewelry, not only did she have no problem sending me on my way with a little bag of each but she also refused to charge me for them when I tried to pay her. August Veils : Hair Jewelry Grade : A Patty referred me to Andrea to have my hair jewelry made (Patty doesn’t like to make it). I brought the pearls and crystals that Patty had used in my jewelry to have Andrea create some sparkle for my hair. She created exactly what I was looking for and in a very short amount of time. www.augustveils.com Cromwell Formalwear : Tuxedo Rentals Grade : A While my husband bought a suit for the wedding, we needed rentals for everyone else. Cromwell’s had a good selection and a helpful staff. They kept us informed on everyone who had, or hadn’t, been fitted and I didn’t hear of any problems that anyone had with their rentals. www.cromwellformalwear.com Twist : Wedding Rings Grade : A We searched for quite some time to find rings that we really loved. While I love the traditional platinum eternity band, I wanted something a little different to go with my princess cut solitaire. My husband wanted a platinum ring but not completely plain. Twist, although not a store you would typically think of for wedding bands, had just what we were looking for. The staff was very friendly and when they ordered our rings, they said it would take eight weeks to get them in (which was cutting it really close). Two weeks later, we received a call letting us know that our rings were in. I love the uniqueness of our rings! www.twistonline.com Shane Co : Engagement Ring Grade : C+ In one week, my husband sold his motorcycle, decided to ask me to marry him and bought a ring. The ring is exactly what I would have picked out, a plain platinum band with a princess cut solitaire. However, if I had had a say in it, I never would have gotten my ring at Shane Co. I think their staff is kind of tacky, not to mention their showroom, and I’m always frustrated by their service when I take my ring in to be cleaned or polished...and lets not even begin to discuss their ads! www.shaneco.com Hotel Lucia : Wedding Night Hotel Grade : A I love this place! We booked their “Did I Mention I Want You?” package in a King Suite. When we arrived at the hotel with nothing but the wedding clothes we were still wearing, they were quick to check us in. Our bed was covered in rose petals, there was music playing, champagne being chilled and a box of toys, i.e. body crayons, furry handcuffs and a book of positions for every day of the year. We ordered room service at about 1:30am because neither of us really ate at our reception. They were prompt and the food was tasty. I wish we didn’t live in Portland so we had more reasons to stay here…it’s such a chic hotel! www.hotellucia.com Bluestar Charter : Guest Transportation Grade : C Originally, we were expecting a lot of guests from out of state. We booked a charter bus to pick up guests from downtown Portland and transport them to Mt Tabor Park and then to Nocturnal. Unfortunately, my husbands grandfather passed away two months before our wedding and many of what we assumed would be the out of town guests could no longer make it due to their last minute flights to the funeral. Regardless, I still think this was a good thing to have. However, we revised our timeline for the bus and faxed it in. For whatever reason, they didn’t follow this and were 1.5 hours early to pick up guests and consequently ended their evening 1.5 hours earlier than we were originally anticipating. I’m not sure why they were running on the old timeline as I had faxed the revised one to them. While in the grand scheme of things, it wasn’t that big of a deal, I was irritated that we had paid for something and then couldn’t even utilize it for 1.5 hours. www.bluestarbus.com The Party Place : Chair Rentals Grade : A Although Mt Tabor Amphitheatre has some benches, we rented some chairs as well to insure we had enough seating. To be honest, I have no idea if this all worked out. I assume they arrived on time as they were all set up prior to the ceremony. And I assume they were picked up just fine since I haven’t heard from them about not getting their chairs back or something. Unforgettable Honeymoons Renee Duane-Meyer : Travel Agent Grade : A for knowledge, C for personality When it came time to plan our honeymoon, we were running out of energy, especially to plan the fantastic honeymoon we both wanted. While we both found Renee to be fairly pretentious and full of herself, she was very knowledgeable. At first, we wanted to go to Bora Bora and Taha’a. However, Renee couldn’t find us any availability for the room types we wanted. She asked us if we would consider Fiji, which we of course would and did. She booked us for 7 nights at Qamea Resort and Spa in Fiji in a premium villa. The resort was amazing but I grew a bit concerned when four different couples at the resort (which has a maximum capacity for 28 adults total) had been booked there with Renee from Unforgettable Honeymoons. I don’t know what sort of a kickback Renee receives for referring clients there and I guess it doesn’t really matter because the resort really is all she says it is. However, it doesn’t feel very good to feel like she’s only sending people to that one place, especially when we already felt like she had a pretty inflated ego. My best friend and her husband booked through Unforgettable Honeymoons for their honeymoon, not with Renee, and said their experience was great. If I had it to do over again, I would try to book with another travel agent there. www.unforgettablehoneymoons.com Qamea Resort and Spa : Honeymoon Grade : A+ Wow! This place was incredible, even when it was overcast most of the week we were there! We flew for close to 14 hours, PDX to LAX, LAX to Nadi, Fiji and then on a puddle jumper from Nadi to Taveuni. Then we were driven in a Range Rover for 20 minutes on a dirt rode to a beach where we got on a boat and went on a 10-minute boat ride across to the island of Qamea. We were greeted by a smiling and friendly staff, taken to their restaurant/lounge villa where we were served cocktails and fruit plates and given a quick rundown of the resort. Our accommodations were amazing. Our villa included a daybed and a pool on our deck, a large outdoor shower, a large bathroom that included a walk-in closet, two sinks, a towel warmer, large shower and then a large room with a four-poster bed on a platform with amazing linens and sheer curtains hanging, and then a living area with a couch, coffee table, stereo, lounge chairs, etc. I’ve never stayed in such an incredible place. The staff was so incredibly friendly, the food was some of the best food I’ve ever eaten. We snorkeled, went for a hike in the rainforest, swam in waterfalls, went to visit a village, did some nude sunbathing on our own private beach for an afternoon, my husband did some traditional Fijian hand-line fishing, kava ceremonies, a meek ceremony, beach volleyball and we visited the spa every day. The staff would make you snacks in between meals if you were hungry, the coral and the seashells were amazing and the rainforest absolutely incredible. It was the perfect way to end such an incredible experience. www.qamea.com Teness Herman : Intimate Portraits Grade : A+ WOW. This was an absolutely amazing experience. Teness is absolutely amazing. She made me feel so comfortable and relaxed…an absolute necessity to create the kind of pictures I was going for. I felt like I was taking pictures with a dear old friend. She and I spent months discussing the look and feel of the shoot. She recommended I look at a book called Women Before 10am by Veronique Vial. If you like the style of my intimate portraits (aka Boudoir Pictures…sorry, I think it’s a cheesy name), I would definitely recommend you check out this book for inspiration. We shot for three and a half hours and could have easily gone on for another two. She used multiple cameras and twice as many lenses with nothing but natural light, which really helped in creating a sensual feel. Her enthusiasm, creativity and eye for the perfect shot are truly unparalleled. If you don’t have room in your budget to do this as a wedding gift, I would highly recommend it as a first (paper) anniversary gift. www.teness.com
Patty Lehner : Wedding Jewelry Grade : A+ I saw a variation of my wedding dress in an Oregon Bride magazine months before my wedding. The earrings that the model was wearing were wonderful. When I looked up where they came from, the magazine said Ella Posie (which is now closed but was on NE Broadway). Carmen (who is also a wedding coordinator) of Ella Posie got me in touch with Patty, who had designed the jewelry. Patty was an absolute delight to work with…kind of like working with your spunky grandmother. We talked about what I wanted and she worked efficiently to get pieces done for me. She made a variation of the earrings I wanted with several different types of pearls and different lengths so I had something to choose from. Then, she made a bangle to match. And when I asked for some extra pearls and crystals for my ring bearer pillow and hair jewelry, not only did she have no problem sending me on my way with a little bag of each but she also refused to charge me for them when I tried to pay her. August Veils : Hair Jewelry Grade : A Patty referred me to Andrea to have my hair jewelry made (Patty doesn’t like to make it). I brought the pearls and crystals that Patty had used in my jewelry to have Andrea create some sparkle for my hair. She created exactly what I was looking for and in a very short amount of time. www.augustveils.com Cromwell Formalwear : Tuxedo Rentals Grade : A While my husband bought a suit for the wedding, we needed rentals for everyone else. Cromwell’s had a good selection and a helpful staff. They kept us informed on everyone who had, or hadn’t, been fitted and I didn’t hear of any problems that anyone had with their rentals. www.cromwellformalwear.com Twist : Wedding Rings Grade : A We searched for quite some time to find rings that we really loved. While I love the traditional platinum eternity band, I wanted something a little different to go with my princess cut solitaire. My husband wanted a platinum ring but not completely plain. Twist, although not a store you would typically think of for wedding bands, had just what we were looking for. The staff was very friendly and when they ordered our rings, they said it would take eight weeks to get them in (which was cutting it really close). Two weeks later, we received a call letting us know that our rings were in. I love the uniqueness of our rings! www.twistonline.com Shane Co : Engagement Ring Grade : C+ In one week, my husband sold his motorcycle, decided to ask me to marry him and bought a ring. The ring is exactly what I would have picked out, a plain platinum band with a princess cut solitaire. However, if I had had a say in it, I never would have gotten my ring at Shane Co. I think their staff is kind of tacky, not to mention their showroom, and I’m always frustrated by their service when I take my ring in to be cleaned or polished...and lets not even begin to discuss their ads! www.shaneco.com Hotel Lucia : Wedding Night Hotel Grade : A I love this place! We booked their “Did I Mention I Want You?” package in a King Suite. When we arrived at the hotel with nothing but the wedding clothes we were still wearing, they were quick to check us in. Our bed was covered in rose petals, there was music playing, champagne being chilled and a box of toys, i.e. body crayons, furry handcuffs and a book of positions for every day of the year. We ordered room service at about 1:30am because neither of us really ate at our reception. They were prompt and the food was tasty. I wish we didn’t live in Portland so we had more reasons to stay here…it’s such a chic hotel! www.hotellucia.com Bluestar Charter : Guest Transportation Grade : C Originally, we were expecting a lot of guests from out of state. We booked a charter bus to pick up guests from downtown Portland and transport them to Mt Tabor Park and then to Nocturnal. Unfortunately, my husbands grandfather passed away two months before our wedding and many of what we assumed would be the out of town guests could no longer make it due to their last minute flights to the funeral. Regardless, I still think this was a good thing to have. However, we revised our timeline for the bus and faxed it in. For whatever reason, they didn’t follow this and were 1.5 hours early to pick up guests and consequently ended their evening 1.5 hours earlier than we were originally anticipating. I’m not sure why they were running on the old timeline as I had faxed the revised one to them. While in the grand scheme of things, it wasn’t that big of a deal, I was irritated that we had paid for something and then couldn’t even utilize it for 1.5 hours. www.bluestarbus.com The Party Place : Chair Rentals Grade : A Although Mt Tabor Amphitheatre has some benches, we rented some chairs as well to insure we had enough seating. To be honest, I have no idea if this all worked out. I assume they arrived on time as they were all set up prior to the ceremony. And I assume they were picked up just fine since I haven’t heard from them about not getting their chairs back or something. Unforgettable Honeymoons Renee Duane-Meyer : Travel Agent Grade : A for knowledge, C for personality When it came time to plan our honeymoon, we were running out of energy, especially to plan the fantastic honeymoon we both wanted. While we both found Renee to be fairly pretentious and full of herself, she was very knowledgeable. At first, we wanted to go to Bora Bora and Taha’a. However, Renee couldn’t find us any availability for the room types we wanted. She asked us if we would consider Fiji, which we of course would and did. She booked us for 7 nights at Qamea Resort and Spa in Fiji in a premium villa. The resort was amazing but I grew a bit concerned when four different couples at the resort (which has a maximum capacity for 28 adults total) had been booked there with Renee from Unforgettable Honeymoons. I don’t know what sort of a kickback Renee receives for referring clients