Seattle Wedding from Laurel McConnell Photography + Holly-Kate and Company
Most of the time love isn't an at-first-site kind of event. Sometimes it takes a second glance... such is the case for our next adorable couple. It took a couple different encouters and several years before these two finally locked eyes for the long haul. And when they brought their family and friends together to celebrate their union they did it in lovely, laid-back, Seattle style. There isn't an ounce of their rustic Pacific Northwest party that we don't completely love. Photographed by Laurel McConnell Photography and planned and designed by Holly Kate & Co it's antique elegance done right. So swing on over to the gallery to see even more of this romantic woodland affair.
From the Bride... John and I met as teenagers at my aunt’s annual Christmas party in Kansas, although the sparks didn’t fly until I came to visit my cousin in New York City in September 2009. John came along with my cousin and we adventured around NYC for a few days, during which I developed a major crush on John as well as New York City! Through a fortuitous twist of fate, John’s plans to travel for the weekend were cancelled, and he called the morning I was preparing to leave for my flight back to Seattle to ask if I wanted to stay the weekend. I remember feeling overwhelmed with nervousness and excitement when I answered “Yes!” Looking back, I feel that I knew somehow in that moment that I was making a decision that would dramatically change my life. We shared a magical weekend where we fell in love with each other and I with the city, and after only a few months of dating long distance, I moved to New York City!
John and I chose Seattle for our wedding because it’s a place near and dear to both our hearts that we wanted to share with our family and friends from across the US and abroad. The date of 7/7/12 had a nice ring to it, and was almost exactly one year from our engagement the summer before in Half Moon Bay, California. Our ceremony and reception venue of SoDo Park is a converted manufacturing building in the industrial district of Seattle, which has beautiful exposed beams and a shabby chic vibe that we loved. Our florist incorporated other details like curly willow in the altar and logs along the aisle to give it that Northwest feel. Our goal for the décor was to make the space feel comfortable and intimate, which we achieved through Italian string lights, glassybaby votives, and by placing family photos around the room. We also brought our favorite musicians from New York City to perform for our rehearsal dinner -- plus during the ceremony, which allowed our guests to share in one of our loves, which is great live music.
We feel especially grateful for all the people whose contributions of time and talent made our wedding feel incredibly personal. My step-dad made the flower boxes and crates that we used for our centerpieces. John’s dad painted a photo of us that we used for our program covers. My college roommate made our delicious wedding cake and my cousin and John’s dear friend wrote a beautiful song just for us which she performed during our ceremony. And most especially, a dear friend of John’s officiated our ceremony with a perfect balance of sentimentality and humor.
Last but not least, in making our day so special and stress-free were our wonderful vendors. We hired people who are great at what they do and were also fun to be around, so we literally had not a care in the world on our wedding day. Having a wonderful photographer was important to us -- we couldn’t be happier with the way our images turned out. Our coordinator handled all the details and kept everything flowing smoothly so that we could let loose and enjoy the day and our guests. We wanted our wedding to feel like an intimate affair and a great party, which we couldn’t have achieved without the epic dance party that our DJ facilitated. Seriously, our friends and family are still talking about it!
While the planning process was stressful at times, we loved the experience and feel it brought us closer as a couple. It’s difficult to describe the happiness we felt when we stood back on our wedding day and took in a room full of our favorite people... there simply to celebrate with us as we embark on a lifetime together. We feel truly blessed to have found each other and to have had such a memorable celebration of our commitment to one another.
Wedding Photography: Laurel McConnell Photography | Wedding Venue: SoDo Park by Herban Feast | Wedding Design + Coordination: Holly Kate & Co | Floral Design: Amy Eller of Bloom | Catering: Herban Feast | Cake: Friend of the bride | Cake Topper: Cinnamon Birds | Invitations: Bella Figura | Cupcakes: Cake Envy | Wedding Dress: Alvina Valenta via LaBelle Elaine | Bridesmaid Dresses: J. Crew & Nordstrom | Hair + Makeup: Erin Skipley | Rings: My Baubles | Musician: Alec Gross | DJ: Kris McCoskery of Wave Link | Linens: Choice Linens | Rentals: Glassybaby | Transportation: First Student School Bus
John and I chose Seattle for our wedding because it’s a place near and dear to both our hearts that we wanted to share with our family and friends from across the US and abroad. The date of 7/7/12 had a nice ring to it, and was almost exactly one year from our engagement the summer before in Half Moon Bay, California. Our ceremony and reception venue of SoDo Park is a converted manufacturing building in the industrial district of Seattle, which has beautiful exposed beams and a shabby chic vibe that we loved. Our florist incorporated other details like curly willow in the altar and logs along the aisle to give it that Northwest feel. Our goal for the décor was to make the space feel comfortable and intimate, which we achieved through Italian string lights, glassybaby votives, and by placing family photos around the room. We also brought our favorite musicians from New York City to perform for our rehearsal dinner -- plus during the ceremony, which allowed our guests to share in one of our loves, which is great live music.
We feel especially grateful for all the people whose contributions of time and talent made our wedding feel incredibly personal. My step-dad made the flower boxes and crates that we used for our centerpieces. John’s dad painted a photo of us that we used for our program covers. My college roommate made our delicious wedding cake and my cousin and John’s dear friend wrote a beautiful song just for us which she performed during our ceremony. And most especially, a dear friend of John’s officiated our ceremony with a perfect balance of sentimentality and humor.
Last but not least, in making our day so special and stress-free were our wonderful vendors. We hired people who are great at what they do and were also fun to be around, so we literally had not a care in the world on our wedding day. Having a wonderful photographer was important to us -- we couldn’t be happier with the way our images turned out. Our coordinator handled all the details and kept everything flowing smoothly so that we could let loose and enjoy the day and our guests. We wanted our wedding to feel like an intimate affair and a great party, which we couldn’t have achieved without the epic dance party that our DJ facilitated. Seriously, our friends and family are still talking about it!
While the planning process was stressful at times, we loved the experience and feel it brought us closer as a couple. It’s difficult to describe the happiness we felt when we stood back on our wedding day and took in a room full of our favorite people... there simply to celebrate with us as we embark on a lifetime together. We feel truly blessed to have found each other and to have had such a memorable celebration of our commitment to one another.
Wedding Photography: Laurel McConnell Photography | Wedding Venue: SoDo Park by Herban Feast | Wedding Design + Coordination: Holly Kate & Co | Floral Design: Amy Eller of Bloom | Catering: Herban Feast | Cake: Friend of the bride | Cake Topper: Cinnamon Birds | Invitations: Bella Figura | Cupcakes: Cake Envy | Wedding Dress: Alvina Valenta via LaBelle Elaine | Bridesmaid Dresses: J. Crew & Nordstrom | Hair + Makeup: Erin Skipley | Rings: My Baubles | Musician: Alec Gross | DJ: Kris McCoskery of Wave Link | Linens: Choice Linens | Rentals: Glassybaby | Transportation: First Student School Bus