Love and rainbows and a stiff drink

I love weddings, obviously. Even though the day itself is a long one, it is usually filled with some awesome moments, and there are always things I take away from each event. I spend my drive home after the wedding recapping the day, thinking about all the things I want to remember, trying to hold on to the happy feeling I have when I leave every event (because, come on, my clients are all awesome and I want them all to become life long friends). I have every intention of spending the day after the wedding blogging it all so I can have something solid to remember it by.

But then I wake up the next day. And I'm sore, and exhausted. And all I want to do is check out, rest up a bit, hug my kids, have the husband wait on me, have a stiff drink. And the blog never gets written. Three years (well, even more if you count all the hobby weddings) of beautiful weddings, amazing people, vendors I've enjoyed and want to wholeheartedly recommend, new friends I would love to keep up with ... it all gets buried as the next wedding comes up and the focus shifts.

So today I'm determined. The last two couples I've worked with have been so awesome, and so different. And then there's a third wedding that I didn't even get to attend (a pre-wedding consult). And you guys ... sigh. Awesomeness.

So I'm going to start with last weekend, because it was monumentous.

Last weekends was so cool. Lyndsey and Kamal were from DC and got married in her hometown of Gig Harbor. It was a mix of India (him) and America (her) and it was ... awesome. They blended their cultures together and they did it perfectly. I can't wait to show off pictures. But as a teaser, here are my totally lame cell phone pictures. And my promise that I will forever want to hire a Bhangra Dance Troupe for every family gathering I have, ever. And probably DJ Aanshul as well, because he's awesome and can set the vibe for a hell of a party.

Those strips of color waving from the tree are cut up Sari's. Such a beautiful ceremony!

A bit of a teaser of what all the vendors are up to while the ceremony is going on.

The Bhangra dance troupe. For real, do it!! 

This wedding was so much fun, for many reasons. But other than the Bhangra Dance Troupe which, again, totally rocked, and my new friend DJ Aanshul, who I will party with for a long while, the highlight to my evening was Kamal, the groom.

In our planning sessions, Kamal was a bit detail oriented and I was concerned with whether he would be able to let it all go and live in the moments of the day. But he did let it go, he did live in the moment, and he enjoyed the hell out of the whole damn night. And at the end of the night he talked a little about the Lovings, an interracial couple that took their right to be married all the way to the supreme court, and he endeared himself to me forever.

“When any society says that I cannot marry a certain person, that society has cut off a segment of my freedom,” Rev. Martin Luther King Jr., 1958.

Until the moment he gave his speech, thanking this couple who fought 50+ years ago for the right to marry someone of a different race, it didn't occur to me that Lyndsey and Kamal might have any obstacles in front of them. The fact that they were of different races didn't even dawn on me. In my happy little world, love is love and everyone needs to chill the fuck out and let them spread their love around.

But I want to thank them both. I will forever remember Kamal, and his love for Lyndsey, and their passion for life and living and being happy and I will cheer them on. They are bringing us all a step closer to a happy world of love and peace and rainbows.

And for a brief moment, I got to be a part of it. I got to be part of their love, part of their passion, and part of a step forward.

This is why I love weddings.

Cheers.

Wedding crashing, of sorts

This weekend the hubs and I took advantage of the kids being away and cashed in on a thank you gift from a wedding last summer - a gift card to the Woodmark Hotel & Spa. Most awesome, I highly recommend you all do this (the weekend away part, it doesn't matter where).


The hotel, if you aren't familiar with it, sits right on Lake Washington and is a popular wedding venue. While we were there we got to see three different weddings. Doing what I do for a living, I couldn't help checking out some of the details, seeing if I knew the vendors, smiling at the happy and the love. I did, of course, chuckle to myself at the irony of the wedding planner "getting away" to a wedding venue. Obviously I didn't think that one all the way through, but it was a wonderful weekend none the less.

From my sister-in-laws wedding last summer at the Woodmark.
Beautiful photo by daniweissphotography.com

One of the details I loved was from the first wedding we saw, Saturday afternoon. Everyone, all the guests and all the attendants, dressed in white. It made quite an impression - I heard people wandering around the local restaurants and shops talking about it. This is such a classy look and it really felt, as a bystander, that everyone in attendance played an important role in the day. It just felt happy and fun and I would love to see this done again! I wanted to take a picture (and now I'm really wishing I had, because I can't find anything online that compares), but I didn't really feel it was my place to do so. All in all, the effect was beautiful and will stand out in my head for a while.


