Adventures in Wedding Planning Podcast: Finding your perfect wedding venue!

On this week’s Adventures in Wedding Planning Podcast episode we are chatting with a few of our favorite Tacoma-area wedding venues.

Giving helpful advice about looking for the perfect venue to what makes their venues stand out, you can see why we love working with them.

We start off by chatting with Gracie from Rock Creek Gardens about their Puyallup, WA. venue. Rock Creek Gardens is an Outdoor Wedding Venue near Seattle WA and is a secluded, 20-acre privately owned garden estate. The Gardens can accommodate up to 300 guests for ceremonies and receptions and celebrates all love regardless of gender, sexual orientation, race, or religious beliefs. The Gardens provides views of Mt. Rainier, 100-year-old cedar trees, waterfalls, and stone pathways throughout and invites guests to explore the beauty of the PNW. You and your guests will have exclusive use of the venue during your wedding. Below is a list of included items for each wedding package.

Next we chat with Elizabeth from Port Gamble. With waterfront views, historic buildings, and charming grounds, Port Gamble is the perfect location for a memorable wedding.

St. Paul’s Church sits on a sloping grass bluff overlooking the waters of Port Gamble Bay. The church, built in 1879, is modeled after a church in the Maine hometown of Port Gamble’s founders. The meticulously restored church boasts 8 cathedral stained glass windows, original pews, and a domed altar area. One of the most photographed buildings in the area, the picturesque church steeple houses the original church bell, and wedding couples thrill to the sound of the church bell ringing as they are pronounced married. The remodeled downstairs reception or dressing area leads outdoors to a waterfront terrace, perfect for intimate receptions and gatherings.

Hood Canal Vista Pavilion offers breath-taking panoramic views and stunning sunsets over the Hood Canal while surrounded by beautifully landscaped gardens. In the Pavilion, a floor to ceiling stone fireplace sits opposite abundant windows overlooking lush seasonal gardens. Six sets of French doors lead to a slated patio and an expansive grassy bluff right on the shores of the Hood Canal. In the spring and summer months, an adjacent tented terrace offers an additional location for a reception, dance floor and/or cocktail hour.

Then we chatted with Kellie from Historic 1625 in Tacoma. WA. With over 6,000 square feet of natural slate floors, warm brick walls, and a stunning exposed beam ceiling. Every rental comes with: two elegantly appointed and spacious changing suites, adjustable lighting to set the atmosphere, climate control for the comfort of your guests, automated blinds on our picture windows for privacy, ample free parking on-site, ability to purchase own alcohol with no corkage fees, recently remodeled handicap accessible bathrooms, and an expansive catering area.

Finally we talked with Chantal from The Kelley Farm in Bonney Lake, WA. From our beautiful farm fields to our rustic barn, every detail of our venue has been crafted with the special needs of brides in mind.

Here you will find privacy, beautiful grounds, ample room for your guests, indoor and outdoor ceremony sites, a charming bridal cottage, plenty of parking, and exemplary service from our staff. We take pride in knowing that countless couples have had their happiest days spent at the Kelley Farm.

We offer the perfect countryside backdrop for your most memorable moments without sacrificing comfort and convenience. Our wedding barn is fully updated with heated floors, modern bathrooms, and AV equipment.  Your guests will find hotels nearby, as well as retail stores and easy access to main highways.

We are chatting with several wedding venues around the Greater Seattle area about their venue and advice for couples when selecting their perfect venue.

Spring Rustic Elegance | The Kelley Farm | Bonney Lake, WA.

Photography: Manchik Photography | Wedding Planner: Elegant Affairs | Venue: The Kelley Farm | Flowers: Oak + Fig Floral | Caterer: Gallucci’s Catering | Rentals: Cort Party Rental + Vintage Ambiance | DJ + Photobooth: DJ Daron | Cake: ME Designs | Make-up: McKenzie Galanti | Hair: Riley Malek | Officiant: Bride’s Uncle

What would you do when your dream wedding was threatened to be canceled less than 10 days before? That’s exactly what nearly happened to Christina + Shane for their March celebration.

When news started emerging regarding COVID-19 and its effects, Christina and I started having the tough conversations on what it meant for her wedding at The Kelley Farm. From daily chats and calls with Christina, her venue, and vendors the decision was made to still have their wedding no matter what restrictions were in place. Then it was announced weddings could still be held, but with several restrictions including a guest count no larger than 50 guests (including vendors). So the next step was notifying guests who were invited to the smaller celebration, which was no easy task going from 171 to 41 guests. I just have to say all of their guests and vendors were such rockstars handling everything which made moving forward that much easier.

