Washington Weddings

Julie Vino Trunk Show at Mea Marie Bridal Atelier

From the beautiful Bride…Danny and I met in Thailand on New Years Eve last year. We hadn’t known each other long before deciding to get married, but almost instantly upon meeting him I knew I wanted to spend my life with him.

Wedding planning started off as things usually do: Ideas began small, and continued to get more elaborate as time went on. We thought about doing a courthouse wedding, then decided on a small gathering with immediate family, then agreed to do a larger party to celebrate. When we found out a good amount of Danny’s family and friends would be coming from all over the world, we knew we wanted to have a real wedding, but we also knew we wanted it to remain small and intimate. Danny’s best man flew in from India, and his groomsmen came from New Zealand (just a quick 19-hour flight). His sister and dad traveled from London, and his mom (mum!) and stepdad traveled from Croatia. We had around 20 out-of-town guests make it from six different countries.

Because Danny was immigrating from England, we didn’t have long to plan. We had about three months in total, two of which he was still living in the UK, so needless to say we had to cut some corners and make quick decisions. But that’s what downloadable menus on Etsy is for, and online bridal dress shopping, and friends that are willing to frantically finish folding paper airplanes three hours before the ceremony. We focused on the important stuff (like the perfect cake!), and knew whatever was done was done, and whatever we didn’t get to, it didn’t matter.

We chose The Court in the Square as our ceremony and reception venue for the cozy factor, and the fact that it feels like an outdoor venue when it’s really in the middle of February. It’s already such a beautiful space that it didn’t require much decorating.

We couldn’t resist adding in some sort of travel elements. Instead of table numbers, we did table cities that represented the places Danny and I have been together. We had our (very talented) friend sketch landmarks of each city for the tables, and had a big poster board seating chart with names next to each landmark. We folded paper airplanes for place cards and adorned them with washi tape. We wanted everyone to sit together in a sense, so we did one long table that wrapped around the venue. That table, and being able to look out on everyone who had come to celebrate with us, was one of our most favorite and cherished things. Our guest book was a vintage globe we had everyone sign that now doubles as one of our favorite decor items in our house.

This last year has been hard – long distance is hard, but that’s what made our wedding day so incredibly special. Danny was finally in America, and we were able to start our life together. The day was full of love, you could absolutely feel it.

The pretty is spilling over today thanks to bridal gown designer Julie Vino! And get this — on February 7th + 8th, 2015, Seattle’s Mea Marie Bridal Atelier is hosting an official Julie Vino Trunk Show. My dears, mark your calendars! This is a show you won’t want to miss…

Handmade of the finest European fabrics and Parisian laces, these incredibly gorgeous and effortlessy romantic gowns are unlike anything you’ve ever seen! The trunk show will feature the Julie Vino Provence Collection 2015 as well as some of the most requested styles from the Orchid and Ceasaria Collections. Not only will brides get the chance to try on these stunning gowns, but there is also a 10% discount for styles purchased during trunk show appointments!

Brides have been booking flights from across the country to get the chance to try on a Julie Vino wedding dress, so be sure to book your appointment! Head over here to see exactly which gowns will be featured at the trunk show and to choose a time slot. Contact Nikki at Mea Marie Bridal Atelier at 425.531.5664 with any questions. Happy dress hunting, my dears.

Classic and Elegant Seattle Wedding

Timeless and drenched in elegance this Seattle soiree is cause for celebration. With the help of their loved ones, this couple crafted a day filled with nods to their Greek and Puerto-Rican heritage including DIY details like peony filled bouquets and hand-sewn favors and you can see all the pretty through the lens of Yvonne Wong in the full gallery right here.

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Ballroom Weddings Religious Institution

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Downtown Seattle Wedding at the Sky View Observatory

From the Bride… My husband and I were married last spring beautiful overcast Seattle day. Our photographer, Yvonne Wong, did a wonderful job capturing the brightness of the grey day along Lake Washington at the Seattle Tennis Club. Since I was a young girl, I dreamt of one day getting married at the classic venue, and thankfully my husband-to-be fell in love with the venue as well.

In addition to his venue-approval, he gave me free reign on most of the planning, which I was thrilled about because I had so many ideas of what I wanted to create myself with the help of my incredibly crafty Mom. We were so excited to work together and DIY a lot by ourselves, including ALL the flowers, escort cards, programs, menus, favors, and wedding sash. As I toiled on the papery items, my Mom sewed the wedding favors and pieced together my beautiful wedding sash. The two days leading up to the wedding, we worked away on all the florals, which was quite the feat in the midst of entertaining out of town guests and getting prepared for the big day. There were definitely a couple last minute runs to get more (bloomed) peonies but thankfully we had the help of friends and family to assist in getting everything organized for the big day.

Carlos and I met the summer of 2009 in Seattle’s Greenlake neighborhood. While both of us attended the University of Washington, had mutual friends, and lived directly across the street from each other, it took us years to actually meet. My new roommates and I decided to throw an open house party in our newly rented townhouse and Carlos happened to show up with one of our mutual friends. That evening, bonding over our college experiences, prior careers and cultural backgrounds, we felt a spark, and the rest is history.

