Intimate Wedding Day at Black Butte Ranch Featuring Backyard Reception

Lorae Schafer and Dr. Seth Parker tied the knot on June 28th, 2022. They celebrated their union with a destination wedding at Black Butte Ranch in Oregon surrounded by their immediate family. They chose the Ranch because Lorae has fond memories of visiting the sprawling outdoor property with her family as a child. She started bringing Seth along on the trips once they were together and he soon fell in love with the location as well. The couple and their family are nature lovers and spend a lot of time outdoors, so Lorae and Seth viewed their wedding as an escape from everyday life. Lorae was born and raised in Oregon but moved to North Carolina for graduate school where she met Seth on Bumble, a dating app. They connected over their careers in healthcare and their passions for traveling and the outdoors. Three years after they first met, Seth brought Lorae to his parents’ lake house where he surprised her with a proposal and with her parents flown in from Oregon. Their wedding embodied an intimate celebration as they chose to rent out a property to host their reception instead of sticking with a traditional venue. The couple opted to create their own backyard celebration after a romantic ceremony, and brought the comfort of home to their own wedding day. This choice paid off as they gained creative freedom with the space and were able to make beautiful table settings covered in a tunnel of twinkling lights as the sun set. The smaller size of their wedding also gave the couple the opportunity to hire a private chef instead of catering. The bride’s mom took on the task of making the desserts, which added even more meaning and emotion to the reception. Florals by Woodland Floral featured magnolia and eucalyptus centerpieces. As Lorae put it, "(The) magnolia tied into the terra cotta color from the color palette and was also a nod to the south, where the groom and his family are from." Woodland Floral is a foam-free florist which means not only were Lorae and Seth’s floral arrangements fabulous, but they were also environmentally friendly. Arbor pieces were constructed with wire and moss, absent of any floral foam or plastic ties. Other floral additions included quicksand roses, Tiffany roses, majolica spray roses, stock, amaranth, and a variety of different types of eucalyptus. Lorae and Seth's parting wisdom was to encourage any couples considering a small and intimate wedding to go for it! They believe having an intimate wedding allowed them quality time together and with each of their guests and gave them the wedding day of their dreams.