Kayla and Erik met online ("We both swiped right!") but quickly after meeting realized they had been passing each other in the world for years!

"We went to the same college at the same time (Go Beavs!) both moved back up to Portland around the same time (where we lived 5 blocks away from one another), and I even attended a wedding that his grandparents were also at 6 months before our first date."

Sometimes it takes a little nudge to get on track with something that the universe was working towards all along and online dating did just that for Kayla and Erik! So, when it came time for Erik to propose he knew it had to be done in an epic way.

"We’re big fans of an indie ukulele artist, Julia Nunes, who mostly tours doing living room shows. In March 2018 she came to Portland and we went to see her." 

Erik thought this would be the perfect time to pop the question, so he went to work organizing the perfect surprise proposal with the help of their favorite artist!

"The song that she closes out her shows with, Makeout, is one of our songs. Prior to the show, Erik contacted Julia and asked for her help with the proposal. She excitedly agreed and told Erik that she would call him up prior to playing the last song. The end of the show came, she played the song, and actually started to leave the room before Erik jumped up, asked everyone to stay seated (at this point, Julia realized she forgot and said, 'GO FOR IT!' as she jumped on top of a table), then he made this beautiful speech about us and how he wanted to spend his life with me, then he asked me to stand up."

"I was shaking/crying, he got down on one knee, asked me to marry him, I said yes, and everyone applauded. It was beautiful."

Once the groom was locked down, it was time to start the planning, which meant gown shopping was coming up soon!

"I had an idea of what kind of gown I wanted – I was drawn to gowns with illusion backs/sleeves and delicate lace."

Kayla came to Charlotte's with this vision in mind which ultimately lead her to a perfect, a-line ballgown featuring the delicate lace and illusion details she'd dreamed of.

"Shopping at Charlottes was one of the best experiences. Marj was my consultant and she instantly made me feel so at ease. My gown actually ended up being the second one I tried on (out of 10). Once Marj put the veil on and I saw my maid of honor, mom, and future mother in law crying, I started crying and knew it was the ONE!"

April 27th, 2019 arrived after months of planning and Kayla and Erik were ready to say "I do" in front of all their friends and family.

"Our wedding day is one of my most favorite memories – it was SO MUCH FUN!"

The morning started off with a little bit of Oregon's specialty: rain! About an hour before the ceremony was planned to take place though, the sun surprised everyone and made an appearance.  

"I loved our first look and that we were able to have that special quiet moment alone. We both cried a LOT that day (thank goodness for waterproof makeup!)."

The couple tied the knot at Gray Gables Estate.  A gorgeous oasis hidden away in SE Portland.

"We picked our venue because it was gorgeous and we knew it would photograph well. Also, the coordinator that came with the venue was incredible and made our planning so incredibly easy. She even surprised us by setting up our décor before we arrived at the venue (something I had tasked my bridesmaids with doing) and she kept us on schedule all night. It was the smoothest event I’ve ever been a part of."

One of Kayla and Erik's favorite things about their wedding day was the opportunities they found to personalize the day.  From table numbers to subtle nods to their favorite fandoms, Kayla and Erik found the perfect ways to make their wedding day one of a kind.

"Our table numbers each had facts about us and our relationship, relative to the particular table number. Our cake topper was a wire 'Always' that we found on Etsy and Erik's cuff links had '9 3/4' on them - both to celebrate our love of Harry Potter. We picked specific songs to play during dinner to reference some of our favorite TV shows and movies, our guest book was actually 6 vinyl records that people signed of important songs/artists in our relationship, and the dance floor was PACKED all night long (exactly how we wanted it). I can't emphasize more how incredible the day was."

Reflecting back on the big day, Kayla found a few major takeaways that made the day as perfect as can be!

"I have three tips that I felt made our day incredible: First, eat privately if you can. We built in 20 minutes to eat our dinner during our cocktail hour and I’m so thankful for that. We got some alone, quiet time together right after the ceremony and we knew that we would actually get to eat our delicious dinner. We opted to greet people at their tables during dinner in lieu of a receiving line so that we could keep things flowing AND still get one-on-one time with each of our guests. By the time we finished saying hello to our 20 tables, it was time for speeches and first dances.

My second tip is to find a moment to step back and take in the view of all your closest friends and loved ones in one room, celebrating YOU. It’s so powerful to really reflect on that.

Third, hire vendors that you trust, that are responsive when you’re setting up meetings, and that you get a general good vibe from. We had such incredible vendors and I think they helped to shape our day to be as perfect as it was. All of our vendors worked with us to fulfill the vision that we had for the day and created this perfect day without any regrets."

Congratulations to Kayla and Erik on a beautiful, personal wedding!  Thank you for letting Charlotte's be a part of your special day.  

Featured Vendors:

Venue - Gray Gables Estate 

Dress - Sweetheart

Florist: Forte Floral Artistry
DJ: Michael Hebert with Dynamix Crew Deejays
Cupcakes/Cake: Fat Cupcake
Hair/Makeup: Annastasia Salon by Autumn Borroz
Officiant: Ernie Claeson with EC Matrimony
Photographer: Alyssa McConaughey