We are so appreciative of any press we receive, and yesterday was no exception!  It was wonderful to open up the Beaverton Valley Times and see an article on page A2 about our store.  Now that we have expanded and carry gifts for all occasions it is great to have opportunities to spread the word.  We hope it will bring our fellow Beaverton and surrounding area friends in to visit our boutique.  If you missed the article you can read it online here…

http://portlandtribune.com/bvt/15-news/113369-the-wedding-cottage-branches-out

The pic is of me and my wonderful Mom.  Click on the link above and read about our story!

Wedding season is in full swing which means lots of honeymoons are about to take place, and I couldn’t be more jealous!  I’m dreaming of Pina Coladas on the beach, and watching the sunset with my sweetie.  But since a trip like this is not in my future, I decided to live vicariously through all the newlyweds and come up with some…

“Honeymoon Must-Haves”

1. Luggage Tags -

(sold in the store and online $12.00)

2. Adorable and sassy polka-dot bikini from J.crew

3. Essie Nail Polish

4. “Just Married Door Hangers”

(sold at the store and online $5.50)

5. Nars Lipstick to pucker up

6. “Just Married” Flip Flops

(sold at the store $12.00, black ones for the boys & white ones for the girls!)

7.  Summer Scarf from J.Crew

8. Monogrammed Tote

(sold at the store $25.00)

9. Tiffany and Co. Sunglasses

10. Cute Wrap Bracelets

(sold at the store $14.50)

To all those newlyweds jetting off to honeymoons…

I hope you have a fabulous time!

With Independence day right around the corner, I got to thinking about all the fun ways to celebrate and throw a July 4th Party.  It doesn’t need to be fancy – just a few decorations, some yummy desserts, a fun outfit and you’ll be ready to go.  I did a little searching on Pinterest (of course!) and decided to share some fun ideas.

OUTFIT:

Of course this cute scarf that we have here at the store!

Tom’s Shoes

A blue and white striped dress, and red nail polish

DECOR:

I love this idea below because it would be so easy to do.  Grab some clear glasses, fill them with Red, White and Blue Candies, add some American Flags and Voila – instant party decor!

This  also seems pretty d0-able and fun. With some red, white and blue streamers hung from your porch your house will be oh-so festive

This idea only takes some colored tissue paper, mason jars, and candles.  Line your street and it will be patriotic and festive.

SWEETS:

Strawberry Shortcake – what is more American than that? I love the idea of cutting out shortbread in the shapes of stars, and then adding in the whipped cream and berries all together.

Next up, dipped pretzels

This cake looks HARD to do, but I had to put it in because it is so amazing looking!

I have no idea how you would make this, but it’s impressive!

Happy 4th of July!!!

Last week was really fun and exciting as we had our two Open House Celebrations at the store! It was the culmination of becoming a full gift shop, and we had such a great time “showing off” our new space and new items.  Last Thursday we had our Friends and Family over for a soft opening and celebration, and then on Saturday we had our big Open House/Grand Re-Opening event with all our wonderful customers.  We were celebrating our new location, new products, and the beginning of all the exciting things to come as we make this transition from a bridal boutique, to a full fledged gift shop.  Here are some photos from our events… thanks again to everyone who stopped by to celebrate with us!

I loved seeing a line outside our store!  We got pretty lucky with the weather.  It looks a bit cloudy in this photo, but luckily the sun came out during our event and we didn’t have any rain!

Heidi and Me before the party.  I searched high and low to find a dress in the new colors of the store :)

Our Favors that we gave out- Peach shaped sugar cookies!  The sugar cookies were done byLe Cookie Monkey and the little tag attached was made out of pewter.

On Saturday we had a full Espresso Bar – Lattes, Cappucinos, Italian Sodas etc.  Myra with Espresso Volare was there to greet and serve our guests.  I had my fair share of Vanilla Lattes that morning!

The Flowers were done by Zest Floral – were’t they gorgeous?  The peonies were amazing.

And check out our cute cocktail napkins with our new logo!