The other wedding piece that we loved (especially my husband) was the third wedding we saw, on Sunday afternoon. At the entrance to the tent, the couple had designed a poster in the style of Mr. & Mrs. Smith to welcome all their guests. My husband actually had us walk the long way out of the lobby just to show it to me. Super fun, and seriously, who wouldn't want to pose for a photo shoot like that?!

I'd love to hear from you, friends and readers, about what things stand out to you from weddings you've attended in the past. 

Sounders wedding - the pictures

A while ago I did a teaser post about a Sounders themed wedding I was doing. At last, as I know you've all been dying to see them, I am excited to share all the fun Sounders touches they snuck in throughout the day. I just love these two, it was so much fun to look through all these photos!

Congratulations again to Josh and Alicia! It was an honor to be part of your big day, I love you both and I look forward to many more Sounders games in our future!!

Wedding photography by the amazing Fred Calma Photography. Check him out, he's pretty awesome!

Supporting small businesses

I saw this on facebook today and I keep thinking about it. These days especially, it is so important to support the little guys. In every aspect of life you will find this divide - the divide between the mega companies (in my world, that would be the Jennifer Lopez or Franck's of the industry) and the little people. There are a lot of people trying to make their way in the world, and I am a big advocate of giving the mom and pop businesses a chance first.

There is a reason we all do what we do. To those of us that are self employed, we do this because we love it. We do this because we are passionate, this isn't just a job for us. You aren't just another number, another commission. We genuinely want to help you, because it enables us to do what we love.

And by being able to do what we love, we get to help our families do what they love. And we all get to be better, happier people.

By supporting the little guys, you are doing so much more with your money than paying for a service. There's a cascading effect that you don't see, but it's magical. And appreciated so very much.


So from me, and from all my friends who own their own small businesses, thank you for your support.

Prom photo shoot

There has been some prom craziness at our house recently; the teenager was thrilled to get the Hugo Boss suit he'd been drooling over ("I actually cried a little when I tried it on, mom"). His good friend finally got to wear the Betsey Johnson dress and shoes (oh, those shoes!!!) she purchased last December for this very occasion. After a day of primping (mostly by her, but a little on his end too), we headed down to Gasworks Park in Seattle to do a mini photo shoot before their dinner reservations. I thought I'd share the fun!

It was a fun way to mark the occasion, but reminded me a lot of doing a wedding shoot. I hope this provides a little inspiration for a fun set of pictures, no matter what the event is!

To frame or not to frame?

I am doing a wedding show this weekend with some awesome vendors at a beautiful venue. The theme we've chosen for our "reception" is English Country Garden, and it's going to be beautiful and classy and full of some awesome, vintage, antique furniture. It's not particularly my style, but it will be elegant and I'm excited to see it all come together.

So. I am struggling with one particular piece of my table display. I have my marketing materials done, my "sign up and win this awesome prize" put together. I have a rough idea of how to put it all together on the beautiful dresser that I get to use (I am seriously in love with this piece!!). But I really, really want to incorporate a little bit of funkiness to my space.

I do, after all, have blue hair these days.

I really feel that this picture totally breaks down the barriers and fits me to a T.

I want to put it in a little 4x6 frame on my table. But, though I can - and often do - swear like a sailor, I'm just not sure this is the right environment for it.

What do you think? Is it okay to swear while trying to attract clients? I can blur the offending word out, but I think the implication is still the same so it might not matter. I just go back and forth. I need some advice.

Help.

Worst. Date. Ever.

One of the local radio stations has a contest going right now for a Marriage Vow Renewal in Scottsdale, AZ. To enter, you have to talk about the worst date you ever had with your spouse.

We both, immediately, knew what story we wanted to share.

When the husband and I first hooked up, he was going to college about four hours away from me. We’d known each other for years and this long distance thing was exactly what we (I) needed at this particular time in our (my) lives. We talked on the phone a lot, and spent random weekends together when we could.

