modern seattle weddings

Refreshing Our Look

2010-03-15T13:15:00.000-07:00

As we begin the new year of the Tiger, we thought it would be a good time to refresh our logo and design. We have been working with our amazing and talented graphic designer, Backy Dere, on a new logo and design. We are still finalizing it, so stay tuned for the new look!

But in the meantime, keep your eyes out for our ad, and article we are featured in - all in the March 17th issue of the International Examiner, which is their special Wedding Issue. The IE is the oldest and largest non-profit, pan-Asian American newspaper in the Pacific Northwest. We are excited that they are highlighting Asian and Asian American owned businesses in the wedding industry, as well as focusing on this growing niche in the region. Click on their link above for their online edition; to subscribe; or for more information.

A New Take on Old Traditions

2010-03-15T13:10:00.000-07:00

We have been asked what makes us "modern" when it comes to creating a wedding. It is not so much that we believe in creating something totally new, but building upon the traditions that a couple shares, and adding a modern sensibility to it. We believe that weddings are not just about the unity of two individuals, but also their families and friends. And to honor that, we strive to incorporate both old traditions and new rituals into a wedding celebration.

Couples have included customs from diverse backgrounds, including Polish, Filipino, Chinese, Japanese, Jewish, and pagan cultures. No matter what your beliefs, we wish that your wedding is as much a reflection of you and your families as possible. Instead of a wedding that is the same as everyone else's, we will work with you to personalize and customize it as much as you like. Cheers, Salud, Kampai, Mabuhay, Na zdrowie!

Nancy + Kaine | February 20, 2010

2010-03-15T10:46:00.001-07:00

We always encourage our couples to personalize their wedding as much as possible. From the very beginning of receiving a save-the-date or an invitation, guests should already be thinking, "this reminds me so much of Jack and Jill."

In the case of Nancy and Kaine, she designed her own wedding invitations; drew the sketch that would be printed on their custom canvas bag wedding favors; and instead of so much dancing, they wanted to play games.

As in Beatles Rock Band. We have come across some pretty fun ideas for weddings, but this was a first for us, as well as Hotel 1000.

This could be a headache for some, but Donna and Thomas and the crew at Hotel 1000 are so easy to work with, and really go above and beyond to make it all happen. They didn't blink an eye when we said the couple wanted to have Rock Band incorporated into the reception and projected on their big screen, even though it meant more work for the audio/visual team. We worked together to make it happen - and it was a blast!! Guests will not soon forget how much fun their wedding was.

And the day just exuded their personalities. One of their good friends, Jill, officiated the ceremony. They included a bread and wine ritual into their ceremony, because of the symbolism and deep meaning behind it.

Their wedding also is an example that you can have both a lavish party, but still having some DIY things to keep on a budget. Nancy had the great idea with a friend to purchase their own vases for centerpieces, and share them at both of their weddings, to cut their floral costs. She also wanted simple centerpieces, and originally thought of using only manzanita branches.

Although they were elegant by themselves, we suggested she consult with Maricel at Maricel's Floral Design, for some other ideas of how to dress it up a little bit, but stay within her budget.

As professionals in the industry, we have worked with many vendors and established relationships with them. Maricel is one of those florists who we can always count on for beautiful floral designs, yet will use your ideas as well as her own. The orchids she put on the manzanita branches were SO beautiful in their elegant simplicity, you didn't need anything more. And she worked with Nancy's original idea, but took it so much further with her creativity. The pink and cream bouquets with fiddleheads were perfectly matched with Nancy's '30's style dress, too.

Here is a preview of their photos by Lucas Mobley, who was a pleasure to work with. It was an exciting and high energy celebration, with everyone having a great time - exactly what Nancy and Kaine envisioned, and what we made happen.

And thanks again to Thomas, for arranging the yummy treats from Cupcake Royale - it was a nice surprise to find them already set up for us :)

Congratulations to Nancy and Kaine - it was fun to work with you, and create such a unique and memorable experience for everyone!

Meadow + Jake | August 30, 2009

2010-03-14T22:39:00.000-07:00

Meadow and Jake are so in love, and wanted a romantic and picturesque wedding on the shores of Lake Washington at the Woodmark Hotel in Carillon Point. And after much work, planning, and rehearsals, that is exactly what they got . . .

Although there are countless weddings at the Woodmark, and their remarkable team could probably do it in their sleep - a wedding is such a special day, that you have to be prepared and always have people to oversee each little detail. People forget that a wedding is one of the biggest productions of one's life, and like any elaborate stage production, there are key players. One of the most important roles besides the stars of the show (the bride and groom, of course), is the director and executive producers. As wedding coordinators, we fill those roles and work with the venue staff to execute the show that the happy couple have written for us.

