A Look Back | Sunset Garden Wedding | Rock Creek Gardens

One of the first questions I ask my couples is that is their vision for their wedding. For Genisha it was simple. She wanted to say her I Do around sunset. With that narrow focus, we were tasked to find that perfect venue for her fairytale wedding to Allen. To accommodate that vision, we also had to change her wedding date from May to September. In our search, I didn't have to look very far from my home in Puyallup than Rock Creek Gardens, all of 10 minutes from my house. Can I say I loved the commute? When I brought Genisha + Allen there, it was love at first sight and it was a no-brainer, and the couple signed on the dotted line.

To ensure a ceremony close to sunset without losing too much light we were blessed with an overcast day. With a color scheme of navy, pink, white, and green, Katrina from Love Blooms really accentuated the venue with gorgeous ceremony centerpieces that we re-purposed for the reception guest tables.

After a beautiful and emotional ceremony, guests made their way over to the reception tent where they wined and dined and danced the night away before a sparkler grand exit.

Vendors
 

Wedding Planner: Elegant Affairs | Venue: Rock Creek Gardens | Photographer: Fred Calma | Videographer: New Focus | Florist: Love Blooms | Officiant: Shirley Lytle | DJ: DJ KUN LUV | Ceremony Musician: Tomeka WIlliams | Caterer: The Ram | Dessert: Love By The Slice | Rentals: American Party Place | Wedding Dress: Romashka Bridal Groom's Attire: Men's Wearhouse | Photobooth: Styron's {Photo Booth}

A Look Back | East Coast Meets West Coast | Roche Harbor Resort

Wedding Planner: Elegant Affairs  //  Photographer: Caityln Nikula Photography + Second Shooter: Delaney Brown   //  Videographer: Green Attic Films  //  Wedding Venue: Roche Harbor Resort  //  Florist: Bloom San Juan  //  Wedding Dress: Blue Sky Bridal   //  Dessert: Pure Bliss Deserts  //  Beauty: Kat Green Makeup Love   //  DJ: Miked Up Productions   //  Rentals: San Juan Shindigs  //  Transportation: Jolly Trolly  // Bridesmaid Dresses: BHLDN  //  Groom's Tux: Calvin Klein  //  Groomsmen Tuxes: The Black Tux  //  Officiant: Greg Bradley (Bride's Uncle)  //  Ceremony Musicians: Coral Marchant and James Bradley  //  Lighting: Slava Caireac  //  Oysters: kcrookdesigns

For the bride, she grew up in the East Coast, New York to be exact and the groom on the West Coast in Washington State. Their paths finally crossed when the bride trekked out west for college at the University of Puget Sound. It was on the West Coast where their love story started and where they got engaged. Then their story took them to the East Coast last fall for the groom to get his M.B.A. in Boston. But it was their love of the West Coast, specifically Roche Harbor (located on San Juan Island in Washington State) where these two wanted to say their I Dos.

The bride who also is a wedding planner turned her focus to being the bride and start the adventure of her own planning her perfect wedding.

One of the best perks of selecting the Roche Harbor Resort was they went through a major remodel shortly before their wedding and it was a beautiful transformation complete with new floors, added floor space, and our favorite, vineyard chairs.

Our classic bride Jen wanted to keep her wedding simple yet romantic. With the beautiful surrounding of the harbor and the venue itself, the couple opted for a muted color palette perfect for their East Coast Meets West Coast Themed Wedding.

When it came down to the details, the planner turned bride really thought of everything down to the beautiful His & Her Vow Books. For the table décor, the couple opted for long rows of rectangle tables lined with greenery highlighted with a beautiful centerpiece by Bloom San Juan accented with gold candlesticks and glass and mercury votives. For their place cards, the couple wanted to be creative and that was oyster shells (they even had their rehearsal dinner at an oyster farm).

One of the favorite parts of the wedding was when the couple saw each other for the first time at the John S. McMillin Memorial Mausoleum then followed up by reading their vows to one another. We couldn’t have thought of a more intimate moment. Another highlight was when the couple was introduced as husband and wife during the Harbor’s Colors Ceremony.

