• WedShare * Daily is brought to you by the creative force behind personal wedding website service WedShare.com and contributing bloggers passionate about each of their own areas of focus and expertise in wedding planning and the wedding industry.

    Online planning resources
    { Wedding Tech } is our blog's niche, but our contributors also cover all things wedding: eco-friendly ideas, inspirational boards, real weddings, and more.

    { Read more about us... }

  • Have comments? See a photo or quote we have improperly credited? Found a product, service, or vendor you would like us to review and blog about? Let us know!

    { Contact us here... }

{ OUR FAB SPONSORS }
  • WedShare.com

    Travelers Joy

    e-Plan Your Wedding

  • Your Ad Here

{ Soon-To-Be-Weds }


  • Marivic

    Wedding Planning Breaks


    Posted by Marivic on Wednesday, November 25, 2009    

    Breaks and leaves of absence should not apply just to school and work, but major projects too - like planning your wedding!  This is a major lesson learned through the course of my planning so far.

    Given 14 months from engagement to wedding date, it gave me too much time to over think every detail.  Six months into the planning, anything wedding-related became another thing to over-analyze.  In a way, it reminded me of college.  Each wedding-planning milestone was achieved after hours of endless research and analysis.   After attaining a photographer, I knew it was time for a break, a long after-summer break.

    With “Wedding Season” out of the way, I didn’t feel like I was going to miss anything anyway.  So I stopped all planning and research - including watching “Bridzilla” and “Say Yes to the Dress” On Demand (for the ideas… believe me, it was research…)!  And after 2 months of absent-minded bliss, I feel like I’ve caught my second wind.

    I’ve already planned for my next breaks, 3 weeks in January and another 3 weeks in April.  So for those of you who have a lot of time to plan, just remember to use that time to your advantage.  Take lots of breaks, or if you can’t - then go “research” your honeymoon locations on-site, that should help!  Happy planning!

    Filed Under { Soon-To-Be-Weds } { Read My Blog } { Post Your Comment }
  • Meghan

    One dress or two? The great bride debate!


    Posted by Meghan on Monday, November 2, 2009    

    A pretty hot trend for many brides to be is a bit of variety when it comes to their wedding dress.  By variety I mean choosing & wearing 2, or sometimes more, different wedding dresses on your wedding day!  For the baby boomer generation this is a hard concept to grasp.  To be quite honest, I am not quite sure I understand it either.  However, it is becoming so common that it is worth discussing.  As you’ll see, I myself have a pretty valid reason for learning more about this trend.

    If any of you have had the chance to check out my bio page you may have seen that Daryl & I are tying the knot this upcoming February, in the middle of winter.  There is such a reason for what might seem to many as our apparent madness to get married in a month where it is well below freezing.  Simply put, Daryl & I love winter and more specifically love skiing.  We love skiing so much that we are going to actually go skiing on our wedding day.   We are going to hit the slopes immediately following our ceremony and before our reception begins.  And yes, to answer the final question you are for sure wondering by now, we are going to ski in our full wedding attire;  Daryl in his tuxedo, me in my wedding dress.   Thus you see my curiosity in at least exploring the topic of multiple wedding dresses.

    As far as I understand it, this trend of brides purchasing and wearing more than one bridal gown originated based on the idea that many brides recognized that they would want something more formal to wear during their ceremony, and something more relaxing, flexible or informal (informal may or may not be code for more  comfortable) for the reception to let loose and celebrate in.    I have actually been to a wedding like this, where the bride wore a different gown to the reception than what was worn at the ceremony.   For the sake of comfort, it makes sense; however, for the wallets of some brides, and maybe even the emotional and sentimentality of others,  it may not make much sense.

    Of course, besides the sentimentality and emotion that could be tied to a dress that you will spend the biggest day of your life in, there is also the rational side of each bride that wants to save some $$.  Wedding dresses, just like almost everything else in the bridal industry do not come at a cheap price.  If you are a bargain hunter you could certainly find a ‘cheap’ dress at an outlet or chain store like David’s Bridal for $500 or less, or even about $100 if the dress or style has been discontinued.  However, if you don’t shop at one of the less expensive boutiques, want a name brand or choose a dress that is not discontinued you are easily looking at $500 on the very inexpensive end.    Top designers, customized dresses or top bridal boutiques could easily have you spending well over a grand to a few thousand for the ‘perfect’ dress.  So, if you take this expense, and multiply it by 2 or even more the costs add up even more rapidly.

