Final wedding at the Orting Manor - Aug 2011

After 10 years of wedding planning I have finally decided to throw in the towel and stay home with the kids on the summer weekends. I'll still help out family and friends and the occasional bride here and there, but I just couldn't stand working every weekend in the summer while the kids were out having fun in the sun without me. Once they are grown I'll probably come back to it but itll be nice to have those nice summer weekends off, we dont get very many up here in the NW. I'll miss helping all those brides on their special day and please do contact me if you need any tips or ideas or having a wedding in the sumner/orting area.

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Here are some pictures from the last wedding I did last august

(on of course the hottest day of the summer)

This was at the Orting Manor in Orting and what a wonderfull place!!!

I only agreed to help with this wedding because it was 2 minutes from my house and I am so glad I did. The owners of the house were amazing!!!! They let us do anything we wanted and even helped me tie over 200 bows on the ceremony chairs. They even offered to bring me some food/drinks from their house, they were just really really sweet and I highly advise booking this place for your wedding!

Got to use my signature cafe lights above the cocktail area/dance floor.

Looked GORGEOUS once it got dark, it was my absolute favorite thing from that event.

Ceremony location which we turned into a bocce ball/ladder ball area during the reception.

And I cant take credit for all of this event, the bride was AMAZING!!!

The pool - still shocked no one went swimming in it.

There were color coordinating beach balls in there.

Another shot of the cafe lights, cocktail tables and the DJ booth

She was a husky and he was a cougar - One of the best looking grooms cakes I've ever seen.

It was a great event and probably my last for a long time.

Highly advise booking @ the Orting Manor,

also Christie Katone was once again my caterer and Rebecca Brottman for Photography, both affordable and super great and flexible to work with - I Love down to earth vendors.

Getting help to add your special details!

Wow it’s been a long time! Family life has sure kept me away from keeping up with the wedding industry but I’m slowly getting back some time as the kids are getting a little older and keeping themselves busy. Only having a few weddings this summer has actually been nice giving me more time to focus on the kids and add more details to the weddings I am coordinating. It’s amazing how many details you can add when you have the time. This past year I have actually been thinking back on my own wedding since our 5 year anniversary is this July and realizing how many mistakes I made on our big day. Overall I really didn't care about the details at the time - I just wanted to get married!!!! For some reason my main goal was to not have anyone work that day so I didn’t have any setup/details for anyone to do. Little did I know my family and wedding party would have loved to help me decorate and add details to make my day special. I wish I would have added the chair ribbons I wanted, and the ceremony decorations, and the extra centerpieces, and the favor table, and the cocktail table area and the kid area. But I didn’t because we didn't have a lot of setup time and I didn’t want to put anyone to work. My advice to all brides, put your "people" to work or pay the extra $100-$200 to hire someone (watson events) to come do your setup. It’s worth it in the end and you won’t regret not doing the things you wanted. Make your day special with the extra touches you want, it’s worth it!

FAQ's

Having scaled back on doing weddings in the past years I have also scaled back on updating this blog site. I still do coordinate a few weddings every year mostly for friends and family and everytime I help someone plan a wedding I get a lot of the same questions! SO if any of you out there are getting married or plan to eventually I thought I'd go ahead and answer those questions before you even need to ask!

Q: When is the best time of year to have an outdoor wedding in Seattle?
A: Online there is a dryest days of the year calendar you can find (I think Steve Pool does it) and it shows that the dryest time is the end of July, then beginning of August and then Beginning of July and so on and so forth. Your best bet is to find your location early and book it sometime close to the end of July and ALWAYS ALWAYS have a back up plan for rain!!!! Living in the Northwest Rain should always be expected and remember if it rains on your big day its Good Luck!

Q:Do we have to have a rehearsal dinner at a restaurant?...
A: Heck NO! DO whatever you want. I have always felt the rehearsal dinner should be fun and laid back! You have to dress up and be formal enough on your big day and this may be the only chance you get to talk with family and firends that are in from out of town. CHoose a location thats relaxing and comfortable. I love the back yard or beach BBQ's make it fun and enjoy yourself!

Q: How long should a wedding/reception last?
A: This obviously depends on if you are having an all in one location and what activities you have for the big day. Ceremonies can go anywhere from 5 minutes to 2 hours depending on your beliefs and religion. If you are having your ceremony and reception and different locations PLEASE PLEASE have someone handing out directions to the reception after the ceremony, trust me! Receptions: I usually allow for at least 4 hours for a reception and add on from there. The average is probably 5-6 hours but this will depend on your activities and what kind of a group you have. If you have a young active crowd they may want to stay later and drink and dance, but if its a smaller group of close family you could probably end it quite a bit earlier.

