Waterfront Wedding | Lacey + Colton | Tacoma, WA.

Photographer: Momentsverse Photography  | Wedding Planner: Elegant Affairs | Venue: West of the Waterway | Caterer: Galluccis | DJ: Tony Schwartz | Florist: Dreyer House Florals | Cake: Celebrity Cake Studio | Transportation: British Motor Coach

We started our 2023 Wedding Season off in February, with a beautiful celebration joining a family of three together as one. Tiphany was thrilled to work on this wedding with them and immediately connected with their family from the first meeting. It was always a family affair with this couple, and she loved the meetings where they all joined in and gave their input.

Lacey and Colton have a 5 year old son, Peter, who was truly a joy to be around from day one. He was just over the moon for his parents, and couldn’t wait to be involved in the festivities. Some may feel differently about this, but Tiphany personally loves a wedding in which kids attend and are a part of it. It can really kick the celebration up a notch!

Lacey and Colton chose a perfect waterfront venue as their backdrop for the day, and we loved getting to work there and create for the first time! West of the Waterway in Tacoma will be up there as one of our favorite venues from here on out. The space is perfect for an intimate event, and with Gallucci’s Catering at the helm, we knew it would be a night to remember. Lacey and Colton and their family chose the perfect classic, but understated décor to let their florals shine. The florals of this day were a showstopper and had to have their moment with a walkway of greenery and babies’ breath down the aisle to the handmade (for this day!) arch by Dreyer House Floral. We love an arch that can go from ceremony to reception, and that’s just what this one did, without even having to move it! We set the head table directly under the arch, and built the tables and dance floor around it to create a spotlight on the couple and their wedding party.

 Lacey and Colton chose to have a fun interactive evening, joining their guests in their whole celebration from the wedding games, hosted by DJ Tony Schwartz, to a family toast that is done at every wedding of the groom’s family. The evening really picked up as the dance floor opened up with Peter leading the way. The little guy stole the dance floor, showing off all his signature moves! The night concluded with a Light Wand Exit outside in front of the waterfront with Lacey and Colton stepping into a vintage car from British Motor Coach to make their getaway.

 We love getting to see families come together, and this wedding was no exception. Congratulations Lacey, Colton, and Peter!

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Lori Losee is the owner of Elegant Affairs, a Tacoma Wedding Planner with over 18 years of experience. We create awe-inspiring experiences—Events filled with meaning and refined elegance. Behind the scenes, our experienced team collaborates on each stage of the process, executing your vision and a wedding, celebration, or corporate event that is unique to you.

Vendor Spotlight: Courtney Bowlden

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Courtney Bowlden Photography

I'm a wedding and portrait photographer from the US living in Paris, France. I started my business in 2009 and have branched out into photography education and social media marketing as a way to help other photographers and businesses grow and flourish. I love helping others achieve their dreams with great headshots or branding material, education or one on one coaching. I love capturing memories but I also love helping other entrepreneurs achieve success in their businesses. This is how I would like to be remembered when I retire (which won't happen anytime soon).

 We’re dying to know – what made you dive into the world of weddings?
I was shadowing other photographers and kind of just fell in love with it. I loved capturing all the moments and being able to tell a story throughout the day with photographs.

Tell us about how you started your business?
I originally started taking photos of my kids because they were so wiggly and busy that a regular point and shoot camera wouldn't capture them. I had a couple gal friends who were photographers and they asked if I wanted to learn how to use the camera on manual instead of auto, so of course I said yes. I love learning new skills and always try to get better at anything I put my time and passion into. I think it was after shadowing another photographer for a year that I really thought I could make a living off it, so I continued taking classes and going to seminars and learning online. 15 years later, I am still learning and growing but also helping other photographers learn and grow their business as well. It's been an amazing adventure.

What's the secret sauce behind bringing that touch of elegance to your projects?
I think about what I would like when I get my photos taken. And it's always changing too, which is fun. I add things here and there, like notes or checking in on people to let them know I care. I love making people feel seen and heard, so having consultations beforehand to help get to know each other is really fun as well.

Any wild, funny, or heartwarming tales from your wedding adventures?
Ha! I have WAY too many, I could write a book. I don't even know where to begin to be honest. I think one of my first favorite wedding stories, which I tell all the time when talking to brides with long veils, is one that happened at Swiftwater Cellars. If you know where Swiftwater Cellars is, it's a very windy area. My beautiful bride had the most beautiful long veil in her hair. I had the couple positioned in front of this gorgeous wooden door (which has now been replaced) and the wind picked up just as I was taking the photos and just as the veil was lifted out of her hair. We were able to catch the veil before it blew away, but I also got her awesome reaction as well. Even though my editing skills are much better now and the photo is pretty old, I still love it so much. It's definitely a favorite of mine. And because of this event, I always tell my brides to add extra bobby-pins in their hair to secure the veil.

Advice you want to give couples about the wedding planning process?
Make sure you not only click with your vendors, but that you like their work as well. I hear so many sad stories of couples who hire someone because they liked their website or they had a referral from someone, but ended up not getting along with the vendor. It makes me sad to hear this because you spend your very special day with them. I think there is a lot of misconception about hiring someone around certain criteria like "they know my venue" or "they live close by to the venue" but really it should be that you love their work and you get along with them.