Due to a family member who couldn’t attend and who was also scheduled to make the wedding cake, the bride’s aunt was able to secure a baker at the last minute. She found Melissa with ME Designs, a local baker who created an incredible and very delicious cake.

The wedding day was filled with so much emotion along with a major sense of relief that this day was actually happening. From the vendors who really stepped up their game to ensure a flawless execution to the couple’s families who really helped make the day a total success.

We loved that the Mother of the bride, friends, and other family members who created a beautiful dessert platter of Russian desserts to the incredible arbor made by the Father of the Bride to the groom who designed the perfect sweetheart table. Shane even had a surprise in store for is new wife when he showed her that he branded their table which now sits in their dining room with a personal brand of their initials and wedding date.

One of the best parts of the day was being able to have the ceremony outside. Originally, we thought there would be no way we could have anything other than an indoor wedding, but as we got closer to the wedding the weather started to look promising and we made the final decision at the rehearsal to indeed move outside which proved to be a beautiful addition to the day.

I am so happy that Christina + Shane had the wedding of their dreams. No matter the smaller guest count (the entire day was also live-streamed), the day was truly beautiful and what Christina and Shane said they could have ever hoped for.

EA Vendor Spotlight: I Do Bridal

I Do Bridal has celebrated over 20 years in Seattle! With our years of experience, we have created the perfect destination for brides to find their dream gown! I Do’s stylists ensure that every bride will have an unforgettable experience while finding the perfect dress for them with our personalized, interactive one on one appointments! In 1997 we opened a tiny boutique in the Wallingford neighborhood of Seattle selling handmade veils, headpieces, and jewelry.  Within months our little store grew and began offering a small selection of dresses.  Over the next 7 years the little store expanded several times and eventually found a more permanent home on N 45th street just up from Dick’s Drive-In where it flourished for the next 10 years.  In 2014 we were able to purchase our own space on N 85th Street and expand our store in a new modernized space with high ceilings and high tech features to better meet our customer’s expectations.  In 2017 we purchased the remaining portion on the main floor of the N 85th St. building and moved our Off the Rack store “I Do Bridal Too” into the newly expanded space and added an Exclusive Diamond Suite. Putting all of our staff and gowns in the same space for the first time ever!  We are really enjoying our home in Greenwood and love to see the faces of our previous customers who come in with new Brides when they see how far we have come!  Thank you so much to every I Do Bride who has helped our little store grow. We are so grateful for the opportunity to empower women to feel beautiful for their big day!

Why did you get into the wedding industry?
It started by accident, creating custom wedding accessories. It quickly grew as we fell in love with helping brides express their own unique style.

Personally as a bridal stylist, I wanted to work in a business where you are working with people during one of the happiest times in their lives! Formal wear fashion was something that I was always interested in having a background in pageants. So becoming a bridal consultant seemed like a perfect fit for me. (

Something that makes our business stand out
We provide a dress shopping experience for everyone! We have a diamond suite that can be purchased for brides who would like a big “say yes to the dress” experience, but we also cater to brides who have a quick wedding date and need a dress fast with our “ Take home Collection". Carrying 900 gowns in-store at all times with price ranges from $600-$3,000 we are guaranteed to have a dress that fits every bride’s needs and style!

We also pride ourselves on our customer service. We do our absolute best to ensure that every bride has an amazing experience from the time she books her appointment to her wedding day. Our stylists work one-on-one with each bride during their entire appointment to ensure that they get the very best advice on what works with their shape, style, and budget.

(Our shop is 3 levels with gowns on each level. We also have 10 fitting rooms that include; 7 standard rooms, 2 premier rooms, and one diamond suite.)

What is your personal style when it comes to your craft?
Our personal style is finding unique, and affordable options for our northwest brides.

I will tell you our favorite part about working with brides:

During the time with them I get to make a connection and find them a dress that fits their specific body type and makes them feel the most beautiful they have ever felt! Watching a bride cry happy tears because they LOVE the way they look is incredibly empowering!

Advice when dress shopping:
When selecting a bridal shop I always suggest going online, or to their social media to get a feel for each store. Then choose a store that you feel fits your vibe and personality! Also consider their gown selection and the style of gowns they carry. Some shops only carry a certain style of wedding gowns, where other stores, like ours, carry an array of designers with different styles and price points. 

I DO Bridal
https://www.idobridal.com/
424 N 85th St, Seattle, WA 98103
(206) 633-7926
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