The WW&Co team started off their 2017 wedding season with Anne-Marie + Wendell’s intimate and beautiful wedding at Gorge Crest Vineyards in Underwood, Washington about 10 minutes from Hood River, Oregon.

The grounds and view at Gorge Crest Vineyards is pretty special and one-of-a-kind. The venue sits above the Columbia River Gorge that created a spectacular backdrop. The snow had melted just in time for Anne-Marie + Wendell’s wedding and as you can see the day couldn’t have been better for early May.

We can’t help but mention how amazing the color palette was! The combination of rich oranges and reds combined with the neutral tones really transformed the space at the ceremony and reception to be comfortable, welcoming and romantic. 

Anne-Marie + Wendell are very blessed to have such a strong support system around them.  That night it showed from a very lively and loving bridal party to the many guests that traveled from Texas. And even when the sun was down and the temperatures dropped, you could find every one of them on the dance floor enjoying the night.

Looking back on this day, we are so grateful we could be a part of Anne-Marie + Wendell’s special day and kick off the 2017 wedding season for us.

XO
Meghan + WW&Co

Vendor Team

Venue: Gorge Crest Vineyards
Photography: Catalina Jean Photography
Floral Design: Selva Floral
Catering: Celilo Catering
Music: DMoeFunk DJ Service
Hair + Makeup: Destiny Taylor
Cake: Wind Flower Cakes
Rentals: Something Borrowed PDX
Linens: LaTavola Linen
Transportation: EcoShuttle

Food trucks have been all the rage for several years now, and we don’t see this trend going anywhere soon.  Selecting a few different food trucks to provide the cuisine for your event is such a fun way to execute a more casual and “action station” style reception.  However, it does come with its challenges! Planning and executing a Food Truck style event successfully takes some extra thought and care.  We hope these tips and insights are helpful!

Staffing:
There is a reason that often times they are less expensive than a full-service caterer.  This is largely in part to the staff size and roles are significantly different.  The biggest challenge food trucks bring logistically to an event is staffing.  When you hire a full-service catering company, their staff is the largest labor component for your event.  Not only are they serving your food, they are also bussing, rinsing, re-organizing your rentals, cutting your cake behind the scenes, and a big part of the set up and break down labor needed as well.  They work HARD for you behind the scenes ;).  It is important to make sure that additional staff is brought in to help with these elements.  There are outside staffing companies that offer this service such as The Wait Staff, in Portland.

Timeline:
Another tricky logistical element is your dinner timeline.  If you are looking for a formal sit-down style reception, this may not be the best direction for you.  Food trucks are often made-to-order, and while they are used to providing speedy service, guests eating times will be very varied and they will not be able to eat at once and will need to stand in lines.  With this in mind, you also may want to allot extra time on your timeline for dinner service.

Electrical:
You will need to ask each truck coming what their power needs are!  They may need to be in a place where power can be run out to them.

Beverage Service:
Most any venue will ask that your caterer provides a liquor liability for your event.  You will likely need to bring in a separate bartending company to provide your bartending service for you as well.

Surprise Late Night Food Truck:
Who doesn’t love some good late-night food at the end of an event?  Surprise your guests with a food cart, savory or sweet!  It’s a fun form of entertainment and is always a talked about element.  A few of our favorites are Pips Donuts, Koi Fusion, and Salt and Straw.

Enjoy!!

XO,
Whitney and the WW&Co Team

Photography: Catalina Jean Photography
Venue: Maysara Winery
Food Trucks Pictured: Pips Donuts |  PDX Sliders  |  Koi Fusion  |  Maiale di Volo Wood Fired Catering

If you work in the wedding industry chances are, you know the ins and outs of what makes a truly amazing wedding day. You may work with a bride and groom’s vision from an actual picture, a Pinterest board, or a dinner conversation (those can sometimes be the best!).

In six months, I, (Meghan, Event Producer at Whitney Werts & Company) will take my turn being THE bride on May 12, 2018 at the Oregon Golf Club. I will (or try to, ha!) take off my event producer hat and enjoy a day that has only been a dream thus far. Over the next months, I look forward to sharing some personal insights, knowledge and learnings from my own planning experience. Be sure to understand that I know not everything I share will apply to your day, your clients or your vision but I believe it is important and humbling to have the chance to follow along.

---

Scott and I got engaged last October, so yes, you could say we have enjoyed a nice engagement. For us, having a longer engagement has been beneficial for our families and even our own relationship. We were fortunate enough to go on a family trip to Hawaii in July which became the perfect opportunity and backdrop for our engagement session.

It had been rainy and cloudy (a tropical rain) the day before we took our photos so as you can image the texts sent to the photographer were frequent. First milestone: learn to accept and believe that what will be will be and positive thoughts only!

When we looked through all 115 photos together, it was the first time we really saw and had time to reflect on our relationship and love for each other through raw, emotional, and authentic lens. It wasn’t a selfie shoot like we are typically use to where we review the photo and retake until it’s just right. We noticed each other let down guards and let go of insecurities, which created moments and photos that still seem surreal. Take a look and enjoy some of our favorites! 

