Congratulations Sarah and Nathan!

Sarah and Nathan are truly soul mates – they met in 1st grade and then reconnected years later! Here's the short version of the story...Sarah became friends with a girl in her sorority in college (Go Huskies!) :) who just happened to have the same last name as her elementary crush, Nathan…so she asked her friend if she happened to be related to Nathan, and sure enough it turned out Nathan was her friend's cousin! Needless to say, the rest is history!

Sarah and Nathan selected the full wedding planning option, so we worked together from beginning to end, and had so much fun selecting the perfect venue, tasting delicious cakes, and creating the event design to create the ideal vintage, romantic ambiance they were looking for. We had so many fun meetings together!

There are many, many highlights from this wedding, so it’s hard to narrow them down but here are just a few of my favorite details. (Images are compliments of the uber talented Laurel McConnell! Be sure to check out Laurel's blog write up of this wedding for additional images and fun details!)

* Italian accordion players greeting guests upon arrival to Benaroya Hall, and serenaded Sarah and Nathan during dinner.

* Nathan gave Sarah a beautiful diamond cross necklace on her wedding day which she wore and it complimented her gown and veil perfectly.

* The getting ready hotel – The Alexis Hotel has awesome suites (nearly apartments) that are perfect for bridal parties to get ready in before the wedding. Each of the specialty suites at The Alexis have different themes, and the one Sarah was able to reserve was the “KMTT" (The Mountain, 103.7) suite. It featured super fun mementos from music history with guitars, signed CDs, etc. from celebrities. Really cool ambiance and great space to be able to spread out with your bridal party and get your makeup and hair done on your special day!

* Incredible displays of white/ivory dendrobium orchids that Kendra from Loves Me Flowers created. They were absolutely breathtaking and helped create that romantic ambiance Sarah had dreamed about for years.

* Delicious cake from Jen's Desserts ~ note that the scroll pattern is a replica of the design Sarah used throughout her paper elements. See above table number, chocolate bar, program, etc. which all carry the scroll design throughout.

* Escort "cards" were unique as they were gourmet bars of chocolate, so also served as favors! Sarah works for a food marketing company so this was quite appropriate!

* The photo booth! Laurel McConnell set up a photo booth after dinner and it was a hit with all of the guests!

* 1st grade class photo that was placed inside of each guest’s napkin fold. Proof that Sarah and Nathan were in the same class – and by the way, Nathan also proposed to Sarah in their first grade classroom! Too romantic and seriously could be made into a movie it’s such a sweet love story!

* The customized marquis outside of Benaroya Hall that congratulated Sarah and Nathan!

* Below is a picture of a note Sarah had written in her journal in first grade, talking about how a boy named Nathan Gai liked her. How sweet is this?! She framed that note and we placed it at her reception for everyone to melt over. Too cute!

Fabulous Vendors Sarah and Nathan Selected:

Band: Pimp du Jour
Bridesmaids Dresses: Nicole Miller from Nordstrom
Cake: Jen’s Desserts
Catering: Wolfgang Puck
Ceremony Venue: St. James Cathedral
Fabric Chandelier: Prop Gallery West
Florist: Loves Me Flowers
Getting Ready Hotel & Honeymoon Suite: The Alexis Hotel
Gown: The Bridal Garden
Hair and Makeup: Erin Skipley of Bellatrix Studio
Invitations: Carousel Stationery and Gifts
Linens: BBJ Linen
Men’s Wear: Tuxedo Club
Photographer: Laurel McConnell Photography
Reception Venue: Benaroya Hall
Transportation: British Motor Coach
Videographer: Mind Castle Studios

Congratulations Lindsay and Chris!

This wedding was quite possibly one my most anticipated weddings of the year, as Lindsay and Chris had waited for Chris to return home from Iraq to be able to get married! Chris is in the Military and had been serving in Iraq right before their wedding, so Lindsay waited patiently while her fiancé returned to the states! All of their groomsmen were also in the Military, so they all wore their “dress blues” which are their formal outfits they wear for special occasions like this! These images are all thanks to Ben Becker Photography, and these first few above were taken at the Olympic Sculpture Park!

One of my favorite memories from this wedding was their cake cutting – the military puts a unique twist on the traditional cake cutting and they use a sword to “cut” the cake. So, Chris and Lindsay used a sword that was something like 80 years old and was an heirloom from Chris’ family, so it was extra special.

A fun tidbit about this wedding...it's going to be featured soon in a book that a fellow wedding planner in Colorado is writing! The focus of the book will be on metropolitan city weddings and she is going to feature a few weddings from each major city. I'm excited to see the results and will definitely post when the book is published!

