What better way to start the week than with this incredibly beautiful event. With rich textures, a stunning venue and plenty of personal touches, it is the perfect blend of vintage charm and rustic elegance. The setting for this wedding was a well known Seattle weekend getaway, the Alderbrook Resort and Spa, nestled along the shore of Washington’s Hood Canal.
Since the groom is a restauranteur in Seattle, the couple wanted to incorporate several herbs and vegetables into the arrangements in addition to succulents, dusty miller and lilies. The boxes were handmade using 120 year old clear grain cedar with hammered hinge accents.
The bride added a personal touch with her homemade jams with handwritten thank-you notes to the guests.
Instead of using a traditional guest book, the bride and groom chose to incorporate a thumbprint tree. Guests chose from purple and grey stamp pads and signed next to their fingerprint.
Floral Design: Four Winds Weddings & Events
Thumbprint Tree: Kirsten of Four Winds Weddings & Events
Recently one of our Washington brides came to us and mentioned that she had received a early wedding gift of 200 apples from a farmer in her community. She was not quite sure how she was going to work these apples into her wedding decor and she wasn’t completely convinced that she wanted to… The gift was just offered. We saw it as a great opportunity for creative design. There is no end to the amazing floral designs that can be created with an accent of seasonal fruit, or, if you want to be bold and daring, you can also add a dash of fresh vegetables.
According to Catherine Muller, a french floral designer recognized globally for her avant-garde designs, “Fruits and vegetables, always a key ingredient in the French bouquet, are especially au courant {current} this season.”
While an assortment of fruits appear in stylish designs coming out of urban centers around the globe, many couples are just starting to experiment with these sumptuous textures in their wedding floral designs. Aubergine Mission figs, kumquat branches, yellow cherry tomatoes, and Redbar kale are just a few of the unique ingredients that are now being paired with floral blooms in a variety of different designs. Parisian floral design masters were on to something great when they incorporated these common farmers market items to create tres magnifique bouquets. Meander through your own local farmers market to find seasonal fruits and vegetables that will add sophisticated charm to your wedding day designs. If you are having a destination wedding in Costa Rica, wouldn’t it be fun to incorporate tropical fruit into your floral designs?
Photo Credits 1. Kirsten Juntunen | Four Winds Weddings & Events 2. Ariella Chezar 3. Teresa Halton Photography via Style me Pretty
Are you feeling the tax day blues? Here are some uplifting wedding ideas for those couples with newly revised wedding budgets. First we start with some gratuitous puppy pictures of our two golden retrievers:
…and the ever-popular DIY photobooth for those looking for a great, affordable way to create vintage prints
Four Winds Weddings& Events is excited to announce the giveaway of a luxury couples package valued at over $3200. The package includes a five night stay in a king room poolside at Los Altos de Eros Luxury Inn and Spa. This 5 star hotel has received top honors fromTrip Advisor community. In 2010 alone, it was rated #1 Central/South America in Luxury, #2 Central/South America in Service, #4 Top 10 Luxury Hotels of the World. Perched on one of the highest hills in the area, the hotel offers stunning mountain and ocean views throughout the property. The yoga studio is an opened air, Zen-inspired structure that allows for ultimate peace and serenity. Included in the package is 2 days at Los Altos de Eros Spa, as well as a day cruise for two on The Blue Dolphin, an all-inclusive catamaran.
Photo credit: Toh Gouttenoire of Bi-Drop Photography
The drawing will take place on April 30th. To enter to win this package please fill out the giveaway submission found here. Limit one submission per person. We will announce the winner live on our website and on ourfacebook fan pageat 6pm pacific time on 4/30/10. Check our blog at that time to see if you have won the vacation of a lifetime.
Picture this: As your wedding winds down, all of your guests have that warm and fuzzy feeling as they gaze into the summer night sky. Their smiles widen and their eyes glow from the flaming sky lantern that just took flight. Messages expressing admiration for you as a couple and tips of wisdom for present and future romantically involved couples, soar up into the star filled abyss.
Not only is the release of sky lanterns a wonderfully romantic way to end your wedding day, you will also be continuing an age old tradition and creating lifetime memories for your guests. For centuries,the practice of releasing sky lanterns has been tradition in celebratory festivals and ceremonies throughout the Far East. In more recent years sky lanterns have been released at a variety of different gatherings for their beauty, their symbolism of love and just for the fun of it. With their growing popularity around the globe, the tradition has taken on new meaning and new elements have been incorporated. For example, at a wedding, guests could write meaningful messages on the lanterns and as they are released into the sky their messages could be read out loud to the bride and groom and all of their guests.
When making the decision to use sky lanterns there are a few thing that are important to keep in mind. First of all, make sure that you are selecting an environmentally friendly product. Sky lanterns are now produced with 100% biodegradable material. You will want to look for a product that does not use any metal wire (potentially harmful to creatures, large and small)! You will also want to look for lanterns that are flame resistant and crafted out of rice paper or any safe material that rapidly disintegrates.
Another thing to keep in mind before you purchase these lanterns, make sure you are going to have the appropriate venue to incorporate this type of ceremony. Lastly, on the day of your event you will have to make sure that the weather is cooperating. If it is raining or there are strong winds, the lanterns ceremony will have to be cancelled. You can, however, always give the lanterns to your guests. They make excellent parting gifts! You will want to have gift bags or ribbon ready in case of a last minute change of plans. For their beauty, symbolism of love, and because they are simply stellar, sky lanterns are perfect for any evening wedding or party!
Spring showers bring a variety of summertime stunners to gardens throughout Western Washington. Eye-catching pods, layered fragrant petals, and an abundance of brilliant colors pop out after months of nature’s TLC. These stunning blooms and textures are a wonderful complement to any Washington event. When using fresh local flowers for decor, your guests will enjoy being surrounded by the bounty your area has to offer. This is also the best way to insure you are choosing the freshest and most affordable blooms in your locale. We have compiled a list of some of our favorite seasonal stunners that are widely available throughout Washington in the summer months. For fall and winter flower offerings, be sure to check out our Seasonal Flower Guide (Part 1)
