Seattle Wedding {Becky & Deric} 02.13.10

One look at this fun-loving couple and you can't help but smile! I hit it off with Becky instantly last summer when we met - and knew I had made the cut when I was asked to be photographed with Becky and her MOH at the end of our first meeting :) Deric is the calm and collected balance to Becky's whirl of energy - they just make the PERFECT couple!


Margaret Dybash of Poppy Artistry at work doing the bridal makeup - what gorgeous lighting here - and a gorgeous bride to work on!

This photo may be one of my favorite wedding dress photos EVER. I love the texture, the shape, the ruffles...it makes me swoon! Major props to Kate McElwee, the amazing photographer, for accomplishing this because I have seen my fair share of wedding dress pictures.

Becky and Deric got ready at the new and wonderful Hyatt at Olive 8 downtown, which makes for some great photo ops. The flowers were done by my good friend and wonderful artisan, Susan Snyder of S*Scents Design. I do believe that this was some of her finest work to date...




The wedding ceremony was held at the stunning Holy Names Academy Chapel. Not much is needed here for decor, so some simple flower-wired branches were just added to draw the attention down the aisle towards the altar.


The reception was held at Pravda Studios on Capital Hill, which is always a wonderful "blank slate" venue to work with. Here, we really wanted to work with color - deep purples, reds and oranges - without making it feel like you were in a club. Three different types of centerpieces helped create interest in the space, and a separate lounge area was used for people to relax and chat away from the buzz of the dance floor and dinner area.




There seemed to be a theme going on, whether Becky knew it or not, that leaned a bit towards a subtle "Moulin Rouge". After I saw the wonderful and unique invitations she had selected from Oh So Suite on Etsy, I knew that we had to incorporate some feathers and sparkle in her other decor to pull this look together!


Choice Linens had the perfect combination of colors for the under- and over-lays on all of the tables...a punch of color but still subtle and sheer enough with a slight sparkle to them.



What Seattle reception is complete without crab cakes? The delicious food and lovely dessert display were courtesy of the catering team at Ravishing Radish, with the centerpiece cake being done by none other than the mother of the groom! I thought it was just the sweetest little cake ever!!




None other than the Michael Benson Band brought the whole party to it's peak with their music - he also made sure to follow up with Becky afterward to let her know that it was one of this TOP weddings EVER!!


Needless to say, it was a super-fun evening for everyone - complete with a non-stop crazy photo booth AND a late-night hot dog stand from Dante's Inferno Dogs - love his cream cheese gun!!

Seattle Wedding Mood Board {NW Jewel Tones}

Cher & Kris were wonderful clients of Simply Wed back in 2007, and I love how timeless everything they selected for their event has been. The wedding, which took place at The Canal in Ballard, was focused on showcasing the Northwest through various different elements. Perfect since both the bride and groom worked and met at Starbucks headquarters!


Multiple, deep colors of Dahlias were utilized with contrasting jewel-toned sheer overlays on the tables. Dahlias are a wonderful NW flower that are abundant during the late summer months when the wedding took place. The primary colors were a rich red and deep orange color used for not only the personal flowers, but in the Dahlia-themed letterpress print goods.


The food included all of Cher and Kris' favorites - sushi, dim sum, NW salmon and even prime rib sourced from a family friend. The music was provided by a local 2-man band called 2 Buck Chuck, also friends of the bride and groom. Even a friend Officiated their ceremony, making it a truly personal event.


Guests finished their meal with one of the most amazing chocolate cakes I've witnessed, a masterpiece in strawberries and ganache sculpture. As guests danced the night away to the live music, they were able to take in the views of boats cruising through the Ballard Locks - truly a Seattle Landmark.

Photos by Paul Sanders Photobiographer http://www.psweddings.com/

Wedding Mood Board {The Fight 'til Death Do They Part! at Golden Gardens Bathhouse}

This unique and quirky wedding was ultimately planned in just about two weeks! It also ended up winning the 2009 ABC Award for Best Wedding Under $30K, which was so exciting as I absolutely adored this couple! I blogged about it previously, and as promised here are some wonderful details.

The goal was to create a wedding that was FUN for the guests with a variety of themes such as vintage boxing, the upcoming Easter holiday, carnival games and a Mexican feast. The weak of heart may have turned back at that point, but not Simply Wed! We took those themes and wove them together using the soft spring tones showcased on the gorgeous poster-sized invitations.

Jaime and Aaron's sense of humor came out with "the fight 'til death do they part" motif as they poked fun at the marriage institution that they were about to join. Only Jaime and Aaron would arm wrestle to see who got to sign the wedding certificate first...I'm pretty sure Jaime won, too.

The greatest thing about this wedding was how "guest-centric" it was - they were more concerned with doing things for their guests than for themselves. They went without a big wedding party and fancy flowers and instead opted for a carnival-games cocktail hour, an all-out Easter-candy bar and personalized Mexican cocktails. They even sent guests home with the flower-pot decor AND their favorite snacks, cinnapigs.

I know these pictures will put a smile on your face...enjoy!!
photos by Real Photography http://www.realphotography.com/

We do it for the LOVE!

Well, I just completed my first 2-week wedding planning bonanza! I have to admit, there were a lot of details to be done and very little time, but the challenge of it all kept me going to make this wedding the best it could be. Jaime and Aaron are friends of friends, and they had some really fun and quirky ideas, so I just really wanted to do a good job for them and make all these ideas a reality. And you know what? It was quite possibly the hardest I've ever worked on a wedding day - but at the end of the night I was in good spirits and smiling. Because I got the greatest compliment possible - the bride and groom telling me it was the best wedding ever, everything was perfect, and that they couldn't have done it without me. And the cutest thank you note on a piece of coloring book paper - appropriately quirky just like they are. How could one not smile at that love! And their love for each other was so apparent, it just makes you want to keep on packing and cleaning up into the night. Because it's so worth it. I think us wedding planners...well, we do it for the LOVE! Stay tuned for pictures of this fabulously fun affair.

Seattle Wedding Mood Board {Natural Spring Wedding}

This is one of my favorite weddings of the past year, due in part to the awesome couple! I worked with Kim & Dave to take a raw venue - Golden Gardens Beach House - and do it up with an eclectic chartreuse and chocolate color palate that they selected. This is a perfect example of working with a venue rather than against it. The raw brick walls and natural wood beams were complimented with touches such as a paper lantern chandelier above the bar and a variety of plants were used in lieu of floral centerpieces. Moss, greens and the fern curl were used throughout for continuity. Just look how natural and gorgeous it all turned out (again, due in part to Kim & Dave)! You can see more in the current issue of Seattle Bride Magazine under the title of Team Spirit. http://www.seattlebridemag.com/