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

Get Hitched, Give Hope Raises Over $30,000!

26 vendors + 33 sponsors + 250 attendees = 309 givers! Thanks to each and every one of you who supported the first annual Get Hitched, Give Hope event on 10.23.08! What an incredible success the night was...with the support of so many vendors, sponsors, and guests, we were able to raise over $30,000 for the Making Memories Foundation! This means that so many women with stage IV breast cancer will have one of their wishes granted!

Check out our Recap Page for more images and details from this incredible event! Thank you all so much for your generosity!

To see a slideshow of the evening, please visit Jeff LaPlante's blog and Photobooth Pics from Kate McElwee Photography!