The Wedding of Our Dreams

——— • March 25, 2006 • ———

Old Planning Bio Link

Across the years I will walk with you

In deep green forests; on shores of sand:

And when our time on earth is through,

In heaven, too, you will have my hand.

'The Promise' by Robert Sexton

THE MORNING OF OUR WEDDING

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*Please do not use any images without permission and proper credit to Laurel McConnell Photography.

These are just scans, so the quality doesn't do them justice. Beware, there are many many photos so it might take a moment to load.

The morning of the wedding, I gathered up the ladies and our Starbucks coffee and we were off to the city to get ready at The Ruins where our reception was later to be held. The sun was beaming despite earlier weather predictions of rain and overcast skies. It was an amazingly beautiful day. We had a fabulous time getting ready while the staff was preparing for our reception. And before the whirlwind of hair and makeup began, we took a quick tour to see how things were shaping up for that evening's events.

THE RUINS: OUR RECEPTION LOCATION

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Our amazing centerpieces. I wasn't happy with being restricted to using their in-house florist, but she blew me away with her talent. She did exactly what I was hoping for.

Non-professional pictures taken by a bridesmaid.

GETTING READY

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My beautiful mother being made over by the very talented Kate Crotty. Kate made us look radiant and was so wonderful with us that I wish I could take her everywhere I go!

The ladies getting ready.

My turn! There was a lot of beautifying going on that morning!

You are probably wondering why I snuck this picture in. My bridesmaids, mother and aunt surprised me with a ladies weekend (alternative to Bachette Party) in my favorite city of NY. We had an amazing time and have vowed to make it a yearly tradition. So my mother, being the clown that she is, wore her NY socks to get ready in. We were laughing so hard and Laurel snuck a quick picture so we would never forget.

Of course, the morning wouldn't have been complete without mimosas!

Kate put on the last of the gloss and told me I was done! So off I went into the bathroom to inspect my look.

As you can see, I was quite enamored by my own image. Tee hee!

Putting the finishing touches on my hair. By the time all of us were done, the room was a big plume of hairspray!

What lengths a good Maid of Honor goes to for her Partner-in-Crime's wedding! Just kidding, those are extensions!

God's gift to women - SPANX! Love this picture.

Dad arrived before the dress went on. I couldn't resist a quick hug and photo op.

And to my excitement, he was wearing our thank you gift to him - cuff links engraved with his initial.

My radiant mom. Dad's eyes lit up while he quietly said "She's done a great job preserving the 'Sexy'! We were all rolling. She did look and feel great that day, and what a pair they made!

The little details.  The hanky was my great-grandmother's and is about 106 years old.

My amazing gown.

Making fun of the 'chicken cutlettes! Somehow I got passed up when they were handing out the 'ample bosom' gene the rest of my cousins' got. Beotches!

No one warned me putting on a veil was such a painful process!

Clearly my mom was not offering any sympathy and considered it a right of passage!

The first time my dad laid eyes on his baby-girl as a bride. It was quite the emotional moment for both of us.

My beautiful bridesmaids. They couldn't have been more doting, helpful, supportive and beautiful! Meanwhile, in a modest chapel 10 minutes away, my nervous husband was getting doted on himself!

Showing off his cufflinks. Sadly, his grandparents have either passed away, or are too feeble to make the trip from Hungary. So as a gentle reminder that they are always looking over him, I got him locket cufflinks and placed their pictures in them. We exchanged gifts the night before at the Rehearsal Dinner and I obviously hadn't thought about how he would react to such a gift because within seconds my fiancé and future in-laws were reduced to a puddle of tears. Oops! But I suppose that's a sign of a great gift, no?

GOING TO THE CHAPEL

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The beautiful Villa Academy Sacred Heart Chapel aglow with sunlight. I counted my blessings because it was a huge gamble asking for sun in Seattle in the middle of March!

Our wish bowl. We opted to do this rather than a guest book. And some of the sentiments shared with us that day I will treasure for the rest of our lives.

Our beautiful programs made to match our invitations.

