Both keen outdoor lovers, Amy & Brian wanted a small intimate wedding in the mountains and thus found themselves one sunny October afternoon celebrating their union on Mount Hood surrounded by a handful of close family and friends.
Their intimate wedding ceremony inside the historic TIMBERLINE LODGE by the fire was the perfect place to exchange vows, and was followed with this stunning photo session with OLIVIA STROHM on the mountainside. This creative couple chose to undergo most of the wedding details themselves, including the gorgeous florals, which were designed by the bride herself! The bride even wore a dress she found at a used wedding dress website, tailoring it in different ways to fit her style better. After descending the mountain, the newly married couple held a beautiful reception at SINCERELY TRUMAN, a trendy & quirky event space in downtown Portland. Whilst enjoying appetizers, a video of the ceremony put together by a friend who attended earlier in the day played for guests to watch so they didn’t miss out entirely!
DESCRIBE YOUR WEDDING FLOWERS: I was very inspired by the Northwest and the fall. I chose many deep colors- crimson, goldenrod and burnt orange. I used dahlias from my aunts garden, Brian’s favorite flower. I used garden roses in honor of my Great Grandma Rose. My very favorite part of the florals was my head piece. I made it out of some of my favorite flowers. I also used a lot of peach and whites- wanting to keep everything very bridal. The corsages and boutonni res used scabiosas and greenery very much incorporating the outdoors as well.
TELL US ABOUT FINDING YOUR WEDDING DRESS: My wedding dress was originally from Brides for a Cause in Portland, a non-profit organization. It’s an Ivy & Aster gown ééò that was very much personalized by my aunt. I loved making it my own by adding an illusion neckline and lace details made it completely unique to me.
ANY DIY ELEMENTS? I made the bouquets myself- I LOVE flowers. Also my dress had a lot of DIY elements. We didn’t have a color scheme instead we just chose things we loved and made the day very reflective of ourselves and our relationship incorporating many things and people we love. A friend of mine hand made our invites, another made the desserts. Brian, who’s is an aspiring brewer, made the beer for the reception as well. He made both and IPA and an Amber Ale and our invites gal water colored some beautiful labels for the bottles, which he designed.
FAVOURITE DETAIL OF THE DAY: Honestly, all the details of the day added together made the day so perfect to me. We incorporated all the people we loved in different ways that made it special. My aunt, mother and I foraged through the forest to find greens for the tables at the reception, my mom got me a beautiful crimson velvet antique clutch to use, I found Brian’s tie clip at a vintage store and surprised him with it. Over the summer I collected small plates, acorns, ribbons, candle holders, cake plates, cloth napkins, serving dishes, confetti and countless other things that made everything come together. I am very detail oriented so every little piece was important to me. And then having so many people make all the details and planning come to life at the reception was incredible- we felt very loved on our wedding day.
WHAT ADVISE WOULD YOU GIVE OUT TO A COUPLE PLANNING THEIR WEDDING? Be true to yourself. It sounds cheesy but it’s so important! We struggled to keep our wedding as small as we wanted (families don’t seem to like that too much) also many people thought our plan was unconventional, but we stuck to our dreams and are so glad we did!
MOST MEMORABLE MOMENT? We decided to go the traditional route, so we didn’t see each other in our dress and suit until the ceremony & that first moment he saw me in my dress was both of our favorite moment by far- nothing beats that feeling!
ANY OTHER DETAILS THAT TELL THE STORY OF YOUR DAY: One of the reasons we chose Timberline Lodge was because my grandpa has a special connection to the Lodge. On a business trip to the NW from Missouri in the sixties he visited Timberline and made the decision then and there to move his family across the country because he knew that’s where he wanted to raise a family. He is now very ill and close to the end of his life- but he loves Brian and was so excited for us starting our lives together. So to be able to take him up there one last time to witness our special day was pretty incredible.
Photographer OLIVIA STROHM PHOTOGRAPHY / Videographer CAMPBELL MACCULOUCH / Cake GRANDMA MARY / Desserts EVA KOPP / Wedding flowers BRIDE + SAMMY’S FLOWERS / Wedding Invitations MARINA CATHERS / Ceremony venue TIMBERLINE LODGE / Reception venue SINCERELY TRUMAN (private venue) / Bride’s gown IVY & ASTER much altered by JOAN BROWNING / Shoes JEFFERY CAMPBELL / Jewellery BHLDN & FAMILY PEARLS / Make-up PAIGE ALDRICH / Bridesmaids’ dress BHLDN / Grooms attire JCREW / Caterer TRACY RENNER
