Lacey & Steve's Mexcian Fiesta! Arriba, Arriba!!

When my dear friends Lacey & Steve got engaged and told me they wanted a destination wedding I couldn't have been more excited! What is better than having a weekend filled with celebrating, parties and friends?! Doing all of that on a beach in Mexico!!

After shopping around for the perfect property we settled on Azul Fives in Playa Del Carmen on the Riviera Maya. It is a beachfront, all inclusive resort that has an amazing spa, 10+ restaurants & bars, multiple pools, nightly entertainment and the cutest dang monkeys and iguanas roaming the property. Basically it was perfect for the 38 guests that flew south to celebrate Lacey & Steve!
 
The wedding day was shot by the crazy wonderful and insanely talented, Katie Parra. I realize I am biased because she is the sweetest person on the planet, but I could look through Katie's photographs for days on end. Her attention to details is impeccable and her portrait work is perfection! Katie & myself were the lucky Seattle vendors to make the trip and we utilized the local area and resort to make the rest of the day come together!

Upon arrival guests were greeted with a glass of champagne from the hotel and a welcome bag Lacey & Steve put together. The adorable totes are from Wedding Chicks - one of my favorite companies for personalized wedding touches. The shades and koozies were utilized by all!
Lacey purchased her gown & accessories including her belt, earrings and shoes at BHLDN. The lightweight lace was ideal for the beach and sparkle in her details were a perfect touch of glam for this gorgeous bride!

Steve, the always fashionable hipster, wore a custom navy suit, light blue tie and brown shoes. His rose gold ring is my favorite!!
Lacey gifted her bridesmaids floral robes from BHLDN to wear while getting ready. I may or may not be wearing mine while I write this... ;) Oh, did I mention I was a bridesmaid?! I sure was and I LOVED IT!!

Steve & Lacey's 1st look! The foliage around the resort was perfect!! Seriously, how crazy adorable are they together!!?!
A bridal party filled with friends is the best kind of party! The ladies were in blushes, golds and pinks while the guys wore navy pants, white shirts and bow ties!
The little Cantina at the resort was perfect for couple portraits! And when in Mexico you must take a tequila shot before the ceremony!!
One of my favorite times in Mexico is when Steve & I surprised Lacey with a beach front ceremony. We thought a garden ceremony was the only option at the resort that day and it wasn't until the rehearsal when we kept walking right passed the garden to the beach that Lacey found out her dream of an ocean front ceremony was really going to happen! And I'm SO happy it did! It was perfect! A light breeze was off the water keeping the guests cool. It was just so gorgeous!
Oh heyyyy! Who are those international models??!!
Champagne cheers immediately following the ceremony!! After cocktail hour guests enjoyed a sit down plated dinner, speeches that made you laugh and cry and an epic dance party that lasted into the night!
The tables were set with gold dipped BHLDN table numbers, pink and blush blooms, gold candle sticks and gold chiavari chairs. It was a perfect setting for the sand & blue sea backdrop!
Katie took the couple throughout the resort for portraits. It seemed every corner she took had an even more stunning backdrop than the place before.
 
Congratulations again my dear friends!! And thank you SO MUCH for letting me be a part of not only one, but two of your weddings! I truly loved being a part of every single second!! Love you!!

Lake Couer d'Alene 'Destination' Wedding

The resort town of Couer d'Alene, Idaho is technically included in the Pacific Northwest Region, but being a six hour drive East of Seattle makes it feel like a destination. It is a lovely and quaint lake resort town just 30 minutes outside of Spokane, WA. If you haven't been there before, definitely plan a trip this summer! That is where our exquisite bride Lindsey and handsome groom Mike chose to tie the knot this past September.
 
Lindsey & Mike live and work in Seattle, but Mike grew up in the Spokane area and so they wanted to showcase the region and the amazing views of the lake! Who do you call when you want to capture scenic beauty like this!? None other than Shane Macomber, photo genius and overall outdoorsy guru.

Who says a black and gold wedding can't scream summer?! We integrated the black & gold into the paper, table design and bridal party and threaded pops of pinks and greens throughout. It felt light and romantic - I absolutely loved it! The below invitations from La Happy set the tone. Gold foil, hand calligraphered black envelope and a silk raspberry ribbon, yes please!

 I know right!? They are GORGEOUS!! I cried when I saw her - she looked faboosh!
This is the most impressive guest entrance of any wedding I've ever planned! Guests boarded a boat at the dock of the Couer d'Alene Resort and took a 30 minute boat ride around the lake and docked at the ceremony & reception site. They were greeted with a champagne station and sat in a beautiful garden on a sunny and 70 degree afternoon day.
Look at this view!! It was the most gorgeous ceremony backdrop! And then wait for it, after the ceremony, a couple of white tail deer and fawns walked out during the cocktail hour to munch on the resorts flowers. I had the best Funny Farm opportunity of, 'queue the deer'. I assume no one reading this got that reference, but I liked it;)


Once again Sally Balt from La Happy blows me away! The escort card table was beyond gorgeous! We used a black linen from BBJ, covered it with moss and added hand calligraphered table assignments and this gorgeous mirror that Sally wrote the famous line from Louis Armstrong. Lindsey & Mike chose this classic as the song for their 1st dance, aaaaw!


The reception site was open air on three sides and faced Lake Couer d'Alene - it was gorgeous! The cherry on top was once the sun went down there were two fire places on either side of the head table with some soft seating around it. It was perfect!
 
Jenna from Fleurtations Florals did an amazing job on all of the arrangements! The pops of pink and green from the florals paired perfectly with the black and gold table settings.
Pink Seattle Chocolate favors were placed at each place setting. A perfect pop of color and shout out to Seattle!
The couple cut a gorgeous gold foil and buttercream cake, but their favorite dessert is cupcakes, so they treated their guests to a multi flavored tower!
We added white ceiling draping across the room with crystal chandeliers. It was a perfect romantic touch! Just look at the mountains in the background during their 1st dance - gorg!!
Congratulations Lindsey & Mike!! You were amazing to work with! Thank you for letting me be a part of your wedding!
 
The Amazing Vendors are...
Photographer – Shane Macomber Photography
Venue & Caterer – Couer D’Alene Resort
Florist – Fleurtations Floral
Dessert – Sweet Frostings Bake Shop
Invitation & Day of Paper Designer  – La Happy
Rentals – BBJ Linen (Linens & Chargers)
Rentals – AA Party (Gold flatware)
Lighting/Draping – Epic Vibe
AV – Rox Music
Ceremony Music – Piano Dan
Videographer – Sure Shot Video
DJ – Ben Pitasky
H&M – J. Ashley Sellen Design & Artistry