January 17, 2011

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!

January 03, 2011

Visit us at the Wedding Show!

We will have a table at the West Sound Wedding Show in Bremerton on Sunday, January 9. 



Please stop by, say hi, and let us help you plan your dream day!  See you this weekend!