This picture chokes me up. Our wedding day was one of the most bitter-sweet days of my parents' lives - my father especially. Oh, and the bridal suite at The Villa isn't the most photogenic room, with it's countless trophies and school schedules posted on the wall...oh well. That's the bridezilla in me I suppose.

I told him he would have to suck it up or else I would be in tears before the whole thing began.

I used my other great grandmother's broach on my bouquet. It was important that she came with me down the aisle.

Getting nervous.

My Maid of Honor bolstering me up.

My dad having a melancholy moment. Meanwhile, there was a party going on with the rest of the wedding party assembled in my Fiancé's suite!

Shortly there after, our coordinator came in to let us know it was time for us to get in our places. Eek!

THE CEREMONY

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We had our (very serious!) mothers light the candles for our unity candle ceremony just before the processional started.

My handsome husband making his way down the aisle with his parents on either side.

The Wedding Party. Their gowns looked fabulous on them and were very comfortable from what they said.

Our two ring bearers. We made two pillows, one for each ring because one didn't want to be left out. They were too cute.

My husband and I decided to wait for this very moment to lay eyes on one another. He told me his face didn't know which way to go, smile or cry.

We knew it wouldn't be our day without something wacky and unexpected happening - which it did. Our officiant took the liberty of adlibbing at certain points which certainly made our ceremony unique. But I couldn't help wondering at certain points throughout the ceremony what in the world he was thinking. At one point he presented both my husband and I with a 'gift' which I will get into later. But you can see our "where is this going with this" expressions on our faces. It really was a runaway ceremony at times!

Nervously laughing while secretly wondering what the heck my parents are thinking.

We took turns using the hanky my other great grandmother made so many years ago.

Lighting the candles while my new sister-in-law did a reading.

My husband giving his nephews a hug after they performed their duties so perfectly. Of course that ugly red box makes its way into all the pictures from here on out. Booo!

We symbolized it with a ring...

...and sealed it with a kiss.

At that was it! I was a Mrs. C! After we took that trip as husband and wife down the aisle, we snuck back in to the bridal suite to hide so our guests would leave to enjoy cocktail hour.

*What was in the box?  It was a pink sleep mask with black fir around the border.  Not sure what was meant by it, but not exactly ceremony material in my humble opinion.

Obviously the entire world could have come crashing down and we would have never been the wiser. We couldn't get enough of one another! And then there was my amazing Maid of Honor making sure every hair is in its proper place.

We swapped out my veil for two gardenias. My grandmother got married during the war and didn't have the money nor time to get a proper bouquet. So in haste, her brother ran out and got her a two-gardenia corsage to wear on her lapel. So on our wedding day I honored her with the gardenias in my hair while she wore a corsage that mimicked the one she wore for her wedding.

We signed the certificates happily!

FAMILY PICTURES

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Not sure what was going on here, but my brother has a habit of popping up out of nowhere and making people laugh.

What can I say? I adore him!

My amazing mom.

My handsome hubby and family.

Mom having a hard time letting go.

Of course, my Father-in-law and Husband are a volatile pair. Always the jokesters, my hubby asked his dad if he remembered to zip up his zipper...

WEDDING PARTY

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The guys, always goofing off!

Meanwhile, I guess the SPANX had decided to migrate! I love these pics! Laurel didn't miss a beat!

I had a tie made of the same material as my gown for my husband to wear on his wedding day.  He loved it!

My husband and Best Man being themselves!

The craziness never ends!!

Lucky man!  Lucky ladies!!

It's the ladies turn to goof off!

And then it happened. The moment I won't live down for the rest of my life. I yawned! Mind you, I do this when I am cold and I was freezing my tush off, but of course they didn't care! Whoops!

Oh well.  When in doubt, kiss!

We released the crazy wedding party so they could go enjoy themselves at the cocktail hour. My husband and I were wanting our moment alone.

THE NEWLYWEDS

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His hand has never been so sexy. *wink*

Love is in the air!!

Oblivious to anyone or anything around us...