    If not for the financial benefit of only spending money for a wedding dress once,there is also the emotional attachment a bride may have to the ideal wedding dress once you actually find it.   Of course, if a bride has two dresses, she may or may not be as ‘emotionally tied’ to either.  What exactly do I mean by ‘emotionally tied’?  I am simply referring to a feeling that I am sure many women can relate to.   Remember when you were younger and you had a new outfit that you really liked and were very excited to wear? Perhaps that special outfit was for a special day or occasion or just something you thought looked fantastic in.   Well, whenever I have this feeling, which was  more common as  teenager but still happens in my adulthood, I look forward to wearing the fun new exciting outfit for as long as possible.  Naturally, this is exactly how I feel about my wedding dress! I have never been a dress kinda gal but you only get married once and I definitely plan on wearing my dress for as long as possible and enjoying every minute of it.   (Actually, this already happens each time I am at the bridal store and try on my dress!) So call me traditional or old fashioned (most people don’t) , perhaps there is something I am still missing but I feel ‘emotionally tied’ to my wedding dress and do not want to share this emotion with a second wedding dress and have to split the time.

    So despite the ‘athletic’ challenge that Daryl and I are giving ourselves on our upcoming wedding day I believe I am going to stick with the ‘traditional’ route and only wear one dress on my wedding day.  The same beautiful big & full gown I will marry Daryl in will be the same dress that I will ski in, which will be the same dress I celebrate in and dance in at our reception.  My dress is a Maggie Sottero dress, www.maggiesottero.com , nice and full with lots of pick ups,  so when I say big & full I really mean it.  I am sure I will need some help from Daryl and the groomsmen who will be skiing with us to help me ski and get down the slope to prevent me from tripping over the fine pair of skis I will also be sporting.   But despite this thrill I am giving myself on my wedding day and the extra difficulty my large wedding dress will add to the scenario I am still going to wear the same dress all day.  My excuse to wear two dresses would be just about as valid as another other I have ever heard, but I am choosing one husband and having only one wedding so I figure one dress should be good enough.

    Please share your thoughts on the two dress concept and whether or not you will have one wedding dress or two!

    Filed Under { Fashion, Soon-To-Be-Weds } { Read My Blog } { Post Your Comment }
  • Meghan

    The wide world of INVITATIONS


    Posted by Meghan on Tuesday, September 22, 2009    

    Check another thing off of my checklist!   Invitations.

    Choosing invitations might seem like one of the simplest and perhaps mundane tasks involved in planning a wedding.  I certainly thought it would be.  I was under the false impression that picking out invitations involved choosing a few words or phrases that we were good with, a color or two that matched our winter theme and a general style that we liked.  I figured with all of the other decisions involving our event that invitations would be low on my list in terms of the time given to each particular task.  Wow, was I wrong.  Thank God we have a great wedding planner with a lot of patience.

    We set out a few weeks ago to begin the task of choosing our invites at one of our appointments with our wedding planner.  I knew they had books upon books from every company under the sun with thousands of different styles, colors, inserts, word & font choices to choose from.  Despite this, I just figured I wouldn’t care that much and we would quickly find what we wanted.  Now, 4 plus weeks later, our invitations are finally off to the printer!

    But, given the confusion and incredible # of options available to couples when picking their invitations I thought I could shed some light on this task and offer some tips now that we have been through this process.

    1.  Have an idea of what you want before you begin the formal decision process!

    Daryl and I had a brief idea of what we were looking for before we started.  We knew what colors we wanted, navy blue, white, silver or even a light ice blue.   Any variations of those colors would have been fine for us.  We also had a pretty good idea of the wording we wanted, simple.  We didn’t want anything too religious or too formal.  We also knew we might want a design that added to the winter theme.  We ended up choosing snowflakes.   Also, have at least a small awareness of the different design and style options that are available.  There are thousands!  So, before sitting down to officially choose and invitation first explore your options a bit and ask yourself these questions.

