Rentals, Decorations, Favors

FIRST, at wedding shows, be sure to pick-up all of the coupons for rentals, regardless of whether you will use them or not. Many coupons allow you to save 20% if you end up renting something.

I found the most reasonable rental place, with the items that I wanted, to be Grand Event Rentals.

Other rental places:
Abbey Party Rents
Pedersens
Alexander Party Rentals
R & R Party Rentals
Choice Linens & Chair Covers‎ -You can also buy chair covers and sashes from http://www.efavormart.com/. Just remember that someone needs to put them on the chairs!
Stellar Event Rentals‎
ABC Rentals-Special Events‎
AA Party Rentals‎

Party City is a good place to buy paper/plastic plates and silverware and decorations.

I ordered vases from HJK IMPORTS http://www.hjkimports.com/
Call 650-952-6188 (ext 2#) and a sales rep will be able to help you with your order.

I had cookie favors, prepared by the caterer, but here is are some other favor ideas.
http://www.photoboothservices.com/ - This idea is AWESOME (props to my BBF Nazik). Place an empty photo book near the booth along with scissors and double back tape and your guests will have a blast leaving you fun pictures and notes. This makes a fantastic guestbook and favor in one!

http://www.fionsweddingboutique.com/
http://www.favorsbyserendipity.com/

Michael's is a one stop shop for crafts/activities for kids. If you have a lot of kids, a kids room is a great idea. If you just have a few kids, consider making them little activity bags with coloring kits, stickers, word puzzles, etc. - nothing too messy though.

Need portable toilets for your at home or outdoor wedding? Check out: http://www.royalrestrooms.com/RestroomtrailersTwoStall.html

Rent Glassy Babys for $5 each:
http://www.glassybaby.com/salesprogram.aspx.

Churches

I love this church. The Blessed Sacrament.

More beautiful churches in the Greater Seattle Area:
St. James Cathedral

St. John the Evangelist in Ballard

The Bastyr University Chapel (aka St. Edwards) in Kenmore

St. Anne's Chapel at Villa Academy

Resources - Wedding

If you haven't done so already, sign up for an account with http://www.theknot.com/. I found it to be a great resource and I used the Budget Manager just about everyday. This site also has great pictures that I printed out and brought to vendors.

Also, get yourself to a wedding expo, big or small. They really give you a good chance to meet vendors and most importantly, pick up valuable coupons (rentals, tuxes, etc), and taste wedding cake!

You can find shows here: http://www.bridesclub.com/. The biggest show is in January at the Seattle Convention Center: http://www.weddingshow.com/.

I was on the BridesClub mailing list so I got a couple emails from them everyday. This was sometimes annoying, but I actually found a couple vendors that way, because each email contained coupons/discount offers for different wedding related things. Therefore, I think it is worth it.

Pick up Seattle Bride Magazine if you haven’t already. It has a LOT of local information.

http://www.weddingchannel.com/ and http://www.junebugweddings.com/ is another good sight with a long list of local vendors. I especially like Junebugs Best of Lists: http://junebugweddings.com/fashion-report/default.aspx.

Martha Stewart Weddings – there is a good checklist in her magazine and online.

TIP: If you get a call from someone saying that you were selected for a great prize and you need to go somewhere to receive it... DON'T GO! You will sit through a 3 hour presentation on pots and pans and then receive awful door prizes. However cool the gifts sound, DON'T GO!!! This call often happens after wedding shows.

Venues

A few suggestions...

The Hall at Fauntleroy, located in West Seattle. Great for a large group (300+). Beautiful setting and phenominal catering.

Lake Union Crew, located on Lake Union. Outside Catering is avaialble, gorgeous view, good parking, nice staff.

Lakeside Events Center, located on Lake Union. Really nice Wedding Planner.

The Golf Club at Newcastle, located in Newcastle. Absolutely phenominal view of Seattle, Lake Washington, and Bellevue. Can accomodate many quests.

Pickering Farm, located in Issaquah. Great, big space.

Woodland Park Zoo, located in Phinney.

Shilshole Bay Beach Club, located in Ballard.

Hotel Bellwether, located in Bellingham. Cool lighthouse, connected to a nice hotel for you guests.
Whistler - The Westin.

Programs

Microsoft Office has a great selection of Wedding Program Templates:
http://office.microsoft.com/en-us/templates/CT101042981033.aspx.

I used the Juliet Design: http://office.microsoft.com/en-us/templates/TC011101131033.aspx?CategoryID=CT101042981033.