Growing up in Greek and Puerto-Rican households, it was important for us to share our cultural backgrounds for our big day. While our ceremony was traditional Greek Orthodox, we tried to blend our Greek and Puerto-Rican backgrounds during our reception, with lots of salsa dancing and Greek dancing. Our favorite part of the evening was sneaking away just the two of us, to see all our closest family and friends enjoying themselves out on the dance floor. The day was filled with so much love and we couldn’t have asked for anything more.

Simple yet ridiculously sweet and personal, this chic Seattle celebration at the Sky View Observatory captured by Alexandra Knight has my heart this morning. From the Bride’s stunning teal Badgley Mischka pumps (a nod to the shoes she wore on their first date) to her tea length gown to that gorgeous cake from Honey Crumb Cake Studio – from start to finish, this gallery is is just pure pretty .

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Elegant Seattle Wedding full of Classic City Details

From Alexandra Knight Photography…Katie & Brandon were a referral from a dear friend and I knew I wanted to photograph their wedding within minutes of meeting them. They are calm, loving, and genuine people that have a remarkable love story. I love their wedding for their details, their commitment to keeping the day about them and what they wanted, and their incredible venue. Katie & Brandon were only the 2nd couple to ever get married at the Sky View Observatory, 73 floors above the bustling streets of downtown Seattle. It was such a treat to be part of a wedding at this brand new venue! Following their ceremony and a few photos on the observation deck, we headed to the waterfront of downtown Seattle for a gorgeous portrait session at sunset. The pier was practically empty and we walked a block down the street for some photos in front of the Seattle ferris wheel, too. The images of the bride spinning and twirling are my favorites, as Katie paused to twirl and swish her dress back and forth all day on her own. The joy she got from the movement of such a beautiful dress and the ability to express that happiness was such a perfect thing to photograph and I feel that the images we took of her spinning beautifully capture that joy. Teal accents, killer Badgley Mischka shoes, tea length gown… this wedding was a knockout!

From The Bride…Brandon and I wanted to focus on three things in the planning of our wedding. We wanted to represent the simplicity that we strive for in our everyday lives. To make it through the planning with the intention of ease and practicality (if it was too much of a hassle we just cut it and didn’t bother!). And to represent ourselves based on the values and sentiment that we carry through our relationship. This day was going to be about us.

When it came to planning our big day my inspiration first started with the color palate. And the color palate first started with some shoes.

After knowing each other since middle school and through high school, Brandon and I were reunited at my 25th birthday. Like any stylish 20-something I was dressed for the occasion and wearing some gorgeous teal heels; little did we know that birthday would be the beginning of something so special and those shoes would become a fond memory for us through our dating years. So in honor of where we started, there was no question in my mind, I’d be walking down the aisle in gorgeous, show stopping teal heels.

In order to truly show case the heels I knew the dress would have to be shorter. I also knew it would have to be a simple style, I wanted to wear the dress not have it wear me. With the tea length dress there was no hiking it up or dragging it around the city and whenever the mood hit it gave me every opportunity to twirl and spin with delight.

Our venue sort of just fell into our laps, and following suit in simplicity and practicality, we knew that it fit just right. We had been in downtown Seattle exploring courthouse options, but walking through metal detectors did not leave us feeling swept away by romance, and made it hard to envision myself feeling bridal while walking down such uninspiring halls. After we left the courthouse we spontaneously decided to take a small sight-seeing trip to the Sky View Observatory of the Columbia Tower a few blocks away, the office building is the second tallest building on the west coast and has the highest viewing deck west of the Mississippi. As we stepped off the elevators on the 73rd floor and looked around the Observatory suddenly the space just screamed “Wedding”! The 360 degree view was simply breathtaking and being so far above the bustle and craziness of downtown Seattle gave such a sense of serenity. The space simply made perfect sense to us.

There was a theme of unexpected things falling perfectly into place while we planned our wedding, which seemed to reflect exactly how our friendship and relationship has been- unexpectedly and perfectly falling in love when the time was just right.

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At the hands of Sinclair & Moore, this black tie affair was artfully infused with a fresh burst of color. It’s a gorgeous rendition of Seattle city nuptials but with a twist on classic. The vibrant florals, the cityscape, the feasting in front of a weathered brick wall all come together through the lens of O’Malley Photographers. Have a look at one wildly good looking gallery right here.

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Warm Winter Wedding in Seattle

From O’Malley Photographers…We have a gorgeous Pacific Northwest wedding planned and designed by the talented Sinclair & Moore team here to share with you! Todd and Kristi’s wedding was full of classic and elegant touches, exactly what they hoped their wedding would be. They opted for a classic and elegant wedding in downtown Seattle, but wanted their photos to also incorporate the gorgeous water and mountain views, something that is unique to Seattle. The slate grey, navy, smoky blue, coral and peach color palette was perfectly achieved with garden and spray roses, dahlias, clematis, sweet peas, raspberries and other unique natural elements. They chose Court in the Square to say their “I Do’s” at and new venue, AXIS, to host their reception. Both venues boast quintessential Seattle vibes with lots of brick, exposed wood and warm character. The bride and groom got ready at nearby Alexis Hotel, within walking distance to the historic Pioneer Square district where the ceremony and reception were held. They incorporated other special touches into their big day such as a touching tribute to their grandparents during the ceremony and a late night snack of wood-fired pizza (the bride’s favorite treat) to keep their guests fueled for dancing late into the evening. It was a beautiful and memorable day!