    What colors do I want?

    What design or logo do I want?  Perhaps your monogram?  A seasonal design? A themed design?

    Do I want an invitation with flaps and inserts?

    Do I want a standard invitation with no inserts or flaps that is more simple?

    Do you want an inner & outer envelope?

    A good place to start is any website that caters to the engaged.  Most wedding companies and websites have sample invitations or ideas on their sites.  This way you can explore your options before going into a store or looking at a book.  The two companies whose book we looked at at our reception site were www.carlsoncraft.com & www.birchcraft.com You can go to their website & find a dealer in your area.  Remember, if you are looking through a manufacturer’s book, a lot of these style decisions will already be dictated to you based on the style you chose.

    2.   Once you start the process, keep it simple!

    Through the awesome suggestion of our planner, the night Daryl and I officially started looking at invitations, meaning we were now in serious decision mode, we each took a big invitation book and earmarked pages that we liked, separately.  The first time around we were only looking at the style of each invitation, not the details.  This simplified things a great deal because we each got to choose what we liked individually without each others influence.  This is how we did it the first time around.  Once we both went through all of the books, we went through each book together and started eliminating.  We compared two at a time and the one we liked the least of the two was eliminated until we were left with only 1 invitation style in all of the books!! Once we got to this point we felt like we had made huge progress; however, we still had to decide on the wording, the colors, the monogram and the amount of inserts we wanted.

    3. Take it one step at a time.

    Once you and your fiance decide on a style, the next step is to pick out the smaller less noticeable details.  If you are looking through the book of a stationary manufacturer, the book will be coded and provide all of the details.  For instance, the book will list what colors the invitation is available in, as well as the different font choices available to you.  The good part is some choices will already be eliminated, the downside is it may be an option you really wanted.  If this is the case, you have to pick another style.  Fonts & layout options for the style you pick should also be listed in the stationary book.

    You will also want to pay attention to how many lines are available on each part of the invitation.  You don’t want to get too wordy.  Plus, extra lines, usually means extra $$.  The style you chose will probably also have a couple of layout options.  So pick your style, your color, your font, your layout and if it is an invitation with inserts you must decide how many inserts you will have and what will be on them. Generally, with inserts, there is one for the reception, the ceremony, directions to your event and generally one for the accommodations.   You may also have another insert for your wedding registry or any other pertinent information you think your guests should know.  If you are choosing a simpler invitation, without inserts, all of the information guests need to know must be printed on one surface.  You can always add your own customized insert to put in the envelope once your invitations are printed.   In either case, you should include the web address to your wedding website if you have one, this way guests who use the internet can go and get more details than what you were able to fit on your invite.

    4.  Don’t get overwhelmed or rush a decision!

    With any task regarding wedding planning people have the tendency to get overwhelmed, invitations are no different.  Remind yourself, as Daryl & I did when we felt overwhelmed by the abundance of choices that no one who is invited to your wedding knows what the invitation could have looked like if you had chosen another font, color, style or choice of wording.  The only thing they will see is the decision you made, not all of the other vast options you were once considering.   Honestly, even if they did,  remember, it wouldn’t make much of a difference.   I hate to be so blunt, but most people upon receiving an invitation don’t read and scrutinize every single word, instead they scan for the important information, reply yes or no, and hang it up on their fridge to go unread until the event nears.   The people who care the most about your invitation are not your guests, but you, your fiance and both of your parents.  So choose what you like, not what you think will look the best to your guests.   You will be the one who puts the invitation in a scrapbook for years to come, its not as likely that your guests will! Remember, if you get too frustrated or overwhelmed, walk away! All of your decisions  do not have to be made in one sitting.  It’s okay to come back and finish another time.  Remember, you are only going to get married once,  so every single thing you do to plan your wedding should be fun! Once it gets stressful  you need to quit temporarily and remind yourself why you are getting married in the first place! It is certainly not to cause stress, so have fun with it and enjoy all of the possibilities!

    Simply put,  when it comes to decisions regarding your wedding, with all of the incredible options available to couples these days,  its almost impossible to make a wrong decision.  Formal wedding invitations are no exception, so enjoy the endless possibilities and have fun making the best invitation for you and your fiance!

