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What To Do When Wildfires Threaten Your Wedding Day

adorable bride and groom wedding portraits

They say that smoking can kill, but what they rarely tell you is that wildfire smoke can make for some killer photos! Danielle and Spencer's big day happened to fall right in the middle of all the terrible wildfires that were burning along most of the west coast in 2017. In fact, their route to their wedding venue closed down due to the fires. Undeterred, this "go-get-'em" couple found a way around and pulled their wedding day off without a hitch.  And their wedding photos came out looking phenomenal with a pink sky casting a moody and atmospheric light on the whole event! 

Keep scrolling to see more and don't miss a single one of these unique wedding photos in the full gallery thanks to the talents of Gina Paulson Photography.


sweet and chic bridal style pink coral and white wedding bouquet


wedding kiss classic chic bridal style


bridal party in soft peach soft peach bridesmaid dresses

groom and his men

Heart And Forests On Fire

Our wedding took place during the horrible fires in Central Oregon. Days before our wedding, the usual route we took from Portland was closed and we were worried we wouldn’t even be able to make it to the venue! The sky wasn’t the usual bright blue and you couldn’t see the white-capped mountains in the background because of all the smoke- but the sky was a beautiful hazy pink which made the flowers pop and went perfectly with the color palette. You just have to go with the flow and not stress about things you have no control over!

Danielle and Spencer got married in Bend, Oregon at Black Butte Ranch. This was right in the middle of a summer of forest fires that area of the region was experiencing, and their day had a pink smokey overcast to it. 

forest inspired wedding stationery

rustic hand painted wedding signs

live ceremony music wedding ceremony fans

unplugged wedding sign


tearful groom here comes the bride

bride and groom wedding vow exchange


saying i do wedding kiss

Planning The Details

Danielle and her mom are naturally amazing at planning and coordinating, and then they brought in a killer team to assist them and the day was seriously covered in so many beautiful details. You could just tell how much time Danielle had put into planning this and working with the vendors, it was really amazing. From dancing shoes, to drink stirrers, to napkins and table decor, she really had a vision that got brought to life. 

I really loved the florals by Summer Robbins, those colors were just so unique and stunning when they all came together. 

The venue itself is set right on the water, and guests can stay in small cabins and walk home at the end of the night which makes for a really fun atmosphere for the reception. 

wedding hug


pinecone wedding place card holders outdoor wedding reception

coral yellow and greenery rustic chic table decor


wedding bar menu custom cocktail napkins wedding cocktail with custom stir stick

cute bride and groom photo on vintage couch

Bridal Advice

My biggest piece of advice for future brides to be is to follow wedding bloggers on Instagram! They post amazing pictures of real weddings and you can easily take a screenshot to show your vendors. I kept a separate album on my phone with all of my 'wedding inspo' to show my vendors and created my own mood board. 

Also, hire a day of coordinator!!!! They are seriously god sends and make your day sooo much easier. - My favorite part of the day was the first look with Spencer. It was such a relief to finally see him and show him my wedding dress! I also loved seeing all of the months of planning come together. I had always dreamed of this day and it was so amazing to see all of the little details come together so beautifully! Also, make sure your day-of bag is super organized! I somehow misplaced my vows and thankfully our officiant had an extra copy!


sweet bride and groom candid cute his and hers director chairs


wedding dance setting smoky sun

cute rubber ducky cake toppers

Budget Breakdown

Want to know how much Danielle and Spencer's big day cost? We have a couple numbers that might interest you:

Planned Budget: $25,000
Actual Budget: $35,000
Number of Guests: 200 

and be sure to get a closer look at this smoke-filled wedding when you watch this video from Indie Glow Films.

https://vimeo.com/236092681

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$35,000
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