We chose rich Fall colors for the florals.  Jamie’s bouquet was adorned with her Grandmother’s brooch, a sweet and sentimental way to have her watching over the day.

Jamie chose a Luly Yang Couture gown that she wore oh so well!

Michael’s daughter Emerson tossed flower petals that Jamie had saved from their trip to Sonoma where Michael had proposed.  How cute is that?!?

Guest escort cards were displayed in wine corks for a little extra charm.

The lavish centerpieces were given extra height with rustic branches, and old world charm in copper urns.

And of course we didn’t forget the GOBO!

The lobby at Hotel 1000 made for a very chic photo shoot!

With a little bit of dance instruction, Jamie and Michael graced the dance floor with “But For Now”  by Jamie Cullum.

And then the lights went down, the music turned up, and Brian Waltz rocked the dance floor keeping the mood shaking with fabulous lighting!

But NOT before my assistant, Tali, and I, could do a little groovin’ first!

The day would not have been possible without an All-Star crew!  A huge thank you to Photo Elan – Brian and Jennifer are always a treat to work with, and captured the day flawlessly – drizzle and all!

Ceremony Venue:  Messiah Lutheran Church

Reception Venue:  Hotel 1000

Flowers and Decor:  Flora Nova Design - Christiane is a gem!

Dress:  Luly Yang - Flawless!

Bridesmaid Dresses:  Moms, Maids and More - The only place to go for bridal party attire!

DJ:  Brian Waltz of Good Times DJ Services - The bomb!

Lighting:  Brian Waltz of Greenlight Event Design - Did I say BOMB!

Transportation:  British Motor Coach - Call Roy, he’ll take care of you!

Stationery:  Nicole Mae Designs - The wine-stain design was uhDORable!

Cake:  Starry Nights Catering - I think I saw a few guests licking their plates!

Lounge Furniture:  Pedersens Rentals - Can’t have a party without lounge furniture!

Hair and Make-Up:  Tiara’s On Location - LOVE Tiara!

Dance Lessons:  Easy First Wedding Dance

Kori and Gary are the perfect match!  She is from Seattle, he is from North Carolina.  The couple chose Semiahmoo Resort for their “destination” wedding, as Kori’s grandparents had a home in Birch Bay, and the family has fond summer memories.  The setting couldn’t have been more lovely, and what a wonderful way to introduce Gary’s Southern family to the Pacific Northwest. From our first design meeting, I knew that we were going to create an exquisite affair – our inspiration being Southern Charm with Northwest Flair.  We decided on a color palette of blue, watermelon, and yellow, and off we went!

Steven Moore Designs worked his design magic with the flowers and decor.  Bright pink peonies, garden roses, ranunculus and poppies.

Guests sipped on Sweet Tea Vodka served up in mason jars and indulged in local oysters.

The tent was simply sophisticated, with walnut chivari chairs, ivory linens, and khaki linen runners.  Steven Moore made a mix of high and low centerpieces, and the head table a mixture of single buds in rustic glassware.  We even used bowls of peaches as part of the decor to bring in texture, nature and reminders of southern hospitality.

The entire day was romantic, sweet, and simply Sublime!  And, I have no doubt that these two will live Happily Ever After!

Cast and Crew that made it all Happen:

Photography: The AMAZING Clinton James Photography

Floral and Design: The one and ONLY Steven Moore Designs

Stationery: FLAWLESS designer Whitney Speir of Brown Sugar Designs

DJ, Lighting & Sound: Nobody ROCKS a party like Brian Waltz of Good Times DJ Services

Cake: The SWEET ladies at Pure Bliss Desserts

Psssst, a huge thank you to Clinton James for these images – the fan that I am, I know the wedding images will be equally delightful!

Be Sublime,

xo

Shannon

My sweet little Olive turned 3, OH ME!  (Don’t mind my lipstick kiss on the cheek, I couldn’t resist!)  When I asked her what she wanted to do for her birthday, she said she wanted a circus.  So, a CIRCUS we did.  The cotton candy arrived just in time from Stanton Island, NY, and the jumbo balloons I ordered from Chicago were a huge hit!  There was plenty of food and chaos to go around.  We dined on smoked salmon bruschetta with truffle salt, goat cheese and meyer lemon, pesto torte, caprese skewers with aged balsamic, and more.  And then there were CUPCAKES!

Nutella Cupcakes – YUM!  And being a considerate hostess, Olive and I wanted to have an alternative for anybody who might have a nut allergy, or possibly just not like Nutella (can you imagine?!?).  So Olive wanted to make her own mini vanilla cupcakes.  Some with sprinkles, and some without – “because not everybody likes SPRINKLES!”

And then the parade began.  Olive, the giraffe!  Emerson the bunny!

Say, what did the lion whisper to the giraffe?  Darn, I wish I knew.

It all worked out fine in the end, but in hindsight, probably not the smartest idea to stick a SPARKLER in front of your 3 year old daughter.  She seemed amused, but there was clearly fear in the air.

On the other hand, OWEN appeared bored with the cupcake…..

ASHER looked perplexed by the cupcake…..

