I met Emily and John back in 2010 (while they were still in the early stages of planning their July 2011 wedding) for an “a la carte” meeting to help get the gears turning and do some budget planning. Happily, later down the road, they decided to bring in A Kurant Event to help with all the day-of details! We were so thrilled to be a part of their wedding day! The late summer season in Seattle made for iffy weather, but in a great venue like Georgetown Ballroom you’re safe inside or able to wander out to the patio whenever the clouds part! The heartwarming ceremony, officiated by a family friend, had guests chuckling and tearing up at the same time – my favorite kind of ceremony! To reflect their love of travel and good books, their favorite nic-nacs adorned their altar in their own bookcases, little hints of the couples personality were tucked in all the nooks and crannies at the venue as well!

Thanks to the uber-awesome Sergio Mottola for sharing these fun images from their wedding day!

So, maybe you’re thinking – what!? Tacoma!? But check out these totally cute photos of just-married couple Bryanna and Brandon from the amazing photographer (and south-end dweller) Tasha Owen! The wedding could not have BEEN more intimate and took place inside the gorgeous botanical conservatory in Wright Park. If you’ve never been to Wright Park and you live in the Seattle area – go! It’s gorge and super fun. The neighborhood is great too, as you’ll notice in the super-fun “around town” shots Tasha got of the couple on their way to the ceremony. Okay, done selling Tacoma (but it really is great…). Now take a look at this super cute couple on their wedding day. So glad we could be a part of it!

So, being an event planner, I am always on the prowl for new and amazing things to recommend to clients whether it be a great new restaurant for a rehearsal dinner, a fabulous quirky performer for corporate gig, or just a neat little local favor to throw in a gift bag. Let me tell you, I have another little gem up my sleeve that I can’t wait to sing about: Cinefresco by Shindig Events. Conceptualized by Shindig’s owner (and one of my favorite ladies in the biz), Kelli Bielema, the idea is so simple it’s gold: take cinema, and make it alfresco – “cinefresco”. Who doesn’t love going to outdoor movies in the summertime, spending time with family or friends, going to town on the popcorn, and tossing back a few beers? Well NOW that experience comes straight to you! That’s right, Cinefresco packs it all in to your backyard: giant movie screen, projector, great outdoor speaker system, and even a lovely lady or two to man the projection and the concession stand (that’s right, you can totally add a concession stand to you your own backyard movie party)! Host a block party and nobody has to worry about driving home tipsy; host a slumber party and you don’t have to worry about toting the kids around town looking for parking; host a girls/guys night in and you get to re-live your favorite moments of those eternal classic like Dirty Dancing or Fast Times at Ridgemont High! No back yard and no sunshine on the horizon? No problem: Cinefresco can fit indoors in a space as small as your living room and bring the big-screen indoors.

I was invited to the Cinefresco‘s Launch Party at Melrose Market Studios last week to check out the scene in action (a perfect example of how rad the whole setup can be indoors). It was a red carpet, one-night-only event that took the excitement of a big blockbuster premier stirred in with the nostalgic feeling an outdoor movie and made it a party! All the supporting roles were there: wonderful Wyatt Ink created awesome templates for invites to be used with the Cinefresco packages, local Hillards Beer provided the delicious and mandatory “beers in cans” (while some folks drank their wine in mason jars!), Seattle Popcorn Company stuffed us with their “better than the movies” popcorn, and Miss Barbie Hull‘s ubiquitous photobooth kept guests smiling all night long! By the end of the night, those of us left, took to lounging on the “lawn” and watching Pretty in Pink snuggled with blankets and folding chairs. SUPER FUN night!

To me it just seems like a no-brainer and I can’t wait to host my own movie party (Mine’s going to be on a rooftop! Truffle popcorn anyone?)!

I must say that planning elopements is one of my favorite special bonus experiences that comes along with being an event planner (in addition to proposal planning and, well, free venue open houses with lots of food and drink of course)! A Kurant Event had a fantastic winter that was seasoned with many beautiful, intimate, and non-traditional planning experiences; Eva and Truman’s elopement ceremony at The Herb Farm was no exception!

Eva contacted me in early December all the way from Germany, dreaming about her Washington wedding while anxiously awaiting her Visa approval. They wanted a celebration that would reflect both their love of wine, the outdoors, and, above all, romance. Skip ahead to the middle of January and we had a date, a location, and our very first in-person meeting in Seattle. As soon as I saw them together, I knew the private two person ceremony between the American-born gentleman and the beautiful German transplant would be a very special one. So special and so intimate, in fact, that aside from the officiant, the only two other state-required witnesses would be the photographer (talented Miss Barbie Hull!) and myself!

So, on a beautifully Northwest winter day, Eva-Maria married the love of her life in the Herb Farm’s charming wine cellar, celebrated their first dance in the parlor, and then dined on 12 courses in the private suite overlooking the immaculate restaurant. A perfect harmony of rustic romance!

The other amazing folks that made it happen? Willows Lodge, Ryann Brady and Angalina Sandoval, and ever amazing Fiore Blossoms

Do you love alliteration as much as I do? Well, I love this couple even MORE! We were soooo excited to work with Ben and Okeyse helping them plan their magical wedding from the ground up (literally). The couple wanted to celebrate in a unique space and in a unique way – with the lovely Steppe Cellars (the couple’s favorite destination tasting room in Sunnyside, Washington) as the backdrop, we were able to create a whimsical wedding for 60 guests. Let me tell you, A Kurant Event worked from sun-up to sun-down the Thursday and Friday before the big day to ready the working farm and rustic tasting room, but that’s not to say the couple and their friends and family didn’t put their share of elbow grease in as well. The bride’s amazing eye for color, style, and design helped her create her own one of a kind invites and programs while the talents of May Wyatt (of Wyatt Ink, of course) rounded out the day with the hand drawn chalkboard signage, menus, and trivia cards for guests to play at dinner. Skillet Street Food (we love them!) came all the way out from Seattle in their iconic airstream to make sure we’d have amazing grub, and Steppe Cellars ensured nobody went without plenty of wine! Thanks to Heathoriginal for the photo-booth props and wooden signpost, and to Garret Grove for the FAB photos. To top off the evening, the bride and all her girlfriends surprised guests with a flash-mob choreographed dance. The day could not have been more magical!

Want to see Style Me Pretty’s post on this totally gorgeous event? Click here!