FAQs

Question

What is the wedding attire?

Answer

Wedding attire is requested. By that we mean, dress up for this event. No need for black tie, but it's the night for you and your loved one or friends to dress up! The ceremony will take place outdoors and on a bit of an incline, so we suggest not wearing high heels. Since the wedding is planned outdoors, sunglasses might be helpful. For inclement weather, we will move the wedding under cover quickly. The reception will take place during the evening hours, so plan a sweater or jacket if the evening is predicted to cool off. The wedding venue setting is stunning with tons of foliage and a gorgeous view. Our hope is you will enjoy the evening, connecting with friends, family, or to meet someone new. This is our evening to celebrate you, our friends and family, who have been anchors in our life. We have been asked what colors we are using in our wedding. Some of our colors include hydrangea blue, gray, lavender, and purple. We want you to dress in colors that make you happy, so please do not limit yourself to these colors.

Question

Is there a registry?

Answer

We love you all, and your presence at our wedding is all we ask. If you feel inclined, please donate to our favorite charity, Camp Rosenbaum at https://www.camprosenbaum.org/ A small $50 donation is requested if possible. For those of you not familiar with Camp Rosenbaum, just ask! Someone sitting next to you can fill you in! Camp Rosenbaum is where we met, where we've met lifelong friends, and our non profit program serves children residing in various housing facility organizations in Oregon and SW Washington.

Question

What is the address for the venue?

Answer

The Empress Estate is located at 460 Empress Lane, Woodland, WA 98674. Want to view this stunning venue? Copy and paste this link: https://www.google.com/search?client=firefox-b-1-d&q=empress+estate

Question

Is dinner included in the evening?

Answer

Not only is dinner included, but you get 3 free drinks on us! We have a beer, wine, and well drink options for you. Soft drinks also included. The cocktail hour will include various appetizers for your enjoyment. Dinner buffet includes the choice of two entrees, two accompaniments, seasonal vegetables, and freshly baked bread. Dessert will include a choice of one of two dessert petite pastries. We promise; you won't go home hungry! Water will be available through the evening. And a 3 drink hosted bar will be available during the cocktail hour, dinner, and reception. We have not finalized the dinner menu, but we predict there will be something for everyone. Sara wasn't keen on vegetables, but Don reminded her that normal people eat vegetables... We know we'll have friends and family who do not eat nuts or nut products, so we have requested no menu items that contain them. The Empress Estates is happy to honor our request, but they want to remind us that their kitchen has prepared dishes with nuts before. Please be aware of this if you are allergic to nuts. Please reach out to Sara at 360-991-6048 if you have further questions.

Question

Are you having music and dancing at the reception?

Answer

Yes, hosted by none other than Eric Stevenson of DJ Musical Memories. Eric has over 20 years of experience in the field. As a full-time firefighter, he understands the importance of punctuality, attention to detail, and exceeding expectations, and he transfers these attributes into his work as a DJ. We have known Eric for many years. Eric is a Camp Rosenbaum alumni. He provided DJ services to Sara when she was promoted and when she retired. We know you will thoroughly enjoy Eric.

Question

What does the end of the night look like?

Answer

Sadly, we gotta call ENDEX, or end our special evening at 9:30 pm, as we must be out of the building by 9:45 PM. We will have some fun lighted streamers available for everyone as Don and Sara exit the building. The plan is, line up with your streamer, and Don and Sara will run down the middle, just like we do with the kids arriving at Camp Rosenbaum! Come on, Rosenbaum alumni, show everyone how the drill works!

Question

Are children invited to your wedding?

Answer

You know Don and Sara LOVE children. Our passion is children through Camp Rosenbaum as well as our family. With that said, there are a couple things we want to share. The venue sits on a expansive wooded property with an open field nearby. Our concern about children is strictly about their safety. AND our concern is also about your having a wonderful, stress free evening visiting with friends and family, enjoying some dancing and laughter, and reconnecting with each other. If children attend, it is critical that you assure their safety at all times, that they stay on the trails and not wander off into the forest or out in the field. In essence, you are on duty all night. Could be a long night for you. Please be sure to RSVP for any children attending, as they must be included in the RSVP for dinner preparation.

Question

Who is marrying you?

Answer

One of our most favorite people in the world; Mark "Da Bomb" Rosenbaum! We have known Mark for many years, and because we met at Camp Rosenbaum, it only seemed fitting that he officiate our special day. We hope you have a chance to visit with Mark. Introduce yourself, and soon you'll feel like you've known him forever. He believes in the importance of community service and has chaired many important organizations in our community including Multnomah County Commission on Children and Families, Portland Development Commission, and the Portland State University Foundation. He currently sits on the boards of Hillsboro Medical Center (formerly Tuality Community Hospital), and Camp Rosenbaum.

Question

Is there a theme for your wedding?

Answer

We're glad you asked! We don't have a theme per se, but we do have hopes that you will be our guest and share in our marriage ceremony, our reception, and our lives. Our wedding is to celebrate you, our friends and family, who have supported and loved us so much over the years. We promise, no Taylor Swift tables or Meatloaf Bingo. Just a wonderful evening of friends, music, good food and libations, and re-connection with your loved one and/or friends! Our plan for the ceremony is light hearted, but poignant. We take this marriage stuff very seriously. We also take partying very seriously....

Question

Can I take pictures during your wedding? What about the reception?

Answer

Absolutely! Be sure to capture Sara's double chin! But please be respectful of the photographer and hold off if she's in the middle of her snapshots. If you have a chance, go find a gorgeous hydrangea bush to capture your own special picture with someone you love! Finally, we will have a QR code at all the reception tables for you to send fun pictures of the reception party! Sometimes the best pictures are those that you took when Don and Sara weren't looking!

Question

What's with the Fairy Tale Castle on property?

Answer

Holy Moly! This gorgeous building stands out amongst the trees for sure. This is an AirB&B location on property. The building holds up to 16 people at any time, with 7 rooms. Please be sure to wander down and take a look at this building. You are welcome to peek in, but please only on the first floor and to the right. There is quite the story behind this building, and one of the staff on property will be happy to share the tale. Don and Sara and our immediate family plan to stay on the property for a quiet wind down of their special day.

Question

What is the layout of dinner and reception?

Answer

Dinner will take place indoors, roughly 10 people to a table. Once we get the official wedding ceremony and dinner out of the way, and Eric takes over the dance floor, the party starts indoors. However, there will be areas outside of the event center on the deck where you can gather to visit with friends as well. We plan to have fun games in the grassy area outside if you like a good game of corn hole! Or perhaps you just want to sit outside and enjoy the hoot of an owl or sunset. This really is a beautiful setting. We promise, you'll go home happy you came!

Question

Are there plans after the wedding ceremony?

Answer

We have not made any plans for after the ceremony. But there are three fun looking bars in Woodland if you want to continue the celebration. One of them is called Brock's Bar and Grill, and it looks like it has live music on Saturday nights. Two others include Woodland North Bound Taphouse and Sports Bar and Fat Moose Bar and Grill. We'll leave it to you and your friends to decide how the night ends. We only ask that someone is the designated driver. Another option is to hit up Ilani Casino and place your bets!

Question

What does the parking situation look like?

Answer

There will be plenty of parking as you enter the venue. There are parking spots next to the Chateau building on your right as you enter the property, but we ask that you keep those spots open for our family and friends who need close parking assistance. Additionally, as you enter the gravel road to the venue, please follow the speed limit. There are neighbors along the way that will appreciate your efforts!