Emergency kit must-haves

Most brides know the importance of having a wedding day emergency kit on hand, and a quick Google search can give you a list of the 100 most common items to include: deodorant, bobby pins, clear nail polish, safety pins, hand sanitizer, etc. In our line of work we see (and avert) many emergencies with just such a kit. And our experience has led us to include a few choice items that may not have surfaced on everyone's list. Here are a few handy carry-alongs we don't head to a wedding without:

1. Breath mints. Even if it is just a 1 1/2 calorie tic tac, everyone feels better walking down the aisle with a little something to freshen their breath and brighten their smile. Mints are something that the bride and/or groom will have likely thought about - being the ones to have "the kiss" and all - but most of the wedding party, and even an occasional officiant, are very pleasantly surprised when offered a mint just before the start of the ceremony.

2. White chalk. You pay hundreds or thousands of dollars for your dress, and then fork out even more to have a professional follow you around and take hundreds of pictures of you wearing it. The last thing you want is a grass stain or footprint in the middle of your train, but a simple box of white chalk can cover up many of the smudges and smears that accumulate on the skirt of your dress as you traverse your venue prior to the ceremony.

3. Place cards. General white and silver place cards can be found at any party supply store - we carry these everywhere. One little place card can go a long way when you need to make a last-minute name change or label a buffet item with an allergen alert.

4. Bug spray. One particular midsummer wedding boasted a perfect outdoor setting. A light breeze kept the guests cool...and kept extinguishing the citronella candles. When the sun went down, the bugs came out, and we were thankful that we were able to smother our bride with a scent-free bug repellent to keep her looking gorgeous and feeling comfortable throughout the evening - and send her off on her honeymoon bite-free.

5. Lighter. Most every venue has these, but a just-in-case extra is a must. Position it in a subtle location up front at the ceremony, and make sure someone in the wedding party knows it's there. Without this safety net in place, the unity candle segment has the potential to take an embarrassing turn...

6. Scissors. When you need them, you need them, and there is just no substitute. Our kit has a couple pairs.

7. Tape. So many varieties, and each fulfill specific purposes...the uses are endless!
duct: holds down electrical cords to avoid tripping hazards
packing: fixes hems, removes lint
floral: takes care of any bouquet and/or boutonniere issues that arise
double-sided: ensures would-be orphaned cards are securely attached to their respective wedding gifts, keeps bra straps in place, etc.

8. Cable ties. After pulling off one of our greatest events last fall, we will never go anywhere without our trusty cable ties. You never know when circumstances will require some item to be secured or tied down: bouquets on chairs, tablecloths on picnic tables, or pop-up tents to keep the rain at bay.

9. Dryer sheets. These offer a remedy for static cling, frizzy hair, etc.

10. Your OTC friends. Not that it's necessary to bring along the entire contents of one's medicine cabinet, but being prepared is better than remembering a wedding for the fact that a 911 call was made. Case in point: the groom at one outdoor wedding was paranoid of getting a bee sting - to which he was severely allergic. We kept some Benadryl stashed away for such an event...to ensure the worst-case scenario became a non-event.

11. Drinking straws. Offer one to the bride for any beverage she may be sipping: even drips from a water bottle can smudge a perfectly coiffed bride minutes before 'go time.'

These are just a few of our standbys - tried and true. Maybe they can help you avert disaster! We'd love to hear from our readers: any other miscellaneous items that have saved the wedding day?

Featured Vendor: Amanda Schlarbaum

Searching for someone to create a beautiful, tasty wedding cake? Look no further than Amanda Schlarbaum, this month's featured wedding vendor. Amanda's skill has been honed in various parts of the country and in multiple realms within the pastry world. She discusses her confectionery creations below...we dare you to keep your mouth from watering!

Tell us about your background in pastry.

I got my start decorating cakes for Cornerstone Confections in Salem, Oregon. We prepared cakes for a local restaurant and also did special event cakes as well as wedding cakes. I graduated from The Culinary Institute of America in Hyde Park, New York, with an associate degree in baking and pastry. After graduating, I got a job in Telluride, Colorado, as a chocolatier and also created cakes for them. Currently, I am baking for two different companies and continue to make cakes on the side.

What is your favorite part about crafting wedding cakes?

I love the decorating and construction of the cake. The baking of the cake is more stressful to me. Delivering the cake and setting it up is always nice: you get to see the final product in its final environment, and there is usually someone around to tell you how fabulous it looks.

"My favorite weddings always...{fill-in-the-blank}."

...are the ones where people don't stand around telling me how to stack a wedding cake. ;)

What makes you an excellent pastry chef?

