Leavenworth, WA Wedding Blog | Pine River Ranch

Country Chic Wedding, Peacock Feather Accents, Antlers and Purple

2012-01-25T13:56:00.001-08:00

Welcome to Kortney and Aaron's beautiful Country Chic Wedding at Pine River Ranch. What an amazing wedding I have to share with you this week from October! Their wonderful photographer Matt Shumate did a fantastic job of capturing all the details Kortney and Aaron had on their wedding day like peacock feathers, deer antlers and of course, purple!

I think these have to be 2 of my new favorite "detail shots" of the dress and shoes! They both capture our venue, Pine River Ranch, so perfectly as well as the glamorous country theme!The beautiful flowers were done by my Personal Touch Floral out of Cashmere, WA. Look closely and you can see the deer antler in the bouquet! How neat is that!? Love the Glamourous Country look! Of course, Kortney's outfit wouldn't be complete without cowboy boots!
I love this shot! Photographer Matt Shumate says: "Sometimes me moving to the side a few inches is enough to make magic. I love this photo. Mmm…symmetry."
Kortney really wanted to surprise her Dad with a special plan before their wedding and take part in one of their favorite activities, shooting guns! Our neighbors here at Pine River Ranch were nice enough to let us use their range and Kortney, Aaron and her Dad took turns shooting milk jugs full of dyed water for a great explosion! We were so happy we were able to help Kortney with her wish and Matt got some great and very unique shots! Not every day you see a beautiful bride and her rifle!
On the way back to the Ranch they were able to grab a few photos in the fields of purple wildflowers, a perfect match for them! Almost too good to be true! This bathtub has turned out to be a favorite for brides and grooms at the Ranch. Who would have thought? Don't the bridesmaids look perfectly coordinated in their matching outfits?And of course the gentlemen looking quite dapper! More of the Country Chic theme with cowboy boots and wildflowers lining the staircase

And of course, Kortney must make an awesome grand entrance in Aaron's Willy Jeep! I love the personal touches that mean so much to the bride and groom. And the sign on the front: love it! It was a perfect sunny day for an outdoor wedding A note from Matt Shumate: The following photo is a special request for a photo that the couple could frame in a 4 pane window frame. I took several photos & stitched them together to get the resolution I needed. For photographers: The photo after this is a 100% crop just to show the sharpness.

For everyone that didn't think their wedding was amazing already, check out the centerpieces. Wheat, Lavender and Antlers, beautiful again! Their first dance. Please ladies, take a special note of the bottom half of Kortney's dress (if you haven't swooned already). You'll see why in a few images. Aaron and his mother with what I can only imagine was a very entertaining first dance.
And now please check out that dress again. I feel like I have had to use the word amazing so many times in this blog post, but amazing!

And the grand finale!! Congrats to you both Kortney and Aaron and thank you for choosing us to spend your big day with. (You had quite the "amazing" wedding and I have thoroughly enjoyed sharing your photos!)

As always, if any photographers, brides, grooms or guest have any photos to share please send them my way to: ngourlie {at} prranch.com

9 Questions to Ask Your Wedding Venue

2011-12-28T15:58:00.000-08:00

First off, if you are engaged and still in the planning process, or looking for great ideas or vendors for your wedding day, you HAVE TO go to the Seattle Wedding Show! It is the largest bridal show in the West Coast and is so much fun, plus you get to see us there! This is our 3rd year participating in the Wedding Show and we see great new ideas and meet wonderful vendors every year!
If you haven't been to the Seattle Wedding Show before, I won't give away too much, but there are florists, DJs, caterers, photographers, videographers, planners, venues, invitation designers, photo booths and more! There are cake and catering samples from so many delicious and talented vendors too! Yumm! I always take at least one break a year to walk around and sample all the yummy treats and introduce myself to some vendors who we may get to work with in the future! This year the Seattle Wedding Show is at:

Washington State Convention & Trade Center

800 Convention Place, 4th Floor

Seattle, WA 98101

Saturday January 7th, 2012 from 10:00am to 5:30pm (ticket sales open at 9:30am)

Sunday January 8th, 2012 from 10:30am to 5:00pm (ticket sales open at 10:00am)

Make sure to swing by and say "Hi!"

At the Wedding Show there is a large selection of Wedding Venues. For many brides and grooms the venue is the first thing they select for their wedding and can be quite the daunting task. We don't do things the same way as many wedding venues because this is your big day and you shouldn't be forced to use our caterers, pay our food and drink minimums and have a pre-packaged wedding just like everyone else if that's not what you want. If you want everything taken care of for you, we can make that happen for you as well with our fantastic local vendors we love to work with. Here at Pine River Ranch, your wedding is all about you and what you want!
Question #1: What comes with my rental fee? Many venues have a site fee, then tack on the extra expenses of tables, chairs, linens, food and drinks. At Pine River Ranch, your wedding rental fee comes with all your necessary amenities from tables and chairs to linens and flatware.

Outside wedding venue, beautifully landscaped with rustic log arbor (Weddings can be moved inside in case of bad, or questionable weather, or if you choose to have an indoor wedding)
Indoor reception in Historic 1944 Dairy Barn With Dance Floor.
Beautiful photo opportunities (Nason Creek, meadows, mountains, historical barn, old farm house, small lake with waterfall)
2 changing suites for the wedding party with full length mirrors and sinks
Free Attended Parking for 100+ cars.
Up to 20 round dinner tables (8 - 10 guests per table)
All Linens (Including Table Cloths and Cloth Napkins)
300 white wooden chairs for the wedding ceremony and reception
Tables (Coffee, DJ, bridal gift & buffet table)
Flatware (spoons, dinner forks, salad forks & knives)
Stemware (water, wine & champagne glasses)
Plates (Dinner, salad, roll & cake plates)
Coffee pot & mugs
Salt and pepper shakers
Complete Setup, take down, and clean up
2 table bussers
Coolers for beverages

