Oaks Pioneer Church Bridal Open House: Come see the newly refurbished Oaks Pioneer Church this Saturday at their Open House. Explore the freshly painted historic building with gorgeous stained windows and beautiful interior all located in a park-like setting overlooking the Willamette River. All this beauty provides wonderful photo opportunities on your special day.
Oaks Pioneer Church Open House – Saturday, Jan 28^th from 12 to 2. Oaks Pioneer Church - 8210 SE 13th Ave, Portland Oregon

Oregon Wedding Showcase: From the traditional to the unique, The Oregon Wedding Showcase has something for every bride. Talk with experts, see the latest wedding trends, and discover new ideas as well as take advantage of money-saving show specials. Over 25 years of experience putting on the best bridal shows in the Willamette Valley! The Salem show is this Saturday & Sunday, at the Oregon State Fairgrounds, 2330 17th St. NE in Salem Oregon. Hours are Saturday 10am to 5pm and Sunday 11am to 4:30pm. Over 100 vendors from cakes to formal wear to gowns to catering and venues. Two professional fashion shows each day featuring the latest gowns and formal wear.

Marry ME!. SUNDAY, January 29th at the Hilton Vancouver Washington’s Convention Center, beginning at 10:00am, the event opens with live music and an interactive marketplace where couples can “play with linens”, meet area wedding pros, see dozens of full size wedding cakes and learn the 1,2,3’s of how to plan for their big day! Exhibitors will showcase the newest products, services, ideas and trends available to the market. There will be plenty of sampling and new ideas to see, from the well-recognized traditions to the hottest trends in the industry.

Vancouver, Washington (January 29th, 2012) – The Greater Vancouver Bridal Show, (the annual winter wedding event) announces its new name of Marry ME!. SUNDAY, January 29th at the Hilton Vancouver Washington’s Convention Center, beginning at 10:00am, the event opens with live music and an interactive marketplace where couples can “play with linens”, meet area wedding pros, see dozens of full size wedding cakes and learn the 1,2,3’s of how to plan for their big day!

Brides Against Breast Cancer: FIND THE GOWN OF YOUR DREAMS AND BRING SUPPORT, EDUCATION AND HOPE TO SOMEONE AFFECTED BY CANCER”

January 21st and 22nd at the DoubleTree Hotel Portland - 1000 NE Multnomah St, Portland.

“Brides Against Breast CancerTM” gown sales continue to be important fund-raising events for Brides Against Breast Cancer. Our more than 32 yearly shows provide brides-to-be with an opportunity to find their dream gown (at an incredible savings) while contributing to services that provide support, education and hope to people affected by breast cancer.

The 2012 Bravo! Wedding Affair, this Sunday, January 22nd at the Embassy Suites Portland Downtown, will offer big giveaways for its brides this year.

“The January Wedding Affair is a dynamic boutique event for the newly engaged bride. It showcases upcoming trends for weddings in an intimate setting. This is not their mother’s bridal show. Modern women are busy and this event allows for them to experience the products and interview for services they’ll need rather than having to sift through paperwork to discern which companies they want to interview,” said Mary Lou Burton CEO of Bravo.

This year, attendees will not only be able to save time by planning their entire wedding in one afternoon, but local vendors are investing more into big giveaways for the busy bride such as spa packages, bachellorette parties and honeymoon getaways.

Click here to purchase tickets! Please note that online ticket sales end Saturday at Noon. Tickets are always available at the show.

Bravo! January 2012 Wedding Affair Program

From the traditional to the unique, The Oregon Wedding Showcase has something for every bride. Talk with experts, see the latest wedding trends, and discover new ideas as well as take advantage of money-saving show specials. Over 25 years of experience putting on the best bridal shows in the Willamette Valley!

The Eugene show is this weekend, January 14th and 15th at the Lane Events Center 796 W. 13th Avenue Eugene Oregon. Hours are Saturday 10am to 5pm and Sunday 11am to 4:30pm. Over 100 vendors from cakes to formal wear to gowns to catering and venues. Two professional fashion shows each day featuring the latest gowns and formal wear.

The Salem Show is January 28th and 29th at the Oregon State Fairgrounds, 2330 17th St. NE in Salem Oregon. Hours are Saturday 10am to 5pm and Sunday 11am to 4:30pm. (Different exhibitors – same features as Eugene with over 100 vendors, fashion shows etc.)!

Oregon Wedding Showcase

Advance tickets can be purchased at www.oregonweddingshowcase.com for $7. Admission at the door is $9 and $1 off coupons are available through most show vendors.

Check out their Facebook page:  http://www.facebook.com/oregonweddingshowcase for for contests to win tickets to the shows!

Finally, Oregon Wedding Showcase offers a fully interactive website with planning tools, ability to ask multiple vendors questions on services, availability or any other types of questions in just one email.