there and I guess it doesn’t really matter because the resort really is all she says it is. However, it doesn’t feel very good to feel like she’s only sending people to that one place, especially when we already felt like she had a pretty inflated ego. My best friend and her husband booked through Unforgettable Honeymoons for their honeymoon, not with Renee, and said their experience was great. If I had it to do over again, I would try to book with another travel agent there. www.unforgettablehoneymoons.com Qamea Resort and Spa : Honeymoon Grade : A+ Wow! This place was incredible, even when it was overcast most of the week we were there! We flew for close to 14 hours, PDX to LAX, LAX to Nadi, Fiji and then on a puddle jumper from Nadi to Taveuni. Then we were driven in a Range Rover for 20 minutes on a dirt rode to a beach where we got on a boat and went on a 10-minute boat ride across to the island of Qamea. We were greeted by a smiling and friendly staff, taken to their restaurant/lounge villa where we were served cocktails and fruit plates and given a quick rundown of the resort. Our accommodations were amazing. Our villa included a daybed and a pool on our deck, a large outdoor shower, a large bathroom that included a walk-in closet, two sinks, a towel warmer, large shower and then a large room with a four-poster bed on a platform with amazing linens and sheer curtains hanging, and then a living area with a couch, coffee table, stereo, lounge chairs, etc. I’ve never stayed in such an incredible place. The staff was so incredibly friendly, the food was some of the best food I’ve ever eaten. We snorkeled, went for a hike in the rainforest, swam in waterfalls, went to visit a village, did some nude sunbathing on our own private beach for an afternoon, my husband did some traditional Fijian hand-line fishing, kava ceremonies, a meek ceremony, beach volleyball and we visited the spa every day. The staff would make you snacks in between meals if you were hungry, the coral and the seashells were amazing and the rainforest absolutely incredible. It was the perfect way to end such an incredible experience. www.qamea.com Teness Herman : Intimate Portraits Grade : A+ WOW. This was an absolutely amazing experience. Teness is absolutely amazing. She made me feel so comfortable and relaxed…an absolute necessity to create the kind of pictures I was going for. I felt like I was taking pictures with a dear old friend. She and I spent months discussing the look and feel of the shoot. She recommended I look at a book called Women Before 10am by Veronique Vial. If you like the style of my intimate portraits (aka Boudoir Pictures…sorry, I think it’s a cheesy name), I would definitely recommend you check out this book for inspiration. We shot for three and a half hours and could have easily gone on for another two. She used multiple cameras and twice as many lenses with nothing but natural light, which really helped in creating a sensual feel. Her enthusiasm, creativity and eye for the perfect shot are truly unparalleled. If you don’t have room in your budget to do this as a wedding gift, I would highly recommend it as a first (paper) anniversary gift. www.teness.com
August Veils : Hair Jewelry Grade : A Patty referred me to Andrea to have my hair jewelry made (Patty doesn’t like to make it). I brought the pearls and crystals that Patty had used in my jewelry to have Andrea create some sparkle for my hair. She created exactly what I was looking for and in a very short amount of time. www.augustveils.com Cromwell Formalwear : Tuxedo Rentals Grade : A While my husband bought a suit for the wedding, we needed rentals for everyone else. Cromwell’s had a good selection and a helpful staff. They kept us informed on everyone who had, or hadn’t, been fitted and I didn’t hear of any problems that anyone had with their rentals. www.cromwellformalwear.com Twist : Wedding Rings Grade : A We searched for quite some time to find rings that we really loved. While I love the traditional platinum eternity band, I wanted something a little different to go with my princess cut solitaire. My husband wanted a platinum ring but not completely plain. Twist, although not a store you would typically think of for wedding bands, had just what we were looking for. The staff was very friendly and when they ordered our rings, they said it would take eight weeks to get them in (which was cutting it really close). Two weeks later, we received a call letting us know that our rings were in. I love the uniqueness of our rings! www.twistonline.com Shane Co : Engagement Ring Grade : C+ In one week, my husband sold his motorcycle, decided to ask me to marry him and bought a ring. The ring is exactly what I would have picked out, a plain platinum band with a princess cut solitaire. However, if I had had a say in it, I never would have gotten my ring at Shane Co. I think their staff is kind of tacky, not to mention their showroom, and I’m always frustrated by their service when I take my ring in to be cleaned or polished...and lets not even begin to discuss their ads! www.shaneco.com Hotel Lucia : Wedding Night Hotel Grade : A I love this place! We booked their “Did I Mention I Want You?” package in a King Suite. When we arrived at the hotel with nothing but the wedding clothes we were still wearing, they were quick to check us in. Our bed was covered in rose petals, there was music playing, champagne being chilled and a box of toys, i.e. body crayons, furry handcuffs and a book of positions for every day of the year. We ordered room service at about 1:30am because neither of us really ate at our reception. They were prompt and the food was tasty. I wish we didn’t live in Portland so we had more reasons to stay here…it’s such a chic hotel! www.hotellucia.com Bluestar Charter : Guest Transportation Grade : C Originally, we were expecting a lot of guests from out of state. We booked a charter bus to pick up guests from downtown Portland and transport them to Mt Tabor Park and then to Nocturnal. Unfortunately, my husbands grandfather passed away two months before our wedding and many of what we assumed would be the out of town guests could no longer make it due to their last minute flights to the funeral. Regardless, I still think this was a good thing to have. However, we revised our timeline for the bus and faxed it in. For whatever reason, they didn’t follow this and were 1.5 hours early to pick up guests and consequently ended their evening 1.5 hours earlier than we were originally anticipating. I’m not sure why they were running on the old timeline as I had faxed the revised one to them. While in the grand scheme of things, it wasn’t that big of a deal, I was irritated that we had paid for something and then couldn’t even utilize it for 1.5 hours. www.bluestarbus.com The Party Place : Chair Rentals Grade : A Although Mt Tabor Amphitheatre has some benches, we rented some chairs as well to insure we had enough seating. To be honest, I have no idea if this all worked out. I assume they arrived on time as they were all set up prior to the ceremony. And I assume they were picked up just fine since I haven’t heard from them about not getting their chairs back or something. Unforgettable Honeymoons Renee Duane-Meyer : Travel Agent Grade : A for knowledge, C for personality When it came time to plan our honeymoon, we were running out of energy, especially to plan the fantastic honeymoon we both wanted. While we both found Renee to be fairly pretentious and full of herself, she was very knowledgeable. At first, we wanted to go to Bora Bora and Taha’a. However, Renee couldn’t find us any availability for the room types we wanted. She asked us if we would consider Fiji, which we of course would and did. She booked us for 7 nights at Qamea Resort and Spa in Fiji in a premium villa. The resort was amazing but I grew a bit concerned when four different couples at the resort (which has a maximum capacity for 28 adults total) had been booked there with Renee from Unforgettable Honeymoons. I don’t know what sort of a kickback Renee receives for referring clients there and I guess it doesn’t really matter because the resort really is all she says it is. However, it doesn’t feel very good to feel like she’s only sending people to that one place, especially when we already felt like she had a pretty inflated ego. My best friend and her husband booked through Unforgettable Honeymoons for their honeymoon, not with Renee, and said their experience was great. If I had it to do over again, I would try to book with another travel agent there. www.unforgettablehoneymoons.com Qamea Resort and Spa : Honeymoon Grade : A+ Wow! This place was incredible, even when it was overcast most of the week we were there! We flew for close to 14 hours, PDX to LAX, LAX to Nadi, Fiji and then on a puddle jumper from Nadi to Taveuni. Then we were driven in a Range Rover for 20 minutes on a dirt rode to a beach where we got on a boat and went on a 10-minute boat ride across to the island of Qamea. We were greeted by a smiling and friendly staff, taken to their restaurant/lounge villa where we were served cocktails and fruit plates and given a quick rundown of the resort. Our accommodations were amazing. Our villa included a daybed and a pool on our deck, a large outdoor shower, a large bathroom that included a walk-in closet, two sinks, a towel warmer, large shower and then a large room with a four-poster bed on a platform with amazing linens and sheer curtains hanging, and then a living area with a couch, coffee table, stereo, lounge chairs, etc. I’ve never stayed in such an incredible place. The staff was so incredibly friendly, the food was some of the best food I’ve ever eaten. We snorkeled, went for a hike in the rainforest, swam in waterfalls, went to visit a village, did some nude sunbathing on our own private beach for an afternoon, my husband did some traditional Fijian hand-line fishing, kava ceremonies, a meek ceremony, beach volleyball and we visited the spa every day. The staff would make you snacks in between meals if you were hungry, the coral and the seashells were amazing and the rainforest absolutely incredible. It was the perfect way to end such an incredible experience. www.qamea.com Teness Herman : Intimate Portraits Grade : A+ WOW. This was an absolutely amazing experience. Teness is absolutely amazing. She made me feel so comfortable and relaxed…an absolute necessity to create the kind of pictures I was going for. I felt like I was taking pictures with a dear old friend. She and I spent months discussing the look and feel of the shoot. She recommended I look at a book called Women Before 10am by Veronique Vial. If you like the style of my intimate portraits (aka Boudoir Pictures…sorry, I think it’s a cheesy name), I would definitely recommend you check out this book for inspiration. We shot for three and a half hours and could have easily gone on for another two. She used multiple cameras and twice as many lenses with nothing but natural light, which really helped in creating a sensual feel. Her enthusiasm, creativity and eye for the perfect shot are truly unparalleled. If you don’t have room in your budget to do this as a wedding gift, I would highly recommend it as a first (paper) anniversary gift. www.teness.com
www.augustveils.com Cromwell Formalwear : Tuxedo Rentals Grade : A While my husband bought a suit for the wedding, we needed rentals for everyone else. Cromwell’s had a good selection and a helpful staff. They kept us informed on everyone who had, or hadn’t, been fitted and I didn’t hear of any problems that anyone had with their rentals. www.cromwellformalwear.com Twist : Wedding Rings Grade : A We searched for quite some time to find rings that we really loved. While I love the traditional platinum eternity band, I wanted something a little different to go with my princess cut solitaire. My husband wanted a platinum ring but not completely plain. Twist, although not a store you would typically think of for wedding bands, had just what we were looking for. The staff was very friendly and when they ordered our rings, they said it would take eight weeks to get them in (which was cutting it really close). Two weeks later, we received a call letting us know that our rings were in. I love the uniqueness of our rings! www.twistonline.com Shane Co : Engagement Ring Grade : C+ In one week, my husband sold his motorcycle, decided to ask me to marry him and bought a ring. The ring is exactly what I would have picked out, a plain platinum band with a princess cut solitaire. However, if I had had a say in it, I never would have gotten my ring at Shane Co. I think their staff is kind of tacky, not to mention their showroom, and I’m always frustrated by their service when I take my ring in to be cleaned or polished...and lets not even begin to discuss their ads! www.shaneco.com Hotel Lucia : Wedding Night Hotel Grade : A I love this place! We booked their “Did I Mention I Want You?” package in a King Suite. When we arrived at the hotel with nothing but the wedding clothes we were still wearing, they were quick to check us in. Our bed was covered in rose petals, there was music playing, champagne being chilled and a box of toys, i.e. body crayons, furry handcuffs and a book of positions for every day of the year. We ordered room service at about 1:30am because neither of us really ate at our reception. They were prompt and the food was tasty. I wish we didn’t live in Portland so we had more reasons to stay here…it’s such a chic hotel! www.hotellucia.com Bluestar Charter : Guest Transportation Grade : C Originally, we were expecting a lot of guests from out of state. We booked a charter bus to pick up guests from downtown Portland and transport them to Mt Tabor Park and then to Nocturnal. Unfortunately, my husbands grandfather passed away two months before our wedding and many of what we assumed would be the out of town guests could no longer make it due to their last minute flights to the funeral. Regardless, I still think this was a good thing to have. However, we revised our timeline for the bus and faxed it in. For whatever reason, they didn’t follow this and