Sweet Vow Renewal at Dusk
When Bethany and Ryan decided to renew their vows, Bethany’s sister Heather of The Gemmers promptly enlisted herself to plan their day in addition to capturing it. Seven years together and three children later, Bethany and Ryan decided to throw an intimate celebration as they reaffirmed their love for each other at the top of a mountain in Oregon. Under a small floral tent, they then dined under candlelight with their closest family members. Be ready to be completely smitten by this sweet fete!
From Heather of The Gemmers: It was a wedding…an elopment of sorts…a vow renewal! 7 years ago, they married. Young, with little money; madly in love. 3 children, small sustainable home in the Midwest, & trials. They’ve struggled to learn the balance. The work of marriage is in the small moments….in the small arguments, the off-hand comments….in the sinews of every conversation and encounter. It’s a delicate thing that requires all of your soul. They’re STILL madly in love. Bethany wanted to outwardly mark this moment in their lives…in their marriage….by a renewal of vows. Luckily, her sister is a photographer in Portland, Oregon: ME! I had the joy of helping to plan the most intimate of celebrations. They renewed their vows on top of a mountain along the stunning Columbia Gorge. It was all perfect: her lovely vintage-inspired lace dress by BHLDN, her husband looked just dashing; her youngest baby daughter in tow in the most darling vintage pink dress, the rings were in this lovely shell that was made into a carrying purse with a dainty clasp, their vows were printed on vintage handkerchiefs, a Portland musician played lightly through the ceremony. I dreamt of the loveliest custom floral tent & enlisted local talent to make it real and had the help of my friends & fellow wedding vendors in Portland to create a glorious day for them! There was light everywhere; candles, dazzling glass bottles & foliage everywhere! Bright colors, whimsical florals, vintage lace, wood accents, an old wood bakers table with orange chairs, a vintage high-chair, the freshly-made chocolate buttermilk cake layered with fresh local raspberries & chocolate buttercream. An amazing dinner made by a personal chef who outdid herself! Rosemary-garlic roasted rack of lamb with sauteed green beans & rosemary-garlic brown butter croutons with a poached pear & goat cheese salad. It was very typical of an intimate Portland celebration…and so lovely.
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Location: Private Residence in Oregon / Photographer: The Gemmers / Floral Designer: punch Portland / Favors and Gifts: Artful Beginnings / Dress Designer: BHLDN / Makeup Artist: Nadia Artistry / Shoes: Allen Company Inc / Hair Stylist: Ruby Riewer / Cake Designer: Miss Zumstein / Invitation Designer: Hermias Wishes / Linens and Coverings: Tamarack Tales / DIY or Handmade Goods Designer: Ashley Pahl, AntoArts / Caterer: Personal Chef Joy! / Musicians: Slim Bacon / Officiant: Jeff Marsh ([email protected]) / Tuxedo and Mens Attire: Levi’s
Wow! I just started planning our own wedding, and I was shocked to see Bethany looking exactly as she did when we were very, very young! Good memories with this family from many, many years ago. Good to see all the smiles 🙂
Oh my goodness! SO happy to see my sister on Ruffled Blog! THANK YOU Amanda & Ruffled team! And, thank you to my amazing friends and team that made this so lovely! Our friend Joy Woodall was the personal chef, but doesn’t have a website yet…if you’re in Oregon, and want to hire her, let me know!
Bethany…you’re lovely! Ryan…you’re so handsome! LOVE you both! Thank you for letting me be a part of something so intimate and dear to you!
Heather, you out did yourself. What a gift of Love for your very special sister. It was all so very beautiful and so Beathany, for the lovely person she is, mother, wife, sister, friend and all the many hats she wears. I feel so blessed to be a small part of the life of this family, to watch them grow together as a family in their modest, small home, in rural Indiana, midwest, USA. You have all blessed my life today as I imagined for a small moment today I was there with you all, with the simplest yet the most lavish of the occasion.
As your dear Mother is such a gracious role modle, I would expect nothing less………. your family is an amazing testimate of God’s love and the beautiful creation that He spoke into exsistance.
Thank you
Absolutely stunning!
So lovely and intimate. Great pics 🙂 oxox
Asolutely gorgeous! Reading the vows from the kerchief is something unique to me.
love the bridal hairstyle :X congrats for this beautiful wedding
Stunning! Love the atmosphere and the tent. Beautiful couple, congrats!
i am so happy to see that sweet little vintage dress was part of such a memorable event for this beautiful family! every detail is so lovely.
Oh. my. gosh. This is AMAZING. I am literally speechless, I love absolutely every single thing about this wedding. (Or vow? I don’t even know what you’d call it). I’m very impressed though, I was going to comment on my favorite things but then I realized that that would be pointless/would take forever because I literally am obsessed with everything. That bride is gorgeous. Excellent work you guys.
I think this is absolutely stunning! Congrats. The tent is truly amazing and I love how unique all of this is! But what does the cake topper say?