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Sinclair & Moore

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Seattle has always held a special place in my heart and this quirky, cool, winter wedding was the breath of fresh Pacific Northwest air I’ve been craving. Kirk Mastin perfectly captured this couple’s carefree style and laid-back city soirée. These two are clearly head over heals for each other and their joy is pretty darn contagious. You can join in the fun right here in the gallery.

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Winter Weddings

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Urban Space

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Vintage

From the Bride… After 3 years, 2 states, 4 moves and a puppy, I couldn’t wait to get married to Chris! On Thursday evening January 3rd, 2013 he asked me to marry him – while I was queuing up Grey’s Anatomy on Netflix. I said yes, in my pajamas. So much love.

Over the next year we moved 3 more times, added a new state to our address, found new jobs and planned a wedding we think reflects us.

Seattle seemed the perfect choice for a location; it’s where we met and most of our family/friends are there. We had no idea where to go from there. Have you ever googled “wedding venue”? Sensory overload. Chris found Skillet Street Food, burgers and fries, perfect! We drove up to Seattle one weekend and ate lunch at their restaurant – yummy. From there we found Melrose Market Studios from the preferred vendor list on Skillet’s website. Here was THE venue, we didn’t need to look at a another one. Both of us loved the exposed brick, concrete floor and how we could have both ceremony and reception in one place.

“OK” I’m thinking “we got this.” 8 months ’til the big day and we have the basics covered. Chris’s brother Nick would be the Best Man and my brother Jimmy would be the Man of honor. Perfect. Except people kept asking about colors and my dress and concept. What? Uh… Earth tones?

I have never planned a wedding, not even as a little girl, in my imagination. Nope.

I decided on pinecones for a theme. They are super cute, earth toned, and in the Pacific Northwest you can find all different shapes and sizes. My mom has boxes of old canning jars that were my grandmothers. Candles in mason jars and gold glittered pine cones, white table cloths with brown butcher paper runners, yes! Kat, my sister in sarcasm and an amazing chef offer to make our cake – chocolate with mocha frosting, drool!

I found my dress after a full day in bridal boutiques and vintage store, when I was about to give up someone suggested The English Department. There I found Elizabeth Dye and her perfect mix of classic lines built for real people! And it wasn’t white!

We found our photographer kind of haphazardly, but like everything else, he turned out to be perfect. My only request was to have at least one photo at Pike Place Market. Growing up in Seattle it holds so many memories and it’s just a really fun place. Kirk took this request to the next level. First look was on the lower landing, we went to Socio’s where we used to do all our produce shopping, and of course in front of the sign. He also suggested a big mural on Capital Hill, where 3 years earlier Chris had taken my photo when we were first dating. Like I said, perfect.

Fast forward to 6 weeks before the wedding. Things we don’t have: rings, suits for Chris and his brother (my brother wore a suit he already owned), officiate, flowers, music, hotel room, dog sitter, marriage license. Yikes! What we did have was amazing family and friends.

On January 5, 2014, a freakishly sunny dry day, surrounded by love so strong you could feel it, we were married.

Quite honestly this wedding planned itself. Everything just fell together, at the last possible moment. It was warm, inviting, filled with laughter, and a little quirky – just like us.

Seattle Engagement Session With a Pup

This might be the tiniest bit biased thanks to Radcliffe (the couple’s adorable pup) but this is hands-down one of the sweetest engagements I’ve ever had my hands on. Photographed by the crazy talented Lora Grady, it’s a sunset session on Seattle’s gorgeous coast, and just what we need to kick a Friday off right. Click here for lots more.

From Lora Grady…Brett and Chandra are a vivacious couple! Full of laughs and energy and they are just so sweet. It was so fun photographing them in some of their favorite places. They are moving to Oregon soon, so it was was the perfect way to commemorate their love and life in Seattle. They were such a joy to be around, and their little dog (Radcliffe: Rad for short) is so adorable. And he LOVED me. (Okay… that last part was kind of a lie.) It really was the perfect night!! I am so excited for their 2015 Spring wedding!

As a Seattle Engagement photographer, I never run out of opportunities to photograph in beautiful places. The city skyline was the perfect addition to this Seattle couple’s engagement session. We chose a beautiful evening, so that made for a sunny and crowded quick stop at Kerry Park for the iconic Seattle city skyline as the backdrop for this Seattle engagement session. We then went to a more natural location with trees and pretty light and finished up at the most beautiful Pacific Northwest beach.