LET THE PARTY BEGIN!

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Our Party Favors. We embossed our last name initial on bags and inside placed two truffles. They went over very well, and they didn't turn out so bad for someone who lacks creativity!

My mom doing the bustle.

The boys snuck off to decorate the car. I guess he forgot how to spell hitched! Haha!

Mmm, cosmos!

Getting our place cards. I remember that moment seeing my new name on my place card - surreal!

Dad, still having a hard time!

LET THEM EAT CAKE!

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Our cake was red velvet with cream cheese filling and butter cream frosting. I got one bite, but it was so good!!

My brother telling my husband to smash it in my face! Traitor!

I got even though!

Still having a tough time...

...but this time my husband got one too.

CHEERS!

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My Maid of Honor left me in tears!

But so did my dad.

TIME TO DANCE

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First trip around the dance floor as husband and wife, punctuated by a perfectly executed dip.

My father and I taking a very emotional turn on the dance floor to 'Ballerina Girl' by Lionel Richie. I remember when the first few notes of the song came on he gasped. We used to listen to this when I was very little. Bitter-sweet indeed! Meanwhile...

...my husband used this opportunity to chow down! Smart man.

My husband and his mother sharing a tender moment.

My brother completely broke down, which caused me to crumble as well.  Red eyes and noses all around!

The photographer wasn't ready for the bouquet toss, which was sad because it landed squarely in my Maid of Honor's hands. We are all hoping (and some have money on it) that she will be next. So when I had to toss again in the name of a good photograph, sadly, her little sister caught it. As you can see, there was a lot of protest.

I swear to you it wasn't that difficult take off!

But who knows! These two could elope!

The cake I was never able to finish. They served it with fresh berries - so good!

My husband, trying to signal that we should leave and go check out the wedding night suite. Heh!

A couple days later, we were off to Tahiti!!

Hope you enjoyed the pictures!

Vendor Reviews

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Chapel

The Villa Academy Sacred Heart Chapel (A)

One of the prettiest locations to get married, in my humble opinion. Given my spouse and I share differing spiritual backgrounds, one of my challenges was to find a location that was both beautiful and representative of us both. The Sacred Heart Chapel did just that. Monica Stein, the event coordinator there, was always very helpful and responsive in the days leading up to the wedding. It’s a bit pricey, but in the end, I felt it was a great decision we made to use the location.

Officiant

Sean Patrick O’Reilly (B-)

This is a tough one for me. Again, my husband and I don’t share the same religious background, so I felt it pretty important to find a way to create a ceremony that was truly representative of us and keep with some of the more traditional aspects of a protestant ceremony as well. It was a frustrating search just to find someone who appeared to take the time to make a ceremony personal. We thought we had found that in Sean. And indeed, the parts of our ceremony that we had written were very personal and made our ceremony unforgettable. But he did take the liberty of adding elements to our wedding that were a complete surprise to us and really, not illustrative of us at all. I understand his intentions were well meaning, but it certainly did cause a few raised eyebrows (including mine and my husband’s). I suppose my husband and I find ourselves in wacky situations all the time, so in the end we had ourselves a really good laugh.

One thing that I did not appreciate at all about Sean was that he was constantly ‘selling’ us his services. He is very pricey to begin with because his ceremonies are pretty labor intensive. So it was getting rather insulting when every phone call cost me money, every minute over our ‘allotted time’ was billed. It got to the point where I felt he was being quite a car salesman.

So my review of Sean is rather bitter-sweet.

Ceremony Music

Cameo String Quartette (425) 485-8380 (A)

They did an amazing job. This was one of those things that my husband really insisted on. But I couldn’t justify the cost of a quartette. I called them anyway and Jennifer, the main contact, assured me they could do a trio for our wedding. Their music was so beautiful and in the end, I am glad I let my husband talk me into strings rather than a piano.