I am usually my worst critic, so if I am happy with the product, there is a good chance you will be happy, too!

What is your favorite flavor of cake that you offer?

Chocolate, with any filling. It will be more moist than white cake and almost everyone likes chocolate cake. {Note from DCW: She has this great secret about dousing the cake in simple syrup that keeps it so moist. I honestly have never tasted a chocolate cake as good as the one she did for a client's wedding last fall. With peanut butter filling...yum!}

What has been the most enjoyable wedding cake for you to create?
I really like working with fondant, but a particular buttercream favorite was a request in Colorado: a cake decorated with drawn mountains and trees around the sides, almost like an icing painting.

And the most challenging?
A request for a groom's cake with a wood grain pattern. I had never attempted a wood grain design, and I had about two months to figure it out. The cake was so stressful and even now I see all the bad in it. Although everyone was impressed with that cake.

How does a DOC make your job easier?
It's nice to have someone there with a schedule and who knows the plan. I have set up cakes where no one is in charge, and I have to hunt for someone to tell me where to put the cake. It's nice to have everything organized and easier for me to get in and set up and leave quickly.

Do you accommodate special dietary requests (i.e. dairy free, gluten free, kosher, etc.)?
Yes. I don't have recipes for special dietary cakes, but I am willing to find good recipes that work. Everyone should be able to eat their own wedding cake!

Are there any cost-cutting tips to consider when choosing a wedding cake?

Consider the ingredients. I personally charge extra for the use of fondant and marzipan. You can do great things with fondant, but since most people don't really eat either one, I often prefer using buttercream. It can be made to look just as smooth and perfect, and is more suited to people's taste. Organic cakes can be done, requiring the use of organic flours and sugars, cage-free eggs, etc...but keep in mind this also adds to the cost.

And she's not limited to cakes. Trained as a pastry chef, Amanda has expertise in all things pastry: truffles, tarts, cupcakes, pies, etc. So if you are in the market for an alternative to wedding cake, it's a good bet she can create it for you! She prefers to know the specifics of a pastry request at least three months in advance and requires a 20% deposit to hold the day.

Contact Amanda at aschlarbaum@gmail.com or 503.310.1275.

We've got to sign off now. We have a serious craving for something sweet...

Planning a summer wedding?

Are you getting married this summer? You have likely thought through many of the "big" details: the dress, the venue, the photographer, and the flowers, but here are a few other things to consider when preparing for your big day...

1. Keep people comfortable. Summer can be hot. Really hot. Even in Oregon. If your wedding is to be held outdoors, plan to have shaded areas (tall trees, or a large tent). Provide plenty of cold beverages - whether by way of an open bar, a lemonade stand, or large coolers filled with bottles of water. Your guests and wedding party will be grateful for the refreshing drinks. And please don't suggest guest attire that doesn't fit the temperature. Asking men to wear jackets and ties outside in the middle of August is just cruel. 2. Save the date. Summer is a very busy time for most people. Weekends quickly fill with activities, events and vacations. In order to give your guests as much warning as possible, we recommend sending a save-the-date six months prior to your wedding day. If a mailed save-the-date does not fit into your budget, spread the word by mouth (or via a wedding website or social networking, with discretion), and aim to have your wedding invitations mailed ten weeks before your big day.

3. Think about the food. Imagine sitting by the pool on a hot, dry, sunny afternoon. Think about what would sound good to eat: fresh fruits, salads, cold soups, barbecued chicken, iced tea and light desserts. You will likely be meeting with your caterer in the dead of winter when you are craving pasta, chili and hearty breads. Keep in mind that your event is still months away and the weather will change. Heavy foods and hot days just don't mix. 4. Utilize the environment. If you are planning an outdoor wedding, you really don't need to go crazy with additional decor. Make sure what you use blends well with the rest of the venue: flowers, greenery, light linens, paper lanterns, etc. 5. Be ready to repel. Many summer weddings last well into the night - long after sunset. Don't forget that when the sun goes down, the bugs come out. Make sure you are prepared with citronella candles, bug sprays, etc. Take care to choose a brand/scent that won't overwhelm. 6. Be kind to your party. Your guests aren't the only ones to have in mind...don't forget to consider your wedding party! An outdoor wedding in the summer is a great time for bridesmaids to wear tea length dresses and sandals and for groomsmen to sport slacks and a button-up shirt. Skip the nylons, the tuxes and the ties. The same goes for the bride and groom - perhaps you should avoid full skirts, long trains and cathedral-length veils. Much of this ultimately comes down to common sense, really. In addition to these tips, think back to past summer weddings you've attended and recall what you wish the bride and groom would've provided for your comfort when you were their guest!

