What 2017 will Bring!

Well it's officially 2017! Read or not here we come. The ladies of Elegant Affairs are ready to take this wedding season by storm.

Right now we are gearing up for the Seattle Wedding (Learn more about the Seattle Wedding here on the bog!) and then as of right now we kick off our wedding season in March.

What I am most excited about is the addition of three new associate wedding planners (Emily, Lisa and Mimi). if you are coming to the Wedding Show at the Washington State Convention in 2 weeks then you will meet all of these incredible ladies. You will instantly fall in love with everyone of them. I am so honored to have them part of Elegant Affairs' future. They can't wait to start their own journey with our 2017 and 2018 couples.

Something you are hearing about first is the roll out of our new online client workbook. We have been working on this for a few weeks and it was finally finished tonight. If you are one of our lucky couples, make sure you check your inbox tomorrow as you will be able to get your hot little hands on our latest creation we are so proud of. Our goal is for this "workbook" to is let our clients be a little more interactive with their own wedding planning.

I have a little secret, well I guess it's not all that quiet especially if you have been on our Web site, but we are about to introduce our Mentorship Program (official name TBD). This has been my baby of sorts that I have been working on and off for some time. Over the years, we have received inquiries from individuals interested in becoming a wedding planner which gave me the idea for this program. I am not committing to a specific date when this will be introduced, but trust me you will know when it does. If you are interested, send us an e-mail to info@elegnataffairswa.com and we will add you to our mailing list.

A few of our 2016 goals that we will be continuing this year is working more from our new office location and "trying" to work less from home. It's a constant struggle but I am always working on finding a good balance between work and family especially when we are deep in the wedding season. One thing that really helped was taking Sundays off and only committing each of our planners including myself to one wedding/event per weekend. We have received great feedback from our clients and this is one of our selling points when meeting with potential clients. Ultimately, we want to give each of our clients 100% of our attention for their event with no distractions.

We are so excited for anything that comes our way in 2017 and ready for any challenge! 

A Year in Review

It's hard to believe that 2016 will be over in a few short hours as 2017 is busting its way out. We would like to remember all of the great things that happened over the past year.

We would love to thank all 26 of our 2016 EA couples who allowed us to be part of their wedding planning journey and we are forever grateful for the relationships we formed even long past your wedding day. And to our 2017 couples, now it's your year!!! Cheers to you!

Also, we are nothing without all of our amazing vendors. We couldn't have been able to pull off any of our incredible weddings without you. We are looking forward working with you again and again.

This was also a bittersweet year as we had to say goodbye to a few of our key team members. Both Rachel and Jen moved across the country and Melissa received a promotion at her full-time position. We wish them all of the best and love them dearly. But it wasn't all sad because we welcomed Emily back and brought in Lisa and Mimi. All three of these associate wedding planners are ready to take 2017 by storm!

This year was also a year of many firsts, we traveled outside of the continental United States to coordinate a wedding in Maui and we expanded to an actual physical location even with a few speed bumps it was the best decision for our company.

As many of you many know if you follow us on Social Media, then you are quite aware of our office location problems, but the best news is that we found our brand new location in Lakewood and couldn't be happier. Make sure you stop on by and we would love to give you a tour.

Wow 2016 you were awesome! Now as we are about to enter 2017 we are ready for that this year has in store. Stay tuned till tomorrow when we talk about what 2017 means for Elegant Affairs.

Creating a Winter Wonderland Wedding

Don’t avoid a winter wedding if you can’t find a décor palette that will be aesthetically pleasing. There are so many different ways to make your space gorgeous and unique without going into holiday color scheme mode. One of our favorite themes from 2016 is incorporating greenery with gold accents, among a few other ideas that we always love to see. We’ve highlighted all our favorite winter décor themes below!

Greenery. The biggest theme for the 2016 season is the utilization of greenery. Plants like eucalyptus and ferns are an excellent addition to your centerpiece décor, as well as spread out anywhere else you desire in your space. You can ask your florist to create garlands for you to use as you wish. For example, for Josh and Jessica’s November 2016 wedding, their florist created a stunning garland to drape around the circular platform where they recited their vows to each other during their ceremony. This was such an extraordinary way to incorporate that touch of greenery into their incredible wedding décor.   

Van Wyhe Photography

Bold colors. Design your day around a bold color of your choosing. Rich colors such as deep, peacock blue, emerald, burgundy and plum are wonderful base colors to build the rest of your palette around. If you choose a warm, deep color like of the these however, make sure to add accents that don’t rival the intensity of the color you decide to use. Remember; the simpler the better. A little bit goes a long way!

Gold accents. Another huge hit this season was the use of gold accents. Gold is the perfect way to offset your bold color choice if you end up deciding to go that route. Speckled gold votives, gold candlesticks or gold etched white china are all perfect ways to add that touch of gold into your décor. Gold accents look magnificent under soft candlelight, creating a delicate glow warm and inviting for everyone attending your event.

Alante Photography

White. White has slowly been making a comeback in the wedding world, especially amongst bridesmaid dresses, and spilling over into overall décor. We love seeing classic white linens and soft white flowers throughout a space. Try not to go with stark white though. If you are gravitating toward this theme, try to find an off white, such as ivory, gray whites or creamy whites. If you decide to use more white over general color in your overall theme, make sure to break up the consistent color scheme with pops of soft accents here and there. In fact, creamy whites and ivory whites are a perfect backdrop for gold accents!

Scott Drexler Photography

All of these ideas can be used individually, or even together, to create your ideal wedding day décor. Any way you decide to use them, the overall atmosphere will be one of soft romance, and a perfect way to celebrate your special day with your other half.