    Filed Under { Soon-To-Be-Weds } { Read My Blog } { Post Your Comment }
  • Marivic

    Choosing a Photographer


    Posted by Marivic on Thursday, September 10, 2009    

    As a bride-to-be with no experience in hiring photographers (except for the one I chose for my senior high school picture), the task of finding one to capture one of the most important days of my life seemed impossible.  There are so many photographers out there, where would we begin?

    At the advice of my boss, I treated this task just as I would for a project.  I researched, documented and reviewed before making this decision.

    Research

    1.  I used the internet to search for local photographers in wedding websites such as theknot.com, weddingchannel.com, etc.  I also went to bridal events and expos to talk to photographers and view their albums.  And there’s nothing like word-of-mouth.  If you know anyone who’s gotten married recently, or know someone who knows someone - get their opinion!

    2.  I went directly to some of the photographer’s websites to view their style and quality of photography.

    3.  For those that had pictures and styles I liked, I searched reviews for them on wedding websites like weddingwire.com and searched their company name on Google to find anything else about them.

    Spreadsheet

    1.  On the spreadsheet, we had 7 columns: Company Name, Contact Info, Pricing for package of 8 hrs & 2 photographers, Additional stuff package includes, Initial Review, Post-Interview Comments, Rating.

    2. For each of the photography companies that we were mildly interested in, we completed our spreadsheet, making sure to be completely honest in the Initial Review column where we described what we think of the photos we had seen online or if we met them at a bridal event/expo - what our first impressions were.  Based on our first impressions, we started contacting photographers.

    Interviews

    1.  Initial contact was always made by email - verifying pricing and experience taking photos at our venues.

    2.  If the price was around our range, and they had experience with our venues, then we made phone calls - to get a sense of the photographer’s personality.  Sometimes you can tell if they really care about what you want for your wedding or if they really want you to spend as much money as they can get from you (sometimes it’s really obvious, it’s almost like talking to someone trying to sell you a car…).  All this info was added onto our spreadsheet under Post-Interview Comments.

    3.  For those with more easy-going personalities that clicked with us, we went for face-to-face interviews to view pictures they’ve done at our venues, talk about photography styles, and of course the details of our wedding.  By then we went on to rate those that we met with.

    Decision

    Using our spreadsheet, comparing the ratings of those that we interviewed face-to-face, prices and what the packages included - we made our decision.

     

    FYI for those in the Seattle area, we went with Jen and Jody Photography (www.jenandjody.com).  They met all our requirements and more.  They also are such great people, we already know we’re going to enjoy working with them!

    Filed Under { Photography and Videography, Soon-To-Be-Weds } { Read My Blog } { 2 Comments }
  • Meghan

    The Countdown Is On…


    Posted by Meghan on Wednesday, August 19, 2009    

    6 months; 184 days; 4,416 hours; 264,960 minutes. Okay, enough of that. You get the point: our wedding is getting closer and closer. The 6 month mark for Daryl and I was just a week ago, on the 13th.  The 6 month mark may be the point where some brides might officially begin freaking out. Not me. Now, don’t get me wrong…I have been known to get emotionally stressed, but looking forward I feel pretty confident. Check back in a few months and see if I still feel the same way. Personally, my moments of worry usually come right before, during, or after an appointment with our planner or one of our vendors. Daryl and I are just so busy, we go weeks without doing anything and then cram before and right after a wedding related meeting. But, freak out or not, by this point there are a certain amount of things a bride and groom should have complete by this point. Perhaps not all of the details, but the major stuff anyway, which require down payments, reservations etc. Here’s a quick run down of a list. Feel free to check the list and measure my progress against your own:

    The MUST HAVES:

    ceremony location / reception hall
    wedding date invitationchecklist

    VENDORS (not necessary for everyone, depends on preference and your event)

    photographer

    1. portrait decisions, locations etc.
    2. payment

    videographer

    1. payment

    dj / band

    1. list of music
    2. payment

    florist (in house for our venue)

    1. bouquets, boutonnieres, centerpieces, ceremony decor
    2. payment

    cake artist / baker (in house & included for our venue)

    1. payment

    caterer & bar tender (in house & included in our case)

    1. menu decisions (buffet style, sit down dinner, dessert bar, specialty desert table,
    2. bar options (open bar, partially open, limited, closed etc.)

    wedding officiant, minister, pastor, lay person etc.