Q: What if I forget soemthing the BIG DAY OF?
A: If you are really worried/stressed about this then hire a coordinator. If you dont have that option thats why you have friends and family. Things like Garters and cake cutters,etc... somehow get forgotten a lot so try and think of a close friend or family member that can run to the store for last mintue things, this should save you a lot of stress. And if it cant be fixed dont worry about it, dont let a forgotten stocking or shoe ruin your day make it work and it will be that much more memorable! Remember your attitude will make the day for everyone, including you!

Kids or no kids that is the question!

Kids at weddings?... I am always for kids of course this is because I have kids and am from a huge close knit family so I may be biased. It is tough to tell people they cant bring their kids to a wedding, it is also tough if you tell them no but then they get there and there are kids attending. Its a tough line to draw and it is way easier to not even draw the line and just let everyone bring their kids, after all they are family! Weddings are a fun joyous occasion and whats more fun than kids. You can prepare for them and keep them happy (busy) by having a kids area or have fun stuff for them to do. If you in insist on not having kids at the wedding I advise having it very late in the evening and making a note of it on the invitation and be ready for people to ask if they can bring their kids and Good Luck!

July 11th wedding

July 11th-12th was a very busy weekend as we had two weddings to coordinate and both were for close friends. The pictures below are from my close friend Mollys wedding on 7/11/2009. It was at CI Shenanigans on Ruston Way in Tacoma, WA. It was a gorgeous day for pictures ( I will get some professional ones up here in a week or so) these are some from my camera (as you can tell). The setup was very simple as the location was gorgeous, like I always say location is everything!!! The food and the restaurant service was also amazing, I highly recommend them.
There are also a lot of parks along the water for pictures so it worked out great!
The Bride w/ friends


The ceremony view - GORGEOUS!

Guest book sign in, etc..

DIY - sign boards & programs

Saving $ w/ a destination wedding

Most of the weddings I help coordinate are on a tight and smaller budget, which is what I love because its a challenge and they are usually a more fun and happy group of people. Dealing with tight budgets the topic of a destination wedding always comes up as a way to save money (usually from the parents). Yes destination weddings can be amazing and fun and you will probably have gorgeous pictures but if you are thinking of doing it as a way to save $ be carefull, and think it through. Most people want to run away and have a small ceremony and then come back home and have a big reception, which is not saving you any money at all, infact that will be more expensive. The reception is where you spend all your money the ceremony is next to free. So if you are looking into a destination wedding to save money, go for it, but you'll have to ditch the big reception at home if you want to save $. Instead have a small reception when you come back or just have a website with pictures and info about the event so your friends and family who couldnt attend can still feel included.

NW Weddings & rain plans

Living in Seattle you always have to have a backup plan for the weather. I have a bride at the moment who wants to get married in a field and not have a tent or cover ready. So what happens if it rains?... We will cross that bridge the week before when the weather report comes out. Everyone who does event planning in seattle ALWAYS has a rain back up plan, its just a must! It is way easier and much more cost effective to book a location with a rain back up plan. Tents are expensive (like thousands each) and even if you get married in July or August, Seattle and the Northwest is very unpredictable, so be preparred and make sure there is room in your budget for a few tents, always be prepared! And remember if it does rain its good luck!

The Big Day!

It happens to every bride after planning for over a year you wake up one day and its your wedding day. Now what?... The day will go by so fast just make sure you sit back and ENJOY! Try not to stress out and just relax! Your friends family and guests will take their que from you so be preparred for something to go wrong and just let it roll off your back, because something almost always goes wrong. Whether its the wrong color flowers, the wrong flavor cake or a late caterer, things happen and its your job to take it all in stride. People wont know or remember that the cake was a different flavor or the flowers were wrong but they will remember if you freak out and turn into a bridezilla. So have a glass of champagne and show everyone how classy a bride you can be, shake it off and have some fun. You can call your vendors after the honeymoon and let them know how you feel.

Sulla Tips

I don't think I have given enough credit where it is due. The last few posts have been from some some advice that I love to share with my brides called Sulla Tips. I have some brides going though some tough times and said that they would read them to cheer them up and keep their wedding planning momentum going. SOmeone gave these to me when I was gettting married and I truly wasnt sure where they came from, just a word doc that I had gotten by e-mail. I do try and show thess tips off as I think they are great and thank you for helping so many brides out there! We cant THANK YOU enough SULLA TIPS!

wedding tips - to much stuff!

So many brides (including me) try to plan the perfect wedding from start to finish. You get all these great ideas from wedding magazines and there are so many great things to do.
Too much “stuff” can actually sometimes bog it down and make it less enjoyable and meaningful. Plus, you’re front-loading your day with anxiety if you must have every single little thing controlled and coordinated and (God I hate this word) perfect. You really don’t have to obsess about matching the bridesmaids’ earrings and hose, or coordinating the groomsmen’s ties to the frosting and the bow on the flower girl’s dress. Do not give so much as a second thought to your uneven bridal party (this isn’t a military parade, it’s a wedding!) and think about throwing a great, memorable party to mark your marriage. I remember I really wanted green dresses for our wedding, but someone told me they dont look good in pictures against a park (green) background. So I went with pink, I was so obsessed with everything being perfect that I didnt go with what we wanted and now my friends have bubble gum dresses they will never wear again.