Because our role is so important, the Woodmark has now included a policy which requires weddings to have a coordinator at each event. They understand that although they are capable of coordinating with the other vendors, their role is separate from that of a true wedding coordinator, and in the end, it is a better celebration for all involved - most importantly, the newlyweds, who can sit back, relax, and be in love!

And that is what Meadow & Jake did - have the fairy tale wedding they always envisioned. From her preparation photos with her mother as her matron of honor, to her gorgeous floor-length veil which flowed down the aisle, they exuded love and passion. Their ceremony under the tent overlooked the water, and after exchanging their vows, they took a romantic boat ride to enjoy some precious moments alone together before the party started.

Joe and Faith and the team at the Woodmark turned the ceremony tent into the dining tent before you could say "here comes the bride." Meadow and Jake glowed with love at their sweetheart table.

Their romantic day was captured by their good friend, Regina Mountjoy, who came all the way from Colorado to photograph their wedding. If you are ever looking for a photographer who loves romantic weddings, Recherche Photography and Regina is who to choose. So lovely!

Judy of Fena Flowers created the beautiful floral arrangements - from the bouquets and boutonierres, to the vases lining the aisle and then playing double duty as centerpieces.

DJ Brian of Good Times DJ had them dancing all night. Some couples leave early, but they wanted to stay for their official grand send-off at the end - of course it was romantic as he carried her up the hotel's winding staircase.

There is always work behind the scenes, but let the wedding coordinators do all the work, while you enjoy your special day full of love. Just like Meadow and Jake.

Ranaysa + Seth | August 15, 2009

2010-03-14T22:30:00.000-07:00

As we all know, the weather in Seattle can be unpredictable, but their wedding day was full of sunshine - perfect for a ceremony on the dock at Lake Union Crew, over looking Gasworks Park and Lake Union, just as they had imagined.

As their day-of coordinators, we are always prepared with a Plan B, which would have been to have the ceremony indoors, with guests seated at their tables, "golden globes style," if the weather didn't cooperate. Without coordinators, others would have been frantically running around, trying to figure out what to do for a backup plan. But we had previously talked with the couple about what they would prefer to do in this scenario. Together, we discussed the pros and cons of different options, and they decided it would be easier and more comfortable for their guests, particularly the older ones, to be indoors instead. In the end, the sun smiled upon them, but you always have to be prepared.

Kip of Kip Beelman Photography not only takes beautiful photos, but also creates fun with his photo booth, letting guests use their imagination to create lasting memories of multiple generations of their family. Ranaysa + Seth took our ideas of incorporating many of their family members into the ceremony, and thus honored their loved ones with special roles as they united their families together. We wish you all the best!

Alison + Mike | August 15, 2009

2010-03-14T22:08:00.000-07:00

Although most wedding dates are set well in advance, and planned for many months (or even years) prior, Alison and Mike hired us to plan their big day about 6 months before, and not sure that it would be enough time to make their dream day a reality.

This may make others anxious and stressed out, but that's the beauty of having a wedding planner - we have the experience and know-how to plan all the details, coordinate vendors, setup schedules and appointments for you, and make everything happen - even on a shorter timeline. And no one would be the wiser that the wedding date had changed a couple times, or that there were moles digging up the lawn where the ceremony was to be. As your wedding planner and coordinator, we allow you to sit back, relax, and enjoy yourself - both in planning and on your special day.

About 6 months after meeting them, Alison and Mike had a lovely ceremony and reception at her parents' residence on Mercer Island (thanks, Andy + Bruce for putting up with a tent in your yard for that long). The ceremony was held in their front lawn, while the dinner reception was set under a gorgeous tent, complete with chandeliers.

Kristi and Joe of Kristi Lloyd Photography, took some amazing shots throughout the day. They started with the preparation photos - the ladies in the master suite, and the guys in the cabin with beer. It was so intimate and personal to have the entire event at Alison's parents' estate - we were surrounded by their family photos and art, and was a comfortable space to celebrate in. Not to mention it was fun to drive guests around in the decorated golf carts!

The draping in the tents were from Jon and the team at Aria Style - everyone loved the lush linens and colors, perfect for the garden setting.

Maricel of Maricel's Floral Design created lovely arrangements and bouquets as always, including the swag for the golf carts. Thanks for chauffeuring, too.

Backy of Backy Dere Designs custom designed everything around Alison's love of ants, and used her mother's handrawn design as the base and inspiration for everything - including the invitations, table seating chart, cocktail napkins, and escort name cards which doubled as bookmarks.

The food and presentation was amazing by Gretchen Smyth of DuJour Catering - thanks for taking care of everything. And they danced the night away to music by Greg Lowder of Affairs to Remember.

And Martha and Aaron from Sound Playback Productions captured the day on both high-def digital and old school Super 8mm film, which is so cool.

Alison and Mike ended the party with a pathway of sparklers, lighting up their special day. They even had a visit by some bunnies :)

Another Busy Year!

