Paper Passionista

Where in the world has August gone? Paper Passionista has been happily distracted by lots of clients, and even coordinating a wedding!!

Sara and Mike Montgomery with their officiant taking their vows at the Plateau Club

I just now slowed down long enough to take a look at my last post, and was shocked to see it was four weeks ago!  I'm so sorry that I've kept you waiting so long, but I promise you I've been busy with lots of productive activities, all of which involve weddings and invitations.  I've always had a commitment to post at least once a week and I promise to get back on track going forward. 

 I'd like to devote this post to telling you about the wedding I was lucky to coordinate Friday night (August 24) at the beautiful Plateau Club in Sammamish, WA.  Yes, I said it - I returned to my roots of wedding coordinating for one very special bride, Ms. Sara Hostetter, and her groom, Mike Montgomery (pictured above).  I've known Sara and her family since her father and I began working together at Children's Protective Services way back in 1985, and we've remained close family friends ever since.  Sara, at the young age of 8, attended my wedding to Jim O'Donnell  back in 1988 with her sister, Lisa (Hostetter now  Worthington), and their parents, Eunice and Dennis Hostetter.  And now, 24 years later, there I was at her wedding.  Sara's dad, Dennis, was the videographer at our wedding, and her mom, Eunice, helped me out from time to time when needed at my former wedding boutique.  So now it made perfect sense that I would happily agree to coordinate Sara's wedding, just like I did for her sister Lisa's wedding 14 years ago. (Back then I was a full time wedding coordinator with "Last Detail Events".)  After all, it's what friends do, right?

In addition to wedding coordination services, Paper Passionista was also pleased to work with Sara and Mike on their wedding invitations. They chose a lovely ivory and champagne layered invitation with ribbon embellishment from bt elements, and it perfectly mimicked the color scheme of the bridesmaids' dresses.  Here it is!

 

When Sara and Mike became engaged and began talking about plans for the wedding there was some discussion about  having a destination wedding in Maui.  But due to logistics that didn't seem feasible, so Sara and her mom, Eunice, decided to have a Hawaiian themed wedding and do it on the outdoor deck of the Plateau Club overlooking the golf course. With the gorgeous weather and the setting, it was hard to notice we weren't actually at the Diamond Course in Waileia on Maui! Timing was such that the ceremony ended right at sunset, and what a beautiful sunset it was!  Sara and Mike included a sand ceremony in the festivities to keep the theme going.  The entire ceremony was written by the couple and beautifully officiated by Kristin Olson of "Best Seattle Officiant", a long-time family acquaintance.  The florals were luscious tropicals  from TJ Blooms, lanterns lined the aisle, tiki torches and palms trimmed the front, and the "Hawaiian Wedding Song" and other selections were played masterfully by Susan Haas, harpist extraordinaire.  The bride, always a knock-out, was even more gorgeous in her strapless and ruffled gown from Princess Bride Couture, with hair and makeup by Salon Maison.

Here's a full length view of the dress as Sara waits to make her entrance on the arm of her dad.

After the ceremony, Sara and Mike greeted and treated their guests to a delicious dinner reception with halibut and chicken entrees featuring Hawaiian preparations and garnishes, and toppped it off with a wedding cake that was coconut with a pineapple filling from Morfey's Cakes in Seattle.  The reception's emcee and DJ for the evening was Travis of Adam's DJ Service. The Hawaiian theme was followed flawlessly from beginning to end, and Sara's mom, Eunice should be VERY proud of her execution of this exquisite wedding.  As she said in a Facebook post, Sara was their dream girl so it only made sense that she should have her dream wedding.  Dreamy it was, and I was just very proud to be a part of it.  I want to thank my dear hubby, Jim O'Donnell, as he filled his time at the wedding clicking many photos while I was busy with my coordination duties, so I've been able to use his shots for this article. (The couple of course also had a professional photographer on hand, as this wedding coordinator emeritus would NEVER suggest to any bride to have "Uncle Jim" or "Uncle Anybody" take their precious official wedding photos. This isn't the time for amateurs!)

Here's a shot of the yummy Morfey's Hawaiian cake

 I want to wish a HUGE CONGRATULATIONS to the new Mr. and Mrs. Montgomery, and may you enjoy many long years of happiness in your new life. Mahalo for allowing Paper Passionista to share in your day!

A kiss for luck and they're on their way!