Question #2: Do you have a food and drink minimum? No! Not everyone has the same vision for their wedding day, so we don't want to force you to use our caterers or drink our drinks and pay the expensive costs often times associated with in-house catering and bartending! We have had every kind of food imaginable at Pine River Ranch and we love to see people eat exactly what they love. You bring in your own food whether it is professionally catered or cooked by your friends and family. We have had everything from BBQ'd food like hamburgers and hot dogs and Pizzas cooked in wood fire grills to decadently cooked 5 course meals. As for drinks, you can provide your own as well saving you an exorbitant amount of money on your big day!
Question #3: Does the caterer include equipment or do you have to rent it?
That is a question for your caterer. We have commercial kitchen sinks, and prep tables as well as a full size walk in cooler, but we don't have the cooking equipment. If you want the cooking to be done by your friends or family, they will need to bring their own barbeques, grills etc. as well as serving and chafing dishes. Most professional caterers will provide that equipment.
Question #4: How do you charge for service people?
We do not have any additional fees or charges, the only cost is the rental fee of the venue (and that comes with all of the above amenities). Some wedding venues charge a percentage of the overall fee and others have a separate service fee that can really add up!
Question #5: Do you have any additional fees?
We do not have any of those hidden fees like a cake cutting fee, corking fee, or any of those other hidden costs.
Question #6: How many hours do I have the facility and personnel.
That depends on if you choose a 1 day or 2 day wedding package. With our 1 day wedding package you have the venue from 3 pm the day of your wedding until 11 am the next morning. With a 2 day wedding package the grounds are yours from 3 pm the day before your wedding until 11 am the morning after your wedding (example: Friday at 3 pm until Sunday at 11 am). With either package, your guests have to leave the barn by 10 pm and any guests not staying in the suites have to be off the grounds by 11 pm.
Question #7: Do you have decorations I can use?
We can show you some of the items during your wedding tour that previous weddings have left that you are more than welcome to use! We also have thousands of fairy lights that are already hung in the barn.
Question #8: What other events are taking place at the location and how do you have it scheduled?
None! You will have exclusive use of the entire 22 acres during your 1 or 2 day weddings! You don't have to worry about running into other wedding party guests or confusing your guests about going to the wrong ceremony location!
Question #9: Is there plenty of on-site parking and is there a fee?
There is plenty of parking and no fee! Our attendant will help direct parking for over 100 cars so you don't have to worry about delegating that job to one of your guests!
Asking these nine questions before booking your wedding reception venue is sure to help you find a space that suites your style! Have any more questions for us to answer? Just leave a comment and let us know, or visit our FAQs Wedding Page!
And because everything is better with a picture, enjoy!

Outdoor Wedding at Pine River Ranch | DIY Chalkboards, Lake Wenatchee and Brownie Cakes!

2011-11-01T10:08:00.000-07:00

I love hearing peoples engagement stories that did not go perfectly as planned. Maybe because mine wasn't quite the story book proposal every girl dreams of, or maybe because I feel like that is the way life works. Even though it wasn't exactly what we had in mind, in the end it is always "perfect" anyways. Jen and Jason's proposal story put a smile on my face. A day hike in beautiful Alaska ended up on the "wrong path" after 3 different locals told them 3 different directions to the trailhead. They decided to trek on anyways and ended up at a very romantic location....the dump!! {with frequent bear sightings}. Jason's Mom hitchhiked out to their rescue and sent them on the right path. At the top of a beautiful clearing Jason felt the spot was right and proposed to Jen.

Inspiration for the wedding/approach to your wedding style:* We love hiking and camping and the outdoors and therefore wanted a rustic and romantic outdoor wedding in the mountains. Pine River Ranch in Leavenworth, Washington provided just the backdrop we were looking for. We spent our year of engagement planning several DIY details to personalize our day, including our invitations, table cards, centerpieces, favors, signs, a photobooth and much more. Our generous friends and family made our day that much more special and personal by donating their time and talent arranging our reception flowers, creating our sign, playing ceremony music, catching and smoking the salmon and even officiating the ceremony.If you could tell a future bride one thing about the wedding planning or advice for the day of the wedding what would it be:* Be sure to take a moment during your wedding to stop and take it all in - it all goes by so quickly. And when your friends and family offer to help - let them!Your favorite detail/decoration:* It's really hard to choose a favorite detail or decoration, because we worked hard on a lot of details. I surprised Jason and the groomsmen with cufflinks made from album art from his favorite band, and it was a hit!Their photographer Jen Finch did a wonderful job of capturing the joy and happiness on their wedding day.My favorite part of the day:* was when our photographer pulled us out of the reception to snap a few photos in the field while the lighting was perfect. Not only did those photos turn out beautiful, but taking a moment to absorb where we were and walking back upstairs to take in our friends and family enjoying themselves at our celebration was so meaningful and unforgettable.Love this first dance picture!The Cake:* Jason made us brownies on our first date and we much prefer them to cake so we decided to have brownies instead. We also cut our brownies with the same knife my parents cut their wedding cake with. They were so tasty, we've since learned of a few guests that stuffed extras in their purses!

After the wedding festivities were over Jen and Jason were able to retreat to one of the six private suites at Pine River Ranch and enjoy the start of a wonderful honeymoon in their romantic cabin suite complete with jacuzzi spa, river rock gas fireplace and hand made pine log bed. Not a bad way to start a long and wonderful life together, huh?

Any vendors you would like to give a shout out to??
Caterer & Brownies: Ravenous Catering! The food was absolutely terrific. I still dream about the Yum Yum potatoes. Val was a great support as we changed things up during the reception - she took such good care of us and all our appetites!
Photographer: Jennifer Finch captured our day beautifully! She worked so hard and tracked down and documented every detail. We couldn't be happier with our photos, and she was such a pleasure to work with.
Flowers: Joanie at the Leavenworth Safeway was amazing! She did our ceremony flowers and worked hard to get dahlias before it was really dahlia season, and picked the perfect color rose to match our decor. I highly recommend!
Make-up: My dear friend Eden did my make-up, and it was fantastic to have her share the moments before the wedding with me.
Hair: Lucy and her friend at Shears in Leavenworth did our hair - they all turned our great!

Dress: Demetrios

DJ: DJ Chelan was very reasonable and a hoot to work with! She even purchased some of our favorite songs that she didn't already have in her library.

Outdoor Wedding at Pine River Ranch | Earthy hues & hand picked flowers

2011-10-12T10:52:00.001-07:00

Hello world, I hope the transition into fall is treating you well. Personally, if I hear one more thing about Pumpkin Spice lattes from Starbucks I may move to Mexico where it is summer year round! I do love the 4 different seasons that we have here in the Pacific Northwest (albeit rain always manages to sneak into each of them) but I am definitely a summer gal at heart! For that reason, I am going to continue protesting fall for as long as possible and bring you these gorgeous summer wedding I have hidden away! Meet Scott and Christa who had a beautiful outdoor wedding on one of the hottest days of the summer! It was over 100 degrees out for part of their wedding day, but they were troopers and got some wonderful photos from the grounds here by talented photographer Rhys Logan. If you've been following along, you may remember the weather was quite different last time Rhys was here for Chad and Chelsie Rainy Day August Wedding!

Scott and Christa met in Cashmere at a Wenatchee Fire game in 2008. They are both natural resource scientists that love everything about the outdoors like the natural beauty and outdoor activities of the Cascades. Since they met and fell in love along the eastern slopes of the Cascades, Pine River Ranch was the perfect place for them to get married.

The dressing suites at Pine River Ranch make it easy and fun to get ready. With separate dressing suites, each spaciously complete with floor length mirrors, vanity mirrors, sinks and couches, it is a great time to enjoy with your bridal party! If you don't want to see each other before the ceremony, you don't have to worry about accidently sneaking a peak!

