The daily Astorian., February 04, 2020, Page 21, Image 21

Ken, his groomsmen,
and the Washington
State University mascot
celebrate after the
wedding.
Ken and Shannon
Mount smile after their
wedding in Gearhart.
DiscoverOurCoast.com
A few years later, in the summer of 2018, the couple
got engaged. Shannon, who had regularly visited
Gearhart with her family while growing up, always
wanted to have her wedding in the coastal town. Ken
didn’t have a preference, so they set about making her
dream come true.
Although they didn’t know anyone who could provide
advice on hosting a destination wedding, being familiar
with Gearhart made the planning easier, Shannon
said. Plus, Shannon’s parents own a house in Gearhart,
which gave the couple a place to stay when they took pre-
wedding preparation trips ahead of the event.
Shannon chose mid-summer in hopes of the
weather cooperating, and it delivered. The décor on the
beach was simple — an arbor Ken built from driftwood
and ceramic whale tales created a path on the sand
that continued an existing trail carved through dune
vegetation. The couple decided against hauling down
chairs to the sand, and guests were comfortable standing
for the short, sweet ceremony.
“We weren’t looking for the traditional, long-winded
wedding,” Ken said, adding the ceremony was officiated
by his longtime friend, Mike Jennings.
The bride was joined by four bridesmaids, including
Ken’s daughter, who was 13 at the time. Ken had four
groomsmen as well. To accent the beach theme, the
bridesmaids dressed in Wedgwood blue, while the
men’s suits were a royal blue. The blue hues were
complemented by champagne-colored linens.
Kathleen Farmer, of Golden Pear Floral Design,
designed the floral arrangements, including bouquets
that accented the natural environment, Shannon said.
Overall, she described the theme as “traditional Oregon
Coast,” including the rustic flair.
To everyone’s surprise — including the bride’s —
Butch T. Cougar, Washington State University’s mascot,
crashed the ceremony. Shannon, who had off-handedly
mentioned to Ken months prior that groups can hire
Butch for special events, said, “it was a really good
surprise.”
Washington State is Shannon’s alma mater.
Attending Cougar football games with season tickets is
a special activity for the family.
Another personal touch for the Mounts’ wedding
was capturing their “driving away moment” inside
Ken’s 1958 Ford Fairlane convertible, Shannon said. The
vehicle was purchased brand-new by Ken’s grandparents
and then passed down through the generations. The best
man chauffeured the couple down the beach in the car,
with cans tied to the bumper, which “turned a lot of
heads,” Ken said.
The reception was held at McMenamins Gearhart
Hotel Sand Trap Pub, with tables set on the lawn. The
restaurant provided menus and options for linens,
which streamlined event organization, Shannon said.
The couple again kept decorations simple,
incorporating balloons, sand dollars, and handmade
centerpieces. The cake also served as a decoration of
sorts. Although it was a traditional tiered cake, the base
was intricately shaped like octopus legs.
Following the wedding, the couple took a “family
honeymoon” to Disneyland so Ken’s daughter could be
involved. Ken and Shannon plan on later taking a one-
on-one honeymoon.
Our Coast Weddings 2020 • 5