Winn Homestead | Walla Walla Wine Country

Blackbird Photography | Winn Homestead

Friends! It is such a different time right now with all the shifting of wedding dates, more elopements, back yard weddings and much more! Regardless, we can still share some of our preferred vendors. Every time we see stunning photos from clients who tied the knot at Winn Homestead we are in awe of the simplicity. The rolling hills, green grass, and detailed landscape paint the colors for beautiful photos. We got the chance to ask the owner of Winn Homestead what their “why” is behind what they do. Here’s what they had to say:

“We host weddings because we love sharing our historic, family homestead with others as they begin writing their own family histories.”

-Kendra
Blackbird Photography | Winn Homestead

For more info on Winn Homestead and the venue features, please visit their website at: https://www.winnhomestead.com/

Bridal by Marie | Boise, Idaho | Wedding Dress Shopping

Hi! I got the chance to chat with Susan, the founder of Bridal by Marie located just outside of Boise, Idaho. When asked what her “why” is behind what she does, here’s what she had to say:

“My ‘why’ is to create an environment for my brides and customers that combines extraordinary service and attention to detail with a meaningful personal connection. The relationships I cultivate with my brides keeps me motivated and passionate about the service I provide.”

-Susan

First hand, I have experience tailoring gowns purchased at Bridal by Marie, and I highly recommend them! The quality and accuracy of sizing was great with Stephanie’s dress featured above. Stop by their website to learn more: https://bridalbymarie.com/

Grande View Productions | Wedding Videographer | La Grande, OR

White Barn Estate | Grande View Pro | Periwinkle Events | La Grande, OR

I got the opportunity to interview Chris, the founder of Grande View Productions, a local videographer her in La Grande, Oregon. When asked what his “why” behind his business and what keeps him passionate about videography, this is what he had to say:

“We are passionate about telling people’s love stories & helping them capture their special day to enjoy for years.”

-Chris

Videography truly is a way of telling a story that a photograph can’t do. You can almost relive the day and feel exactly how you felt in that moment with a wedding video. He went on to talk about his passion for both the creative side and technical side of filmmaking. If you are looking for a professional videographer for your Eastern Oregon wedding, we highly recommend Grande View Productions!

In a wider scope we love every aspect of filmmaking, whether it’s the technical side, artistic side, or getting to know our clients, it’s all a fun adventure!”

-Chris

“All our experiences with Modern Cottage have been wonderful! We look forward to every time we are able to work together, & each time we have the pleasure of filming a dress or suite that has been through the cottage! Brittanie is a delight and we loved filming her vow renewal, as well!”

-Chris

We’ve worked with Grande View Productions first hand on multiple occasions. My vow renewal was one to remember and I will treasure the vidoegraphy performed by Grande View Pro. It was executed with attention to detail, flawless lighting, and editing. They told our love story as I would imagine it. If you have a moment, take a look at more from Grande View Productions: http://www.grandeviewproductions.com/

-Brittanie

The Bridal Tailor

bride at final fitting for bridal alterations in La Grande, Oregon

Blackbird Photography| La Grande Wedding Photographer

Blackbird Photography by Madeline Royce

bride on wedding day after wedding dress alterations by Modern Cottage
Blackbird Photography

Is there anything as magical as a black and white getting ready photo by Blackbird Photography? Every time I see a gallery come through from Maddie, I am in awe of her ability to glam up getting ready photos. Not to mention the coverage of the wedding with several edits. After working directly with Maddie at weddings as a wedding coordinator and on other creative projects, I can’t say enough about her professionalism, punctuality, and charisma. When asked what motivates her, what’s her “why” behind photography, this is what she said:

“Creating beauty, serving people, meeting new friends, and capturing a story through images.”

-Maddie
bride on wedding day after wedding dress alterations by Modern Cottage
Blackbird Photography

“Every story is different and I love getting to tell it in its own unique way, through my camera lense!”

-Maddie

Most noteworthy, Blackbird photography grasps the story (whether it be a love story, or portraits) within the image. If you are planning a wedding in Eastern Oregon and in search of a wedding photographer, you can learn more about Blackbird Photography here.

