If you follow Blush Out West and Wren on Social Media you know her big day is fast approaching. The engagement seemed like a long one but the months have flown by. Wren and Jake got engaged back on Christmas Eve of 2022 and she got started knocking things off her list right away. In fact, I haven't had to help much at all! I've been here to run a few ideas by, shop for the wedding dress and pay a few deposits. I'm frequently reminded that when I got married almost 27 years ago, things were different, and yes, they do this now. No kidding, I walked away with 10 blurry photos and memories of doing the Macarena all night and that's about it.
Let's take a look at what Wren and Jake's big day looks like so far and who she has collaborated with to make this day a Western Wedding to remember!
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The Proposal ~
Jake proposed to Wren with a ring he picked out and had set with a diamond that was Wren's Great Grandma's, (it was my Grandma's on my mom's side).
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Wedding Vision ~
Early on, a couple of months after they got engaged, I flew to Oregon for a weekend of wedding planning. One of the first things we did was create a mood board, which was really fun. Wren knew what colors she liked and the vibe she was going for. A mood board gives you a physical compilation of all that you love; the ribbons, fabrics, flowers, textures, colors, etc. It reminds you to focus on what your vision is for your big day because there are so many options out there and it's easy to get sidetracked. Looking back at it a year later, she really has stayed on target with her initial vision. It really helps to put your ideas down on something to bring them to life.
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Wedding Venue ~
That weekend was also a time for us to begin to check out wedding venues. There's lots of farming and ranching in the surrounding areas so there are quite a few venues that fit the aesthetic Wren had in mind. They knew they wanted an outdoor wedding with a big barn that could accommodate a lot of guests. We made a fun day of this, heading out with Jake's mom, Trisha, myself and Wren. We saw several places, with one of them becoming a main contender. One of the other places we checked out was Coleman Ranch, which we just used for The Cowgirl Code of the West Retreat!
After that initial weekend Wren checked out several more places and ultimately chose The Farm on Golden Hill in Silverton, Oregon. It is a sixth generation historic family farm with a big old beautiful white barn set amongst vineyards and rolling green hills. It has the cutest bridal suite, another area upstairs set with sofas and antique vanities for the wedding party to hang out in, a huge lawn area and a dance floor with lights, an old truck filled with flowers and lots of gorgeous flowers pots everywhere. They will also be serving The Farm on Golden Hill Wine, which is fun!
Silverton, Oregon, is not too far from where Jake has been born and raised and where Wren and Jake now call home, which will make it very convenient for 2/3 of the huge guest list, 250+ !!! The rest of us, Wren's whole side, will be flying in from California and Colorado. The large guest list also narrowed down the venue options because not many can accommodate that many people, but The Farm on Golden Hill can accommodate parties of all sizes.
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Photographer ~
Another item at the top of her list was their photographer. Plan early! As important as photos are these days to document these milestones, photographers are busy, busy! They book out far in advance, so Wren got on it right away. She had it narrowed down to a couple of photographers that she loves, but ultimately, she chose Alexandra Rae Photo. She has long admired her talent! Of course, Wren and Jake have already done their engagement photos, so here's a sampling of Alexandra Rae's work.
Wren is wearing a Western & Co suede cape in the engagement photos. Side note...Wait until you see the exclusive piece we have coming for Blush from Western & Co that will debut at the wedding!
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Floral Design ~
One of my favorite parts of any wedding or event, the flowers! Back in the day when her dad and I got married, my most important piece of getting married was our honeymoon. And it was a dream come true. We went to Tahiti and came back with a bun in the oven. Our wedding was done on a budget so we could afford the honeymoon so "we" did our own flowers. Meaning my mom, Aunt Nancy and maid of honor and I got up really early the day before the wedding and headed to the flower mart in San Francisco and bought all the flowers we would need. We then worked on flowers all day and evening and I loved every minute of it!
Wren doesn't quite have my love for working with flowers so she was happy to hire a florist to get exactly what she wants. She is trusting Kimmie with Wild Fern Florals who is super talented, to bring her floral visions to life. We got to experience a bit of Kimmie's creativity at the Cowgirl Code of the West Retreat when she led us all in creating gorgeous fresh floral wreaths. Obviously, she does wedding and event florals and special occasion arrangements, but she also does workshops all around the Portland area. I would highly recommend attending one. It was a big hit with all the gals at the retreat, even the non-crafty ones! Kimmie will also have fresh bouquets for Mother's Day at our upcoming Cowhides & Cocktails Fashion Show. Here is a look at the workshop.
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Wedding Dress ~
Yes, the dress has been chosen. No, I'm not including it, Wren would not be happy if I showed it. Let's just say, its name is Joan, which was my mom's real name even though she went by Joanne. It's very couture. It has an unexpected twist to it. It was the "wild" card brought over by the stylist for Wren to try on. It is GORGEOUS. Her grandmother would approve!
Wren headed home to Colorado for a day of dress shopping with me and two of her bridesmaids, Savannah and Sarah. We had a fun day going to two dress shops, Emma & Grace and Luv Bridal, and grabbing lunch. She really didn't think she'd find what she was looking for that day, but she was taken by surprise! Stay tuned for THE ONE....Here are a few that she tried. One of them was the runner up.
In a couple of weeks, we get another day of wedding dresses! Wren's dress is in and so is Bradi's, her maid of honor, so along with Bradi's mom, the four of us are going for the girls to do their fittings and lunch. Can't wait to see the dresses on these two!
Is there anything better than trying on wedding dresses?
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Hair ~
What is a gorgeous dress without fabulous hair? Wren has teamed up with her good friend and bridesmaid Savannah. She is an updo specialist and works at Drybar for her day to day, but she also does lots of weddings and events and will be doing Wren's hair and the bridal party's hair for the big day. She's located in Colorado and you can find her @moodystyleshair.
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Catering ~
Wren and Jake are getting a sweet deal on the catering. Jake does a lot of private beef sales and uses Ebner's Custom Meats for all of his butchering needs and they have partnered up with him for the wedding festivities. Yum!
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Donkeys ~
Yes Donkeys! This happens to be my favorite part, besides the dress. They are two of the cutest mini donkeys that will be adorned in florals and baskets. The donkeys will be provided by Darlin Donkeys in Canby, OR.
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Thank you to all these amazing wedding vendors that want to be a part of Wren and Jake's big day in August. This is the making of a Western Wedding to remember! There are lots of other little details that have been added to make the day special and we can't wait to share it all with you!
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