Anna & Travis’ Wedding
One of my favorite venues is Mt. Hood Bed & Breakfast in Parkdale, Oregon near Mt. Hood. The mountain is so close, on a clear day, you can almost touch it. This picturesque place got Wal-Mart’s attention several years ago and they filmed a commercial here.
On July 16th though, we woke to rain and the mountain was socked in by clouds much of the day. However, despite the occasional sprinkle, it turned out to be a mostly pleasant afternoon and evening (at least it was warm), for Anna and Travis’ wedding and reception.
The ceremony took place in the front yard and began with the seating of the parents, followed by the wedding party, ring bearer and flower girl, making their entrance to ‘To Build A Home’ from The Cinematic Orchestra. The bride then entered to Bach ‘Ave Maria’. During the ceremony, Anna and Travis performed a ‘Love Letter Ceremony’. I had never seen this before… each of them had written a love letter to each other. They locked the letters in a box and the officiant announced they would be opening them on their 5-year anniversary. In our instant-gratification world, this was an idea that requires some patience, but they seemed up for it. I wondered who is responsible for the key? 🙂 The newlyweds were introduced and made their exit to Steven Tyler’s new song ‘(It) Feels So Good’.
Following the ceremony, guests remained in the front yard for drinks and conversation. We all watched the bride and groom have their pictures taken to a soundtrack of vintage favorites from Frank Sinatra, Billie Holiday and other classics from the 40’s and 50’s. Mt. Hood even revealed a little of itself, but not as much as hoped… the sun was shining over us, yet there were still a lot of clouds over the mountain.
Around 6pm, the guests began to make their way to the other side of the house for dinner. After finding their seats, I announced the arrival of Anna and Travis and they entered the reception to one of Anna’s favorite songs, ‘You Are the Best Thing’ from Ray LaMontagne. Guests enjoyed a mix of classic jazz during dinner as the bride and groom really enjoy music from that era. They also chose ‘Memories Are Made of This’ from Dean Martin to play while they cut the cake.
The First Dance followed and Anna and Travis performed a routine to Sade’s ‘By Your Side.’ The bride then danced with her father to Tim McGraw’s ‘My Little Girl.’ Anna’s parents were married many years ago, but never really had a First Dance at their wedding, so they were given an opportunity here. They chose ‘Oh How The Years Go By’ from Amy Grant.
Approximately 60 guests attended this event and they came to party, especially the bridesmaids. I played everything from Classic Rock to Michael Jackson, plus current hit songs from Usher and Jennifer Lopez. It was a lot of fun for everyone and a good night for Anna and Travis. Congratulations! -Rich
