Bravo! Wedding Blog » Portland Salons & Spas

Join Soiree Boutique for a Day of Beauty

Bravo Publications — Thu, 10 Nov 2011 17:00:23 +0000

Join Soiree Boutique this Sunday, November 13th from 12 noon to 4 pm for a party of beauty. Hosted by Soiree Boutique and Cypress Beauty & Wellness.

Sample a variety of relaxation and beauty services while enjoying music, food, drink, door prizes and a goody bag for all attendees. Plus check out the variety of great event professionals the boutique has to showcase.

The party will be at both locations ~ Soiree Boutique (7080 SE 16th Avenue, Portland) and Cypress Beauty & Wellness (1616 SE Bybee, Portland).

The boutique will be raffling off a Grand Prize at the end of the party. His/her hair and make-up services from Fada Salon and Event Cosmetics with a complimentary engagement portrait session from David A. Barss, Photographer.

You won’t want to miss this party. E-mail Soiree Boutique at contact@soireeboutique.com or call 503-230-9311 for more information.

The Bride - David A. Barss, Photographer

November Wedding Affair Recap + Best in Show Winners!

Bravo Publications — Tue, 08 Nov 2011 22:30:15 +0000

We’re beyond amazed at the level of talent in the local Wedding & Event industry! This past Sunday was the most successful Wedding Affair Bravo! has seen. Brides, Grooms & Guests were captivated by the gorgeous rooms decorated to impress, tasted delicious food, drinks & desserts and much more.

Winners: One fun element of the Wedding Affair is voting by Guests for those who inspired them at the show. Typically there are 3 categories & 3 winners… however there were a few ties and many honorable mentions! Congratulations to all.

Best Room Theme & Décor:
Colonel Lindbergh Ballroom – Theme: Town & Country and Fireside Room – Theme: Urban Chic – a Winter Wedding

Best Caterer: Premiere Catering and Delilah’s Catering

People’s Choice/Lasting Impression: Le Cookie Monkey

People’s Choice Honorable Mentions: August Veils, Barclay Event Rentals, Charlotte’s Weddings & More, Delilah’s Catering, Embassy Suites Hotel, Fred Astaire Dance Studio, Grand Papery, John Ross Music, Magnifique Boutique, Muse Wedding & Event Planning, Paparazzi Tonight, Premiere Catering, Seventy Seven Salon, Soiree – Special Event Planning, Star Productions, Stott Shots Photography, and Studio I Do.

The Bravo! Wedding Affair is easier to describe in photos as its truly awe-inspiring. For a complete list of all the amazing wedding & event professionals involved in the Wedding Affair, Click Here. To see more pictures from the show, click here.

Colonel Lindbergh Ballroom – Theme: Town & Country

Colonel Lindbergh Reception – Theme: Rustic Vineyard with a Touch of Tuscany

Fireside Room – Theme: Urban Chic – a Winter Wedding

Gevurtz Room – Theme: Decadence

Lobby & Destination Weddings – Central Oregon, Coast, Mt. Hood & Gorge, & Willamette Valley

Mezzanine – Theme: Tour of Elegance

Queen Marie Ballroom – Theme: Je t’Adore

Queen Marie Reception – Theme: So Now Vintage

* Thank you Andie Petkus Photography for capturing all the wonderful details!

Wedding Favors- Cheap, Chic & Creative

Bravo Publications — Wed, 24 Aug 2011 17:26:39 +0000

When it comes to wedding favors, being creative and unique can sometimes hurt your budget. You want both you and your guests to remember the day forever and with these simple and affordable wedding favor ideas you can. Wedding favors can be anything from a simple retro Polaroid picture to a succulent in a cool looking pot- the possibilities are endless. Best of all you can totally do them yourself or with your bridesmaids as a fun bridal party, all you have to do is be creative!

We’re giving away a $50 gift certificate from Portland Spa & Boutique to the most creative bride-to-be who shares her wedding favor idea. All you have to do is post a picture or write a description of your idea on our Facebook page wall, tell your friends to ‘Like’ us and vote for you and the idea with the most likes win. The contest ends September 1 when we’ll announce the winner but in the meantime you can browse these simple ideas to help get you inspired.

Potted herbs can be both placeholders and useful favors for guests

These painted wish bones are unique, sweet and crafty

A small bag filled with tea leaves and a sugar stick for stirring is a delicious treat for guests

For the brides that aren’t so DIY-inclined or simply don’t have the time, there are some other fantastic options of companies that are an excellent wedding favor resource. A Yen For Chocolate makes beautiful and elegant chocolates with customized packaging and The Wedding Cottage is great for plantable gifts, candles and more.

