All About Weddings

Announcing the new home for All About Weddings & Celebrations

After weeks of negotiations and waiting patiently, All About Weddings & Celebrations finally has a new home.  We have a signed lease and it is finally safe to announce that our new location will be in Parkway Square at 16864 Southcenter Parkway in Tukwila.  A couple of the larger stores there you may be familiar with as landmarks are Toys R Us and Jared Jewelers.  We will be moving into the new location over Thanksgiving weekend, and if all goes well we'll be open for business there on Monday, November 30.  We're fortunate that this move will only require all our fixtures and inventory to travel 1/3 of a mile south of our current location, and some wonderfully kind and generous friends in the wedding industry have volunteered trucks and manpower to help us move so we should be in great shape.  We'll look forward to having you visit us at our new location soon, and we'll continue our operation at our current location through Monday, November 23.  Hoping his move will be the beginning of a long and stable future at our new location - this moving every three years stuff gets VERY old!

Pondering the Selection of your Bridesmaids

As soon as you’ve become engaged you will likely start thinking about which of your friends and family will make up the members of your wedding party. There are many things to consider when making this decision, but it is wise to make the decisions carefully but quickly so those who may have to travel or budget for their role will have ample time to do so. You should look for bridesmaids who are reliable, flexible, and available to help with the details and planning of your wedding. It also helps if they are able to be happy for you and your impending marriage, as opposed to someone who might be jealous and show these feelings in a passive aggressive manner.

There are several questions that I hear most often as brides struggle with choosing their bridesmaids:

(1) Do I have to have my fiancé’s sister(s) in my wedding if we aren’t really close?

Answer: No, it is not imperative that you have your fiancé’s sister as a bridesmaid if you do not have a close friendship with her in addition to the family connection. It is true that if you have room in the wedding party to include a sister it is a nice gesture, but if you have a very close girlfriend of many years who you would have to exclude in order to include a sister you barely know, most brides will opt to have the girlfriend.

(2) I have sisters who I love, but I have a lot of close girlfriends too. Who should I have as my bridesmaids?

Answer: If you have a limit on the number of bridesmaids you can include in the wedding, it is wise to include close sisters before girlfriends. Family is forever, and friends will likely understand if they are not chosen due to family obligation.

(3) Who has to pay for the bridesmaid dresses and travel expenses?

Answer: For many years it has become accepted tradition that the bridesmaids pay for their own attire, hair and makeup, and travel for the wedding. Because of this, it is wise to consider a potential bridesmaid’s ability to afford the cost before asking her to be in the wedding. It is certainly fair to have a discussion with her and say you would love to have her in the wedding, but explain the potential costs and let her know you don’t want to place a financial burden on her and will understand if she feels unable to fill the role. There are other roles she could fill that would not have the same financial commitment. You would be wise to research costs and set an approximate budget in advance, so your bridesmaids can plan for the financial consequences if they agree to accept the role.  On the subject of expenses, even though the bridesmaids pay for their own attire, you will not be without costs associated with their participation, so keep that in mind when you decide how many attendants to have. You and your fiancé’s family will have costs for bouquets, gifts for each person, meals at the rehearsal dinner, and limousines if you’re providing transportation for the wedding party. It all adds up quickly.

When selecting your bridesmaids it’s good to keep in mind that those who live locally will need to be helping you with the wedding preparations, so it’s wise to choose those who will be happy to help. It’s best to choose people who are really close friends or family who you won’t have to feel shy about asking for help. If someone is a friend you haven’t talked to much in 10 years it wouldn’t make much sense to invite them to be a bridesmaid. When making your selections you needn’t worry about marital status or even sex of the friends you would like to have attend you. If you have a close male friend or relative you want to have participate you simply call them an honor attendant rather than a bridesmaid. (That person would likely wear a suit or tuxedo matching that worn by groomsmen and ushers, but could wear a different boutonnière to designate their different role.) You are under no obligation to invite someone to be a bridesmaid just because you may have been one in their wedding previously. Relationships change so stay true to your closest family and friends. If you have friendships that have historically been on again – off again it’s probably not wise to tempt fate even if you’re on good terms at the time you’re making the decision.

It isn’t necessary to have an equal number of attendants on each side of the aisle. It is recommended that there be one usher for every 50 guests in attendance at your wedding, but you don’t have to have one lady for every man. And if you have extra ladies on your side most any groomsman will be more than happy to escort a lady on each arm, so don’t worry. If you’re working with a wedding coordinator they’ll help you with the logistics of who walks with whom.

