This gorgeous winter wedding took place at Mt. Hood, a couple of hours from Portland, OR. We're big fans of the rustic details, the way the couple embraced the rainy weather, and the delicious looking chocolate cupcakes. The color palette used a few hints of metallics and emerald green, including some very fashionable madras plaid ties on the groomsmen. Read below for the bride's thoughts on wedding planning and keeping everything in perspective. Thank you to Powers Photography for sharing such a sweet event with us!

Our overall vision for the day was to HAVE FUN! We wanted it to be stress free and to spend time with all of our favorite people. The general look I was going for was rustic and woodsy with a little sparkle of gold. We did a lot of DIY projects with the help of family and friends. A few of my favorites were the glittery mason jars, a wooden cupcake stand my dad made and personalized table numbers. I wouldn't have been able to master this look without the magic touch of my best friend's mom (who also married us)! She knew exactly the look I was going for and helped me create it by putting together the centerpieces and helping me decorate the altar.

I really love when weddings have a personal touch to them. So to personalize ours I correlated each table number with a picture of us at that age. Table number 3 was definitely my favorite. Cody is 3 years old wearing a firefighter hat. It has a special meaning because he is a firefighter now! I also wanted some way to honor our parents since they have done so much for us and have been great role models in our life. I added a picture frame with pictures of our parents on their wedding day and their wedding date next to it. Both our parents have been together around 30 years and have been great examples to us on how to have a healthy and happy marriage.

We both love the mountains and to be outdoors. Cody has basically been skiing up at Mt. Hood since he could walk and I love to snowboard. When we decided on a winter wedding it made sense to have it up at the mountain. We fell in love with The Resort at the Mountain instantly. The views were breathtaking (even on a rainy winter day!) and their employees were beyond helpful to us during the planning process and the day of.

There were two most meaningful parts (besides getting to marry each other!). My brother and his girlfriend sang and played the guitar for our first song "The first day of my life" by Bright Eyes. They are so talented and it meant a lot to me that my brother could be a special part of our wedding. The second most meaningful part was that my grandpa was able to come. His wife of 65 years, my Grandma Jackie, passed away just 2 weeks before our wedding. It was a heartbreaking and stressful time for our entire family. My grandpa stood up and said a few words during our ceremony honoring my grandma and wishing Cody and me the best. I don't think there was a dry eye in the room!

I'd like to say he knew I was the one when he heard me sing karaoke with him on one of our first nights out together. I think I really impressed him when I sang TLC, "I don't want no scrubs." But on a serious note, we both agree that not only do we love (most) of the same activities, but we each complement each other in different ways. I think that constantly learning and challenging your partner is important and we definitely do that. I feel very lucky to have found someone that I have so much fun with and that will be by my side through the ups and downs of life.

When you plan your wedding it's easy to get caught up on materialistic things and stress yourself out trying to make it perfect. I was on that route, but when my grandma passed away it brought me back to what's really important, family and love. That's what your day should be about. All those minor details you stress about are so small in the scheme of things. Focus on the fact that you get to spend a lifetime with your best friend!

Photography: Powers Photography Studios | Venue/Catering: The Resort at the Mountain | Flowers: Ponderosa & Thyme | Cupcakes: Sugar Cubed | Wedding Dress: Allure Romance | Shoes: Steve Madden | Bridesmaids: Badgley Mischka, Rent the Runway | Groom's Attire: Men's Wearhouse | Ties: The Tie Bar | DJ: Encore Mobile DJs