    1. ceremony details
    2. payment

    OTHER / MISCELLANEOUS (not all are necessary)

    wedding theme

    wedding dress

    1. fitting(s)
    2. payment

    formal wear, tuxedos for men

    1. fitting
    2. payment

    bridesmaids dresses

    1. fittings
    2. payment

    wedding registry

    save-the-dates

    invite list

    website

    invitations

    schedule of events

    table decor

    place cards

    seating arrangements (if necessary)

    wedding favors

    honeymoon

    Daryl and I have an appointment tomorrow evening with our wedding planner. Hopefully when we get home, we will have another thing or two crossed off from the list!

    Filed Under { Soon-To-Be-Weds } { Read My Blog } { Post Your Comment }
  • Meghan

    It’s ALL About the Benjamins Baby!!


    Posted by Meghan on Monday, August 10, 2009    

    Weddings are probably not what Sean P. Diddy Comes, formerly Puff Daddy, etc. etc., had in mind when he came out with that famously catchy rap tune; but they sure can require a lot of benjamins! Fortunately, Daryl & I aren’t as scraped as some may be when it comes to our wedding budget. We are lucky enough to have generous parents who are forking over most of the benjamins required to have the wedding. Yet, despite this, benjamins have still been on my mind lately. Even though we are fortunate enough not to be paying for most of our wedding, there are still some important decisions to be made that require some creative accounting and decision-making regarding the benjamins. Here are my current $$ issues and my decisions, or lack there of, regarding them.

    Benjamin $$$ issue #1. Wedding rings. Since weddings rings are meant to symbolize your marriage and your love I have absolutely no problem shelling out the benjamins $$ for our wedding rings. I fully expected to pay a decent price for the rings Daryl and I will forever wear. While this expense could potentially be a large one, depending on the preferences of the to-be wed couple it shouldn’t catch anyone by surprise. Obviously, I have known since we were engaged that this expense was not far off and Daryl and I would be paying for it. This expense, while a large one, is taken care of and saved for. In conclusion, wedding rings: a large amount of benjamins $$$, but doable and expected, not a hidden cost by any means. I can deal with that. Decision: easily spend the benjamins $$$ baby.

    It's ALL about the BENJAMINS!

    It's ALL about the BENJAMINS!

    Benjamin $$$ issue # 2. Honeymoon. If you have been able to browse our website www.meghananddaryl.com you might notice that Daryl and I still haven’t come to a final decision on a honeymoon destination. Officially we have decided it will be a ski getaway. What else is there for two ski nuts like us getting married in the middle of winter? We have also decided it will be in the state of CO in one of those adorable little ski towns like Aspen, Vail or Breckenridge. However, all of this still remains somewhat unofficial for now because we haven’t yet decided on a specific place to stay in any of these towns, nor on a specified budget. I have been saving some money slowly to put to use for our honeymoon. Yet, with the other wedding-related expenses, saving money in general has now become a little harder. To further complicate things, we have not yet decided if we are going to allow guests to contribute to our honeymoon via a honeymoon registry. So all in all, the whole honeymoon thing registers pretty large on the Benjamin scale. Man, I wish there was an all-inclusive ski resort! To sum it up, honeymoon: an expected and not hidden cost but not yet doable and/or entirely paid for. Decision: spend the benjamins $$$, within reason, when you have them…key but vital part.

