Oregon Coast

Hunter and I got married on Saturday. As in FIVE DAYS AGO, Saturday. It was magic, and then it was over.

Our nearest and dearest flew from around the country and the world.
Our family threw three full days of parties in our honor.
We danced, hugged, laughed and cried, poured a champagne tower and ate Dunganess Crab by candlelight — all fueled by the sugar rush from ten+ different desserts.
By the end of it all, my dress was dirty but my heart was full. Little Red Corvette blared as we sped away from Hood Canal on Sunday with the windows down and stupid happy smiles spread across our faces.

We’d spent 8 months imagining what that weekend would feel like and suddenly we knew. It was everything. So much so that we wondered how we would reacclimatize to society, still high on love and salted caramel chocolate wedding cake. Enter, Oregon. A state that barley even registers to your average East Coaster. To many, it might as well be the end of earth, and that’s exactly why we went there.

Mrs. Smigel’s pink-lipsticked grin greeted us at her B&B as we pulled up to one of the very last houses on the very last road. The bed sheets matched the tea set, a blue and white china pattern you’d expect from your favorite British aunt. The only perceivable sound was the steady crashing of waves.

For 24 hours, I daydreamed exclusively of wedding weekend bliss. It’s funny though, how a weekend so emotionally charged can be just as memorable as one that’s a portrait of zen. The juxtaposition of wedding intensity and Oregon tranquility left us perfectly balanced.

It was a deep breath that tasted of ocean mist, salty waves and beach grass. We took naps in the sand with sun on our faces, browsed bookstore shelves and walked miles and miles, hand-in-hand, with the ocean swelling around our ankles.

The days passed with craft beers on tap, steamy stargazing baths in the outdoor soaking tub, beach fires (and s’mores!) until way too late, and crab, oysters and clams, straight from the sea and into our bellies. We even polished off the last slices of wedding cake while watching the sun melt away and drinking an Oregon Pinot Noir, straight from the bottle.

The Oregon Coast has all the charm you want it to. For us, it was the stuff wedding dreams were made of. Time together. Just us. A sweet celebration of the commitment we’ve made and the bond we now share.

Our wedding memories will never be beat, but to bask together in their warm glow on a misty Northwest beach?

That is the true love story.

Visiting Manzanita, Oregon?
We only had 36 hours, but here’s what we had time to fall in love with…

Everything about Mrs. Smiegel and her Zen Garden B&B. From the Japanese garden to the outdoor soaking tub (kimonos provided!), it was the perfect place to relax. Don’t miss her sea bass crepe for breakfast.

Crab, clams and oysters straight from the sea at Kelly’s Brighton Marina. Bring your own sides and don’t miss all the local beers in the fridge. For the full PNW experience, hire a boat and pull your own pots. Word on the coast is that Jetty, down the road is pretty fun, too.

Tots and sauce and all the fried fish at the Sand Dune Pub. Wash it all down with 17 draught beers.

Good book smell. Armed with hot cappuccinos, we staved off the morning mist pouring over the pages in Cloud & Leaf.

Whiskey flights at Macgreggor’s Whiskey Bar. Ask for Chip and don’t miss his (perfectly not-too-sweet) secret family recipe amaretto.

It’s not the coast without ice cream (and fudge and taffy but sometimes enough is enough). We had our cones scooped from Schweitert’s for breakfast dessert. It’s a thing, just ask my mom.