A beautiful wooden cases holds one of A Yen For Chocolates sweet surprises

An abundance of beautiful options are available at The Wedding Cottage

Remember to be creative and have fun with wedding favors and who knows, you may find your perfect gift from other people’s ideas.

Log House Garden at Willow Lake

Bravo Publications — Tue, 03 May 2011 16:30:03 +0000

Log House Garden is a private outdoor setting where they specialize in all day events such as weddings, receptions, anniversaries and other memorable occasions. The gardens are beautifully landscaped with flowering cherries, lilacs, rhododendrons and roses.

The garden has a 6,000 sq.ft. covered patio/pergola area and a capcity of 300 with ample parking. Wedding packages include:

Covered patio/pergola area
250 bistro white chairs
(25) 60 inch round tables
(8) 8 foot buffet tables
(6) 4ft round tables
50 green arm chairs
Bridal dressing room
Groom dressing room

When you book your event at the Log House Garden you have exclusive use of the gardens and your choice of caterers.

Contact Lanora Blake for more information. lanora@loghousegarden.com, 503.393.0732

The Foundry at Oswego Pointe- Grand Opening Events

Bravo Publications — Mon, 07 Mar 2011 23:26:12 +0000

Located on the Willamette River just steps from downtown Lake Oswego, The Foundry at Oswego Pointe provides an elegant and unique venue for weddings, corporate and social events. Complimentary food, beverages, live music and more as they unveil the Great Hall with its timeless architecture, dramatic vaulted ceilings and unobstructed views of the Willamette Valley.

Tuesday, March 8th: 11am Ribbon Cutting Ceremony, 11:30am-2pm Lunch with Anne Jaeger from Studio 6 emceeing interactive cooking demonstrations by Gourmet Productions at noon and 1pm !

Thursday, March 10th: 4pm-8pm, Cocktail Reception

Saturday, March 12th:11am-4pm, The Wedding Event

For more information about these great events, visit www.TheFoundryLakeOswego.com.

The Bridal Loft’s 5th Annual Open House

Bravo Publications — Fri, 04 Mar 2011 21:00:02 +0000

The Bridal Loft’s Fifth Annual Open House

Come celebrate Mardi Gras with Portland’s premiere bridal professional co-op. Tuesday, March 8th, 2011 from 4pm to 8:30. Sip Hurricanes and gnosh on tasty treats from Elephant’s Deli while visiting with The Lofties in their natural habitat – no appointment necessary! Event Cosmetics will sit you down for one of their “Eye Do” workshops. There’ll also be a drawing for a night’s stay at The Embassy Suites Downtown Portland with a $50 gift card to On Deck Sports Bar & Grill.

Visit will all of these great vendors:

Alesia Zorn Calligraphy

August Veils

EJP Events

Event Cosmetics

Paul Rich Photography

Perfect Planning PDX

Sewing Solutions

Portland Bride & Groom and Bridgeport Village Very Engaging Bridal Event

Bravo Publications — Fri, 25 Feb 2011 19:05:05 +0000

Join us at Bridgeport Village on Sunday, February 27th, 11am-4pm for the Portland Bride & Groom and Bridgeport Village Very Engaging Bridal Event.

Dresses, cakes, invitations, photographers, flowers, event planners and more! You will find all of your wedding needs at this great event.

VIP Event- 9:30am-11am at Sak’s Fifth Avenue off 5th Ave. Click here to purchase $20 advance tickets for brunch, swag bags, giveaways and much more!

Check out these great shops that will feature wedding vendors:

Mario’s 3.10
Crate and Barrel
Saks Fifth Avenue Off 5th
Cole Haan
Lucia Fine Jewelers
Oblation Papers
Miss Meers Shoe Boutique
MAC Cosmetics
Mapel Boutique
Under U 4 Men
Lucy
Tommy Bahama
Silverado
Sur la Table
Eileen Fisher
Talbots
Orvis
Dosha
BCBG Maxazria
White House Black Market
McCormick & Schmick’s Grill
Z Gallerie
J Crew
Lululemon Athletica
Banana Republic

Center Court and the Gazebo will also feature wedding vendors, stop by the Bravo! table in the gazebo for your complimentary 2011 Wedding Resource Guide!

Hope to see you there!

Bravo! 2011 Wedding Affair Specials!

Bravo Publications — Thu, 17 Feb 2011 22:39:35 +0000

At this year’s February Wedding Affair, many vendors have specials they are offering to brides for their special day!