But CASH knew just what to do!

And then the CHAOS resumed.

Opening gifts was a group effort.

With a final pose from the group, and a boisterous “HURRAY” from Olive (great, already annoying the boys!), the evening ended with a bang….and one very tired Mommy.  Thanks to great friends for all their love and support!

Finally, a SMOOCH and a HUG to Natalia Dotto for capturing it all.

xo

Shannon

Upon first chatting with Carrie, I knew I wanted to work with her!  She had sass, style, and knew exactly what she wanted.  However, living in Boston with her fiance Shane, and planning a wedding in Seattle, she knew she needed some long-distance help!  A gracious and discerning bride, we had the best time putting together her dream wedding.

Carrie looked like perfection in her Pronovias dress, which she found at La Belle Elaine’s.  Her birdcage veil was purchased from the oh so lovely Etsy.com.  Her polished look came together with hair by Shannon Mercil and make-up by Karen Vogt of I Love Blush.  Shane’s dapper Joseph Abboud suit was from Men’s Wearhouse.

Julie with Bella Rugosa designed the flowers for the day, and how fabulous is this bouquet?   Carrie embellished her bouquet with her grandmother’s earrings.  A bittersweet touch from a loved one passed on – she wanted her grandmother to have a place in her special day.

The ceremony and reception took place at one of my favorite hotels in Seattle – Hotel 1000.  Ultra-modern vibe, fabulous food, and a true urban Seattle venue set the stage for the mood and style this couple was going for.

Brian Waltz of Good Times DJ Services ROCKED the party, literally, all night long.  It was all I could do to not kick off my heels and get down on the dance floor.  He also provided the amazing mood lighting and customized GOBO.

At the end of the night, a beaming bride and groom Left The Building, glowing in the revelry of love and celebration.  Thank you Carrie and Shane for letting me be a part of your special day!

Stellar Photographic Geniusness:  Joey Nicole Photography

Adorable Stationery:  Nicole Mae Designs

Glamorous Hair & Make-up:  I Love Blush

Swanky Lounge Furniture:  Aria Style

Late Night Dessert Bar:  TM Dessert Works

Club-like lighting:  Good Times DJ Services

Be Sublime,

Shannon

Jeff and Diana’s wedding ceremony was held at Parsons Garden on Queen Anne Hill.  A fitting location, as it was where they had their very first date.  The downpour of rain didn’t seem to dampen anyone’s spirits, it was all smiles and pure joy.  Diana was stunning from head to toe – her GORgeous gown was custom designed by Luly Yang, who liked it so much, she asked her to wear it in her couture fashion show.  And thank goodness for the exquisite shawl from Cicada Bridal – it was the perfect accessory for the chilly day.  Diana’s hair and make-up was by Erin Skipley, and though you can’t see them, she was wearing swanky fuchsia Manolo Blahnik heels.

The ceremony was beautifully adorned by Elements in Bloom.  Diana and Jeff wanted lots of color, and chose shades of fuchsia, orange, coral, and green.

After the ceremony, guests followed the chalk up the street to the private residence where the reception took place.  Even with the constant downpour, there was still enough chalk to lead the way.

Jeff and Diana opted for a Zipcar to escort them the 2 blocks to the reception!

Once inside the tent, you never would’ve known it was gloomy out.  Strings of globe bulbs and bright paper lanterns from Party Lights set the stage for the soiree.  These gorgeous green shantung linens and glass chargers from Pedersens perfectly paired with the natural bamboo chairs from AA Party Rentals.  And the scrumptious food was from Stephanie, Of Course!

Nicole Mae Designs provided all of the paper goods, and Diana hand painted river rocks to be escort cards for the guests.  (Bless her heart!)

Diana’s grandfather was from Kentucky, so in honor of him, the signature cocktail of the evening was mint juleps.  Served in 4 oz mason jars with striped green straws gave them a more festive kick.

And here’s where Jeff gets involved.  He home-brewed all of their beer.  An E.S.B., I.P.A. and Pale Ale!  (Bless HIS heart!)  Diana made custom labels for each – a true team effort!

In lieu of traditional wedding cake, Diana and Jeff chose lemon meringue tarts to satisfy their guests sweet tooth, errr teeth.  Judy Tallant makes the most delectable desserts around, and these were nothing shy of delightful.  Not to mention pretty to look at on these sweet trays by Totally Tabletops.

Jeff and Diana’s favorite band, is Vancouver B.C. based band called The Paperboys.  They often tour through Seattle, and we thought it would be fun to try and track them down to play their wedding.  With a few connections, we were in luck!  They were phenomenal – made for a dance party that brought the house down!!  At special request, they even learned Jeff and Diana’s first dance song – “You Are the Best Thing” by Ray LaMontagne.

This fete was fun, unique, lively, tasty, and memorable for many reasons.  A huge thank you, and kudos, to Brian and Jennifer Hartman of Photo Elan for perfectly capturing it all – rain or shine!

