The House

The House The Italian cypresses flanking the walkway need to be pruned only once annually to maintain their slender form.  



Cypress Trees One of the Gills' treasured details is that the barn-style Dutch door with a split window on top along with a Z-brace on the floor. They inherited this deep reddish color and still enjoy it. Custom fir door, from $2,037, roguevalleydoor.com for shops; Paint: Red Tomato from Sherwin-Williams



Front Door Chloe Lighting Transitional 12"-tall aluminum and glass exterior wall lantern in black, $66, allmodern.com



Light Fixture When the original 1930s fence started to rot a few decades ago, the former owners had a new one built to fit and painted it the color of the house. Suncast Grand View 14" x 21" resin fencing panels, $9 each, amazon.com



Fence Novelty Square 18"W x 18"D x 25"H vinyl planter in terra cotta, $46, wayfair.com



Square Planter Umbria Etched 24"-tall fiberglass and cement planter, $189, potterybarn.com



Cement Planter Home and much more Monogram coir doormat, $32.50, wayfair.com



Doormat House and Fence: Brilliant White by Benjamin Moore; Shutters: Black Forest Green from Benjamin Moore; Front door: Red Tomato by Sherwin-Williams



Paint Colors Built in: 1922. Bought in: 2005. Size: 3,800 sq. ft. "This house was built nearly a hundred years back to mimic the Cotswold cottages of England. The largest change we made was redoing the roof with cedar shingles bent to look like the originals," say homeowners Nick Agoff and Jean-Franois Godbout.



The House Houses of the style in England traditionally had thatched roofs made from reeds. The contemporary look-alike version: 18-inch-long cedar shingles which were heated and bent onsite.



Bent-Cedar Roof Jean-Franois and Nick think the 42-inch-wide door is unique to the house. They spruced it up with fresh strap hinges and a handleset, plus they sand and varnish it every couple of years to keep it in form. Bungalow 37228 Douglas fir door, from $900, simpsondoor.com for stores



Front Door Hinkley Lighting 13"-tall aluminum and glass outside lighting in olde black end, $125, destinationlighting.com



Light Fixture Acorn Warwick 24"-broad iron strap, $94.50, vandykes.com



Hinged Door Straps Qual Arc Allux Top-Loading mailbox in red, $72, bellacor.com



Mailbox Baldwin Reserve Napa door handleset in Venetian bronze finish, $270, knobbery.com



Door Handleset Low-maintenance Adam's needle splaying from cement pots by the door bloom from spring through autumn. Brittany 14"-tall cement planter, $89, potterybarn.com



Cement Planter Coco Multi Stripes coir doormat, $29, overstock.com



Doormat House: Cake Batter by Valspar; Trim: Labrador by Valspar; Window Trim: Brick Facade by Valspar



Paint Colors Built in: 1920. Bought in: 2010. Size: 2,940 sq. ft. "We are both from the East Coast, so we like this home feels more Colonial than many in this region. The listing actually called the home 'East Coast meets Seattle,' which felt like a signal," state homeowners Hillary Liss and Bill Brewster.



The Home The two who moved from a "completely uncharming" starter home a mile away, dropped for all  of the stately touches on this one,  like the columns, the spindle rail, and the arched window below the gable roof.



Architectural Details The house was originally gray with a black door. "We needed to spice it up," says Bill. Inspired by Hillary's favorite color, orange, they chose burnt umber for the home and handsome navy for the doorway. Traditional Shaker 70720 Douglas fir door, from $600, simpsondoor.com for shops; Paint: Baritone by C2 Paint



Front Door Baldwin Glennon handleset in satin brass and black finish, $350, build.com



Door Handle These can be added easily to pre marital columns to amp up a house's historic appeal. Ekena Millwork Richmond 4"W x 12"D x 16"H polyurethane corbel, $69.50, lowes.com



Corbels Craftmade Medallion 3"-diameter metallic doorbell, $28, hayneedle.com



Doorbell Emissary Bullet 15"-tall ceramic planter in mustard yellow, $132, atgstores.com



Ceramic Planter Threshold Medallion coir doormat, $13, target.com



Doormat House: Firefly from C2 Paint; Door and Shutters: Baritone from C2 Paint; Trim: Cloud White by Benjamin Moore



Paint Colors Constructed in: 1932. Bought in: 2013. Size: 1,800 sq. ft. "With cedar shake siding plus a Craftsman-style doorway, this house felt like the cozy beach cottage we left on neighboring Bainbridge Island to move back to the city," state homeowners Octavia Chambliss and Jon Zulauf.



The House The durable walkway ought to last a lifetime. The couple   had the mortar redone lately to help keep it looking fantastic.