Eat Your Heart Out Catering- “Let the honeymoon Continue” post honeymoon dinner for two

Consulting:

Photography:

Alyssa Jul Photography – will be offering a 16×20 gallery wrap to any bride who books at the show.
Paul Rich Studio – will be offering multiple specials brides and grooms can choose from: A Complimentary Engagement Session, Add a 2nd Photographer for no additional cost, or a 16×24 Gallery Wrap
Jos Photographer-Giving away one Lifestyle/Engagement Shoot with JOS photographers!!!
-The lifestyle shoot is a very meaningful experience which explores the intimate connection between you and your fiance. This session involves a commitment of an afternoon for 3 hours using JOS’ signature style. This is a great time for experiencing JOS’ approach and chemistry which also establishes a great foundation for a natural feel for your wedding day. This is a very exciting and meaningful session that produces excellent results. Be prepared for a fun and upbeat experience.Holland Studios – A couple can book between Monday & Thursday sometime in 2011, for a four hour coverage of an event and the images on DVD. The only way the clients can enter this give away is at the show! Holland Studios also has a booking show special of an extra $500.00 off any of our numerical packages.

Make Up:

Event Cosmetics: First 50 brides get a deluxe make up sampling from Event Cosmetics and when they come to the room, stop by and have a mini make up session and your artist will gift you a $10 gift certificate for Event Cosmetics.

Lodging:

Distinctive Beach Lodgings – are offering a 3 night stay for 2 people at one of our properties at the Gearhart Ocean Inn.
The Banker’s Suite and Ballroom - would like to offer 20% off of their weekend wedding package to anyone booking at the Bravo! Wedding Affair.

Travel:

Uniglobe – is offering $50 credit for honeymoon land-only packages valued between $2000 and $3000, a $75 credit for honeymoon land-only packages valued between $3001 and $4000, or $100 credit for honeymoon land-only packages valued above $4001.

Catering:

Premiere Catering – will be giving away a free “gift” at the show for complimentary champagne if you bring it to tasting
White Rose Bakery – is offering free setup and delivery for any cakes booked from the show
Stone Creek - is offering 10% off any food purchased for an event in 2011 & 2012.
Eat Your Heart Out Catering- “Let the honeymoon Continue” post honeymoon dinner for two

Dresses & Accessories:

August Veils: Receive 30% off veil and/or hair adornments if order is placed AT the show. Special will be honored until Monday February 21, 2011. Bring in this ad and receive a gift with your order. Special is applicable to gift certificates purchased at the show for use at a later date.

Planners & Consultants:

With this Ring – will be doing a special on tickets for their event, Salem Dream Wedding Workshop. Buy 1 get 1 free.
Encore Events – is offering anyone who books at least the month-of coordination package will receive a free ‘Snap Shot Session’, which is an additional three hours of concentrated consultation time.
No Ordinary Affair – is offering free professional on-site hair & make-up for the bride on her wedding day if she books with No Ordinary Affair by 3/31/11.
Dazzling Affaire- Free – 2 nights for 2 people at the Gearhart Ocean Inn (of Distinctive Beach Lodgings) – when reserving their wedding date.
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The Bride’s Guide on How to Attend a Bridal Show

Bravo Publications — Tue, 08 Feb 2011 22:08:14 +0000

The Bride’s Guide on How to attend a Bridal Show

by August Veils

Congratulations on your engagement. This is a wondrous time that will involve a tremendous amount of time, family, friends and of course money. With your newly bedazzled finger, you will be on the hunt for all of the things needed to make your wedding day a DAY to remember.

This will be the one moment that you are the QUEEN. All eyes will be on you and your husband ! Let’s make your decision making on your vendors and services a bit easier. Below you will find a bullet point list of what to expect and what you should do when you attend a bridal show. Attending a show is the best opportunity to see a large amount of wedding professionals without having to make an appointment or do tons of travel. Good luck and we hope that all of your dreams for the Big Day are realized!

- research where the shows will be located and when they occur. There is no need to attend a show if it is after your wedding date or if you have completed everything on your to do list. Unless you are attending with a friend that is just getting started. Then you can be her guide!

- Decide on how many people you would like to accompany you to the show. It is important to bring those that will help you in making an informed decision. If you are receiving monetary help from parents or family, bring them as they will want to see what you are considering. If they live out of town, ask them to schedule a visit at the same time as the show. Or if that is not a possibility, you can text them the info right from the show! Bringing the entire bridal party because you think it will be fun is not always the best idea. More often than not, the comments from too many people become confusing.

- Eat a very good breakfast packed with protein and fiber. You will be walking quite a bit . Conversing with many people. You will need the energy to sustain your stamina. There is usually tons of cake and sweets to sample at the show. If you do not have a good meal in your belly, a sugar crash will soon follow.