Photography: Lora Grady Photography | Park: Discovery Park | Park: Discovery Park

Loft-Style Seattle Wedding

I love couples who aren’t afraid to really personalize their day, and for this Seattle duo that meant a nod to their professions in the aerospace industry. Pretty cool, right? With a subtle travel motif woven in through the details, they managed to pull off a wedding with elegance + style, and Ryan Flynn captured the gallery you don’t want to miss.

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Summer Seattle Wedding at Golden Gardens

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From Manette Gracie Events… Kristen and Simon’s wedding was a perfect balance of whimsy, romance, ruckus and fun. Since they both work in the aerospace industry, they decided to play with a vintage travel motif throughout the event. This was potentially poignant paired with the groom’s South American heritage, and the many international guests who travelled for the celebration.

They honored this throughout the event– with items like their map guestbook, South American table numbers and Simon’s grandfather’s prayer shawl on their homemade chuppah. The couple also chose to include a South American inspired Hora Loca toward the end of the event, where the wedding party donned festive party gear, which they then brought down in baskets for the rest of the guests.

Kristen and Simon stayed true to themselves as well. Both being fabulous dancers, they chose an inspired first dance routine, and then continued to dance until the lights came up, well past midnight.

Simon and Kristen’s charisma and positive attitudes shone throughout, despite the day’s only slight hiccup– a drizzly Seattle spring day. Instead of grumbling, the two grabbed their wedding party, and umbrellas, and hit the city streets for photos. This is reflected in a beautiful image of Kristen as she is about to depart their shuttle, all smiles, as her bridesmaids pop umbrellas and wait for her to join them.

If you’ve ever wondered what happens when you high school sweeties tie the knot, look no further than this summertime affair set in Seattle’s Golden Gardens. Each and every decor detail was handcrafted by the bride, and Ravenna Bloom put together peony-filled bouquets that’ll leave you stunned. The gallery from Blue Rose Photography is prettiness defined and you’re just a click away.

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Modern Seattle Wedding at Olympic Sculpture Park

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Garden Weddings

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From Blue Rose Photography… Jackie & Matt have known each other since middle school. In high school they noticed each other after a glimpse across the high school football field. Matt being a true romantic came up the sweetest way to ask her to go steady with him. He arranged a locker scavenger hunt where the final locker held a tape recording of her favorite classical piece and him speaking over it, complete with a rose and chocolates. Two days later they went on their first date.

Matt planned his surprise proposal by taking Jackie to Victoria B.C. for her 25th birthday. He waited all day until the perfect moment standing in Buchart Gardens during the Holiday light festival. When she turned around he was on one knee. They now live in La Jolla California where they are both graduate students as well as talented wedding photographers !

Jackie walked down the aisle to Puget Sound Strings (String Quartet) Edelweiss”- Sound of Music. The wind was blowing her chiffon gown and hair and everyone was crying and smiling at the same time.

She created all of the decor and details for her rustic lavender wedding including a dream catcher table where guests could tie a feather to a gorgeous white dream catcher for the couple to keep. The sign near the dream catcher read “Help us catch our dreams”. Each table also had a mad libs card on the place setting asking guests to fill in the blanks about the couple. Jackie even tied in her rustic theme with her hair wearing a half crown of greenery and lavender. The bridesmaids wore Lavender dressed by Donna Morgan in varying shades. Jackie made all of the signage for her wedding by hand, she spent hours on the calligraphy and it turned out great ! Their wedding planner Simply By Tamara Nicole executed Jackie’s vision and did an amazing job setting up all of the details they made.

Their desert table was out of this world gorgeous. They had salted carmel cupcakes, red velvet cupcakes and a small cake adorned with Lavender and greenery made by Seattle’s own Trophy Cupcakes.

At the end of the night after dancing and singing to their favorite Journey song “Don’t Stop Believing” they were sent off with sparklers. They are now enjoying a honeymoon/road trip down the Pacific Coast highway back to California.

What happens when two of London’s most dapper gentlemen come back for a Seattle wedding celebration? Crazy good things, my friends – just you wait. From the modern, sleek setting of Olympic Sculpture Park to the fabulously designed reception by Aria Style, this wedding is one perfect moment after another, and Catherine Abegg captured it all right here.

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Romantic Seattle Wedding at The Foundry

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Park

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From Catherine Abegg… Sean & Tracy met in Seattle about twelve years ago, and have since traveled the globe together before settling down in London…but it seemed natural to have their wedding ceremony in the city where they met surrounded by old friends, new friends, international friends, family from close & family from far.

They essentially celebrated every day that they were in town, including a gay bar hop through Capitol Hill, a glamorously casual rehearsal dinner at Escala in downtown Seattle, and then the main event at Seattle Art Museum’s Olympic Sculpture Park, that was absolutely posh & downright fabulous. This being the first year that Washingtonians could officially be married in our state, besides all of the glitz & glam of this wedding, there was so much love & just so much celebration that you could feel it pulsing all weekend long.

Ladies and gents, meet the epitome of mountain chic. A laid-back meets totally elegant Seattle affair that is one part rustic, one part industrial and all parts pretty. It’s the kind of effortlessly cool soiree that combines fab paper goods from Paper Delights, lush florals from Flora Nova and an entire world of amazing moments captured by Gabriel Van Wyhe. See them all right here in the full gallery.