Suggestion Box: Join the Paper Zone email mailing list to receive great deals on paper, envelopes, Thank You Cards, Guest Books, Photo Albums, and other important wedding accessories. http://www.paperzone.com/myacct/index.cfm. You can always unsubscribe after your wedding.

Ceremony - Catholic/Filipino

Pre Ceremony Music
Trumpet Air
Trumpet Voluntary
This is the Day

Entrance Rite
Processional
"Canon in D" by Pachelbel

Marching Order Down the Aisle
Officiant:
Parents Groom & Groom
Primary Sponsors
Veil and Cord Sponsors
Ring and Coin Bearer
Flower Girls
Bridesmaid and Groomsman (tallest to shortest)
Maid of Honor and Best Man
Bride and Parents of the Bride

Brides Entrance with Parents
"Bridal Chorus" by Wagner

Mother's of the bride and groom light candles
(Mother’s light the candles)

Opening Prayer

-Bridal Party sits-

Liturgy of the Word
First Reading: A Reading from the Letter of Paul to the Colossians
Second Reading: A reading from the first Letter of Saint John
Gospel: A reading from the holy gospel according to John 15:9-12
Homily

-Bridal Party re-assembles-

The Rite of Marriage
Consent
Exchange of Vows
Blessing and Exchange of Rings (Nazik and Oliver have rings)
Nuptial Blessing
"Ave Maria," (after nuptial through offertory)
Candle Ceremony (Candle on the alter)
Coin "Arrhae," Veil, and Cord Ceremony

-Bridal Party sits-

Communion Rite

The Lord's Prayer
Sign of Peace
"Ubi Caritas, Where Love is God is" by Hurd

Communion
"Panis Angelicus"

-Bridal Party re-assembles-

Concluding Rite
Final Blessing
Introduction of Mr. and Mrs.
Recessional
"Wedding March" by Mendelssohn
"Ode To Joy" by Beethoven

First Reading
A Reading from the Letter of Paul to the Colossians

Brothers and sisters:
Put on, as God’s chosen ones, holy and beloved, heartfelt compassion, kindness, humility, gentleness and patience
bearing with one another and forgiving one another
if one has a grievance against another; as the Lord has forgiven you, so must you also do.
And over all these put on love, that is the bond of perfection.
And let the peace of Christ control your hearts,
The peace into which you were also called in one Body.
And be thankful.
Let the word of Christ dwell in you richly,
As in all wisdom you teach an admonish one another,
Singing psalms, hymns, and spiritual songs
With gratitude in your hearts to God.
And whatever you do, in word or in deed,
Do everything in the name of the Lord Jesus,
Giving thanks to God the Father through him.
The Word of the Lord

Second Reading
A reading from the first Letter of Saint John

Beloved, let us love one another
because love is of God;
everyone who loves is begotten by God and knows God.
Whoever is without love does not know God, for God is love.
In this way the love of God was revealed to us:
God sent his only Son into the world
so that we might have life through him.
In this is love:
not that we have loved God, but that he loved us
and sent his Son as expiation for our sins.
Beloved, if God so loved us,
we also must love one another.
No one has ever seen God.
Yet, if we love one another, God remains in us,
and his love is brought to perfection in us
The Word of the Lord

Gospel
A reading from the holy gospel according to John 15:9-12

Jesus said to his disciples:
As the Father has loved me, so I have loved you.
Remain in my love.
If you keep my commandments, you will remain in my love,
just as I have kept my Father’s commandments
and remain in his love.
I have told you this so that my own joy might be in youand your joy be complete.
This is my commandments: love one another as I love you.
The Gospel of the Lord.

Filipino Wedding Traditions
Filipino Weddings reflect the strong traditions of family and extended family and symbolism. Thus, Filipino wedding ceremonies typically involve many people, and the wedding rituals typically "speak" to the couple personally.
The Filipino wedding involves people who are also significant in the couple's life: the Principal Sponsors and the Secondary Sponsors.
The majority of Filipino weddings have special "sponsors" who act as witnesses to the marriage. The principal sponsors are women and men whom the bride and groom admire and respect. These are often family members or close friends of the family.
Secondary sponsors handle special parts of the ceremony, such as the candle, cord and veil ceremonies.
Candle sponsors light two candles, which the bride and groom use to light a single unity candle to symbolize the joining of the two families and to invoke the light of Christ in their married life.
Veil sponsors place a white veil over the bride's head and the groom's shoulders, a symbol of two people clothed as one.
Cord sponsors drape the yugal (a decorative silk cord) in a figure-eight shape--to symbolize everlasting fidelity--over the shoulders of the bride and groom.
The groom gives the bride thirteen coins, or arrhae, blessed by the priest, as a sign of his dedication to his wife's well-being and the welfare of their future children. The thirteen coins in the arrhae represent Jesus and his apostles. These coins traditionally symbolize the ability of the groom to support his wife and his promise to take care of her materially. While the arrhae have come to symbolize essentially the material, today’s couple embrace life and face the world together in a more mutually supportive way than ever before.

