Toast Portland – A Gorgeous Wedding Showcase
let’s be real…most of my weekends consist of some uninteresting lounging, binge watching ‘house of cards’ (are you watching the new season?! can you sleep at night?!) and working. this weekend was different because i got to do a few fun things but first things first…
i got invited to attend TOAST Portland, a gorgeous wedding showcase! it was held in the elli studio in the pearl district of portland and if you’re local you know that means it can be nothing but extreme cuteness.
as i was checking in, someone said “oh, are you a journalist?” and i almost started jumping up and down because i totally must have looked like a journalist! instead i said, “actually, i’m a blogger for the new wifetyle but my husband has a degree in journalism.” i know, i say really helpful things.
everywhere i turned was a like a scene from a gorgeous wedding magazine and i immediately wished every spot in my home had this feel.
am i wearing pants that journalists wear?? i hope so.
it was honestly such a gorgeous event that i was snapping pictures nonstop and lost my wine glass no less than 4 times (that just goes to show how gorgeous everything was).
this dream boat came with me! i spent no less than 7 minutes convincing him that we needed to paint a wall a minty green and hang gold LOVE letters. i think i’m making headway.
one thing i love about wedding events is that most everyone who walks in the door is happy and excited! it’s all about love, feeling beautiful and celebrating your relationship.
one of my goals with the new wifestyle is to be a resource for new wives. there are so many great resources and tools for planning your wedding, but what about after that day is over? now don’t get me wrong, i LOVED my wedding day and even if it’s cliche to say, it was one of the best days of my life. however, more important than planning a fabulous wedding is creating and growing your marriage for the rest of your lives together.
one thing my husband and i were talking about as we checked out all of the awesome vendors available for portland brides-to-be, is how thankful we are that our wedding wasn’t the peak of our marriage.
we’ve never felt like that was the cream-of-the-crop-day and we haven’t been able to top it since. it was such a fun event where we were surrounded by our family and best friends, but we work hard to have our marriage be a fun event too! this requires scheduling love days and dating again.
oh why hello, nicholas.
happy matic photobooth was there and we obviously had way too much fun with it. i shrieked when i saw they had a big fluffy donut pillow! match made in heaven. it did not fit in my purse…i tried.
this event was made complete with whiskey brownies. one totally hopped into my mouth.
it’s fun to live in such a creative city filled with artists and companies who have stunning taste! there were definite times when i said “oh, we are SO doing that when we renew our vows!” which of course was followed by my husband saying “oh, we are renewing our vows? will i get an invitation?”
yes, of course you will dear.
the wedding industry continues to expand with options, ideas and more non-traditional ways to do things. i think it’s equally important to put the same or even more time, energy and money into creating a marriage that outshines your wedding day!
questions:
1) one of your favorite parts about your wedding, if you’ve gotten married?
2) one of the best things about your relationship today?
3) would you ever consider renewing your vows?
Audrey
March 9, 2015 at 10:42 am
Ah, weddings are so great! Thank goodness you were done with the whole 30 so you could indulge in those brownies!!
I loved, loved, loved our entire wedding! I loved that we were a little serious during the ceremony and totally silly and laid back the rest of the evening. We had perfect weather and perfect friends and family. It was such a fun day!
My best friend and I started a wedding planning business last year and I LOVE that we get to still be a part of the planning and creative process without it being our wedding!
Audrey recently posted…Good Advice – Bad Advice: Marriage Edition
chelsea
March 9, 2015 at 4:23 pm
i know, audrey! that cupcake was really the first super sugary thing i ate and it was delicious!
your wedding sounds like a perfect day! how fun that you and your bestie started a wedding planning business last year-totally love it!!!!
BalancingMamma.com
March 9, 2015 at 11:13 am
Our favorite part about our wedding was being able to incorporate our daughter into the festivities, it just wouldn’t have been the same with out her there.
The best thing about our relationship today is that nothing has changed. Everything is exactly the same as it was before we got married, I cant stress enough to other newly weds how it is important to still carve out time for one another like you used to pre-wedding.
I would love for us to be able to renew our vow at maybe 20 or 25 years, I think that making it through a quarter century together is a big deal and should be celebrated. Also after that long you have both changed and molded into one another, so it’s almost as though you are marrying someone completely different from 25 years prior.