were 1.5 hours early to pick up guests and consequently ended their evening 1.5 hours earlier than we were originally anticipating. I’m not sure why they were running on the old timeline as I had faxed the revised one to them. While in the grand scheme of things, it wasn’t that big of a deal, I was irritated that we had paid for something and then couldn’t even utilize it for 1.5 hours. www.bluestarbus.com The Party Place : Chair Rentals Grade : A Although Mt Tabor Amphitheatre has some benches, we rented some chairs as well to insure we had enough seating. To be honest, I have no idea if this all worked out. I assume they arrived on time as they were all set up prior to the ceremony. And I assume they were picked up just fine since I haven’t heard from them about not getting their chairs back or something. Unforgettable Honeymoons Renee Duane-Meyer : Travel Agent Grade : A for knowledge, C for personality When it came time to plan our honeymoon, we were running out of energy, especially to plan the fantastic honeymoon we both wanted. While we both found Renee to be fairly pretentious and full of herself, she was very knowledgeable. At first, we wanted to go to Bora Bora and Taha’a. However, Renee couldn’t find us any availability for the room types we wanted. She asked us if we would consider Fiji, which we of course would and did. She booked us for 7 nights at Qamea Resort and Spa in Fiji in a premium villa. The resort was amazing but I grew a bit concerned when four different couples at the resort (which has a maximum capacity for 28 adults total) had been booked there with Renee from Unforgettable Honeymoons. I don’t know what sort of a kickback Renee receives for referring clients there and I guess it doesn’t really matter because the resort really is all she says it is. However, it doesn’t feel very good to feel like she’s only sending people to that one place, especially when we already felt like she had a pretty inflated ego. My best friend and her husband booked through Unforgettable Honeymoons for their honeymoon, not with Renee, and said their experience was great. If I had it to do over again, I would try to book with another travel agent there. www.unforgettablehoneymoons.com Qamea Resort and Spa : Honeymoon Grade : A+ Wow! This place was incredible, even when it was overcast most of the week we were there! We flew for close to 14 hours, PDX to LAX, LAX to Nadi, Fiji and then on a puddle jumper from Nadi to Taveuni. Then we were driven in a Range Rover for 20 minutes on a dirt rode to a beach where we got on a boat and went on a 10-minute boat ride across to the island of Qamea. We were greeted by a smiling and friendly staff, taken to their restaurant/lounge villa where we were served cocktails and fruit plates and given a quick rundown of the resort. Our accommodations were amazing. Our villa included a daybed and a pool on our deck, a large outdoor shower, a large bathroom that included a walk-in closet, two sinks, a towel warmer, large shower and then a large room with a four-poster bed on a platform with amazing linens and sheer curtains hanging, and then a living area with a couch, coffee table, stereo, lounge chairs, etc. I’ve never stayed in such an incredible place. The staff was so incredibly friendly, the food was some of the best food I’ve ever eaten. We snorkeled, went for a hike in the rainforest, swam in waterfalls, went to visit a village, did some nude sunbathing on our own private beach for an afternoon, my husband did some traditional Fijian hand-line fishing, kava ceremonies, a meek ceremony, beach volleyball and we visited the spa every day. The staff would make you snacks in between meals if you were hungry, the coral and the seashells were amazing and the rainforest absolutely incredible. It was the perfect way to end such an incredible experience. www.qamea.com Teness Herman : Intimate Portraits Grade : A+ WOW. This was an absolutely amazing experience. Teness is absolutely amazing. She made me feel so comfortable and relaxed…an absolute necessity to create the kind of pictures I was going for. I felt like I was taking pictures with a dear old friend. She and I spent months discussing the look and feel of the shoot. She recommended I look at a book called Women Before 10am by Veronique Vial. If you like the style of my intimate portraits (aka Boudoir Pictures…sorry, I think it’s a cheesy name), I would definitely recommend you check out this book for inspiration. We shot for three and a half hours and could have easily gone on for another two. She used multiple cameras and twice as many lenses with nothing but natural light, which really helped in creating a sensual feel. Her enthusiasm, creativity and eye for the perfect shot are truly unparalleled. If you don’t have room in your budget to do this as a wedding gift, I would highly recommend it as a first (paper) anniversary gift. www.teness.com
Cromwell Formalwear : Tuxedo Rentals Grade : A While my husband bought a suit for the wedding, we needed rentals for everyone else. Cromwell’s had a good selection and a helpful staff. They kept us informed on everyone who had, or hadn’t, been fitted and I didn’t hear of any problems that anyone had with their rentals. www.cromwellformalwear.com Twist : Wedding Rings Grade : A We searched for quite some time to find rings that we really loved. While I love the traditional platinum eternity band, I wanted something a little different to go with my princess cut solitaire. My husband wanted a platinum ring but not completely plain. Twist, although not a store you would typically think of for wedding bands, had just what we were looking for. The staff was very friendly and when they ordered our rings, they said it would take eight weeks to get them in (which was cutting it really close). Two weeks later, we received a call letting us know that our rings were in. I love the uniqueness of our rings! www.twistonline.com Shane Co : Engagement Ring Grade : C+ In one week, my husband sold his motorcycle, decided to ask me to marry him and bought a ring. The ring is exactly what I would have picked out, a plain platinum band with a princess cut solitaire. However, if I had had a say in it, I never would have gotten my ring at Shane Co. I think their staff is kind of tacky, not to mention their showroom, and I’m always frustrated by their service when I take my ring in to be cleaned or polished...and lets not even begin to discuss their ads! www.shaneco.com Hotel Lucia : Wedding Night Hotel Grade : A I love this place! We booked their “Did I Mention I Want You?” package in a King Suite. When we arrived at the hotel with nothing but the wedding clothes we were still wearing, they were quick to check us in. Our bed was covered in rose petals, there was music playing, champagne being chilled and a box of toys, i.e. body crayons, furry handcuffs and a book of positions for every day of the year. We ordered room service at about 1:30am because neither of us really ate at our reception. They were prompt and the food was tasty. I wish we didn’t live in Portland so we had more reasons to stay here…it’s such a chic hotel! www.hotellucia.com Bluestar Charter : Guest Transportation Grade : C Originally, we were expecting a lot of guests from out of state. We booked a charter bus to pick up guests from downtown Portland and transport them to Mt Tabor Park and then to Nocturnal. Unfortunately, my husbands grandfather passed away two months before our wedding and many of what we assumed would be the out of town guests could no longer make it due to their last minute flights to the funeral. Regardless, I still think this was a good thing to have. However, we revised our timeline for the bus and faxed it in. For whatever reason, they didn’t follow this and were 1.5 hours early to pick up guests and consequently ended their evening 1.5 hours earlier than we were originally anticipating. I’m not sure why they were running on the old timeline as I had faxed the revised one to them. While in the grand scheme of things, it wasn’t that big of a deal, I was irritated that we had paid for something and then couldn’t even utilize it for 1.5 hours. www.bluestarbus.com The Party Place : Chair Rentals Grade : A Although Mt Tabor Amphitheatre has some benches, we rented some chairs as well to insure we had enough seating. To be honest, I have no idea if this all worked out. I assume they arrived on time as they were all set up prior to the ceremony. And I assume they were picked up just fine since I haven’t heard from them about not getting their chairs back or something. Unforgettable Honeymoons Renee Duane-Meyer : Travel Agent Grade : A for knowledge, C for personality When it came time to plan our honeymoon, we were running out of energy, especially to plan the fantastic honeymoon we both wanted. While we both found Renee to be fairly pretentious and full of herself, she was very knowledgeable. At first, we wanted to go to Bora Bora and Taha’a. However, Renee couldn’t find us any availability for the room types we wanted. She asked us if we would consider Fiji, which we of course would and did. She booked us for 7 nights at Qamea Resort and Spa in Fiji in a premium villa. The resort was amazing but I grew a bit concerned when four different couples at the resort (which has a maximum capacity for 28 adults total) had been booked there with Renee from Unforgettable Honeymoons. I don’t know what sort of a kickback Renee receives for referring clients there and I guess it doesn’t really matter because the resort really is all she says it is. However, it doesn’t feel very good to feel like she’s only sending people to that one place, especially when we already felt like she had a pretty inflated ego. My best friend and her husband booked through Unforgettable Honeymoons for their honeymoon, not with Renee, and said their experience was great. If I had it to do over again, I would try to book with another travel agent there. www.unforgettablehoneymoons.com Qamea Resort and Spa : Honeymoon Grade : A+ Wow! This place was incredible, even when it was overcast most of the week we were there! We flew for close to 14 hours, PDX to LAX, LAX to Nadi, Fiji and then on a puddle jumper from Nadi to Taveuni. Then we were driven in a Range Rover for 20 minutes on a dirt rode to a beach where we got on a boat and went on a 10-minute boat ride across to the island of Qamea. We were greeted by a smiling and friendly staff, taken to their restaurant/lounge villa where we were served cocktails and fruit plates and given a quick rundown of the resort. Our accommodations were amazing. Our villa included a daybed and a pool on our deck, a large outdoor shower, a large bathroom that included a walk-in closet, two sinks, a towel warmer, large shower and then a large room with a four-poster bed on a platform with amazing linens and sheer curtains hanging, and then a living area with a couch, coffee table, stereo, lounge chairs, etc. I’ve never stayed in such an incredible place. The staff was so incredibly friendly, the food was some of the best food I’ve ever eaten. We snorkeled, went for a hike in the rainforest, swam in waterfalls, went to visit a village, did some nude sunbathing on our own private beach for an afternoon, my husband did some traditional Fijian hand-line fishing, kava ceremonies, a meek ceremony, beach volleyball and we visited the spa every day. The staff would make you snacks in between meals if you were hungry, the coral and the seashells were amazing and the rainforest absolutely incredible. It was the perfect way to end such an incredible experience. www.qamea.com Teness Herman : Intimate Portraits Grade : A+ WOW. This was an absolutely amazing experience. Teness is absolutely amazing. She made me feel so comfortable and relaxed…an absolute necessity to create the kind of pictures I was going for. I felt like I was taking pictures with a dear old friend. She and I spent months discussing the look and feel of the shoot. She recommended I look at a book called Women Before 10am by Veronique Vial. If you like the style of my intimate portraits (aka Boudoir Pictures…sorry, I think it’s a cheesy name), I would definitely recommend you check out this book for inspiration. We shot for three and a half hours and could have easily gone on for another two. She used multiple cameras and twice as many lenses with nothing but natural light, which really helped in creating a sensual feel. Her enthusiasm, creativity and eye for the perfect shot are truly unparalleled. If you don’t have room in your budget to do this as a wedding gift, I would highly recommend it as a first (paper) anniversary gift. www.teness.com
