From the moment I met Paul and Charity I knew....1) They were busy people who had full schedules, 2) They had a fun loving relationship full of great banter and laughable moments, and 3) They wanted an amazing day for them and their guests and did not want to break the bank for it. (as is the case with almost everyone I meet-even me!) I am sure they got what they desired. At the end of the night, I looked over and saw Paul and Charity dancing up a storm with all their friends surrounding them celebrating a great day. Mission Accomplished.

Even rain could not damper spirits! It rained all day, but not once did I see anything but a smile on Charity's face. Paul and her were ALL smiles that day and just rolled with everything-so perfect!


They even got Paul's dog Charlie in on the action! So fun..

Their decisions were so great, to stick to a budget and spend where it made sense. Their reception was at Museum of History and Industry (MOHAI). A very cool, affordable space and they let you bring in outside catering and alcohol which can really cut down on the cost! The gals from The Invisible Hostess did a smashing job to set up all the food and manage the catering end of things the entire night. They also provide bartending service! It was a smooth set up and break down and I didn't have to worry about a thing the entire event-so great to work with them.


Melynda O'Brien from Captivating Creations created a masterpiece cake special for the Bride, Groom, and Bridal party.
Here's that dancing I was talking about. Side note: I believe Paul was the one that originally said that nobody would dance at the reception and so they were originally going to forego it. Well.....umm...there was LOTS of dancing! Even after the couple left..dancing! It must have been Paul's awesome song list. In order to save money they downloaded songs on an iPod and had a saavy musical friend run the system. It worked really well.



Thanks Paul and Charity for letting me get to know you over the months we planned your wedding day. It was a treat to work with you and be there to help make the day about your celebrating your marriage, not the "stuff".
Thanks to all that worked to make their day special. Special thanks to Chris at C Charles Bowden Photography for the images. I have worked several weddings with him and every time he does a stellar job! I love his creative eye and willingness to go the extra mile to get the perfect shot.

Labels: summer 2010 weddings

It was one of those outdoor September weddings that leaves you stunned and smiling! On September 18, Lisa Brouelette and Junior Julien exchanged vows outside, under sunny skies, with an amazing scenic backdrop. The wedding and reception was hosted at her cousin's private residence on Camano Island, which was manicured and landscaped for months in the hopes of a perfect Northwest outdoor ceremony. As is with most September weddings, you have the rain plan set in the hopes to never use it. That week..rain was in the forecast. Lisa and Junior were determined to have it outdoors-but also didn't want a soggy experience for their guests. It was one of those times as a planner, that you are 90% optomistic mixed with 10% of reality..you have Plan A, B,and C! I wanted it so bad for them..even the morning of the wedding (as it rained on my drive there) we were still deciding on in or out.

Can you believe it...2 hours before the wedding..the rain stopped. The clouds pulled away. The sun came out..and stayed out the ENTIRE EVENT! It was perfect! Lisa and Junior really cared about making this special for them and their guests. They were thoughtful about all the details, and really wanted to incorporate family, personal touches and their passion for local, organic elements to be used from food to flowers.

The food was all organic fare provided by The Organic Table. Guests dined all day with a heavy appetizer lunch served at multiple stations around the event. It was wonderfully presented and offered a little something for every person's palette.


A great way to save the budget was to order Dahlia's from a local u-cut farm. Since dahlia's are so amazing in September, Lisa was able to get buckets of flowers for a very low cost. Her family and friends were able to share in the festivities by putting arrangements together. Fun! Flowers by Tiffany designed her bouquet and the wedding party's floral.
These shepherd's hooks and mason jars, rented from Flowers by Tiffany, were the perfect way to go vintage gorgeous for this outdoor affair.

Lisa and Junior kicked off the reception by enjoying their first dance together as husband and wife. Thanks to Events with Integrity for providing the music that day. Lisa and Junior selected great play lists for Dan to spin the entire afternoon!
Umbrellas from Bella Umbrella are always such a cool touch to add to an outdoor event. We used shades of pink and champagne to add color pops. I never regret renting them...great for shade and rain-since we all know Northwest weather is NEVER predictable!!
How adorable is this little guy??!
The cake...oh my gosh...so good. (yeah..there was cake left to sample!) Dan from Decadence Custom Cakes did a superb job and the butter cream frosting was to die for. He even made a gluten free cake for the bride and we placed it as the top tier - the finishing touch. The confection bar served as the guest favor. Guests could fill their bags full of Lisa and Junior's favorite candy selections. They even had special salt water taffy from the East Coast.
The entire day was captured so beautifully by Libby Lewis Photography. Libby was so amazing to work with, and did her darndest to capture all the moments that Lisa and Junior were hoping to get. She even squeezed herself in a crammed car just to get some quick bridal shots since the day turned out to be so sunny. She was very accommodating and made the bridal party feel so comfortable. She also builds the bride and groom a business card with their photo on it, that is handed out to guests which offers a link to a sneak peak of wedding photos. So cool! It's touches like that that make the investment so worth while-not to mention she takes great photos!!

It was such a special time to get to know Lisa and Junior and help them for their special day. Thanks to all who participated. It's always a pleasure to work with amazing talent and work for amazing couples!

Labels: summer 2010 weddings

Where has the time gone?

I have so many happenings and wonderful weddings to share from the 2010 Summer Season!
Congrats to :


Elissa & Mike Klaczynski : Wedding/ Reception hosted at Georgetown Ballroom


Paul & Charity Oremland : Wedding at MarsHill West Seattle Campus, Reception at MOHAI


Junior & Lisa Julien : Wedding/Reception hosted at Private Residence, Camano Island


Luke & Beth VanderPol : Wedding at The Vine Baptist, Reception at Urban Light Studios.


Stories and Pictures to follow...keep posted!

Labels: summer 2010 weddings