Envelopments' "The Jigster" is exciting new tool for DIY invitation making

The Jigster by Envelopments

While reading my most recent issue of Stationery Trends magazine this week I was very excited to find an article about an innovative new tool to help with the task of assembling layered invitation designs. Envelopments has introduced "The Jigster", which was referred to in the article as "the cotton gin of invitations". The article goes on to say "anyone faced wtih assembling a pile of invitations will find it revolutionary." As the owner of All About Weddings and Celebrations, an invitation boutique where brides and others purchase materials every day to attempt to make their own wedding invitations, I found this a very intriguing subject and read on.  In viewing many of the designs our brides work so hard to produce it is usually the assembly process that presents the most challenge, and uneven margins on the layers is the first giveaway that the invitations were made by an amateur.  The Jigster is a tool which "allows users to easily mount layers of cardstocks in a variety of border widths, with single or multiple layers."  This tool will turn amateurs into pros in a hurry!

"The Jigster" will be making its debut at All About Weddings and Celebrations within the next few days.  I was so excited about this new tool that I bought two - one for us to use in constructing our custom wedding invitation designs, and a second one which we will be renting out to brides who want to use it for assembling their DIY creations.  If you'd like to see a demo of "The Jigster" in action you can visit the Envelopments website or see it on Youtube.  Just search for "The Jigster". A visit to the Envelopments website, I found the following description of "The Jigster":

A versatile production tool that allows you to mount layers of card stocks and papers consistently, accurately and quickly. The Jigster accommodates a variety of border widths with single or multiple layers. You can easily accelerate your production.

The Jigster’s versatility allows it to handle the following border widths:
1/8” 1/4” 3/8” 1/2” 3/4” 1”

The Jigster retails for $69.95, and should be a very valuable tool for anyone who plans on making a habit of designing DIY invitations.  You can order your own through envelopments.com, or you can come on by and rent The Jigster at All About Weddings & Celebrations.  We will only have one for rental starting out, so I'd recommend calling in advance to see if it's available when you're ready to begin your assembly project.

Final week of All About Weddings' fabulous bridal / formal wear shoe clearance sale

As we approach the date, later this month, for the move of All About Weddings to its new location (such location not yet announced) we are in the final week of our spectacular shoe sale, and we still have 770 pairs of shoes for both brides and their bridal parties looking for their owners.  Don't miss out on this chance to get your wedding shoes at prices below wholesale cost.  Most of these are current styles from Grace, Salon, Special Occasions, Diane Lynn, Bliss Bridal Shoes, Touchups, Dyeables, Coloriffics, Nina and Colorful Creations which retail on other sites and stores at prices ranging from $40 to over $150.  You will find them at All About Weddings' shoe clearance sale ranging from $15 to $65.  Most shoes are offered in bridal white, and all but the Grace and Salon brands are dyeable.  Hurry in for the final week of this amazing offer.  At close of business on Saturday, November 7 the shoes begin their move to our warehouse, as they will NOT be moving to our new store.  The clock is ticking so don't miss out!

Benatti by Bliss

 
Vespa by Nina

Amare by Grace

There just isn't room (or time) to insert photos of all the shoes we have available so these three shoes are just a tiny sampling of the MANY styles we have for you.  Looking forward to your visit at All About Weddings this week for these amazing bargains.  

 

Custom printed Save the Dates 20% off for November

Save the Date by Dauphine Press

It's November, and All About Weddingsis welcoming in the new month with a great special.  This month come on in and visit the store for 20% off your order placed for custom printed Save the Date cards. Whether you want a Save the Date card to match your color scheme or invitation ensemble, a fun refrigerator magnet, or a card featuring your engagement photo, we have them all.  Even if you don't have all the particulars figured out for your wedding yet, as long as you know the date and the city you can get going on your Save the Dates so your guests have plenty of lead time, especially if they need to make arrangements for and budget for traveling.

Save the Dates by bt elements

Save the Dates are best sent six to eight months in advance of the wedding, so if you're planning on a summer date for 2010 now's the time to get an order going so you can get them sent out with ample time. Any questions, or to make an appointment just give us a call at 206.575.0050.

