Pastel Origami Cranes Wedding at the Foundry at Oswego Pointe, Lake Oswego, Oregon

August 2023

Nicole and Alex traveled all the way from their hometown in Southern Oregon to say "I do" at The Foundry at Oswego Pointe in Lake Oswego, and the trip was worth every mile. The day was wrapped in a dreamy palette of pastel purple, deeper plum hues, gold, and silver that gave the whole celebration a soft, romantic glow. They had a really sweet first look together followed by portraits and then the ceremony on the deck overlooking the bright blue lake. Guests kicked things off with a lively cocktail hour out on the outdoor patio, sampling a delicious mix of American and Asian bites under the open air. But the true showstopper was overhead: hundreds of thousands of paper cranes suspended from the ceiling, each one folded by hand by the bride herself as a labor of love for her big day. The effect was nothing short of magical, transforming the venue into a shimmering, whimsical wonderland. From there, the night unfolded exactly as a wedding should — plenty of dancing, laughter, and, of course, cake. Congratulations to Nicole and Alex on their wonderful wedding day and here’s to a beautiful marriage and life together!

I did a little interview with the Bride & Groom to hear more from their perspective about the wedding day and they were gracious enough to share all the details!

What stands out to you as being your favorite moment from your wedding day? Our favorite moment was when we were taking photos - with all the hustle and bustle of a busy, schedule-packed wedding day, during the photos were one of the few moments we were able to slow down and take our marriage. It was also great seeing all of our loved ones together.

What inspired your wedding style, theme or overall day? I chose a theme based on paper cranes/origami and paper crafts. Because I’m an artist and many of my friends and family know me as such, I wanted to add my artistic touch to the wedding. I decided on paper cranes because my husband is Japanese and in Japanese culture, if you fold 1000 paper cranes, you are granted a wish of happiness. I spent months in advance folding all the paper cranes in our wedding colors. It was a fun experience, but it definitely took a lot of patience.

Do you have any advice for couples planning their wedding about what would be most important and least important or any general advice? Personally, my husband and I were focused on making sure the guests were entertained and fed. We made sure there was good food and more than enough so our guests wouldn’t go hungry (and many guests said it was the best food they’ve had!), as well as entertainment so they wouldn’t get bored. We knew we would be busy running around the place, so keeping everything easy-going and entertaining was our goal. We still get compliments about our wedding, even though it was a little hectic for us!

Are there any wedding details or DIY wedding projects that you are most proud of? All of the wedding decor was done by myself, from the hanging paper cranes to the wedding invitations. It took quite a bit of planning and some time to DIY them, but I’m very happy and proud of what I was able to create. Plus, I was able to add my artist touch to our wedding and make it all unique.

Anything else notable you’d like to add about the two of you or your wedding day? We had unintentionally made our wedding a destination wedding. We are both originally from the Bay Area and live in Southern Oregon, but we ended up choosing a venue close to water in Northern Oregon. We also had our wedding on a Friday because if people were going to travel anyways, we thought it would be fun for them to have time to explore the area before heading home. Many of them did and they liked having the chance to explore the Portland area instead of feeling rushed to return home. We are both really happy with how our wedding day went, even if it was quite quick for us! Everyone had a lot of fun and it was very memorable.