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Winter Weddings

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Weddings in Historical Venues

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From the Bride… Our wedding day has come and gone and my new husband, Stuart, and I have officially returned to our normal routine. BUT, that doesn’t mean I can’t still spend a few hours of my day swooning over our gorgeous wedding photos, right?!

Deciding to get married in Seattle was an easy decision for us. Although Stu spent 18 years of his life in California, and I was born and raised in the Seattle area, the Emerald City is where we first met and where the story of “us” began. We picked December 7th, 2013 as our wedding date because it was almost exactly one year from the day we got engaged (December 8th, 2012) and because we’d had our first official date in the month of December five years prior. December is a very special month for us!

We chose the wedding venue based on the interior design details. Stu and I love a good weekend ski trip. There is just something about spending the day on the mountain and then coming home to a log cabin to warm your feet by the fire. To us, The Foundry provided us with those same feelings and was a lot closer than driving out to the snow covered mountains! From the sliding barn doors to the wooden chandeliers and the roaring fireplace, The Foundry offered a warm escape from the chilly outside weather.

Seattle gets dark around 4 pm in December, so we stuck with lighter shades for our wedding day colors. My bridesmaids wore gorgeous soft blue dresses and carried bouquets filled with white roses, hydrangeas, ranunculus, blush blue posies with silver accents, baby’s breath and hints of dusty miller (my favorite!). My bouquet was similar, but contained a very special detail. My mother surprised me with a small black and white photo of my late grandmother on her wedding day. She attached it to my bridal bouquet with a single white ribbon. I felt so special knowing that my grandmother was there with me as I walked down the aisle.

My overall stylistic goal was a cozy winter affair. The ceremony took place in a large ballroom-style space with high vaulted ceilings and gorgeous wooden chandeliers. Hurricane candles were arranged along the aisle and yards of white drapery was strung along the back wall to cover an otherwise blank space. After the “I Do’s,” two large sliding barn doors were opened to reveal the cocktail room. This room contained a roaring brick fireplace, wine barrel cocktail tables, countless votive candles and various chalkboard signs. It was a log cabin dream come true! A month prior, Stu and I handpicked hundreds of pine cones from our neighborhood park. We spent a few days washing and drying them. They were then placed sporadically throughout the venue. We even included some on our wedding cake!

Another reoccurring theme throughout the wedding was our wreath logo. The ladies at Paper Delights were kind enough to help us create an image that incorporated our initials inside a green laurel wreath. It provided a wintery touch without looking too Christmas-y. We included the logo on our invitations and hung a real laurel wreath as a backdrop for our ceremony.

The best part of the wedding was seeing the images and details that Stu and I had been dreaming of come to life AND THEN getting to share all of those details with our families and friends! It was such a special day for us and being surrounded by all our loved truly made the day unforgettable.

Romantic Meets Rustic Bridal Inspiration

Combing the ethereal beauty of the Seattle woodlands with a drop-dead gorgeous bride rockin’ a fabulous gown + amazing accessories is never a bad idea, and when it comes together in crazy romantic way such as this, it’s the best thing to happen all week. It’s lush blooms from Finch And Thistle Event Design meets some serious style meets a whole lot of pretty captured by Jacqueline Dallimore. See it here.

From Jacqueline Dallimore Photography… I am very excited to share with you some gorgeous rustic bridal inspiration! I wanted to put together a very simple, yet gorgeous shoot that would really resonate with brides. The gorgeous woodsy setting really compliments the gorgeous floral design that Finch and Thistle helped create for me. In hopes to appeal to the modern bride, I wanted to also feature a blush color palette with a blush colored dress and veil, which I created specifically to compliment the dress perfectly. I chose the perfect color of Christian Louboutin shoes to match the entire palette. The entire shoot was shot with a film camera to enhance the ethereal feeling. I hope you enjoy this beautiful inspiration shoot!

Multicultural Wedding At The Seattle Aquarium Film

I know there’s a “what a catch” joke I could make about this Seattle Aquarium Wedding, but I’ll refrain. It’s just too pretty to ruin with a pun! Aside from the unique venue, the bride was glowing in her Monique Lhuillier gown and the whole affair looked perfectly verdant thanks to the floral genius of Loves Me Flowers. Bogle Productions captured some highlights from the day, so sit back and enjoy the view.

[iframe http://player.vimeo.com/video/72952536 600 338]

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Engagement Session at the Seattle Conservatory

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From The Bride…Patrick and I met in Seattle. I was very much a California native, with a love of being in the water and basking in the sun. He was a Pacific Northwest native, with a passion for the natural lush landscape and hiking the mountains. We debated between hosting the wedding in CA vs WA, but in the end, we wanted to celebrate where we met. We also wanted a wedding that would bring out these elements, and offer an outdoor/indoor experience for our guests to share our interests with them (and to avoid any incidents with the unstable Seattle rainy weather). We chose the Seattle Aquarium for many reasons: the gorgeous backdrop in the Puget Sound surrounded by the Olympic mountains and Mount Rainier, the uniqueness of hosting cocktail hour surrounded by giant octopus, starfish and tide pools with a sea otter feeding that can’t be viewed during normal visitor hours, and the notable giant wall of fish tank and unlimited access to the Aquarium throughout the night. There was never a dull moment available in the agenda!

