Anna + Tyler // August 6, 2016 // Private Home // North Bend, WA

Anna reached out to me from a recommendation from her aunt.  Her aunt gets her hair done by my sister in law.  Her husband also went to high school with my husband.  We met about 6 months prior to their wedding and got right into planning.  They were holding their wedding at the groom's parents house, which has a gorgeous flat back yard and is beautifully landscaped making it the perfect spot for Anna's vision of a rustic chic, but casual wedding and party!

Anna is a very sweet girl with quite the silly side.  Tyler is very quite until he gets to know you.  Anna had a vision and was pulling it together well, but just need a little help finalizing a few odds and ends and making sure nothing was forgotten.

Fast forward to wedding day.  It was a perfect sunny North Bend Day - mid to high 70 was the forecast.  My husband and I showed up at noon to start set-up.  So much of the decor had already been set out by family.  We jumped in to help finish setting up the tables and adorn them with a tablecloth, home made wood boxes that were filled with garden flowers and a heart table number.  Simple, but made such a statement.  The guest book was set on a old re-purposed dresser.  It was designed as a message in a bottle.  Each guest could write a message on a slip of paper and put it in the bottle.  Tyler and Anna will then read the message at a later date.  Hand drawn chalkboards were strategically set around the venue with fun phrases/sayings.  An old car sat in front of the house, adorned with garden flowers.  The thought and design of the decor was done so well.  

Photos started around the property at about noon.  The photographers style fit in perfectly with the rustic chic Anna was looking for.  As well as they were all just having a really good time while taking photos which helped let so much of  everyone's personalities shine through.  Anna and her girls were in hiding by 3:30 pm, when guest started to arrive.  We held the ceremony a bit due to late arrivals, but got started about 4:15 pm.  It was a short ceremony, but fit them perfectly.  After the ceremony, the guests were asked to grab drinks and mingle while the ceremony space was reset for the reception.  It was a quick transition because so many guests jumped in to help move tables and chairs.

Once the space was flipped and guests had found their seats, Anna and Tyler were introduced into the reception and dove right into the breakfast buffet.  Super yummy from what I heard.  While guests enjoyed their breakfast for dinner, Anna and Tyler made their way around the tables to say hello to everyone.  After the buffet, toasts were given by the maid of honor, a groomsman and the bride and groom gave a heartfelt thank you to their guests for joining them to celebrate their union.  The toasts lead into the cake cutting which ended with a smashed piece in the grooms face and the bride running off to avoid the same.  After a brief break to clean the dance floor, Anna and Tyler had their first dance, which led into a money dance.  They started the dance each with a parent and then guests were invited up to break in, give the couple some cash and share a dance.  The money dance finished and Anna and Tyler went right into the bouquet and garter toss.  Anna did a traditional bouquet toss, but little did Tyler know, he was in for a surprise when he went digging to find the garter.  Out he pulled some baby blue granny panties.  His face was priceless because he thought he would be pulling a garter out to wrap around a football and throw.  Anna looked just as surprised as he did to keep him fooled.  Once he tossed the granny panties a football with the garter did come out for the actual garter toss.  One more request from the bride and groom was a bridal party game of flip cup.  The guys on one side and the girls on the other.  They stated with a shot of fireball together and then into a round of flip cup...ultimately the guys one.  The minute the dance floor opened, it was filled!  The dance floor was full all night, with Anna owning it most of the night.

Once my duties were over, my husband and I were lucky enough to be guests and enjoy the party.  Anna and I fell right into a friendship the minute we started planning together.  She is someone I feel like I have known my whole life!

Thank you Anna and Tyler for allowing me to help plan and coordinate your wedding as well as enjoy your special day.  I will enjoy watching you marriage flourish, your boys grow-up and our friendship continue.  I look forward to the good times!

