Elegant Travel Themed Wedding

Posted by Kelly Simants

Linnea and Paul are one of the most well traveled and cultured couples I have worked with…they have been to India, Belgium, Monaco, Prague, Australia, Japan, Switzerland, and the list goes on and on! Not only have they traveled to many, many countries together, but they have also lived in China. In fact, much of their wedding planning was done long-distance while they were in Hong Kong, so we worked together remotely to plan their big day. So, it was only natural that they wanted to incorporate their love for travel into their wedding elements! The Arctic Club was the perfect venue for them since it is a historical site which was established by adventurers who found their fortune in the Gold Rush…so the hotel’s décor even incorporates design elements like maps, frescos, and the stunning stained glass ceiling in the Dome Room which is reminiscent of the Northern Lights.

You’ll notice in these fabulous images from Azzura Photography how we incorporated travel elements into the reception décor. Escort cards were “passports” and table names were countries the couple had traveled to together – all designed by the super talented Whitney and Jonathan from Brown Sugar Design. Linnea really wanted her guests to feel like they could mingle and not be stuck at their tables all evening, so she also wanted guests to use the passports and go table to table and get their passport stamped. This was such a fun idea and fostered an environment of great conversation between guests and gave them a fun activity to do at the reception! Also, instead of the traditional guest book, Brown Sugar Design also created postcards for guests to write their well wishes to Linnea and Paul!





The stunning flowers were designed by Anne Bradfield of Floressence and delicious cake by Jen Nurse of Jen’s Desserts. The cake was chocolate chiffon with white, milk, & dark chocolate mousse fillings. Jen also made vanilla custard profiteroles drizzled with chocolate sauce…so beautiful, and just melted in your mouth. To die for! Ken from Azzura Photography was also incredible to work with - super upbeat personality, yet laid-back at the same time...perfect combination for a wedding professional. Not to mention, he and his wife Tania provide top-notch customer service and beautiful images - thanks Ken and Tania, for sharing these images with us!

The awesome Paperboys band!



Congratulations Linnea and Paul! It was a joy to work with you both, and we wish you all the best!

Fabulous Vendors Linnea and Paul Selected:

Ceremony Venue: Holy Names Academy
Reception Venue: The Arctic Club Hotel
Catering: The Arctic Club Hotel
Band: The Paperboys
DJ: Bamboo Beats
Gown: Luly Yang
Invitations: Brown Sugar Design
Florist: Floressence
Hair & Makeup: Salon Maison
Nails: Julep
Photographer: Azzura Photography
Transportation: British Motorcoach
Cake & Profiteroles: Jen’s Desserts
Specialty Linens: Choice Linens
Child Care: On Call Nanny

Adorable Bridesmaids Gift Idea!

Posted by Kelly Simants

Are you looking for a unique bridesmaids gift idea, or a super fun clutch for you to use on your wedding day? Check out an incredible store called Cahoots Handbags, which offers custom, hand-sewn, and virtually one-of-a-kind handbags. These bags are all made from vintage fabrics and unique buttons, in tiny quantities, so it's rare you'll see more than 3 or 4 of the same edition. If you have a certain color or design in mind, they can create your very own handbag edition! This is especially great if you would like the handbags or clutches to compliment your bridesmaids dresses, your wedding gown, etc. You could also give each of your bridesmaids a totally different style or color that reflects their own personality! The other amazing thing about these bags is they are all made with love by only two people, store owners Marsha and Paige.

Here are a few examples of their exquisite handbags:

I love these bridal clutches!

And, last but not least...my sweet bride from this past weekend generously gave me this beautiful handbag...notice it's pink and green to represent our Sweet Pea colors! :) Thanks Carrie! I LOVE it! We will be posting pictures from her gorgeous wedding shortly!
If you are in Texas, you can visit the Cahoots Handbags boutique Monday-Saturday from 10 am - 5 pm. They are located at 205 South Commerce, just off the courthouse square in Gainsville, TX. If you reside outside of Texas, you can purchase the bags online! Enjoy!

Seattle Cityscape Wedding on Alki!

Posted by Kelly Simants

Jason and Nicole celebrated a beautiful outdoor wedding overlooking the Seattle skyline at Hamilton Viewpoint Park in Alki last summer. The view from the reception at Salty's on Alki was equally as stunning, and made for the perfect venue to showcase the beauty of Seattle for their many out-of-town guests.

They had so much fun on their wedding day, which you can see from these images as they were even dancing in the streets at Pike Place Market! :) These two really live life to the fullest, are super adventurous, and just very genuine people. We had a great time working together, and I was privileged to help them pull all of their beautiful details together for their big day! Congrats Jason and Nicole!!



The talented and award winning photographer, Jim Garner, captured the photos from this romantic day and he is a blast to work with! The couple selected many other amazing vendors for their wedding including beautiful flowers from Willow & Bloom, exceptional makeup and hair services from Erin Skipley, and the super fun “Jerry and the Philbillies” band who kept the party going all night long! For a complete list of all of vendors , see the end of this blog posting.

The bride & groom enjoyed a tropical honeymoon in the Cook Islands to the small island of Aitutaki…after seeing their gorgeous pictures that is definitely on my list of places I MUST travel to soon! Enjoy!

Fabulous Vendors Jason and Nicole Selected:

Ceremony Venue: Hamilton Viewpoint Park
Reception Venue and Catering: Salty’s on Alki
Band: Jerry & The Philbillys
Cake: Sugar Cake Studio
Florist: Willow & Bloom
Officiant: Reverend Ray
Hair: Erin Skipley of Bellatrix Studio
Photographer: J. Garner Photography
Bridal Gown: A Princess Bride
Transportation: Crystal Coach
Rentals: AA Party
Ceremony Trio: Seattle String Ensemble
Getting Ready Hotel & Bridal Suite: Inn at the Market
Honeymoon: Cook Islands

Custom Invitations, Announcements, & Stationery - The Event Messenger

If you are looking for custom invitations, thank you notes, escort cards, or anything paper related and are in the Dallas-Fort Worth area then you must meet Carrie Foiles of The Event Messenger! She creates one-of-a-kind, intricate invitations for weddings, baby showers, holiday parties, you name it - really anything that requires a celebration! Her work is simply gorgeous, and she is a ball of energy which is just contagious! Carrie is so much fun to work with and her clients are never disappointed.

Carrie is also passionate about being green and incorporating environmentally sound practices into her business model. The paper she sources has at least 10% post-consumer waste and most of the paper is more than 30% post-consumer waste. She also uses electronic invoicing, and her studio is a home based business with electricity powered by a green electric company. Check out her green resources page on her website for additional info!


Carrie is a huge supporter of women in business, and is active in the Junior League in Arlington and Mansfield Chamber of Commerce. Be sure to check out more images from Carrie's work on her website at The Event Messenger!