Vote for us - Best of Western Washington!

Alison Lum Events has been nominated for the "Best of Western Washington - Wedding Planner"!  Show your support and vote for us!

Best of Western Washington - vote here

Gabrielle and David: October 2, 2010

Gabrielle and David were married on one of those perfect fall days -- sunny, crisply cool -- magical.  I loved Gabrielle from the moment we met at a coffee shop in downtown Seattle.  She was vivacious, quick with her dry humor, and no nonsense.  Just my kind of girl.

I helped her plan a wedding full of thoughtful details that really expressed Gabrielle and David as a couple.  They were married at St. Paul's church in Port Gamble, and had their reception right down the street at the Pavilion.  Beautiful.

Excellent catering was provided by Eagle's Nest Catering (I still dream of that cheese display....) and guests danced the night away to GenX DJs spinning the favorite hits. 

Congrats, you two -- loved every minute of it!

All photos courtesy of the spectacular Kip Beelman.

Amy and Dan: September 11, 2010

If I could only use one word to describe Amy and Dan's wedding -- it would be COLORFUL!

Amy and Dan were married almost a year ago -- wow, I need to be better at updating my blog in a timely fashion! -- at the Blessed Sacrament Church, and had their reception at Shilshole Bay Beach Club.  Amy has experience planning large events; she helped plan her company's holiday party (for 400+ people) on more than one occasion, so she was definitely one of my more "savvy" brides in terms of knowing what she wanted -- and how she wanted it done!

Amy enlisted the help of the ever-so-talented Vickie Matter for decor and floral arrangements, and it couldn't have turned out any more beautiful.  Take a look!

Amy's cousin is a trained traditional Indian dancer, and wowed the guests during dinner with a performance!

The night was filled with a beautiful sunset, hundreds of cupcakes, and a 12-person band to dance the night away!

Congratulations, Amy and Dan!  What a marvelous night!

(All photos by Chris Watkins Photography)

Come visit us at the Kelley Farm!

We will be at the Kelley Farm Bridal Showcase on Saturday, April 16 -- come by, say hello, and check out this amazing venue near Bonney Lake!

We'll be sharing a table with the ever-so-talented Corliss Photography in case you're looking for a stellar photography team to capture your day!  See you this weekend!

WeddingWire Bride's Choice Award!

This is exciting - we won the Bride's Choice Award on Wedding Wire this year!  This means we're in the top 5% of wedding professionals in the WeddingWire community -- how awesome!

Siri and Justin: August 21, 2010

Siri Linz and Justin Morgan's backyard wedding was the epitome of simplicity, elegance, and homespun love.  They decided to marry in Justin's parents' backyard, which a year before the wedding, was a completely different garden! 

Justin's parents live near the south end of Bainbridge Island on steep, terraced acreage surrounded by tall evergreens with a peek-a-boo view of the water.  When we visited the home to do site research, the Morgans had done extensive terracing of the property -- but had just leveled out an area just large enough for a party of 75-100 to congregate and eat dinner.  There were some plantings on the perimeter of the gardens, but the majority of the property remained "raw" and natural.  They promised us they were planning a winter and spring devoted to yard work -- planting, creating steps and railings down to the property, and rewiring sections of the house for extra electricity for caterers, lights, and sound systems. 

When I returned to the home 6 months later, a total transformation had occurred -- there were beautiful gardens filled with flowers, vegetables, and flowering bushes; all the paths had brand new steps and handrails (handmade by Justin's dad) complete with cafe lights along the edges, and the lower level of the house had been remodeled with a new bath, new electrical wiring, and extra space for caterers to do their prep work.  Talk about a labor of love!

Siri and Justin were longtime sweethearts, and both grew up on Bainbridge.  Their wedding fit their warm personalities perfectly, and it was lovely to see so many old family friends, high school pals, and family members joining together to pitch in for their wedding celebration.

We arrived early to begin setup under the tent, which was the location for both ceremony and reception.

Siri and Justin tried to keep their vendors as local as possible; flowers came from the Bainbridge Farmers Market, catering was provided by Metro Market Catering (Robert, the owner, is a family friend of the Linz's), and the cakes were provided by Blackbird Bakery (where both Siri and Justin previously worked).

A note about the cakes - Siri wanted a somewhat traditional white wedding cake (which was delicious - Blackbird does the best cakes!), whereas Justin had something else in mind for his groom's cake.  When Justin worked at Blackbird, he had told Heidi, the owner, "When I get married, I want you to make me a BACON cake!"  Justin's love for bacon had remained in Heidi's mind -- and she came through with a bacon and maple syrup flavored cake that blew everyone's socks off! 

Siri's brother made their "altar" of free flowing ribbons, and Siri and Justin's family friend, Deb, married them in a touching and very personal ceremony.

After the kiss, Siri and Justin took photos while guests enjoyed appetizers, drinks, and later tucked into the phenomenal food provided by Metro Market.

Their wedding was such a magical day -- thank you, Siri and Justin, for letting me be a part of it!  You are two of the sweetest people I have ever worked with, and I wish you all the best!

All photos by: Chalk Ballerina Photography

West Sound Wedding Show - pics!

My hubby and I attended the West Sound Wedding Show in Bremerton last week, and had a great time.  We met tons of couples, networked with other wedding professionals, and got inspired for the 2011 season!  In case you missed us, here are some photos of our booth:

Those gorgeous flowers were provided by Melanie Benson of Melanie Benson Floral Design on Bainbridge Island -- she does such beautiful work!

We look forward to consultations with the brides and grooms we met at the show - and can't wait for next year!