Haggens Market Street Catering

Wedding receptions are usually the source of a majority of a couple's budget. There's food, beverages, cake, dessert and candy bars...... the possibilities are endless! I am often asked about different food and beverage options that I can suggest. With many clients financially backing their own events, I realize and appreciate that there are budgets to work with. One of the options I like to suggest is Haggens Market Street Catering.

Here in Western Washington, Haggens is often known for their presence as a grocery store. But did you know that they offer catering options? From food service only to onsite preparation and full service wait staff, there are an array of options to choose from. I have personally worked with and tasted their food, from bbq to summer favorites, and have found their quality of food and customer service to be great. 

Want to learn more and see some of their menu options? Check them out at www.marketstreetcatering.com

Stilly Brook Farm in Arlington, WA

Stilly Brook Farm is one of my all time favorite wedding venues! 

It has sentimental value to me, as it was where I got married. Back then, it was known as Countryside Meadows and under previous ownership. In 2016, I had the chance to work at this venue as both a wedding officiant and as a wedding coordinator for a few different couples. It was then that I had the pleasure of meeting and working alongside Terri Lundquist, one of the new owners. She and her husband David, have done some great updates and maintained the beauty and ambiance of the property that drew me to it so many years ago. 

If you are searching for a picturesque, country chic venue, with a high level of personable and upbeat service, I encourage you to check out Stilly Brook Farm! Here you can choose to have a wedding year round with the different options they offer. From the outside venue options to the beautiful, century old wedding chapel, to the many photo opportunities to the friendly smile and service Terri provides makes this venue a high contender in my books. 

Codi V Photography

Codi V Photography is owned by Codi Villalobos. She is a photographer who provides "on location, custom photography, serving the greater Puget Sound area of Washington State". Codi and I had the chance to work together during a wedding that took place last summer on Camano Island at the Camano Island Inn. You can imagine my excitement to be able to run into a friend of mine, fellow football player, and cheer coach miles away from our homes in Marysville! Being able to have the chance to work with a friend is always such a treat.

After a few hugs (and probably some high fives in there too) I got right to work as I checked in with bride Christine. She and her husband-to-be, Rhett, chose the intimate setting of the Camano Island Inn for their wedding celebration. The background of their venue included a traditional wedding circle and overlooked the beautiful bay. 

Below is a sample of her work and some photos from the day.

Congratulations Rhett & Christine!

Happy 2017!

2017 marks the beginning of my thirteenth year as a full time wedding professional here in the beautiful Pacific Northwest. I remember when I began in 2005 and am simply amazed with the work that I have been blessed to have done, the couples and their family and friends that I have worked with, and the experiences I have had. Being able to blog about my journey can only light a small flame to the overall experience that I have had as a wedding officiant and event planner.

I have seen many changes throughout the years. I remember when "the place to be" was in Seattle or the East side of King County. Not anymore! Snohomish county has made a name for itself. No longer do bridal couples have to flock south or east to have an amazing event. Thanks to the Snohomish Wedding Guild, this has been possible. They are in their ninth year of supporting the wedding vendor community and the bridal couples they serve. The resources their website alone offers is a great wealth of knowledge to any coordinator, bride, groom or any other individual who is helping plan a wedding. 

Fellow wedding professionals David Anderson (of DA Productions) & Melissa Miksch (of Melissa Miksch Photography) have been extending the invitation to me for years to come and attend as a guest of theirs. I attended the January meeting with them and had a great time! Not only was it a chance to spend some time with these great vendors (who have also become friends of mine) but I was able to check out a new-to-me venue. (More on this venue in my next blog.)

At the end of the night, we were treated to some very tasty cupcakes.....one in my favorite flavor of Amaretto! I couldn't leave the moment without taking a pic of the three of us. Notice David and I included our yummy cupcakes in the shot? 

Best of W. WA Wedding Officiants

It's amazing to be able to serve the people I bring into marriage. It's wonderful to hear the feedback their guests, families and friends provide me after I've delivered the wedding celebration. It's humbling to be able to be nominated for last year's 2009 KING 5's Best of Western WA wedding officiant category and to finish in 3rd place!

I was up against 22 different wedding officiants. (It's amazing to realize how many people perform ceremonies!) I had some pretty tough competition, too. I was able to read all of the wonderful comments and feedback that were casted on that website. (For a quick reference, please visit this link: http://www.best.king5.com/an-upbeat-wedding-officiant/biz/490097#more ) A great big thank you to all who took the time to cast your vote and to those who left kind words and messages, too. A congratulations to my colleagues who placed in the 1st and 2nd positions! See you next year. :)

Hope Haven Photography

pictured: Denise Lee, owner of Hope Haven Photography, and her husband, Steven

In the wedding industry, I have met many people. Every once in awhile, I get to meet another wedding professional whose philosophy and personalities mesh very well with my own. Denise Lee, owner of Hope Haven Photography, happens to be one of those people.

