Marissa + Cole
(September 21, 2019 in Issaquah, WA)
The author of the blog post wanted a simple wedding that embraced the "barn theme" without being too rustic. Greenery was used to soften up the space and an ice cream sundae bar was a reflection of her personality. The wedding day went perfectly without any mishaps, except for the author getting stung by a bee. The author recommends attending a wedding show for ideas and inspiration. It's important to pick two to three things that are super important and not willing to compromise on. Let someone else make decisions on smaller details and focus on the big picture.
Marissa looked absolutely beautiful in our Eva gown by Essense of Australia. This is a sheath-fit gown made of comfortable, soft, stretchy crepe material. It has bold lace throughout the bodice that trickles down into the skirt to frame the hips and accentuate the figure. A plunging v-neckline and side cutouts also help highlight the shape. A beautiful beaded trim edges the bodice for a little bit of glam and a bit of beading adds some sparkle to the bodice. The back of the gown comes into a gorgeous v-shape and lace frames the train for a dramatic back of this stunning wedding gown.
By our real bride, Marissa:
What was the vision for your wedding?
We wanted something pretty simple, nothing over-the-top extravagant. We sort of embraced the "barn theme" without going too rustic. I still wanted there to be a sophisticated feeling to the barn atmosphere so we leaned into adding greenery to soften up the space. Looking back, it pretty much turned out exactly like my Pinterest board - my vision didn't evolve very much!
The thing we decided to go crazy on was dessert. We had mini cupcakes, donuts, macaroons, and my favorite part - an ice cream sundae bar! I'm a big baker and have a huge sweet tooth so this part was really fun for me and definitely was a reflection of my personality which everyone loved!
I went to the Seattle wedding show which is where I found our hair/makeup, cupcakes, & ice cream vendors. As a side note, I really recommend attending a wedding show. It was so fun to get ideas, taste ALL the cake, and get in the "wedding spirit. My parents were both incredibly helpful in the whole process since I was planning the wedding from Spokane. They actually found both the caterer and the wedding venue for us!
How did it go the day-of?
Our wedding day was exactly what we had hoped for and more! I was prepared for something, at least one thing to not go as planned since you always hear about little mishaps, but really everything was perfect! (Although, I did get stung by a bee while taking photos...ha!) We were also incredibly lucky that my aunt was our florist. I pretty much told her our colors and vision and let her run with it. That was fun for me because when we got to the venue everything was a little bit of a surprise!
We started the day getting ready together at my friends house which allowed for us to have a really relaxed morning. We had a light brunch and made sure we had plenty of time to avoid any last-minute rushing. We did most of our wedding photos and the first look at a local park a few hours before the ceremony which took some stress off the wedding itself. Something I did which my photographer suggested was a first look with my dad also, which was SO special. We were able to have a little moment together and I will forever cherish those photos.
Our wedding started at 6:30 so I didn't want to try and squeeze in any photos after the ceremony. I'm so glad we took that approach because as soon as the ceremony ended we could head straight to the party!
Once everyone was at their tables after cocktail hour, it was super important to us that people didn't have to wait too long to get their food. There was a running joke in the family about this, because at a previous family wedding, Grandpa was too hungry to wait and actually started the buffet line before the bride & groom. So, we made sure that as soon as we made our entrance and did a prayer, we headed straight for the food! I've always heard brides say they were so busy the whole night they never had the chance to eat, but it was definitely a priority for us to enjoy the yummy food we had picked out for everyone!
Something our bartender did was keep a backup drink for both of us at the head table. We didn't request this but it was a nice touch so we never had to leave the dance floor!
At the end of the night, we had 2 party buses pick up the wedding party and some of our friends to take us downtown Seattle. The party bus ride was definitely a highlight, but it was also super convenient because most of our friends lived downtown so they didn't all have to get Uber/Lyft rides home! We were tired but were so glad we had an afterparty of sorts to keep the night going!
What is your #1 tip to future brides?
Pick two to three things that are SUPER important to you, that you aren't willing to compromise on. There are a million little decisions that have to be made, and if there is someone you can trust who is helping you, give them the authority to make some of those decisions. There comes a point where you won't even care anymore about some of the small stuff, so let someone else take that over if you can! Focus on those two to three things you've chosen to make perfect! It's easy to get caught up in the little details, which can be overwhelming so try to remember the big picture!