It’s really not about whether the sash on your dress matches the favor boxes and the ink on the save-the-date cards, or about finding the absolute perfect cake serving set to match your theme. It’s about the look on the face of the woman wearing the sash dress and cutting the cake, even if she uses a rusty old knife someone found in the back. As my caterer likes to say, your bridesmaids’ dresses do not need to match the linens unless you plan to use the bridesmaids as centerpieces.

Tip of the day! Wedding Stress?...Toughen up, seriously!!!!

Wedding stress is undeniably real. There’s no getting around it. Believe me, I’ve been there. Weddings hit many uncomfortable hot button issues, and we’ve all had moments where we just want to kick it all. But you’re planning a wedding, not a funeral or a fundraiser to help your dying child get a new heart. Which is to say that it’s really hard to feel sorry for someone overwhelmed by planning a wedding, and there’s nothing, and I mean nothing, more unattractive than a bride who whines her way through what should be an exciting, happy process. Because in truth you’ve done the truly stressful part already: you’ve survived the dating scene and found the person you want to spend the rest of your life with. And you’re stressing over planning the ceremony that will bond the two of you and the wonderful party that will celebrate that bond and perhaps even the fabulous vacation you get to go on when it’s all over? Poor you. I don’t want to get too maudlin here, but my family has been on the losing end of many battles with cancer and maybe thats why I look at weddings as more of a party and a celebration. Because Life should be celebrated everday, dont stress or worry about things life is WAY to short! I have a family member that has been given 2 years to live due to a brain tumor, he celebrates every minute he has left! Just be lucky you are able to plan a wedding and that you have found your soulmate. Sometimes it helps to take a step back and and look at the BIG picture: You’re planning a joyous occasion, and if you’re letting it make you miserable, you’re doing something wrong, its a celebration of love, life & family! So enjoy it damn it!

(Thanks Sulla Tips)

Tip of the day! Who's wedding is it anyway?....

I love to pass along some of the tis I've learned through the years, heres one of them!
If you have ever heard of Sulla Tips they are great and some of my avs are from her!

REMEMBER You’re in charge, its YOUR wedding. Not the wedding industry. So many people ask “Can I do this?” or “Would it be ok if I did this?” When it comes to your wedding, YOU are the ultimate authority, not Martha Stewart, not the in-laws and not a chorus of anonymous women on the Internet. Of course there are protocols to help guide you, but that’s all they are: guidelines, not legal doctrines written in stone. Don’t be afraid to deviate from them and follow your gut. The only way to make your wedding truly memorable is to make it truly yours, not to make it a carbon copy of every other bride’s.

While we’re at it, this also means that asking “Is [insert wedding detail here] worth it?” is kind of a meaningless question. We all have a budget, and you have to assign priorities within that budget. If having the most fabulous Vera Wang or Monique L’Huillier gown is the most important thing in the world to you, and you are willing to serve your guests on paper plates to achieve it, then it’s worth it to you. (Of course, I can’t really condone that one in good conscience, but I’m just trying to make a point!) Maybe having the world’s best live band is more important to you, and it means you can’t have a couture gown. Whatever the specifics, I see this getting asked all the time on the Knot and the answer is that there are no absolute values assigned here: wearing a couture gown (or having a live band, or engraved invitations, or a video, or whatever) is “worth” something very different to every woman, so no one can make those decisions for you. Sure, get some input. Find out how others made these choices. But know that ultimately, you need to trust your gut and your budget. Its YOUR weding do what YOU WANT!!!!

Watson Events Past Weddings & Ideas

If your like me I am a very visual person so i love to post pictures of past weddings to help out new brides and fellow planners.

Here are a few wedings from quite a few years back, you'll notice how simple some of them are but they are still gorgeous and its because of my #1 rule! LOCATION is EVERYTHING! If you have a gorgeous site, your guests will rave about is, your pictures will be phenomenal and you'll save a TON on decor! its a win win! So dont book the first place you see, look at everything available, its worth it and could save you a lot of $ in the end!

Most of these weddings were on the Virginia V on Lake Union.

Lighting is HUGE and affordable and gorgeous!

It will set a calm romantic mood!

Tapps Island Wedding - They had a tiny budget and saved a lot on decor because they didnt need it.


Genesis Farms in Enumclaw - Another GREAT location! The gardens speak for themselves.

Past Event Pictures & Info

These pictures were from a great wedding at Lakewold Gardens a few years back. Watson Events did most of the flowers and table setup.

Great Punchbowl/Signature Drink Idea!

Gorgeous Aisle Flowers!

New Website

We will use this new website to post pictures and ideas from events to help other bides and event planners. Thanks for Looking!