Fall Riverside Wedding in Newberg, OR

Ronda and Jack were perfectly matched at the right place, right time and it only took a few months to realize out of the millions of people looking for love on dating apps, the two of them were meant to be.

HOW THEY MET

"Jack had just moved to the area a couple of months prior, around the same time that I had. It was just by chance that we settled down in the same location, considering we both have family that lives near one other, in a completely different area."

bride and groom kissing at the altar

After talking for nearly a month, the two knew it was time to meet in person, choosing Double Barrel Taproom to watch the Oregon Civil War football game together.

“His story goes, “the moment you walked in, I didn’t think I’d have a chance.”

"He met my family Christmas day, and it was the moment I met his that I knew I couldn’t let him go. Watching them interact and witnessing the relationships he had with the loved ones in his life is what sealed the deal for me.”

HOW HE PROPOSED

Not only did Jack want to ensure he got Ronda the perfect ring to help seal the deal, but ensured that some of the most important people in her life knew about this upcoming, exciting new chapter:

"Jack would slyly try to measure my ring size, study my interests in ring styles and even found my Pinterest account (yes, I may have had a board!).

He put an incredible amount of effort in to ensure the proposal turned out to be all I had dreamed of. He contacted my dad after purchasing the ring and took him out to dinner where he asked for his permission for my hand in marriage."

bride walking down the aisle to the alter with her father

On March 14th, Jack and Ronda went to the Kalama river with a few friends on a double date, Ronda unaware of what was about to happen! With snow on the ground, Jack asked Ronda to be his wife with their friends nearby snapping photos to capture the moment!

With the state shutdown due to Covid happening the following week, Ronda and Jack were grateful to not only have each other during that time, but be surrounded by their friends to share in that special moment with them.

"The day we became engaged was also the last day we’d gather in a public setting with friends for many months. We didn’t visit with family or friends to celebrate the engagement until June/July – we were especially grateful to have each other through those months."

SAYING YES AT CHARLOTTE'S

After securing their wedding date, Ronda was ready to find her dress with 6 months until the big day!

Many bridal shops were closed and not taking appointments due to the circumstances, or having to cancel appointments with no re-schedule date in the near future which was overwhelming and left Ronda with a lot of questions. That was until she reached out to us at Charlotte’s and all worries were put to rest when she heard about our virtual appointment option.

“The entire process turned out to be absolutely incredible, given the circumstances, and looking back, I can’t imagine going anywhere else.”

During her initial Zoom meeting with Stephanie, together they determined Ronda's likes, dislikes, what styles and details she was drawn to, as well as her budget, followed by her dress presentation appointment a few days later.

“...[Stephanie] presented 5 dresses that fit within my vision. On that second call, I expressed a little hesitation with one of the dresses of which she ran to the back and returned with what I knew when I saw it, was the one. It was slightly over my budget, but funny enough, was the only dress I could see myself in.”

“I had ideas of what I wanted but Stephanie wrapped it all together into the dress and was able to completely turn my vision into a ‘dress reality’.”

THE DRESS: Ronda wore a Charlotte’s favorite, Justin Alexander “88122”—a beautiful off shoulder ball gown complete with all over lace appliqués.

ABOUT THE WEDDING DAY

Ronda and Jack didn't arrive at their wedding day without some ups and downs during the planning process including a few changes of their ceremony and reception venues, finally deciding to tie the knot riverside at a private property in Newberg, OR.

"We were beyond fortunate to have loved ones with the perfect space to hold the event and for the generosity of everyone’s support to help make it happen. We had close to 100 people which was the allowed amount of people for outdoor gatherings at the time."

With a beautiful view of the Willamette River, the two exchanged vows and officially tied the knot on October 17th, 2020.

Bride and groom sharing first dance

As far as favorite moments go, Ronda said it was hard to choose just one but a top moment was standing with Jack at the altar.

“...standing at the altar with Jack by far beats anything else... The entire day was an absolute blast, but I’ll forever cherish those minutes committing our lives to one other. The day brought a sense of normalcy and joy in one of the most tumultuous years for many of us. For that reason, the day turned out even more memorable and jubilant than I think we could have ever dreamed of!"

Bride and groom holding hands at altar

Bride and groom holding hands at the altar with bridal party standing on either side

ANY ADVICE FOR FUTURE BRIDES?

“Let go the day of!...Any vendors, coordinators and support you have will handle the logistics. What helped me was to understand that once I no longer had control over décor, set up and logistics, they would be handled and executed in the best way possible by professionals and those that cared about us.

Sometimes the best execution of how something is set up or played out may be different from what a bride and/or groom may envision.

As much planning and stress might go into your wedding, it’s the one day you’ll remember the rest of your life – give yourself the space to be pampered and allow yourself to enjoy it all, regardless of how everything falls into place.”

Bride and groom fun photo posing with bridal party