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Love this shot of Christa! Glamorous!

This is the kind of photo that makes you want to say Mmmmm. I love this light pouring in and their gazes into eachother eyes are just perfect. Inspiration for the wedding/approach to your wedding style:* Pine River Ranch and the Wenatchee basin have all the natural beauty you could ever need. That is why we tried to stick with an earthy pallet of blues and greens - we wanted everything to be simple, hand picked and regionally inspired.

Your favorite detail/decoration:* Dahlia's from a small grower/florist in East Wenatchee - with her home grown, beautiful flowers we made all the bridal bouquets, boutineers and table bouquets ourselves!

When I first saw this picture I was very confused why Rhys chose to showcase it. Look closely at Scott's jacket! He made a new friend!

What was your favorite part of the day:* Marrying the man of my dreams!!

If you could tell a future bride one thing about the wedding planning or advice for the day of the wedding what would it be:*Definitely have a two day wedding! We had a great rehearsal dinner at Pine River Ranch the night before the big day. It was so nice to have time to catch up with all our friends and family from out of town. It goes by so fast....do everything you can to stretch it out!!

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Plus, you get the spend the night in romantic cabin suites with jacuzzi spas, gas fireplaces and hand made log beds! What a relaxing way to start your wedding weekend!

Thank you Scott and Christa for choosing us to celebrate your wonderful wedding weekend! We are so glad you had such a great time and cannot wait to see you in the future for anniversary's and celebrations!

Any vendors you would like to give a shout out to??*
Caterer: Country Boys BBQ (rehearsal dinner) and Ravenous Catering (wedding) - everyone raved about the food!
Dress: I Do Bridal in Seattle (Wallingford) - Fantastic sales associates.
Cake: Busy Bea's Cakes and The Confectional (Seattle) - Best cake and cheese cake ever!
Photographer: Rhys Logan - local Eastern Washingtonian, avid outdoors man and all round nice guy. He has a great eye, awesome style and knows how to make life beautiful!

Outdoor Barn Wedding at Pine River Ranch Unique Bouquet, Colorful Shades and FUN!

2011-09-23T15:37:00.000-07:00

First off, I'd like to apologize for having to bore everyone with our featured wedding this week, especially on a Friday :( Our beautiful wedding couple Matt and Paula were rather dull....NOT!!!! Matt and Paula, you guys are epic (not a word I normally use, but it is such an accurate description). Memory MP did an amazing job (as usual) of capturing this insanely fun, high-energy, filled with belly-aching laughs, gorgeous wedding here at Pine River Ranch! I had SO much fun looking through these pictures and laughing (as well as oohing and aahing!) Matt and Paula, you guys are a perfect couple whose lives are going to be filled with great friends, plenty of laughter and most of all unmeasurable amounts of love!

Is that not the coolest bouquet you have ever seen? I have to post another picture of it, I am so in love!

Meet Matt and Paula. Paula, you have that rockstar look down very well!

Meet their wedding party!

Looks like a rather dull group huh :) Memory MP captured some beautiful shots of the bride and groom on the property here at Pine River Ranch as well. I love the shot of them blowing on the dandelions! {If you've been following us for awhile you may remember Amy and Tavis of Memory MP shooting Kelsey Jo and Jeff's Royal Blue Summer Wedding too!}
After a little bit of couple time they reconvened as a group and had some more fun!This picture just had to be included in the post!

The weather remained beautiful for the ceremony as Matt and Paula said "I Do"

Mr. & Mrs.

They are already in perfect harmony as husband and wife! After a long, fun day Paula and Matt were able to retreat to our Bed and Breakfast, where they started their honeymoon in our romantic cabin suites with breakfast delivered the next morning!

Matt and Paula, Thank you so much for sharing your wonderful wedding day with us here. You guys are such a fun and down to earth couple.

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As always, any BnB guests, photographers, Brides, Grooms and Family who would like to share their photos with us, I would love to feature them! Just send them my way to ngourlie {at} yahoo.com

Reception Venue: Pine River Ranch

Photographer: Memory Montage Photography

Catering: Country BBQ Boys

All Things Weddings: Flowers and Bouquets

2011-08-02T16:01:00.000-07:00

All Things Weddings: Part 2: Wedding Flowers: Bouquets and Boutonnieres

Early in summer I started a new Blog called "All Things Weddings" where I am excited to share with you the details that make each and every wedding we have here atPine River Ranch so beautiful and unique. Hopefully, this will be great inspiration for all you future brides and grooms out there as you begin to narrow down the choices of flowers, dresses, cakes, centerpieces and more! If you didn't get to see Part 1, we started with All Things Weddings: Cakes and you can take a peak!

Today I am excited to share Part 2: Wedding Flowers: Bouquets and Boutonnieres. Personally, I enjoyed narrowing down every detail of my wedding and I don't think I could pick a favorite part! Flowers were a huge part of my wedding and were my main decoration on the tables, aisles and around the venue. Today, I'm keeping the flowers limited to bouquets and boutonnieres but I will be sure to share table centerpieces and aisle runners with you later in the summer.

This beautiful pink, orange and red rose bouquet looked great decorating the venue

Matthew and Ashley had their bouquets done by Safeway for their fall wedding at Pine River Ranch and bought bulk flowers to make their own centerpieces and boutonnieres which turned out great!

Sage and Alex were thrilled to get their flowers from Safeway as well! Sage was so happy with the local florist who helped her track down ribbons and glass beads that matched their wedding colors perfectly for their centerpieces and bouquets.

Kimberly's white rose bouquet was so elegant and very sentimental. The beautiful lace fabric surrounding the bouquet was from her grandmothers wedding veil from 1947 and was made by her grandmother who could not be there.

I adored Kellie and Josh's calla lilly bouquet that was perfect for the colors of their fall wedding.

Patti Bosket with Au Natural put together this beautiful winter wedding bouquet for Carrie and Dan with red and white roses and plenty of greenery. The bouquets with pine cones and foliage looked beautiful with the white snow and crisp winter day.

Molly and Josh's charming country wedding had beautiful pink and peach flowers and her bridesmaids, who wore light green dresses, held smaller versions of the same bouquets.

Kelsey Jo and Jeff opted for their bridesmaids to hold blue parasol umbrellas instead of flowers during their summer wedding, but the bride held this white bouquet by Kashmir Gardens as she walked down the aisle.I hope Part Two of All Things Weddings: Flowers, Bouquets and Boutonnieres has inspired and motivated you on your choice of flowers for your big day! Whether you are looking for something small and charming, or grand and elegant to help decorate for your wedding day the options are endless.

If you would like to see a specific topic for a future All Things Weddings post, just leave a comment and let me know! Thanks to all our past brides and grooms for letting me share the wonderful details of your wedding day! Hopefully it is fun for you to look back and relive the joyous event.

