Pacific Northwest Sunset Wedding Ideas
When you’re on the west coast, the sunsets are more than just a thing of beauty. In this shoot captured by Josselyn Peterson Photographer, these striking western sunsets are also a point of inspiration for ae creative. With the focal point of this shoot being the environment of central Oregon, Abby from ae creative pulled all of these earthy deep oranges, blush pinks, and warm browns and greens together to make something magical. Florals from Heirloom Floral Design mimicked this color palette, while also adding fun punches of fuchsia, plum, and greenery for some depth. A wonderful thing can happen when you draw wedding inspiration from your hometown and its landscape!
From the event designer, ae creative: Central Oregon has such a beautiful landscape and culture and I wanted that to be reflective in this concept. The landscape, the sunshine, the rocks, trees and dirt is all so beautiful during every season. I wanted to pull those native colors and hues together to create a true Oregon wedding. The bride’s style was inspired by a central Oregon sunset, soft pinks, orange glow and natural beauty. The groom’s attire was inspired by sagebrush, a native central Oregon bush with sage-green small leaves and twiggy stalks growing up in an arid surrounding.
I think it’s important for a wedding to be reflective of the couple and their personal style to truly make their event one of a kind. This couple is adventurers, outdoor lovers, and very much down to earth. The famous John Muir quote, “The mountains are calling, and I must go” inspired the vibe of this shoot. In Central Oregon, in several locations, we’re already in the mountains, so we made our own quote as a mantra for the couple, “The mountains are calling, and I’m already there.” We also chose to have camp coffee mugs that doubled as cups at the wedding, but also the wedding favor. These were printed with the state of Oregon and the words home. We also added “the adventures continue.” We believe a strong couple has already had many adventures together so by them getting married, they are only continuing, not just beginning as some love quotes say.
All of our vendors involved are local artisans using recycled, locally grown, and making green choices for their business. Our floral designer, Allison, not only grows her own blooms and forages from her own farm but also uses only open pollinated botanicals from the PNW. Foxtail Bakeshop uses only the finest ingredients, organic and straight from the PNW when possible and even hand picks seasonal fruit from no-spray farms. The Broomsmen, our setup, cleanup and waste management crew promotes zero waste events and educates couples and vendors about the small steps they can take to make a big impact.
My vision for this shoot was choosing items there were sustainable, locally made and as much as they could be, recycled. I wanted to show that you could have beautiful decor and details and be “green!” We used several potted plants vs. single cut stems and locally foraged sagebrush and manzanita. We only used reusable dish ware and glassware and linen napkins. All of the decor was straight from our inventory of vintage and unique rentals so each piece gets loved time and time again. With each vendor bringing their own unique touch of “recycle, reduce, reuse” we created a gorgeous unique and personable event that this couple will forever cherish. By sourcing local products straight from Central Oregon vendors it’s proving handmade and local can be and is stunning.