Vendors Lindsay and Chris Selected:

Ceremony Venue: Blessed Sacrament Church
Reception Venue: The Fairmont Olympic Hotel
Catering/Cake: The Fairmont Olympic Hotel
Invitations/Menus/Table Numbers/Escort Cards: Silberman-Brown
Photographer: Ben Becker of Becker Photography
Florist: Kristi Henry of Gatherings
Gown: Marcella’s La Boutique
Bridesmaids Dresses: I Do Bridal
Rehearsal Lunch: McCormick & Schmick’s Harborside
DJ: DJ Joe Yamada of Cascade Records
Hair: Gary Manuel Salon
Makeup: Kathy Evans Beauty
Transportation: British Motor Coach

Sweet Pea Events Expands ~ Now Serving Seattle & Dallas!

I am so excited to announce that Sweet Pea Events is expanding! In addition to the Seattle market, we will now also be able to serve clients in the Dallas, Texas area! I have recently moved to Dallas, so have brought on a business partner, Holly-Kate Foss, to take on the Seattle market.

Holly-Kate is a fabulous event and wedding planner who brings a wealth of experience to Sweet Pea Events, as she has been in the marketing and events industry for over 6 years. In addition to planning weddings, she also has extensive experience planning the Pike Place Centennial Celebration, Seattle Parks Makeover, and many other large-scale events.

In her spare time, Holly-Kate enjoys trail running and hiking. She also loves spending time with her husband and her one year old son. Holly-Kate lives in Seattle, and especially likes the city during the fall when the leaves are changing color and she can drink a double tall, light chocolate mocha. She is excited to be a part of the Sweet Pea team!

Going forward, you will see regular blog updates from both myself and Holly-Kate. Whether you are a bride, or are planning a special event - we will be sure to feature fun and useful information for both Seattle and Dallas area clients!

Welcome to the team, Holly-Kate!!!
~ Kelly

Congratulations Jill and Ben!

Now that wedding season has winded down, I'm ready to feature so many weddings from this summer! Can't wait to show you more!

The first featured wedding is for Ben and Jill - On August 16th, Jill and Ben tied the knot and celebrated in style at the newly renovated Dome Room at the Arctic Club Hotel. When we first started planning the wedding together, Jill said she envisioned an extremely elegant setting that would set the mood for an incredible party! She had been dreaming about hosting her wedding for years…not only that she could feel like a princess, but that her friends and family would have the time of their lives! That’s what made Jill so special – every decision she made, she kept her guests in mind and really wanted to cater the evening to them. Jill is an amazing hostess, and Chef, so she definitely knows how to throw a party and on her wedding night that was truly accomplished! Their guests enjoyed a tasty candy bar, sliders and fries for midnight snacks, and a “Sharpe Shooter” (Sharpe is their last name) which was their signature shot for the evening!

As for the menu, Jill and Ben thoughtfully selected their dinner entrees and guests enjoyed Citrus Thyme Chicken with White Cheddar Polenta Water Cress, Sweet Pepper Cous Cous with Eggplant and Roasted Vegetables, and Filet Mignon with Balsamic Risotto and Blue Cheese Crumbles. The Arctic Club’s Chef came from the Herb Farm, which was a huge draw for Jill since she has such a passion for all things culinary! Their cake with also to die for – White Cake with Raspberry Filling and Chocolate Fudge Cake with Strawberry Filling. Yum!

Guests partied into the evening, well after the reception was over. When Jill and Ben returned from their storybook horse carriage ride around downtown Seattle, they joined all their friends for an after-party into the wee hours of the evening! The couple then enjoyed an amazing honeymoon cruise to Italy!

One final note - if you’re interested in cooking classes, grab your favorite guy or gal and sign up for either a private or group cooking class with Jill at The Lake Kitchen.

Here are just a few comments from Jill as she reflects on her special day:

"It was the first party I have thrown that I felt totally taken care of. I didn't worry about timing or if someone's place card was wrong, I had such confidence in Kelly that I was able to sit back and enjoy the magical night. I had very high expectations going in to the whole event and not only were they met they were exceeded. When Ben and I got on the airplane for our honeymoon we could barely believe that the whole thing just happened. I was such a dream come true. My goal was to be able to look back and not regret anything or feel like I forgot something. Goal accomplished."

Fabulous Vendors Jill and Ben Selected:

Ceremony Venue: Holy Trinity Lutheran Church

Reception Venue: The Arctic Club Hotel
Catering: The Arctic Club Hotel
DJ: Emerald City Productions
Reception Vocalists: The Main Attraction
Florist: Jill’s Family Member
Ceremony Vocalists: Triiiune
Hair: Cristy Carner Salon
Invitations: Paper Source

Rentals: Rented Elegance
Gown: Victoria's Bridal Couture
Photographer: Photo Elan
Videographer: Bogle Productions
Limo Bus: Ashton Limo
Cake: ML's Kitchen