We experienced so much love the week leading up to the wedding. Several girlfriends showed up at our place every night to volunteer their entire evenings to help prepare. The most grueling work was the escort cards that required different colored ribbons to denote which entrée type (red for beef, yellow for chicken, green for vegetarian) tied to starfish. Who knew finding 200 starfish of the right size and 16 rolls of red ribbon in the exact same color, size, and type would be so time consuming! An artsy friend volunteered to make my headpiece and showed up the day before the wedding rehearsal with 30 different options for my bridal party and I to play with. Two bridesmaids spent 16 hours baking 250 perfect macarons with flavors like earl grey and strawberry-raspberry cream filling, vanilla almond with lemon buttercream filling for our dessert table. Another friend took a cupcake decorating class and created red velvet mini cupcakes with beautiful flowers adorned on top. The outpour of support and excitement for our wedding made us only more enthused for the big day.

The day of, weather suddenly cleared after a week of gloomy darkness and heavy rain. It was clear and sunny, emphasizing the natural beauty of Seattle for our guests. As our string trio started playing Pachelbel’s “Canon in D Major”, I smiled at my father and told him I was ready. Walking down the aisle, I was left breathless at sight of the intertwined fingertips of the 2 separate manzanita branches that symbolized our unity, filled with dozens of gold orchids, creating a simply elegant beachside look for the ceremony arbor. There were ombre rose petals placed in swirls on the runner. It felt magical. Our florist and our wedding planner truly brought my ideas to life in a way that was beyond our expectations.

After the ceremony, the guests enjoyed cocktail hour handling the sea life in the tide pool area and a rotating wheel of baby jellyfish. The guests were also treated to cute otters swimming on their backs, munching on crab legs. Watching the otters float by, chomping happily, we got to greet everyone as Mr. and Mrs. for the first time.

Patrick had a big surprise waiting for me as we sat down for the reception. He had been taking several quarters of Mandarin lessons, and gave his entire welcome speech in Chinese. The room erupted in applause and I was touched by his gesture and acknowledgement of our combined cultures on our wedding day. The rest of the night went perfectly. The speeches were heartfelt, words of wisdom from our dads, and fond memories from our Maid of Honor and Best Man.

We are very close to our family and wanted to blend aspects from our parents’ weddings into ours. His parents provided us with the exact wine glasses they used at their wedding that were from his grandmother’s hometown. My parents helped us placed the traditional Chinese wedding symbols for “double happiness” on the windows and we conducted the traditional ceremony of receiving red packets from immediate family.

Most of our guests were our age, so we wanted to emphasize the liveliness of the crowd and chose bold colors. Chinese wedding colors are traditionally gold and red, so we wanted to mix those in with our colors.

Patrick chose brightly patterned socks for his groomsmen to wear. I chose true red bridesmaid dresses. We wanted to liven up the reception, so we used red linens accented by white chairs and napkins. The background lights fluctuate between red, purple, and green. There was a white wall with 3D waves that was lit up in a multitude of colors.

Seattle grows amazing flowers, especially during the summer season. My favorites are peonies, calla lilies, and roses. The bouquets were a blend of all 3 types in orange, yellow, and magenta pink. Our florist went beyond expectations in creating the flower pieces for the aisle and the table centerpieces. The orange-yellow orchids in the bottom of the vase was a pleasant surprise.

We wanted to incorporate our love of the outdoors with our aquarium motif, so our wedding planner found some vintage Montauk wood crates and used it to decorate our welcome table. We found some different sized treasure chests and used them to store the wedding gifts. There were 6″ white lanterns that resembled lighthouses scattered throughout with candles inside to give a rustic beach vibe. We added ghostwood around the reception for a washed ashore look. We filled aqua wooden crates with sand and placed the starfish name tags so they stood tall.

For the ceremony arbor, we chose manzanita branches to touch as we stood under the arch. The branches reminded us of driftwood and decorated it with dozens of gold orchids. Lights were also strung around the branches, creating a romantic arbor for our sunset kiss.

Our delicious cake was provided by Celebrity Cake Studio were flexible and creative. They provided us with a 5 layered pink champagne cake filled with Bavarian cream. The outside layer was a turquoise buttercream with orange-yellow calla lilies cascading along the three square tiers. The turquoise layer was also sprayed with a gold sheen, to reflect the shimmer that’s on top of waves. Going with the aquarium venue, I got custom made penguin cake toppers with the bride and groom matching what we wore: the bride held orange calla lilies and wore a veil, and the groom had a tuxedo on.

It was the biggest party we have ever thrown and we are so happy that we hired a videographer to capture every moment of our wedding.