Reception Location

The Ruins, Seattle (A)

Hands down, this is one of my very favorite elements of our wedding. Being that my husband and I have attended so many wedding in the past couple of years, we wanted to give the golf course or country club a rest and do something completely unique. I don’t even remember how I found out about The Ruins because it’s a private dinning club and we are certainly not members. But the minute we walked through their doors, we had to have our reception there.

They do have rules you have to abide by that I was not thrilled with initially. They don’t allow you to bring in outside vendors, for example. I had to have them do our cake, food and flowers (although you are allowed to get someone else to do your personal flowers if you wish). And the event coordinator was quick to make sure we knew they had a reputation to uphold so the ‘look and feel’ of the evening had to live up to that. That was quite off-putting. But I’m glad I was too stubborn to consider other locations because in the end, our event was amazingly beautiful and rather easy given so much was handled by them.

Many of our guests were blown away by how delicious the food was. The service was impeccable and the flowers came out better than I had ever imagined. I highly recommend The Ruins to anyone who wants a truly magical evening with a touch of whimsy.

Personal Flowers

Laurie Cinotto (A)

Laurie was one of the very first vendors I booked. She is amazingly talented and so very nice that it’s hard not to like her. She has done many weddings for Knotties with such amazing results that I couldn’t wait to see what she could do for me. In the end, I think my desires were a bit far-fetched. She had shown me an amazing rose bouquet that she had done for a bride during the late summer with garden roses which I promptly fell head over heals over. The problem was, garden roses don’t come into season until late summer and we got married in March. I thought we could do without and just improvise with roses that were slightly more open and a larger rose she found that we could get year round. But in the end, it didn't quite match.  I still think the bouquets turned out lovely and the added touch of the crystal buckle was adorable. I had a budget I had to work within and she did an amazing job within those limitations. She was attentive and made sure to touch base with me now and again in the many months leading up to the wedding. And whenever she spied something that made her think of me, she would always email me with it. I would highly recommend Laurie to anyone.

DJ

Music Plus (A+)

I have to admit, I gave this task to my husband who promptly got in touch with one of his fraternity brothers to do the job. I know my husband wanted a DJ that would do a great job, but I just assumed since he didn’t give anyone else a chance, the fact that he was a frat brother was more of an influence than anything else. Boy, was I wrong! I later found out that my husband had been to a number of weddings Lance has done and knew there was no one better for the job. Lance Daly made our night so much fun and did a PERFECT job with announcements and music. He had his finger on the pulse of our guests the entire night and I swear to you the dance floor was packed all night long. Not only that, but he went with the flow when timing was changed and didn’t miss a beat. He kept things very classy – no cheesy emcee! If I could recommend only one vendor for knotties to use, it would be Lance.

Day-of-Coordinator

Stephanie Combs (A+)

Girls, if you are even tempted to go without a Day-of-Coordinator, let me advise you that having one was by far one of the BEST decisions that I made. I completely understand having to work within a budget, and in the beginning, I felt this was a luxury I just could not afford. So when Stephanie fell into my lap, I considered myself pretty lucky. And now, I cannot even recount how many times she saved our skin leading up to the wedding and the day of.

She did an outstanding job with our rehearsal which was not an easy task considering our very social and LARGE family. I didn’t even have to give two thoughts about our vendors as I was delightfully surprised she had confirmed them a week before our day. And the wedding could not have gone as well as it did without her. No matter how hard you work at it, there will be things that are forgotten (like the veil!!). And most of the time, I didn’t even realize things had slipped my mind because she would be walking through the door with it as if nothing was wrong. And she also did things like take our camera and make sure the day was completely documented for us so we could see images of our wedding the very next day. Items that would have surely been lost found their way in our car before we left. And the very best part of it was that my mother, aunt, my bridesmaids and I could all enjoy the day without a stress or worry. The day flies by so quickly that I can’t imagine wasting one moment worrying about something, or making sure something got set up properly. So please consider a Day-of-Coordinator and certainly give Stephanie a call if you do.

