Pardon Our Dust!

Our new look (both website and blog) is under construction, but stay tuned! We'll be revealing a whole-new-us this December!!

Thanks for being patient, check back soon!

Best Surprise Weather Wedding

It was a long shot. Early June Wedding, Northwest Peninsula, last-minute venue move: but, Laura and Israel's wedding was gorgeous! It had been a rainy, dreary week for the Seattle area leading up to their big day, but they stayed cool as cucumbers (not to say they weren't a pair of cucumbers crossing their fingers for some warm sun). We had our rain plan in place with the ever accommodating and wonderful Inn at Port Ludlow, and it was going to be a celebration - rain or shine!

The night before the wedding, as the rain pummeled the beautiful tent set up in the garden at the Inn, Laura took a deep breath and gave us all a smile. "Whatever will be will be" was the overall, cheery attitude that Friday night. Saturday morning we woke up to sun shining, birds singing, and dew drying all over the property. Laura later let on that she and Israel had only made one attempt to ask the big man upstairs for good weather. As they said it, "Lord, please give us good weather... and if not, well, let us be happy with it!" As it turned out, they WERE happy with it, and it was fabulous weather. Here come's the sun....

Local Jewelry, Global Love

One of the most common gifts given to a bridal party and mothers is jewelry. We feel that if jewelry is going to be your gift of choice, choose wisely. Though Claire’s may save you a pretty penny while Cartier may convey your everlasting appreciation, finding the right gift for this special occasion should ultimately carry your personal touch. Custom jewelry is a sweet little reminder that you were all in it together. We’re happy to present to you an amazing Seattle designer that will deliver beautiful, wearable art (with a social conscience)!

Local artisan Whitney Stern (of Whitney Stern Jewelry Design) has taken her love of Latin American fashion and jewelry and successfully blended it with the everyday-chic Seattle scene. While Whitney was living and studying in Argentina, Brazil, and Chile she was able to work with local jewelry artists there, gaining beautiful command of their style and work. These experiences also inspired her to create a business that combined her talents in creating delicate and versatile pieces while contributing to social change for the women artisans of those countries. Whitney Stern Jewelry Designs donates a portion of all proceeds to support women’s art initiatives as well as maternal and child health care programs in both Latin America and Washington. Now that’s a gift! The social integrity of Whitney Jewelry doesn’t tap out there. The company employs socially and environmentally responsible practices that promote conscious consumerism and uses eco-friendly products including recycled or reclaimed metals and conflict-free gemstones.

Whitney designs necklaces, bracelets, earrings, and rings as well as offers custom consultations to create those special “perfectly you” pieces. Much to our delight, she will also be adding custom wedding ring and wedding band design to her list of goodies (read: gorgeous ring, clear conscience).

She will be having a trunk show this weekend just in time for Valentine’s Day featuring 30% off most items! It’ll be a great chance to see a sampling of her wonderful wears as well as meet the lovely Whitney herself.

February 12th, 13th, and 14th from 11am to 4pm in the lobby of Urban Yoga Spa on the corner of 4th and Stewart in downtown Seattle.

Daily Candy Sweetens Weddings on the Web

We’ve been huge fans of Daily Candy ever since they started telling us where to get good street grub in Belltown, where to shop for environmentally conscious cardstock in Freemont, and where to find posh beauty bars in Ballard. City-specific, Daily Candy offers tips on weekend planning, restaurant recommendations, and indie designers that pop-up on their style-savvy radar. The cheeky newsletter that sheds light on the newest, hippest, coolest goings-on about town has just extended their awesome coverage to weddings, bringing you “unconventional inspiration for you and your big day”! Hey, how relevant!

Previously, the site offered tip-offs on new cocktail hot-spots and touted local vendors offering swanky wears and services. Now that Daily Candy has delved into the great abyss that is the World Wide Web wedding industry, expect even more great things. This website has the amazing talent of sifting through the overload of “what’s-hot, what’s-not”, and condensing it into a local fount of lucky finds. Regardless of what stage your planning is in, you’ve probably encountered an onslaught of wedding-related tips, ads, mailings, and general matrimonial bombardments. Daily Candy is one website you won’t have to filter out, and you may even go as far as (shudder) adding yourself to their mailing list. With the addition of weddings, we’re sure to see features that include unique ideas and great local service providers offering something a little different and a lot rad for the big day! Also, keep your eyes peeled for contests, sales, and steals when it comes to all things wedding: see their $100,000 Ultimate Wedding Contest!

One more time, “unconventional inspiration”, need we say more?

Honey "no-thank-you" : A Brief History of the term Honeymoon

When the wedding is over, the honeymoon begins. Often a time looked forward to by the exhausted bride and the harried groom. The invitations, seating charts, floral arrangements, and nagging mother-in-laws are left behind so the newly wedded couple can enjoy some “quality time” together, be it in the Bahamas or Big Bear. It wasn’t always the sweetest of escapes though. As it turns out, wedded bliss didn’t make the packing list of the original honeymooners.

