Tell us a little about yourselves!
We were long distance for the first three months of our relationship, but both had jobs that allowed us to fly out to see each other. On one visit Connie said, at 3am in a parking lot in the middle of Ohio, “I think we should get married”. We then decided to live in the same city, which led to living in the same apartment. The official proposal happened 6 months after our first date. Later we both disclosed that we knew we were going to get married by the end of our second date. We’re both design-oriented people (Connie is a 3D designer and Ruby used to be a stylist), so it was a fun opportunity to use our skills to plan a party that was all about us.
Why did you decide to get married where you did?
Ruby: I grew up in Oregon and have such a sacred and intimate relationship with the landscape. It felt fitting for such a ritualized event to take place somewhere full of a lifetime of emotions and memories for me. It felt extra perfect because as soon as I walked down the aisle the weather drastically changed. It became incredibly windy and started raining. Once the ceremony was over the clouds parted and it was sunny the rest of the day. I just love the drama of Oregon weather.
How many guests did you have?
38.
Tell us about your outfits.
Ruby: With modeling I have worn so many glam outfits; I wanted the one I wear to my wedding to be over the top romantic and unique from traditional bridal aesthetics. I’ve always adored Vera Wang and I feel like the dress speaks for itself.
Connie: I wasn’t interested in wearing traditional men’s formalwear, so I thought I’d have fun with silhouettes and ended up with a flowy, deconstructed tuxedo. The specific elements didn’t all come together until the last minute (the socks, shirt, and pants were all bought that weekend!).
What was the most important aspect for you, in terms of planning your wedding?
Ruby: It was important to break up the wedding duties pretty evenly. The way we tried to go about that was by having me solidify all of the main vendors and deposits as soon as we knew we wanted to have a wedding, and then having Connie coordinate more of the detail work. I’m really glad we chose to break up the responsibilities this way because we realized there is a lot more expectation for the “bride” to be in charge of logistics and nit picking small details, whereas the groom just has far less responsibility for coordinating. Very grateful for Connie’s detail oriented brain, and my big picture brain!
Connie: It was really important for it to be a very intimate experience. We forgoed an officiant for the actual ceremony, wrote our own vows, and kept the guestlist smaller. I think those decisions really allowed the wedding to be centered on celebrating our love for each other and the support and care we have in our community of friends and family.
Were there any elements that were important for you to incorporate?
Ruby: For me the priority was definitely Fashion, Florals by Wildflower Portland, and our photographer Hannah Marich. I really felt like they meshed with our aesthetic. I’m absolutely ecstatic at how all of those aspects turned out. Aesthetically we loved the idea of an elevated and ethereal garden party think Marie Antoinette (2004). We are moving out of the country at the end of the summer, so a wedding seemed like an intimate ritualized way to kind of close this chapter in our life and feel ready to begin a completely new one. I think that really showed in how we did our self led ceremony with hand written vows.
Any tips for couples getting married, particularly during the pandemic?
Ruby: Definitely expect delays in sourcing materials especially dresses! All of my wardrobe was delayed by at least two weeks due to supply chain shortages. Also make your wedding accessible!! Covid is still very much a part of life and taking safety measures for people's health is worth the extra steps. For us this meant having a small wedding outdoors. We also only allowed vaccinated guests to attend, and encouraged everyone to take a test before the wedding/before traveling to the wedding.
Connie: It’s your wedding, you can do it pretty much however you want. If there are certain elements of traditional weddings that you’re not into, there’s no obligation to do them. I think if Ruby and I made ourselves do things exclusively the traditional way the experience would have been more overwhelming and less personal. Also, you’re going to have to answer a lot of emails. Make peace with that now.
Are there any vendors that you would like to tell us a little more about?
Ruby: I loved loved working with Katie Becker owner of Salon Beck! I’ve worked with a lot of hair and makeup artists and she is definitely my favorite. She went above and beyond helping me with styling and the final look was amazing. I was also able to get my hair touched up at her salon a few days before. I also am still in love with Chas from Wildflower Portland's work! I ended up repurposing them for a boudoir photoshoot the next day.
Connie: Eliran Nargassi is such a great menswear designer. He tailored my coat so quickly, and I love the elevated, minimalist look of his clothing.
Photographer : Hannah Marich @_hannahmarich | Ceremony + Reception Location : The Griffin House Hood River @thegriffinhouse | Styling : by Ruby in collaboration with vendors | Planner : Megan Thomspon at Curated Mess @curatedmess.co | Hire : Lily + Cane @lilyandcane + The Party Place @partyplacepdx | Flora : Chas Thompson Thomas at Wildflower Portland @wildflower_portland | HMUA : Katie Becker owner of Salon Beck @katiebeckerhair | Catering + Beverages : As Good As It Gets Catering @cherylson12th | Cake : St. Beatrix @st.beatrix | Ruby's Dress : Vera Wang @verawangbride “Alizee” | Connie's Outfit : Eliran Nargassi @nargassi coat, Rhythm @rhythm pant and shirt via Communion, Tailored Union @tailoredunion socks via Tender Loving Empire @tenderlovingempire | Engagement Ring : Anueva Jewelry @anuevajewelry | Wedding Rings : David Yurman Men @davidyurmanmen | Shoes : Lisa Says Gah (Ruby) @lisasaysgah | Veil : BHLDN @bhldn | Choker: Carolina Wong @carolinawongldn Via Wolf and Badger | Necklace: Ele Kalon Jewlery @elekalonjewelry | Gloves: Cornelia James @cornelia_james | Hair Bow: Hasanova @ studio.hasanova via Wolf and Badger | Perfume : “Tzor’a” by Anat Fritz @anatfritzdesign