VENUE// PRIVATE RESIDENCE, NORTH BEND, WA
DAY OF COORDINATION// CASSIE RENAE EVENTS, LLC
PHOTOGRAPHY// FARM HOUSE SISTERS PHOTOGRAPHY
CATERING// THE MOOSE CATERING COMPANY
DESSERT// NEW YORK CUPCAKES
FLOWERS// COUNTRYSIDE FLORAL AND GARDEN
DJ// INJOY ENTERTAINMENT, WAYLON
OFFICIANT// CHERYL WEBER, PERSONAL FRIEND
RENTALS// NATIONAL EVENT PROS + VINTAGE AMBIANCE
HAIR AND MAKE-UP// CHARINA MALINAK
MAKE-UP// FLAWLESS BEAUTY BAR
BARTENDING// SELF SERVE BAR

Lindsay + Tyler // August 27, 2016 // Palisade Restaurant // Seattle, WA

Lindsay contacted me about 6 month before her wedding and I had to let her know that while I was available for her wedding date, I wasn't available for her rehearsal, but if she wanted I could design a custom package for her and they would orchestrate their own rehearsal.  Her and Tyler were okay with this plan and away we went with planning!

Lindsay and Tyler choose the Palisade Restaurant for their intimate wedding.  They rented the Alani Room, which has beautiful view of the marina for the reception and the ceremony would be held outside in the courtyard.  The mauve, navy and soft silver colors that Lindsay chose complimented the venue and a late summer wedding so beautifully.  Most of the set-up for wedding day was done by the venue.  I arrived on-site at 2:30 pm for my part of set-up.  The florist arrived shortly after me to adorn the guest tables with beautiful arrangements and set up the ceremony alter which consisted of rust colored pillars topped with beautiful arrangements in large glass vases and small clear vases with baby's breath lined the aisle.  My assistant and I added transparent silver chair ties to the end aisle chairs to soften the aisle.

Lindsay, Tyler and bridal party arrived at 3:15 pm to start photos.  Photos were taken around the grounds, on the docks and featured the beautiful views that surrounded us.  Their photos, which you will see below, are stunning.

Lindsay and her girls went into hiding by 5:30 pm when guests started to arrive. The ceremony started at 6:15 pm.  The weather was perfect and the ceremony was short and sweet.  Following the ceremony,  guests were treated to a cocktail hour with appetizers and a lavender cocktail.  During this time, the Bride and Groom had a little bit of time to relax, enjoy the moment and sign the marriage license.  Once the guests were let into the reception room and found their assigned table, the Bride and Groom were introduced into the reception as Mr. and Mrs. Gagnebin.  Once introduced, they gave a quick welcome and thank you, which lead right into a very tasty buffet dinner.  Dinner was accompanied by soft music from a live band.

Once dinner wrapped up toasts started.  Each toast was very heartfelt and you could see how much this couple is loved and supported by their family and friends.    After toasts was the cake cutting.  This cake was so beautiful - it was almost hard to watch them cut into it.  I meant to get a piece as it was lavender flavored, but totally forgot.  I'm sure it was just as delicious as it looked!  Following the cake cutting, was the first dance.  Lindsay and Tyler took a few dance classes and had a perfectly choreographed first dance as husband and wife.  The first dance lead into the father-daughter dance which was a very special moment watched closely by the groom and his father.  Once the dances were over, the guests were invited onto the patio for the bouquet and garter toss - and you know how those go!  After the traditional items came to a close the dance floor was open and filled up fast.

It was then my time to say goodbye.  This was such a wonderful wedding to be a part of.  Thank you Lindsay and Tyler for hiring me as your coordinator.  I cherish the friendship we have created!