After dancing the night away, the couple was whisked away the next morning on a seaplane where they honeymooned on Maui before returning home to the East Coast.

A Look Back | Fourth of July Wedding | Crockett Farm

Kate Price Photography

What we loved most about working with Catie + Ray for their Fourth of July wedding was all the care in the details and the love and thought that was put into everything. Catie, the natural planner in life and in her career really started getting to work after Ray her college sweetheart from the University of Montana proposed 10 months before.

This wedding held at the Historic Crockett Barn in Coupeville was truly a family and friends affair, from the vendors, decor construction to the crew who help set up the venue just perfectly.

There were so many highlights from this beautiful day but the one undeniable thing was the amount of love and laughter that resonated.

We are so thankful to Catie + Ray for allowing Elegant Affairs to be part of their spectacular day.

From the Bride: Our dream Fourth of July wedding was celebrated in Coupeville, Washington – on an unseasonably perfect summer day. My husband’s family has resided on the island for three-generations, making it a place deeply special to him and also a locale where our relationship has grown over the years. It was the perfect distinct getaway we desired to provide our guests!
 
Wanting to put our own spin on the red, white, and blue holiday we opted for a navy, grey, gold, and magenta color pallet. Each bridesmaid had the choice of their own navy dress, some are purchased from Adrianna Papell, J.Crew, Nordstrom, etc. It all came together so perfectly, with a mix of short, long, simple, and elegant touches. We wanted the guys to be comfortable too, so we paired together gingham shirts, grey slacks, bow ties, and a hidden touch of patriotism with their socks.
 
We settled on the Historic Crockett Barn for the venue because of its rustic nautical charm and the views, oh the views. Keeping things local and curated was important to me – down to every last detail. Many of the décor elements were created by friends and family over the course of the year leading up to the big day. This included my brother-in-law, a forester, locating the perfect wood rounds for our centerpieces and guest “log” from his tree farm at the base Mt. Rainer – to carefully crafting 100’s of yards of white pennant flag bunting to string through the barn’s rafters, offering an intimate environment. To bring Ray’s outdoorsman style into the décor we collected antler sheds from local antique shops on the island and named each table after a fly fishing tie pattern. Our florist, Ray’s uncle Martin, took my breath away. I had a vision to bring the natural elements of the island (local grasses, berries, coastal hydrangeas) together with more staple elements. The flower crowns and centerpieces were the focal point! The florals that adorned the arbor incorporated branches from a cousins wedding years prior, it was such a special touch.
 
And the food! Oh, what can I say it’s still talked about and recreated often. Ray an avid fisherman caught all the King salmon served with his groomsman the week prior as part of a fishing bachelor party. The food was prepared by Serendipity Catering on the island and included locally sourced ingredients. The pies came from Ray’s family restaurant and were probably one of the first vendor decision we made! It’s something we indulge in every trip.
 
In the end, all we wanted was to gather the people we love most to celebrate in a place we cherish – all 200 of them! It was the perfect way to celebrate. At the end of the night seeing everyone, laughing, singing, dancing, and reminiscing under the stars and fireworks was just what we envisioned.  

Vendors:
Venue: Historic Crockett Barn | Bridal Party Lodging: Fort Casey Inn | Catering: Serendipity Catering & Events | Pies: The Kneed & Feed | Cutting Cake: JW Desserts | Photographer: Kate Price Photography | Day-of Coordinator: Elegant Affairs | Floral Design: Martin Flores (uncle of the groom) | Chalkboard Signs: Seattle Chalk Guy | Rentals: Vintage Ambiance + Double R Rentals | Transportation: Whidbey Wedding Transportation | DJ: Sounds Unlimited | Invitations: Paper Fling | Rings: Robbins Brothers | Brides Dress: Theia from The Dress Theory | Brides Veil: Theia from The Dress Theory | Brides Jewelry: Kate Spade + family heirloom | Bridesmaid Dresses: Varied | Bridesmaid Robes: Silk and More | Grooms Suit: Paul Richards Clothing (custom) | Groomsman Attire: L.L. Bean + Men’s Wearhouse + Mrs. Bowtie | Officiant: Bride's Brother-in-law