Four Months Until the Big Day for Sarah & Nathan!

Sarah and Nathan are tying the knot on July 26, 2008 – their ceremony will be at St. James Cathedral and reception to follow at the gorgeous Benaroya Hall. As we are quickly approaching their big day, I thought it would be fun to share a few of their plans, highlight their vendors, and showcase a few of their fabulous engagement pictures from none other than the incredible Laurel McConnell. These pictures were taken at Discovery Park during their "Getting to Know You Shoot". Fun fact about the couple - they have known each other for 18 years as they met in 1990 in their 1st grade classroom! Sarah just showed me their class picture and they are just too cute!



As we are in the final stages of the planning process, one of the last things that was on our to-do list was to sample the catering and to finalize their menu. We recently got together at Benaroya to taste the exquisite items prepared by one of Wolfgang's head chefs. Here are a few of the yummy things we sampled - some of the tastiest food in Seattle, if you ask me!

• Dungeness Crab cakes with Herb Remoulade
• Brandied Blue Cheese served in Belgium Endive Spears
• Brie, Sun-dried Tomato and Spinach Turnovers
• Wolfgang Puck’s Signature Mini Cheese burgers with caramelized onion and Gruyere Cheese
• Mixed Greens with Shaved Parmesan and Balsamic Vinaigrette
• Tomato Mozzarella Caprice with Basil Oil
• Mushroom Filled Ravioli with grilled chicken breast and a sweet basil sauce
• King Salmon with Herb Crust and Tomato Fondue
• Roasted Stuffed Chicken Breast with Sun-dried tomatoes and Baby Spinach

As for the decor, Sarah envisions her wedding to be extremely elegant, romantic, and all with a bit of vintage flair. Since Benaroya Hall is nearly all glass, we needed to bring in design elements that would help to soften the room a bit. They decided on a lush, white fabric "chandelier" similar to the image below, which will be draped from the ceiling, embedded with twinkle lights, and the fabric will cascade downwards.

Here are a few of the amazing vendors that they have selected to be on their team!

Cake - Jen's Desserts
Photography - Laurel McConnell
Videography - Mind Castle Studios
Catering - Wolfgang Puck
Gown - The Bridal Garden
Flowers - Loves Me Flowers
Decor - The Prop Gallery West
Bridesmaids Dresses - Nicole Miller from Nordstrom
Band - Pimp du Jour
Transportation - British Motor Coach
Invitations - Carousel Stationery & Gifts

I can't wait for their wedding...more to come in July! :)

Non-Traditional Gift Registry Ideas

Did you ever think you could register for a kayak, shares of stock, scuba diving lessons, cooking classes, or a moving company to move you into your new home? There are more options now than ever for non-traditional registries, where your guests can purchase all of these things and more!

So many of my clients these days are looking for gift registries that are not your typical Crate & Barrel or Pottery Barn. Although they still want to register for some of the more traditional items like new silverware or a mixer, they also would love to also register for products or services that are out of the ordinary! Not to mention, if you want to encourage your guests to give to a charity instead of giving you gifts, there are even registries now for non-profit giving. Here are just a few of the many a-typical registries you may want to check out:

TheBigDay.com - Register for all things honeymoon related! Your guests can purchase activities for you such as a sunset cruise, a private beach dinner, or surfing lessons. Or, they can even contribute to your airline tickets, hotel rooms, or cab fare for your honeymoon travel.

Clara French - Local Seattle artist, Micaela Willis, offers cake stands and personalized plates that you will fall in love with. Couples can meet with her to review colors and designs to build a custom tableware setting. She can record your tableware choices and share this information & updates with all interested in purchasing wedding gifts for the bride & groom.



Justgive.org – If you’re the couple that has everything, you can ask your guests to donate to a charity on your behalf. There are over 1 million non-profits to choose from, not to mention it’s a tax deductible gift for your guests!

MyRegistry.com – This site allows you to add items from literally any store in the world, whether that store is online, or your favorite boutique down the street. You can add as many items as you’d like to your registry, from as many stores as you wish. The beauty is that they will all appear under one centralized, easy-to-use online registry.

