Tell us a little about yourselves, what you do, what you love, what is unique about you and your relationship…
Jason and I first met about 8 years ago at work in Philadelphia, PA. We are both in the fashion industry and met at our first jobs out of school at Urban Outfitters headquarters. About 6 years ago, we decided to head out west to Seattle, Washington for new jobs and a change of scenery.
We LOVE good food and strong drinks and our favorite thing to do on the weekends is check out new restaurants and cozy cocktail bars. Because of this, Jason decided to surprise me with a proposal after dinner by an evening fire at one of our most-loved Seattle restaurants, Brimmer and Heeltap. Our friends were waiting at a nearby bar to celebrate afterwards- it was such a special night!
Tell us about your special day, was there a specific theme or style? Tell us a little about the setting, the styling and some of your favourite details…
Most of our guests were traveling from out of town to celebrate with us. It was important to us that we show them a slice of our life here in Seattle: lake views, oysters, and rose! Westward restaurant was our first choice: they don’t often close their doors for weddings so we were thrilled when they agreed to host us! We took advantage of their quirky ‘Life Aquatic” inspired décor and worked with our florist to compliment the already beautiful the space with florals inspired by the sea and ocean creatures. The arch they created for our ceremony was one of our absolute favorite details of the whole day!
More than anything, we wanted our wedding to feel like a summer evening out with our best friends: dinner, drinks, and songs around the fire.
Tell us about your main outfits:
Picking a wedding dress was such a wonderful experience I will always remember! I went dress shopping with my sister, my mom and my mother in law in both New York and Seattle. I wanted a dress that was feminine with a bit of bohemian flair- and more than anything I wanted it to be very comfortable (the wedding day is a LONG day, afterall). The Mackenzie gown by Rue de Seine was actually the second dress I tried on and after a few other appointments and many other dresses I kept coming back to it.
Jason felt like our wedding day would be the perfect excuse to spend a lot of money on an incredible tuxedo. He wanted something he could wear multiple times to different events and opted for a modern suit with a classic vibe from Acne Studios.
What were some of the most memorable/unique moments from the day?
One of the best pieces of advice from our photographer Kristen was to set aside some time before the ceremony for just the two of us. We decided to have brunch together at a restaurant called Sitka and Spruce. It was such a special moment and it gave us time to catch our breath and connect before the craziness of the day began.
Any advice for other couples planning to spend the rest of their lives together?
Stay focused on each other; try not to let the details of the day take you away from your partner. The wedding day flies by quickly so if you can, take a few moments throughout the day to pause, look around, and be in the moment. Lastly, don’t feel like you have to follow all the wedding traditions: if you don’t want a wedding cake; opt for a different dessert! If the thought of a first dance makes you feel self-conscious, skip it and just start the party! Do what feels right for you as a couple, regardless of tradition.
Photography: Kristen Marie Parker | Ceremony and reception location, catering, and cake: Westward and Little Gull | Celebrant: Virginia Cetuk | DJ: Nick Beeba | Photo booth: Shutterbus Co. | Flora: Thatch Flora | Hair and makeup: Studio Artist Collective | Wedding dress: Rue de Seine (“Mackenzie”) | Shoes: Mercedes Castillo | Earrings: Kathleen Whitaker | Silver cuff: Studebaker Metals | Groom’s tuxedo: Acne Studios | Shirt: YSL | Bowtie: Lanvin | Shoes: Givenchy | Engagement ring: Erica Weiner | Rings: Anna Sheffield |