Now Paper Passionista will be back to focusing on invitations for special couples, and the next two blog posts will be about two of our new lines which have arrived this month while I've been too busy to tell you about them.  Stay tuned.  But for now, here a couple more photos from Friday's wedding. You'll see the proud mother and father of the bride making their exit, and big sister and hubby, Lisa and Darrin Worthington looking wonderful as they did on their wedding days 14 years ago.  And we can't forget a shot of their two darling offspring, otherwise known as flower girls Alexcia and Kailee. What a great family affair it was!  Cheers!!

"M.O.B. and F.O.B." Eunice and Dennis Hostetter

"Lady of Honor" and hubby, Lisa and Darrin Worthington

Lisa & Darrin's daughter's, the flower girls Alexcia (in front) followed by "KK" (Kailee)

Sara and Mike, may your cause for celebration never end so this fairy tale can end with "and they lived happily every after". The end.

Bridal Gowns and so much more available beginning this weekend at a "Changing Direction Liquidation Sale" at Yours...XO, ME in Kirkland

If you're newly engaged, or have been holding off on purchasing your gown and accessories Paper Passionista says now is a great time for you to make a trip to the Totem Lake Shopping Center in Kirkland and visit Yours...XO, ME for some fantastic deals.  Owner Mary Ellen Tuttle is hosting a "Changing Direction Liquidation Sale" of the store and everything must go! The sale begins Satuday, March 17 at 11:00 a.m., and it's a great idea to get there then before all the best things are GONE!  Items available include:

Designer Bridal Gowns

Bridesmaid's Dresses

Flower Girl Dresses 

Veils

Jewelry

Headpieces 

Ring Bearer Pillows

Garters

Sixpence

Books

Greeting Cards

Shoes

Spanx

Foot Petals

Hollywood Fashion Accessories

Shrugs

Shawls

Gloves

Bustiers

Crinolines

and MUCH MORE!!!

Minimum of 50% off everything - cash or check - no debit or credit cards.

If you write a check your items stay at the shop until the check clears.

 

Paper Passionista LOVED being guests at our client's wedding

Bella by Arabella Papers wedding invitation

Each year Paper Passionista has the honor of working with countless wonderful brides and grooms in the selection and design of their special wedding invitation stationery ensembles. But it is rare that we are actually blessed with the opportunity to be guests at the wedding. This past Saturday night, August 27, 2011, we were honored to attend the wedding of the lovely Marie Dudley and her dashing groom, Adam Takayoshi.

Marie began working with me on invitations in April of this year, and we struck a special bond.  Because Marie, unfortunately, doesn't have a mom playing an active role in her life, she was looking for advice and guidance as she began planning her wedding.  She found out that my background was actually in wedding planning before I hung up that hat to focus on invitations and stationery, so she asked me for guidance on a lot of things over the course of the planning process. I referred her to the wonderful Rebecca James for help as a "day of" wedding coordinator, and she did hire her, but Marie and I still shared many conversations of the planning variety, and I was so flattered when she told me one day awhile back that she would be honored to have my husband, Jim, and I attend her wedding.  I told her it would be MY honor, so that is where we spent this past Saturday evening.

What I loved about working with Marie is she had a very strong vision for her wedding and she kept that vision in her mind throughout the entire process.  She didn't always know how to accomplish what she had in her mind, and wasn't afraid to ask, but she had the vision and that's so refreshing, since I speak with many brides who don't really have a clear idea of what they want.  Marie wanted her wedding to be elegant with a "princess-like" quality, and at the same time she was clear from the beginning that the spiritual part of the wedding ceremony was very important to her too.  In designing the wedding invitation there were parts of the wording and the motif of the Cross that were "must haves", and we were happy to accommodate.

Holy Rosary, Tacoma sanctuary 

Up close view of the beautiful altar area at Holy Rosary, Tacoma

The wedding ceremony was made even more special by the setting of Holy Rosary Catholic Church in Tacoma.  For those of you who are familiar with the large and old church that sits along side I-5 but have never been inside, as was the case for us, it is beautiful! We had the pleasure of being seated at the reception with the groom's great aunt who attended elementary school at the school attached to Holy Rosary many years ago, so she filled us in on a little history of the church.  Now painted in a very lovely Tiffany blue with white accents for the sanctuary she said it was not always as pleasing to the eye. Originally opened in 1891, it's been beautifully restored and upgraded. The vividly colored stained glass windows are mesmerizing! 