Printing

For invitations, programs, etc. these companies gave me the best quotes and did a great job.

Jet City Printing, Contact: Janice
6134 NE Bothell Way
Kenmore, WA 98028
Phone: (425) 485-8611
Email: jetcity1234@aol.com
http://www.jetcityprinting.com/

Zebra Print and Copy
Seattle: Downtown
701 5th Ave Suite 307
Seattle, WA 98104
Phone:(206) 223-1955
Fax: (206) 223-5538
E-mail: mailto:seattle@zebraprintandcopy.com
http://www.zebraprintandcopy.com/

Musicians

Lady "A" & the Baby Blues "Funk" Band http://www.ladyababyblues.com/. I can't say enough good things about them. Lady A is a terrific MC, they will learn to play any song you want, with enough time and a copy of the CD. You're guests will have a ball!



I heart the Kennedy Brothers. You will love them too: http://www.kennedybrothers.net/. Tell Tom that Julie, Thomas' Gymnastic Coach, sent you. :)


Another fun band is the Michael Benson Band. http://www.michaelbensonband.com/

Phil Larson, Organist
360-805-2926
larson.philip@gmail.com

Suggestion Box: For an awesome bridal entrance, book a trumpet player!

Flowers

Wedding Florists:
Metropolitan Market – Top of Queen Anne
Paul Salaiz (and Jeannie)
206-378-3568

Ballard Blossom
1766 Nw Market St, Seattle, WA 98107
206-782-4213
http://www.ballardblossom.com/wedding/occasions/display

Hawaiian Flowers, Leis, etc.:
http://www.hawaiigeneralstore.net/

Everyday Flowers:
Pike Place Market!

Dresses, veils, tuxes, alterations, dry-cleaning and dress preservation

La Belle Elaines http://www.labelleelaines.com/ located in Seattle. Huge Selection of wedding dresses. Tanida knows what she is doing.

I Do Bridal http://www.idobridal.com/ located in Wallingford. Awesome staff, beautiful gowns, and a fantastic selection of bridesmaid dresses. Jen Kwon rocks.

Victoria's Bridal Couture http://www.victoriasbridalofseattle.com/ located on 130th and Aurora. Flawless alterations.

http://www.weddingveil.com/. Good, inexpensive veils. Know what you want before you order (try some on in the stores and order online - you will save a lot).

http://www.flowergirldressforless.com/. Beautiful, ATTRACTIVELY PRICED, well made dresses, large selection, delivered in record time.

Tux Shop. Pick up a coupon at a Wedding Show to save a bunch on Tux Rentals. The Tux Shop's computer system isn't the best, so just make sure everyone get's what you ordered. Susan is very helpful at the Ballard location.

Dry-cleaning and dress preservation: http://www.prestigeseattle.com/wedding_gowns.html

Transportation

All you need is a Banquet License from the Liquor Store (~$10) to bring your own drinks onboard.

Contact:
Kathryn Ford
kathryn@starlinetransportation.com
Starline Luxury Coaches
206-763-5817
http://www.starlinetransportation.com/

Beauty

Mani's and Pedi's and Mimosa's at Frenchy's Day Spa in Madison Park. Great place. You sit 3 and 3 for the pedicures and quite a few can sit, facing one another for manicures. You can bring your own champagne as long as you open it.

Also, for all of you Eastsiders, The Nail and Spa Cafe is great for big groups and is very attractively priced. Manicures - $15-20, Pedicures - $25, Manicures and pedicures - $40. 555 108th Ave NE Bellevue, WA 98004 (425) 455-2595. I attended a bachelorette party here, with 10+ people, food and movies/music playing... very fun.

Get the BEST wax by Tiffany and excellent massages by Joanne at http://www.cristycarnersalon.com/ located in Fremont.

