I have not been on lately, but being a bride planning a Seattle wedding from the east coast, i depended on the reviews and opinions of the girls here to help me select my vendors, and those reviews didn't let me down! I am hard to please, but my wedding was surprisingly perfect! thanks to my dream team!
Venue/Catering: Edgewater Hotel, Seattle A
We looked at quite a few venues, but when i walked into the Edgewater ballroom, I knew I was having my wedding here! It was beautiful We had a gorgeous and rare sunny Seattle day, with a perfect view of the water from the floor to ceiling windows in the ballroom. The food was delicious. Overall, it was rather pricey, but no more than you would pay for a similar venue downtown. The only downside to the entire experience was my on site coordinator, who was very responsive and attentive...until we actually booked. After that she was extremely difficult to track down and communicate with. But everything came off flawlessly on the big day!
Florist: Kendra Yaple, Loves Me Flowers A+
When I came to town to see the mock up of my centerpieces, I got teary eyed it was so beautiful, and I knew she would do a phenomenal job. And she did! my girls' flowers were breathtaking, my flowers were gorgeous, and the centerpieces and aisle decor, including the towering birch branches, were perfect! i snuck a peak before my guests arrived and was astonished to see how everything had turned out. Not only did Kendra "get my vision," she tailored my ideas to what was in season (ie less expensive!) and did an incredible job.
Officiant: Reverand Ray A+
No surprise here. Rev Ray was great to work with. He really helped us feel relaxed and he gave a great ceremony. I loved how organized, yet flexible he was.
DJ: Bamboo Beats A+
This husband and wife team was great. Everything was correct and on time, and they kept people on the dance floor all-night. A little pricier than some, but well worth if you are looking for a fresh experience that is above cookie cutter wedding music.
Photographer: Jenny GG A
Jenny was very easy to work with and a great fun on the day of. All those photos were a lot of work and Jenny helped keep the stress down! The pictures turned out awesome, of course! Some really gorgeous shots and also some fun ones! The only downside was I didn't get as many pics of my parents as I would have liked!
DOC: Laura Gram A+
I knew Laura's type A personality would work well with my own! I am easily stressed out under normal circumstances, so my wedding was no exception! Even though I only hired Laura as a day of coordinator, from the moment I booked her(a year in advance), she checked in on me constantly, and had etiquette and vendor tips for me. The day of, she kept everyone in line and I never had to wonder where to be. She rescued my dress from pre-ceremony dirt, and every time I turned around, there she was with a glass of water, a redbull, another glass of wine! Her assistant, Austin, was great as well. Some people think a coordinator is an unnecessary expense, but it was money well spent. I never would have made it through the day without Laura!
Cake: Morfeys, Seattle A+
We did a tier of champagne (Mom and hubby's choice) and two of spice cake (my pick) and it could not have been tastier. Honestly, I ate that cake for days and it was still just as moist as the first bite. On top of that, it was beautiful. I had a very simple design and Kendra's roses finished it perfectly.
Make up: Sequoia Leopold, Kirkland A
This was the most difficult vendor for me to choose, as it was only me and my maid of honor getting make up done, and most on site artists would not do make up for less than 3 or 4 people. Sequoia only does airbrush and she does a wonderful job. At my trial my make up looked great, but as someone who does not typically wear lipstick and never wears eyeshadow, i felt overdone. But the day of, it was gorgeous! On top of that, i was freaking out about a stress zit that popped up the day before the wedding. Seqouia promised to take care of it, and she sure did!
Hair: Gene Juarez, Southcenter B+
I have naturally curly hair and i wanted to maintain my natural curls for my wedding do. At the trial, the designer straightened my hair, then curled it with an iron. In the end, the look he gave me was great, but not what i was looking for, and started coming undone in hours. For the day of, i decided to be forceful and make sure i got what i wanted. I brought half a dozen pictures. in the end my hair was still not exactly what i was looking for, but it was beautiful and it stayed all night!
I am like a falling star who has finally found her place next to another in a lovely constellation, where we will sparkle in the heavens forever