I first worked with Denise a few years ago, on a wedding for a couple we both served. Tony & Ashley Hoggard held their ceremony and reception at the Edmonds Senior Center in Edmonds, WA. When I had checked in onsite, I met Denise and her daughter, Alex, who serves as her assistant. Denise and Alex took pre-ceremony (sometimes referred to as the "getting ready" photos) of the bride & groom getting ready and some of the behind-the-scene helpers. I still try not to smile too much when there's photos of me being taken talking to my couples. :)

I loved how Denise arrived early & prepared, with suggestions and ideas. I really liked how Denise did some things that were above and beyond that of a photographer. Denise even has a bridal emergency kit, complete with things from water to bandaids to everything in between!

Since then, Denise and I have had the chance to work with each other at least once if not twice a year. I have had the joy of getting to know her on a more personal level as well as her family. There are some wedding professionals that I get to work with that I like to refer to as "the dream team". Denise, Steven and Alex are amongst that group of people!

In addition to wedding photography, Denise also does family portraits and other life events. I am also deeply touched by the volunteering she does giving of her time and talents to causes such as animal adoption events, working with high school seniors, mentoring up-and-coming photographers and even free Halloween portraits to kids both big and small on Halloween.

To see her work, please visit her website at www.hope-haven.net or follow her blog at http://hopehavenphotography.blogspot.com/.

The End of Another Busy Wedding Season

My "peak" wedding season runs from February through September. I have been blessed with wonderful bridal couples once again. Thanks to the following bridal couples that I served during this time:
John & Deb
Beth & Charlie
Melissa & Eddy
Vu & Jessica
Araceli & Edgar
Brian & Linda
Jennifer & Michael
Jim & Carlette
Mike & Maria
Stephany & Derrick
Justin & Tana
Nikki & Frank
Edd & Wendy
Brandi & Jeff
Jenny & Anthony
Jim & Juvy
Holley & Chris
Jim & Debbie
Jasmine & Nathan
Dennis & Eva
Abdoulaye & Reine
Yolanda & Jamaal
Tina & Andy
Ron & Stephanie
Jamie & Juan
Joy & Jason
Nora & Richard
Jason & Jeannette
Alex & Aimee
Thao & Armand
Vicky & James
Chad & Blanca
Tracy & Rafael
Brandy & Adam
Jennifer & Ivan
Paula & Steven
Becky & Chad
Laura & Roland
Linda & Eric
Darren & Tina
Diane & Paul
Mitchell & Melissa
Marlon & Leah
Vince & Anita
Elaine & Marcel
Jessica & TJ
Holly & Frank
Trina & James
Laurren & Andy
John & Nicole
Angelica & Josh
Chris & Laura
Dean & Ming
Miranda & Spencer
Natasha & Lance
Scott & Carol
Christopher & Mariette
Launa & Vic
Brenna & Jesse
Scott & Tina
April & Damien
Holly & Keven
Billierose & Preston
Cheryl & Sal
Tammy & Curtis
Tasha & Steven
Tyffani & Damon
Dave & Jaime
Karen & Jose
Cindy & Ryan
Dani & Kelly
Tina & Leo
Amy & Jason
Jennifer & Phillip
Barbara & Wayne
Donna & TJ
Alex & Joel

Leonard & Tina (Arlington, WA)

I had the honor of serving as Leonard and Tina's wedding officiant. It is always special when a couple selects me to bring them into marriage. With Leonard and Tina, to be able to share in the moment that they became husband and wife was something I will never forget!

Leonard had initially contacted me as a result of finding my website online. I have to admit, the first few times I read through his email I wasn't sure what to make of it! His initial email complimented me on my site and stated that he and his fiancee would be thrilled to have me serve as their officiant. I thought, "Well, I like them already!" He had explained to me the history he shared with his fiancee, Tina. He explained that he had been reunited with his teenage sweetheart some 28 years later. He went into detail what had happened, and their love story. It sounded so tragic. I can remember reading through the email and wondering if it was true.

