Bend, OR | E+M’s Central Oregon Backyard Wedding

Emily reached out to me in early 2023 regarding her Central Oregon backyard wedding. Being a destination wedding as well as a backyard wedding, Emily and Myles were sure they wanted a local Central Oregon wedding coordinator to help bring all the details together for their big day. 

Myles and Emily were one of our more non-traditional couples (we LOVE untraditional wedding days). Instead of not seeing each other on their wedding morning, they decided to take a run together – they both went to UCLA and did track there, so this is a super important piece of their story.

We want to start off by thanking all of the vendors that were part of this day. Each one was amazing to work with. I mean, just look at the photos by Ariel Dawn Photography! 

As far as their theme goes, they loved bright colors with a touch of rustic-ness, as well as incorporating elements of Bend for their guests. They even turned their wedding day into a several-day adventure, including going floating on the Deschutes River the day after their wedding. 

One of our favorite parts of the day was getting to see the couple’s first look when they were all ready to walk down the aisle. It was so sweet and emotional. We love seeing those big moments on wedding days where you can truly see the love the couple has for each other. It makes wedding planning all worth it. 

Next up – ceremony. 

Emily had envisioned something special to start the wedding ceremony – a grounding meditation. We absolutely loved this, and we believe that it helped slow down the day a little bit for the bride and groom, as well as for their loved ones. Emily took about 3 minutes to guide her guests through meditation at the beginning of the ceremony. The calming effect it had on the guests was immediate. We absolutely loved seeing this. 

Emily and Myles decided to ask their UCLA track coach if he would officiate their ceremony, and it added such a personal touch to their ceremony. He had literally watched their love story unfold, and all of the guests laughed at the stories that he told during the ceremony. It was such a special touch. Listening to their vows was another major way that we got to see their love for each other. It was easily one of our favorite vow readings we’ve had the honor of witnessing.

Once they were done with family photos, it was time for their grand entrance. We had all of their guests circle up in the lawn and Emily and Myles ran into the crowd and went straight into their formal dances. We loved watching their rehearsed dances – we always suggest getting dance lessons or even watching videos on Youtube to add a little bit more than just swaying!

They ended their dances with a pump-up song, no other than Pepas by Farukko to get the party started.

Next up – dinner. 
What better way to bring in Central Oregon than to use El Sancho as your caterer? If you don’t know, El Sancho is a very popular taco company in Bend. They are always packed and a major focal point when people travel to Bend. (And yes, they were delicious. Guests just kept going back for more!)

Another guest favorite part of the night were the toasts. They had their good friend, Nolan, MC for their reception, and he was great at the transitions between the people making toasts. All of the toasts had a sweet element to them, but always had a funny joke that got everyone laughing. Make sure to ask your toasters to crack a little joke to make the experience more memorable!

So you know how we chatted about this wedding being nontraditional before? This is our FAVORITE piece of the wedding day’s festivities – a cornhole tournament. 

Yes, Emily and Myles had their guests compete against each other at cornhole. It was such a fun piece of their wedding. While some of the guests danced, others played cornhole. Once someone was eliminated from the tournament, they joined the others with fun dancing!

Everybody ended the night on the dance floor, complete with keg stands. We got to see several of their family members let loose after all the festivities, and it was so much fun. 

We are so thankful to have worked with Emily + Myles, and we can’t wait to continue seeing what they’re up to and watching their marriage and love for each other grow!

Thank you to this amazing vendor team:

Photographer: Ariel Dawn Photography

Coordinating: Daisy + Sun Events

Hair and makeup: Edge Hair and Makeup

Cake: Crumb Cakery

Florals: Woodland Floral Design

Rentals: Bend Party Rentals

Rentals: Curated Events

Catering: El Sancho