Diana and Jesse

Diana and Jesse are full of laughter where ever they go. They are so down to earth and were such a pleasure to work with. The vision for their special day was that they wanted a traditional church wedding coupled with a dazzling, action packed reception at Echo Falls Country club that encompassed all of their religious and cultural traditions. Their ceremony had a very serious and heart felt tone but by the time they got to their reception, it was a full on party/comedy fest. I don't every think I have seen so much laughter at a wedding reception.

Choosing green, brown and white as their wedding colors, their wedding was filled with white calalilies and green cymbidium orchids. The bridesmaids wore beautiful brown dresses holding bouquets of white calalilies while the bride wore white of course holding a bouquet of white calalilies, white roses, freesia and green orchids. Their reception was a mix of tall and low profile centerpieces giving the room some character. From the simple candle ball set in sand centerpieces to the tall martinis overflowing with long steam calalilies, it was elegant and very chic. The food was delicious and Alex Studio did a great job photographing this elegant wedding. Thank you to Jesse and Diana for choosing me help create this unforgettable night! You guys are awesome!!

Photgraphy by Alex Studio
www.alexphotography.com

Sara Anne and Brendan

Sara Ann and Brendan were the most delightful couple to work with! They are so adventurous in life and they really wanted to bring that aspect to their wedding. They are doctor and school teacher by vocation, but in their spare time they are world travelers, mountain climbers, wine connoisseurs and you can tell they just love to have a good time...although Sara Anne has a tendency to be slightly accident prone. Good thing she is a doctor!

They had many visions for their wedding that were out of the ordinary, but mainly they just wanted good food, good wine and good people around them all having a FUN time. Having a "Green" wedding was also important to them so notice the bamboo place settings in the photo below. Their wedding included a beach, bouquets of wildflowers, "Sand in my Pants" signature cocktails, 11 different wines on the wine list, a scaled down version of Mount Rainer made out of cupcakes, flip flops, custom printed frisbees as favors for all of their guests, a 12 piece band and a choreographed Tango for their first dance. It was sure a night to remember!

This unique wedding was photographed by the wonderful Kate McElwee! She really captured the spirit of this beautiful day! Take a look at a few pics...

Photography by Kate McElwee
www.katemcelweephotography.com

Yellow Weddings

A cheerful trend of 2008 and an even hotter wedding trend for 2009. The Yellow Wedding. Yellow is such a happy color for a wedding day and there is so much you can do with it. From lemon centerpieces to custard desserts there are so many beautiful ways to incorporate this color as your main color or as an accent. Yellow is often a wonderful accent to red and orange palate in the summer, green in the spring, brown in the fall and grey in the winter.

You can have an outdoor wedding filled with daisies, yellow checkered linens and lemonade or an upscale hotel wedding filled with breathtaking yellow cymbidium orchids, lemondrops for the ladies and margaritas for the men.

Yellow will bring smiles to a sunny day and sunshine to your rainy day.

Thanksgiving & Wine Pairings

I thought I would step away from wedding tips today and switch gears to tips when throwing your own holiday dinner party. Especially to all of you newly weds hosting Thanksgiving dinner this year, here are some awesome planning tips and wine pairings:

Too Many People, Not Enough Place Settings?
Instead of rushing out to purchase more of that china and glassware you just received as wedding presents, add even more fall colors to the table by renting fun Thanksgiving china instead! From 50 cents to a dollar per plate, glassware or chargers you will save yourself money while adding festive fall flare to your dinner table. You can rent the china in the picture below from Totally Tabletops. Check them out at http://www.totallytabletops.com/. Or check out any other rental company in town, like AA Party Rentals. http://www.aaparty.com/


Decorate the Table
Everyone enjoys looking at a beautiful table and it is always fun to decorate! There are many ways to decorate without breaking the budget also... While you are at the rental company picking out your festive place settings, add a couple of festive linens, sheer table cloths or elegant table runners. Renting these will be far less cheaper than purchasing. For a cheaper version to some elaborate flower centerpiece, go purchase a bag of frozen cranberries put them in small vases (that you can also rent at most rental companies) and grab a couple of dozen roses at Costco for only $15.99. Inexpensive and festive all at the same time!

