Congratulations Chelsea and Rafael!

Chelsea and Rafael were married in her sister’s backyard

*Photos courtesy of Kristen Truax with Blush Photo

Congratulations Merideth and Travis!

Merideth and Travis were married at the Brockey Center in West Seattle

*Photos courtesy of Kristen Truax with Blush Photo

1. Serve local and organic catering at your reception.  Leaving a “light footprint” on the Planet is a great way to start off your life together.  Ask your caterer to serve organic and local ingredients as much as possible.  Stop by your local farmer’s market for ideas about what is in season in your area.

2.  Print your invitations on recycled paper.  Using recycled paper for your invitations, programs and place cards is a great way cut back on waste without surrendering style.  Designers like Earthly Affair, www.earthlyaffair.com, offer a plethora of beautiful designs and options.  If you are making your own invitations there are also great resources for recycled and natural paper products – www.invitesite.com and www.greenfieldpaper.com are our favorite.

3.  Go green with your gown.  Your wedding dress is often one of the main cornerstones of the Big Day.   What better way to show your commitment to a green wedding than by selecting a “second use” wedding gown?  Browse online sites like PreownedWeddingDresses.com, or peruse your favorite vintage shop for a one of a kind wedding dress from the 1940’s.  If you already have your heart set on a gown from a local boutique think about donating your dress to MakingMemories.com when the wedding is over.

4.  Create an Eco-Friendly Centerpiece.  A great way to reduce your imprint without sacrificing style is creating a beautiful centerpiece around a potted flower or plant.   Cut flowers get thrown away or shrivel up shortly after the reception, but a potted plant can live on for years after you say I Do.  Plant the flowers in your garden after your honeymoon or give them away to guests as parting gifts.

5.  Consider donations to charity in lieu of wedding gifts.  Traditional wedding gifts of china sets and candle sticks are being pushed aside for donations to a local or favorite charity in the couple’s name.  The gift of charity can have a lasting effect on an issue meaningful to you and won’t clutter up your home with a bunch of stuff you may not need.

6. Avoid a plastic covered wedding.  Replace disposable plastic cups and utensils with reusable products.  Bamboo plates and utensils are a stylish, durable and reusable alternative to disposable plastic or paper plates.  Another way to avoid plastic is to place your favors and/or attendant gifts in cute reusable canvas bags. 

7. Arrange a carpool for guests.  If your wedding location is out of the city connect your friends and family members and have them carpool.  With the rising price of gas they will thank you for providing this thoughtful option.

1. Introduce key family members before the big day.  You are making a public declaration of your love for each other and committing to become family.  Your family members who will be sharing this special day with you should get to know each other beforehand.  Arrange a dinner or an evening of bowling to introduce your families a few weeks before the big day.

2. Select a gay friendly officiant.  Many officiants in the Seattle area are pleased to preside over a commitment ceremony, including I Do Marriage & Commitment Ceremonies, http://ido4u.homestead.com/home.html. If you are looking for something a bit more personal, feel free to ask a close friend or family member, but make sure he/she is comfortable in front of a crowd.  You don’t want them to have stage fright on the big day!

3. Serve local and organic catering at your reception.  Imprinting a “light footprint” is a great way to start off your life together.  Ask your caterer to serve organic and local ingredients as much as possible.  Stop by your local farmer’s market for ideas about what is in season in your area.

4. Personalize your ceremony with details that mean the most to you.  When you decide to take this exciting step, sit down with your partner and discuss exactly what your commitment ceremony means to you.  Focus on what is important to you as a couple – family, art, culture, gay rights – and create your ceremony around the ideas you discover during this talk.

5. Scope out the parking situation ahead of time.  Many venues have worked out deals with parking lots and garages in close proximity.  Make sure your guests know which ones to use so you aren’t dealing with parking tickets on your big day.

6. Protect your rights as a couple and register as a Domestic Partnership.  Washington State recognizes same sex relationships as Domestic Partnerships.  Once registered, same sex couples may apply for health insurance coverage under one partner’s plan.  In addition, the registered couple may acquire property and inheritance rights.  http://www.secstate.wa.gov/corps/domesticpartnerships/

7. Pre-schedule a final walk-through and meeting with your caterer and venue director.  Many caterers and venue directors will require a meeting to finalize details, but some will not.  If your vendors have not contacted you for this very important meeting, make sure you take the initiative to set one up. 

8.  Keep your budget on track and your stress to a minimum.  Planning an event as important as your commitment ceremony is a daunting and time consuming job.  A professional coordinator has the experience and connections to get you the best rates and to make sure that everything goes exactly as planned.  Spend your day enjoying your partner, friends and family, not worrying about whether or not the flowers are being delivered on time!

1. Scope out the parking situation ahead of time.  Many venues have worked out deals with parking lots and garages in close proximity.  Make sure your guests know which ones to use so you aren’t dealing with parking tickets on your wedding day.

2.  Involve friends and family in your special day. Reduce your stress on your wedding day while ensuring that your close family friends feel special and involved.  Put together a list of family friends, aunts, uncles, and cousins you think will be available to assist with set-up and tear-down and then assign them specific duties. 

3.  Set up an account on TheKnot.com. This comprehensive wedding website has tools and tips to keep you on track and organized during the planning process of your wedding.  With free tools like a budget calculator, guest list generator and sample timeline, this website is my favorite for keeping you organized.  

4.  Make sure your dress and veil aren’t in the next county the day before your wedding.  To avoid this hassle make sure your dress and veil are pressed in a local facility.  While some cleaners send out veils and dresses for cleanings and pressings, a quick call to your preferred vendor will ensure that your beautiful attire stays in the city with no surprises on your big day. 

5.  Create an hour by hour time-line, beginning with breakfast.  Many brides are so caught up with details and wedding prep that they forget to eat.  A simple breakfast will start you off on the right foot and keep you going through the morning set-up and prep.  A timeline, including hair and make-up time, set-up time, drive-time and vendor arrival times will help keep you organized and on schedule.

6. Don’t forget to apply for a marriage license.  Washington State law requires a 3 day waiting period between your wedding date and the application date and the license is only good for 60 days.  You can apply in person, or by mail to: King County Marriage Licenses, 500 4th Avenue, Room 403, Seattle, WA 98104 – include the $64 dollar fee with your application. http://www.metrokc.gov/lars/marriage/

7. Make copies of your marriage certificate right away.  Even if you don’t plan on changing your name, there may be institutions that require proof of marriage.  Making a few copies and storing them in a safe location will make these requests easy to accommodate when the time comes, saving loads of time and stress.

8. Pre-schedule a final walk-through and meeting with your caterer and venue director.  Many caterers and venue directors will require a meeting to finalize details, but some will not.  If your vendors have not contacted you for this very important meeting, make sure you take the initiative to set one up. 

9. Schedule some time to yourself in the week leading up to the wedding.  You will have a lot going on and last minute errands to run, but don’t forget to take some time for yourself!  Take a yoga class or go out to cocktails with a few close friends (no wedding talk!) to wind down and relax before your big day.  You don’t want to head into your wedding day with pent up tension and stress –just a few hours of downtime can make all the difference.

10.  Your big day is only two months away and your bottom line keeps climbing.  Avoid the last minute over budget trap with a budget calculator and a detailed spread sheet.  In addition to the big ticket items remember to keep track of all of the little details that can really add up.  Staying on budget and being diligent with vendor contract negotiations is your second most important job next to getting married on your big day!

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Tell me your best wedding planning tips in the comment section!