For updo's book your appointment EARLY with Sherry at 13 Boston Hair Design, located in Queen Anne. http://www.13boston.com/. She is the best.

For a fabulous hair cut, see Roma at 13 Boston Hair Design http://www.13boston.com/.

On-location Hair updo's for bridesmaid and the bride too book Nicole or Kyla:

Nicole

Coco Brown Salon
(206) 769-3920

$35 half up, $45 updo, $60 extra long hair, $40 travel

Kyla
Pure Salon
253.249.4873
Kyla@thePUREsalon.com

$45+

On-location Make-up:
Sarah
Lauren

Suggestion Box: Wear fake eyelashes from Sephora or Mac!

Catering

The food and presentation Tuxedos and Tennis Shoes created for my wedding was out of this world. I know I am bias, but it wasn't just good "quantity cooking" food, it was delicious food that you would order personally at a restaurant and thoroughly devour. Their prices are extremely reasonable and their food will seriously be a hit at any event. http://www.tuxedosandtennisshoes.com/

Cake

Have a lot of people to feed? Order a small "pretty cake" and then order sheet cakes. They taste and look the same but they are much easier to cut and way more attractively priced.

Beth Lumbard made a beautiful and DELICIOUS cake for my sister's wedding. You could smell the sweetness of it when you walked by. She is known for her White Chocolate, cheesecake frosting! bethanylumbard@gmail.com



While Dawnie no longer makes wedding cakes, her creation is more than worth displaying on this site. The inside was cookies and cream!


Cupcake Royal has absolutely fantastic cupcakes. I especially love the red velvet ones, but they will make you a variety box to sample before you select

-Our Menu... to get your creative juices flowing-
Tray Passed Hors D'Oeuvres
Teriyaki Beef Bites Accented with Sesame Seeds
Petite Dungeness Crab Cakes with a Ginger Plum Sauce
Spanakopita - Phyllo Triangles of Spinach & Feta
Curried Chicken Satay Bites with Thai Peanut Sauce
Coconut Prawns

Dinner Buffet Stations
Carved Oven Roasted Turkey
with Rosemary Rolls and Cranberry Peach Chutney
Sausage and Stage Stuffing (Ummm... SO GOOD)
~
Carved Baron of Beef
with Kaiser Rolls, Dijon Mustard, Mayonnaise and Horseradish Cream Sauce
Roasted Garlic Mashed Potatoes
~
Seasonal Field Greens with Candied Walnuts, Dried Cranberries, Chevre and Raspberry Vinaigrette
Fresh Seasonal Fruit and Berries
Assortment of Gourmet Cheeses, Brie & Rustic Tortas
with Assorted Crackers and Herbed Garlic Crostini
Beverage Selections
Assorted Sodas
Freshly Brewed Tully's House Blend Coffee
with Sugar, Equal and Half & Half

Kids Buffet
Chicken Fingers with BBQ dipping sauce
Tater Tots
Fruit and Berries
Veggies with Ranch Dip
Cranberry Citrus Punch

Wedding Websites

I find http://www.mywedding.com/ to have the best website templates and capabilities. Plus, it is free!

Videographer

One company: BOGLE PRODUCTIONS! http://www.bogleproductions.com/
Cory Bogle [bogleproductions@mac.com].

We were told to get a wedding video, but we decided not to until 1 month before our wedding I saw a wedding video produced by Bogle, I knew we had to have one. My husband I have since watched our video 100s of times. It is a wonderful way to capture your big day and not miss a thing!

Don't wait, email Cory! Photo's are brilliant, but get the video too!!! I promise you will LOVE it and watch it more than you think.

Photographers

Deborah Elizabeth Watt with Elizabeth & Company is a fantastic Wedding Photographer. I highly recommend her and her team (especially Ben!). Some picture samples are below. http://www.elizabeth-and-co.com/ 360 509 7968

Other notable photographers who have snapped beautiful shots of my friends or who were referred to me:

Red Fish Blue Fish Photography http://redfishphoto.wordpress.com/

J. Garner http://www.jgarnerphoto.com/

John and Joseph Photography http://www.jkhphoto.com/

Yvonne Wong http://yvonne-wong.com/wedding/ (I went to high school with Yvonne)

Kelly Chandler http://www.kellychandler.com/

Kurt Smith http://www.kurtsmithphotography.com/

Jeremy Leffel http://www.jeremyleffel.com/ jeremy@jeremyleffel.com

Lindsay King http://www.seattledigitalwedding.com/ lbking@gmail.com