All Things Wedding: Cakes at Pine River Ranch

2011-07-05T10:36:00.000-07:00

I am so lucky to have the privelege to take part in so many beautiful weddings, even though I am not always there on the big day, seeing the wedding pictures afterwards is so much fun. With every wedding I see I am continually amazed at the beautiful details of each brides and grooms big day. I love to see the different styles and approaches that each bride and groom take for their wedding day. Some wedding couples use the natural beauty of Pine River Ranch and enhance it with beautiful flowers and natural decorations, while some are inspired by the rustic beauty of the restored dairy barn and include home made jams, rustic lanterns and country touches in their decor. Each wedding and every detail is so unique and meaningful in it's own way to the wedding couple that it will forever be special to them. One of the main flowers in my wedding bouquet and our centerpieces were purple lupines and to this day whenever I see them it brings me back to our wedding day and puts a smile on my face.

As a tribute to the couples who have given us the privilege of being part of their wedding day I wanted to share with you some of the details that made their weddings so special.

I decided to start a new blog series throughout the summer dedicated to the details that complete the wedding day called:

All Things Weddings

So far, I have compiled pictures from weddings to include cakes, wedding dresses, rings, table centerpieces and more (kept secret to build anticipation!) and I will share these themes with you throughout the summer!

To kick start our new series All Things Weddings, we are going to start with the yummy details. Literally.

All Things Weddings, Part One: Cakes

I hope you have eaten because if not, you are going to get very hungry seeing all these amazing wedding cakes! We have had every kind of cake at Pine River Ranch from wedding cakes baked by mother-in-laws, to professionally baked cakes, cupcakes, cheesecakes and pies!

I loved seeing this unique and fun bride and grooms cake! That chocolate cake looked absolutely to die for and the fun and creative grooms cake was perfect! Becky's Cakes in East Wenatchee did a great job! Robby and Alyssa's Hot Pink and Black Wedding was a beautiful event and they have been joining us for their anniversary since then!

Kellie and Josh's beautiful October Fall Wedding was highlighted by natural elements like the log rounds and pine cones that were adorned throughout the venue, including their yummy strawberry cheesecake dessert.

Dan and Carrie had an amazing Winter Wedding decorated with snowflakes and natural greenery. Their cake was made by Becky's Cakes in East Wenatchee

Matt and Ashley's Fall Wedding was a family affair. Their brown, green and cream wedding colors were perfect for the laid back couple to enhance the natural beauty of Pine River Ranch. Along with many other couples they didn't necessarily have a "traditional" wedding cake, but instead had a selection of cakes, chocolate truffles and pies made by many of their friends and family members which was a huge hit with the guests!

You may remember this cake from Chris and Ashlee's indoor wedding I posted last week. This cake was made by Busy Bea's Cakes, a favorite of many brides and grooms who get married at Pine River Ranch. This amazing cake from Busy Bea's Cakes fit perfectly into the theme of this vintage inspired wedding we had here 3 years ago.

Sage and Alex were so pleased with the way their wedding cake turned out. When I talked to Sage after the wedding she wanted to give a big thank you to her Mother-in-Law, a retired pastry chef for making their wedding cake. Sage said “It was the BEST cake ever! Carrot cake with butter cream frosting. I think everyone had 2 slices.”

I hope you enjoyed my new blog series All Things Weddings and got some inspiration for your big day! The wonderful thing about weddings today is that there is so much choice out there. Whether you want to stick to a traditional wedding or throw the guidelines out the window there are still so many personal touches that make each wedding day special and unique.

If you would like to see a specific topic for a future All Things Weddings post, just leave a comment and let me know! Thanks to all our past brides and grooms for letting me share your wedding day!

Indoor Barn Wedding at Pine River Ranch

2011-06-27T10:41:00.000-07:00

We cordially invite you to join us for Ashlee and Christopher's May wedding atPine River Ranch!

Ashlee and Chris were married in late May at Pine River Ranch, and if you are from Washington, you know the weather has not been very cooperative this year! Normally, our weather in Leavenworth, Washington is a little nicer than our counterparts in Seattle, but this year, it doesn't matter where you are in Washington State because you're getting RAIN! The weather gods didn't exactly cooperate with us on May 21st, but Ashlee and Chris were able to get some amazing outdoor photography by local photographerGavin Seim, without umbrellas and rubber boots before they had to move their ceremony inside! (If you've been following us for awhile you may remember photographer Gavin from Gordon and Shelley's luscious green Wedding)

With 22 acres at your disposal there is plenty of room for stunning photography!

Ashlee and Chris met at Pacific Lutheran University (where they both did their undergrad) but didn't start dating until after Chris had graduated. Ashlee says, "He looked like he had just rolled out of bed the first time we met :)" They became friends and after Chris graduated two years prior to Ashlee they kept in touch. He was in medical school, about to start his second year at UW when we started dating. And as they always say, " The rest is history!"

Ok so I'm posting a little backwards today, this was actually Ashlee and Chris's destination for their first reveal!

Luckily they were able to spend the morning getting some amazing photography because at about 1 pm the drizzle started, then turned into a downpour. Ashlee and Chris had an amazing attitude and didn't let the rain get in their way. The ceremony was moved indoors because it didn't look like the rain was going to stop! You know what they say about

Rain on your Wedding Day!

*One of Ashlees favorite parts of the day* "It was pouring rain just as people were arriving and everyone was still in such great spirits. I loved seeing our guests' smiles as they tramped through the mud and rain."

*Inspiration for the wedding/approach to your wedding style*: I love, love, love this barn. I wanted our wedding to be fun, rustic and beautiful. We had this great idea to use wine barrels as cocktail tables during the cocktail hour but it rained and no one got to see them :( Our wedding favor was homemade raspberry jam - the labels said "spread the love" and I thought it was a cute touch to go along with the barn.

Their centerpieces were in antique blue mason jars and set on rounds of wood that Ashlee's brother cut to elevate them from the tables.

The ceremony was beautiful and the Chinese lanterns that Chris and Ashlee hung overhead, in combination with the thousands of fairy lights was a beautiful setting for their wedding day.

Their grand exit as Mr. & Mrs.

Now for the really fun {and slightly embarrassing stuff} Toasts, Cake Cutting, Bouquet & Garter toss and Dancing! Let me forewarn you, this party knows how to dance!This may possibly be one of my favorite wedding cakes by Busy Bea's Cake I've seen thus far! When I saw it, I instantly fell in love! I tend to be a little more of a minimalist when it comes to wedding cakes but I think this cake has the perfect amount of glam! It was fun to see when Chris and Ashlee so lovingly shoved the beautiful cake into each others faces!

After the official first dances the dance floor opened to everyone! Let the party begin!