    Benjamin $$$ issue #3. Ironically, reason #3 for me is the most minimal of the cash related issues that I am most concerned with lately; however, it is a gray area because it involves not an expense for me but for my bridal party. In fact, it is the entire reason I have decided to feature today’s post on this issue; I have literally been toying over this decision for months, so much so that it has caused me to procrastinate in telling the girls to go ahead and order their bridesmaids dresses. The debate is whether or not to pay for a portion of the girls dresses and if so, how much? Yes I know, when my best friends agreed to be in our wedding they knew they were going to incur some expenses, largely the cost of their dress. However, a few months ago, mainly when I was more financially optimistic, I was ready, able and willing to pay for a portion of the dress for my each of my girls. This was especially more true once we found the dress they would wear because it was a little pricier than I had hoped. So I decided I would pay a portion of the dress costs for each of the girls, insert amount here X 6, knowing for sure it would be a large help to some of them. But of course, me being famous among those who know me for my indecisiveness, I couldn’t decide on the proper amount especially considering my multiplier of 6. Well as I toiled over this thought more and more time went on. And as I very briefly alluded to, my other personal expenses got greater and more foreboding. Now, with the dresses still unordered, and the wedding getting closer and closer, I am unsure what to do. Should I take on some of the cost myself, even if it means going out of my budget due to recent unexpected and expected costs, both wedding and non-wedding related? Or should I let the girls pay for their own dress since they never knew I was planning on paying for a portion of it at all? Or should I let the girls pay for the dress themselves and reimburse them once I get my own budget back on track? Lastly, I could also just get them bigger and better bridesmaids gifts.  Who knows? These are some of the thoughts going through my mind. In conclusion: bridesmaids dresses, not an expected cost, a volunteer cost therefore, perhaps hidden and low on the benjamin $$$ scale. Decision: not yet made. Please feel free to share your opinion….

    Filed Under { Soon-To-Be-Weds } { Read My Blog } { Post Your Comment }
  • Marivic

    Narrowing down colors


    Posted by Marivic on Saturday, August 8, 2009    

    We’re an indecisive couple, and choosing colors or a theme for our wedding hasn’t been easy.

    One way that we’ve narrowed it down is visiting our wedding and reception sites with colors in mind. After visiting these sites, at least we’ve narrowed down what won’t work - colors that would clash with the decor or color scheme of the venue.

    If anyone has any tips to narrow down our decision even further, I’d love to know!

    Filed Under { Soon-To-Be-Weds } { Read My Blog } { 1 Comment }
  • Marivic

    Save the Date… and your money!


    Posted by Marivic on Friday, July 17, 2009    

    Save the Dates – they’re not required, but would be a courteous gesture to your guests, especially for couples who hope to have out-of-towners attend, or are planning a destination wedding.

    So maybe you’re thinking that you’re already shelling out the cash for fancy invitations, or will be spending a lot of time on DIY invites, do you even have the extra money or time to have Save the Dates?

    Before you pass on this optional step of the wedding process, visit Vistaprint.com. Personally, I wasn’t planning on having Save the Dates, but after viewing this site and seeing all the discounts, I almost couldn’t help it.

    Vistaprint logoUsing Vistaprint to order your Save the Dates will save you both money and time. Just register your email address to receive their promotions, and soon you will receive discounts and special offers – like 100 free postcards! You can order more at discounted rates, and order other free items in the meantime – like a free car magnet?

    It’s also a pretty quick process from choosing what you want (postcard/magnets/letterhead, whatever), selecting the design and entering your info to actually receiving your order.

    I made my Save the Date order of 200 small magnets, 250 postcards, plus an additional 100 free postcards within an hour or so. I received my order only after 1 week, even though I chose the standard shipping. Best of all, this set me back just $55.47 with discounts from one of the emails I received from them!

    Marivic & Greg's Save the Date

    Marivic & Greg's Save the Date

    Don’t worry if it’s so far in advance that you haven’t decided colors or themes yet (neither have I), they have templates you can choose from. You can make your Save the Dates as generic or fancy as you’d like – add pictures, your own designs or make free caricatures of you and your partner to add on.

    Also, if you change your mind after you’ve already ordered, you can cancel – within a reasonable amount of time - and receive a credit to your Vistaprint account for a future order.

    Filed Under { DIY Weddings, Soon-To-Be-Weds, Stationery, Wedding Tech } { Read My Blog } { Post Your Comment }
  • Marivic

    Seattle-Area Reception Sites for 300 w/Free Parking


    Posted by Marivic on Thursday, July 16, 2009    

    Finding a reception site can be daunting, but finding one that can accommodate 300 or more guests can be even tougher, especially on a budget.