One weekend he decided he wanted to do something extra special. He’d saved up his money and wanted to take me out to dinner at the Space Needle (where I’d never eaten), then he made reservations at a very swanky hotel downtown for a little romantic getaway. We were both very much looking forward to our “weekend away” and had been excitedly counting down to it for quite some time.

Finally the day arrived. Outfit planned, bag packed for the night … all was going to be perfect. But as I was getting ready I started to feel a little ‘off’.

There was pain. Down there. And it hurt. A lot.

When he finally got to my place to pick me up, I was determined to suck it up and have fun, because this was a BIG. DEAL. But he took one look at me and decided maybe I should call the doctor.

And the doctor told me to head to the ER. Now.

It turns out I had a very severe bladder infection. I'll spare you the gory details.

After a few hours in the ER (in which we missed our dinner reservations), they gave me a prescription for the infection. The nurse told me “wear your oldest underwear that you don’t mind getting stained, because it will probably turn them orange.”

Sexy.

We decided to head to the hotel anyway. Even if our romantic weekend had changed course, it would still be more fun to laze around (in my oldest, grungiest underwear) in a swanky hotel rather than in my little apartment.

When we got to the hotel to check in to our reserved room, it turns out that they didn’t have any rooms available. More people than expected had decided to stay an extra night, and that, apparently, overshadowed our reservation. But they’d be happy to put us up in a different hotel at no charge.

Fine. Whatever. I just want to take my meds and be miserable in peace.

I mean, I just wanted to cuddle with the boyfriend.

The new hotel overlooked the freeway. It was an all-suites hotel, but it was a far cry from the elegance of the former hotel. After we checked in we realized that, late as it was, we still needed to eat dinner. So we tried to order up some room service.

The kitchen was closed for the night.

At our new locale, overlooking I-5¸we weren’t in walking distance to any kind of actual restaurant. So the then-boyfriend ran down to a nearby convenience store. Instead of our romantic seated dinner for two in our fancy dress clothes overlooking the city, we ate things like chips and salami and cheese from a plastic container. Curled up in our suite, listening to the romantic sounds of passing cars on the freeway. In my hole-y, gross underwear. That was beginning to turn orange.

Sexy.

Now it's your turn. Tell me about your worst date with the love of your life!

Sounders & weddings; two of my favorite things.

Josh & Alicia are getting married this weekend at a beautiful venue in Snohomish and I am so excited!! I have been working with these two for over a year to help plan their wedding, and all that hard work will culminate in a most beautiful and fun event this Saturday evening.

From the beginning they told me they wanted their colors to be a Sounders blue and green, and there were a few items that they wanted to tie into their traditional yet "quirky" day. From our first meeting way back in early 2011, these were my two favorite ideas and I'm excited to give you a little sneak peak.


Wedding favors everyone can use AT the wedding! 

Set at each table as an alternate beverage choice for guests, Josh & Alicia asked the folks at Jones Soda to design personalized labels for their green apple, blue bubblegum, and vanilla bean soda's. The labels were another use for their super cute engagement photos, and there is even a special thank you from the couple on the back.

Awesome right? Just wait for the next one ...


Best. Cake topper. Ever.

You guys!

Bobbleheads!!

That look like the couple!!

On the cake!!

They had these specially made, using images of themselves, and an image of her dress. And, of course, the Sounders logo. These are so cool. I keep giggling and cheering every time I look at this picture.

Happy wedding weekend to Josh & Alicia! I am so excited to share in this day with you and your friends and families, and I wish you guys a calm, peaceful, fun and amazing day.

Love!!

I got this!

This came across my facebook timeline this morning. It is still making me chuckle, hours later. It perfectly encapsulates what I do. If I could put this on my business cards, I totally would!

You are beautiful just the way you are!!

I was reading through Twitter earlier and came across a tweet from my friend @moodeous, a Denver area photographer. Rather than expound (too much) on the article she linked to, and my thoughts on the wedding industry when it comes to the pressure they add, I will just leave you with the following twitter conversation. Because it really says it all.

@moodeous: Ladies, as a photographer I want you to know I think you're beautiful the way you are and I bet your fiance thinks so too!

Me: I love this! Spread that message, it's powerful and beautiful.

@moodeous: thank you!!! Cause seriously, they asked YOU not someone you're going to be!