From the bride (Nicole Darabi): “My husband Nima and I were married on May 14th, 2011 in Portland’s hip historic pearl district.  Many of the finest vendors in Portland helped support our modern twist on a traditional Catholic/Persian wedding. The day was magical, joyous, and emotional. We chose colors of plums, magenta’s, graphite grey, black and white along with orchids, peonies, roses, and anenomies in jewel tones themed the day along with modern damask print patterns. We had 15 people in our wedding party and 300 guests for a dynamic day filled with joyous activities. Nima and his guys gathered at our home while I got ready at The Nine’s Hotel with my girls, seeing each other for the first time at the progressive Indigo 12 West (both of these buildings Nima’s firm helped design and build), our first ceremony at the St. Mary’s Cathedral was an important part to me. The ceremony was accompanied by a choir. After our exit we had a 9 pedicab escapade for our wedding party through the Pearl District to Pure Space for yes, a second ceremony since Nima is Persian. One of the favorite details of the day was Nima’s Aunt Malekeh who put exquisite traditional touches on the Sofreh for the traditional Persian ceremony yet kept it modern enough for our reception. This ceremony was fun and playful with Nima dancing in with his parents to music. My maid of Honor and Nima’s Aunt read Rumi and Nima & I feeding each other honey, a fine Persian tradition. Afterward guests were open to explore, enjoy a drink or hang out in the lounge area. We also had a photo booth which was so much fun to play and get wild with various props. Everyone knows that we love to have a good time with family and friends so that was the main objective for our day. Because both the Catholic & Persian ceremonies were so traditional we wanted to make sure our guests were given the proper environment at their reception to let loose, eat, drink, and dance the night away. We equally showcased both of our cultures throughout the day and especially the reception.  Because I am Puerto Rican/Italian and Nima is Persian it definitely paved the way for a festive party and the amazing DJ to throw down some great dance music. We had everyone on the dance floor from the time we were announced as bride and groom and continued non-stop to the end of the night. We even had a surprise salsa dancing performance! People kept telling me months before my wedding to take it all in, so I made myself stop and look around numerous times throughout the evening saying “Honestly, this experience was the best day of my life and it makes me that much more excited for our journey ahead.”

From Molli Barrs – Soiree: “Working with Nicole and Nima was a wonderful experience.  As coordinators it was our job to understand their vision and help make it happen.  We not only managed their vendors and ensured the event ran smoothly but we also maintained a great relationship with the bride and groom throughout the process to make sure their vision was communicated to their vendors.  As we are working with clients we like to help them find ways to incorporate their personalities, style, and cultural traditions.  What was unique about Nicole and Nima’s wedding was that there were two ceremonies, the first a traditional Catholic ceremony and a second Persian ceremony to celebrate Nima’s heritage.  It was a lovely blend of two cultures and the guests really enjoyed the experience. There were a lot of moving pieces to this wedding.  We appreciated that Nicole and Nima hired us for our expertise and recommendations and trusted us to pull all the details together and make their dream wedding perfect.  It was a real treat to work with such a fantastic couple, not to mention their great team of vendors.

Also, please bring an unwrapped toy to be donated to a holiday toy drive. The Lounge Players look forward to celebrating a fun and festive evening with all of you brides and grooms to be, as well as those in the wedding industry! Please RSVP Here.

Wedding Lounge Holiday Open House

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!

Themes:
Decadence
Je t’Adore
Rustic Vineyard with a Touch of Tuscany
So Now Vintage
Town & Country
Tour of Elegance
Urban Chic – A Winter Wedding

Destination Weddings:
Central Oregon
Mt. Hood/Columbia River Gorge
Oregon Coast
Willamette Valley

Entertainment: Collage Trio & John Ross Music

Giveaways: Enter to win fantastic giveaways from, Columbia Cliff Villas, Martin’s Gorge Tours, Mt. Hood SkiBOWL, Star Productions DJ, The Party Scoop & more!

You don’t want to miss this show! Sunday, Nov. 6th, 2011 – 11 a.m. to 4 p.m. at Embassy Suites Hotel Downtown Portland. Click Here to Purchase Tickets.

Bridal Show Tip: Avoid filling out multiple entry forms by hand – bring address labels with all your contact info. Be sure to include your email address & wedding date. This will save you time & your hand!

Urban Green Sustainable Wedding - February 2011 Wedding Affair. Images by AJ's - Art of Joy & Embassy Suites

Russian Tea Room - February 2011 Wedding Affair - Images by AJ's - Art of Joy

• Visit with over 25 vendors
• Tour The Benson Hotel
• Have a pre-wedding make-up session
• Taste great food
• and Much, much, more

October 29, 2011 - 10:00 AM to 4:00 PM

The Benson Hotel - 309 SW Broadway, Portland

Free to brides, grooms, their parents, and their wedding parties.

Weddings at The Benson Hotel

Grooms by Aj's - The Art of Joy

Wendy, of Flowers by Wendy will be showing a variety of boutineers, while Magnifique Boutique will be presenting the latest tuxedo styles.  The Lounge looks forward to having the Wedding Cottage back to display grooms and groomsmen gifts. They will also welcome Jeff Trinci, a special guest from the Groomslist who will be on hand to chat with all of the grooms. Ed Ryan, of Portland Cigar Company will also be in attendance showing his unique engraved cigars. Last, but certainly not lease, The Lounge  players will wrap up the evening with a raffle, giving away several fun door prizes. So grooms grab your brides, or vise versa, and come enjoy a lovely evening at the Wedding Lounge. REGISTER HERE