Life Adventures and the Everyday: A Magical Day - Everything I Hoped For and More

August 14, 2011

Our wedding day was everything I had hoped for and more. To get the whole picture (and anyone who reads this blog knows how much I love photos:) let me start at the beginning...

Tim proposed back in October of 2010, over the course of 10 months we found a place to get married that just clicked from the moment we walked in the door. There are many beautiful places that we found in Portland - Timberline however was just right for us. We love skiing, snowboarding, hiking, the outdoors, for all these reasons and more Timberline was were we chose to make the vows of a lifetime.

After many hours spent planning, we did most everything ourselves in part as we have wonderfully supportive family and friends. Added to which Timberline does most everything for you as far as setting up, catering - literally all I had to do was circle the multiple choice menu for the brunch that followed the wedding. All we had to do was find a florist, download our chosen songs to an ipod, find a photographer, choose clothes and accessories, and find an officiant. The last was easiest my husband had always wanted the pastor who baptized him to perform his wedding a long time family friend asking Pastor McCarthy to perform our wedding was the easiest part of planning. One meeting with the amazing Powers Photography Studios and Moving Pictures wedding and we had found our photographer and videographer. It also only took one actual visit to the amazing Jordan at Blum Floral Design to finalize the flowers. As to the clothes and accessories many thanks should be given to our wonderful siblings and friends who spent many hours mall walking, internet browsing, and discussing what to get. Timothy and I, well really it was Tim, made the Save the Dates, wedding invitations, wedding programs, place cards, wedding favors, put together the slideshow, and generally had the fun of doing things on our own... As one of our dear friends and one of our bridesmaids is a wedding planner we knew we had a back up if need be but really wanted to give her a chance to just get to "be a bridesmaid". After doing the wedding ourselves though we certainly understand why people hire her and we were grateful for her opinion whenever we got stuck! Which wasn't to often thanks to Tim! :)

The day prior to the wedding our party went up to the lodge for the wedding rehearsal and enjoyed a rehearsal followed by dinner at the Ice Axe Grill in Government Camp which was wonderfully fun. Half the fun of weddings I feel is to get to see family and friends; and we feel so blessed in our family and our friends they made this time in our lives so incredibly special and fun! I had the opportunity to spend the night at Timberline with my sister and maid of honor as well as two of my close friends and bridesmaids.

Tim and I headed to our Wedding Rehearsal Dinner @ Ice Axe Grill

Tim, with dear friends Athena, Tony, and Ray at the wedding rehearsal.

My sister Jennifer and I

Bridesmaid Kristy and I

Bridesmaid Nicole and I

Nicole and I hiking after the rehearsal dinner

Working out last minute wedding details :)

Mt Hood


Mt Jefferson

The day of the wedding Sunday - August 14, 2011 dawned bright and clear - I know this as I was awake prior to it and got to watch the sun come up... After some coffee a dear family friend Angela came to my sister's and mine's room and did my hair. It was so much fun to have my friends and family around me as I was getting ready and everything was so incredibly relaxed and allowed me to really be in the moment. I feel that I got to really "take in" everything and enjoy all the little pieces on such a magical day. Getting my make up done by make-up artist turned friend Erin was a blast especially with her barely 1 month old baby near by :) Then having a blast with my bridesmaids and dear friends while getting ready and taking pictures with the most fun and kind photographer ever Joni! Tim and I felt so blessed to meet and become friends with so many people on the journey to getting married.

Wedding Morning

Erin getting my ready for the wedding

Angela and my Mother - so wonderful to have friends and family together on such a special occasion.

My adorable flower girls and cousin's of my husband.

My sister helping me finish putting on my gown.

Tim and his Groomsmen

All ready to go get married :)

Angela putting the veil in my hair.

From the "First Look" with Tim and the photographer's prior to the wedding ceremony which was a wonderful idea everything was amazing if things had seemed magical prior to it felt like a fairy tale from the moment I got to walk out to see Tim. The best day of my life spending time with my family, friends, and most importantly my best friend and the man that I am spending the rest of my life with.

Headed to see Tim for "First Look"

First Look

Time in the field

Bride + Groom = Stephanie and Timothy Taylor

Our wedding party

Precious flower girls

Ray, Tim, and Tony - the boys just having fun :)

In front of Timberline Lodge

Our wedding programs

Wedding Ceremony

Us and our wedding guests!!!

Us and our flower girls

Our wedding rings sitting on top of our wedding favor fortune cookies (My ring on the right was in a fortune cookie that Tim made when he proposed. (Tim finished making his ring 3 days prior to the wedding:)

Cake Cutting... Just thinking about it makes me hungry. Our cake was by Judy from Dreamcakes. Dark Chocolate Buttercream Cake with Dark Chocolate Ganache and Toffee Crunch filling made up one flavor while the other was Lemon Poppyseed Buttercream Cake with Fresh Lemon Curd and whole blueberry and raspberries for filling.