Photographer

Laurel McConnell (A+)

Photography was one thing I agonized over for many months. It’s such a costly investment and for us, the only thing we got to take away from the day (we elected to not have a videographer – mistake). So there was a lot of pressure to find someone capable with a photojournalistic eye and a great personality to make our day fun. So the minute I sat down with Laurel to go over her images and get to know her, I knew she was going to be our photographer. She possessed all the things I was looking for. And when we got our engagement pictures back, I found I did not make a mistake. I know finding a photographer is a confusing and arduous process. I didn’t even know where to begin when I started my search. But I couldn’t be happier with our images and she was such a sweet person to work with. I highly recommend!

Bridal Salon

Marcella’s La Boutique (A-)

I have to admit, after reading reviews, I kept my fingers crossed in hopes that this wasn’t one of my biggest mistakes. I know Marcella’s reputation can precede her at times. However, they were nothing be wonderful to deal with. I ordered my gown during the very first shopping trip. Although I do not recommend doing that, I never once regretted my decision. I attended one of their Reem Acra trunk shows which was so much fun, and the sales lady who assisted me that day was wonderful! So I sealed my fate and purchased my gown and then the bad reviews started to pop up on The Knot. Needless to say, I was quite fearful after reading some people’s experiences. But not once did I have a problem. I ordered quite early due to my impulsiveness, so there was plenty of opportunity for something to go wrong. And the only reason why I am giving them an A- and not an A is because the turnover rate is quite high and I ended up being helped by quite a handful of girls over the course of 11 months. We also ordered the bridesmaids gowns there and every one came in exactly as ordered and more beautiful than we had hoped. When my gown came in 4 months early, they held it there with no reservation. And their seamstress created the most elegant and perfectly crafted bustle and I had my veil custom made by them and it was so perfect I cried. I also got my Vera Wang shoes through them as well. I had always dreamed of a beautiful gown and an amazing salon experience and they certainly did not disappoint.

Wedding Gown Designer

Reem Acra's "Good Luck"(A+)

All I knew when I started the search for the perfect gown was that I wanted something I felt one-of-a-kind in. I hadn’t set a budget, but I knew what I didn’t want. Fabric and craftsmanship were very important to me, and I wasn’t so much set on a ‘designer’ but wanted a beautiful, well made gown. So when I actually saw one of Reem’s gowns up close and personal, I knew I would love to wear one for my wedding day. I actually hadn’t even ‘heard’ the buzz of Reem Acra given I hadn’t spent too much time on The Knot or started to amass a huge collection of wedding magazines at that point. My gown came in perfectly. It was very comfortable to wear and the craftsmanship was amazing.

Wedding Clutch

Bellissima Bridal Shoes (B)

Bellissima sent my order quite quickly, but in the end I regretted even spending the money on something I hardly used. And I also believe the clutch was quite overpriced Something else that I didn’t realize was that if you need your order in less than 30 days, you need to pay a significant amount of money to rush order the item. And we aren’t talking an expedited shipping cost. I am sure this will be a heirloom, but one that wasn’t necessary.

Earrings

Adriana Orsini at Saks Fifth Avenue (A)

They are beautiful. I was hung up on a pair of earrings that I had seen at Saks very early on in the planning process. When they discontinued them, I was certain I would never find another pair I liked as much. Much to my excitement, they got these in and I was thrilled with how well they were put together. Some of our guests even commented on them.

Bracelet

Regina B. (A)

I actually purchased my bracelet through another knottie. But when it arrived, it was missing a couple crystals. So I contacted Regina B in NY and without hesitation, they had me send them the bracelet so they could repair it free of charge. The bracelet was beautiful and a perfect match with my earrings.

Makeup

Kate Crotty (A+)

I will spare you the countless horror stories I racked up going from one makeup trial to the next. I finally got wise and asked a classically beautiful bride (Lakewoodbride) who did her amazing makeup for her wedding and was pointed to Kate Crotty. She works for Bobbi Brown as one of their leading makeup artists and freelances when she isn’t working. I was a bit weary after so many failed attempts, but quickly got engaged into a very fun conversation during the first trial. Within the hour, she handed me a mirror and all I could do was gasp! I hired her on the spot to do my mother’s and my makeup for the wedding. I did return for a second trial only because I changed what I had wanted a month before the wedding. And of course she ‘got it’ again, exactly as I had pictured it. And I don’t know how she managed it, but she did an even better job on our wedding day. My mother looked like royalty as well, which I was pleasantly surprised with because she hadn’t had a trial as I had. I think her prices are very reasonable and worth every penny of it.

