By: Sabrina Peters, J29 Events

Jen and Tristan were one of those rare and delightful couples that come along every great once in a while. They start out as clients, turn into friends, and end up becoming a part of your family. Not only were they kind, funny, appreciative, and an overall joy to work alongside, but they had exquisite taste. They trusted us whole-heartedly to sew together the pieces of the most important day of their lives.

Jen and Tristan are both medical professionals, so Covid has been a large part of their world for the past few years. When they arrived for their wedding weekend with their nearest and dearest, they made it clear, it was time to let their hair down and celebrate.

Most of their friends and family aren’t from the Pacific Northwest, so a guest experience that embodies what the PNW has to offer was high on their list of priorities. Jen and Tristan enjoy good wine, delicious, local food, and appreciate a good bottle of scotch. We made sure that guests were able to imbibe throughout every point of the wedding weekend, weaving all of those elements of their lives into a harmonious experience.

Although she had a full plate planning a wedding and working as a Hepatobiliary surgeon in her day to day life, Jen compiled the most beautiful guest Welcome Bags that highlighted all locally sourced goods - Woodblock Chocolate, Ground Up nut butter, and adorable mini bottles of bubbles from Illahe Vineyards were just a few of the items featured. These bags were a gift in themselves. What a lovely way to be welcomed to their wedding weekend.

After getting settled at The Society Hotel in Bingen, WA, the bridal party and immediate family made their way to the rehearsal dinner at Cor Cellars, an excellent local winery nearby. The Mediterranean-inspired tablescape - complete with a Capri blue patterned linen from La Tavola, modern white dishware and Lucite flatware from Great Jones NW – created a lovely setting to kick off the festivities.

Boda’s Kitchen brought down the house with a stunning family-style charcuterie board to be enjoyed during cocktail hour. It was a beautiful beginning to their wedding weekend.

Just like with any creative process, there wasn’t a clearly defined vision at first for the overall tone of Jen and Tristan’s wedding. It wasn’t until we discovered an image of a floral bouquet with the right mix of color and texture that we were able to establish a color palette and get cracking.

Jen knew that she wanted a wedding style that was fitting for who she is. “I don’t want the same pink you see at every wedding. I like the idea of pink, but imagine the perfect French rosé. That’s what I want.” This became the overall inspiration for their wedding, and was a consideration at almost every touchpoint.

Soft, feminine shades of pink that mimic the perfect French rosé, paired with taupe, ivory and light peach tones created a warm, inviting palette amongst the family-style wood tables and beautiful backdrop. Incorporating light beige and dusty blue provided just enough contrast for visual interest, while maintaining the overall romantic look. Soft, flat gold touches served as subtle accents and offered texture variance.

In order to weave all the different colors within the vision together, the men were outfitted in smart, blue suits and light pink ties, provided by Generation Tux. They mirrored the elegant blue chargers on the tables that resembled the color of an unwashed blueberry. The ladies were in a lighter shade of dusty blue, in an assortment of mix and match dresses, provided by Revelry. The colors paired effortlessly with the natural landscape around them.

While this venue had a beautifully manicured outdoor space, florals played a huge part in bringing Jen and Tristan’s vision to life. The collaboration with Heirbloom Design was nothing short of magical. Kathryn put so much time, attention and care into making sure the flowers complemented both the overall design and tone.

One challenge we faced was trying to find a cost-effective way to hide a large portion of the wall behind the head table. The design of the wall didn’t flow with the overall look, so we worked together with Kathryn to establish a plan. Her installation was like icing on the cake. The textures and colors intertwined within this French garden-inspired install served as floral eye candy for the head table and truly brought everything together.

Jen and Tristan’s wedding day was the epitome of an ideal September afternoon in the Columbia Gorge. The sun-kissed mountains and blue skies made for a picturesque backdrop for their French garden inspired outdoor affair.

Upon arrival, guests were encouraged to enjoy a crisp, refreshing pre-ceremony cocktail – a Blackberry White Wine Spritzer, crafted by the ever-so-talented, White Pepper. The drinks were featured inside an array of fabulous, vintage pink champagne coupes, placed atop two staggered mirrored sofa tables, provided by Great Jones NW. It was a showstopper.

Jen asked her mother, Cathy, to walk her down the aisle on her big day. When Cathy was asked, “Who gives away this bride?” she responded, “Myself and her father in heaven.” There wasn’t a dry eye in the house. We understand it’s never easy to celebrate a major life milestone without a loved one. We do our best to work with the couple and dream up ideas on how to softly incorporate their presence. For Jen, the best way to pay homage to her dad was letting him buy everyone a drink during cocktail hour.

Once the ceremony was complete, everyone was ready to get the party started with either an Old Fashioned or Elderflower 75 in hand.

Jen and Tristan’s escort wall made us want to do a happy dance. Gold shelves adorned with rosè filled pink champagne flutes looked like candy on a shelf. Each guest was encouraged to find their name and table number upon the custom peach stir sticks within each glass. It was the pièce de résistance as guests took their seats for dinner.

Tablescape was of the utmost importance to Jen. She wanted the reception space to embody the overall tone of the wedding and give her, and her guests, all the feels. From the oversized taupe table runners that pooled onto the floor, to the rose-colored water goblets, to the epically color matched dripless candles by Roots Candles, it all came together better than we could have imagined.

The dinner menu provided by White Pepper was incredible, and keeping with the overall trend, Jen and Tristan selected custom wine pairings for each course. They chose wines that carried sentimental value to both of them, which made it feel all the more special. We’ve said it once, and we’ll say it again. It’s all in the details.

The night continued with so much love, champagne toasts, and a kick your shoes off kind of dance party. This group was a whole bunch of fun.

To cap off the evening, Jen and Tristan provided their guests with boxes of custom chocolate truffles, provided by Missionary Chocolates out of Portland. Each box had three pieces inside - salted vanilla caramel with Pinot Noir salt, raspberry and espresso. The flavors were intended to complement the dinner menu and wine being served behind the bar to tie everything together.

Nothing fills our cup more than when we get to plan and execute a wedding that truly feels like “you.” That’s why we do what we do. It’s your day, and we are so honored to be a part of it.

Jen and Tristan, it was an absolute pleasure. From the bottom of our little A-type, planner hearts, thank you and congratulations.

Vendors

Venue: The Orchard
Photographer: Here Today Photography
Florist: Heirbloom Design
Catering: White Pepper
Hair and Makeup: Cassandra Kennedy
Mensware: Generation Tux
Rentals: The Party Place + Great Jones NW + La Tavola
Transportation: ecoShuttle
Dessert: Mint and Mischief
Entertainment: John Ross Productions
Photo Bus: The Foto Bus

French Garden Inspired Outdoor Affair in the Columbia Gorge