Bluestone Course "We had a fairly blue door at our old home, so I thought I would not like white," states Octavia. "However, after living with it for some time, I decided I love how it looks with the white trim." Steves & Sons Craftsman wood doorway, from $998, homedepot.com; Paint: Whitest White by Kelly-Moore



Front Door Acclaim Lighting Austin 9"-tall powder-coated-steel and glass outside light in black finish, $74, bellacor.com



Light Fixture Napa Home and Garden Gable clay planters, $86 for a combined set of 3 (large is 13" tall), hayneedle.com



Clay Planter Shine Company Rockport cedar Adirondack chair in Dutch blue, $135.50, amazon.com



Outdoor Seating Pom Pom Play 18" x 18" polyester pillows in peachtini, $59.50 for a set of two, pillowperfect.com



Pillow Room Essentials Hello Cursive coir doormat, $13, target.com



Doormat House: Indian Muslin from Kelly-Moore; Trim: Whitest White by Kelly-Moore

Surrounded With Love

Surrounded With Love You do not have to have traditional "bride" and "groom" sides at your own wedding. Have guests circle around you or even earn a heart.



Or Have a Crowd Grooms Luke and George didn't have sides in their own wedding. Guests stood, concert-style, seeing them exchange vows on a point.



Go Traditional Husbands Brett and Mike had a conventional chapel ceremony at the Smoky Mountains at Chapel in the Park in Gatlinburg, Tennessee. If you're searching for an LGBT-friendly vendor, especially a religious venue, look for the Human Rights Campaign's blue and yellow equal sign emblem on the vendor site. Some sites display a rainbow flag. That is a terrific way to be aware of before you call when booking.



Think Outside the Chapel Brides Julia and Amber had their service in a natural history museum. We are obsessed with the ornate molding and gorgeous tile floor.



Or Have a Cocktail Hour Grooms Luke and George had champagne flutes waiting for guests as they arrived for the marriage. Guests sipped on bubbly, cocktail-hour style, throughout the ceremony.



Or Have a Dinner Party Brides and Charlotte and Gina integrated their service and reception with a luxe dinner celebration. We adore the long dinner tables with dramatic lines of candles. It's easy to create yet incredibly elegant and striking.



Make It a Family Vacation Husbands Scott and Tony and their kids had a small wedding ceremony in Hawaii to observe their history together and make their marriage legal. They maintained the service casual with coordinated blossom materials, leis and flip flops for the whole family.



Walk Every Other Down the Aisle Shake off the notion of one person walks down the aisle while the other waits in the end. Same-sex couples are making their own principles. Brides Julia and Amber walked down the aisle together, with a bouquet each.



Dance Down the Aisle You do not have to walk down the aisle. Grooms John Henry and John danced down the aisle to "I'm Coming Out."



Walk With Family Down the Aisle The conventional dad-walks-bride-down-the-aisle does not work for everybody. You do not have to get anyone walk you. Or give you away. You could walk. Or you might ask a family member or friend to walk you down and provide you away, also. And if you want, a little bit of both is OK, also. Before grooms John and John Henry danced down the aisle together, they had their moms walk them down halfway. It gave them a particular moment to share together ahead of the big ceremony.



Match Your Own Outfits George and Luke wore matching black tuxedos with golden accents: bow ties, watches and gold-tipped shoes.



Or Only Match the Color Brides Julia and Amber both wore white wedding gowns but showed off their own personalities with various silhouettes and styles.



Wear Different Colours Grooms John Henry and John wore suits in various soft, neutral colours to go with their shore wedding.



Rock Black Dresses Brides Charlotte and Gina had a formal dinner party as their service with evening gowns fit for the red carpet. This enabled them to step outside traditional silhouettes for wedding gowns and rock more modern styles like a peplum.



Or Rock a Tuxe Any bride need to remember that a dress is not mandatory. It's your day and you also get to use what makes you feel as you. Brides Gina and Charlotte transformed into tuxedo coats and match bits after their service. They seem just as magnificent in these outfits as their black dresses.



Go Casual It is your day! Wear panties if you want. Husbands Mike and Brett have been together for more than 20 years. Their union renewal ceremony this past year was non-fussy and relaxed, keeping the attention on their heritage and journey together.



Or Go Funky Perhaps you have said it is your day yet? Don't feel restricted to traditional colors or fabrics. Be bold and show off your personalities. Grooms Luke and George transformed into amazing, glitter blazers because of their New Year's Eve wedding reception.



Mixed Bridal Party Many same-sex couples have bridesmaids and brides-men. Or groomsmen. Or grooms-women. Finding outfits that match each body type and individual--and in the exact same colour--can be tough. Black and white is a timeless and easy combo for a wedding celebration with men and women.



Use One Color to Unify Wedding Banners George and Luke used gold to their wedding party. Everyone made to wear something special that fit them best, but the metallic neutral pulls everything together.



Or Have a Color Palette for More Alternatives Offer your wedding celebration a palette of colors. Grooms John Henry and John wore suits that are neutral, so that they invited their wedding guests to wear bold, vivid colors instead.



Over Just Vows Grooms John and John Henry had family and friends write down what they loved about the few and phrases that described them. These words went to metallic cubes and guests took turns reading the words during their beach wedding.



Twist on Traditional Phrases If lines such as "You may now kiss the bride." Aren't exactly how you want to finish your ceremony, you could have your guests send off you. Grooms Luke and George had guests provide cheers with champagne.



I Now Pronounce You United in Marriage Just remember: There are no rules. And there are no expectations. Only love.