Hitched! Emily and Ryen

Emily and Ryen are such a sweet and funny couple; they were married on July 25th in Gig Harbor, WA at Emily's parents' home.
It was a perfect day; the setting was woodland and the floral design, linens, and overall ambiance set the tone for a romantic wedding in the woods.

Aren't they so cute together? Emily was a stunning bride!

Emily's sweet dad worked hard the year leading up to the wedding! From bulldozing the yard to accommodate the dining tent to building the scotch bar and this cool sign, his hard work paid off!

Wedding Artists:

Amore Studios took these stunning images

Whimsical floral design by Floressence

Awesome dance music by CFO - Chris Friel Orchestra

Ceremony guitarist: Glenn Letz

Delicious food: Ravishing Radish Catering

Gorgeous paper goods: Izzy Girl

Shuttles: British Motor Coach

Tasty cupcake bites by Suzanne's Cakes

Officiant: Julie Cooper

Congratulations and we hope you enjoyed your honeymoon in Mexico!

Sorbet and Ice Cream Terrine with Blackberry Compote

Nothing says summer like a delicious and light dessert. I came across this scrumptious recipe on Epicurious.com from Bon Appétit Magazine. The best part about this recipe is that no baking is required! Enjoy!

Ingredients:
Terrine
1 pint raspberry sorbet
1 pint lemon sorbet
1 pint vanilla ice cream
1 pint mango sorbet
1 pint boysenberry sorbet compote
1/2 cup seedless blackberry jam
2 teaspoons grated lemon peel
1 teaspoon fresh lemon juice
2 1/2-pint containers fresh blackberries
1 tablespoon thinly sliced fresh mint leaves

Preparation:
For the terrine:Line 9x5x2 3/4-inch metal loaf pan with 2 layers of plastic wrap, extending 3 inches over sides. Scoop raspberry sorbet into medium bowl and stir to soften; let stand at room temperature until sorbet is spreadable, stirring occasionally, about 10 minutes.

Spread sorbet evenly in bottom of prepared loaf pan. Place loaf pan in freezer. Scoop lemon sorbet into another medium bowl; stir and let stand at room temperature until spreadable, stirring occasionally, about 10 minutes. Spoon lemon sorbet in large dollops atop raspberry sorbet, then spread in even layer. Return loaf pan to freezer. Repeat procedure with vanilla ice cream, then mango sorbet, and finally boysenberry sorbet. Fold plastic wrap overhang over terrine; cover with aluminum foil. Freeze terrine overnight. (Terrine can be made 4 days ahead. Keep frozen.)

For the compote:
Stir blackberry jam in heavy medium saucepan over medium-low heat until melted. Stir in grated lemon peel and fresh lemon juice. Cool to room temperature. Stir in fresh blackberries, crushing some with fork to release juices. Refrigerate compote until cold, at least 2 hours and up to 1 day.
Stir sliced fresh mint into blackberry compote. Invert terrine onto platter; peel off plastic wrap. Cut terrine into slices. Serve with blackberry compote.

Enjoy!

Happy Anniversary, Stephanie and Coby!

I must say that traveling and events put me a bit behind with blogging! But I wanted to mention that this time last year we were prepping for Stephanie and Coby's big day!

We had some stellar wedding artists on board (when do we not?!); Frank Ross Photography captured some amazing photos; they really are some of our all-time favorites! With the lovely Wendy Morgan of Ravenna Bloom and Ravishing Radish Catering on hand, the wedding details were perfect!
From the fabulous dinner to the dueling pianos, the soft color palette of butter, sage, and lavender, and the weather; the entire day was gorgeous.
Happy Anniversary!

Wonderful thank you note

Nick and I are lucky to have some pretty awesome clients. This thank you note comes from Renee and Alex who were married in June:

Dear Nick and Aleah,
I don't even know where to start...thank you, thank you, thank you!! Truly, I don't know how we could have had such a 'perfect' wedding without you both. From the planning of our big day to the day or events, we were never stressed about where to go, what to do, etc.; isn't that an oxymoron when planning your dream wedding with 250+ guests?! But it's true, you both took care of every last detail to ensure that our wedding day was as relaxed, fun, and memorable as possible. We are so grateful to have met you both and will recommend your services to EVERYONE! I wish I could say more to express our gratitude, but thanks again!
With love, Alex and Renee

Birthday Bash

We were just in Seattle for several fun events; one was an incredibly fun 60th birthday bash!

Good times were had by all, thanks in large part to the Po' Boys Band who jammed well into the night!

Catering was provided by Dream City, and fun table names by Izzy Girl (our partner in the Good Life Collection) spotlighting the guest of honor's many "hats" centered each table. We went with a casual tropical theme; which was evident through the bamboo chairs, hurricanes filled with sand, and shells and driftwood. A very Happy Birthday!

Fun Find: Seagrass Candles

There is a lovely company out of Port Townsend, WA that we met up with during our events last week called Seagrass. They produce 100% soy wax and plant-derived essential oil candles that smell amazing! I mean really amazing and fresh! They sent me home with three and I can't get enough!

They can customize labels, colors, and scents for your wedding or event to create the perfect match. Seagrass candles also make the perfect hostess or birthday gift! Everything from their packaging to the colors and setup at the Farmer's Market I attended are so coastal and pretty! Check out the photos of some of their colors:

Contact info: seagrass@giraffe8.com or contact us for personalized ordering information: info@goodlifeevents.net

Special Announcement: the Good Life Collection by Izzy Girl is here!

