Elegant Affairs: Real Weddings

Showing posts with label Real Weddings. Show all posts

Tasha Owen Photography

Monday, May 7, 2012

Here is just a small sample of breathtaking images from Nicole & Ryan's April wedding at the Pickering Barn in Issaquah by the amazing Tasha Owen Photography

Vendors
Wedding Venue: The Pickering Barn
Wedding Planner: Elegant Affairs
Photographer: Tasha Owen Photography
DJ: E-Rock Entertainment
Caterer: Longhorn BBQ
Photobooth: Emerald City Photobooth
Flowers/Lighting: A Tailored Affair
Cupcakes: Burning Cupcakes
Officiant: Jamie Jackson

Real Wedding: Mary & Mike (9.3.11)

Monday, October 10, 2011

The wedding of Mary & Mike is one of my most memorable weddings for many reasons. First of all, when I first met with the couple last January, Mary knew exactly what she wanted for her wedding, but didn't know how best to achieve her vision. At our first meeting all she had was her wedding date, photographer and the wedding venue, a private home on Lake Washington that she found on a vacation rental web site.

I was able to utilize my preferred vendor list to help the couple select their truly outstanding caterer in The Upper Crust, entertainment Gadjo Gypsied and florist Always Affordable Flowers.

For their actual wedding day, Mary and Mike wanted more casual for their 50 guests. They had the idea to have a pre-ceremony cocktail hour, which was such a great idea. Music before and after the ceremony was provided by the very talented Gadjo Gypsies. I worked with these gentlemen last year and had been dying to work with again. So when Mary & Mike expressed their taste of music they wanted for their wedding, I knew that Gadjo Gypsies fit their dream. The trio played a mix of jazz and swing music, which set the perfect tone for the late afternoon wedding.

A new floral vendor of mine; Chris Skilton of Always Affordable Flowers did an amazing job. I have know Chris' twin sons since I was in first grade and she has recently started her own floral design company after working for a major Tacoma florist for many years. Chris created beautiful centerpieces that really captured the essence of what Mary wanted. In addition, Christ crafted the beautiful toss bouquet (seen above) which included dahlias, one flower that the bride wanted to honor her late grandmother who had a dahlia garden at her home.

Mary, who didn't want to incorporate a lot of flowers into her wedding because she didn't want to take away from the natural beauty of the venue's landscape opted for a brooch bouquet. Mary created this unbelievable bouquet using brooches that she borrowed from family and friends and brooches she received at her bridal shower. I really loved this idea when Mary first told me about it, but to see it first hand was unbelievable! It was truly amazing. The best part of her bouquet is that it will last forever.

After my first visit out to the venue last spring, the couple were at a loss of how to decorate the space especially since they didn't want to use flowers. After seeing the covered boat dock I immediately thought of lanterns (three sizes and colors purchased from Luna Bazaar). Using the wedding colors of ivory, turquoise and chartreuse, these lanterns were just the perfect accent.

On the day of the wedding, Lake Washington was very choppy and there was a slight breeze which proved to be difficult in stringing up the lanterns, but the overall effect made it all wonderful.

Cupcakes was another major highlight for the guests. After enjoying tasty appetizers from The Upper Crust Catering and a beautiful buffet dinner, guests feasted on three different flavors of cupcakes from Trophy Cupcakes. Another little detail added to their cutting cake of triple coconut were two personalized gnomes that the groom purchased on etsy.com.

For more photos, visit Northern Lights Blog.

Credit for being able to work with such a great couple in Mary & Mike was due in large part to my fabulous assistant Rachel. It was Rachel who first met the bride at the Seattle Wedding Show last January and really sold Elegant Affairs to the bride. Thanks Rachel!!!

Vendors

Wedding Coordinator: Elegant Affairs

Venue: Private home in Seattle

Photographer: Northern Lights Photographer

Catering: The Upper Crust Catering

Flowers: Always Affordable Flowers

Entertainment: Gadjo Gypsies

Cupcakes: Trophy Cupcakes

Invitations: Paper Delights

Officiant: A Heavenly Ceremony

Real Wedding: Lauren & Brian

Thursday, September 8, 2011

Wanting a rustic, yet vibrant wedding, I first met the bride and her mother back in January at the Seattle Wedding Show and from there we spent the next six months working together on their dream wedding. Lauren and Brian are an amazing couple and it was a pleasure to work with both of them and Lauren's mother Lynne who really spearheaded the planning process. For their wedding, the couple used a family friend's property on Camano Island overlooking Mt. Baker. With its luscious grounds and unique "club house," the venue was simply one of a kind and picturesque. With a green and fuchsia color scheme it was reflected in the linens, flowers, tissue paper pom poms and other decor. Thanks to an amazing friend, Jo Kase and her husband who created several pieces of handcrafted wood art that served as the cupcake tier, benches for the fire pit and an unbelievable homemade S'Mores station that was the perfect late night snack for the guests.

On the last Saturday of July, the weather couldn't have been more perfect on Camano Island for a more perfect couple to exchange their vows in front of their friends and family. To make their wedding ceremony as intimate as possible, Lauren had her youngest brother officiate and her younger brother serve as the musician. The highlight was having Ryan sing Somewhere Over the Rainbow as he played a homemade ukulele that he and Colin would later present to the newlyweds as their gift.