Back in the old days (really old days) it was common place for Germanic tribesmen to pillage neighboring settlements, taking their money and their women as spoils. The men and their trophies would then go hole up in some hideaway until the furious victims of the village left behind came to terms with their lot as victims and gave up the search. What would the captors and their captives do to pass the time? They got drunk: on mead (which is, of course, fermented honey). They would stay in their hidey-hole, getting drunk on mead, and wait until they had decided the women’s families had supposedly given up searching for them. This time period would usually average one moon cycle (about a month). After a “moon” the men would emerge with their new “brides” in tow.

While we’re happy that the term has taken on a lovey-dovey connotation, we would also like to celebrate the fact that taking brides by force is no longer the status-quo in honor of upcoming February being Violence Against Women Awareness Month. Consent is sexy, ladies and gentlemen!

The Bare Necessities

One of the most important tools a wedding planner has in her arsenal to avoid any speed bumps on the day of your wedding is the famed Emergency Kit. Because we like you, we’d like to spill the beans on what “save-the-day” odds and ends we keep in ours. Here they are, in no particular order, The Soup to Nuts Wedding Day Emergency Kit Checklist:

Mini-first aid kit including aspirin, antacids, Gas-X, Midol, and decongestants (no aching, bloating, farting, or sniffling through your ceremony). Also don’t forget Band-aids, New Skin, and alcohol swabs!

Breath mints

Fashion tape (that wonderful, clear, doublesided bra strap tape)

Baby wipes

Q-tips

Blow dryer, brush, comb, and hairspray

Extra pairs of black sox (save your Best Man the embarrassment of Nike tube socks peeking out between dress shoes and tux cuffs)

Clear nail polish (great for stopping runs in stockings!)

Nail glue and emery board

Contact lenses, contact case, contact solution, and eye drops (both for non-contact wearers and contact wearers)

Earring backs

Some of every pin (bobby, safety, straight, clothes)

Extra stockings

Scotch tape, push pins, and scissors

Tweezers

Razor with extra blades
,
Deodorant

White Chalk (it is a life-saver for removing lipstick from white collars or dresses)

Studs, collar stays, cuff-links

Straws (essential for drinking and retaining perfectly lipsticked lips)

Tampons and sanitary napkins (God, please don’t forget those, there are lots of women at weddings!)

Wine-Out (the best invention of the 21st century!)

Mini-sewing kit with at least black and white thread

...and finally....

Copies of all delivery and vendor schedules and important names and numbers (of both the wedding party and the vendors)

WHEW! It may sesm extensive, but in truth these things are all pretty tiny and don't take up much room. Most wedding planners will bring a similar kit to your wedding. Feel free to find out what goodies they keep in theirs to be sure you're all covered. If you don't have a planner, a medium tackle box, large make-up box, or small gym bag should suffice in fitting all the essentials! Trust us, you may not need to even open the Emergency Kit, but on the off chance that you do, you'll be super happy you had it!

Unique (Cheap) Invitation Idea

When does being engaged start to feel like reality and not just a label? Sending out your save-the-dates, invitations, and announcements is often that pivotal moment when you go from being the engaged couple to the couple that is actually getting hitched! It’s big news, and those few words you send out to family, friends, and other intended guests can really set the tone for your wedding.
This could easily be one of those times when you feel you need to dig deep in your pockets, after all, it’s the first order of business your guests will see regarding that special day. Don’t fret! There are countless options out there to save you money without skimming style from your wedding announcements, and I am going to share with you my favorite one of all (I also think it’s the coolest, in my humble opinion).
Enter Moo Cards. This artsy, modern, and environmentally conscious company started in the UK and now has its own U.S. site as well. “But those look like business cards,” you muse. Ah, but look closer. Yes, business cards they are indeed…but have you ever seen such lovely, creative, quality business cards as those? Perhaps so, and IF SO, you may have thought it be a waste to limit such a product to living in the lining of wallets everywhere. I love Moo Cards for save-the-dates, invites, announcements, thank yous, and even name cards or wedding favor gift tags. The site offers several options in creating cards (business card wallet size, skinny-mini cute cards, postcards, etc.) and you can either load your own photos (think engagement sessions or early photos of you as a couple) on to the front, while jotting all the important information on the back (date, time, place, etc.). They also offer many of their own designs in the “Ready Made” packs (see these or these ). Moo Cards allow you to combine multiple pictures or designs per order, in case you can’t pick just one pic of you and yours. Added bonus: they use environmentally friendly products and recycled papers. Friends and family will love to see the unique way you’ve included them in your upcoming wedding, and the best part….they’re cheap! I’m a big fan of the “MiniCards”, and they start at 19 cents a card, going down from that. Check them out, get creative, and give your budget a break!