I Do Foundation – If you create a gift registry through the I Do Foundation, up to 10% of guests' gift purchases from their partner stores will be donated to your selected charity. These donations are made at no additional cost to you or your guests. Crate and Barrel, Target, Home Depot, Macy’s and Pottery Barn are just a few of the partner stores you can register for through this site.

Lowe’s – Have you been wanting to paint your bedroom a new color, or buy a new patio set? That’s right, you can register for all of your home and garden items online.

Gifts of Stock – Want to play the stock market? You can create a gift registry where guests can purchase stock on your behalf! A certified broker will help guide your decisions as to which stocks you should select.



Have fun!!

Trophy Cupcakes to Visit Martha!

I stopped by Trophy Cupcakes on Friday to pick up a few treats for the holiday weekend, and learned some fabulous news from Owner, Jennifer Shea. On April 3rd she is going to be baking her scrumptious cupcakes live on television with Martha Stewart! What an amazing accomplishment that is for Jennifer and her team at Trophy!

I have had the privilege of working with Jennifer for many of my clients weddings, and must say that guests devour her heavenly cupcakes and can't stop talking about how great they are. My personal favorites are the Red Velvet and Snickerdoodle flavors - but be sure to check out the daily flavor options as they rotate...Green Tea, Chocolate Peanut Butter, and Chai Cardamom are just a few other varieties they offer. They also have some adorable vintage party supplies, cards, and paper decorations that will help add some personality to your party or gifts.

Next time you're in the Wallingford neighborhood in Seattle, be sure to drop in for a tasty treat - and look for Jennifer on TV with Martha on April 3rd at 2 pm on King 5 TV in Seattle.

Hot Honeymoons in the Caribbean

Roatan, Honduras
Recently I had the privilege of traveling to the Caribbean to visit Honduras, Guatemala, Belize, and Cozumel. It was an incredible trip, and one that would make an awesome honeymoon if you are looking for sun and adventure! Here are just a few of the fabulous excursions you can take:

• Fly through the jungles of Belize on a zip-line (I did this, it’s a must!!)
• Scuba dive in some of the best reefs in the world
• Climb around the Mayan ruins of Cozumel
• Wind down in the evenings to amazing sunsets like you’ve never seen
• Swim with dolphins
• Drink fresh roasted Guatemalan coffee
• Climb through the rainforests and swim in tranquil waterfalls
• Float through caves in inner tubes
• Lounge on some of the most beautiful beaches in the world
• And last but not least…if scuba diving isn’t your cup of tea, then try exploring the sea with your own personal submarine, “BOB”!

Personal Submarine, "BOB"

Rainforests of Guatemala

Crystal clear Caribbean sea on a beach in Roatan

Zip line in Belize

Playing Dress Up!

If you are a bride, you know that sometimes finding that perfect gown can be a bit overwhelming. There are tons of styles, prices, and boutiques to choose from – not to mention everyone’s opinion that they love to give you whether you want it or not. Don’t fret, because there is a Gown Diva in town who can come to the rescue! Liz Navarro is an expert in the fashion industry and can help narrow down options and provide you with bridal fashion consulting including style consultation and body type profiling.

Not only has Liz attended Fashion School in London, but she has worked with Luly Yang and The Bridal Suite of Manhattan in New York City. Liz offers a fabulous service that I personally think many brides would benefit so much from – “Personal Bridal Styling”. She helps clients learn what silhouettes are best for their body shape, how to choose the right color for your skin tone, and how to get the correct fit during alterations. Liz says, “After seeing so many brides stressed out over finding the perfect dress, I decided to offer my services to help ease the intense pressure put on the bride. By simply sharing all my knowledge acquired over the years, I can make the experience of finding a gown enjoyable. Seeing the outcome is exciting, a bride who is simply gorgeous on her wedding day, not regretting a thing!”

Keep in mind that if you are also looking for that perfect bridesmaids dress, Mother of the Bride’s dress, etc .Liz can also help with that process as well!

Outside of work, Liz is thoroughly enjoying being a new mom to 3 ½ month old Brayden! Her first outing after having the baby was shoe shopping, which is one of her favorite escapes. Posh on Main is her favorite shoe store in Bellevue. She also loves to travel and for her own wedding got married in an old castle in Italy!

You can contact Liz at liz@gowndiva.com or http://www.gowndiva.com/ for more info. Have fun!