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Monique Lhuillier

Monique Lhuillier Bridal Fall 2015

Monique Lhuillier Bridesmaids Fall 2015

Spring 2016

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I am a forever fan of O’Malley Photographers, and it will only take a little peek below to see why. They simply have a way of making magic from behind a camera lens – leaving this gorgeous couple with a set of images they will treasure forever and ever (and ever). See why I am such a huge fan here.

From O’Malley Photographers…Warmth can be hard to come by in Seattle this time of year, but the Volunteer Park Conservatory never disappoints with it’s lush, gorgeous succulents and airy rooms. Both Jackie and Patrick are Northwest natives so a shoot with an organic, natural and distinctly Northwest feel was just right for these two. They are planning a lovely island wedding this coming summer just outside of Seattle.

Photography: O'Malley Photographers | Location: Discovery Park

Rainy Seattle Engagement Session at The Center for Wooden Boats

Ok these two are just too cute for words. Their adorable shoot captured by Katie Parra Photography is basically as adorable as they come, and it totally proves that a little rain will never ruin your shoot, heck, it might just make it better. See even more of these cuties here.

From Katie Parra Photography…Here in Seattle we get used to rescheduling photoshoots due to rain. Especially when we are planning on being outside for most of the shoot….like on a boat….in the middle of South Lake Union. Well having already rescheduled due to rain once before Sara, Stephen and I decided we were going to go for it despite the rainy day we were given. They were such troopers and luckily I was able to commandeer a boat with a roof. Our captain’s name was Jack….yup Captain Jack…..Sparrow?? At least that’s what we called him all afternoon. He was super nice and gave us a lovely guided tour through the floating homes and even took us by the famous Sleepless in Seattle houseboat. Hot chocolate with diamond ring marshmallows kept us toasty warm and we were greeted by two adorable ducks when we arrived back at the docks. The rain couldn’t dapper our fun afternoon and I think you will see in the images just how in love Sara and Stephen really are. They are practically glowing! I just know their wedding day is going to be something very special.

Photography: Katie Parra Photography | The Center For Wooden Boats: The Center For Wooden Boats

Champagne Tasting Bridal Shower Inspiration

Gathering your leading ladies for an afternoon of champagne sipping is always a welcome idea in our book. *Enter* Fat Cork in Seattle which just so happens to have beautiful space (and plenty of bubbly!) for the occasion. They partnered up with Katie Parra for wedding shower inspiration any bride could get behind, and you can snag a look at the full shebang over here.

From Katie Parra Photography…I had the great pleasure of meeting Kate and Chloe of Fat Cork at a local industry event in Seattle. We talked all things Champagne and how they are opening up Fat Cork’s tasting room to host bridal showers, bridesmaid luncheons, and bachelorette parties. I of course jumped at the chance to photograph the mock bridal shower they wanted to put on to help get the word out to all our fabulous Seattle Brides. Kate and Chloe did a lovely job. Those two sure know their stuff when it comes to Champagne and how to throw a great party!

Fat Cork is a lovely space and by the end of the shoot I was literally trying to think up an excuse to have a party there for myself! But do I really need a reason…nope! Seattle Brides and Maids of Honor- Fat Cork’s tasting room is THE best place to celebrate this special and super fun time in one’s life.

From Fat Cork… We partnered with Katie to create a French bridal shower featuring Champagne, the most celebratory of beverages! Our goal was to encourage brides to think of their shower not only as an afternoon of gifts and silly games, but also as an opportunity to check one more thing off the never-ending to-do list – selecting their wedding Champagne with their most trusted taste-testers.

We wanted the bridal shower to feel like a French fête, complete with rustic baguettes, fresh fruit, and delicious cheeses. We had a blast sipping Champagne, devouring French fare, and toasting to friends and fun!

Photography: Katie Parra Photography | Champagne Tasting Room: Fat Cork

Discovery Park Engagement

I can tell you one thing: after perusing the gorgeous images in this beautiful Seattle engagement session, I’m thinking Discovery Park e-shoots need to be a permanent member of our lineup. Because, really, what’s better than an entire day of love-fest soaking, complete with breathtaking views and sun-frolicking. Answer: absolutely nothing. See it all captured by Momentous Image right here.

From Momentous Image… Julia and Luke have been to Discovery Park, but Julia told me that everytime she comes here she never goes to the same place since Discovery Park is so big.

We had a beautiful sunset in Seattle the day of the shoot and I captured some beautiful pictures of the gorgeous couple.

They are both funny, kind hearted and just super nice people – I can see why they fell in love with each other.

Julia and Luke met at a Friends-giving (Thanksgiving dinner for friends).

Photography: Momentous Image

Colorful Brunch Wedding Inspiration

Ginger Bee Events certainly has a vision (and some pretty cool friends). Just take a look at this bright, fun inspiration shoot. With the help of, among others, Seattle-based lifestyle photographer Laura Gehring, hair stylist Kelsey Marie, and makeup artist Angie Rodriguez, we have a brunch time affair worth sinking your teeth into. So keep scrolling and dig in! You can find more pictures from the shoot here.