Hair

Jamie Reasy with Sorella Salon & Spa (A+)

Not everyone has the good fortune of having a cousin who owns a salon and spa and happens to be your Maid of Honor. Jamie did my beautiful do for our wedding and attempting to put aside any bias I may have, she did an exceptional job. She was quick to get what I wanted and steered me away from any ideas that would not have been advantageous. In the end I had exactly what I had envisioned. I highly recommend and if you call, make sure to request Jamie Reasy – she is the maven of the wedding coif!

Tuxes

Men’s Wearhouse (B)

Not much to say. They were not too expensive, but you certainly get what you pay for. They did make one mistake with us, so just make sure you check over your paperwork before you sign off on things. I would strongly encourage everyone to try on their tuxes when they go to pick them up just to make sure everything is right.

Bridesmaid Dresses

Marcella’s La Boutique (A-)

Again, they gave us a great experience. The only issue in the Bridesmaid dress department was that they don’t do alterations. They have recommendations, but luckily my BMs have very crafty mothers, so we never tried out who they recommended.

Garter

Angel Threads(A)

They did such a great job despite health problems that befell their seamstress. They made sure to keep me abreast on the status of my order and I got exactly what I had wanted. It’s beautiful.

Favor boxes

BellaTerra (A)

Fast, and came when I needed them to. I had to assemble them, and the paper wasn't the best quality, but what do you expect for favors? I think if I had had more time and spent a bit more effort looking for something, I might have found something similar for a better price and better quality. But this is what you get for waiting two weeks before the wedding.

Truffles for favors

Costco (A)

They were well priced and the truffles themselves were delicious. Our guests loved them. What can get better for good quality favors for a great price?

Wedding Party Gifts

Tiffany’s (A+):

Each of the ladies got Tiffany’s key chains that are engraveable. They loved them! We gave my father a set of engraved cuff-links that he wore on the wedding day, proudly. And we got my mother a pendant. I fretted for months over what to get our wedding party and last minute dashed into Tiffany’s. I’m so glad because they LOVED their gifts.

Husband’s Wedding Gift

Red Envelope (A-)

One of the gifts I gave my husband was a pair of cufflinks he could wear on his wedding day. The significance of them was the fact that his grandparents could not attend. Most have passed on, and the other couldn’t travel all the way from Hungary to be with us. So I purchased a pair of their locket cufflinks, had them engraved with our new last name initial and put his grandparents’ pictures in them. Not only was it one of the best gifts given on our rehearsal night, but they are very well made. My only issue with RedEnvelope was that I had ordered a different pair and they would fasten. So I had to have them swapped out for the other style. I actually liked the other style in person better, so it worked out in the end.

Wedding Night Hotel

Bellevue Club (A)

Aside from the fact that we hardly spent any time there, it is a beautiful hotel and the service was fine.

Invitations

Aquamarine Press (A)

Ericka worked with me to create our beautiful Save-the-Dates, invites, programs, escort and direction cards as well as menus. They were all custom created to fit the theme of our wedding on beautiful luxe card stock. Our guests still talk about them. I am quite a paper fanatic and she certainly didn’t disappoint. She had great communication and got back to us with any questions or concerns right away. I would definitely recommend her.

Calligraphy

Michele Clark (A+)

Michele did such a spectacular job for the perfect price. I was thrilled with her work and it was done so quickly with not a single error or imperfection. She was done quickly and very flexible with any last minute additions. If you are considering any sort of calligraphy, I would absolutely contact her for a quote. I know if the day comes that I would ever need calligraphy services again, she would be the person I use.