We are so excited to announce our designer collection of paper goods! We've collaborated with the incredibly talented Izzy Girl to create chic and contemporary invitation suites and personalized stationery. Check out the Collection here or copy and paste this link if you're having trouble: http://www.etsy.com/view_listing.php?listing_id=27793965

Of all people, we know how daunting it can be to select colors, fonts, and styles that all match your wedding, and know how quickly all of the accoutrements can add up. We thought it was time to offer our clients and other brides and grooms to-be (as well as those wanting designer stationery) designer wedding suites at a fraction of the cost. Check out our designs and email us if you'd like to order or want to chat about your wedding designs or personal stationery.

We have birthday cards and other fun stationery in the works so we'll keep you posted!

Nomination: Channel 10 A-List!

We are proud to announce that we are nominated for Channel 10's A-List under best planners!

Please take a moment to click here and vote for us!

We appreciate your continued support!

Cheers, Aleah + Nick

Wedding Artist Spotlight: Llanes Photography

Nick and I have a duty to locate amazing and fun wedding vendors, or artists as we like to call them. Last month I met up with the super sweet Jenny Llanes - she and her husband own and operate Llanes Weddings and Llanes Photography in LA.

I love this one!

Talk about chic and fun; their style is outstanding!

I wanted to share some photos with you but check out their site: http://www.llanesweddings.com/ or their blog: http://llanesweddings.blogspot.com/ for more!

Easy Entertaining: 4th of July

The 4th of July is upon us! *(Click on photos to enlarge)
While summer is in full swing, many mark this weekend as the official start of summer! So with that we mapped out a super fun and delicious 4th of July backyard plan! *Click on the photos to enlarge
Table setting: the 4th should be all about ease and simplicity, so utilize red, white, and blue in your napkins and glassware to add punches of color. Go easy with the decor - here we used large dinner napkins and folded them into thirds, splayed across each plate. The take home favor is a cute silver shell decor ball - purchase from any craft store and spray with silver spray paint (great to use for any holiday).

We made the paper "flags" a little differently, with navy stars to stand out. How to: create a word document and insert several long, rectangular text boxes horizonally. Fill in with red paint. Create as many stripes as you like; do the same with a fresh document; here we insterted star shapes that we made navy. Print out the pages and cut to size - we created 7" x 9" flags. Attach to a ribbon or twine using double-sided tape. Use any excess for some fun curly-q pieces by taking long, thin strips of red paper and winding them tightly around a pencil. Toss on the table for some added pop of color.

Food: So easy and delicious (and all-American!); grilled flank steak sandwiches with aoili: Marinate steak (for 2 hours) in sea salt, pepper, and olive oil and grill 1/4 lb. of steak per guest. Thinly slice the steak, grill up an onion and garnish on top of the steak. Prepare ciabatta rolls with a spread of aoili; wrap the sandwich in white butcher paper and cinch with cute red-and-white striped twine. Pair with red potato salad, some grilled corn sprinkled with cayenne pepper and sea salt and a fun drink and you're good to go!

Drink: Here we have a vodka lemonade spritzer (feel free to omit the alcohol); 1 cup of fresh lemonade or Italian sparkling soda, 1/2 cup of good vodka, ice as needed.
Prepare: fill an 8 oz. glass 1/2 way to the top with ice; pour in about 2 oz. of lemonade, 1 oz. of vodka, and top with club soda for fizz. Garnish with a candied lemon peel or a rosemary sprig.
Have a Happy and safe 4th of July!

Happy Anniversary, Stephanie and Tom!

Stephanie and Tom were married last year on July 4th with close family and friends in attendance. From the picturesque background to the gorgeous color combinations, invitation details, the jazz band, and fantastic food, every detail was stunning.

We planned the entire wedding while they lived in Hong Kong, and it was so much fun! Not only do Stephanie and Tom have great taste, but they were fabulous to work with! We also learned some new Chinese traditions from Stephanie's lovely mom, Teresa.

The happy bride and groom were married in Washington at Salish Lodge & Spa overlooking Snoqualmie Falls; it was a destination wedding for most guests, with dozens of countries represented. They now reside in Hong Kong, China. Congratulations on your first wedding anniversary! Photos by La Luz Photography

Hitched! Renee & Alex

We really loved working with Renee and Alex. I know, we say this a lot, but we are blessed with truly awesome clients! I put so much time and thought into designing the wedding with Renee, from the brown satin pin tuck linens to the chocolate velvet draping, the rich and romantic rose palette, custom invitations and calligraphy, and matching accoutrements, to the centerpieces and table settings, that it was so rewarding to see it all come together! It was super fun to have mom Cheri and Alex's mom, Alli attend the floral meetings - they are too cute!



Nick and I boxed some incredibly delicious Dilettante sea salted caramel chocolates as individual favors, and guests noshed on tasty hors d' oeuvres before dinner; creme fraiche filled baby potatoes, skewered caprese salad, and gorgonzola tartlets topped with a preserved fig.

Renee's dress was a gorgeous hand-made creation by Luly Yang, and her bridesmaids flanked her with subtle berry tea-length gowns.

Renee and Alex are so sweet and had an absolutely beautiful and perfect wedding day, complete with 275 guests. We are so happy for them, and hope they have a great time in Hawaii!

Professional photos and wedding artist credit/more details to come!

glassybaby trio winner!

Thank you to all who entered! What a fun giveaway! Stay tuned for another cool giveaway in the next few weeks!
Congratulations to Candi Criddle; your entry number was drawn from random.org! Please email us at info@goodlifeevents.net with your mailing address and we will have glassybaby send off your trio! You have until Thursday afternoon at 4 to get us your address, or we will select another winner.
Thank you again to everyone who entered and check back soon for 4th of July bloggings and giveaways!