We served Peach Bellinis and Wine…what’s a party without some bubbly!?

Yummy treats…

A peak at some of the giveaways we had on Saturday

The centerpiece was done by Zest Floral and it was so gorgeous!  The food was from  Crave Catering, and the rentals (tent, linens, bistro tables etc.) were all from Barclay Event Rentals

If you missed it, don’t worry, we’ll be having more events in the future!

This sweet couple stopped into The Wedding Cottage the other day needing a Bride Hankie for their niece who is getting married, and mentioned to me that they bought their cake topper and unity candle from The Wedding Cottage in December of 1988!!!  They are still happily married after 23 years, and for a newlywed like myself, what a wonderful inspiration these two are.  A story like this always make me proud to own a store that has been open for over 25 years!

Jan and Mike Irwin on their wedding day…

Jan and Mike at The Wedding Cottage!

Happy Holidays to Jan and Mike!

I wish you many more happily married years, and congratulations to your niece!

One of my best friends proposed to his girlfriend last weekend, and I could not be more happy for the two of them!  I remember that feeling of being newly engaged – it is just such a special time for a couple to start envisioning their happily ever after.  Since my friends do not live in Portland I am putting together a little “happy engagement” gift to send to them.  I think the best engagement presents are ones that get the couple excited about starting to plan the wedding – not to overwhelm them with a to-do list, but to get excited about being a Bride and Groom-to-be!

Here is what I am sending them – hopefully they wait to read this post until it arrives :)

If you know someone who is about to be engaged, pop into the store and we will be happy to show you some other fun engagement gifts!

I know next summer seems very far away, and honestly it is strange to think about the summer when I am drinking a big cup of hot coffee while wearing boots and a scarf.  But for all you newly engaged couples starting to plan your 2012 summer nuptials, it is time to imagine those warm months and start thinking about your save the dates!

The best time of year to send out your save the dates, if you are getting married in the summer, is right after the holidays in January or February.  This is the time that people begin to plan their upcoming year and the trips they will take.  If you send them during the holidays, there is a good chance your save the date could get lost within the piles of holiday cards or forgotten during the hustle and bustle of the holidays (and that would be sad!)

Why send out save the dates you might ask?  Because you want people to attend your wedding!  If you are getting married, let’s say on a Saturday in August (which is a fantastic time to get married in Oregon), then there is a good chance that many of your guests will get other save the dates for the same weekend.  And you want make sure all those wonderful people come to your wedding!

The other important reason to send a save the date is to give your guests enough time to be able to book hotels, make travel arrangements, and get excited about your big day.  As wedding invitations get sent out 6-8 weeks prior to your wedding, this doesn’t give your out of town guests a lot of time if there was no save the date.

We have a lot of great options for Save the Dates at The Wedding Cottage and we are happy to help you pick out the perfect one!  We are also here to help answer any questions you might have, and get excited with you about all your wedding plans!

This coming Sunday The Wedding Cottage will be at the Bravo! Wedding Affair at The Embassy Suites Downtown.  This show is a favorite of ours, and one not to be missed!  You can get wonderful ideas and inspiration for your big day all while enjoying some delicious treats, and champagne!

Think it is too early to think about Holiday Cards?  Au contraire!  The holidays are right around the corner and we are debuting a new line of holiday photo cards here at The Wedding Cottage!  Now I know you are probably thinking that shutterfly is calling your name for your holiday cards (and I understand that it is a bit hard to compete with their prices) however, I have the top 5 Reasons why I hope you will shop for your holiday cards this year at The Wedding Cottage!

TOP 5 REASONS

1. We want to see you!
2. Your amazing wedding photos or family photos deserve an equally amazing holiday card
3. All the colors, text, font can be customized for no extra cost
4. 10% off your order if you place it in October or November!
5. Free shipping on your order!

Bonus reason – you are shopping local :)

~

We hope you will stop into the store and let our friendly staff help you pick the perfect holiday card!

(Please note… these photos were taken on my iphone and the colors on these holiday cards look MUCH better in person, trust me!)