VENUE// PALISADE RESTAURANT, SEATTLE, WA
DAY OF COORDINATION// CASSIE RENAE EVENTS, LLC
PHOTOGRAPHY// INSPIRE BY DANIELLE
CATERING AND BARTENDING// PALISADE RESTAURANT
CAKE// BAKED
FLOWERS// FLOWER LAB
BAND// BOB GULLEY, PERSONAL FRIEND
OFFICIANT// TERRY JAMES, PERSONAL FRIEND
RENTALS// PALISADE
HAIR// CHARINA MALINAK
MAKE-UP// FLAWLESS BEAUTY BAR
TRANSPORTATION// SUPREME LIMO SERVICE

Sarah + Colin // August 29, 2015 // Hidden Meadows // Snohomish, WA

I met Sarah for the first time in January 2015.  I had been recommended to Sarah by Susan Beaty (the mother of the bride from a 2014 wedding) to be their day of coordinator.  Sarah is a very very sweet girl and our first meeting went great.  I couldn’t wait to dive into Sarah and Colin’s wedding details!

Sarah also plans events for a living, so she knew what she wanted and how to achieve it.  Lists, spreadsheets, diagrams – I was in planner heaven!  We dove right into planning and I loved the vision Sarah had for her wedding day.  Navy and gold – one of my new found favorite color schemes, glamour, sparkle – sooooo pretty!

I first visited the venue with Sarah and three of her bridesmaids in March.  I always like to see a venue early on in the planning process, incase the couple has questions or needs ideas and advice – it really gives me a better understanding of the whole vision.  Between Sarah and her three girlfriends, they had a lot of wonderful ideas, a ton of DIY projects and a great overall vision.  I also fell in love with the space.  Rustic chic and put together well.  It has a great history as a family farm turned venue, which is HOT in the wedding industry right now.

Months of planning and meetings went by and before I knew it, Sarah and I were at our final walk through of the wedding venue.  It was a beautiful warm Tuesday evening in late August.  Sarah and I met out at the venue and finalized the last few details.  Like most summer brides, Sarah had this vision of a gorgeous sunny wedding day – however, the forecast had a different idea.  Both of our weather apps were showing 100% chance of rain.  No biggie.  The venue has a gorgeous indoor location for the ceremony, that comes with your rental (awesome), and the reception space is also covered.  Sarah was bummed, but dealing well with the idea and had her rain back-up plan in place for set-up and ceremony, if needed.  No matter what, I assured her it was going to be a beautiful day and over and above everything else she was marrying her best friend.

Rehearsal dinner was held at the Seattle Yacht Club.  Right as the rehearsal started, outside, it started to rain, so inside we went.  Rehearsal went great and I left them for the evening to celebrate.

The next morning I woke up to a very stormy Saturday.  A little bit of panic started to set in when I received a text from the maid of honor that roads were blocked by flooding and downed trees so I may want to leave early to get to the venue by 3:00 pm.  I let her know I would be there on time and everything would be fine, because truely, rain or shine, everything will be fine.

I left my house about 1:45 pm and it was a mess to get to Snohomish.  I had been watching the traffic and the backroads from my house to the venue, were still the best option.  It was definitely a trek.  I pulled into the venue parking lot an hour later and could hear the generators running.  The power was out.  I had a feeling while I was driving there that this would be the case, as the storm had definitely hit harder in Snohomish.  A moment of quiet oh no’s and deep breaths in the car and off I went. I had to remain calm to keep everyone else calm.  I was met by the father of the groom who was all smiles and just said “oh well, it will still be a great day!” Great attitude!  I also got similar smiles and sayings from the rest of the parents and family that were gathered in the ceremony space.  I asked one of them how Sarah was and as I expected, she was a little stressed.  I peeked my head into the bride’s room to let her know I was there and that I would dive right into helping finish set-up.  Things had gotten off to a rocky start with getting to the venue, power going out mid updo’s, winds not allowing for some decor to be set out, but I assured her again “everything will be just fine.”  I was so very thankful Sarah and Colin had groomsmen that were on top of it.  They had decided, when the power started flickering, to run to Home Depot and rent enough generators for the venue to have the important areas and things lit up.