Bride holding a horse on her wedding day in La Grande, Oregon
Blackbird Photography
bride on wedding day after wedding dress alterations by Modern Cottage
Blackbird Photography
garter set by Modern Cottage in Summerville, Oregon
Blackbird Photography

Best,

Brittanie

-The Bridal Tailor

When to Schedule Your Wedding Photographer

Hi all! Britt here, your bridal designer for sustainable bridal fashion. I got the chance to talk to professional wedding photographer Erik Gilliland. His work is phenomenal! I might be a bit biased because he did our wedding photos, but nonetheless, I asked him when the best time was to schedule or book a wedding photographer. Here is what he had to say:

“As a wedding photographer I have had the opportunity to capture many different wedding styles, locations, and time frames. I have been booked for weddings only a couple months away, and even two years out. Life is ever changing and curve balls are often thrown! A good photographer must be able to adapt and overcome any obstacle thrown their way.

Everyone has their own way of planning a wedding and most wedding planners I have worked with will bear the brunt of the load for you (I highly recommend getting one). In my personal opinion I recommend booking your wedding photographer at least a year out. Wedding photographers are usually pretty booked in the summer months so finding one last minute is not an easy task. As soon as you have the date for the wedding locked in, contact the photographer to make sure they have that date available. Most couples get married on weekends so dates start becoming very limited for photographers. Like I said, a good wedding planner will also help you with timelines. If you cannot decide on an exact date you should still contact the wedding photographer and talk with them about dates you are thinking about. They might only have one or two of those dates available and that might be the determining factor on deciding on your wedding day.


” I like to capture emotion, candid photos as well as posed photos. I love to take advantage of the venue and scenery, incorporating that into my images. I always ask for any photo ideas that the Bride has as well to meet her expectations. “

Once booked, I like to meet with my clients a couple times before the big day. I like to talk about the timeline or flow of the day and see what their ideas are. It is always good to get a rough plan on the who, what, when and where for photos before the wedding day to create less kayos. As long as the photographer and Bride are on the same page everything usually works out. A couple weeks before the wedding I like to have the bride send me her outline of the day. I can look it over and offer advice and ideas based on my experience.

I find it hard to say what my exact style of photography is. I like to capture emotion, candid photos as well as posed photos. I love to take advantage of the venue and scenery, incorporating that into my images. I always ask for any photo ideas that the Bride has as well to meet her expectations.”

You can learn more about Erik Gilliland Photography and contact him on his Facebook page here.

The Barn at Tamarack Springs | Eastern Oregon Wedding Venue | La Grande

Hey all! It’s Britt here. I got the chance to talk to the owner of The Barn and Tamarack Springs, a great option for a wedding venue in Eastern Oregon. This gorgeous wedding venue is nestled in the heart of the Blue Mountains in Eastern Oregon. Here’s what Deana had to say about the barn:

“The Barn at Tamarack Springs expresses both romance and a vivid history.  As Eastern Oregon”s FIRST multi-generational family owned wedding and event center-Mountain Weddings have graced our property with hundreds of joyous occasions.

Nestled at the base of Mt. Emily, our 120 acre property is provided with the blue mountains majestic views and glimpses of spectacular nature. The Barn at Tamarack Springs not only supplies breathtaking views, historical original outbuildings, and manicured ground, it sets the perfect stage to host the wedding of your dreams. Walking down the isle inside our refurbished barn with the charm of past eras gives a couple a sense of serenity and security (just in case mother nature makes her own plan).”

​For more info on booking and availability on this Eastern Oregon wedding venue, you can check out there website here.

