Celebrating 10 years together | Robby & Alyssa

I have some fantastic photos that I am so excited to share. If you have been following the Pine River Ranch blog since the beginning you will remember Robby and Alyssa who were engaged and then married here in 2010, {Check out their hot pink and black wedding.} They have been back to visit us every year since their wedding for a romantic getaway and just celebrated their 10th anniversary as a couple with some beautiful photos at the Ranch! We are so honored to play such a big role in their story and were more than happy to have them back for another trip out for this mini-photo shoot. Alyssa was so kind to share the photos with us after their shoot.

I asked Alyssa to share their story with everyone and this is what she had to say: "We started our journey 10 years ago as a young couple in high school. The first real trip we took together was to Pine River Ranch and the Ranch continued to play a part in our love story for years after. We celebrated our anniversary each year at the ranch and also got engaged and married there! We found it only appropriate to return to Pine River for a few photos to celebrate ten years together."

A little wedding flashback: :)

I saved my favorite for last, don't you just love- love! 

Thanks again for sharing Alyssa and Robby, we look forward to celebrating with you for many, many years to come. 

Rustic Outdoor Wedding | TOMs Shoes, DIY Favors + Flowers

Welcome to Bethany and Tyler's beautiful summer wedding at Pine River Ranch. Bethany and Tyler met through a mutual friend at EWU and unlike most dating stories I share, they "didn't take at first" as Bethany puts it. However, I love that they connected years later and after just one date were "hooked on each other since."  Bethany and Tyler found Pine River Ranch on their search for a rustic, but rich setting. They are a very laid back couple and wanted a place where they could be completely relaxed and truly appreciate each other and the beauty around them.

Bethany wore Toms as her wedding shoes!  Perfect for traipsing around our 22 acres for great photos. I love this detail shot of Bethany's wedding dress by photographer Kelly Stonelake who did a wonderful job at capturing every smile and every tear during their big day.

This makes my heart swoon, when I asked Bethany what her favorite moment was she replied: "Our first look moment. I truly enjoyed that. I cried like a baby and he couldn't not keep telling me how beautiful I was." How sweet is that.

 Kelly did a great job of capturing the beauty of the outdoors that we are so lucky to share with our brides and grooms.

Bethany's mother arranged all the flowers for the wedding that they purchased from Pike Place Market. This is becoming so popular among wedding couples and is such a great idea for those of us lucky enough to have "crafty" family and friends!

Favorite Decoration/Detail:* The way the tables looked. I loved the flowers, the gifts my mother in law made, the wooden card holders and the little candles. The guests were also given hand made wedding coasters to take home

Bethany and Tyler were not messing around when it came to cake cutting time! They had a rainbow chip cake :) My favorite!

 Their first dance was to Frank Sinatra, "The Way You Look Tonight"

Thank you so much Bethany and Tyler for choosing us to share your big day with.  We wish you guys an overflowing lifetimes of love and happiness.

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Vendors:

Caterer: Country Boys BBQ
Dress: Pearls and Lace
Florist: Pike's Place Market/ My Mother
Hair/Makeup: Laurie Miller
DJ: My IPOD

Summer Wedding at Pine River Ranch | Blue Suspenders, Yellow Ties, Dessert Bar

Today I am excited to share the beautiful early summer (or late spring) wedding of Andrew and Jessica that I have been hanging onto. I have a wonderful stock pile of summer weddings here at Pine River Ranch that I will be sharing with you over the year. When it is snowy in December, you will thank me when you are transported to a warm, summer wedding, with the sun beating down. 

Jessica looks absolutely stunning in her lace detailed wedding dress and her long wavy hair. I am always jealous of beautiful curls like those! Any ladies with stick straight hair like mine know what I am referring too!

Love this first reveal! And as you'll see below, Jessica is NOT taller than Andrew!!

The beautiful yellow and orange bouquet captured the summer colors perfectly. Her bouquet reminds me of the sun!

I love this shot of their wedding party that photographer Cheri Pearl captured perfectly!

The groomsman looked great in their blue suspenders and yellow ties!

Cheri did a great job of capturing the beautiful view that overlooks the wedding ceremony site. On a clear day the mountains are even more majestic.

The wedding toasts brought laughter, tears and lots of hugs.

Love these seating cards! Such a neat and rustic display. 

Dessert bars are my favorite this year! They are so popular with guests at weddings! Cake pops, cupcakes, cookies and a traditional wedding cake as well!

Andrew and Jessica, Thank you so much for choosing us to share your wedding day with. We hope that your day was everything you imaged and more! We wish you a packed life full of love, laughter and joy and hope to share some of it with you in the future!

-Pine River Ranch-

Spring Special- Save 25% til May 25th

www.prranch.com | Pine River Ranch | info@prranch.com | 509-763-3959 Spring Special   Book your stay from now until May 25th, 2012 and save 25% off your suite rental! That is a savings of almost $50.00! Mention "NEWSLETTER" when booking The flowers are in bloom and Spring is finally here! Join us now through May 25th, 2012 and save 25% Off your stay. A great idea for a Mother's Day Gift or a romantic getaway for two just to say "I love you." There's no better way to rekindle a romance than an overnight stay at a luxury bed and breakfast suite on 22 private acres. Wake each morning to birds chirping and the sun shining in overhead and enjoy a delicious homemade breakfast brought to the privacy of your suite to enjoy on your private deck or even in bed! After breakfast take a stroll on our 1 mile nature trail and enjoy some of the best bird watching in the state or wonder into Leavenworth for some great spring activities like wine tasting, shopping and live music. Imagine the smile on your spouses face when you surprise them with this great deal!     What's Happening in Leavenworth right now? Maifest May 11, 2012 - May 13, 2012 Time: See Link for Details Location: Front Street Fee: Free Information: 509-548-5807 Flowers, music, entertainment, Maibaum dances, a Grand parade. leavenworth.org/modules/pages/?pageid=285 See a Full Calendar of Leavenworth Events, Live Music and More  2012 Wedding Dates Still Available Imagine your wedding day on 22 private acres surrounded by friends, family and loved ones at a beautiful Leavenworth wedding venue backdropped by the Cascade Mountains and wide open fields. Due to some last minute cancellations there are still peak 2012 dates available, with a savings of up to $1,500 if you book now!  Call Rob and Carrie to schedule your tour today at 509-763-3959 "The owners and their families did everything asked (and more!) to make the rehearsal, rehearsal dinner, outside wedding and inside reception wonderful. Everything promised was delivered." "The location is gorgeous and the ranch is just as beautiful. I recommend pine river ranch to anyone who wants to have their wedding in the mountains of Washington surrounded with amazing scenery, you wont have to worry about anything, rob and carri will take care of everything for you and your guest." Read more 5 Star Wedding Reviews on WeddingWire.com  Stay up-To-Date with Last Minute Specials, Discounts and More "Like us" on Facebook

9 Questions to Ask Your Wedding Venue

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 | Earthy hues & hand picked flowers

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!