Everything keyed off the bride’s luscious color
scheme of coral, gold, browns and creams with a bit of
turquoise. A French wine of choice for the occasion was
a blush called “Notorious Pink” that proved a hit with
guests.
Stephanie’s strapless, full-length wedding dress came
from ‘Adorned in Grace,” which sells donated bridal
gowns; the profits go to help women involved in sex
trafficking. “They have beautiful dresses,” she breathes.
“And they’re a quarter of the usual price.” After a few
alterations and a new veil, Stephanie looked a vision in
her ivory-colored gown with gold embroidery on the
bodice. Aside from the bride’s dress, though, casual” was
the watchword at this wedding. The bride’s attendants
wore sleeveless, Coral-colored knee-length frocks; and
the groomsmen sported blue jeans, short-sleeved white
shirts and brown vests. On a whimsical note, the entire
wedding party wore cowboy boots.
Vendors that rocked
DJ Nathan Ralston, out of the Nehalem/Tillamook
area, furnished all the music, a mix of today’s hits and
country music. The bride walked down the aisle on her
dad’s arm to Sara Bareilles’ “I Choose You.” The Zac
Brown Band’s “You Make Lovin’ You Easy” played as
the new marrieds walked back up the aisle to join their
guests. They danced their first dance as man and wife to
George Strait’s “Give It All We Got Tonight.”
Sammich Productions had been hired to video-tape
this wedding, coming out the day before with a drone.
“What they did was really cool, says Stephanie. “ I
wanted people to see the love between Tom and I. “(The
video) did this; and it really takes you back.”
The wedding
Five bridesmaids and a matron of honor, five
groomsmen (including two of the bride’s brothers) and a
best man made up the wedding party. Stephanie’s middle
brother Aaron, 25, a youth minister, acted as the couple’s
officiant, which meant a great deal. In another sweet
touch—and there were so
many--Tom’s niece and nephew Addysen and Wyatt
Davidson, ages five and four respectively, pulled one -
year old Hadlie Hodges, who’s going on two, down the
aisle in a decorated wagon as part of the wedding
procession.
As roughly 220 guests looked on, Tom and Stephanie
were married. They’d written their own vows—
Stephanie, up to her usual tricks ribbed Tom about the
brevity of his very public declaration, saying jokingly,”
Is that all you’ve got?” In this wedding, there were many
such “moments of laughter and love,” as Stephanie calls
them-- things that remain in one’s heart for a lifetime!
Congratulations Tom and Stephanie. May your love for
each other sustain and keep you.
COASTAL WEDDINGS 2018
5