-Katie
chelsea
March 9, 2015 at 4:26 pm
awww how fun that your daughter was a bit part of everything! interesting to hear how everything is exactly the same as it was before you got married, i feel like our relationship has changed quite a bit (but we’ve been married 4 years). could not agree more with how important it is to still carve out time like you used to pre-wedding!! quality time really matters in marriage!
totally get what you mean about growing and evolving after 25 years-it’s crazy and great and different (i would imagine) love that your considering celebrating a quarter of a century, kaite 🙂
chelsea recently posted…Toast Portland â A Gorgeous Wedding Showcase
Jennifer Haston
March 9, 2015 at 12:43 pm
Ah Chelsea, you have posted something very near and dear to our hearts. I was not always sure I would be getting married so when I found my prince and dove deep into the bridal magazines, dress fittings, and hoopla, not to mention the wedding extravaganza which did produce one good thing.. the cakeballs– but I digress. I had a hard time wrapping my head around the wedding being less important than the marriage…at first. My husband really helped me see that it was important because he said (in the midst of my REALLY needing to hear it) “I would really rather us focus on doing a beautiful wedding that doesn’t cost as much and set ourselves up better for July 17, 2061, because I am committing to you that I will be there on that day, and I think that will be a wonderful day too.” and at the time I had a HARD time wrapping my head around it but you know what he was right and after that I relaxed a lot more about all the things I “had” to have.. and just focused on the needs..-
To your questions:
1) one of your favorite parts about your wedding, if you’ve gotten married? I love that we danced into our reception to a song we both liked and did karaoke (which is how we met)
2) one of the best things about your relationship today? (we support each other in a steady diet of silliness and stalwart support for individual goals.
3) would you ever consider renewing your vows? Yes. July 11, 2061 (see above!)
chelsea
March 9, 2015 at 4:28 pm
haha mmmmm cakeballs! i totally know what you mean about almost the expectation of the wedding being a bigger deal than the marriage itself-i felt that at times too jennifer!
okay, i totally teared up at what your husband said about being there on july 17, 2061!!! that is the sweetest ever. so beautiful. i know what day will be a glorious day and i wish you many in between then too 🙂
Vivien
March 9, 2015 at 1:18 pm
A friend of mine is getting married this year. Quite awhile ago she set up a Facebook event to “test” it out with us young generation (she did send out traditional invitations later on). Under the invites to the event was of course herself and her fiancé. A couple of days later I saw someone had commented “I’m so glad I see [Groom] has noted on Facebook that he will be able to attend the event!” Somehow I found that comment hilarious.
Vivien recently posted…Letting Go, The Only Way
chelsea
March 9, 2015 at 4:30 pm
haha that is hilarious about the comment about the groom being present on the day too! haaaa i find it funny too! it is interesting to see how times are evolving with technology! i’ve heard of others sending e-vites out instead of traditional invitations at all. i’m only a little sad instagram wasn’t around when we got married because i would have loved to create our own hashtag hah 🙂
Rachel G
March 9, 2015 at 9:53 pm
I’ve never been to a photobooth anywhere, but I think it would be a lot of fun! This definitely looks like an exciting event for your weekend! My favorite part of our wedding was the chocolate fountain and the nachos.
(side note: apparently I haven’t changed much because when I was 7 my dad took me to a baseball game and later I told my mom the best part was the hot dog and popcorn. I like eating, apparently.)
Rachel G recently posted…Packing Light
chelsea
March 10, 2015 at 4:08 pm
i’ve only been to one other one but happymatic had it on lockdown! so many amazing accessories to choose from, i wanted them all.
you had a chocolate fountain and nachos at your wedding, rachel?! you just keep getting cooler. that sounds right up my alley! i’m with you about many events’ highlights being about food! mmmm
Emma Lincoln
March 9, 2015 at 10:56 pm
It was SO wonderful running into you 🙂 I think I might have yelled out your name and scared like 15 young-future-brides…Also, I really appreciate your point about having perspective – A wedding is a party and a marriage is a relationship between humans. Great post.
Emma Lincoln recently posted…4 Things I Learned about Travel Hacking
chelsea
March 10, 2015 at 4:10 pm
yeeeees! i loved running into you, emma! best treat ever! hope you scored some delicious brownies and got in the photo booth!
great way to summarize what i was trying say… wedding=awesome party and marriage=relationship between humans. you’re so smart!
Melissa C
March 10, 2015 at 5:02 am
how fun is this?! omg I love events like this. I think the donut pillow is my favorite. My husband and I would love to renew our vows. We had a courthouse wedding (7 years ago in Sept!) so I’d like to renew with a real dress and the big she-bang. lol. 🙂
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chelsea
March 10, 2015 at 4:12 pm
yeah…i totally wanted that donut pillow to live with me forever melissa! wow 7 years ago-crazy how time flies! i hope you get to renew your vows with the dress and everything someday!