Event recap

We had a fantastic time at last weekend's "Very Engaging Bridal Event" at Bridgeport Village. We were able to talk with many brides and visit with a few other quality local vendors. (Stay tuned...you may see them featured here someday soon.) Thanks to everyone who stopped by to say hello.

Another big shout-out to Staci from Mapel Boutique for graciously inviting us to spend the day networking against the backdrop of her attractive store. We even got to introduce DCW and test our skills as guest authors on her Shop Mapel blog.


Did any of our readers take in the event? Feel free to comment and let us know what you thought!

Featured Vendor: Bethany F Photography

A regular offering on the DCW blog will be a focus on a certain key professional in our area's wedding industry. And for our esteemed first vendor, it seemed only suitable to feature Bethany F Photography.

Bethany Fegles is a premier wedding and portrait photographer in Portland, Oregon. But in addition to her impeccable style and skill with a camera, the person behind the lens is quite honestly someone you'd want at your wedding anyway. She somehow lends a laid-back energy to her shoots that brings out the best in her clients. We are such fans of her work, we trust her with our own family portrait sessions. (And she graciously did our professional portraits for our website as well!)

Read on for an interview with Bethany and a look at some of her recent work:

Tell us about your wedding-specific style and background.

I love capturing the essence of a couple. I’ve been shooting weddings for 5 years and find that every year I enjoy it even more than the year before. My style is fun, detailed and laid-back.

Your favorite part of shooting weddings?

I adore those sweet little moments at every wedding when there are a million activities going on and you catch the groom reach for his bride’s hand or look her in the eye and smile as if they’re in their own world. It make me so happy just being there. And right along with that I just love photographing a wedding’s pretty details. The table settings, cake, bouquets, etc.

Please share a memorable moment from a past wedding.

A moment that always stands out to me is from Matt & Lacey’s wedding in 2009. They chose to see one another before the ceremony so that we could take all of the bridal party and family portraits ahead of time. We had Matt wait out in the field for Lacey and she approached him, tapped him on the back of his shoulder and he turned around to see her for the first time. Everything about that moment was beautiful. The couple, their deep friendship, their love for each other, and the setting. Beautiful.

“My favorite weddings always...{fill-in-the-blank}.”

...include a bride and groom who are thoroughly enjoying every moment of their big day! It makes their day so much fun to capture!

“I wish that all brides would...{fill-in-the-blank}.”

...I honestly can’t think of anything I wish my brides did. I’ve been blessed to work with such wonderful couples! I usually meet with a potential bride/groom for coffee to talk about photographing their wedding. Then after they book me to capture their wedding we get to spend time together at their engagement shoot, laughing and having fun. It makes for such a natural flow and connection on their wedding day! By then I feel like we’re old friends. One of my favorite things is when I form such meaningful connections with my brides that they send me a Christmas card that year. It’s wonderful seeing their faces again a few months after their wedding.

Your favorite local venues to shoot at?

Garden Vineyards in Hillsboro is an incredible venue. The setting is breathtaking and the wine is fantastic. Langdon Farms in Aurora is beautiful, has great natural lighting everywhere you turn, and their staff go out of their way to be of help.

For what unique traits do couples seeking a photographer choose you?

I often hear brides say that they like the feel of my photos and the way I see and capture a moment. And I think a lot of couples pick up on the fact that I’m fun and laid back, and I’m not going to be high-strung addition to their wedding day. :) Being able to really connect with a couple and have fun with them makes for a more relaxed environment, which then ultimately results in better images.

What makes you an excellent photographer that we can't find out about your from your website?

I really care about my clients. I’m driven and have high standards for myself and my images.

How does a DOC {day-of coordinator} make your job easier?

It’s huge. They make a day run smoothly, not only for the bride, who matters most, but also for the mother-of-the-bride (who sometimes can miss out on a lot of the enjoyment of the wedding if she’s the elected coordinator), and absolutely for the vendors. I love when a coordinator will come and find me five minutes before the toast or first dance so that I can get myself positioned for shooting.

From a photographer's perspective, any cost-cutting tips for a bride and groom to consider?

There are so many creative ways to save, but I wouldn’t recommend cost-cutting on the pieces of your big day that are of greatest value. I hear all too often from people that they wish they would’ve invested in a great wedding photographer. At the end of the day those photos and moments captured are what you have to remember your big day by.

Interested in Bethany's services? (And you should be...) Visit her website at http://www.bethanyf.com/ for a glimpse of why we're completely nuts about her!