After an amazing wedding and reception, Lauren & Brian were thanked by their guests by running through a sparkler tunnel.

One of the many highlights for me was being able to spend time with the couple and the incredibly talented Clane Gessel. Clane is an amazing photographer and it was great to connect him with Lauren & Brian.

Vendors
Venue: Private Residence on Camano Island
Wedding Planner: Elegant Affairs
Photographer: Clane Gessel Photography
Cupcakes: New York Cupcakes
Rentals: A Tailored Affairs
Decor: Jo Kase
DJ: DJ Dbure (The Pros Entertainment)
Photobooth: Emerald City Photobooth

Hotel Accommodations & Transportation: Tulalip Casino

Lindsey & Jason (July 2, 2011)

Tuesday, July 5, 2011

Purple was the color of the night for Lindsey and Jason's wedding on Juy 2 at the Lynnwood Convention Center. Beginning with the chair sashes, draping, flowers, favor bags to bridesmaid dresses, this couple want to have a staple color for their wedding.

Lindsey and Jason found me after attending the Seattle Wedding Show. Lindsey and Jason were a true pleasure to work with and the best part was just how organized they were with all their spreadsheets.

To highlight just a few things about their wedding was the special moment when Jason escorted his bride off stage to serenade her during their ceremony. There was not a dry eye in the house. Surrounded by their closest 265 friends and family, Jason and Lindsey made it a point to visit all of their guests by doing table side receiving line and taking a group photos with each of their 25 tables.

This was a group that loved to dance. From the moment the dance floor opened up, guests flooded the dance floor and remained their until the bride and groom's grand exit through a tunnel of sparklers, just in time for the Fourth of July.

Vendors:
Wedding Planner: Elegant Affairs
Photographer: Sunni Han
Venue/Caterer: Lynnwood Convention Center
Florist: Patti Schmitz of Creative Colours
Cake: Mike's Amazing Cakes
DJ: The Pros Entertainment
Chair Covers: Seattle's Best Chair Covers
Draping: Prop Gallery West
Photobooth: CHAOTIME
Wedding Dress & Bridesmaid Dresses: I Do Bridal

Jessie & Josh (6/5/11)

Sunday, June 12, 2011

Photo courtesy of Tasha Owen

On Sunday, June 5, I had the honor and privilege to sere as a bridesmaid along as wedding coordinator for my best friend's wedding on the Skansonia Ferry. I first met the bride in August 1998 when she joined our sorority at Washington State University. We became instant friends and have remained close over the years, but really reconnected when she moved back to Seattle in the fall of 2007.

I remember the first time that I met Josh in August 2009, it was shortly after Jessie and he started "secretly" dating. Since they both worked for King 5 as news producers and sat next to each other they were friends from the start but it wasn't until that summer until they made it official. Seeing Jessie and Josh holding hands at the concert we were attending and the way they looked at each other that night, I knew that they were meant for each other. It was at King 5 where it was fitting that Jessie and Josh had their "First Sight" photo.

Flash forward a year when I get the call that Jessie and Josh were engaged, the planning started immediately.Once the couple found the Skansonia Ferry, they knew that this was where they wanted to have their wedding.

The best way to envision their wedding on the Ferry was to see a wedding there first hand. I enlisted Jessie' help as an assistant in a wedding I was planning on the Ferry last June. Jessie saw the layout on the boat and how seamless the transition was from ceremony to reception. Jessie got so many ideas for her own wedding and even hit it off with my favorite DJ, DJ AlphaMehl and booked him shortly after that wedding for her own.

In planning their wedding, there was no question about the theme. Baseball. Born and growing up in Massachusetts, Jessie became a Boston Red Sox Fan and for Josh, growing up in California is a die hard Anaheim Angles fan. They incorporated America's Pastime from their centerpieces displaying both a Red Sox and Angels bats in a vase with baseball covered chocolates. Their seating arrangement was made by Josh and her mother in the shape of a baseball diamond using pennants to designate which table, named after their favorite baseball stadiums they have visited their guests were seated. Their cupcake tower was topped off with a groom about to throw a baseball to his bride who is up to bat.

Another first for for me in this wedding was it was completely flower-free. Not being big into flowers, Jessie wanted to try something different and when she came across blue and pink pinwheels, Jessie and her Maid of Honor came up with a great idea that she and all of the bridesmaids would carry pinwheels instead of floral bouquets down the aisle.

For the groom, what he wanted he wanted most in his wedding was a photobooth, which turned out to be a big hit by everyone including my two boys who each visited the photobooth close to seven times each. In addition to the photobooth, the five cupcake flavors from NY Cupcakes were much adored by all of the guests followed closely to the very personalized favors, made up of the bride and groom's favorite things including a pad of Post-It Notes, Capri Sun, pack of gum and a personalized mini bottle of Tabasco Sauce.

With the power of the Weather Gods and the meteorologists from King 5, the weather was picture perfect as the bride and groom recited their perfect vows followed by their first kiss to the bride and groom making their Grand Exit down the dock to the sounds of Thundersticks.

Congrats to Jessie and Josh! I love you both so much and I am so excited for your future.