   Photo Save the Date from Checkerboard

Luggage tag style Save the Date from Checkerboard

Popular blue & white color scheme Save the Date from Checkerboard

Another nice choice from Checkerboard

The two photo Save the Dates directly above are designs from Tag & Company

 
Save the Date magnet from Carlson Craft

Two photo magnet options from Carlson Craft

Though not on sale for this particular promotion, we also have lots of DIY materials on hand if you're planning on doing your Save the Dates yourself.  One of our stationery experts will be happy to help you figure out what to do in that regard as well.  We look forward to seeing you soon! We're open Monday through Saturday from 11-6.  All About Weddings is located at 235 Strander Blvd., Suite 100 in Tukwila, right across the street from the Cheesecake Factory restaurant.

"Get Hitched Give Hope" was a wonderful event!

 
What a special treat it was to be included in "Get Hitched Give Hope" this year! This really special evening held at the Arctic Club Hotel Dome Room last night was a "feel good" event, with a perfect combination of brides, moms, some grooms - in spite of the fact game #2 of the World Series was on t.v. - and a terrific collection of wedding vendors who were all there to help raise funds for a great cause - granting wishes to Stage 4 Breast Cancer patients.  Thanks so much to the great group of women who put on this terrific evening.  I can't wait to hear the final count of dollars raised, and thank you for giving All About Weddings the opportunity to participate.

"Get Hitched Give Hope" is the place to be on 10.29.09

This Thursday night "Get Hitched Give Hope" will make its second annual appearance on the Seattle Wedding event scene. From 5:30 to 9:00 p.m. at the Arctic Club Hotel, 700 3rd Ave. at Cherry St. in downtown Seattle, this fabulous one-of-a-kind event will bring together those who want to take advantage of the opportunity to find fabulous goods for their wedding while supporting a great cause. All funds raised go to grant final wishes for women diagnosed as being in Stage 4 of breast cancer.  With October being Breast Cancer Awareness month the timing of this wonderful event is perfect.  The organizers' website says the following:

"Seattle's top wedding professionals have been personally invited to exhibit their services and products. Through silent auctions, raffles, and a final, show-stopping live auction, we are granting final wishes for stage IV breast cancer patients.The items up for grabs are not just limited to pre-wedding prep, day-of services, and newlyweds, there are some great goods for moms, dads, grooms, and friends!"

In addition to a chance to find great products for your wedding, you'll be able to enjoy some great beverages and appetizers, and enjoy both silent and live auctions.  Don't miss out on this wonderful event.  For more information visit Get Hitched Give Hope. All About Weddings is proud to have been invited to participate in this special event and we'll hope to see you there!

If you're unable to attend this fun evening, don't forget to at least do something special for yourself and those you love: If you haven't already, please call your health care professional to schedule your annual mammogram today. 

Kelley Moore of "Kelley Moore Creative Media" on The View. You've come a long way, baby!

Kelley Moore in photo featured in Lexus magazine

Seems like it wasn't so long ago that Kelley Moore and I were co-workers for the Washington State Division of Children & Family Services in Seattle.  She was a social worker for Children's Protective Services, and I was a social work supervisor managing the emergency placement programs for children. Fast forward 10 years and here we both are, out of the social work field, and both pursuing careers in areas of events and entertaining.  Kelley had a goal: making herself  "a lifestyle expert with a simple mission: to inspire and empower people through entertaining and design." First she began with her event planning company "Red Letter Day", followed by other projects, and she has now created "Kelley Moore Creative Media". From her office on Queen Anne she has a great team of people working for her and the progress she has made in living her dream has been amazing, especially in the past year!

This month alone I see Kelley everywhere I look.  Turn the pages of People Magazine and there she is with a feature in "Great Ideas" called "Spook Your Space".  In this article they reference her as "the HGTV expert" and promote her appearance on HGTV's Halloween Block Party which aired last Sunday, Oct. 18 and has rerun since.  She has her own show on KONG TV here in Seattle on Saturday mornings called "Moore to Life", is featured a couple days a week on KING and KONG morning tv,has made appearances on Rachael Ray's tv show, Martha Stewart radio, and others too many to list. But now, another huge feather is headed for her cap. She will be featured in a Halloween special program on The View this coming Friday, October 30.  I hope she finally decided on a costume to wear for the show, since she was still trying to figure that one out yesterday morning before heading to the Big Apple.

Kelley during an interview on Martha Stewart radio

Congratulations to you, Kelley, for setting your eye on a dream and making great strides toward accomplishing it.  I'm so proud of you, even though it seems that get-together for coffee we've been talking about having for a couple years now just keeps getting pushed farther and farther away from becoming reality.  I'm willing to make the sacrifice as long as you keep having these amazing successes. All of us at All About Weddings & Celebrations are pulling for you, and looking forward to the next time we get to help you with another special project like the "Dinner Impossible" wedding last year.  As they say in the biz (so I hear), "Break a leg!"