I am submitting the next two photos to a wonderful website I found called Moment Junkie, they are all about REAL unscripted moments at REAL weddings! Nowadays there are so many beautiful wedding pictures from talented photographers as well as staged wedding photo shoots that sometimes people forget that a wedding isn't solely about the best cake, decorations and flowers but a gathering of people to honor and take part in a celebration of love. These pictures are priceless and look like so much fun! What a wedding is all about if you ask me!

*What was your favorite part of the day*: Dancing! I really wanted our reception to be fun and I was so happy that everyone danced. I was a little weary at first when the groomsmen picked me up but it was so fun.

*If you could tell a future bride one thing about the wedding planning or advice for the day of the wedding what would it be:* Try to get most everything done before the day-of. I was definitely running around trying to make sure things were right, and were being set up and it was stressful. I wish I would have had a plan of attack for the morning of. Assigned people jobs etc. It turned out great though and I wouldn't change a thing! Except for the rain, that was a bummer.

Vendors:

Venue: Pine River Ranch
Transportation: Le Tours
Catering: Ravenous Catering ( "Dave and Val went out of their way to make sure everything was right, the food was delicious!")
Rehearsal Dinner Caterer- Smokeblossom
Hair: Heidi Angerstein from Wenatchee ("It turned out perfect. She did a great job making sure I loved it.")
DJ: Wenatchee Boys Media Productions
Photographer: Gavin Seim
Cake: Busy Bea's Cakes ("Bea couldn't have made our cake more perfect. It was beautiful and delicious and everything I wanted it to be!")

Makeup: KC Pacheo from Yakima ("She was amazing. We didn't even do a trial run!")

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As always, any BnB guest, photographers, Brides, Grooms and Family who would like to share their photos with us, I would love to feature them! Just send them my way to ngourlie {at} yahoo.com

Winter Wedding: Snowflake details, Beautiful Rose Bouquet and Bagpipes!

2011-05-18T11:21:00.000-07:00

Please subscribe to our new blog at: www.prranch.com/wordpress!

Since we have officially had the coldest "Spring" here in Washington State, I think it is still appropriate to post pictures from a Winter Wedding we had here at Pine River Ranch. (For all us Washingtonians know, this could have been shot last week!)

Dan and Carrie had a beautiful wedding in February and I began emailing Carrie and her photographer Kira Baron in March to begin this blog post. After dozens of email exchanges and a month or two later, I am finally able to deliver everyone some beautiful winter wedding pictures! For any of you brides who have followed along on the blog, you know that winter wedding pictures here are few and far between! We have a couple winter weddings every year, but I have only had the luck of connecting with a few photographers, so myself, Carrie and Kira are very excited to share this fun loving, laid back, yet extremely detail oriented wedding!

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Carrie has always pictured herself getting married with a snowy winter wedding, luckily Dan was also loved the crisp air and peaceful setting of fresh fallen snow. Carrie's Mom handmade knitted gloves and shawls for the bridesmaids to keep them warm as they made their way through the snowy fields and during the outdoor ceremony.

Although every detail of their wedding appeared to be perfectly planned, there were a few hiccups in the day. Carrie advices future brides to "go with the flow" and I think it was that positive attitude that made their day utterly perfect despite the hiccups. Their first look was scheduled for 1:00 and the ceremony was supposed to start at 3:00. At 2:00 Carrie found out that Dan didn't have pants with his tux! "It all worked out just fine, and somehow we were on time!" says Carrie.

The days leading up to the wedding the weather was rainy and we thought Dan and Carrie may have to set up their ceremony inside the barn, but on the day of the wedding the sun was shining and the snow held out! It was almost 50 degrees out that day which was wonderful for the guest who were seated on hay bales during the outdoor ceremony!

They also had an "open bar" before the ceremony with warm spiced cider, coffee and tea and guests could stock up on hand warmer to hold during the ceremony.

Carrie was so kind to provide me with so many details and wanted to share with future brides one of her most popular items at the wedding. Carrie went to Logo Lip Balm to make her chap sticks and told me, "You can down load ANY picture or use one of their generic pictures. I found a wintery, snowy picture of a barn style home with trees framing the barn. I thought it was the perfect gift for wintery chapped lips, (and who doesn't use chap stick!) I should've stuck a few in the changing room, because there are NONE left! $.99 per stick and the minimum order is 100 sticks. $100.00 goes a long way for a useable and thoughtful guest gift." This is their design:

The inspiration for their wedding style was very down to earth, and Carrie said the barn setting was perfect for a romantic, country, snowy wedding. Dan and Carrie were so thoughtful to their guests and to make sure everyone stayed warm during the ceremony. They bought burgundy fleece and made simple scarves to tie around the backs of chairs that doubled as decor instead of buying ribbon or renting chair covers. Their ceremony setting had mason jars, lanterns and local natural greenery from the forest for most of the decor.

One of Carries favorite details of the wedding was the surprise bagpiper!I asked Carrie what her favorite part of the day was: Finally saying "I do" to my wonderful husband!

During their ceremony, the officiant told Dan he could now "kiss the bride" before they had exchanged the rings resulting in this laughing fit!

After the ceremony guest traveled inside to warm up with great food from the Alley Cafe, dancing and more great details!

Carrie and Dan wanted a warm, simple and romantic feel, so they made many handmade items to use as table décor that also played double duty as gifts for guests to take home. They incorporated their burgundy colors and snowflake theme with homemade jam and homemade and candied pecans inside snowflake boxes. They also wanted to give a "green" gift as well, so there were seed packets with a "something blue" flower mix and for a useful wintery gift. (See what I mean about fabulous details!)

The amazing cake was by Becky's Cakes out of East Wenatchee

BEAUTIFUL!

Vendors Dan and Carrie would like to thank:
Becky's cakes in East Wenatchee!!! (You are truly amazing! Thank you!)
Alley Café, Steve and all his staff! Our guests raved about the food, thank you!
Neil Hubbard our bagpipe player (What a perfect impact-Thank you!)
Patti Bosket with Au Natural, our flower gal! (thank you!)
And I couldn't forget Pine River Ranch (My vision! Thank you, it was perfect!)

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After the festivities were over Carrie, Dan and guests retreated to our romantic Bed and Breakfast where they could really relax and de-thaw in their private in-suite jacuzzi spas. "The next morning we woke to a fresh white blanket of silence and falling snow. It was a beautifully romantic weekend!" says Carrie

I think that about wraps it up! I would like to give a HUGE thanks to Carrie (and Dan:) for providing us with all the wonderful details to complete this blog! Hopefully this winter wedding will be inspiration for the sun to come out here for Summer! We have our first "official" summer wedding to kick of the wedding season this weekend and cannot wait to take part in another wonderful celebration!

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As always any BnB guests, Photographers, Brides, Grooms and Family who would like to share their photos with us I would love to feature them! Just send them my way to ngourlie{at}yahoo.com, oh, and leave us some comment love!

Royal Blue Wedding, Parasol Umbrellas, Hot Dogs and Hamburgers!!