www.cromwellformalwear.com Twist : Wedding Rings Grade : A We searched for quite some time to find rings that we really loved. While I love the traditional platinum eternity band, I wanted something a little different to go with my princess cut solitaire. My husband wanted a platinum ring but not completely plain. Twist, although not a store you would typically think of for wedding bands, had just what we were looking for. The staff was very friendly and when they ordered our rings, they said it would take eight weeks to get them in (which was cutting it really close). Two weeks later, we received a call letting us know that our rings were in. I love the uniqueness of our rings! www.twistonline.com Shane Co : Engagement Ring Grade : C+ In one week, my husband sold his motorcycle, decided to ask me to marry him and bought a ring. The ring is exactly what I would have picked out, a plain platinum band with a princess cut solitaire. However, if I had had a say in it, I never would have gotten my ring at Shane Co. I think their staff is kind of tacky, not to mention their showroom, and I’m always frustrated by their service when I take my ring in to be cleaned or polished...and lets not even begin to discuss their ads! www.shaneco.com Hotel Lucia : Wedding Night Hotel Grade : A I love this place! We booked their “Did I Mention I Want You?” package in a King Suite. When we arrived at the hotel with nothing but the wedding clothes we were still wearing, they were quick to check us in. Our bed was covered in rose petals, there was music playing, champagne being chilled and a box of toys, i.e. body crayons, furry handcuffs and a book of positions for every day of the year. We ordered room service at about 1:30am because neither of us really ate at our reception. They were prompt and the food was tasty. I wish we didn’t live in Portland so we had more reasons to stay here…it’s such a chic hotel! www.hotellucia.com Bluestar Charter : Guest Transportation Grade : C Originally, we were expecting a lot of guests from out of state. We booked a charter bus to pick up guests from downtown Portland and transport them to Mt Tabor Park and then to Nocturnal. Unfortunately, my husbands grandfather passed away two months before our wedding and many of what we assumed would be the out of town guests could no longer make it due to their last minute flights to the funeral. Regardless, I still think this was a good thing to have. However, we revised our timeline for the bus and faxed it in. For whatever reason, they didn’t follow this and were 1.5 hours early to pick up guests and consequently ended their evening 1.5 hours earlier than we were originally anticipating. I’m not sure why they were running on the old timeline as I had faxed the revised one to them. While in the grand scheme of things, it wasn’t that big of a deal, I was irritated that we had paid for something and then couldn’t even utilize it for 1.5 hours. www.bluestarbus.com The Party Place : Chair Rentals Grade : A Although Mt Tabor Amphitheatre has some benches, we rented some chairs as well to insure we had enough seating. To be honest, I have no idea if this all worked out. I assume they arrived on time as they were all set up prior to the ceremony. And I assume they were picked up just fine since I haven’t heard from them about not getting their chairs back or something. Unforgettable Honeymoons Renee Duane-Meyer : Travel Agent Grade : A for knowledge, C for personality When it came time to plan our honeymoon, we were running out of energy, especially to plan the fantastic honeymoon we both wanted. While we both found Renee to be fairly pretentious and full of herself, she was very knowledgeable. At first, we wanted to go to Bora Bora and Taha’a. However, Renee couldn’t find us any availability for the room types we wanted. She asked us if we would consider Fiji, which we of course would and did. She booked us for 7 nights at Qamea Resort and Spa in Fiji in a premium villa. The resort was amazing but I grew a bit concerned when four different couples at the resort (which has a maximum capacity for 28 adults total) had been booked there with Renee from Unforgettable Honeymoons. I don’t know what sort of a kickback Renee receives for referring clients there and I guess it doesn’t really matter because the resort really is all she says it is. However, it doesn’t feel very good to feel like she’s only sending people to that one place, especially when we already felt like she had a pretty inflated ego. My best friend and her husband booked through Unforgettable Honeymoons for their honeymoon, not with Renee, and said their experience was great. If I had it to do over again, I would try to book with another travel agent there. www.unforgettablehoneymoons.com Qamea Resort and Spa : Honeymoon Grade : A+ Wow! This place was incredible, even when it was overcast most of the week we were there! We flew for close to 14 hours, PDX to LAX, LAX to Nadi, Fiji and then on a puddle jumper from Nadi to Taveuni. Then we were driven in a Range Rover for 20 minutes on a dirt rode to a beach where we got on a boat and went on a 10-minute boat ride across to the island of Qamea. We were greeted by a smiling and friendly staff, taken to their restaurant/lounge villa where we were served cocktails and fruit plates and given a quick rundown of the resort. Our accommodations were amazing. Our villa included a daybed and a pool on our deck, a large outdoor shower, a large bathroom that included a walk-in closet, two sinks, a towel warmer, large shower and then a large room with a four-poster bed on a platform with amazing linens and sheer curtains hanging, and then a living area with a couch, coffee table, stereo, lounge chairs, etc. I’ve never stayed in such an incredible place. The staff was so incredibly friendly, the food was some of the best food I’ve ever eaten. We snorkeled, went for a hike in the rainforest, swam in waterfalls, went to visit a village, did some nude sunbathing on our own private beach for an afternoon, my husband did some traditional Fijian hand-line fishing, kava ceremonies, a meek ceremony, beach volleyball and we visited the spa every day. The staff would make you snacks in between meals if you were hungry, the coral and the seashells were amazing and the rainforest absolutely incredible. It was the perfect way to end such an incredible experience. www.qamea.com Teness Herman : Intimate Portraits Grade : A+ WOW. This was an absolutely amazing experience. Teness is absolutely amazing. She made me feel so comfortable and relaxed…an absolute necessity to create the kind of pictures I was going for. I felt like I was taking pictures with a dear old friend. She and I spent months discussing the look and feel of the shoot. She recommended I look at a book called Women Before 10am by Veronique Vial. If you like the style of my intimate portraits (aka Boudoir Pictures…sorry, I think it’s a cheesy name), I would definitely recommend you check out this book for inspiration. We shot for three and a half hours and could have easily gone on for another two. She used multiple cameras and twice as many lenses with nothing but natural light, which really helped in creating a sensual feel. Her enthusiasm, creativity and eye for the perfect shot are truly unparalleled. If you don’t have room in your budget to do this as a wedding gift, I would highly recommend it as a first (paper) anniversary gift. www.teness.com
Twist : Wedding Rings Grade : A We searched for quite some time to find rings that we really loved. While I love the traditional platinum eternity band, I wanted something a little different to go with my princess cut solitaire. My husband wanted a platinum ring but not completely plain. Twist, although not a store you would typically think of for wedding bands, had just what we were looking for. The staff was very friendly and when they ordered our rings, they said it would take eight weeks to get them in (which was cutting it really close). Two weeks later, we received a call letting us know that our rings were in. I love the uniqueness of our rings! www.twistonline.com Shane Co : Engagement Ring Grade : C+ In one week, my husband sold his motorcycle, decided to ask me to marry him and bought a ring. The ring is exactly what I would have picked out, a plain platinum band with a princess cut solitaire. However, if I had had a say in it, I never would have gotten my ring at Shane Co. I think their staff is kind of tacky, not to mention their showroom, and I’m always frustrated by their service when I take my ring in to be cleaned or polished...and lets not even begin to discuss their ads! www.shaneco.com Hotel Lucia : Wedding Night Hotel Grade : A I love this place! We booked their “Did I Mention I Want You?” package in a King Suite. When we arrived at the hotel with nothing but the wedding clothes we were still wearing, they were quick to check us in. Our bed was covered in rose petals, there was music playing, champagne being chilled and a box of toys, i.e. body crayons, furry handcuffs and a book of positions for every day of the year. We ordered room service at about 1:30am because neither of us really ate at our reception. They were prompt and the food was tasty. I wish we didn’t live in Portland so we had more reasons to stay here…it’s such a chic hotel! www.hotellucia.com Bluestar Charter : Guest Transportation Grade : C Originally, we were expecting a lot of guests from out of state. We booked a charter bus to pick up guests from downtown Portland and transport them to Mt Tabor Park and then to Nocturnal. Unfortunately, my husbands grandfather passed away two months before our wedding and many of what we assumed would be the out of town guests could no longer make it due to their last minute flights to the funeral. Regardless, I still think this was a good thing to have. However, we revised our timeline for the bus and faxed it in. For whatever reason, they didn’t follow this and were 1.5 hours early to pick up guests and consequently ended their evening 1.5 hours earlier than we were originally anticipating. I’m not sure why they were running on the old timeline as I had faxed the revised one to them. While in the grand scheme of things, it wasn’t that big of a deal, I was irritated that we had paid for something and then couldn’t even utilize it for 1.5 hours. www.bluestarbus.com The Party Place : Chair Rentals Grade : A Although Mt Tabor Amphitheatre has some benches, we rented some chairs as well to insure we had enough seating. To be honest, I have no idea if this all worked out. I assume they arrived on time as they were all set up prior to the ceremony. And I assume they were picked up just fine since I haven’t heard from them about not getting their chairs back or something. Unforgettable Honeymoons Renee Duane-Meyer : Travel Agent Grade : A for knowledge, C for personality When it came time to plan our honeymoon, we were running out of energy, especially to plan the fantastic honeymoon we both wanted. While we both found Renee to be fairly pretentious and full of herself, she was very knowledgeable. At first, we wanted to go to Bora Bora and Taha’a. However, Renee couldn’t find us any availability for the room types we wanted. She asked us if we would consider Fiji, which we of course would and did. She booked us for 7 nights at Qamea Resort and Spa in Fiji in a premium villa. The resort was amazing but I grew a bit concerned when four different couples at the resort (which has a maximum capacity for 28 adults total) had been booked there with Renee from Unforgettable Honeymoons. I don’t know what sort of a kickback Renee receives for referring clients there and I guess it doesn’t really matter because the resort really is all she says it is. However, it doesn’t feel very good to feel like she’s only sending people to that one place, especially when we already felt like she had a pretty inflated ego. My best friend and her husband booked through Unforgettable Honeymoons for their honeymoon, not with Renee, and said their experience was great. If I had it to do over again, I would try to book with another travel agent there. www.unforgettablehoneymoons.com Qamea Resort and Spa : Honeymoon Grade : A+ Wow! This place was incredible, even when it was overcast most of the week we were there! We flew for close to 14 hours, PDX to LAX, LAX to Nadi, Fiji and then on a puddle jumper from Nadi to Taveuni. Then we were driven in a Range Rover for 20 minutes on a dirt rode to a beach where we got on a boat and went on a 10-minute boat ride across to the island of Qamea. We were greeted by a smiling and friendly staff, taken to their restaurant/lounge villa where we were served cocktails and fruit plates and given a quick rundown of the resort. Our accommodations were amazing. Our villa included a daybed and a pool on our deck, a large outdoor shower, a large bathroom that included a walk-in closet, two sinks, a towel warmer, large shower and then a large room with a four-poster bed on a platform with amazing linens and sheer curtains hanging, and then a living area with a couch, coffee table, stereo, lounge chairs, etc. I’ve never stayed in such an incredible place. The staff was so incredibly friendly, the food was some of the best food I’ve ever eaten. We snorkeled, went for a hike in the rainforest, swam in waterfalls, went to visit a village, did some nude sunbathing on our own private beach for an afternoon, my husband did some traditional Fijian hand-line fishing, kava ceremonies, a meek ceremony, beach volleyball and we visited the spa every day. The staff would make you snacks in between meals if you were hungry, the coral and the seashells were amazing and the rainforest absolutely incredible. It was the perfect way to end such an incredible experience. www.qamea.com Teness Herman : Intimate Portraits Grade : A+ WOW. This was an absolutely amazing experience. Teness is absolutely amazing. She made me feel so comfortable and relaxed…an absolute necessity to create the kind of pictures I was going for. I felt like I was taking pictures with a dear old friend. She and I spent months discussing the look and feel of the shoot. She recommended I look at a book called Women Before 10am by Veronique Vial. If you like the style of my intimate portraits (aka Boudoir Pictures…sorry, I think it’s a cheesy name), I would definitely recommend you check out this book for inspiration. We shot for three and a half hours and could have easily gone on for another two. She used multiple cameras and twice as many lenses with nothing but natural light, which really helped in creating a sensual feel. Her enthusiasm, creativity and eye for the perfect shot are truly unparalleled. If you don’t have room in your budget to do this as a wedding gift, I would highly recommend it as a first (paper) anniversary gift. www.teness.com
