The Bride & Groom
Marisa McKenney & John Grinstead
Wedding Date
July 10, 2010
Wedding Location
Pendarvis Family Farm
Wedding Time
6:00PM
How did you and your husband meet?
I met John at Arizona State University when we were in college. He was a tutor and I was a resident assistant in the residential halls (dorms). We’ve been together for 12 years (-:
Wedding Dress Designer
Casa Blanca 1831
Bridesmaids Dress Designer
2Be Social by Nathan Taylor
How was your experience at Charlotte’s?
Fantastic – Calming – Wonderful. After our wedding, I sent Charlotte’s a little thank you note of appreciation. My whole experience at the store was nearly perfect. My mother and I had been all over Portland at different wedding dress salons and ‘shops’ and were disappointed. When we arrived at Charlotte’s, it was pretty magical. We walked through the front door and there were chocolate covered strawberry’s (weekends only I think). Then, there was Oneida who immediately greeted us at the door with a smile (this was not something the other salons did). She then introduced us to the lovely Lauren who took such great care of us. After describing to Lauren what type of dress I had in mind, she came back with two dresses and the second dress was the one that I ended up purchasing that same day! Additionally, Lauren actually sketched (yes, a really nice drawing) of the alterations that I wanted. Her find was particularly miraculous because most of the wedding dresses this past season were all strapless. I was worried that I would not be able to find a dress with straps. Lauren is a genius because her measurements were nearly perfect. This transitions into my wonderful experience with seamstress extraordinaire Lorraine. She took such good care of me, not only for my wedding dress alterations (which were minor thanks to Lauren’s precise measurements) but also with my bridesmaids dresses.
What did you like most about working with Charlotte’s?
The staff are courteous and thoughtful. Everyone at Charlotte’s made me feel like my time was valuable. Even when they were going through a re-model, they made sure that my appointments with Lorraine would not be impacted. The staff always called and emailed me to tell me the status of my wedding and bridesmaids dresses. They made me feel like I was a valuable customer. Honestly, Charlotte’s is like the Nordstrom’s of Wedding Dress Salons! Plus, the owner Krysta McLaughlin is the sweetest person and the way she interacts with her staff is awesome. I felt really good about supporting a local, small, female-owned, Northwest business.
What did you like most about your wedding?
The collective energy of love and support. When John and I joined hands in front of our friends and family members there was an indescribable amount of love and warmth in the air. I felt like we were receiving a huge care-bear-stare. It was the best day of my life! The other thing that I truly loved about our wedding day, was how our incredible wedding photographers captured everything beautifully! There was so much that I forgot after the wedding was over that I was so happy that we hired Altura Studio (John & Theresa Valls). I will treasure our wedding photos for the rest of my life.
Photographer
Altura Studio
