Wedding Graffiti

I absolutely love the idea of customizing your wedding in unique one of a kind ways. I recently found a website that helps you do exactly that, Wedding Graffiti. It is a NEW way to add style to your wedding that is a little outside of the box. There are so many possibilities to choose from. You can use just one for something special, or many to unify your whole wedding, all the elements. I especially love the work that is placed on the walls. It is something your guest will remember for a long time!
It is so simple to apply and makes a big impact. It can be as modern or traditional as your wedding.
You can also customize little pieces throughout your reception.
It really adds a special touch to each part of your wedding. It shows your guest you put thought into EVERY detail they came into contact with.

I love the thank you for your guest located by the gift table, and an extra special dance floor art!


You wouldn't want to miss an opportunity to make your get away anything but memorable!

All images from Wedding Graffiti Collections. From top left:
Focal points
Monograms
Second row:
Both Black Tie
Third row:
Focal points
Black Tie
Last row:
Wedding Cars

Candy Buffets

I know the idea of a candy buffet is not new, but I love the look and feel of them. They add such a playful element to any wedding reception, as well as a great style choice. There are so many ways to do a candy buffet. You can play with all the colors of the rainbow or stick to your wedding colors. You can have a wide variety of candies or just one or two. You can also use a variety of container styles and sizes or keep a clean monochromatic look. The candy buffet pictured is one of my favorites. It is from a wedding I coordinated in February for Shane and Emily Burnett. They had a very playful feel to their elegant wedding. They use baby blue and bright cranberry as their wedding colors. Emily was inspired by the allure of spring when choosing her colors and flowers. I think their candy buffet is a great addition.

There is no wrong way to display a candy buffet. Have fun with it. Let it bring out the inner child in you.

What is the difference between a onsite coordinator and a Wedding Coordinator?

Why would I need someone else?

These questions come up frequently when I am speaking with Brides and Grooms who are starting their planning process. Having an on site coordinator at your venue is a huge asset. They have a ton of knowledge of the facility and what works best there. They have seen weddings done in many different ways in the same space, some probably more successful then others. They may know tricks and have ideas of how to make the space work, that someone coming in may not have. There is some overlap to what your wedding coordinator and on site coordinator do. This is wonderful, and how it should be! You want as many people working with you on your wedding day as possible.

I love working with on site coordinators. They have the knowledge of what works best for their space, staff, and with their restrictions. Great on site coordinators are a pleasure to work with. Working with great vendors makes my job that much easier. There are so many wonderful ones out there at the fantastic Seattle Venues. Kristin Shea at Hotel 1000 is a great example of an on site coordinator. She knows how to make the timing of a dinner or lunch wedding work for her staff and enjoyable for the bride and groom. She is able to get things that need to be done, done correctly and quickly.

An example of this, is I worked with Kristin at her last wedding at the Woodmark Hotel on Carilion Point, before she moved to Hotel 1000. The day was going flawlessly. The couple was successfully married, pictures were complete, and the evening was just getting going. Salad service had started and the bride and groom noticed that their parents tables were not served immediately after the head table. They wanted to honor their parents, and show respect to them by ensuring that they were served first. They called me over and let me know how important this was to them. Before entrees went out I ask Kristin if she could make sure that the two parents tables were the first to be served. She of course said yes. She stopped all servers on their way out the door to drop off their tables meals, and held them until the servers on the parent's table had gone first. This is a very small detail that may not matter to many, but to the bride and groom it was what they wanted. Because Kristin knew her facility and the way staff worked so she was able to make it happen for us.

This all sounds wonderful and all you need, is probably what you are thinking. Well, wonderful is correct! But the on site coordinator is just one small piece of the wedding day. What I do as a wedding coordinator is work with ALL your vendors to execute your wedding day flawlessly and exactly as you would like. I am there from the start of the day until the sweet end! I work with every aspect of your wedding day, not just the location. I know what time hair and make up are coming, and what room you are staying in. I know how you are getting to the ceremony and then to reception. I know what time your photographs are starting and who is supposed to be where at what time. I know how many tables there are supposed to be for cocktail hour, dinner, and dancing. I know your first dance song. I know who is taking your present home for you, and so much more!

I also make sure ALL your vendors are on the same page. They ALL understand how the days events are to go and what your vision for the day is. They each know their role in the day, because they have been shown the big picture by the coordinator. I make sure that ALL your vendors are going by the same timeline. Not your DJ has his, your on site has theirs, the photographer has theirs, and so on. They all go by mine. Making of my timeline is somewhat of a collaboration. I ask for their input ahead of time to make sure they are successful with the timeline I provide. If we get behind, which can happen on your wedding day, I make changes and update all you vendors. I get us back on track!

I am also the ONLY go to for ALL your vendors on and leading your wedding day. I know every detail and maybe more, that you have put into your wedding. I have had the most contact with you and all the vendors leading up to the wedding. I have been in contact with your on site coordinator at both the ceremony and reception site, your Photographer, Videographer, Officiant, Band, DJ, Ceremony musicians, Florist, Cake baker, Shuttle and Limo Driver, Hotel where your guest are staying, Rental companies, and any other vendor you are working with. If something was to go wrong, I am there with a solution. I have probably seen it before. It is my job to make sure that all your vendors stay on target with what you want. To create the day of your dreams. So you can relax, be the bride, and cherish the best day of your life!

Wedding Style in Photographs

Sean and Jenna's Wedding was an elegant, bold, young, and modern affair taking place on August 3rd, 2007. Jenna and I wanted to use the black and white color scheme to create a dramatic modern style. She used small touches in her shoes, and reception dress to create a young fun feel. The flowers were sophisticated and simple, which was perfect contrast to the patterned linens. The cake was square unlike the traditional round, with a simple black ribbon and the couple's monogram. The monogram was used throughout the whole wedding from the beginning to the end. They started with the invitations, menus, and programs, then continued through with the aisle runner and cake. The thoughtful wedding style made for a beautiful, elegant, unique celebration!

All Photographs by One Thousand Words Photography