Me: Right!? Because there needs to be MORE pressure on women to look "perfect". Ugh. Stupid WIC.

She had linked to an article titled 15 Beauty Tips Every Bride Should Know, but I don't really want to give it any more attention by adding a link here. Because, obviously, I hate the message it is sending.

So, please. Take a moment to realize that you are beautiful the way you are. Your fiance fell in love with YOU, in all your glory, for better and for worse. You don't need to get a spray tan and a manicure and a professional make-over to be worthy. You just need to smile, and let that newly-engaged or newly-married or about-to-be-married glow do it's thing. Because it shines brighter than any make-over ever will.

You are beautiful just. The way. You are.

A plea to take a break from planning every so often

I got an email recently from a potential client, whom I had a meeting scheduled with, asking to reschedule because they were "waving the white flag" on wedding planning for the weekend.

That made me want to stand up and cheer for them both.

Wedding planning is a lot to take. Especially if you aren't a "planner" type person. Even if you are, though, it can get to be overwhelming. It can get to be too much. And I'm here to tell you it's okay to take some time off from it all.

Planning such a huge event takes a lot of work. Add to it all the things expected of you in everyday life as well, and sometimes it is just too much.

Some people power through and just do it. And sometimes that works. But sometimes it doesn't, and the wedding planning can break you. It stops being fun. It becomes something that stresses you out. It becomes something you just can't deal with anymore.

Where is the fun in that?

Regardless of the type of event you are having, I fully expect you to take some time and NOT think about it. Take some time to enjoy your person. Take some time to breathe, and remember why you are doing this all in the first place.

Remember that you are getting married, not just planning a wedding. And though this wedding thing can be a lot, it's just a small dose of what follows. Marriage is filled with ups and downs, lots of tests, and lots of love. Take some time, as often as you need, to remember why you want to marry this person. The rest of it will come together in just the right way. And then, THEN, you can start the rest of your life.

Together.

Washington Senate Passes Gay Marriage Bill

Last night the Washington state Senate voted 28-21 to pass the gay marriage bill, and I was there to see it happen.

As awesome as it was to be in a room full of passionate people watching this all unfold, the part that will stick with me the longest is those few minutes it took for each senator to cast their vote. As the secretary was calling roll, I saw many couples holding hands, squeezing each other out of love and support (and nerves). 

The couple in front of me were nestled together, one tucked perfectly into the shoulder of the other. 

The woman at the end of my aisle had her head buried in her partners lap, she couldn't even look at the screen. 

The little girl who was there with her two mom's was tapping her feet, looking very anxious, holding both their hands.

We were all holding our breath. The tension and the excitement, you could almost taste it. And when the final tally was announced, the whole room exploded. Everyone jumped up, there were high fives, hugs, arms thrown in the air for victory. The group in front of me, one woman embraced the other two and said "I can't wait to get my wedding invitation!"

It was electrifying. Awesome. F*cking amazing!

There were so many great moments to come out of this debate, I wish I could put them all here in this post to remember them. Rather, I will link to some  written highlights here, and you can watch the full debate here. It's a little long, but, as Senator Murray (the main sponsor of the bill) said, “it was one of the best debates I've ever seen in my time in the Legislature ... and when we finally won, it was incredibly moving.” You can see Sen Regala at about the 58 minute mark, talking about why the definition of marriage should be updated to reflect the times (and how it has changed over the centuries) and Sen Ranker right after, talking about being raised by a gay father. Those two, alone, are worth the watch. 

Grab a tissue while you watch. 

And a glass of champagne, baby, because this is moving forward!

Shoe obsession

I'm in the planning stages of a trip to Vegas in a few months. I am meeting up with several other APW sponsors and I am ridiculously excited about it. We've been online buddies for a while now, it will be so much fun to put faces to twitter handles and business names (and to talk awesome, practical weddings with other industry peeps from around the country).

Because of this trip, and my recent experience at the Get Hitched, Give Hope event, I decided I needed a pair of kick ass party shoes (and new, more trendy clothes, but that is another story). This first pair (below) was tweeted this morning by one of my fellow travelers/APWers. Because they just scream Vegas, yes? But I can see some hip bridesmaids rocking these too. And for only $38, you can't beat them.