From Ginger Bee Events… This photo shoot was a labor of love for me and it represents a kick-off to what I hope is a fast-growing and long-lasting business. With such a successful first photo shoot, I have set a goal for myself to complete at least two styled photo shoots per year!

My inspiration for this photo shoot was my desire to inject color into the current scene. I wanted my design to be a departure from the current trends of neutrals and pastels. The color family I chose (green, yellow, and coral) is one I love and one that was developed over the course of planning the event and buying all of the unique items I incorporated. I wanted to project the look of a bright, colorful, clean, informal, and fun wedding with some atypical and sophisticated details. What was formed during the process was a fresh design with some retro and rustic touches. Numerous styles came together to make an overall beautiful and harmonious photo shoot.

My design preference is to provide a solid, simple base bringing in color and whimsy with the details. In this case, my solid base was a dark green wall, a hardwood floor, and a simple white table. Each of these choices allowed the florals, the favors, the place settings, and the ceremony backdrop to stand out!

For a unique touch, I included the use of some very traditional home items in a nontraditional way: The honeycomb-shaped hanging rack that holds the escort cards is actually a wine rack and the overhead basket in the table-scape scene is just a simple kitchen fruit basket. All of the items used in the shoot were either borrowed items or found at thrift stores, online, or at home-decorating stores.

With each event I plan, I make an effort to inject a little DIY and local flavor! For this shoot, I hand-stamped and hand-wrote the tags for the favors which were small portions of local Washington honey. The cake stand is made from a vintage green-glass plate and a modern, hammered-brass bowl. Virginia Hallam decorated her masterpiece of a cake with lemon peels in an intricate woven pattern. The majority of the flowers came from our local University District farmer’s market, all of which I arranged the day before the shoot with the help of Kasey Weiss. We even added some local kale sprouts within the arrangements. This was my first time tackling floral arrangements, and I am extremely proud of the final results.

Not only is the photography by Laura Gehring absolutely stellar, but her help in bringing everyone together was essential. This was a first-time collaboration for this team of professionals, and I could not have asked for better results! Be sure to check out the beautiful job that Angie Rodriguez and Kelsey Marie did with the make-up and hair on our awesome models!

Seattle Wish Upon A Wedding Vow Renewal

We fawn over gorgeous weddings day in and day out on SMP, but it’s meaningful features like this one that will forever be my favorite. Because even though this vow renewal planned by Vows Wedding And Event Planning couldn’t be more beautiful, it’s the journey that brought this couple down the aisle that truly steals the show. It’s their love. Their strength. Their commitment to each other. And there is nothing prettier than that. See more from Kimberly Kay Photography here.

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DIY Backyard Picnic Wedding in Seattle

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From Kimberly Kay Photography…After meeting in 1998, Jake and Nancy, who currently live in Seattle, became inseparable and their love and devotion to one another has only grown. What started as a first date that ended at a Cincinnati Waffle House has turned into a lasting relationship filled with love, despite the many obstacles thrown in their way.

While the couple planned on following up their intimate and romantic 2001 Italian wedding with a stateside reception, Nancy was diagnosed with breast cancer later that year, hampering those plans.

By 2009, Nancy’s breast cancer spread to her liver, bones and brain, further complicating her condition. In addition to living with cancer, Nancy endured a miscarriage and waited five years for a baby girl from China.

Nancy and Jake received some good news last year upon learning that her sister-in-law, Molly, submitted their touching story to Fab-U-Wish, a breast cancer foundation that grants wishes to women with breast cancer. Bright Pink supporter and E! News personality Giuliana Rancic’s Fab-U-Wish in partnership with Bright Pink, Brides for a Cause and Wish Upon a Wedding gave this deserving couple a dream vow renewal along with the reception they never had on April 24th.

Despite the unimaginable difficulties she has been faced with, Nancy, along with Jake by her side, has handled everything life has thrown at her with grace and she continues to remain strong and positive throughout her fight.

Nancy and Jake’s wedding vow renewal was one of the very first hosted by the Wish Upon a Wedding Foundation for the Northwest. We felt incredibly honored and humbled to take part in providing the photography services. We were so impressed with how amazing each staff member with Wish Upon A Wedding was with regards to the sensitive, loving touch and hard work they put into the planning and the execution of Nancy’s and Jake’s special day…from the first correspondence down to every single little detail! Wish Upon a Wedding took phenomenal care of Nancy and Jake as well as all wedding vendors involved with this event. The day couldn’t have been any more magical! Wish Upon A Wedding is a top notch foundation and I would HIGHLY recommend them to anyone seeking to have a wedding wish fulfilled!

Lastly… we were so honored to capture such a beautiful love story! Nancy and Jake you are a true inspiration of what marriage should be. We feel so lucky to have had the opportunity to meet you both and capture some ever lasting memories for you!

How much fun a wedding is doesn’t directly correlate with how much money you spend, but it does directly correlate to how awesome the couple is. Which is why we’re completely taken with this wedding submitted to us by Matthew Land Studios — sunny, lighthearted and as bold as the bride’s market-fresh flowers. Scroll through to see more, or bask in the full summertime picnic glory here.

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