February ~ Many Couples Are Now Planning Their Wedding Celebrations In The "Off Season" of February. Why?

What a sweet kiss!

Moments after Peter and Hannah walked down the aisle, I managed to capture this intimate moment before they turned to greet family and friends.

At rehearsal, we weren't sure what was going to happen on Sunday, February 20th - snow, sleet, rain, sunshine.

And remarkably, Peter and Hannah got a cold and crisp day with lots of beautiful sunshine for their wedding ceremony at The Canal in Seattle.

More and more couples, like Peter and Hannah are being married during the month of February in Seattle. The weather is a tad more predictable than January - venue costs are value priced for couples - and couples find that family and friends love a celebration in this month as it brightens up a grey time of year.

A Soldier's Gift To His Sweetheart: A Planned Wedding Day...

A few weeks ago, I received a phone call from a soldier named Zach.

I quickly understood that Zach was taking it upon himself to coordinate a sweet and simple ceremony and celebration for February 20th, a gift to his sweetheart, Meghan.

We talked a bit and before you know it, Zach decided on treating a dozen family and friends to a celebration dinner at The Bark Frog in Woodinville, which is on-site at The Willows Lodge.

Of course, Zach would have to get married first.

And Zach's wedding wish came true. He exchanged vows in a park-like alcove at the Willows Lodge to the delight of a small group of family.

Photographer Ron Shaw from http://www.aaaamazingphotography.com captured the weight and seriousness of this moment in the photo above.

Zach and Megan ~ much happiness to you!

What Ruled On Valentine's Day 2011? Tiny Weddings that Were Big/Huge!

In the years that I have been doing this work, I've only had two weddings with big guest lists on Valentine's Day.

In my experience, most weddings on Valentine's Day are small in size and big in heart.

Erik and Sabrina dashed through the pouring rain for cover inside Salty's on Alki yesterday to exchange vows overlooking the water and Puget Sound.

The guest list was small, including Erik's parents from Sacramento, and the love in the room was BIG!

Photo: The Fabulous Jenny at http://www.jennygg.com/

Getting Married Outside Of The Seattle, WA Area? 3 Tips For Your "Destination Wedding!"

Each year, I travel to wonderful places all over Puget Sound and Washington State for wedding ceremonies - big and small.

And over this time, I've had many experiences on the way to a destination wedding day. If you are planning your wedding outside of the Seattle area, here are three tips to help insure an easy and comfortable wedding ceremony:

1) Get Real About Timing Issues. If you are planning your wedding at a destination site that involves travel by car or ferry, your family and friends will appreciate sensitivity around the scheduling of your wedding day.

During a Northwest Summer, traffic and increased tourists can mess things up. As you work on a timeline for your wedding day (no matter if your guest list is 2 or 200), be overly generous with timing out the events of your wedding day so that you allow for traffic snafus, lost guests (or vendor), etc.

2) Shop Local For Vendors. Many couples hire wonderful wedding professionals out of Seattle/Tacoma and immediate areas for their destination wedding. And at the same time, don't forget to "look local" for vendors who may live in the immediate area. This can save your considerable money on travel fees and you have peace of mind that one or more of your wedding day vendors are "nearby!"

3) Be Extra Generous To Family and Friends. Don't underestimate the effort and expense it often costs to travel to a destination wedding - hotel, car, ferry fees, etc. If you are hosting a destination wedding, what a lovely thing it would be to throw a special party, dinner or barbeque for your guests who have travelled far or delight people who have made great effort to be a part of your wedding day with a special surprise or welcomed gift.

Fabulous Photo/Alderbrook Resort (Dustin & Erin) by www.jennygg.com