- Stay Hydrated. Bring or purchase water at the show. When your body is not properly hydrated, you become loopy and irritable. Save yourself the embarrassment of apologizing for erratic behavior and drink plenty of fluids.

- Wear comfortable clothing and shoes. It’s important to be comfortable when you are walking for what seems like miles. You will be gathering much information and most likely carrying it in a tote bag. This bag becomes ridiculously heavy a few hours into the show. The lesson here is to leave your 4″ pumps for date night and don your sneakers. Bring a shoulder or messenger bag to collect information so that you can free up your hands.

- Be prepared to talk to the professionals. Take a moment prior to the show and write down which services or products you need. For example, if you already have a venue chosen and booked, there is no reason to stop and speak to pros representing venues. Unless your wedding requires multiple locations then of course, stop and ask questions. They are there to provide you with answers. And let’s be honest, they are there in hopes that you will choose their company to be a part of your wedding. When one of them approaches you to give you info, politely let them know that you already have a venue booked . Thank them for their time. This is just one example. The businesses representing their product and services are wanting to talk to you. This is the best time to visit and decide if you like them. Do you like their personality? Their price point? Their flexibility? It’s all right there for you.

- Bring your wallet and be ready to book the day of the show. This at first sounds crazy. What you want me to make a decision today? Yes is the answer. Many of the businesses will be offering a SHOW SPECIAL. What is that you ask? It can either be a coupon for a percentage off on their services/product. It could be an added value item if you book with them. We’ll use a bridal store as an example. In Seattle, the shows there have huge gown sales. The brides know that the prices will be way lower there than if they went to THAT store on any other day. So a gown that would be say $1000 would be offered for sale that day only for $800. One store offered free shoes on top of that. A value of $70. Another offered a free garter set and pressing. Value of that upgrade was $100. What we are trying to get across is that you can save substantially on taking advantage of a promotions offered at the show only.The best way to prepare yourself for this is to do research on which Wedding pros will be at the show. Make a list of those people you are interested in and go them right when you get to the show. The things that book up immediately will be venue (church and reception site), photographer and wedding coordinator. If any of these are on your radar keep in mind that the best pros and places get booked sometimes a year in advance. Do not be shy and ask if they are offering any promotions. If they do not offer any, still consider them as with or without a special, that person could be exactly what you are looking for. Be kind when they offer you their best deals. Keep in mind that they are in business for themselves and like you have bills to pay. Additional haranguing will only be demeaning to your character as well as insulting them. Moral of this story …..is to be fair and respectful.

- You will walk away with a literal BAG of information. Most brides NEVER go through the bag. It becomes too intimidating. If you are attending a show, it’s because you need info. Devise a system that works for you to help you quickly find the pros that you like. For example, “dog ear” the corner of business cards or brochures. Bring a bag of paperclips to put on their info. Have two bags or totes. One for those people you LOVE and one for other information. These are just examples. Find one that works with you.

- Once you get home weed through the bag and only keep the info that you are interested in. Offer your leftover collateral to a friend that may be getting married who did not have the chance to attend the show. Recycle the rest to be kind to Mother Earth! Organize them in your wedding binder (c’mon I know you have one). This makes it easier to refer to and everything will be at your fingertips.

- Cross off your list anything you got done after the show. Pat yourself on the bag for a job well done. And then…. move on to the next thing you need to get done on your TO DO list!

Sign up for the Bravo! Wedding Affair on Feb. 20th at the Embassy Suites Downtown Portland Hotel. Register here: www.bravowedding.com/weddingaffair　

Indulge Yourself with the Help of Event Cosmetics & Fada Salon

Bravo Publications — Wed, 05 Jan 2011 20:11:38 +0000

After the hectic holiday season, it’s time to focus on YOU and indulge yourself: Relax, Refresh, and Enjoy!

On Thursday, January 6th, from 3-8 p.m. at Joy’s Uptown in N.W. Portland, you will be able to sip local wines, munch on yummy appetizers and talk with nationally known make-up consultant Katherine Sealy from Event Cosmetics. She will be showcasing Spring make-up trends and help you select the most flattering shades of shadows, foundations, glosses, etc. for your coloring! Event Cosmetics is dedicated to brining out the most beautiful you on our special day and has been voted “Most Fabulous Hair & Makeup” in Oregon Bride 2009 & 2010!

Also come check out the current hair designs with the talented stylists from Portland’s Fada Salon. They specialize in high-fashion hair treatments, custom cuts, coloring, texturing, and waxing services in a chic salon environment.

For more information about this event please contact:

Samantha Michael
Marketing & Special Events Coordinator
Event Cosmetics
2808 NE MLK Blvd. Suite 3
Portland, OR 97212
(503) 788-5280