Thanks to pinterest, I stumbled upon the most awesomely affordable site. Party shoes under $40?! I die!! I found these lacy beauties (below) and thought they'd be great for a more upscale event. Or, you know, a night on the town in Vegas.

And these booties. O.M.G. What a great bit of personality on your wedding day. They come in red too. I die again.

So what do you think? Where do you look, off the beaten path, for your go-to shoes?

Getting lost in the details

There has been a lot of talk the last week or so in the wedding world about getting back to basics. There is a mini movement starting, asking couples to stand up to the Wedding Industry and those who sell you on the fact that the important pieces of your wedding are in the details. I'm excited to be part of it.

I first stumbled upon this piece written by Meg at A Practical Wedding. My favorite line:

"the details that really matter are the emotional details ... not Buying All The Things."

photo by www.daniweissphotography.com

In the same post, she also linked to a wedding manifesto, written by Jonas Peterson, which I am totally in love with (both the manifesto, and now Jonas). For the most part, it pretty much sums up everything I believe in. He talks about the wedding being about the love and the commitment, the gathering of those you love. He tells the reader to put down the magazines, to stop reading the blogs. To stop focusing on the THINGS and to remember it's about the love.

photo by www.nonfictionweddings.com

This is what resonates with me. It's time to put the focus back on the marriage. The wedding is a celebration, it's one day. The marriage is a lifetime of commitment, of ups and downs, of love and patience and respect and so much more. It takes a lot more work to build a successful marriage than planning a wedding ever will.

I appreciate the writers that are able to put into words the ramblings that are flitting through my head. I am thankful that there are other people in this industry who are passionate about not only weddings, but about marriage. And I love that I have the ability to connect with them, to be inspired by their work and to share with you this passion that we all have to bring reality back to weddings.

I don't think the message here is "don't spend your time on the details." The message, as I see it, is "don't feel the pressure to have so many details." Do what feels right. Do what feels good to you. If you don't like cake, don't have it. If you don't want the big princess dress, don't buy one. You want to hold true to the formal traditions? Go for it! Be true to the two of you, figure out what the important pieces are and embrace them.

I love being part of the happiness that comes with joining two lives together, with starting a new family. As a vendor, and as a guest, so many things stand out to me. Over on Offbeat Bride, Ariel wrote a great post about what guests remember from weddings, and I think these are words to remember as you are planning your big day. It's not the favors, or the theme, or what kind of booze you served. It's the passion, and the love and the bits of YOU that make up your day. 

photo by www.vanwyhephotography.com

Whatever way you chose to express yourself, as long as you are happy and in love and living in the moment, it's going to be an awesome day. Just remember to relax and enjoy it.

Vera Wang's Fall 2012 line

I am not normally one to write about main stream fashion - wedding related or not. I do my own thing and dress pretty conservative, but my taste tends to lean towards the funky and edgy. This week, I was pretty excited to hear the buzz about Vera Wang's new Fall 2012 line of wedding gowns. They are not your typical white and ivory gowns that have become industry standard. Finally, we are seeing something a little more dramatic.

You can check the line out on the Brides blog here. The inspiration was Witchcraft, with a little Gothic twist. I pretty much love them all.

Though the dresses are amazingly Vera, I'm not particularly fond of the look of death they gave the models. I'd like to think that brides are smiling and happy on their wedding day. But, who am I to judge her vision? To each their own, and I say if you want to wear a black wedding dress with 'death' make-up, you just need to own it!

I love that there is an, albeit tiny, switch in the wedding industry; that there are mainstream designers recognizing that not everyone wants to wear white to get married. Not everyone wants to do the traditional thing. Some of us want to have a little more fun on our wedding day, because it's the marriage that matters; and sometimes your personality just needs to shine through.

* Photo by John Aquino via brides.com

My sister's closet

One of the local high schools has started a program collecting gently used formal dresses to donate to girls who wouldn't otherwise be able to afford them for their formal dances.

"We will be accepting dresses all year long for My Sister’s Closet. If you have a dress that your daughter no longer needs/wants and it has been cleaned and gently worn, we would love to repurpose it and let another girl wear it. We could use more dresses, both long and short. This program was very successful for Prom last year and for Homecoming this past week."