Ashley @ Saving Money in your Twenties
March 10, 2015 at 7:17 am
hahaha I 100% agree with your decision to paint one wall mint green and hang gold LOVE letters. so cute!
Ashley @ Saving Money in your Twenties recently posted…Gettin Nosy! An Interview with Chelsea from The New Wifestyle
chelsea
March 10, 2015 at 4:13 pm
YES! we’ve got two votes here, ravery 🙂 i also find it awesome that your link back is to meeee on your blog today-yay! thanks again for having me, ashley!
Amber K
March 10, 2015 at 1:56 pm
This is such a great post. It looks like you had a ton of fun! I loved every single moment of our wedding. I often revisit and re-watch our wedding video to try and re-live some of the moments.
1. I think one of my most favorite moments of our wedding was our first dance as husband and wife. It was the perfect moment to take a big breath and spend some time “just the two of us” (if that makes sense?) I knew that we were being watched by all of our guests but it felt like it was just us. It was beautiful and so magical!
2. I think that one of the best things about our relationship today is that we’re still each other’s best friends. If anything, our relationship has grown stronger. We really are there for each other and I know that I could talk to Adam about anything. He’s the greatest guy and I appreciate having him in my life.
3. We would LOVE to renew our vows one day! We stayed at a gorgeous resort on our honeymoon in Hawaii and have dreamed about maybe renewing our vows there one day. We had such a blast and would love another chance to “re-pledge” our love to each other.
chelsea
March 10, 2015 at 4:15 pm
ohhh it totally makes sense about your first dancing being that time where you finally spend time just you two-weddings get so crazy with needing to make the rounds to say hi to everyone! sounds like such a sweet moment between you both!
so happy to hear that you and adam are even closer friends, amber! that makes my heart happy for you both. i will be stalking you via instagram when you go to renew those vows in that gorgeous sounding spot in hawaii!
Courtney! @ Redefining Athlete
March 12, 2015 at 9:42 am
My favorite moment (which changes every day) is the first few moments after we walked out of the church and we were alone for the first time. Despite anticipating and planning for it for almost a year, it was a “holy schnikeys that really just happened” kind of happiness 🙂
I keep telling my parents that Oktoberfest first started as a wedding celebration and that I would very much like for them to host a reception called “Cise-fest” every year for my friends. They aren’t too keen on that idea.. I don’t necessarily know how I feel about an actual vow renewal yet, but I’m deadset that every year we need to escape for our anniversary. Doesn’t matter if it’s to Hawaii or a Holiday Inn by KC Airport… That day is ‘sacred’ and I want to spend it away from every day life and to reflect on our relationship.
Courtney! @ Redefining Athlete recently posted…Things I’m Loving Lately (March 2015)
chelsea
March 13, 2015 at 10:11 am
aaww i have a huge grin on my face imagining that moment, courtney! please keep asking your parents to host ‘cise-fest’ for your friends (and invite me) ha that sounds awesome! i’m glad you are escaping each year around your anniversary-we do that too and call it another honeymoon!
so glad you both take the time to reflect on your relationship and celebrate your love 🙂
kris @ white pepper
March 12, 2015 at 8:38 pm
We had a blast being a part of toast this year, thank you for your feature!
Hmmm, 1. Probably the hour in between the ceremony and reception where we snuck away into the woods with our photographer (while guests enjoyed a cocktail hour) for photos. But it felt more like a special moment between the two of us alone to just breathe and revel in the moment before heading to the craziness of the reception.
2. Being partners in everything…business, house projects, parents of two littles, etc. The daily companionship through it all.
3. Now being in the wedding industry and being a part of events like this, I am DYING to get married over and over! Not only have our styles changed, but we value such different things almost 9 years later! Our budget, guest list, menu, everything would look different. So in that sense, I’d consider renewing vows. But honestly, I think I just want to have it for the excuse of another reception!
chelsea
March 13, 2015 at 10:13 am
absolutely-everything was SO gorgeous!
that sounds like a gorgeous setting in the woods with just the two of you (and some photographs) how beautiful, kris!
love hearing that you are a partnership in everything you do-that’s how it should be and makes it even more special (and sometimes hard) when you’re running a business together too! i sort of just want another reception too 🙂
chelsea recently posted…March Vlog – Books, Movies and Sugar’s Debut!
Anastasia Ivy
March 22, 2015 at 9:27 am
That looks like so much fun! I think I want to have another wedding in the future … same husband, just another ceremony.
Anastasia Ivy recently posted…My Spring Break To-Do List 2015