2011-03-29T09:19:00.000-07:00

There are certain times you think to yourself, “this must be meant to be.” When Kelsey Jo and Jeff met, that was one of those times. Kelsey Jo and Jeff fell in love at a lunch table halfway around the world in St. Petersburg, Russia on a mission trip. Part of it was meant to be, and part of it was brilliant planning on Kelsey Jo’s part. She saw Jeff pushing a wheelbarrow and thought he was very attractive, after a well schemed plan to “end up” sitting at the same lunch table they hit it off and 4 years later ended up tying the knot at Pine River Ranch. It’s a big world out there and it’s amazing to me that a couple that met half a world away could end up here at Pine River Ranch to say “I Do.”

Kelsey Jo and Jeff chose talented photographers Tavis and Amy from Memory Montage Photography. Tavis and Amy are a husband and wife team from Central Washington who provided me with TONS of great photos to choose from! I had so many, I tried out a new program Picasa to help make the montages so I didn’t have too many photos!

Love the high 5′s with the jumping shot! I thought that was a great shot that put a little twist on the classic “jumping shot”

Depending on the time of the year you get married at Pine River Ranch you can have beautiful green fields, snow filled meadows or beautiful shots like this one!

I thought the great parasol umbrellas were Kelsey Jo’s inspiration for the beautiful blue colors but her inspiration was behind these blue wine bottles she found. They lead her towards a “Country/Classy” feel for their wedding day.

Kelsey Jo told me “Our wedding fit us perfectly. The venue (Pine River Ranch) was by far the best place. We couldn’t of gotten a better venue. The owners were carefree and very enjoyable to work with. As soon as I walked in the barn I knew this was the place where I wanted to get married, and Jeff knew it too! Jeff and I are both really laid back and don’t sweat the small things so this type of wedding was just what God wanted for us!”

Their favorite part about their day was when they took communion during the ceremony as a married couple. Their close second took place after the ceremony, just wait!

Their close second….The Food! Kelsey Jo and Jeff are both big fans of barbecued food and love hot dogs and hamburgers! They wouldn’t have the food any other way! Just looking at a picture of Kelsey squirting yellow mustard near her white dress gave me goosebumps (but then again we had family friends prepare an authentic mexican feast for our wedding and tacos aren’t exactly “unmessy” either!)

Their tables were also decorated with fresh flowers and trail mix for guests to snack on during the reception.Their cake was made by Bea at Busy Bea’s cakes, a favorite local vendor of Pine River Ranch’s!

Kelsey Jo’s words of advice to future brides and grooms: “If I could tell a future bride one thing about the wedding planning that would be make it simple. Going all out isn’t what it is cracked up to be. The food will be gone, the cake will be eaten, the flowers will die and something will go wrong on that day. For the day of the wedding: PLEASE enjoy the day. There is no reason to worry or get nervous. If you are marrying the one God has for you there will be no cold feet. You will be marrying the man of your dreams, so just go out and have FUN!”

Cake: Busy Bee’s
Dress: Katrina’s
Dress Alterations: Pins and Needles
Food: CJ, Mason, Tyler and Dan!
DJ: Tom Cagle
Guy’s Formal Wear: Mills Bro
Bridesmaids: BestBridalPrices.com
Flowers: Kashmir Gardens
Rings: Zales

As always any Photographers, Brides, Grooms and Family who would like to share their wedding photos with me I would love to feature them! Just send them my way to ngourlie{at}yahoo.com, oh, and leave us some comment love!

Tags: barn wedding, blue wedding, Bride and Groom, bridesmaids, Busy Beas Cakes, ceremony site, indoor barn, Leavenworth, leavenworth wedding, memory montage, parasol umbrellas, pine river ranch, royal blue wedding, wedding photographer

Creative Honeymoon Ideas after the “I Do”

2011-02-03T16:26:00.000-08:00

My husband and I got married in early June and we moved into our house the week before our wedding (NOT recommended!) And this wasn’t just a normal move, the house we bought was a 100% complete, exhaustive, whole nine yards kind of remodel, like the kind you see on TV where you ripe out walls, redo the ENTIRE kitchen, doors, floorboards etc. The owners before us had multiple pets and a couple bad habits that left the house in unlivable shape. Did I mention we did the entire project ourselves with the help of some dear (skilled professional) friends…in 14 days…yes, we are crazy. Anyways, the point of my story is that I did not have a lot of time or energy to put creative touches that I love so much into our wedding. Our honeymoon was 4 months later after things had settled down and I really wanted to bring along a few fun photo ideas that I didn’t have time to put together for the wedding. I spent some time looking on the web for any “creative honeymoon ideas” and came up short, so I felt inspired to share my honeymoon with you!

We had a wonderful honeymoon in Cozumel, Mexico and were lucky enough to stay at a beautiful resort as a gift from Jay’s parents. It was in the middle of no where and did not feel like an Americanized tourist trap at all which I absolutely loved! The architecture and the structures of the buildings felt like old Mexico and I loved every minute of it!

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These were taken with my ultra-professional Nikon Coolpix camera (I wish I could have brought our wedding photographer Laura Marchbanks in my suitcase because these probably would have turned out a bit cooler!) I had the intention of our shoes being the focus and us blurred out in the background, but when your waiter takes the picture with your pocket size Nikon in one hand and piña colada in the other and you don’t have photoshop, this is what you get! I still love the picture tho and maybe someday I’ll send it to one of my “photo guru” friends to fix it up!

I had a wonderful vision for this photo with our rings and it turned out pretty close to what I wanted, the only thing missing was…Jay’s ring! My brand new husband forgot his wedding ring at home before the honeymoon! Can you believe it!

We ventured away from our resort for lunch one day and snapped this picture with the beautiful natural background.

Our waiter grabbed a leaf from the tree near our table and made me this grasshopper! How cool is that! It took him all of 35 seconds to make!

These cool old fountains were all over the resort and the first day I saw it I had a great picture idea…

At the last minute I said “Honey, hop in!” and didn’t give him a chance to argue! We were so lucky to have such a wonderful honeymoon and hopefully you enjoyed some of the pictures and feel inspired! If you have any neat honeymoon pictures feel free to send them my way! I’d love to feature them on the blog for future honeymooners! (ngourlie{at}yahoo.com)

Pine River Ranch at the Seattle Wedding Show

2011-01-19T14:21:00.000-08:00

We brought place settings along because we wanted to make sure people knew that everything is included in your wedding package. From linens and cloth napkins to flatware, stemware and more. When you arrive on your wedding day, the barn will be completely set up by our staff with tables, chairs and place settings the way you requested it, you just add your final touches!We had some beautiful photography to display by some talented photographers who have shot at the Ranch. A big thanks again to Sea Studios, KCB Photography,Gavin Seim, Dinea De Photography, Jadyn Welch, Saskia M. and Maija Karin.