Be Sublime,

Shannon

Jen and Dave’s wedding was stunningly beautiful, nothing shy of perfection.  First of all, Jen will go down in my books as the most organized bride ever!  (I was blown away by her spreadsheets.)  And when it came to details, Jen’s taste was exquisite!  You can imagine how exciting it was for me to work with her. The ceremony took place at Holy Names Academy, where Jen attended high school.  This chapel doesn’t need much embellishment, it’s gorgeous!  However, the only thing that out-shined the chapel was Jen’s dress (!!) from Marcella’s La Boutique.

The guys were well dressed, too, wearing classic tuxedos from Mario’s.

Luscious blooms of peonies, hydrangea and roses by Kevin Bradford, was floral eye candy!

The reception took place at The Four Seasons Hotel.  The food and service was sublime, and Gerald Lim is a dream to work with. Jen wanted simple, understated decor, and chose tulips and wheatgrass for centerpieces.  Kevin did an amazing job designing these – hearing the process of growing the wheatgrass exactly two weeks before the wedding day was fantastic.  Combined with walnut chiavari chairs from Pedersens, the room felt natural, warm, and serene.

Jen got her wedding invitations at Silberman Brown, and the rest of her wedding paper goods from Nicole Gleason of Nicole Mae Designs.  And then, the PARTY began!  The Michael Benson Band rocked the house, 3.2.1 Foto provided entertainment, and a green candy bar satisfied the most discerning sweet tooth!

And then there was cake provided by Bakery Nouveau.  (Side note:  If you haven’t been to Bakery Nouveau in West Seattle, get in your car, an airplane, a boat, whatever it takes to get there and try the best pain au chocolat this side of the Atlantic!)

I’m absolutely in love with Mitch Mattraw from Cabfare Productions!  Watching him roll around on a skateboard with his handheld video camera was a hoot!

The best part of the night was when Jen and Dave’s dog, Duke, made a surprise appearance during toasts!  And finally, sunset photos at the infinity pool.  Gorgeous!  Michael Rosenberg was fantastic to work with, and his artistry, talent, and ability to capture the true mood and emotion of the day is in every photo.  Thank you, Michael!!  And to Jen and Dave, may love surround you always.  Cheers!

Other Vendors:

Hair/Make-up:  Erin Skipley

Transportation: BMC Limo

Calligrapher:  Gina Jonas

Hotel Accommodations:  Alexis Hotel

Nanny Services:  On-Call Nanny

Entertainment for Kids:  Joe Black Magic

Be Sublime,

Shannon

The room: spectacular. The fashions: stunning. The food: delectable. The auction items: must-have. The cause: worthy. The goal: shattered.

On October 28th, 2010 over 500 brides, grooms, and members of the wedding community gathered at the impeccable Four Seasons Hotel Seattle to come together for two reasons: to get amazing deals on gorgeous wedding goods and services and to raise money to grant wishes for Stage IV metastatic breast cancer patients. Here at Get Hitched Give Hope we’ve always set our sights high and our goals just beyond reach, but this year, with the help of some amazing sponsors and wonderful guests we’ve exceeded this goal. By the end of the evening, YOU came together to raise $64,000 to grant wishes for those to whom the cure can’t come soon enough. And we’re still counting.

A few fun facts:

• Over 500 attendees
• Over 100 sponsors
• Over 80 raffle prizes and auction packages
• The biggest shopper spent $4,105
• The highest live auction item was the gorgeous Tiffany Necklace that went for $2,200
• Brides got GREAT deals on wedding services and products, even up to 65% off of the retail value through the silent auction!

Thank you to Adam and Kim of La Vie Photography – as always, stunning photos!

For more gorgeous photos and wrap-up details, visit the Get Hitched Give Hope BLOG.  We couldn’t be more proud!

Hope to see you all next year!

Be Sublime,

Shannon

Want to make a mad dash into the Four Seasons Hotel on October 28th, bee-lining straight for the glassybaby silent auction table?  Or, have your bridesmaids stalking the beauty bars?  Click on the brochure to preview the luxurious assortment of yummy goods that will be up for bid at GHGH this year.  Along with a timeline of events and all the deets needed to make the most out of your experience.  Can’t wait to see you all there!

Be Sublime,

Shannon

Tickets for this year’s Get Hitched Give Hope event are selling quickly, ESPECIALLY the swag bag tickets, so if you want to be IN, snag your ticket NOW!  It’s a simple click of the mouse HERE, and you’re on your way to the hottest wedding industry and charity event in town.

Through silent auctions, raffles, and a final, show-stopping live auction, we are granting final wishes for stage IV breast cancer patients.  Our goal this year is to raise over $50,000.  The items up for grabs are not just limited to pre-wedding prep, day-of services, and newlyweds, there are some great goods for moms, dads, grooms, and friends! Come for no other reason, but to enjoy a swanky party at the Four Seasons Hotel.  Without spoiling all of the juicy details we’ve been working on for the past ummm, YEAR, know that you will be decadently fed, luxuriously pampered, gratuitously hydrated, and thoroughly entertained!  With tickets starting at just $35 each, I can’t think of a reason not to go?!?

Enough said.  Grab your TICKET, and I’ll see you all there!  Don’t forget to dress to impress!

Be Sublime,

Shannon