Real Weddings Magazine - Winter/Spring 2024 The Best Wedding Vendors in Sacramento, Tahoe and throughout Northern California are all here

things we love...
PHOTOS COURTESY OF HOOD-GORGE.COM
TRENDS.
NEWS.
...and fun!
Real Weddings is here to inspire you and guide you through
the plethora of talented wedding professionals in our area, but
we also love to clue you in to what’s going on in the wedding
world—whether it’s to share accomplishments, a romantic story,
useful tips, cool products or just something fun. Wedding
planning is hard. It’s stressful. It’s tiring. But it can also be a
whole lot of fun! Here, we’ll take your mind off of wedding
planning (if only for a bit) and share tidbits from every corner
of the wedding world. So, let’s clink our drinks, pose for a pic
and own the dance floor!
—Emily Peter-Corey & Megan Wiskus
COUPLE WANDERERS
If your love language is quality time, then travel is one
Hood River, Oregon
surefire way to keep the spark sizzling—especially
when the destination is an under-the-radar, slowerpaced
spot brimming with beauty and bountiful
culinary experiences (beer drinking, vino tasting,
spirit sipping, fruit picking, mushroom foraging,
farm-to-table feasting, and cow milking, oh my!).
If you, too, agree that wine, waterfalls, and
agricultural abundance are a match made in vacation
heaven, then add Mt. Hood and the Columbia River
Gorge—sited just east of Portland—to your mustvisit
list, pronto.
For a perfect home base, stay at Hood River
Hotel (hoodriverhotel.com), a historically hip
property with vintage vibes and stylishly restored
rooms. Though positioned within walking distance of Hood
Moss Covered
Old Forest River’s adorably artsy downtown district—home to Hood
Mushroom Foraging
River Distillers (hrdspirits.com), the Northwest’s largest
and oldest distillery; Full Sail Brewing Co. (fullsailbrewing.
com), and Celilo Restaurant & Bar (celilorestaurant.com), the tastiest, most upscale table in town—you’re
also surrounded by ample outdoor activities (hiking, biking, windsurfing, skiing) and fertile farmland growing
everything from grapes to Galas.
If memorable meals are the way to your heart, then grab your partner and grab a bite to eat at The Riv
(therivcafe.com), an old stone church-turned-café whose honey lavender latte and fried chicken & waffles are
worth worshipping; Hiyu Wine Farm (hiyuwinefarm.com) for a seven-course, farm-foraged dinner lovingly paired
with wildly complex natural wines; and Broder Øst (brodereast.com), a Nordic-style hotspot beloved for their
brunch, including a breakfast “bjord” and Danish pancakes doused in powdered sugar alongside fresh lemon
curd and lingonberry jam.
Once you’ve had your fill of fun—and food—journey toward majestic Mt. Hood—a dormant volcano and
Oregon’s highest point. En route, stop at one (or more!) of the family-owned “Fruit Loop” (hoodriverfruitloop.
com) farms for peaches, pears, hard huckleberry ciders, and passionately made pinot noirs; or pay a visit to
Timberline Lodge (timberlinelodge.com), whose façade can be seen in The Shining.
For your final few nights, bunk up at the tiny but mighty Mt. Hood Tiny House Village (mthoodtinyhouse.
com)—itty-bitty abodes in a wonderfully woodsy setting. At nearby Koya Kitchen (koya.kitchen.com)—a quirky
Asian-esque food cart—slurp flights of sake and steaming bowls of ramen inside a converted school bus.
Couples craving an interactive, off-the-beaten-path experience that’ll bring you closer—to each other, nature,
and where your food comes from—should visit Jones Homestead and Operations (joneshomestead.com),
where you can go behind the scenes of a working farm, milk a cow, then taste the “udderly” delicious goods. If
fungi are more your forte, go foraging for mushrooms (with a guide) in Mt. Hood National Forest; trust me: it’s
magical in more ways than one.
Whatever adventures you choose in this secret, “gorge”ous slice of Oregon paradise, you’re bound to fall
in love. —MW
For more information on the region and tips on planning your own adventure, visit hood-gorge.com.
SPEAKING OF ADVENTURES...
After the big day and months (for some of you, years!)
of wedding planning, it’s finally time to sit back and
enjoy each other’s company while on your honeymoon.
The options are endless for where to go, but have you
considered combining a cruise with a trip to Europe?
You can get the best of both worlds with with Riverside
Luxury Cruises (riverside-cruises.com/en/). Options
abound for length of trip, departures and destinations,
but no matter the itinerary, you’ll be treated like royalty
thanks to world-class service, top culinary options and
endless experiences on and off the ship. —EP
PRESERVE YOUR MEMORIES
Flowers are one
of the details
that really make
an impression
on your wedding
guests. And,
although they
are well worth
the cost, it may
seem difficult
to see them
go at the end
of the night. If
you’re a lover of
keepsakes, consider preserving your flowers with
Florally Fleurish (florallyfleurish.com). Owner Annie
creates resin products like magnets, bookends,
ring holders and more with your precious wedding
flowers. Plus, she’s also a floral designer and can
provide stunning flowers for your wedding day,
making her a one-stop shop!—EP
COURTESY OF FLORALLYFLEURISH.COM
COURTESY OF RIVERSIDE-CRUISES.COM
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