One more thanks to Bea of Busy Bea’s Bakery for the beautiful cake to display! Bea is a favorite here at Pine River Ranch as a local Leavenworth Vendor and has created beautiful and delicious cakes for quite a few weddings!If we missed you at the show or you are interested in our Wedding Venue please give us a call and schedule a tour today at 800-669-3877 or send an email our way to info@prranch.com! We still have a few spots left for 2011 but they fill fast!

Tags: barn wedding, bed and breakfast, Leavenworth, leavenworth wedding, outdoor weddings,pine river ranch, romantic getaway, seattle wedding show, washington, wedding show, wedding venue

See you at the Seattle Wedding Show!

2011-01-05T11:59:00.001-08:00

It’s that time of the year again for the Seattle Wedding Show! This weekend (January 7 & 8 We had a GREAT time last year and met tons of great new brides, families, vendors and friends! I was newly engaged last year and worked the show (well, did a combination of work and “research” (for Pine River Ranch of course and had SUCH a great time! Talking with future brides who were just as excited as I was about getting married was so much fun and sharing my ideas with vendors for flower arrangements, cakes and getting new ideas for photography was such a blast. The best part? Cake and Catering samples GALORE! Seriously, it was a fun, high-energy zoo! Here is a little sampling of what you’ll see:There is a fashion show with over 15 bridal gown designers from David’s Bridal to La Belle Reve, 15 florists and 5 tuxedo shops. And not to spoil anything, but the song list consists of some Michael Jackson as well! “The way you make me feel” and models in tuxedos is a great combination if you ask me!

I want to thank some of the photographers who have shot weddings at the Ranch and were nice enough to donate some photos and goodies for our booth! Sea Studios, KCB Photography,Gavin Seim, Dinea De Photography, Jadyn Welch and Maija Karin. Look for their great photos (and discounts) at our booth!

There’s tons and tons of cake bakers and most of them have cake samples which is great if you don’t have much time for wedding planning and can’t drive around for multiple samplings! Or, it’s just plain fun and yummy!

A tip from an “experienced wedding show guru” bring your address label stickers! Why? Nearly every booth at the show has a drawing for a promotion (including us, so stop by for your chance to win a FREE nights stay at our Bed and Breakfast!) Trust me, after just a few booths you don’t want to write out your name, email address, wedding date etc. ever again!

So grab your Mom, Maid-of-Honor, Sister-in-law and bridesmaids, wear your running shoes, and bring a big bag for all the card samples, fliers, magazines and brochures and get ready for a phenomenal, fun-filled wedding show!

Tags: barn wedding, brides, Dinea De photography, Gavin seim photography, jadyn welch photography, KCB photography, leavenworth wedding, Maija Karin Photography, photography,pine river ranch, sea studios photography, seattle wedding show, vendor, wedding cake,wedding catering, wedding fashion show, wedding show

Posted in Weddings and wedding venue.

Golden Yellow August Wedding | Pine River Ranch Leavenworth

2010-12-20T17:17:00.000-08:00

Golden Yellow August Wedding | Pine River Ranch Leavenworth

I have to tell you guys, it is so exciting for me to see new wedding pictures when they come my way! This beautiful wedding has been a long time coming for me because I found photographer Nicole Goddard‘s blog when she featured Jake and Brooke’s Engagement Session last March at Pike Place Market in downtown Seattle! She had some amazing shots and I knew that she was going to do a great job of capturing their wedding day at Pine River Ranch! Fasten your seat belts because I have a TON of beautiful new pictures for you that Nicole was nice enough to share from Jake and Brooke’s beautiful Leavenworth wedding. (And when I say a ton, I mean a ton!)

I told Nicole right off the bat that I was so excited to feature her photos because she found new shots from angles that I haven’t seen any other photographers find before! I love the rustic collage that she put together above.

Meet The Bride Brooke

Meet The Groom Jake

Their first reveal!

They spent some time wondering around the 22 acres looking for their favorite picture spots! Brooke and Jake got some great photos in front of our 1944 restored dairy barn

Some great lighting by the barn doors!

The wild flowers in the corral are in full bloom during the summer!Brooke and Jake took advantage of the entire 22 acres for great photography around Pine River Ranch.

Love the reflection in the water!
This is one of those great shots I was talking about that Nicole captured in a unique place with the silo peaking through the trees! I’m beginning to wonder if Brooke still has her cute yellow shoes on, that’s a lot of walking for the day!

After a great day of picture taking it was time for the beautiful ceremony! Brooke and Jake snuck one more photo before heading into the barn for the receptionMaking their grand entrance as husband and wife! Always a great moment!Onto a wonderful ceremony full of laughter, fun, (maybe a little embarrassment from the toasts) and dancing! After a long fun-filled day of celebration and joy Brooke and Jake were able to start their honeymoon in a beautiful suite at Pine River Ranch with hand peeled log beds, river rock fireplaces and jacuzzi spas. As always, any Photographers, Brides, Grooms or Family that want to share their photos; I’d love to feature them! Send me an email to ngourlie{at}yahoo.com

Tags: barn wedding, bed and breakfast, Bride and Groom, bridesmaids, ceremony site,Leavenworth, leavenworth wedding, nicole goddard, outdoor weddings, pine river ranch,washington, wedding photographer, wedding photography, wedding venue, yellow wedding

Posted in barn wedding and outdoor ceremony and wedding.

Fall Wedding | Orange Calla Lilies, Woodsy Touches and a Proposal at 11,000 Feet!

2010-12-01T08:29:00.000-08:00

Hello all, just wanted to remind you once again that I have migrated the blog over to www.prranch.com/wordpress! There is a subscription link on the side of our new blog that you can enter your email address and you will be notified when a new blog is posted!

Well, it looks like we have another stunning bride, a handsome groom and another beautiful rustic outdoor wedding to share with you. I love my job! :) I am skipping over a few [equally wonderful] summer weddings to share with you Kellie and Josh's amazing October Wedding at Pine River Ranch because the last of the crunchy red, orange and yellow leaves have fallen out of the trees and the snow is threatening to come down again! I wanted to sneak this fall wedding in before Leavenworth turns white with snow for the next few months.

Kellie and Josh's wedding showcases fall colors, rustic details and it was all captured by fabulous photographer Jadyn Welch. (We'll skip backwards into summer again next week when I am chilled to the bone sitting watching the snow fall and need a pick-me-up!)

(Also, just got a really neat subscription sign up over there <-- Just enter your email address and it will send you an email when we have a new post! And your address won't be used for anything else, I promise!)

The groomsman wore dark brown tuxes which looked great with the fall colors in the bridesmaids bouquets and decorations around the venue.

Orange Calla Lillies made the perfect flower choice for a fall wedding bouquet

Kellie and Josh took a stroll down to Nason Creek for some beautiful fall wedding shots! They weren't quite as brave as Emily and Ross, who took a dive in the creek during their October Wedding 3 years ago!

