Allison and Blake had the good fortune to have many family and friends help with their wedding. From the cake to the music to the photography, their friends all pitched in making their wedding even more special and memorable.
Allison & Blake | September 26, 2009 | North Bend, Washington
How he proposed
He took me on a rock climb in the spring, and on top of a spire 500′ above the valley floor, we ate lunch. Blake had snuck a ring into the chocolate frosting of the piece of cake we ate for dessert.
The ceremony
We wrote and said our own vows, outside, in the garden/lawn area of a community center. It was officiated by my uncle, who is a pastor. We had about 80 folks there for the ceremony and reception.
The reception
We played volleyball, lawn bowling, had Blake’s brother’s band play music, had dancing, had dinner (Thai food Catered) and hung out into the wee hours of the night. We had no real theme, but we had a lot of friends and family involved, which added meaning and kept costs down. Our good friend did the photography (he’s a pro) and another friend played the violin. Blake’s brother’s band did live music, and a baker friend made our wedding cake.
The moment they will never forget
The first bite of cake. Our friend had baked it in the oven of a small bakery that the groom had formerly worked in, while in College. This bakery is located in a small town that can only be reached by 50-mile boat ride, and has no road access. To get the cake to the wedding, she’d brought its 3 layers down on the boat, and driven 4 hours across the state, then bought fresh flowers from the Pike Place Market in Seattle and decorated it on the site.
What made Allison’s wedding dress “The One”
Since our engagement was only 3.5 months, ordering a dress was not an option. I was mainly was looking at sample dresses or used ones so that the dress would be ready in time for the wedding day. It was hard to find a nice, lace gown that didn’t look cheap, but wasn’t too expensive. I finally came across this dress, and saw the potential that it had. The fabric was beautiful, but the fit wasn’t what she wanted. I was looking for a trumpet- style fit, and it was A-line. There were a few other things about the dress that didn’t fit my style so I worked with an amazing seamstress to re-design the gown into the one that I wanted. It was awesome walking down the aisle knowing that no other girl had worn the same style dress as me.
Her advice for other brides
Relax and have fun with the planning and the wedding. Nobody really cares or remember the silly details like napkins that you will agonize over.
Allison’s Wedding Dress: Jasmine