The hopeless romantic in me had to write back! I was crossing my fingers that it wasn't some phony email generaged from some man in India who would soon ask me to cash a cashier's check and send me the difference. (Unfortunately, I've had a few of those come across my in box.) I was excited when I read that it was an authentic email, sent from an authentic groom who happened to live in the neighboring town of Arlington. We discussed scheduling a consultation with the three of us to meet. I was so excited to hear their story in person. I came prepared to write!

We had agreed to meet at a restaurant in Smokey Point. When I arrived, Leonard and Tina greeted me with their warm smiles. I just love when a couple can share with me intimate details about themselves to help me get to know them better. They spoke about what it was like when they were teenagers, the things they did. I smile when I think about how eager I was to hear the details! Leonard even shared that he had even walked the length of the I-90 bridge to get to her home, just to see if she was there. Can you imagine?! Tina shared about how she felt when she was with him and how the same feelings were there almost 30 years later. As they shared with me, it was as though I was writing the rough draft of their ceremony in my head.

Thanks to technology (and their school friend, Jody) "Len" was reunited with "Tippy" (their names for each other). They tied the knot Saturday, September 12th, 2009 in Arlington in front of 120+ family and friends cheering them on. All of their children were present, many who were in their bridal party. And guess what? Jody was in the bridal party, too!

I will never forget their faces as they exchanged wedding rings and spoke the words, "....I have emptied my heart of all others; it is only filled with you. You are my best friend and my only love. I will cherish you for the rest of my life." I don't think there was a dry eye in the house.

Congratulations, Leonard and Tina! May you be blessed with many more years of love and happiness.

Memorial Service For Wedding Officiant, Sean Patrick O'Reilly

As a wedding officiant, we are selected by engaged couples to join them on a very happy and exciting day in their relationship. The joys I have personally received as an officiant & celebrant are memories that will last me my lifetime.

I recently read of the passing of a wedding officiant/celebrant who was well known in the wedding industry and throughout Puget Sound -- Sean Patrick O'Reilly. He was also an award winning officiant.

There will be a celebration of his life on October 4th, 2009 in West Seattle. Although I did not get the chance to know him personally, he was a colleague nonetheless. I plan on attending this celebration to pay tribute to a man who was blessed to be a part of the ministry that few are called to do.

Here is a link to his website for more information:

www.seanpatrickoreilly.com

God's blessings to you and your family, Sean. May your energy and love live on through the memories that you were a part of and the wonderful work you did.

John & Michelle Whelan

John and Michelle are a couple that I had the privilege of working with, and bringing into marriage, on Saturday, 10-4-08. Their ceremony was held at Golden Gardens Bath House in Seattle. This is a terrific venue with a wonderful view of Shilshole Bay!

When I arrived onsite for my 6pm check in, I was greeted by the groom, John. Since their ceremony start time was based around the scheduled sunset of 642pm, I didn't think much of it when the sun was setting through the windows of the bath house and there were no lights on. John had asked me if my voice was strong and if I would be able to perform their ceremony without the help of a microphone. Since the acoustics of the building are fabulous and my voice being able to carry to the ears of sixty-five to seventy-five guests, I didn't see any problems. It wasn't until he mentioned the power being out that I realized the nature of his question.

After dismissing myself with John, I went to find John's bride, Michelle. She was in a side room with her bridal attendants and some other close friends. She looked beautiful! She explained to me what I had already heard from her husband-to-be and I quickly assured her that things would all work out and that she'd have her sunset!

Their ceremony start time of 630pm came and I helped get the bridal party in place. Lined up in the hallway, their dj was able to gather enough battery power on his laptop to play their processional song -- Louis Armstrong's "A Kiss To Build A Dream On". The ceremony was underway!

Michelle and John's ceremony went fabulous! When Michelle made her procession to the ceremony site, both she and her husband were struck with emotion during the first few minutes of their ceremony. I whispered to Michelle to every once in a while to look over my shoulder at her beautiful sunset that shone through the windows of their site. There was laughter from their guests and myself when Michelle jumped up and down, laughing with her famous laugh (as her husband told me, "echos off of buildings") when John spoke his "I do" during the vows. The tenderness that Michelle showed during the ceremony when she wiped her husband's tears from his face was something that their guests witnessed and smiled at during different points of their celebration.

Many might have reacted at the discovery of no power for their wedding and reception site. Michelle and John were anything but! Despite the music that couldn't be ran or the food that wasn't ready to be served the night was a success. The laughter and the talking of their family and friends made it difficult to focus on the fact that they were standing in a room with candlelight as their source of light. This couple definitely showed grace under fire. I can only hope for couples in the future that are just as wonderful.

Congratulations again, Mr & Mrs Whelan!