What trends do you hope to see or want to see in 2024?
I am really loving colorful weddings. I love classy weddings, but after 4 or 5 years of just white roses and green florals, I love seeing couple's bringing in pops of color and personal touches into their wedding details. I still love having dogs at weddings, or grandma's being the "flower girls." It's a great way to include grandparents. I love it!

Spill the tea – what's the next big thing in weddings that has you buzzing with excitement?
Oooh, I honestly don't know. What I really love seeing these days are smaller, more intimate weddings. Not making weddings another big college party, but really being intentional about who you invite to your wedding because their presence means something to the two of you.

 We love working with you, why do you love working with us?
What is there not to love?! Y'all are so dang fun, great communication through the whole process (and don't overload my email with things that don't pertain to me either). I love how fun you ladies are and love your vision. Really, the communication on the wedding day is just the best. I never feel like I am out of the loop and I always know what's going on. You ladies are so on top of it!

Anything else we must know about you?
I just love that I have been able to work with Elegant Affairs over the last few years!

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Lori Losee is the owner of Elegant Affairs, a Tacoma Wedding Planner with over 18 years of experience. We create awe-inspiring experiences—Events filled with meaning and refined elegance. Behind the scenes, our experienced team collaborates on each stage of the process, executing your vision and a wedding, celebration, or corporate event that is unique to you.

2024 Wedding Trends

The new year is an exciting time. It’s a time for new resolutions, new adventures and a time to recreate and explore new opportunities. In the wedding industry, the new year means there is a shift in wedding design. Yes, some of our favorite trends will stay and there’s always the staples in wedding design, but the new year brings forth fresh ideas for our new couples. Now, we’re not mind readers, nor can we see into the future, but we have been in this business for 18+ years. We’ve done our homework and compiled some of our favorite trends that we HOPE to see in 2024. So, grab a coffee or pop some bubbly and let’s explore some wedding trends for the new year!

#01: Candid Moments

Now, this trend has been on the swift move for the last couple of years, but we predict it will continue to grow this year. More couples and photographers are moving towards realistic photography and capturing the moments throughout the day, rather than the traditional posed wedding pictures. Realistic shots capture emotion and the moment. It gives a raw image effect, and we are here for it! Along with candid moments, we predict there will be a rise in bringing back disposable cameras and polaroids. There are apps where couples can utilize their phone as a disposable camera and the happy couple can view all of their guests' photos.

#02: Focus on Florals

Florals have been on the rise this past year and we predict that they are not going anywhere. In 2024, florals will be taking center stage. We predict that floral arrangements will be bold and dramatic. They will adorn the ceremony space and drape the reception area. But, just because florals will be on the rise, doesn’t mean that we will see larger-than-life floral arrangements in 2024. Florals will be simple and dramatic, but create a high impact on the overall wedding design. If you’d like to follow this trend, but you have a tight budget, think about repurposing your florals from the ceremony space to the reception area. Think and create away to utilize your florals to the max.

#03: Classic Wedding Dress Design

Okay, we’re revisiting the 80s, 90s, and early 2000s for this one. Our research shows that our brides will be channeling their inner Victoria Beckham with a classic structure and drop waistline. This style has a classic silhouette that brings forward a structured vintage vibe. We can’t help but think of the scene from Lindsey Lohan’s “The Parent Trap” where she’s helping her wedding dress designer mom at the studio. We envision that brides will choose fuller skirts, with corset drop waist tops. Structure and elegance will adorn the aisle in 2024 and we’re so excited to see all the fashion.

#04: Pops of Pattern

We’ve seen this trend start to emerge in the past year and we predict that it will make a rise in 2024. We expect to see patterns pop up in our weddings. Patterns can be a scary word at times. But, when we say patterns, we don’t mean large, obnoxious polka dots – we mean elegant patterns such as florals or twall. We predict that we will see patterns throughout the wedding day, from tablecloths to patterns tied into the wedding party’s attire. Patterns can bring a classic and sophisticated aire to your wedding day.

#05: Bold Color Palettes

We’ve had a few years of the natural and boho color palettes, but we predict that this year will bring bold colors. Even Pantone is predicting the bold color trend with Peach Fuzz, Bright Horizon Blue, Vibrant Sun Orange, and Fresh Bistro Green being their top contenders for this 2024 year. Bold colors are eye-catching and will create a playful design. We predict that there will be strong statements made throughout the wedding planning process and bold colors will be seen throughout wedding invites, wedding party attire, floral arrangements, and the reception. Now, when we say bold we’re not saying that every color of the rainbow will be present. Bold colors can be incorporated in a sophisticated way. Choosing a monochrome palette with pops of bold, bright colors will do the trick!

Now, we could sit here and write all of our future predictions for the new year, but we just wanted to highlight our top five predicted trends. We can’t wait to see more candids captured between our couples, a focus on high-impact florals, bold color choices, classic wedding dress silhouettes, and pops of patterns throughout the event. We also love that these trends can be done at a minimalist or maximalist approach (whatever suits your fancy). Be sure to check out our social media accounts @elegantaffairswa to see how our couples incorporate these trends!

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Lori Losee is the owner of Elegant Affairs, a Tacoma Wedding Planner with over 18 years of experience. We create awe-inspiring experiences—Events filled with meaning and refined elegance. Behind the scenes, our experienced team collaborates on each stage of the process, executing your vision and a wedding, celebration, or corporate event that is unique to you.