Love, Meghan

Photographer: Jenna Strubhar
Location: Ironwoods Beach at Kapalua, Maui, HI

We always love when we get to work at Maysara Winery, but when you have a couple like Chelsea and Marc, it makes the day feel magical.  These two could not have been more fun to work with and the details of their day were perfection!

The ceremony took place out on the lawn with the Momtazi Vineyard creating the perfect backdrop. Geranium Lake Flowers lined the aisle and ceremony backdrop with beautiful swags of eucalyptus.  Chelsea and her bridesmaids carried beautiful lush bouquets of cream and green that they put together themselves a few days before the wedding.

The ceremony itself was full of love and fun stories about how the couple reconnected at a dive restaurant over extremely greasy pizza.

Once the newlyweds shared their first kiss as a married couple, the party started!

Koi Fusion, PDX Sliders, and Maiale di Volo Woodfire Catering offered the most delicious food truck menus! The Waitstaff Team ensured that service was flawless.

The long farm tables were draped with eucalyptus, crystal vessels and candlelight. The beautiful place settings were marked with marble tiles.

The vintage accent pieces from Classic Vintage Rentals were gorgeous.

Check out their custom monogram!!

After dinner, the dance party commenced! DJ Zimmie kept the dance floor packed all night.

Pip’s Original Doughnuts joined the food truck party and served the guests a late night treat.

Chelsea and Marc's love for each other, their friends, and their family was felt by all and we were honored to be a part of the celebration.

Craig with Watertown Films did an amazing job!  Check out their highlight film.

Vendor Team

Venue: Maysara Winery
Photography:  Catalina Jean
Videography: Watertown Films
Floral: Geranium Lake Flowers
Catering + Service:
     Koi Fusion | PDX Sliders | Maiale di Volo Woodfire Catering | The Waitstaff Team
Music: DJ Zimmie
Dessert: Papa Haydn | Pip's Original Doughnuts
Rentals: Barclay Events
Vintage Rentals: Classic Vintage Rentals
 

During the very first meeting, it was apparent that this wedding was going to be a true celebration of love and family. Zoë and CJ’s special day was full of thoughtful touches and personal details that created an intimate and sentimental feeling felt by all that attended.

Zoë was a very hands-on bride with a stunning vision for the details of the day. She planned every detail exquistly. The vendors this couple selected created a phenomenally talented team that executed those details beautifully.

Zenith Vineyard in Salem, Oregon provided the perfect venue for the elegant alfresco affair that Zoë and CJ hoped for.

The beautiful palette of blush, peach, and berry helped to create the simple and romantic feel. The bride’s aunt and uncle own a flower farm where Zoë and her maids spent a day carefully cutting the flowers that would be used. Ali Briskey Designs took those flowers and created the most gorgeous arrangements. 

From the bride:
“Our favorite part of the day was hands-down the ceremony. My father built the 10 foot cross that was the focal point behind us at the ceremony, walked me down the aisle, and performed the ceremony. Our mothers were of course seated in the places of honor, CJ’s father opened the ceremony with a prayer, and all seven of our siblings & siblings-in-law stood with us as a part of the wedding party along with our closest friends. It was so meaningful to us to be so literally surrounded and supported by the people who mean the most to us in the world as we committed our lives to each other.”

Aren’t these the cutest flower girls!? What is even more special about these girls is that they are the daughters of Zoë’s cousins who were the flower girls at her parents’ wedding over 30 years ago.

For the reception, the elegant, fresh feel translated through white linens and dark wood chairs.  The floral arrangements added the perfect touch of color. 

The newlyweds were joined by their family and friends under the bistro lights to dine, dance, and be merry.  Andrew with John Ross Music and Productions made sure the dance floor was packed the entire night. 

From the Bride:
"Most of all though, the day was special not because of the details or the decor, but because we felt so surrounded by love. It was one of our priorities and criteria about our wedding that it be not just a celebration of our marriage, but a celebration of all the people attending who have played a huge role in our lives and our love story. And that is exactly how it played out, a day that felt so unique to us and our guests—down to the way CJ’s groomsmen knew I loved Christmas, so they convinced the DJ to play Mariah Carey’s “All I Want for Christmas Is You” and everyone on the dance floor absolutely just had the best time dancing to it even if it was in the middle of a vineyard in August. Those are the things that we never could have planned, but were what made our day perfect."

We loved working with this couple and their families.  We loved this celebration of love.  We loved the vendor team. This was one for the books!

Make sure to check out Ivy & Gold's blog post to see more incredible photos!  

Vendor Team

Venue: Zenith Vineyards http://www.zenithvineyard.com/
Photography: Ivy and Gold http://ivyandgold.com/
Floral Design: Ali Briskey Designs http://www.alibriskeydesigns.com/
Videography: Candy Glass Productions http://www.candyglassproductions.com/
Catering: Vibrant Table http://vibranttable.com/
Music: Andrew Serino of John Ross Music http://johnrossmusic.com
Hair + Makeup: Blossom & Beauty http://blossomandbeauty.com/
Lighting: Bowerbird Events http://www.bowerbirdevents.com/
Cake: Lamb’s Market Place
Paper Goods & Table Numbers: DIY by Bride
Wood Signs: MenloMakes on Etsy/DIY http://www.etsy.com/shop/MENLOMAKES