Rehearsal Dinner

Calabria in Kirkland (A)

Given we had a pretty formal wedding, we wanted to make sure our Rehearsal Dinner was a little more low-key. Calabria has a great reputation for fabulous Italian food and fun atmosphere, so we decided to go with them. They were very flexible, handled the creation of our custom menu without hesitation and in the end, the event coordinator treated us as if we were family. The food was out of this world as well. I highly recommend them for a fun and casual event. And it will be a fun treat to remember such a great night every time my husband and I return for dinner there.

Rings

Joseph’s Jewelry in Bellevue (A+)

Right off the bat I knew what type of wedding band I wanted. I shopped around for what seemed like eons trying to find something a bit more reasonable for what I was being quoted. Eventually, I started to give up because it was just out of my price range. Then a friend got me in touch with a New York based jeweler in the diamond district. After some chats with them, they quoted me a price far better than the jewelers around my immediate area. I was a little nervous working with people that I had never really met face-to-face and I certainly had never seen the quality of their work (I put a lot of faith in my friend’s discerning tastes I suppose). In a last minute effort to keep things local, I swung by a Joseph’s Jewelry to have him repair my engagement ring and give me a quote. After negotiations, he made it worth while to use him to custom make what I wanted. In the end, I got a better eternity band with higher quality diamonds for less than the best price I was offered. Ever since that, I have had him custom make a pendant and he created my husband’s wedding band as well. He is honest, reliable and quick. I urge any of you looking for something specific to bring in your design and have him give you a quote.

Photo Stamps for DIY Thank you Cards

Custom Photo Stamps (B)

This was really my only DIY project. I decided to mimic a Martha Stewart Thank You Card she created with custom photo stamp stickers. I sent in an engagement photo and they created stickers in the look of a stamp. They turned out great, but my photo got lost. A month later they finally got in touch with me to see if I ever sent one in. They followed through with the order quite quickly after that. I’ve heard of issues with this company, but I was pretty happy with what I got back, although one sheet of stickers was not centered right.

Tahiti

InterContinental Tahiti (A)

To begin with, we now understand why a lot of couples decide to stay one night in Tahiti and then remain on one of the other islands for the most of their trip. The island of Tahiti itself certainly was not as beautiful as Moorea (or from what I hear any other surrounding island). The InterContinental Resort was very nice. We stayed in one of their Ocean View rooms for the first 4 nights of our trip. The room was always very clean and tidy. But it was obvious it was an older resort. Still, it was very nice with their eternity pool and snorkeling pool. If you like to spend most of your time on the resort premises, than this is certainly a great place to do so. And you MUST make dinner reservations at Le Lotus Restaurant for at least one evening while you are there. The food is quite pricey every where you go, and Le Lotus is no exception, but it was quite possibly the best food I’ve had my entire life.

Moorea

InterContinental Moorea (A+)

We arrived at the InterContinental Moorea resort and for the first 20 minutes, scratched our heads wondering why we had wasted our time on Tahiti. This resort was BEAUTIFUL!!!! We stayed in one of their over-water bungalows which was amazing. Every night we made it a point to enjoy a glass of wine on the deck while watching the sun set. I’ve never experienced anything so beautiful. We rented a car for a day and made the trip all the way around the island in an hour. We traveled up the mountain and did a bit of hiking, but really, we were forced to just relax and spend our time enjoying one another. I can’t think of anything better for busy newlyweds!

Travel Coordination

Costco Travel (A+)

They did a great job for a far better price than we could have found elsewhere. They made sure to get us upgrades after finding out we were newlyweds on our honeymoon. They also went to bat for us when Air Tahiti Nui messed up on our flight times 3 times in a row. These flight shifts cost us $100 each time because we had a connection flight from LAX to SeaTac, so you can imagine after time #3 we were getting quite upset. So my husband called Costco travel, explained what happened, and we immediately got reimbursed by Air Tahiti Nui for the trouble and an upgrade on our seats. I know for complex travel, we will always use Costco.

 

Feel free to page me on the Seattle, WA or Dress Boards. Happy planning!