"Tiara's on Location" shows amazing artistry. Just ask the Seagals!

When you visit the Facebook fan page for Tiara's on Location the company's description says the following:

Tiara's On Location has been helping brides look and feel their most radiant for 10 years. Tiara's service includes on site wedding day hair and makeup styling for the bride and bridal party.

 

That's only part of the story. What Tiara Rodriguez-Whitney doesn't mention in that statement is how many times she has won Seattle Bride Magazine's "Best Hair & Makeup" awards, (three, including 2009) or why she is so in demand that when I was a wedding planner it was impossible to get her booked for prime summer wedding dates because other top planners were all positioning to book her for the same dates.

 

Wedding season in western Washington tends to be busiest in July through September, but Tiara doesn't spend her time sitting idle during the off-season.  She sees clients at her Renton home-based-studio year round, but this time of year she's also keeping busy doing hair and makeup for a group of women for whom looking perfect is very important - the Seattle Seagals. 

 

Tiara, as you will learn when you visit her website or meet with her in person, is beautiful herself, both inside and out, and her talents will make your wedding day beauty amazing. For more information or to see a portfolio of her work, visit Tiara on Location's website, or call her today at 206.818.0341. Learn what I did the hard way - early booking is the only way to assure you will have Tiara's services available for your 2010 wedding.

Wedding Invitations can be "Green" without being Recycled

" Butterfly Path" recycled invitation from Naturally Ever After

" Reaching Up" recycled invitation by Naturally Ever After

"What do you have that's recycled?" Several times a week we have brides visiting All About Weddings in search of the perfect "Green" wedding invitation.  Many have not been exposed to their options in this arena and think they have to limit themselves to 100% recycled paper in order to be doing their part to protect our planet.  Do we have 100% recycled invitations? Absolutely. You can go with options that are relatively inexpensive, such as those offered in the "Naturally Ever After" album by Tatex, all the way to beautiful handmade papers with soy ink letterpress from Oblation Papers & Press.  But this article will serve the purpose of letting you know that traditional paper from a tree isn't your only option in the "Green" arena.  Most of us hear "recycled" or "PCW" (post consumer waste) and think those are the only options, but they are not.

Fallling Leaves by Oblation Papers & Press

Metro by Oblation Papers & Press

 

Joshua Levine, CEO of Legion Paper Corp. had an interesting article in the most recent issue of Stationery Trends magazine, a publication to the trade for which I'm on the editorial advisory board. He explains, "Many of the most durable and energy efficient papers don't begin with a tree at all. While trees can take decades to grow, most tree-free fibers grow seasonally. There are many alternative fiber papers available, including bamboo, cork, cotton, hemp, mulberry and even stone - yes stone!"

Though some of the aforementioned fibers may sound quite exotic, cotton is a plentiful and easily accessible material for your green-friendly invitation. Many of our lines, including Carlson Craft, Wiley Valentine, and Crane & Company to name just a few, offer either some or all of their invitations in cotton. The texture and feel of these papers is lovely, and it makes a great impression on your guests. Yet, the cost doesn't have to be prohibitive.  Not only does cotton feel luxurious, but Levine points out that is is also much stronger than wood-pulp based papers and won't yellow over time. Another factor to consider is cotton's carbon footprint - most is produced right here in the U.S. so transportation from exotic Asian locales (think Mulberry) is not required.

 

Luxe invitations by Wiley Valentine

 Mr. Levine goes on to explain that "the cotton used to manufacture papers isn't the cotton used in clothing, but rather the linters - a byproduct of the textile industry that may otherwise end up in a landfill. This recovered material is salvaged and used to create cotton papers."

Beyond the manner in which fibers for paper are obtained, Levine points out "another factor that often goes unnoticed is the amount of energy used to produce paper. During the papermaking process, many tree-free papers utilize less water, chemical processing and energy than their wood-based counterparts. Every little bit helps." He concludes with a remark that I agree with 100%. "From U.S.-grown cotton papers to fast-growing bamboo, there's a tree-free paper to meet anyone's eco-friendly needs." On your next visit to All About Weddings ask one of our invitation specialists to show you your options.

Crane's Aqua Embassy invitation

Crane's Lily of the Valley invitation

 
  Crane's embassy invitation with letterpress motifs and text