Keeping it simple

But then comes every bride’s biggest challenge: planning the wedding. Emily realized that while most girls seem to have something in mind for a wedding, she didn’t. But there were a couple of elements she knew she did want. “ I wanted something that was comfortable and simple. I had seen many weddings where the bride was very flustered all the time, stressed out, and I didn’t want that, so I opted to keep everything low-key and comfortable. I also knew for sure that I wanted to be married in a church; that was important to me. We chose Seaside Christian Chu-rch,” which is where Richard and Dorene Sheldon, Rich-ard’s parents, attend.

In keeping with Emily’s desire to keep things uncomplicated, her wedding was very hands-on and she did much of the preparation herself. Using vintage lace and embroidered table linens she found thrifting, she fashioned her own decorations. Other thrift items like galvanized buckets and mason jars were used as imaginative flower containers and vases. Emily made favors, designed and created her own wedding invitations, and even made her own guest book.

But she was never without all the help she needed, because her family, Richard’s family and many of their friends, including church members, pitched in to help make the big day a success. All the arrangements, bouquets, corsages and boutonnieres were done by her aunt, Kathy Isom of Astoria, assembled from her personal garden and from her neighbor Pam Allen’s flower stand at Seventh Street and Olney Avenue, even from flowers gathered on the roadside. Dahlias of varied bright colors dominated the mix and they created a festive ambiance on Emily’s bridal day.

In keeping with the theme of being low-key, the groom’s family and their church family provided and arranged for the food with the meat for a planned barbecue coming from Reed & Hertig, located between Astoria and Seaside, and beverages from Clatsop Distributing of Warrenton. Emily’s grandmother pitched in by making her famous potato salad and Jennifer Herbabdez of Astoria, formerly of Panaderia in Warrenton, baked and decorated her beautiful wedding cake. The wedding dress from Bridal Exclusives in Clackamas was compliments of Emily’s mother, Suzanne Johnson. The gesture was made even sweeter when her mother’s locket, given to her by her grandmother, was sewn into the hem of the dress.

In another nod to practicality, Emily requested that the bridesmaids purchase their own different black dresses and red shoes. “I wanted them to feel beautiful and comfortable in their dresses, and to be able to wear them again. I have a closet full of bridesmaid dresses that will never be worn again.” The men wore traditional tuxes rented from Men’s Wearhouse in Clackamas.

The finishing touch came from hair styling by Katie Banta of Salon 620 in Seaside and Krystal Schneider of Salon Boheme in Astoria.

One very sweet touch was the inclusion of Harper, Emily and Richard’s very young daughter, all decked out in a handmade veil and dress purchased online from an Etsy seller. Acting as flower girl, she and a young niece were pulled along in a little red wagon by yet another niece and nephew.

The no-fuss music was from an iPod. The couple chose songs for the ceremony that were meaningful to them. The wedding party walked in to Michael Franti’s “One Step Closer,” which is Emily and Richard’s special song. Emily walked aside her father Dewey Johnson’s motorized wheelchair to the traditional Wedding March, played on the piano by the pastor’s wife. The bride and groom had written their own vows and recited them during the ceremony conducted by Pastor Cliff Watts.

Delicate paper cranes carefully folded by Emily’s mom and her co-workers replaced traditional flower petals thrown by the flower girls and used as table decorations. Japanese legend has it that folding 1,000 paper cranes in honor of a wedding will make your heart’s desires come true, and bring the married couple a long, happy and healthy life together.

During the candle lighting ceremony, which included the couple’s mothers, Emily’s bridesmaid and college roommate Marah Bonneau sang “God Bless the Broken Road.” To add a lighthearted touch, the recessional song was “Stuck on You” by Sugarland.

After the ceremony, the reception was held in the Log Cabin Classroom at nearby Camp Rilea, a wonderfully peaceful setting that worked best with their schedule. Like everyone else, the Camp Rilea staff were extremely helpful in getting the needed chairs, tables, grill and even the space required. The reception, like the wedding, was planned to be another low-key affair with barbecue, beer and wine. Cutting of the cake with family and friends completed Emily’s desire to keep her wedding comfortable.

If you ask Emily who her biggest help was, her ready answer is, “My husband. While everyone was wonderful and helped tremendously, he was the one who kept me grounded. I had the opportunity to become flustered here and there. He would remind me that this is about us and not anyone else. It wasn’t about keeping other people happy but about what we wanted.”

That’s good advice for any wedding couple. Emily and Richard now live in Portland, where Richard works as a deputy with the Clackamas County Sheriff’s department. Emily is a stay-at-home mom caring for Harper. Emily’s only other plan at the moment is maybe to one day have a shop where she can sell her hand-crocheted hats. Nothing grand. Simple and comfortable. But then, that’s the way Emily likes it.