Seattle Wedding {Jesi & Teddy} 06.05.10

Jesi and Teddy were some of the most amazingly easy and fun clients that I've gotten the opportunity to work with. Jesi knew what she wanted, and that made it so easy to make things happen for her. The fact that Teddy was there for a lace-filled, linen-selecting, flower-viewing meeting said a lot about their relationship...that, and the Wii station at the wedding! You gotta love that give-and-take from both sides! You can tell by the sheer number of photos here that these two made a gorgeous, ethereal, awe-inspiring bride and groom - and that I have a professional crush on the photographers, Sarah and Chris of Sarah Rhoads Photography.




Jesi was bridal perfection, courtesy of Annie from Swoop Salon and Jennie of Jennie Bowker Makeup. I love the appearance of some lacey straps (girls, take note of how flattering they are) on the gown from La Belle Elaine's Bridal. The maids wore a perfect assortment of pewter silk chiffon cocktail dresses from one of my personal favorites, J. Crew.

The ceremony & reception took place at Pravda Studios - the place of lighting perfection and gorgeous, modern loft-styling that can take on any look your heart desires. But my favorite part was the custom iron-work from none other than the bride's father. Beautiful, simple and full of love - what a way to walk down the aisle!

The wedding theme was full of lace along with the beautiful combination of shades of gray and pale slate blues. Chalkboards were used for everything from the 8' seating chart to the dessert bar labels. Favors were a very personal nod to the nursing professions of both bride and groom - miniature first aid kits!

A local friend of the couple, Rachel Apuyan, provided various homemade sweets such as salted caramels and blueberry tarts to accent the dessert & candy bar - centered around the stunning cake created by Sonal of Chocolaz Artisan Cakes.

The collection of artfully mis-matched vases were filled with luscious early-summer blooms including ruffly peonies courtesy of the lovely and talented Anne of Floressence Design.

The always-amazing Austin Beaver spun tunes that kept the party going after the delicious buffet meal by Ravishing Radish.


The email sent the morning after the wedding pretty much summed up the experience for me...
"Just wanted to send you another note to say that you were amazing yesterday! Everything looked beyond my expectations and inspirations, you helped to execute it to perfection. Simply Wed......Simply the Best! Thank you again, Jesi"

Simply Wed {Recent Press}

Well, it's always an honor to be featured in the press...and this is a prime example of how very varied that press can be (and as long as it's positive, it's all good in my book!).

Get Married Media, a national, tri-media wedding planning resource that reaches passionate brides on television (WeTV), online GetMarried.com and in print (Get Married magazine), recently put out a request for wonderful same-sex weddings. Of course, I had to let them know about Nancy & Deana from 07.04.09...they seemed a good match for this particular publication.

I got the news this past week that they had been selected to be featured on the GetMarried.com Blog. They Made a lovely mood board, which you can check out HERE!

The second publication is a little closer to home, courtesy of some very good friends, and the proud owners of local self-serve dog wash and bakery The Soggy Doggy. They ventured into business around the same time as I did, making my love for this chain of boutiques especially sweet. Owner David called me one day and asked if I might allow my recent article on "Dogs in Weddings" to be published in their monthly newsletter. Hey, why not?! The newsletter goes out to hundreds of doggie parents in the area! Make sure to check them out!!

Something Blue {For Feet}

I'm a sucker for the tradition in the "something old, something new, something borrowed, something blue." Why not bring it into this century with a fun twist? One of my favorite ways is to bring the blue...to your FEET! Did you know that the blue is meant to be a symbol of love, modesty and fidelity? Since the vast majority of people wear long dresses, using blue here won't interfere with your wedding colors or the pure ivory and white floatiness you are going for in your look. Here are my top three ways to do it...there's something here for every style of bride!

Photo courtesy of NYT Style Magazine

1) Blue Toenail Polish. Never mind the fact that I am actually sporting some blue toenails as I write this blog, but I just love the idea of a little irreverence on the wedding day. It's just a touch of cheek...and with all the gorgeous shades out there you can go subtle or pop, whatever suits YOU!

Photo by Redstone Pictures

2. Blue TOMS Shoes. I just got my first pair of these guys. They could be the most comfortable shoes I've ever worn...and they have an entire "wedding styles" section, so clearly I am not the only devotee of the line!

3. Designer Trifecta. To me, the following three designers fall into this category. Christian Louboutin, Jimmy Choo and Manolo Blahnik. Here is an amazing example of a pair of Louboutin's I had the honor of working with. Aren't they to die for?

Photo by Paul Joseph Brown

How will you bring your SOMETHING BLUE into your big day??

Wedding Venue {Inn at Langley}

My oh my, what a treat to spend a night at Whidbey Island's famous Inn at Langley this past weekend! One of a few wedding planners and designers invited up to experience all that they have to offer, I was more than happy to hop a ferry and spend a relaxing Sunday and Monday at this artistic haven.


Although my photos are by no means professional, I hope to capture some of the spirit of what this venue has to offer. It is for the "outside the box" bride - it offers endless possiblities with the indoor spaces of the Chef's Kitchen, a Conference room, and the Master Suites. The outdoor spaces are seemingly endless, including the Herb Garden with geometrically groomed hedges and lush fresh herbs, and the Cottage Garden, an English secret garden-like setting.


On the waterfront you can utilize the rocky NW beach at low tide, or the meandering boardwalk dock complete with a fire pit for roasting s'mores after sunset. The Master Suite even has a cocktail hour sized deck that would be great for a rehearsal dinner or morning after brunch. As we walked around we all came up with ideas of how to tent here, drape there and truly create some amazing wedding spaces at this awesome venue.



Now on to the food...I must share. Our 7 course meal...yes, that's 7 courses, started off with an introduction by Chef Matt Costello. This made the appreciation of the meal so, so much more as we all could appreciate the art and thought that went into each course. Even thought it was so, so lovely and dim in the restaurant, I'm still sharing my photos because...I want to!

Menu 05.23.10

Amuse Bouche: sweet hazelnut macaroon of foie gras
Seafood: slow roasted alaskan king salmon with artichoke and brown butter
Pasta: asparagus with summer black truffle and chive
Intermezzo: cucumber and lychee cooler
Entree: anderson ranch lamb loin inspired by the saratoga woods
Cheese: whipped mt. townsend camembert with rhybarb and roses
Dessert: strawberry, coconut, white chocolate and mint

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!!

Unique Save-The-Date

When I received this Save-The-Date from a client, I just HAD to put it on my blog! This is a perfect example of how creative and beautiful you can be with your own save-the-dates.

This rad couple, Jamie and Jared, are getting married at the Olympic Sculpture Park in Seattle. They loved this venue for how raw and edgy and artsy it is, but also for how it showcased many of the wonderful quintessential "Seattle" elements they wanted to feature in their wedding.

They took photographs of different views of Seattle - all from the Sculpture Park - and made a beautiful collage printed on a wonderful metallic photo paper. The whole thing is finished off by a simple and perfect quote. Love it, love it, love everything about it you guys!!

"The idea of waiting for something makes it more exciting." - Andy Warhol