Marie & Adam listening intently to Deacon Michael Riggio's homily

Marie's bridesmaids (four of them) were each dressed in a different style of dress, all keeping with the pewter color pallet.  It's really nice to see a wedding where there is variety and not everything done to be matchy-matchy.  Each bridesmaid looked lovely in her choice, and they all maintained the same level of formality, while the dresses perfectly suited the wearers.  

The reception was held at the Pacific Grill events center in Tacoma. Guests in formal attire were welcomed with a red carpet complete with photos of their entrance as they approached.  Following cocktails and hors d' houvres in the reception lobby we were treated to a delicious "surf and turf" split entree of salmon and beef tenderloin in the dining room.  Marie's pink and silver color scheme was perfectly carried out with the table linens, table numbers, place cards and florals.  A traditional romantic and elegant ivory wedding cake graced the corner of the room. Many of these things were not captured by our personal snap shots, but the talented Brian Hartman of Photo Elan was on hand doing the photography so I'm sure more images will be available on his website.

This was our table (table numbers and place cards were from Paper Passionista)

Marie & Adam shortly after their arrival at the reception

A quick moment exchanged between Marie and me

Caught this shot of my hubby when we were entering the reception, decked out in his tux!

Thank you so much, Marie and Adam, for allowing us to witness your special day.  It has been a joy and a pleasure working with you.  Enjoy your honeymoon in San Juan, Puerto Rico. I'm looking forward to our next get-together when you'll be selecting your photo holiday cards from Paper Passionista.  Can't wait to see photos from the "real" photographer too!  Congratulations to you both.

Did you see the Checkerboard wedding invitation on Good Morning America?

Good Morning America features story about "The Kate Effect" on weddings

Just wondering if those of you who are loyal GMA followers happened to see the piece on Monday morning's show featuring ways to embrace wedding trends coming from the Royal wedding of Kate & William, now being referrred to as "The Kate Effect".  Millie Martini Bratten, editor of BRIDE's magazine, showed a copy of the new Luminesce design from the BRIDE's fine papers collection produced by Checkerboard.  If you missed the story here's a link so you can watch it and check out all the ways people are going about creating their own version of a royal feeling wedding.  Here's a closer view of the invitation referenced, and you may see it in person by contacting Paper Passionista at 206.909.9567.

"Luminesce' collection from the BRIDE's fine papers collection by Checkerboard

A brief followup to Paper Passionista's Royal Wedding review....

 When life mimics fiction...Disney vs. The British Monarchy

This gem was posted by a friend on Facebook, and it fit in so perfectly with my post from last week reviewing the Royal Wedding I couldn't resist sharing.  Who knew when I mentioned the royal sisters' fashion flubs that they had gotten their inspiration from Disney?  Enjoy!

The Wedding Suite at Nordstrom is everything it promises, and more!

 
 

 
A couple of the treat items provided to the Wedding Suite open house attendees

A couple weeks ago I mentioned Paper Passionista was attending the opening event for the new "Wedding Suite" at Nordstrom's downtown Seattle flagship store.  I did attend and have been waiting for a break in my invitation appointments and other wedding shows to report on the details of what I learned.  I had a delightful visit with one of the three Wedding Stylists at the Wedding Suite, Jenny Van Norstrand.  With such a full house I was honored to be given a one-on-one tour and run-down of all their lines and services. Jenny is clearly enthusiastic about the new wedding department, and wanted to make sure I knew that for all of them service is key!  She said all wedding stylists love to work with brides, even if they get their gowns elsewhere and just come there for all the wonderful add-ons they have available.

The range of dresses available for both brides and bridesmaids was impressive, and even more amazing was the extremely reasonable pricing of the gowns.  Bridal gowns currently in stock range from $200 - $1400, and even the least expensive gown is very nice.  There are long gowns, short gowns, sleeves or not, and designer names that most anyone who follows fashion will recognize. The two gowns below represent the least expensive and the most expensive options:

 

This ivory gown by JS Collections (shown front and back) is an amazing $198

 
This lovely patterned white gown by Nicole Miller is most expensive at only $1320

 
If a short more casual dress is your preference there are plenty of darling options for you

 
More short options for both the bride and her bridesmaids

I was shown the backroom where there are lovely spacious dressing rooms, a consultation desk, a large mirror and sitting area for those with appointments to get comfy, and accessory displays perfectly completing "the look".  The even more amazing thing Jenny shared with me is they encourage brides to take photos of dresses they're considering for their bridesmaids and themselves as they're trying on.  This is completely opposite of many gown salons you hear about that allow no photos until after a gown has been purchased.  The typical length of the gown appointment is 90 minutes.  There are many gowns available to choose from in stock, but even more can be purchased by viewing the gowns online.  I asked about availability of gowns for the plus size bride and was assured there are gowns both online and a couple of in-stock gowns in this size range as well.  Then there are dresses for moms of the bride and groom, and even options available for flower girls and ring bearers. 