    After doing a lot of research online, in magazines and in local guide books, we ended up viewing 3 locations that fit our needs.  Here’s a little info on the 2 runner-ups (you’ll see the winner in a post later) that were able to fit 300 banquet/standing reception-style, had free parking for guests and didn’t cost an arm and a leg to book:

    The Spirit of Washington Event Center

     

    Spirit of Washington Event Center - Ceremony

    Spirit of Washington Event Center - Ceremony

    - Renton, WA

    Accommodates:  450+
    Parking: limited free parking available across the street, street parking is free for 2 hours before 6 p.m. or unlimited hours after 6 p.m. and Sundays.  Parking garage available just a few feet away for a fee.
    Catering: The Spirit of Washington Catering - the staff was professional and responded quickly to my emails.  Pricing for both the venue and catering were very reasonable.

    Spirit of Washington Evenet Center - Reception

    Spirit of Washington Event Center - Reception

    Site Notes:
    This location is pretty easy to find from I-5 - a short 10 or 15 minute drive from downtown Seattle.  Although it’s surrounded by one-way streets - if you miss it, you have to go all the way around the block.  The event center itself looks fairly new and has a courtyard in front of it with a small fountain and a couple of benches.  One thing that was a bit unappealing from the outside was that the event center is flanked on the North and East side of the building by the Renton Transit Center, though you wouldn’t really be able to see the bus riders waiting out there from inside the venue because the huge floor to ceiling windows face South and West (the East windows are or can be covered up) .  Inside, you can tell that way more than 300 people can fit for a reception - there’s enough room for both a ceremony and reception!  And with all that space and high ceilings, it could give you a lot of room to be creative.

    University of Washington Horticulture Center

     

    UW Horticulture Center Courtyard

    UW Horticulture Center Courtyard

    - Seattle, WA

    Accommodates: 200 (I know, way below 300, but this place can work if you’re doing a standing reception)
    Parking: plenty of free parking available in their lot
    Catering: provide your own - kitchen is available

    UW Horticulture Center - NHS Hall

    UW Horticulture Center - NHS Hall

    Site Notes: Only UW Alumni are able to book this venue.  The difficulty in finding this place may vary, and depending on if there’s some kind of game, event or problems with the 520 bridge, there may be a lot of traffic you’ll have to fight through.  Otherwise, the venue itself is cute.  There is a courtyard with small trees and shrubbery, a glass room you can rent in addition to the hall to use as a bar or lounge area.  I know two couples that had their reception here, one of them also had their ceremony here too - and as a guest of their weddings during the hot July and August months, the courtyard was a blessing for the guests!

    These two sites were our high on our list of possible reception sites both because the venues had what we needed (accomodation of 300 people and free parking), and were spaces that we could be pretty creative with.  With the exception of the catering being attached to the first venue, both places would be great for a do-it-yourself (DIY) or budget wedding, which were two more things that we were initially aiming for.

    [images from Spirit of Washington Event Center and UW websites]

    Filed Under { Soon-To-Be-Weds, Venues } { Read My Blog } { Post Your Comment }
  • Crystal

    Welcoming Our Soon-to-be-Weds!


    Posted by Crystal on Wednesday, July 15, 2009    

    Hello everyone, and thank you for visiting our new blog! I just wanted to give a great big thanks to our very first soon-to-be-wed contributors:

    Marivic and Greg

    Marivic and Greg

    Marivic has traveled throughout the United States and the world to places like Spain and the Philippines, and has also had the opportunity to travel as a soldier in the US Army Reserve. Now she’s traveling home to Seattle, WA to marry her fiance Greg.

    Meghan

    Meghan and Daryl

    Meghan and her fiance Daryl will be getting married in a winter wedding in Nazareth, PA. They like to ski, cycle, in-line-skate, play softball, and even make their own wine for family and friends. Since they’re both avid skiers, they have (naturally) decided to ski, after their wedding ceremony, in full wedding attire! Wow!

    We can’t wait to hear about all your planning adventures, guys!

    Filed Under { Soon-To-Be-Weds } { Read My Blog } { Post Your Comment }
{ INTRODUCING... }
  • CrystalJason
{ ARCHIVES }