www.twistonline.com Shane Co : Engagement Ring Grade : C+ In one week, my husband sold his motorcycle, decided to ask me to marry him and bought a ring. The ring is exactly what I would have picked out, a plain platinum band with a princess cut solitaire. However, if I had had a say in it, I never would have gotten my ring at Shane Co. I think their staff is kind of tacky, not to mention their showroom, and I’m always frustrated by their service when I take my ring in to be cleaned or polished...and lets not even begin to discuss their ads! www.shaneco.com Hotel Lucia : Wedding Night Hotel Grade : A I love this place! We booked their “Did I Mention I Want You?” package in a King Suite. When we arrived at the hotel with nothing but the wedding clothes we were still wearing, they were quick to check us in. Our bed was covered in rose petals, there was music playing, champagne being chilled and a box of toys, i.e. body crayons, furry handcuffs and a book of positions for every day of the year. We ordered room service at about 1:30am because neither of us really ate at our reception. They were prompt and the food was tasty. I wish we didn’t live in Portland so we had more reasons to stay here…it’s such a chic hotel! www.hotellucia.com Bluestar Charter : Guest Transportation Grade : C Originally, we were expecting a lot of guests from out of state. We booked a charter bus to pick up guests from downtown Portland and transport them to Mt Tabor Park and then to Nocturnal. Unfortunately, my husbands grandfather passed away two months before our wedding and many of what we assumed would be the out of town guests could no longer make it due to their last minute flights to the funeral. Regardless, I still think this was a good thing to have. However, we revised our timeline for the bus and faxed it in. For whatever reason, they didn’t follow this and were 1.5 hours early to pick up guests and consequently ended their evening 1.5 hours earlier than we were originally anticipating. I’m not sure why they were running on the old timeline as I had faxed the revised one to them. While in the grand scheme of things, it wasn’t that big of a deal, I was irritated that we had paid for something and then couldn’t even utilize it for 1.5 hours. www.bluestarbus.com The Party Place : Chair Rentals Grade : A Although Mt Tabor Amphitheatre has some benches, we rented some chairs as well to insure we had enough seating. To be honest, I have no idea if this all worked out. I assume they arrived on time as they were all set up prior to the ceremony. And I assume they were picked up just fine since I haven’t heard from them about not getting their chairs back or something. Unforgettable Honeymoons Renee Duane-Meyer : Travel Agent Grade : A for knowledge, C for personality When it came time to plan our honeymoon, we were running out of energy, especially to plan the fantastic honeymoon we both wanted. While we both found Renee to be fairly pretentious and full of herself, she was very knowledgeable. At first, we wanted to go to Bora Bora and Taha’a. However, Renee couldn’t find us any availability for the room types we wanted. She asked us if we would consider Fiji, which we of course would and did. She booked us for 7 nights at Qamea Resort and Spa in Fiji in a premium villa. The resort was amazing but I grew a bit concerned when four different couples at the resort (which has a maximum capacity for 28 adults total) had been booked there with Renee from Unforgettable Honeymoons. I don’t know what sort of a kickback Renee receives for referring clients there and I guess it doesn’t really matter because the resort really is all she says it is. However, it doesn’t feel very good to feel like she’s only sending people to that one place, especially when we already felt like she had a pretty inflated ego. My best friend and her husband booked through Unforgettable Honeymoons for their honeymoon, not with Renee, and said their experience was great. If I had it to do over again, I would try to book with another travel agent there. www.unforgettablehoneymoons.com Qamea Resort and Spa : Honeymoon Grade : A+ Wow! This place was incredible, even when it was overcast most of the week we were there! We flew for close to 14 hours, PDX to LAX, LAX to Nadi, Fiji and then on a puddle jumper from Nadi to Taveuni. Then we were driven in a Range Rover for 20 minutes on a dirt rode to a beach where we got on a boat and went on a 10-minute boat ride across to the island of Qamea. We were greeted by a smiling and friendly staff, taken to their restaurant/lounge villa where we were served cocktails and fruit plates and given a quick rundown of the resort. Our accommodations were amazing. Our villa included a daybed and a pool on our deck, a large outdoor shower, a large bathroom that included a walk-in closet, two sinks, a towel warmer, large shower and then a large room with a four-poster bed on a platform with amazing linens and sheer curtains hanging, and then a living area with a couch, coffee table, stereo, lounge chairs, etc. I’ve never stayed in such an incredible place. The staff was so incredibly friendly, the food was some of the best food I’ve ever eaten. We snorkeled, went for a hike in the rainforest, swam in waterfalls, went to visit a village, did some nude sunbathing on our own private beach for an afternoon, my husband did some traditional Fijian hand-line fishing, kava ceremonies, a meek ceremony, beach volleyball and we visited the spa every day. The staff would make you snacks in between meals if you were hungry, the coral and the seashells were amazing and the rainforest absolutely incredible. It was the perfect way to end such an incredible experience. www.qamea.com Teness Herman : Intimate Portraits Grade : A+ WOW. This was an absolutely amazing experience. Teness is absolutely amazing. She made me feel so comfortable and relaxed…an absolute necessity to create the kind of pictures I was going for. I felt like I was taking pictures with a dear old friend. She and I spent months discussing the look and feel of the shoot. She recommended I look at a book called Women Before 10am by Veronique Vial. If you like the style of my intimate portraits (aka Boudoir Pictures…sorry, I think it’s a cheesy name), I would definitely recommend you check out this book for inspiration. We shot for three and a half hours and could have easily gone on for another two. She used multiple cameras and twice as many lenses with nothing but natural light, which really helped in creating a sensual feel. Her enthusiasm, creativity and eye for the perfect shot are truly unparalleled. If you don’t have room in your budget to do this as a wedding gift, I would highly recommend it as a first (paper) anniversary gift. www.teness.com
Shane Co : Engagement Ring Grade : C+ In one week, my husband sold his motorcycle, decided to ask me to marry him and bought a ring. The ring is exactly what I would have picked out, a plain platinum band with a princess cut solitaire. However, if I had had a say in it, I never would have gotten my ring at Shane Co. I think their staff is kind of tacky, not to mention their showroom, and I’m always frustrated by their service when I take my ring in to be cleaned or polished...and lets not even begin to discuss their ads! www.shaneco.com Hotel Lucia : Wedding Night Hotel Grade : A I love this place! We booked their “Did I Mention I Want You?” package in a King Suite. When we arrived at the hotel with nothing but the wedding clothes we were still wearing, they were quick to check us in. Our bed was covered in rose petals, there was music playing, champagne being chilled and a box of toys, i.e. body crayons, furry handcuffs and a book of positions for every day of the year. We ordered room service at about 1:30am because neither of us really ate at our reception. They were prompt and the food was tasty. I wish we didn’t live in Portland so we had more reasons to stay here…it’s such a chic hotel! www.hotellucia.com Bluestar Charter : Guest Transportation Grade : C Originally, we were expecting a lot of guests from out of state. We booked a charter bus to pick up guests from downtown Portland and transport them to Mt Tabor Park and then to Nocturnal. Unfortunately, my husbands grandfather passed away two months before our wedding and many of what we assumed would be the out of town guests could no longer make it due to their last minute flights to the funeral. Regardless, I still think this was a good thing to have. However, we revised our timeline for the bus and faxed it in. For whatever reason, they didn’t follow this and were 1.5 hours early to pick up guests and consequently ended their evening 1.5 hours earlier than we were originally anticipating. I’m not sure why they were running on the old timeline as I had faxed the revised one to them. While in the grand scheme of things, it wasn’t that big of a deal, I was irritated that we had paid for something and then couldn’t even utilize it for 1.5 hours. www.bluestarbus.com The Party Place : Chair Rentals Grade : A Although Mt Tabor Amphitheatre has some benches, we rented some chairs as well to insure we had enough seating. To be honest, I have no idea if this all worked out. I assume they arrived on time as they were all set up prior to the ceremony. And I assume they were picked up just fine since I haven’t heard from them about not getting their chairs back or something. Unforgettable Honeymoons Renee Duane-Meyer : Travel Agent Grade : A for knowledge, C for personality When it came time to plan our honeymoon, we were running out of energy, especially to plan the fantastic honeymoon we both wanted. While we both found Renee to be fairly pretentious and full of herself, she was very knowledgeable. At first, we wanted to go to Bora Bora and Taha’a. However, Renee couldn’t find us any availability for the room types we wanted. She asked us if we would consider Fiji, which we of course would and did. She booked us for 7 nights at Qamea Resort and Spa in Fiji in a premium villa. The resort was amazing but I grew a bit concerned when four different couples at the resort (which has a maximum capacity for 28 adults total) had been booked there with Renee from Unforgettable Honeymoons. I don’t know what sort of a kickback Renee receives for referring clients there and I guess it doesn’t really matter because the resort really is all she says it is. However, it doesn’t feel very good to feel like she’s only sending people to that one place, especially when we already felt like she had a pretty inflated ego. My best friend and her husband booked through Unforgettable Honeymoons for their honeymoon, not with Renee, and said their experience was great. If I had it to do over again, I would try to book with another travel agent there. www.unforgettablehoneymoons.com Qamea Resort and Spa : Honeymoon Grade : A+ Wow! This place was incredible, even when it was overcast most of the week we were there! We flew for close to 14 hours, PDX to LAX, LAX to Nadi, Fiji and then on a puddle jumper from Nadi to Taveuni. Then we were driven in a Range Rover for 20 minutes on a dirt rode to a beach where we got on a boat and went on a 10-minute boat ride across to the island of Qamea. We were greeted by a smiling and friendly staff, taken to their restaurant/lounge villa where we were served cocktails and fruit plates and given a quick rundown of the resort. Our accommodations were amazing. Our villa included a daybed and a pool on our deck, a large outdoor shower, a large bathroom that included a walk-in closet, two sinks, a towel warmer, large shower and then a large room with a four-poster bed on a platform with amazing linens and sheer curtains hanging, and then a living area with a couch, coffee table, stereo, lounge chairs, etc. I’ve never stayed in such an incredible place. The staff was so incredibly friendly, the food was some of the best food I’ve ever eaten. We snorkeled, went for a hike in the rainforest, swam in waterfalls, went to visit a village, did some nude sunbathing on our own private beach for an afternoon, my husband did some traditional Fijian hand-line fishing, kava ceremonies, a meek ceremony, beach volleyball and we visited the spa every day. The staff would make you snacks in between meals if you were hungry, the coral and the seashells were amazing and the rainforest absolutely incredible. It was the perfect way to end such an incredible experience. www.qamea.com Teness Herman : Intimate Portraits Grade : A+ WOW. This was an absolutely amazing experience. Teness is absolutely amazing. She made me feel so comfortable and relaxed…an absolute necessity to create the kind of pictures I was going for. I felt like I was taking pictures with a dear old friend. She and I spent months discussing the look and feel of the shoot. She recommended I look at a book called Women Before 10am by Veronique Vial. If you like the style of my intimate portraits (aka Boudoir Pictures…sorry, I think it’s a cheesy name), I would definitely recommend you check out this book for inspiration. We shot for three and a half hours and could have easily gone on for another two. She used multiple cameras and twice as many lenses with nothing but natural light, which really helped in creating a sensual feel. Her enthusiasm, creativity and eye for the perfect shot are truly unparalleled. If you don’t have room in your budget to do this as a wedding gift, I would highly recommend it as a first (paper) anniversary gift. www.teness.com