I love this idea. I really, really do. And I know there are a few of you out there with a bridesmaid dress or two in your closet.

publicity still for 27 dresses

So tell me, are you really going to wear that dress again? Wouldn't it feel good to donate it to a teenager in need; to help give some beautiful teenage girl a chance to go to her high school homecoming or prom? 

Last year, just posting a plea on my personal facebook, I collected nine dresses. It was pretty awesome turning them in; the staff was all smiles and so excited. 

This school plans to run the program twice a year, for homecoming (late October) and prom (late spring) and it is open to anyone in need. If you have a dress you are willing to donate, please contact me (you can leave a comment here, or email me at rebecca (at) blushcelebrations (dot) com) and I will happily pick it up and deliver it to the school.

happy girls going to prom. used with permission, please do not copy.

Leigh & Davin's farmhouse wedding

Leigh and Davin got married this summer on a beautiful farm in the Snohomish Valley. So many things about this day stand out to me, but most especially the dress Leigh wore. I'm pretty sure my mouth dropped open a bit; I've never seen anything like it and I can't stop talking about how stunning it was, and how much it really fit Leigh's personality.

Leigh's brother officiated the wedding, which made it even more emotional and special and personal. Everyone in attendance that day was just all about spreading the love and making sure the happy couple started off their marriage as perfectly as possible. And it was pretty much perfect. And happy.

The newlyweds decided to borrow a Jewish tradition, and after the ceremony they retreated to a Yichud.

And then, it was time to have some fun.

When I first met Leigh and Davin, and asked them to sum up their wedding in a few words, they said they wanted a playful day. During the cocktail hour they set up lawn games around the farm, including croquet, bocce ball and ladder ball. Guests had a good time, after a few cocktails, relaxing and being silly together.

This was one of the most laid back and relaxing weddings I have gotten to be a part of. Leigh and Davin are just the cutest couple and are obviously surrounded by lots of love and support from all of their friends and family. It was a fun day and I know they have a lifetime of happiness to look forward to. Congratulations guys!!

Thanks to Non-fiction Weddings for the pictures. Proceeds from their wedding fees go towards their Girl World project, please check it out.

Something blue

I spotted these babies on the Bride's Guide from Martha Stewart Weddings. Occasionally those mainstream folks throw out something stunning for the rest of us. I am so in love with these: I've pinned them, I've oogled them for several minutes, and now have decided to blog them.

For real, I'm still swooning. They're blue. They sparkle. They have some serious bling at the toe. And they are reasonably affordable.

I'm pretty sure I need them.

Source: thebridesguide.marthastewartweddings.com via Rebecca on Pinterest

Wedding Voice: Gloria & Eldon.

In honor of my aunt and uncles recent 44th wedding anniversary, I wanted to share their wedding story, in my uncles words. I love the simplicity of the day. I love that the focus was on celebrating the marriage itself, with just a simple reception at the end. I love that my uncle admits he was a bit of a wreck. And I love that they decided to skip out on the reception early. Because at the end of the day, it's the wedding that is the important part. You can eat cake anytime.

We were married on September 9, 1967 at the United Methodist Church. We were on a very tight budget as I was on active duty in the Air Force and being a recent enlistee, was making virtually no money. Gloria was working as secretary and she too was making minimal income. I was on leave and was being transferred from Mississippi to Texas and only had two weeks of leave. Hence, we did not have a professional photographer and just got photos that friends took. Also, the reception was held in the basement of the church with just a cake and fruit juices.

Gloria was very cool, calm and reserved on the day of the wedding. On the other hand, I was a nervous wreck. Had it not been for my Best Man, who was staying at my folks house with me, I would have probably been late, or not fully dressed. I was so nervous that I could not even get all the words for the marriage vows out. I joke that since I didn’t say all the vows, I am not really married. 

Editors note: Those are my grandparents, on the left, at about my age, which is just strange to think about.

Editors note: See that fourth bridesmaid in? Isn't she cute? Yep, that's my mom. And the second one in, that's another aunt. 

Gloria & I were expecting some dirty tricks being pulled on us after the wedding and so shortly after the reception started, we snuck out the back of the church and skipped most of the reception.

44 years ... wow. Happy anniversary to you both. I love you! 

And to the rest of you, please send me your wedding pictures, or those of your family. I'd love to share their stories!