We also have a pond with a great little bridge and dock for photos!

Josh proposed to Kellie on TOP of a mountain at over 11,000 feet! How cool is that!?

The trail out to the river in the fall is beautiful!

The sun gods were looking down on Josh and Kellie for their big day. Despite the forecast calling for 100% chance of rain, we only saw a few drops during the day and the sun even broke through at times for some beautiful lighting during the ceremony.

I loved the floral arrangements in mason jars as aisle decorations on the chairs. I thought the pine cones were a great touch that was perfect for the fall!

Kellie and Josh had a unique idea at their ceremony. Instead of pouring sand into a vase or lighting a candle, they each poured dirt into a pot where they had planted a tree!

Being pronounced as husband and wife is something to dance about!

The decorations were very creative and reminded me of the Pacific Northwest, guests got to take home these unique candles.

Their yummy wedding cake was actually a cheesecake (my personal favorite ;) It was beautifully decorated sitting on log rounds

It looks like Josh is transitioning into married life very well ;) I think they will get along just fine!

After their big day, Kellie and Josh retreated to our Bed and Breakfast to start their honeymoon with a relaxing soak in their 2 person jacuzzi spaAs always any Photographers, Brides, Grooms and Family

who would like to share their wedding photos with me I would love to feature them! Just send them my way to ngourlie{at}yahoo.com

Countryside Charm and a Beautiful Lace Ball-Gown Wedding Dress

2010-11-16T14:22:00.000-08:00

We have migrated over onto Wordpress, sorry blogger :( But I will continue to post here for awhile so people have time to readdress their bookmarks! Plus, there is a subscription link on Wordpress so you know when the site has been updated! Our New Blog

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Molly and Josh had a beautiful wedding here in Leavenworth, Washington in July that made us feel right at home at Pine River Ranch. Molly did most of the wedding decorations herself and the touches of the countryside in their place settings, table centerpieces and decorations filled the venue.

Many of you may remember photographer Maija Karin who shot Katie and Dereck’s Wedding that was featured last July (remember Dereck’s adorable daughter Kyah who made the cutest flower girl!) Well we have her to thank again for another stunning set of wedding pictures at Molly and Josh’s big day.

Molly’s grand entrance into the ceremony in her beautiful ball-gown style lace wedding dress was a show stopper, I won’t spoil the surprise but I’ll let you see for yourself in the pictures below!

How about this kiss for their first reveal! I think Josh liked the dress

Maija said Molly and Josh made her job easy with the beautiful dramatic poses! Molly and Josh were all smiles the entire day!

Molly needed a little bit of help from her bridesmaids to travel through the fields and hold up her ball gown!

The fields of daisies surrounding Pine River Ranch are beautiful in the summertime and are always a brides favorite!

The bridesmaids looked great in their light green dresses and beautiful bouquets

What a fun shot!

Meet Vivy, Molly’s other best friend!

Remember last weeks grand exit from Jenny and Tom on the tandem bicycle? Well I think they have a run for their money from Molly! The guest received quite a surprise when Molly was brought to the ceremony riding Vivy the horse bareback

Molly and Josh wrote their own heartwarming vows which were so touching and unique, you could feel their deep love for each other and there wasn’t a dry eye in the house!

I love the way Molly hung the flowers on the arbor and what a great first kiss!

Their love for animals made great table centerpieces at the receptionMaija caught a great shot of Molly and Josh during their toasts at the wedding ceremony.

The celebrations continued into the late hours of the night and guests waved sparklers as Molly and Josh made their exit for the night to our Bed and Breakfast at Pine River Ranch.

Is this not a great photo!?

Molly and Josh began their honeymoon in style in one of our 6 private Cabin Suites! After a long night of dancing, celebrating and enjoying every possible moment of fun a relaxing Jacuzzi Spa for 2 is just what a bride and groom need! Molly and Josh were able to flip on their romantic gas fireplace, draw a hot jacuzzi spa and begin the perfect honeymoon.

As always, any Photographers, Brides, Grooms or Family that want to share their photos; I’d love to feature them! Send me an email to ngourlie{at}yahoo.com

Leavenworth, WA Wedding | Tandem Bicycles, Memorable First Dances and Beautiful Sunsets

2010-11-04T10:31:00.000-07:00

Over the past couple weeks I have been working on creating a new blog, and it is finally time to say goodbye to blogger and hello to our New Blog! I will still be posting blogs on blogger for awhile as everyone makes the transition over to the new blog, so change those bookmarks and join our email list for updates on our New Blog! (Also, if you have any loves/likes/dislikes about the new blog, please let me know!)

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This wedding is going to make you say "WOW"!

I was blown away by the amazing details, thoughts and absolutely stunning photography from talented photographer Saskia M! Our wedding couple, were married in August at Pine River Ranch Wedding Venue, and as you will be able to see for yourself, they are one genuine, happy, spontaneous and fun-loving couple!

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This is a great view of the Wedding Venue here at Pine River Ranch. With 22 acres at your disposal, you are guaranteed to get breathtaking photos

If you're like me, your already anticipating the beautiful photos Saskia captured as the sun was shining at the Ranch. Our Nature Trail throughout the property serves as the perfect picture setting.

I had to sneak a couple of my favorite shots in to build the anticipation, now we can resume the chronological order of the wedding! Starting with the Bride and Groom getting ready. At Pine River Ranch the Bride and Groom have separate dressing suites so they can get ready without risking the chance of accidently seeing one another! (And they are plenty big enough for the entire wedding party!)

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Like I said earlier, the details were so thought out. Tom adorned his suite with a bicycle pin, and you'll see why later!

Beautiful!

Fields of daises with the setting sun was a beautiful backdrop

Remember that bicycle pin Tom had on earlier? A bicycle built for two!

Their ceremony was so enjoyable, I love it when a couple goes outside the boundary of "traditional." Their ceremony had three acts: stories, advice and union. The advice portion included words of wisdom from two of the most intelligent people they know: Their Mothers! And as you can see captured in the laughs below, I think the advice from Tom's Mother may have been "untraditional"

Something I can tell you about Tom and Jenny is that they love to dance, their ceremony also included a song where they had their "pre-first dance" (that went a little longer than expected!)

They ended their union by sealing a bottle of wine with their vows in a handmade box. They are going to open their box years down the road on their anniversary.

And now for a grand exit unlike anything you've ever seen! Jenny you are one brave gal!

A tandem bike built for two!

They continued the tandem bike theme in their stationary and place settings designed by Tom's sister Joanna Woitkowiak.

The beautiful flower arrangements were bought at Pike Place Market.

And if Tom and Jenny couldn't get any better, their "official" first dance had everyone at the reception in tears; tears of joy and laughter that is! Their lively first dances were the perfect ending to a wonderful night.