www.shaneco.com Hotel Lucia : Wedding Night Hotel Grade : A I love this place! We booked their “Did I Mention I Want You?” package in a King Suite. When we arrived at the hotel with nothing but the wedding clothes we were still wearing, they were quick to check us in. Our bed was covered in rose petals, there was music playing, champagne being chilled and a box of toys, i.e. body crayons, furry handcuffs and a book of positions for every day of the year. We ordered room service at about 1:30am because neither of us really ate at our reception. They were prompt and the food was tasty. I wish we didn’t live in Portland so we had more reasons to stay here…it’s such a chic hotel! www.hotellucia.com Bluestar Charter : Guest Transportation Grade : C Originally, we were expecting a lot of guests from out of state. We booked a charter bus to pick up guests from downtown Portland and transport them to Mt Tabor Park and then to Nocturnal. Unfortunately, my husbands grandfather passed away two months before our wedding and many of what we assumed would be the out of town guests could no longer make it due to their last minute flights to the funeral. Regardless, I still think this was a good thing to have. However, we revised our timeline for the bus and faxed it in. For whatever reason, they didn’t follow this and were 1.5 hours early to pick up guests and consequently ended their evening 1.5 hours earlier than we were originally anticipating. I’m not sure why they were running on the old timeline as I had faxed the revised one to them. While in the grand scheme of things, it wasn’t that big of a deal, I was irritated that we had paid for something and then couldn’t even utilize it for 1.5 hours. www.bluestarbus.com The Party Place : Chair Rentals Grade : A Although Mt Tabor Amphitheatre has some benches, we rented some chairs as well to insure we had enough seating. To be honest, I have no idea if this all worked out. I assume they arrived on time as they were all set up prior to the ceremony. And I assume they were picked up just fine since I haven’t heard from them about not getting their chairs back or something. Unforgettable Honeymoons Renee Duane-Meyer : Travel Agent Grade : A for knowledge, C for personality When it came time to plan our honeymoon, we were running out of energy, especially to plan the fantastic honeymoon we both wanted. While we both found Renee to be fairly pretentious and full of herself, she was very knowledgeable. At first, we wanted to go to Bora Bora and Taha’a. However, Renee couldn’t find us any availability for the room types we wanted. She asked us if we would consider Fiji, which we of course would and did. She booked us for 7 nights at Qamea Resort and Spa in Fiji in a premium villa. The resort was amazing but I grew a bit concerned when four different couples at the resort (which has a maximum capacity for 28 adults total) had been booked there with Renee from Unforgettable Honeymoons. I don’t know what sort of a kickback Renee receives for referring clients there and I guess it doesn’t really matter because the resort really is all she says it is. However, it doesn’t feel very good to feel like she’s only sending people to that one place, especially when we already felt like she had a pretty inflated ego. My best friend and her husband booked through Unforgettable Honeymoons for their honeymoon, not with Renee, and said their experience was great. If I had it to do over again, I would try to book with another travel agent there. www.unforgettablehoneymoons.com Qamea Resort and Spa : Honeymoon Grade : A+ Wow! This place was incredible, even when it was overcast most of the week we were there! We flew for close to 14 hours, PDX to LAX, LAX to Nadi, Fiji and then on a puddle jumper from Nadi to Taveuni. Then we were driven in a Range Rover for 20 minutes on a dirt rode to a beach where we got on a boat and went on a 10-minute boat ride across to the island of Qamea. We were greeted by a smiling and friendly staff, taken to their restaurant/lounge villa where we were served cocktails and fruit plates and given a quick rundown of the resort. Our accommodations were amazing. Our villa included a daybed and a pool on our deck, a large outdoor shower, a large bathroom that included a walk-in closet, two sinks, a towel warmer, large shower and then a large room with a four-poster bed on a platform with amazing linens and sheer curtains hanging, and then a living area with a couch, coffee table, stereo, lounge chairs, etc. I’ve never stayed in such an incredible place. The staff was so incredibly friendly, the food was some of the best food I’ve ever eaten. We snorkeled, went for a hike in the rainforest, swam in waterfalls, went to visit a village, did some nude sunbathing on our own private beach for an afternoon, my husband did some traditional Fijian hand-line fishing, kava ceremonies, a meek ceremony, beach volleyball and we visited the spa every day. The staff would make you snacks in between meals if you were hungry, the coral and the seashells were amazing and the rainforest absolutely incredible. It was the perfect way to end such an incredible experience. www.qamea.com Teness Herman : Intimate Portraits Grade : A+ WOW. This was an absolutely amazing experience. Teness is absolutely amazing. She made me feel so comfortable and relaxed…an absolute necessity to create the kind of pictures I was going for. I felt like I was taking pictures with a dear old friend. She and I spent months discussing the look and feel of the shoot. She recommended I look at a book called Women Before 10am by Veronique Vial. If you like the style of my intimate portraits (aka Boudoir Pictures…sorry, I think it’s a cheesy name), I would definitely recommend you check out this book for inspiration. We shot for three and a half hours and could have easily gone on for another two. She used multiple cameras and twice as many lenses with nothing but natural light, which really helped in creating a sensual feel. Her enthusiasm, creativity and eye for the perfect shot are truly unparalleled. If you don’t have room in your budget to do this as a wedding gift, I would highly recommend it as a first (paper) anniversary gift. www.teness.com
Hotel Lucia : Wedding Night Hotel Grade : A I love this place! We booked their “Did I Mention I Want You?” package in a King Suite. When we arrived at the hotel with nothing but the wedding clothes we were still wearing, they were quick to check us in. Our bed was covered in rose petals, there was music playing, champagne being chilled and a box of toys, i.e. body crayons, furry handcuffs and a book of positions for every day of the year. We ordered room service at about 1:30am because neither of us really ate at our reception. They were prompt and the food was tasty. I wish we didn’t live in Portland so we had more reasons to stay here…it’s such a chic hotel! www.hotellucia.com Bluestar Charter : Guest Transportation Grade : C Originally, we were expecting a lot of guests from out of state. We booked a charter bus to pick up guests from downtown Portland and transport them to Mt Tabor Park and then to Nocturnal. Unfortunately, my husbands grandfather passed away two months before our wedding and many of what we assumed would be the out of town guests could no longer make it due to their last minute flights to the funeral. Regardless, I still think this was a good thing to have. However, we revised our timeline for the bus and faxed it in. For whatever reason, they didn’t follow this and were 1.5 hours early to pick up guests and consequently ended their evening 1.5 hours earlier than we were originally anticipating. I’m not sure why they were running on the old timeline as I had faxed the revised one to them. While in the grand scheme of things, it wasn’t that big of a deal, I was irritated that we had paid for something and then couldn’t even utilize it for 1.5 hours. www.bluestarbus.com The Party Place : Chair Rentals Grade : A Although Mt Tabor Amphitheatre has some benches, we rented some chairs as well to insure we had enough seating. To be honest, I have no idea if this all worked out. I assume they arrived on time as they were all set up prior to the ceremony. And I assume they were picked up just fine since I haven’t heard from them about not getting their chairs back or something. Unforgettable Honeymoons Renee Duane-Meyer : Travel Agent Grade : A for knowledge, C for personality When it came time to plan our honeymoon, we were running out of energy, especially to plan the fantastic honeymoon we both wanted. While we both found Renee to be fairly pretentious and full of herself, she was very knowledgeable. At first, we wanted to go to Bora Bora and Taha’a. However, Renee couldn’t find us any availability for the room types we wanted. She asked us if we would consider Fiji, which we of course would and did. She booked us for 7 nights at Qamea Resort and Spa in Fiji in a premium villa. The resort was amazing but I grew a bit concerned when four different couples at the resort (which has a maximum capacity for 28 adults total) had been booked there with Renee from Unforgettable Honeymoons. I don’t know what sort of a kickback Renee receives for referring clients there and I guess it doesn’t really matter because the resort really is all she says it is. However, it doesn’t feel very good to feel like she’s only sending people to that one place, especially when we already felt like she had a pretty inflated ego. My best friend and her husband booked through Unforgettable Honeymoons for their honeymoon, not with Renee, and said their experience was great. If I had it to do over again, I would try to book with another travel agent there. www.unforgettablehoneymoons.com Qamea Resort and Spa : Honeymoon Grade : A+ Wow! This place was incredible, even when it was overcast most of the week we were there! We flew for close to 14 hours, PDX to LAX, LAX to Nadi, Fiji and then on a puddle jumper from Nadi to Taveuni. Then we were driven in a Range Rover for 20 minutes on a dirt rode to a beach where we got on a boat and went on a 10-minute boat ride across to the island of Qamea. We were greeted by a smiling and friendly staff, taken to their restaurant/lounge villa where we were served cocktails and fruit plates and given a quick rundown of the resort. Our accommodations were amazing. Our villa included a daybed and a pool on our deck, a large outdoor shower, a large bathroom that included a walk-in closet, two sinks, a towel warmer, large shower and then a large room with a four-poster bed on a platform with amazing linens and sheer curtains hanging, and then a living area with a couch, coffee table, stereo, lounge chairs, etc. I’ve never stayed in such an incredible place. The staff was so incredibly friendly, the food was some of the best food I’ve ever eaten. We snorkeled, went for a hike in the rainforest, swam in waterfalls, went to visit a village, did some nude sunbathing on our own private beach for an afternoon, my husband did some traditional Fijian hand-line fishing, kava ceremonies, a meek ceremony, beach volleyball and we visited the spa every day. The staff would make you snacks in between meals if you were hungry, the coral and the seashells were amazing and the rainforest absolutely incredible. It was the perfect way to end such an incredible experience. www.qamea.com Teness Herman : Intimate Portraits Grade : A+ WOW. This was an absolutely amazing experience. Teness is absolutely amazing. She made me feel so comfortable and relaxed…an absolute necessity to create the kind of pictures I was going for. I felt like I was taking pictures with a dear old friend. She and I spent months discussing the look and feel of the shoot. She recommended I look at a book called Women Before 10am by Veronique Vial. If you like the style of my intimate portraits (aka Boudoir Pictures…sorry, I think it’s a cheesy name), I would definitely recommend you check out this book for inspiration. We shot for three and a half hours and could have easily gone on for another two. She used multiple cameras and twice as many lenses with nothing but natural light, which really helped in creating a sensual feel. Her enthusiasm, creativity and eye for the perfect shot are truly unparalleled. If you don’t have room in your budget to do this as a wedding gift, I would highly recommend it as a first (paper) anniversary gift. www.teness.com
www.hotellucia.com Bluestar Charter : Guest Transportation Grade : C Originally, we were expecting a lot of guests from out of state. We booked a charter bus to pick up guests from downtown Portland and transport them to Mt Tabor Park and then to Nocturnal. Unfortunately, my husbands grandfather passed away two months before our wedding and many of what we assumed would be the out of town guests could no longer make it due to their last minute flights to the funeral. Regardless, I still think this was a good thing to have. However, we revised our timeline for the bus and faxed it in. For whatever reason, they didn’t follow this and were 1.5 hours early to pick up guests and consequently ended their evening 1.5 hours earlier than we were originally anticipating. I’m not sure why they were running on the old timeline as I had faxed the revised one to them. While in the grand scheme of things, it wasn’t that big of a deal, I was irritated that we had paid for something and then couldn’t even utilize it for 1.5 hours. www.bluestarbus.com The Party Place : Chair Rentals Grade : A Although Mt Tabor Amphitheatre has some benches, we rented some chairs as well to insure we had enough seating. To be honest, I have no idea if this all worked out. I assume they arrived on time as they were all set up prior to the ceremony. And I assume they were picked up just fine since I haven’t heard from them about not getting their chairs back or something. Unforgettable Honeymoons Renee Duane-Meyer : Travel Agent Grade : A for knowledge, C for personality When it came time to plan our honeymoon, we were running out of energy, especially to plan the fantastic honeymoon we both wanted. While we both found Renee to be fairly pretentious and full of herself, she was very knowledgeable. At first, we wanted to go to Bora Bora and Taha’a. However, Renee couldn’t find us any availability for the room types we wanted. She asked us if we would consider Fiji, which we of course would and did. She booked us for 7 nights at Qamea Resort and Spa in Fiji in a premium villa. The resort was amazing but I grew a bit concerned when four different couples at the resort (which has a maximum capacity for 28 adults total) had been booked there with Renee from Unforgettable Honeymoons. I don’t know what sort of a kickback Renee receives for referring clients there and I guess it doesn’t really matter because the resort really is all she says it is. However, it doesn’t feel very good to feel like she’s only sending people to that one place, especially when we already felt like she had a pretty inflated ego. My best friend and her husband booked through Unforgettable Honeymoons for their honeymoon, not with Renee, and said their experience was great. If I had it to do over again, I would try to book with another travel agent there. www.unforgettablehoneymoons.com Qamea Resort and Spa : Honeymoon Grade : A+ Wow! This place was incredible, even when it was overcast most of the week we were there! We flew for close to 14 hours, PDX to LAX, LAX to Nadi, Fiji and then on a puddle jumper from Nadi to Taveuni. Then we were driven in a Range Rover for 20 minutes on a dirt rode to a beach where we got on a boat and went on a 10-minute boat ride across to the island of Qamea. We were greeted by a smiling