• Real Weddings

Callie knew she wanted her wedding to be a simple, casual and romantic evening in late Summer/early Fall. With a color palette of blush tones, and warm purples Callie pull that seasonal transition off stunningly.
The venue, Orchard Home Bed & Breakfast, had such natural beauty that the couple didn't want to overdo it with too many decorations, and we agree! See more of this pretty blush and purple wedding in the full gallery here, photographed by Olivia Leigh Photography.

Google To The Rescue

I wanted my bridesmaids to be able to pick their own dresses, and the groomsmen, their own suits, so I went with a palette of blushes, grays, and beiges. I wanted the flowers to be loose and textured, so we included things like olive leaf, Dusty Miller, and fresh lavender. In terms of organization (something that is NOT my strong-suit) Google Drive was my best friend and helped with all aspects of the wedding from the seating chart (Google Sheets) to music playlists (Google Docs) to guest information (Sheets).

A Love Note To The Groom

James is hard to describe without sounding totally and utterly cliche. He is charming, witty, reverent, caring, sincere, genuine, loving and really, really good looking. James loves all things outdoors, and because of this, I know our life will always be filled with adventure. He is admirably loyal to both friends and family and he is so incredibly thoughtful. The joy on the faces of others when he walks into a room is palpable, it's simple: everyone loves James. To say I am lucky is an understatement. To say I couldn't imagine life with anyone BUT James, is the God's honest truth. He is my guy.

Coordinators Are Fantastic

I cannot stress this detail enough: have a day-of coordinator! Our venue came with a built-in planner/coordinator that took care of all the details of the day. She is an event planner and has been doing weddings for 15+ years and that kind of experience is invaluable. If a wedding coordinator isn't in your budget, start asking some of your most organized girlfriends if they would be willing to help you out. Make sure it is someone who can be assertive and make some game-time decisions, if need be. I found that people love to help out with weddings, and many are honored to even be asked.

The Perfect Day Doesn't Need To Be Perfect

Don't sweat the small stuff! I woke up to dark skies and a flat tire the morning of the wedding and we almost had to order extra tents at the last minute, it rained during bridal party pictures, guests were cold, one of my nephew's refused to be a ring-bearer right before the ceremony, my cathedral veil got stuck on the cobblestone path and I had to ditch it in front of all the guests as I was about to walk down the aisle, I forgot the groom's cake...BUT, in the end, I wouldn't change a single thing. It may sound trite, but all that mattered was that I got to marry James and become his wife; a dream come true!

Advice Regarding Food!

I highly recommend having someone go get you a plate of food at your reception and have it ready and waiting at your seat after you are announced for the first time.  There isn't much I'd do differently, as our day, in my eyes, was perfect. However, given the chance for a do-over I would change ONE thing: make sure we had food in our room at the end of the evening. We had some snacks leftover from the morning, but my husband and I craved some comfort food (pizza/pasta/something greasy) after the long day.

How we met: We grew up in the same town, went to rival high schools/graduated the same year, had plenty of mutual friends, and yet, somehow, never managed to meet until post-college in April 2012. The Bella Union is a restaurant in Jacksonville, Oregon that hosts a beer event each Spring on their back patio. I was accompanied by a good friend of both James and mine, Emily Gross, and as I was standing there, sipping on a delicious brew, a mutual friend, Brody Sullivan, walked through the bar doors with a tall drink of water in tow, James. I leaned over to Emily and asked, "Who is THAT?!" She replied, "Oh, that's James Kidwell. You know James, right?" I told her no, but that I needed to be introduced, immediately. We met, had group conversation, and as I went to refill my beer Emily, being the radical wing-woman that she is, told James that I thought he was cute. James then told her, "I'll take it from here..." and followed me over to the bar. Ours is one of those, "and the rest is history," stories, and I'm so grateful that James and I are the characters.

• 2nd Photographer: Lacie Lauree Photography
• Cakes: Koren Collier
• Catering: Confident Catering
• Coordinators, Stylists, & Flowers: Jeanie Payne
• Photographers: Olivia Leigh Photography
• Venue: Orchard Home B & B
• Wedding Films: Lotus Motion Pictures