Nelda walked into the bar and scanned the room for the dark haired gentleman, trying to find a face that matched the one on the dating site she had been talking to. Charles moved his head to the side and his eyes stopped on her instantly. He watched as a petite frame came closer to him, her expressive eyes and bright smile directed his way.

The two continued to meet up, each date bringing new conversation, laughter, and friendship. It wasn’t until they had gone on a few dates that Nelda paused and thought “OH, this could be something real!” And “something real” is exactly what happened, their friendship turning into love and love turning into a proposal.

Nelda and Charles reside in Sacramento California, but chose to have a destination wedding with close family and friends, picking Portland for it’s landscape beauty and copious amounts of tasty food. They tied the knot at Leach Botanical Gardens, a lush plant-filled grounds tucked inside the city. Their reception followed at the Elder Hall of Nedd Ludd, a craft kitchen that sources local ingredients based on the Pacific Northwest seasons, and cook everything on a brick-faced, wood-fired oven (I mean, amazing).

We met up with Nelda + Charles the day before their wedding in the Alberta Arts District of Portland for an extra session of goodness. The day had been raining on and off, but we managed to squeeze in some photos when the rain held back – at least for a moment!

Leave it to Portland to have perfect wood constructed walls with an overhang we could snuggle into to get away from the rain!

Nelda and her ladies got ready for the wedding in an airbnb they were renting for the weekend, and the weather forecast for the day was perfectly warm and wonderful.

 

Wedding Coordinator: Liz Flaherty
Ceremony Venue: Leach Botanical Gardens (special thanks to the Venue Coordinator, Vanessa McMillin)
Reception Venue + Food: Elder Hall at Ned Ludd
Makeup Artists: Mitra Momtazi and Erin Toft Artistries
Cakes: Palace Cakes

 

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Steve was in Ann Arbor working on a three year residency to become a periodontist when he decided to take a weekend trip and head towards the Twin Cities. His roommate from dental school was living there, and the two of them were prepared for a weekend of fun and relaxation. The one thing Steve wasn’t prepared for was meeting his roommates longtime friend from high school and college.

Enter Patricia. Or Trish, as she’s more commonly known by. Steve followed his friend into Trish’s apartment and instantly stopped in his tracks. She was tall with light sparkly eyes, and had a long crown of golden hair that would make any head turn. Their eyes met and she flashed him the most pearly white smile, while her hand made a motion to a table of food for the boys (mac+cheese, hot dogs, pretzels and ketchup was her specialty). The night rolled on into laughing and good cheer, and by the end of the weekend Steve had Trish’s number punched into his phone.

The months that followed were filled with weekend trips to see each other, sometimes in the towns they lived, but mostly in random cities and places they could both drive about halfway to. They could barely go a month without seeing one another, and their weeknights were filled with long phone conversations lasting for hours. Their dream came true when they both landed jobs in the same town in Northern Michigan. Trish packed up her dog, Gatsby, and hit the road to meet her man in their new home, ready for their happily ever after.

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The weather was warm, almost soft feeling, with heavy morning clouds rolling away in the distance. Cassey stood in the upstairs bedroom of her parents home twisting the curls in her hair and adjusting the veil that sat on top of her head. Faint music began to play from somewhere outside, and she peered out the window to see guests hopping off of the tractor, mingling, and laughing as they made their way to the seats made of hay bales for the ceremony. Cassey took a deep breath as the feeling of butterflies lingered inside of her. A knock came at the door, and a letter was handed to her, the simple tiny words on the front read “future bride.” Cassey moved a piece of golden hair away from her eyes as she opened the letter and began to read the words. Fighting back tears she breathed again, this time even deeper, and a sparkling smile formed across her face. This was it, the day she would marry her best friend, and it was nothing short of perfect.

 

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