Bryce and Elece wed in late January of this year in the snowy and sleepy town of Sisters, Oregon.  Five Pine Lodge was home to their big day, an event almost fourteen years in anticipation.  The couple met at summer camp as kids and that’s where this fairy tale began.

When it came time to plan the wedding and set a location, the bride and groom kept their love of snow and family at the top of their list.  Elece told us, “Although my family is spread out across the United States, Bryce is lucky enough to have most of his family living in either Washington or Oregon, which is one of the reasons we chose our venue. We both love to spend time outdoors and always knew we wanted to have a winter wedding. One of the reasons we chose the small town of Sisters, Oregon is because of its proximity to the Cascade Mountains, virtually guaranteeing snow in January. One of Bryce’s Uncles has a home just outside of Sisters that has served as a wonderful family gathering spot over the years and helped provide additional incentive to get married nearby. This local connection to the area made wedding planning easier and even provided the means to hold our rehearsal dinner at an adorable community hall in town.”

For the design of the day, the couple chose to translate the winter weather into the decor.  “I knew that I wanted to have a baby’s breath bouquet to mimic the lightness of snow and loved working with Sara of Blue Daffodil to come up with other ways to incorporate the flowers into the décor.  I was thrilled to see how beautifully everything came together, like the pine cone pomanders and garland.”  I absolutely love these first look photos in the woods under the cover of snow, captured by photographer Kimberly Kay.  But the bride shared with us that this moment almost didn’t happen as planned.  “We knew that planning a winter wedding would pose any number of weather-related challenges, but we did not expect one of them to be a dramatic lack of snow in the Cascades. Amidst unseasonably warm temperatures, a major winter storm was scheduled to hit the entire Pacific Northwest less than a week before our wedding. The problem was that the snow was scheduled to fall right when our bridal party was heading out of town, then turn to rain as soon as the actual wedding day came around. In the end nearly all of our guests were able to make the drive or flight to Sisters despite the severe weather, but the ground was still bare the morning of the wedding.  As Bryce and I saw each other for the first time before the ceremony, the most magical thing happened; it started to snow! Not just any snow either, we’re talking big, fat snowflakes that Kimberly and Chris captured perfectly in their photos. I’ll never forget that moment and am eternally grateful for all the answered weather prayers! “Then it was off to the lodge for a fireside ceremony and wintery warm reception.  “We wanted to keep the theme and décor of the wedding natural by decorating with things you could find in the area, such as pine cones and wood rounds, with twine and burlap accents.”With the bridal party bundled up for the chilly outdoors, the happy couple and friends braved the weather for for more snowy moments of magic.The reception was home to more baby’s breath and even a few DIY details.  “It was important to have at least a couple DIY elements, so I made the programs and menu cards, the chalkboard seating chart and place cards, and the bags of roasted pecans for the wedding favors. In a nod to our long relationship history, I also displayed some old high school dance photos of us that I hope made people laugh.”  And while there were some DIY elements, there were also a few technological advancements too.  Elece shared with us their use of Skype and a tablet during the ceremony.  “I’m one of three girls and am really close to all of my sisters, so it was a bittersweet moment when my sister Erin told me she was pregnant and due only 4 weeks after my wedding date. Although she was unable to fly to Oregon for the wedding, we Skyped with each other while I was getting ready that morning and then made sure she was able to take part in the ceremony.”  Such a great idea!

Then those in attendance danced the night away and filled up of pies before helping usher Bryce and Elece say good night amidst a sea of sparklers.

Congratulations newlyweds!

Destination Wedding Photographer:  Kimberly K Photo

Wedding Vendors: Venue: Five Pine Lodge, Wedding Dress: Casablanca Bridal, Officiant: Rev. Mary Ellen Decklemann, Floral Design: Blue Daffodil Flowers, Pies: Sisters Bakery, DJ: Star Productions, Faux Fur Coat: Fossil, Guest Book: Bleu De Toi