and friendly staff, taken to their restaurant/lounge villa where we were served cocktails and fruit plates and given a quick rundown of the resort. Our accommodations were amazing. Our villa included a daybed and a pool on our deck, a large outdoor shower, a large bathroom that included a walk-in closet, two sinks, a towel warmer, large shower and then a large room with a four-poster bed on a platform with amazing linens and sheer curtains hanging, and then a living area with a couch, coffee table, stereo, lounge chairs, etc. I’ve never stayed in such an incredible place. The staff was so incredibly friendly, the food was some of the best food I’ve ever eaten. We snorkeled, went for a hike in the rainforest, swam in waterfalls, went to visit a village, did some nude sunbathing on our own private beach for an afternoon, my husband did some traditional Fijian hand-line fishing, kava ceremonies, a meek ceremony, beach volleyball and we visited the spa every day. The staff would make you snacks in between meals if you were hungry, the coral and the seashells were amazing and the rainforest absolutely incredible. It was the perfect way to end such an incredible experience. www.qamea.com Teness Herman : Intimate Portraits Grade : A+ WOW. This was an absolutely amazing experience. Teness is absolutely amazing. She made me feel so comfortable and relaxed…an absolute necessity to create the kind of pictures I was going for. I felt like I was taking pictures with a dear old friend. She and I spent months discussing the look and feel of the shoot. She recommended I look at a book called Women Before 10am by Veronique Vial. If you like the style of my intimate portraits (aka Boudoir Pictures…sorry, I think it’s a cheesy name), I would definitely recommend you check out this book for inspiration. We shot for three and a half hours and could have easily gone on for another two. She used multiple cameras and twice as many lenses with nothing but natural light, which really helped in creating a sensual feel. Her enthusiasm, creativity and eye for the perfect shot are truly unparalleled. If you don’t have room in your budget to do this as a wedding gift, I would highly recommend it as a first (paper) anniversary gift. www.teness.com
Bluestar Charter : Guest Transportation Grade : C Originally, we were expecting a lot of guests from out of state. We booked a charter bus to pick up guests from downtown Portland and transport them to Mt Tabor Park and then to Nocturnal. Unfortunately, my husbands grandfather passed away two months before our wedding and many of what we assumed would be the out of town guests could no longer make it due to their last minute flights to the funeral. Regardless, I still think this was a good thing to have. However, we revised our timeline for the bus and faxed it in. For whatever reason, they didn’t follow this and were 1.5 hours early to pick up guests and consequently ended their evening 1.5 hours earlier than we were originally anticipating. I’m not sure why they were running on the old timeline as I had faxed the revised one to them. While in the grand scheme of things, it wasn’t that big of a deal, I was irritated that we had paid for something and then couldn’t even utilize it for 1.5 hours. www.bluestarbus.com The Party Place : Chair Rentals Grade : A Although Mt Tabor Amphitheatre has some benches, we rented some chairs as well to insure we had enough seating. To be honest, I have no idea if this all worked out. I assume they arrived on time as they were all set up prior to the ceremony. And I assume they were picked up just fine since I haven’t heard from them about not getting their chairs back or something. Unforgettable Honeymoons Renee Duane-Meyer : Travel Agent Grade : A for knowledge, C for personality When it came time to plan our honeymoon, we were running out of energy, especially to plan the fantastic honeymoon we both wanted. While we both found Renee to be fairly pretentious and full of herself, she was very knowledgeable. At first, we wanted to go to Bora Bora and Taha’a. However, Renee couldn’t find us any availability for the room types we wanted. She asked us if we would consider Fiji, which we of course would and did. She booked us for 7 nights at Qamea Resort and Spa in Fiji in a premium villa. The resort was amazing but I grew a bit concerned when four different couples at the resort (which has a maximum capacity for 28 adults total) had been booked there with Renee from Unforgettable Honeymoons. I don’t know what sort of a kickback Renee receives for referring clients there and I guess it doesn’t really matter because the resort really is all she says it is. However, it doesn’t feel very good to feel like she’s only sending people to that one place, especially when we already felt like she had a pretty inflated ego. My best friend and her husband booked through Unforgettable Honeymoons for their honeymoon, not with Renee, and said their experience was great. If I had it to do over again, I would try to book with another travel agent there. www.unforgettablehoneymoons.com Qamea Resort and Spa : Honeymoon Grade : A+ Wow! This place was incredible, even when it was overcast most of the week we were there! We flew for close to 14 hours, PDX to LAX, LAX to Nadi, Fiji and then on a puddle jumper from Nadi to Taveuni. Then we were driven in a Range Rover for 20 minutes on a dirt rode to a beach where we got on a boat and went on a 10-minute boat ride across to the island of Qamea. We were greeted by a smiling and friendly staff, taken to their restaurant/lounge villa where we were served cocktails and fruit plates and given a quick rundown of the resort. Our accommodations were amazing. Our villa included a daybed and a pool on our deck, a large outdoor shower, a large bathroom that included a walk-in closet, two sinks, a towel warmer, large shower and then a large room with a four-poster bed on a platform with amazing linens and sheer curtains hanging, and then a living area with a couch, coffee table, stereo, lounge chairs, etc. I’ve never stayed in such an incredible place. The staff was so incredibly friendly, the food was some of the best food I’ve ever eaten. We snorkeled, went for a hike in the rainforest, swam in waterfalls, went to visit a village, did some nude sunbathing on our own private beach for an afternoon, my husband did some traditional Fijian hand-line fishing, kava ceremonies, a meek ceremony, beach volleyball and we visited the spa every day. The staff would make you snacks in between meals if you were hungry, the coral and the seashells were amazing and the rainforest absolutely incredible. It was the perfect way to end such an incredible experience. www.qamea.com Teness Herman : Intimate Portraits Grade : A+ WOW. This was an absolutely amazing experience. Teness is absolutely amazing. She made me feel so comfortable and relaxed…an absolute necessity to create the kind of pictures I was going for. I felt like I was taking pictures with a dear old friend. She and I spent months discussing the look and feel of the shoot. She recommended I look at a book called Women Before 10am by Veronique Vial. If you like the style of my intimate portraits (aka Boudoir Pictures…sorry, I think it’s a cheesy name), I would definitely recommend you check out this book for inspiration. We shot for three and a half hours and could have easily gone on for another two. She used multiple cameras and twice as many lenses with nothing but natural light, which really helped in creating a sensual feel. Her enthusiasm, creativity and eye for the perfect shot are truly unparalleled. If you don’t have room in your budget to do this as a wedding gift, I would highly recommend it as a first (paper) anniversary gift. www.teness.com
www.bluestarbus.com The Party Place : Chair Rentals Grade : A Although Mt Tabor Amphitheatre has some benches, we rented some chairs as well to insure we had enough seating. To be honest, I have no idea if this all worked out. I assume they arrived on time as they were all set up prior to the ceremony. And I assume they were picked up just fine since I haven’t heard from them about not getting their chairs back or something. Unforgettable Honeymoons Renee Duane-Meyer : Travel Agent Grade : A for knowledge, C for personality When it came time to plan our honeymoon, we were running out of energy, especially to plan the fantastic honeymoon we both wanted. While we both found Renee to be fairly pretentious and full of herself, she was very knowledgeable. At first, we wanted to go to Bora Bora and Taha’a. However, Renee couldn’t find us any availability for the room types we wanted. She asked us if we would consider Fiji, which we of course would and did. She booked us for 7 nights at Qamea Resort and Spa in Fiji in a premium villa. The resort was amazing but I grew a bit concerned when four different couples at the resort (which has a maximum capacity for 28 adults total) had been booked there with Renee from Unforgettable Honeymoons. I don’t know what sort of a kickback Renee receives for referring clients there and I guess it doesn’t really matter because the resort really is all she says it is. However, it doesn’t feel very good to feel like she’s only sending people to that one place, especially when we already felt like she had a pretty inflated ego. My best friend and her husband booked through Unforgettable Honeymoons for their honeymoon, not with Renee, and said their experience was great. If I had it to do over again, I would try to book with another travel agent there. www.unforgettablehoneymoons.com Qamea Resort and Spa : Honeymoon Grade : A+ Wow! This place was incredible, even when it was overcast most of the week we were there! We flew for close to 14 hours, PDX to LAX, LAX to Nadi, Fiji and then on a puddle jumper from Nadi to Taveuni. Then we were driven in a Range Rover for 20 minutes on a dirt rode to a beach where we got on a boat and went on a 10-minute boat ride across to the island of Qamea. We were greeted by a smiling and friendly staff, taken to their restaurant/lounge villa where we were served cocktails and fruit plates and given a quick rundown of the resort. Our accommodations were amazing. Our villa included a daybed and a pool on our deck, a large outdoor shower, a large bathroom that included a walk-in closet, two sinks, a towel warmer, large shower and then a large room with a four-poster bed on a platform with amazing linens and sheer curtains hanging, and then a living area with a couch, coffee table, stereo, lounge chairs, etc. I’ve never stayed in such an incredible place. The staff was so incredibly friendly, the food was some of the best food I’ve ever eaten. We snorkeled, went for a hike in the rainforest, swam in waterfalls, went to visit a village, did some nude sunbathing on our own private beach for an afternoon, my husband did some traditional Fijian hand-line fishing, kava ceremonies, a meek ceremony, beach volleyball and we visited the spa every day. The staff would make you snacks in between meals if you were hungry, the coral and the seashells were amazing and the rainforest absolutely incredible. It was the perfect way to end such an incredible experience. www.qamea.com Teness Herman : Intimate Portraits Grade : A+ WOW. This was an absolutely amazing experience. Teness is absolutely amazing. She made me feel so comfortable and relaxed…an absolute necessity to create the kind of pictures I was going for. I felt like I was taking pictures with a dear old friend. She and I spent months discussing the look and feel of the shoot. She recommended I look at a book called Women Before 10am by Veronique Vial. If you like the style of my intimate portraits (aka Boudoir Pictures…sorry, I think it’s a cheesy name), I would definitely recommend you check out this book for inspiration. We shot for three and a half hours and could have easily gone on for another two. She used multiple cameras and twice as many lenses with nothing but natural light, which really helped in creating a sensual feel. Her enthusiasm, creativity and eye for the perfect shot are truly unparalleled. If you don’t have room in your budget to do this as a wedding gift, I would highly recommend it as a first (paper) anniversary gift. www.teness.com
