Jill and Chris are legally married! Woohoo!!!

This was a most wonderful day!  Jill and Chris traveled from Michigan to wed in Seattle.  We had talked on the phone and created their ceremony long distance so it was a true pleasure to actual meet these two great ladies.

Jill's brother lives in Ballard, which is where the wedding took place.




The two along with family members went to Pike Place Market to buy some flowers for their wedding and to take in the sights and sounds and tastes.

In preparation for the big moment, Chris connected via Skype with her 91-year-old mother and other family members.  Technology can be so useful at times ... and this is one of them.

While that connection was being made, I was filling out the marriage documents which would be signed after the ceremony.

We all gathered in the living room.  Generations of family.  It was a sweet moment.

The nieces, Madeleine and Gillian presented this reading, which I love.  Here are a few lines:

You are not the air that I breathe,
You are the sweet scent that drifts upon it
You are not the sounds that I hear,
You are the music of my life ... 

... It is your friendship that guides me as I learn and grow
It is your patience and wisdom that calms my restless nature

It is through you that I know my true self

Jill and Chris shared their vows, then read a poem written by Richard W. Weber.  They have read it to each other on every Christmas they have been together.

Chris:     I give to you my heart and soul

Jill:         I give to you

               Life within my hand

               And all happiness that I can

Chris:     I give to you

               Part of me

               And all for what I stand

Jill:         I give to you

               The moment shared

               When two people touch hand in hand

Chris:     I give to you

               The sunset

               And the fallen night

               With its stars so bright

Chris and Jill:

               I give to you

  The life we can share

  And all the love that I can. 

Todd and Barbara presented the rings. Jill gave Chris a ring of silver and gold on their first Christmas together in 1984 – the silver a symbol of the newness of their friendship and the gold, a symbol that they would become old friends together.  

On their 16^th Christmas together, they had matching rings of woven silver and gold made.  Those rings were then been wrapped in bands of gold melted from rings given by Jill and Chris’s mothers to created their wedding bands.

Then, Emily and Jeanne, performed Grow Old Along With Me.  Chris and Jill love music and this song was so perfect.












The happy couple were officially married!  Time to celebrate their legal union ...

and enjoy the great food.

Wishing Jill and Chris a future filled with love and happiness.

To plan your wedding ceremony from near or far, to include long-standing traditions and to connect with those across the county, give us a call at 206-789-9788 or contact us at our website.

Two Wedding Dresses: The Long and the Short of It!

Carly and Michael wed at the Hollywood Schoolhouse.  The bride wore a traditional floor-length wedding dress for the ceremony and then changed into a knee-length dress for the reception.

It is a great idea ... especially if you plan to do a lot of dancing.

I guess I'm dating myself ... I remember when the bride changed after the reception into a "traveling" dress.  Perhaps all good things come back into style once again.



Whether you decide on floor-length wedding gown or a shorter one, we can help you plan the perfect length ceremony with you.  Give us a call at 206-789-9788 or contact us through our website.

Wedding at Midnight on April 15th!

Photo by Patricia Stimac

Spencer and CeCe traveled from Salt Lake City to marry at the Salish Lodge and Spa.  They wanted to wed at midnight.

OK ... so I wanted to know why they chose that date and that time.  Aren't you curious too?

Spencer explained that he is a songwriter and that he wrote lyrics to a song about marrying at midnight.  CeCe loves the song ... and thought it would be romantic to wed at midnight.

CeCe turned out to be an accountant so April 15th is an important date to her.

Even more importantly, the two first began dating exactly two years ago!  Isn't that a great story?

Wishing the two the very best: prosperity, of course, happiness and many, many anniversaries!

If you have a romantic story and are planning to wed, give us a call at 206-789-9788 or contact us through our website.

Flowers Created by Florist for Her Daughter's Wedding!

 
Carly and Michael wed at the Hollywood Schoolhouse in October.  The bride is a very lucky gal because her mother, Laurel Mitchell, is the Laurel of Laurel's Floral Decor. 


 




The wedding colors were grey with bright yellow and sage  -- very contemporary and bright!  Here is one of the bridesmaid's bouquets.  




 



 
Carly's bouquet, complete with lace and brooch, had a vintage air. Perfect for a wedding at the historic Hollywood Schoolhouse.





Doesn't it perfectly harmonize with her dress?

I like this trend.  Yellow is such a hopeful color.  When the skies turn Seattle grey, it makes me happy to look at it.







As you may know, Kent is about 6'8" tall.  When Laurel was designing the arbor, it initially was a bit too low for my hubby.  With modifications, it all worked out beautifully.

The tables were simply elegant!

Carly is one lucky daughter.  I'm sure it made her wedding day that much more special to have her mother design her wedding with her.  When we would see either Carly or Laurel before the wedding day, they were always so excited and happy.

Thanks to Alante Photography for the photos.  See more of Carly and Michael's wedding on Borrowed and Blue where it is featured in their "Real Weddings" section.

Planning a ceremony as wonderful as Carly's flowers?  If so, give us a call at 206-789-9788 or contact us through our website.

Fall Wedding Planned for Alex and Amanda

Photo by Jeremy Leffel

Congratulations to Amanda and Alex!  They will wed at the Yacht Club on Lake Union in September.  They have a very sweet and simple engagement story.

One October weekend, the two headed out for a day hike.  It was the last nice weekend of autumn and they needed some good memories to take them through the upcoming Seattle winter.   So they decided to trek up to Twin Falls ... just a quick little morning hike.

After arriving at the Falls, they found a nice place to sit and to eat granola bars (evidently Amanda was hungry, which is a common occurrence).  There the two sat on a log, surrounded by forest, sun shining down, chipmunks in attack mode.  And, there, Alex professed his love.  Amanda, despite a mouth full of granola bar, said, "Yes!"

Looking forward to co-creating the perfect ceremony for Amanda and Alex.  It is going to be so much fun.  

And feeling honored to be working with Valley & Co plus Jeremy Leffel.

Parents Gift the Bride & Groom During Their Wedding Ceremony

Erin and Steffany

Today was a very special wedding.  During John and Erin's ceremony at the Woodmark Hotel, both sets of parents presented the bride and groom with a present.  


One of Erin's moms, Steffany Raynes, read a poem she wrote especially for the couple.  It is lovely and, with her approval, I wanted to share it with you.

Tending Your Relationship

Find a place with fresh air

Pause

Breathe in; breathe out.

Savor the beauty, goodness, and

Love

Waiting inside each of you.

Create a secret language

To use in emergencies

When words fail.

Design rituals that reconnect you

And welcome you home

From life’s maze of activity.

Touch the worry line beside his eyes

Softly

As if you were seeing him for the very first time;

Listen beneath the words

Until you can hear and

See the young girl whose heart is breaking.

Cultivate joy;

Trust what makes you laugh

Together.

                                                   

Let go of assumptions

Explore new territory

With gentle curiosity.

Allow your relationship to nourish and

Open you to the

Best possible version of yourselves.

Celebrate the miracle of finding and loving each other

Every day

Over and over

Again, and again!

Marion and Dave, John's folks

During the ceremony, John's mom, Marion, read two passages from The Bible and then presented a special edition of the NIV Bible to the the couple.

"Marry Me" edition of NIV Bible

I loved how it all worked out.  What a great way to launch Erin and John in their journey together as a married couple!  Adding my wishes to those of their families and friends.


Looking for ways to include your parents in your wedding ceremony, we have tons of ideas.  Give us a call at 206-789-9788 or through our website.