I jumped in with the set-up crew, who had already done so much, and was truely impressed with Sarah’s vision.  The space was beautiful.

Pictures got off to a late start because of the weather and power outage, but finished with no problems and ahead of schedule.  The rain had let up, so Sarah and Colin were still able to get outdoor pictures and the sky was awesome for the photos.

Ceremony time was quickly approaching, but because of the weather, guests were having a hard time getting to Hidden Meadows.  We delayed the start by 30 minutes.  Right before the ceremony started, the lights came back on!  GREAT timing weather Gods.

The ceremony went beautifully and we were able to make up some of the lost time!  Guests were moved into the reception space while Sarah and Colin spent a few minutes in the grooms' room as husband and wife.

After the guests had found their table, grabbed a drink and settled in, the bridal party was announced by couple.  For the first time, Mr. and Mrs. McElroy were introduced into the reception.  They ran through a tunnel they bridal party had created.  The father of the bride gave a quick thank you and the buffet was opened.  I was impressed with catering.  Even with the challenges of cooking by generator, they provided a full and tasty meal!

Following dinner were heartfelt and hilarious toasts.  Each toast was carefully written out and you could tell this couple has a lot of love surrounding them.  After toasts, was the cake cutting (almost to pretty to cut into) and then the first dance, father-daughter dance and mother-son dance.  Three beautiful moments.

After this round of traditional items, we took a break to allow guests some time to chat, grab a drink, relax and dance, while Sarah and Colin took some extended family photos, before moving onto the bouquet and garter toss.  More than most weddings, Sarah and Colin’s single friends and family were ready for these tosses and it was quite funny to watch!

By 9:00 pm, the dance floor was back open for the guests to show off their moves and it was defintiely packed with Sarah and Colin right in the middle.  By 9:30, catering was back to work setting up the nacho bar or as Sarah had called it in planning…the drunk food bar.  How fun!

As guests left, they got to choose from different homebrew options that Sarah and Colin had made, bottled and labeled in the months leading up to the wedding.  What a special treat!  Before Sarah and Colin left, we snuck them off for some fun photos with large balloons and sparklers (not together!). So fun and entertaining to watch as Sarah and Colin posed (and laughed) – in the pouring rain.  It was in this moment, that I could really see the love they each have for one another.

At 11:00 pm, Sarah and Colin made their grand exit and the town car swept them away.  Despite the weather giving us some challenges, it was a very successful and fun event!  Each guest made the difficult and long trek to be there and each vendor worked extra hard to make sure each of us delivered an unforgettable to day to the new Mr. and Mrs. McElroy.

Congrats again Sarah and Colin!  It was a joy getting to know you both through this process and I can’t wait to watch your love and marriage grow!

VENUE// HIDDEN MEADOWS, SNOHOMISH, WA
DAY OF COORDINATION// CASSIE RENAE EVENTS, LLC
PHOTOGRAPHY// EYLANDER PHOTOGRAPHY
CATERING AND BARTENDING// TRAILS END CATERING
CAKE// ALICIA STACY – FRIEND
FLOWERS// LISA DUNTON AND KATE MCDONALD – FRIENDS
DJ// INJOY ENTERTAINMENT – DJ WAYLON
OFFICIANT// JOHN LEPTICH – FRIEND
DECORATING SERVICES// PROP GALLERY
HAIR AND MAKE-UP// FIREFLY AVEDA SALON
TRANSPORTATION// ACES CAR SERVICE

Ashley + TR // August 22, 2015 // Admirals House // Seattle, WA

Ashley reached out to me in early 2015 after I had submitted a quote to her request for a wedding coordinator through Thumbtack.  I learned early on that she was in her 1st year of Law School while planning a wedding.  I was impressed and once I met Ashley and got to know her more, I knew I was impressed for a reason.  I was hired by Ashley before we actually met in person, but once we met in person I was truly so glad she chose me to handle their wedding day!