Thanksgiving Wines
Learning about wines is a hobby of mine. I taste multiple wines during wine tastings every week expanding my palate as well as learn lots about food and wine pairings!

Mouthwatering turkey, butternut squash and mashed potatoes deserve some thought when deciding what type of wine to purchase for your Thanksgiving dinner. Pinot Noir is generally the go to red wine to pair with Thanksgiving dinner. While you can spend a lot of money on a Pinot, for a less expensive option, I would recommend Montoya. A $16 Pinot from Oregon that is incredible for the price point.

The White wine I would pair with dinner would have to be Pure Platinum by Kestrel. This is actually a Viognier/Gewurztraminer blend. Although you might think, too sweet..think again. This wine is incredibly rich with citrus fruit and orange blossoms that will pair perfectly with your Thanksgiving Dinner! This wine should only set you back $13 per bottle.

Both of these wines can be found, purchased and special ordered by the half case or case at Village Wines in Woodinville. This is a darling little wine shop nestled in the heart of Woodinville wine country. They offer discounts if you order by the case, so if you are hosting an extra large Thanksgiving dinner this year, I would highly recommend you give them a call, stop by or log onto their website http://www.myvillagewines.com/. You can purchase these online at their online store http://www.delavin.com/ also.

Voter Registrations

There is a concern with some of my brides with regards to changing their name and the election approaching. In the state of Washington you have a 30 day deadline (before the election date) by mail to change your name/address on your voter registration. Your name must match your drivers license/drivers license number. If you happen to miss that 30 day deadline you can go in person to your county elections department 15 days before the election.

For more information please visit: http://www.secstate.wa.gov/elections/register.aspx

European Chocolate Shop

During this busy season I have come across this wonderful chocolate shop in Kirkland. It is called Sweet Caroline's owned and operated my Ms. Caroline herself! I ordered chocolate seashells for a beach wedding as wedding favors for a bride. While I was there I peered over the counter to a tray of fresh out-of-the oven filled with chocolate chip cookies. They looked delightful, so I just had to try one. She gave me two just because she was being nice. I said, " I will just give the other one to my husband when I get home."

Needless to say I had eaten both of them by the time I got home. They were the best chocolate chip cookies ever! I highly recommend Sweet Caroline's Chocolate Bar for all of your wedding favors and treats. She can put together a chocolate bar for your wedding reception also! She has every kind of chocolate you can think of and the price is right as well!

Sweet Caroline's Chocolate Bar
10015 NE 137th St.
Kirkland, Wa 98034

Walking Down the Aisle with the Greatest of Ease

Alright ladies, here it is, plain and simple...Your Guide to walking down the aisle with ease.

No matter what the ceremony or culture, there is always an element of production involved with a wedding ceremony. Here are a few tips to think about before you walk down the aisle.

• Right before you walk down the aisle take 3 big deep breaths to help sooth the overwhelming emotions you will be feeling and slow down your heart rate!
• Wear a Matte lipstick and NOT lip gloss. You don't want your veil sticking to your lips.
• Brides always get nervous and hold their bouquet too high. (Bridesmaids too!) Practice in a mirror at home to find your most flattering placement. Don't hide your beautiful waistline! The bouquet should be carried at hip height NOT at your waist. The exception to the rule would be a very small bouquet, which should be carried at your belly button.
• SLOW DOWN as you walk down the aisle. Dad and Bride need to practice the pace ahead of time. During the rehearsal, practice walking down the aisle a couple of times. You don' t have to pause between steps like in the movies, just a slow stride will do.
• Remind your dad or whom ever is walking you down the aisle to be aware of the train if your dress has one. You don't want him tripping over your dress trying to get to his seat!
• As soon as you arrive at the altar or chuppah, hand over your bouquet to the Maid of Honor. If she is on train duty, make sure she hands over the bouquets to the next in line for safe keeping.
• If you think you might cry or well up with tears as you walk down the aisle it would be a good idea to give your maid of honor a tissue for you to have once you have reached the altar.
• Don't hold your breath! Breathe, breathe, breathe as you walk down the aisle!!!