Recommended Wedding Services

 

 

 

 

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There are many good vendors out there, but it’s sometimes difficult for couples to determine which ones are best. As photographers, we generally get to see them all, so we’ve put together a list of those with whom we are impressed. We are very pleased to recommend the following vendors for other wedding services. We’ve worked with each of them enough to know that they do an outstanding job.

We ONLY reccommend those whom we've found to do an outstanding job, and we get nothing out of these recommendations other than the satisfaction of knowing we're pointing you in the right direction.

This isn't how everyone works.

When David's Bridal opened here in Salem, they emailed us asking if we'd like to be on their recommended list. It would only cost us $400 a month. They knew nothing about us, or our qualifications, and simply saw us as a source of added revenue. We never even responded to the email. It's my opinion that this type of arrangement is unethical at worst, and at best casts a real shadow of doubt over anyone that is recommended by another vendor under these circumstances.

 Wedding Coordinators

When each of our daughters announced their engagements, our very first phone call was to Sue Hamilton at She Designs. Since we see so many weddings, we know the secrets to making them smooth and stress free, and we know that having the assistance of a planner, and the day-of managaement of a coordinator makes all the difference in the world.

She Designs- 503-399-7207

Sue coordinated the weddings for both our daughters, and she did a fabulous job. The day was carefree for us because we didn't have to worry about any of the details.

With This Ring

 

Venue

This is usually the second call we recommend - selection of the site of your dreams. It's important to pick a site that suits your style and personality, and since most can only do one wedding at a time, we recommend you book this as quickly as you can.

For each of these sites, we have written or are writing a "Photographers Perspective" that you might enjoy reading. This document tells you what kind of photographic opportunities exist at each of the selected venues. If we've completed one for a selected venue, you can download it by clicking on the "PP" beside the telephone number.

Beckenridge Vineyard -503-831-3652 Photographers Perspective

Grand Ballroom - 503-362-9185 Photographer's Perspective

Cone Chapel - Willamette Univ. - 503-370-5442 Photographer's Perspective

Mission Mill - 503-585-7102 (Photographers Perspective coming)

Willamette Valley Vineyards -503-371-7815 (Photographers Perspective coming)

Oregon Gardens - 503-874-8100 (Photographers Perspective coming)

Green Villa Farms - 503-838-3475 Photographer's Perspective

Log House Gardens - 503-393-0732

Events at Copper Hill - 503-373-3170

Deepwood Mansion - 503-363-1825

Adobe Resort - Yachats - 1-800-522-3623

Chemeketa Viticulture Center - 503-584-7272

  Disc Jockey

A good DJ can make or break a reception, and they're an important element in planning a successful wedding. They keep their fingers on the pulse of the crowd, and can tell when to speed things up, or slow things down. They act as the master of ceremonies, keeping the guests informed about what's coming, and help make the reception a true celebration and party.

It's very hard to tell the good DJ's unless you've seen them in action. Too many are simply music players, organic Ipods I call them, , but the good ones know just exactly what to do to make your reception a rousing success.

NW Mobile DJ Service - 503-380-6319

Formerly the Salem and south valley area managaer for Mobile Music, and long one of our favorite DJ's, Kevin Venables is now the owner of NW Mobile DJ Service. Same great service, same great staff, just a new name for Kevin and his crew.

Music Express - 503-362-7216

Sound Sensations - 503-371-7121

Dancin' with Doc - 503-763-8822

 

Florist -

There are many good florists in our area, but these are some that we love to work with. They both create beautiful designs, and they're wonderful to work with.

Madison Ave Flowers - 503-635-6399

Image Floral and Event Design -503-749-9173

Distinctive Designs by Denice -503-375-9521

Belle Fleur - 503-365-7463

 

Decor Rentals

Once again, we heartily recommend Sue. Her eye for design, the use of color, and her attention to detail will help you have the PERFECT wedding site. When Hollie, our oldest daughter, walked into Beckenridge where she had her wedding, her first sight of the room actually took her breath away. What Sue had done was so incredibly beautiful, and we didn't have to lift a finger.

She Designs - 503-399-7207

Class Act Event Planners - 503-371-8904

 

Cakes

There are two key elements in selecting a cake vendor - what it looks like, and what it tases like. Many do a good job of the first, but I can tell you from experience, not all do a good job of the second.

Myriad Cake Design - 503-730-6026

 

Bridal Shop

You have a choice of a national chain or local bridal shops when picking your wedding dress. Based on experience we STRONGLY encourage you to work with one of the locally owned bridal shops. Much higher quality merchandise, and much better customer service. And in the long run (when you add together purchase price and alterations) you'll pay no more working with a local store, but you'll look and feel so much better in your wedding gown.

We know the owners of each of these stores very well, and heartily reccommend each of these wonderful stores.

The Bridal Gallery - 503-363-2161

Simply Grand - 503-588-4415

 

Caterers

Some things to consider in picking a caterer are variety and flexibilty of the menu, the quality and taste of the food, the presentation at your receptions, and of course the manner in which they interact with you and your guests. We can tell you from experience that these are the two best in the area.

Willaby’s Catering - 503-371-7815

Wild Pear Catering -503-378-7515

 

Videographers

Lights in the Attic Video Productions - 503-990-8669