Ashley and TR have dated since high school, even though they attended different high schools.  You can easily see why their relationship lasted through high school and college.  The love they have for one another is undeniable and it shows.  They both have a fun sense of humor, a radiant glow about them and Ashley an addiction to coffee (the minute I found this out I knew we would be friends), which TR fully supports!

Ashley knew what she wanted for their wedding.  She didn’t want a traditional reception.  Since their venue was an old home, she wanted the feel to be more “dinner party like.”  Her colors were pinks, peach, greens and gray.  Vintage flair with a classic feel.  A fun, memorable, stress free night was her big vision and I was there to help with that.

August 22nd was a perfect Seattle day.  I arrived on-site for set-up and the grounds just felt alive.  Ashley and her maids were upstairs getting ready and I got to work.  Everything was coming together beautifully.

Pictures were started around the grounds and Ashley and TR looked fabulous and so in love.  Guests started to arrive and Ashley was hidden away with anticipation of the ceremony time soon approaching.

Ashley had her grandfather walk her down the aisle to the stairs in front of the arbor.  Ashley wanted to walk herself up the stairs to meet TR, to start their lives together.  The madly in love couple exchanged their vows below a beautifully decorated metal arbor, while friends and family admiringly watched.  Cheers erupted and the happy couple walked back down the aisle as Mr. and Mrs. Cummins.

While the new Mr. and Mrs. finished photos, the guests enjoyed a cocktail hour with delicious munchies and drinks, time to catch up and mingle to meet new friends.  You could see in this time that Ashley and TR surround themselves with people who are full of love, fun energy and good conversation.  Once catering had the food stations ready, Ashley and TR were introduced into the reception and were greeted with a love from every person in attendance.

Food stations were opened inside the house.  After time to eat, toasts followed.  Toasts were given by the maid of honor, best man, mother of the bride and parents of the groom.  In these toasts, you could really see the love and admiration the people speaking have for this young couple, as well as the love and admiration that Ashley and TR have for them.  Ashley and TR wrapped up the toasts with thanks to their guests for being there with them, to share in their special day.

Following toasts, the couple cut the cake.  The cake was a gorgeous buttercream creation adorned with the most beautiful flowers and surrounded by macarons.  Since the the cake was in a small front room, guests were invited to also watch the cake cutting through the front window.

The cake cutting led into the first dance as husband and wife, the grandfather-granddaughter dance and the mother-son dance.   It is always in this moment that I fall in love with weddings all over again.  Every single time.  There is just something about these special intimate moments that get me and I know I am in the right place.

The bouquet and garter toss was held outside and followed by open dancing, both inside and outside. Fun was had by all the guests on a warm, sunny, perfect Seattle summer evening.

Ashley and TR, it was a blessing to work with you on your wedding day.  I look forward to watching your love and admiration for each other continue to grow as you finish school and start your life and husband and wife.  Thank you for letting me be a part of your special day!

VENUE// THE ADMIRALS HOUSE, SEATTLE, WA
DAY OF COORDINATION// CASSIE RENAE EVENTS, LLC
PHOTOGRAPHY// KIANA MCCRACKIN PHOTOGRAPHY
CATERING AND BARTENDING// KASPARS SPECIAL EVENTS AND CATERING
RENTALS (TABLES, CHAIRS, LINENS, DANCE FLOOR, GLASSWEAR AND DINNERWEAR)// ABC RENTALS COORDINATED BY KASPARS
CAKE AND MACARONS// ALEXANDRAS MACARONS
FLOWERS// RHONDA KING – FAMILY FRIEND
DJ// KENDRICK BARNES
OFFICIANT// RANDY ROWLAND
HAIR AND MAKE-UP// SALON MAISON
PORTABLE RESTROOMS// ROYAL RESTROOMS
VALET SERVICE// SHUTTLE EXPRESS
TRANSPORTATION// BRITISH MOTOR COACH