JuST MArRiED on the oregon coast!

Amanda + Brennan . . . JUST MARRIED! . . . back from Oregon . . . about to host a reception in Columbia at Stephen's Kimball Ballroom. And because none of us can stand the thought of not seeing ANY pictures until the surprise slideshow (Amanda, Brennan and all their guests will see most of their Oregon wedding pictures for the first time during a slideshow at the start of the reception), we're releasing a few here, now, just to set the stage!

THE SETTING
"You just pick the spot," Amanda told me before Amy and I left for Oregon. "We've never been there, so you decide where on the beach you think the ceremony would work best. I'd just like there to be some rocks." Amy and I could hardly believe this good fortune (a wedding photographer's dream come true--to scout out and pick the actual ceremony spot?!) . . . we had to call Amanda once we got to the coast just to be sure . . . "Are you sure, Amanda?" And yep, true to form (she'd also said earlier: "I just want to be the lowest maintenance bride ever!"), Amanda gave us free reign.

And here's what we found, Arcadia Beach! thanks to a tip from the new gardener at The Arch Cape House Bed & Breakfast: And The Arch Cape House B&B itself, which was filled to capacity with Amanda and Brennan's wedding guests:and had a bird's eye view of the ocean:THE PROPS
Hurray for keeping it simple, elegant and rich with meaning!
~blankets to help guests stay warm and dry during the ceremony and a picnic on the beach:~rich, jewel-toned flowers:~precious rings from older loved ones on Amanda's bouquet as well as in a gift for Brennan:THE CAST
A host of Columbians (plus a sprinkling of others from St. Louis, Texas . . . )which included:
~Brennan's mom, Cathie (looking every bit as wise and joy-filled as she truly is):~Brennan's dad AND best man, Steve (just take a look at them waiting for Amanda to appear at the start of the ceremony . . . can you tell they're related?!):~Amanda's mother and father, Jan and Jim, escorting her down the "aisle" (a sandy staircase from blufftop to beach)~Brennan's sister, Brielle, who shared two readings during the ceremony and managed to speak above the ocean spray~Amanda's siblings~and two go-anywhere, do-anything best buddies:THE PLOT
A wedding of course! Followed by a picnic with Griswolds and a "trash-the-dress session," which we prefer to call: "extreme-fun-with-dress" session, which included climbing and sitting on rocks, splashing through sea spray and . . . perhaps a bit more . . .

So you may be wondering such things as: what was the ceremony like? Who or what is a "Griswold?" What's with the yellow rain boots? Why are those women running and where are they going? How far into the ocean did Amanda really go? And we've got the answers, and the photos to prove it! But . . . you'll have to check back in a week after the slideshow's reception premier.so see ya soon
~kim