The Party Place : Chair Rentals Grade : A Although Mt Tabor Amphitheatre has some benches, we rented some chairs as well to insure we had enough seating. To be honest, I have no idea if this all worked out. I assume they arrived on time as they were all set up prior to the ceremony. And I assume they were picked up just fine since I haven’t heard from them about not getting their chairs back or something. Unforgettable Honeymoons Renee Duane-Meyer : Travel Agent Grade : A for knowledge, C for personality When it came time to plan our honeymoon, we were running out of energy, especially to plan the fantastic honeymoon we both wanted. While we both found Renee to be fairly pretentious and full of herself, she was very knowledgeable. At first, we wanted to go to Bora Bora and Taha’a. However, Renee couldn’t find us any availability for the room types we wanted. She asked us if we would consider Fiji, which we of course would and did. She booked us for 7 nights at Qamea Resort and Spa in Fiji in a premium villa. The resort was amazing but I grew a bit concerned when four different couples at the resort (which has a maximum capacity for 28 adults total) had been booked there with Renee from Unforgettable Honeymoons. I don’t know what sort of a kickback Renee receives for referring clients there and I guess it doesn’t really matter because the resort really is all she says it is. However, it doesn’t feel very good to feel like she’s only sending people to that one place, especially when we already felt like she had a pretty inflated ego. My best friend and her husband booked through Unforgettable Honeymoons for their honeymoon, not with Renee, and said their experience was great. If I had it to do over again, I would try to book with another travel agent there. www.unforgettablehoneymoons.com Qamea Resort and Spa : Honeymoon Grade : A+ Wow! This place was incredible, even when it was overcast most of the week we were there! We flew for close to 14 hours, PDX to LAX, LAX to Nadi, Fiji and then on a puddle jumper from Nadi to Taveuni. Then we were driven in a Range Rover for 20 minutes on a dirt rode to a beach where we got on a boat and went on a 10-minute boat ride across to the island of Qamea. We were greeted by a smiling and friendly staff, taken to their restaurant/lounge villa where we were served cocktails and fruit plates and given a quick rundown of the resort. Our accommodations were amazing. Our villa included a daybed and a pool on our deck, a large outdoor shower, a large bathroom that included a walk-in closet, two sinks, a towel warmer, large shower and then a large room with a four-poster bed on a platform with amazing linens and sheer curtains hanging, and then a living area with a couch, coffee table, stereo, lounge chairs, etc. I’ve never stayed in such an incredible place. The staff was so incredibly friendly, the food was some of the best food I’ve ever eaten. We snorkeled, went for a hike in the rainforest, swam in waterfalls, went to visit a village, did some nude sunbathing on our own private beach for an afternoon, my husband did some traditional Fijian hand-line fishing, kava ceremonies, a meek ceremony, beach volleyball and we visited the spa every day. The staff would make you snacks in between meals if you were hungry, the coral and the seashells were amazing and the rainforest absolutely incredible. It was the perfect way to end such an incredible experience. www.qamea.com Teness Herman : Intimate Portraits Grade : A+ WOW. This was an absolutely amazing experience. Teness is absolutely amazing. She made me feel so comfortable and relaxed…an absolute necessity to create the kind of pictures I was going for. I felt like I was taking pictures with a dear old friend. She and I spent months discussing the look and feel of the shoot. She recommended I look at a book called Women Before 10am by Veronique Vial. If you like the style of my intimate portraits (aka Boudoir Pictures…sorry, I think it’s a cheesy name), I would definitely recommend you check out this book for inspiration. We shot for three and a half hours and could have easily gone on for another two. She used multiple cameras and twice as many lenses with nothing but natural light, which really helped in creating a sensual feel. Her enthusiasm, creativity and eye for the perfect shot are truly unparalleled. If you don’t have room in your budget to do this as a wedding gift, I would highly recommend it as a first (paper) anniversary gift. www.teness.com
Unforgettable Honeymoons Renee Duane-Meyer : Travel Agent Grade : A for knowledge, C for personality When it came time to plan our honeymoon, we were running out of energy, especially to plan the fantastic honeymoon we both wanted. While we both found Renee to be fairly pretentious and full of herself, she was very knowledgeable. At first, we wanted to go to Bora Bora and Taha’a. However, Renee couldn’t find us any availability for the room types we wanted. She asked us if we would consider Fiji, which we of course would and did. She booked us for 7 nights at Qamea Resort and Spa in Fiji in a premium villa. The resort was amazing but I grew a bit concerned when four different couples at the resort (which has a maximum capacity for 28 adults total) had been booked there with Renee from Unforgettable Honeymoons. I don’t know what sort of a kickback Renee receives for referring clients there and I guess it doesn’t really matter because the resort really is all she says it is. However, it doesn’t feel very good to feel like she’s only sending people to that one place, especially when we already felt like she had a pretty inflated ego. My best friend and her husband booked through Unforgettable Honeymoons for their honeymoon, not with Renee, and said their experience was great. If I had it to do over again, I would try to book with another travel agent there. www.unforgettablehoneymoons.com Qamea Resort and Spa : Honeymoon Grade : A+ Wow! This place was incredible, even when it was overcast most of the week we were there! We flew for close to 14 hours, PDX to LAX, LAX to Nadi, Fiji and then on a puddle jumper from Nadi to Taveuni. Then we were driven in a Range Rover for 20 minutes on a dirt rode to a beach where we got on a boat and went on a 10-minute boat ride across to the island of Qamea. We were greeted by a smiling and friendly staff, taken to their restaurant/lounge villa where we were served cocktails and fruit plates and given a quick rundown of the resort. Our accommodations were amazing. Our villa included a daybed and a pool on our deck, a large outdoor shower, a large bathroom that included a walk-in closet, two sinks, a towel warmer, large shower and then a large room with a four-poster bed on a platform with amazing linens and sheer curtains hanging, and then a living area with a couch, coffee table, stereo, lounge chairs, etc. I’ve never stayed in such an incredible place. The staff was so incredibly friendly, the food was some of the best food I’ve ever eaten. We snorkeled, went for a hike in the rainforest, swam in waterfalls, went to visit a village, did some nude sunbathing on our own private beach for an afternoon, my husband did some traditional Fijian hand-line fishing, kava ceremonies, a meek ceremony, beach volleyball and we visited the spa every day. The staff would make you snacks in between meals if you were hungry, the coral and the seashells were amazing and the rainforest absolutely incredible. It was the perfect way to end such an incredible experience. www.qamea.com Teness Herman : Intimate Portraits Grade : A+ WOW. This was an absolutely amazing experience. Teness is absolutely amazing. She made me feel so comfortable and relaxed…an absolute necessity to create the kind of pictures I was going for. I felt like I was taking pictures with a dear old friend. She and I spent months discussing the look and feel of the shoot. She recommended I look at a book called Women Before 10am by Veronique Vial. If you like the style of my intimate portraits (aka Boudoir Pictures…sorry, I think it’s a cheesy name), I would definitely recommend you check out this book for inspiration. We shot for three and a half hours and could have easily gone on for another two. She used multiple cameras and twice as many lenses with nothing but natural light, which really helped in creating a sensual feel. Her enthusiasm, creativity and eye for the perfect shot are truly unparalleled. If you don’t have room in your budget to do this as a wedding gift, I would highly recommend it as a first (paper) anniversary gift. www.teness.com
www.unforgettablehoneymoons.com Qamea Resort and Spa : Honeymoon Grade : A+ Wow! This place was incredible, even when it was overcast most of the week we were there! We flew for close to 14 hours, PDX to LAX, LAX to Nadi, Fiji and then on a puddle jumper from Nadi to Taveuni. Then we were driven in a Range Rover for 20 minutes on a dirt rode to a beach where we got on a boat and went on a 10-minute boat ride across to the island of Qamea. We were greeted by a smiling and friendly staff, taken to their restaurant/lounge villa where we were served cocktails and fruit plates and given a quick rundown of the resort. Our accommodations were amazing. Our villa included a daybed and a pool on our deck, a large outdoor shower, a large bathroom that included a walk-in closet, two sinks, a towel warmer, large shower and then a large room with a four-poster bed on a platform with amazing linens and sheer curtains hanging, and then a living area with a couch, coffee table, stereo, lounge chairs, etc. I’ve never stayed in such an incredible place. The staff was so incredibly friendly, the food was some of the best food I’ve ever eaten. We snorkeled, went for a hike in the rainforest, swam in waterfalls, went to visit a village, did some nude sunbathing on our own private beach for an afternoon, my husband did some traditional Fijian hand-line fishing, kava ceremonies, a meek ceremony, beach volleyball and we visited the spa every day. The staff would make you snacks in between meals if you were hungry, the coral and the seashells were amazing and the rainforest absolutely incredible. It was the perfect way to end such an incredible experience. www.qamea.com Teness Herman : Intimate Portraits Grade : A+ WOW. This was an absolutely amazing experience. Teness is absolutely amazing. She made me feel so comfortable and relaxed…an absolute necessity to create the kind of pictures I was going for. I felt like I was taking pictures with a dear old friend. She and I spent months discussing the look and feel of the shoot. She recommended I look at a book called Women Before 10am by Veronique Vial. If you like the style of my intimate portraits (aka Boudoir Pictures…sorry, I think it’s a cheesy name), I would definitely recommend you check out this book for inspiration. We shot for three and a half hours and could have easily gone on for another two. She used multiple cameras and twice as many lenses with nothing but natural light, which really helped in creating a sensual feel. Her enthusiasm, creativity and eye for the perfect shot are truly unparalleled. If you don’t have room in your budget to do this as a wedding gift, I would highly recommend it as a first (paper) anniversary gift. www.teness.com
Qamea Resort and Spa : Honeymoon Grade : A+ Wow! This place was incredible, even when it was overcast most of the week we were there! We flew for close to 14 hours, PDX to LAX, LAX to Nadi, Fiji and then on a puddle jumper from Nadi to Taveuni. Then we were driven in a Range Rover for 20 minutes on a dirt rode to a beach where we got on a boat and went on a 10-minute boat ride across to the island of Qamea. We were greeted by a smiling and friendly staff, taken to their restaurant/lounge villa where we were served cocktails and fruit plates and given a quick rundown of the resort. Our accommodations were amazing. Our villa included a daybed and a pool on our deck, a large outdoor shower, a large bathroom that included a walk-in closet, two sinks, a towel warmer, large shower and then a large room with a four-poster bed on a platform with amazing linens and sheer curtains hanging, and then a living area with a couch, coffee table, stereo, lounge chairs, etc. I’ve never stayed in such an incredible place. The staff was so incredibly friendly, the food was some of the best food I’ve ever eaten. We snorkeled, went for a hike in the rainforest, swam in waterfalls, went to visit a village, did some nude sunbathing on our own private beach for an afternoon, my husband did some traditional Fijian hand-line fishing, kava ceremonies, a meek ceremony, beach volleyball and we visited the spa every day. The staff would make you snacks in between meals if you were hungry, the coral and the seashells were amazing and the rainforest absolutely incredible. It was the perfect way to end such an incredible experience. www.qamea.com Teness Herman : Intimate Portraits Grade : A+ WOW. This was an absolutely amazing experience. Teness is absolutely amazing. She made me feel so comfortable and relaxed…an absolute necessity to create the kind of pictures I was going for. I felt like I was taking pictures with a dear old friend. She and I spent months discussing the look and feel of the shoot. She recommended I look at a book called Women Before 10am by Veronique Vial. If you like the style of my intimate portraits (aka Boudoir Pictures…sorry, I think it’s a cheesy name), I would definitely recommend you check out this book for inspiration. We shot for three and a half hours and could have easily gone on for another two. She used multiple cameras and twice as many lenses with nothing but natural light, which really helped in creating a sensual feel. Her enthusiasm, creativity and eye for the perfect shot are truly unparalleled. If you don’t have room in your budget to do this as a wedding gift, I would highly recommend it as a first (paper) anniversary gift. www.teness.com
www.qamea.com Teness Herman : Intimate Portraits Grade : A+ WOW. This was an absolutely amazing experience. Teness is absolutely amazing. She made me feel so comfortable and relaxed…an absolute necessity to create the kind of pictures I was going for. I felt like I was taking pictures with a dear old friend. She and I spent months discussing the look and feel of the shoot. She recommended I look at a book called Women Before 10am by Veronique Vial. If you like the style of my intimate portraits (aka Boudoir Pictures…sorry, I think it’s a cheesy name), I would definitely recommend you check out this book for inspiration. We shot for three and a half hours and could have easily gone on for another two. She used multiple cameras and twice as many lenses with nothing but natural light, which really helped in creating a sensual feel. Her enthusiasm, creativity and eye for the perfect shot are truly unparalleled. If you don’t have room in your budget to do this as a wedding gift, I would highly recommend it as a first (paper) anniversary gift. www.teness.com
Teness Herman : Intimate Portraits Grade : A+ WOW. This was an absolutely amazing experience. Teness is absolutely amazing. She made me feel so comfortable and relaxed…an absolute necessity to create the kind of pictures I was going for. I felt like I was taking pictures with a dear old friend. She and I spent months discussing the look and feel of the shoot. She recommended I look at a book called Women Before 10am by Veronique Vial. If you like the style of my intimate portraits (aka Boudoir Pictures…sorry, I think it’s a cheesy name), I would definitely recommend you check out this book for inspiration. We shot for three and a half hours and could have easily gone on for another two. She used multiple cameras and twice as many lenses with nothing but natural light, which really helped in creating a sensual feel. Her enthusiasm, creativity and eye for the perfect shot are truly unparalleled. If you don’t have room in your budget to do this as a wedding gift, I would highly recommend it as a first (paper) anniversary gift. www.teness.com
www.teness.com