  
 Above are a couple views of the "backroom" where fitting and selecting take place.

If you have a bridesmaid interested in a "signature" piece,  this darling red ruffled dress from Notte by Marchesa is sure to be remembered.  Short and strapless with swirly ruffles on the skirt, it is $795.

 

For dresses available in multiple styles and colors in a versatile elegant chiffon, Jenny's personal favorite is the dress selection below from Amsale, reasonably priced starting at $280-$290

 

The motto for the Wedding Suite is "Love is all you need. We take care of the rest." After seeing all they have available I know you're in good hands.  In closing here are a few more photos of the many accessory items available for you, including shoes, jewelry, wraps, and hair accents.  If you don't see it, just ask.  They seem to have it all covered! 

 

To schedule your appointment with one of the Nordstrom Wedding Stylists call 206.628.2111, extension 1730 or 1.888.300.1295. To schedule online visit nordstrom.com/weddings.  You can also get personalized service from a Wedding Stylist via Live Chat, email or on the phone.

One side note: All photography for this piece was done by me, and photography isn't my area of expertise, so please make an appointment and go visit the Wedding Suite at Nordstrom in person for a much better view and expert personalized friendly service.

 

Welcome back to the bridal business, Nordstrom! Paper Passionista is old enough to remember past history.

 
 
Photo courtesy of Nordstrom.com

I recently read an article in the Chicago Tribune (November 24, 2010) where they announced that Nordstrom was opening one of 14 new bridal salons in their Michigan Avenue store in Chicago.  The article stated, "the Seattle-based specialty department store is stepping into the bridal business for the first time in the company's 109-year history." I found this an interesting statement since the Paper Passionista purchased my bridal gown (for what I fondly refer to as my "practice" marriage) at the flag-ship store of Nordstrom in downtown Seattle in 1977.  They had a full-on gown salon then, where I purchased the gown, the veil, the shoes, etc..  Nordstrom later discontinued their offering of bridal gowns, and as the rumor mill flies it was said they discontinued selling gowns because their "no-questions asked" return policy was killing them when it came to people wanting to return bridal gowns. 

Who knows if this was really the reason, or if it was because having weddings fell out of favor in the late 60's through 70's as "flower children" chose to express their commitment and undying love by marrying in a field with bare feet, a flounced gingham homemade creation or a Gunne Sax by Jessica McClintock muslin dress with a ring of daisies in their hair. 

 
"Hillary & Bill", October 11, 1975 Jessica McClintock dress

Whatever the reason for why the gown salon disappeared from Nordstrom, I am thrilled they are coming back into the bridal world.  It sounds like they're offering a less traditional gown with this go-round, but one can always rest assured their gowns will be fashion forward, quality, and will come with the outstanding customer service for which any Nordstrom shopping experience is known, and they even say these gowns will be "affordable"! 

The Seattle Nordstrom "Wedding Suite" opens this Friday, January 7, located on the second floor.  The bridal gown services will be by appointment only so it's a good idea to call one of the wedding stylists at 206-628-1730 and reserve your spot. At the same time you can ask about the Wedding Suite Open House which is scheduled for Saturday, January 15, 12:00 PM - 3:00 PM . RSVP to this event

 

According to the Chicago Tribune article, "Nordstrom plans to carry wedding-gown collections from Milly, Notte by Marchesa, Sue Wong, David Meister, Nicole Miller and Tadashi. The boutique also carries reception dresses, bridesmaid dresses, shoes, headpieces, jewelry and foundations."

The remaining stores on tap to get a bridal salon, besides Seattle, are in Scottsdale, Ariz.; Canoga Park, San Francisco and San Jose, Calif.; Coral Gables, Fla.; Paramus, N.J.; Garden City, N.Y.; Dallas; Houston; McLean, Va.; and Oak Brook, Ill., according to an article in the Seattle Times on Dec. 1, 2010.