-Brittanie

The Bridal Tailor

4 Keys to Losing Weight for Your Wedding

Hi All! It’s Britt, bridal tailor here with Modern Cottage Bridal. I got the chance to chat with Derek, personal trainer with Beginner Fitness Solutions, and he shared with me his top 4 keys to losing weight. Keep in mind, if your wedding is this spring, summer, or fall, your goal date should be your first fitting. From there on out, plan on staying the same weight (as best as you can) to make your alterations journey easier. If you still have time to work on your goal before your first fitting, check out Derek’s top tips below:

Set a Goal

Every great achievement began with a simple goal in mind. But not just any goal will do. There are a few parameters that can help increase your likelihood of success when setting a goal. First off, it needs to be specific. Simply stating that you want to “lose weight” is too general. It needs to be measurable so that there’s some way to track progress over time. That can be anything from a desired weight, your body fat %, or even a specific number of inches lost around your waist. Lastly make sure that the goal you select is attainable. Be realistic when setting a goal, don’t set yourself up for failure before you’ve even begun. Losing 100lbs in 3 months just isn’t going to happen…In fact anything more than 10lbs a month is going to be pretty unlikely.

Let That Goal Become Your Top Priority

When you want something bad enough, you’ll find a way to make it happen. There are endless excuses for why people fail when it comes to losing weight. “I don’t have time”, “I can’t afford it”, “I don’t know what I’m doing” …But ultimately what it all boils down to is that it just wasn’t important enough. In order to be successful, your life must revolve around your goal. Everything must come second to doing what it takes to succeed. Whether that means sleeping less, skipping out on social gatherings, or giving up chocolate ice cream for three months.

Have a Plan

A goal without a plan is just a wish. You’re not going to reach your goal by continuing to do the same thing you’ve been doing for the past 5 years. You need to set weekly tasks for you to achieve that will ultimately lead to your overall goal. They should be things such as, complete three workouts a week, eat no more than 1500 calories a day, or weigh in once a week. Whatever they are, just make sure they reflect your goal. If after a couple weeks you notice you’re not seeing the change you were hoping for, change up the plan, not the goal.

Beginner Fitness Solutions

Believe in Yourself

What the mind believes, the body can achieve. The mind is truly a powerful thing and if you don’t believe that you’re going to succeed, then most likely you won’t. Positive thoughts lead to positive outcomes, so in times of struggle (and believe me, you’re going to struggle) it’s absolutely essential to build yourself up. Remind yourself how strong you are, think about how hard you’ve worked, and how badly you want to succeed. Doing this will help keep you focused, motivated, and on track.

If you need help coming up with a plan or would like a little more support and accountability feel free to contact me by visiting our website at
https://beginnerfitnesssolutions.trainerize.com/contact.aspx

-Derek

Beginner Fitness Solutions

Makeup Looks for Your Wedding

Hey guys! It’s Britt with Modern Cottage. This week’s topic is makeup looks for your wedding. We had the chance to talk to Maya Bates with Maya Beauty Co. She shared with us her favorite wedding makeup looks. Here are Maya’s make up look recommendations for your wedding day:

Shelley K Photography

“It is such an honor to make up the bride on her special day. In order to attain the brides desired look, we chat rather extensively about what kind of look she is going for. This includes the theme of the wedding, location, indoor/outdoor, time of day, colors, style of dresses, flowers, etc. This allows a good visual for me. I always offer my brides a makeup trial run that I like to do a few weeks before the ceremony. It is very helpful for the bride as well!

Let’s be honest, it can be scary having someone do your makeup for fear you’ll end up looking like a clown. I’m very picky when someone else does my makeup, so I completely understand. I encourage the bride to start a Pinterest board or such of makeup looks she wants. A number of times, a bride will desire a certain look, such as a smokey eye but then once they have it on, they realize this is not what the they want and may change to a more natural look. This is why a trial run is so important. 

Shelley K Photography


While I love a smokey eye or a bold lip, my favorite and most common bridal look is natural with a little bit more than normal. This means flawless, glowy skin, contour, and highlights in all the right places, and lots of attention to the eyes. Lashes are usually a common request. A complementary lip color finishes up the look. When makeup is done right, you see her beauty, not her makeup. “

Shelley K Photography

Thanks so much for reading. I hope you enjoyed these wedding makeup recommendations. I highly recommend Maya Beauty Co, she does a fantastic job! I’ve seen her in action at a handful of weddings. Go check her out check out her website and Instagram. If you need any help styling your look as your bridal accessories to compliment your makeup, don’t hesitate to shoot me an email via our contact page.