2010-03-14T21:36:00.000-07:00

Time flies when you're having fun! That was so true for us in 2009 - it went by so fast, that it was a blur, and we have not had time to rest enough to catch up on our blog.

Not only were we busy with making weddings happen, but one of our coordinators, Wil, had baby Lauren on May 31. She was coordinating Jaime + Wil Staehle's wedding on May 30 *and* having contractions at the same time! Talk about being dedicated and following through. They all had a fabulous time thanks to Wil committing to making it happen. Congrats to all of you!

We would like to catch up by congratulating all of our couples from 2009 - it was such a pleasure to work with each of you, and we had so much fun being a part of each of your special day.

Check out photos of our featured weddings in the Portfolio section. Thanks to the photographers for their beautiful work on the weddings.

We are looking forward to making more couples' big day as special, unique, personalized, and memorable as these were! Thank you again for sharing your day with us, and best of luck to all of you in the new year - cheers!

Updates Coming Soon...

2007-08-20T07:20:00.000-07:00

It has been an extremely busy summer for us! We have been doing weddings almost every weekend - and multiple weddings in one day! We are currently in the process of uploading all of our pictures and will update this blog soon, so keep checking back!

Rent-A-Flowergirl-Dress

2007-05-26T23:40:00.000-07:00

We've heard of rental bridal dresses, but now they've come out with rental flowergirl dresses! It makes sense. The dresses will only fit the little girls for maybe a few months after the wedding and will most likely never wear it again. That's basically $100 to $200 all for one day! A company called Gagas has now introduced rental formal wear for children. They are also very reasonably priced. They range in price from $10 to $30 for three weeks. The dreses are also not limited to flowergirl dresses, there are also dresses for recitals and even suits/tuxes for boys. Here are some of our favorites:

Marque & Brandon AND Megan & Jason

2007-05-20T20:29:00.000-07:00

Whew! What a weekend! The wedding season is in full swing here in Seattle. We did back-to-back weddings this weekend.

On Saturday, our very own Rev. Liana married Marque & Brandon at the LDS Stake Center in Bellevue. It was a beautiful and sentimental wedding - with both Marque & Brandon sniffling through their vows. Among a number of things they promised to each other in their vows were backrubs, foot massages, and a kiss before they go to bed each night. They had a large wedding party (8 bridesmaids & groomsmen each) and a guest list of about 300. With the help of their family and friends, the facility was decorated beautifully with red, gold, and burgundy fabric draped from the center to the corners of the room. We can't wait to show you the pictures once they're ready!

On Sunday, Rev. Kate married Megan & Jason at the beautiful Kubota Gardens. What a beautiful setting for a ceremony! You don't even need to spend any money on floral arrangements for the ceremony as the backdrop of the ceremony area is filled with flowers and greenery. What was also neat were the long walkways through the gardens towards the ceremony area. It created perfect opportunities for picture taking of the wedding party as they made their way to the ceremony.

It was pouring rain for most of the morning, but it seemed that someone above knew right when the ceremony was starting because not 15 minutes before the start of the ceremony, the clouds parted, the rain stopped, and a bit of sunshine peeked through. It may have been the bride's own late grandfather - to whom a tearful and special dedication was also given during the ceremony.

Martha Stewart Crafts

2007-05-19T03:32:00.000-07:00

Numerous web sites have come out that cater specifically to Do-it-yourself brides. One of our favorites that we refer our clients to is Martha Stewart Crafts. Here is an example of a favor bag kit. These refined bags make ideal place holders for a formal table setting but also could be filled with treats or small mementos of your event.

This favor bag 8-ct. kit costs $9.99.

Isaac Mizrahi for Target Unveils Bridal Collection

2007-05-10T20:24:00.000-07:00

If you absolutely LOVE Target as much as we do...

New York-based fashion designer Isaac Mizrahi is expanding his designs for Target and debuted an exclusive bridal collection on May 1, 2007. Mizrahi leverages his design expertise to create an unforgettable experience for the bride with an affordable collection for the entire wedding party, including bridal gowns, bridesmaid’s dresses and men’s accessories.

The Isaac Mizrahi for Target bridal collection defines affordable luxury, incorporating sophisticated elegance with just the right touch of glamour into classic silhouettes. Ranging in price from $9.99 - $159.99, Mizrahi drew inspiration for the collection from his first foray into the fashion world, which centered on creating a gown for a high-profile wedding.

We absolutely love these - and can you believe the wedding dress is only $89.99 and the bridesmaid dress is only $49.99 - with FREE shipping even!

First Blog Entry

2007-05-09T00:10:00.000-07:00

Welcome to our blog! We hope to use this blog to give you more details about the weddings we are working on this year. It's looking like 2007 is going to be a busy year for us. We will also update this blog with the newest trends in the wedding industry along with other useful information to help you plan your modern seattle wedding!