weddings - 2013 wedding guide

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BY LAUREN [email protected]

The art of baking cakes has become fodder for popular reality television shows like Cupcake Wars, Cake Boss, Ace of Cakes and more. But when planning a wedding, don't expect your cake creation to be completed in an hour-long segment plus commercials — it's a complex task that requires forethought, planning and time.

Jessi Graves is the owner of Simply Caketastic, a bakery in Marys-ville, and she warns brides to make sure that they plan ahead when ordering a cake from a bakery.

"People usually book a cake anywhere from two weeks to six months in advance of the wedding," she said. "All of our cakes are custom made and it usually takes us about a week for one cake. We start baking on Tuesday for a Saturday wedding."

Graves recommends ordering a custom made cake for a wedding, rather than pre-made.

"Most bakeries will do custom cakes. If you do a pre-made cake, you run the risk of it not being fresh," said Graves.

Although wedding cakes have been a tradition for hundreds of years, that doesn't mean that they have to be old fashioned — thanks to social networking websites and blogs, couples are getting more creative with

Tips on choosing a wedding cake

Wedding cakes can be very creative and unique, from their shape to what adorns them.Wedding Cakes continued on page 3

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Wedding Cakes continued from page 2

their cakes."With Pinterest and cake shows, people are getting more creative," said

Graves. "You are seeing more personality come out in the cake."There are also trends in � avors and designs."For weddings, red velvet cake is really popular right now and so is white

cake with a tart � lling like lemon curd or raspberry mousse," said Graves. "A lot of people really like marbled cakes as well. If they are getting a multi-tiered cake, I encourage my clients to get more than one � avor so that there is something for everyone."

The most visible part of the cake is where couples are focusing their creative whims.

"We've been doing a lot of scroll work and buttercream work, or damask which is a really popular design, not just for the cake but for the wedding theme as a whole," said Graves. "Polka dots have been really popular, and we've seen a lot of scroll work with red roses too."

It's not just the brides who are picking out the wedding cake — grooms have the opportunity to show some of their personality as well, while divert-ing from the traditional white three-tiered cake.

"A lot of people like to do a groom's cake to match his personality," said Graves, who has made Seahawks, Jurassic Park and rum themed groom's cakes. "It's all about what the gentleman wants."

Graves noted that substituting the cake with a large cupcake display has been a trend in the last few years.

"We do a great deal of cupcake weddings, they are very popular," she said. "Another thing we've seen getting more popular is the dessert table. It has a cutting cake for the bride and groom, but then for the guests there are truf� es, cheesecake and other desserts."

Overall, the perfect cake for your wedding all depends on your taste. But Graves does have a tips for a bride-to-be.

"Design is number one," she said. "We do a one-hour consultation with each of our clients so that by the time they leave they know every detail that's going into the cake. Also, for anyone looking to get a cake, it's a good idea to have a ballpark � gure for how many guests are going to be there so that you order the right amount of servings. Bring in ideas. Look around on the Internet, and if you like something, print it out. Also, bring in the colors you're using. We match every cake to the wedding colors so we like to keep a swatch of it here. Just be prepared."

Simply Caketastic owner Jessi Graves decorates a three-tiered wedding cake at her shop in Marysville.

Cupcakes are also a popular serving choice for weddings.

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Planning a wedding is one of the most notoriously stressful activities in one's adult life. With cake tastings and gown � ttings, � oral arrange-ments and guest lists, diets and DJs — it's not surprising that a soon-to-wed woman is often dubbed "Bridezilla."

But before wedding bells can ring, another ring must be chosen — the engagement ring.

Although romance movies would have you believe that the groom will pop the question with a little box containing the most beautiful ring of all time (that somehow � ts you perfectly) — don't be fooled.

"Customers shopping for engagement rings pretty much come in as couples," said Kim Snyder, a jewelry sales expert at Wagner Jewelers in Marysville. "A lot of women still come in and pick out their own ring."

Maybe it's not as romantic, but both bride and groom will be relieved to know that she's getting what she wants and he's getting what he wants.

"Women are still buying bands for the men," said Snyder. "Most men like plain bands. We have one case for men and 10 cases for women. Men don't want anything gaudy, and it is rare that he picks out a diamond ring."

One of the most popular women's engagement rings is the halo

style, which has one center diamond surrounded by smaller diamonds."Halo rings tend to look bigger and sparkle more than other styles,"

said Snyder. "Customers are looking for honesty and a good buy in this economy. They want good quality for a good price."

It's no longer a tradition for grooms to spend two or three months

Choosing engagement rings

Choosing Engagement Rings continued on page 6

The Solitaire engagement ring, a more timeless style.

Wedding Guide 20136

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of their salary on an engagement ring."I don't really hear that much anymore. I don't think the price

is as important as the style," said Snyder. "I've been doing this for 30 years, and there used to be a time when couples would think nothing of buying a $5,000 ring and putting it on a credit card. That's not the case anymore."

For couples looking to steer clear of trends, choosing a solitaire diamond is a safe choice.

"The solitaire has always been popular. It's truly timeless," said Snyder. "The princess cut solitaire is popular right now. The � rst thing many people look for is what's in style in the moment."

Other popular styles include cluster rings and micro-diamond set-tings, which are similar to halo rings in that they include a group of small diamonds rather than one large diamond.

"We've been selling a lot more cluster rings since they are less expensive than one solid diamond," said Snyder.

For couples looking to save a little extra cash on the ring, shopping the vintage case can be both affordable and timeless.

"Our hottest case in the store is our vintage case," said Snyder. "It's a great way to stay on a budget. Some people have a � rm belief that they don't want anything with a history, but each customer is unique."

There aren't as many style options for men's rings, but certain met-als tend to be more popular than others.

"White gold is the most popular choice for women, but for men it's tungsten or stainless steel. We sell more of the tungsten bands than gold," said Snyder.

Snyder also has tips for jewelry customers."Always look for a microscope on the counter and walk out of the

store if they don't have one," she said. "It means they aren't willing to show you up close the quality of the ring. Don't be pressured either. Re-ally look at the styles because the style of the ring is most important."

And don't make a snap decision in a hurry, because when the wed-ding cake is all gone and the guests have gone home for the night, the ring will still be there for the rest of your life.

Choosing Engagement Rings continued from page 5

Men’s tungsten wedding bands are a popular choice.


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Tuxedos continued on page 10

BY KIRK [email protected]

If the staff of The Tux Shop in Marysville could give wedding parties one piece of advice about selecting formalwear for their groomsmen and other men, it would be to coordinate their efforts, preferably by planning well in advance.

"When our customers � rst walk in our doors, we like to get to know them and build a relationship with them," said Vandrick Hecita, regional manager for The Tux Shop. "After we've shook their hands and congratulated them on their big day, we'll need to know things like what colors their bride and bridesmaids' dresses are."

"As well as whether the wedding will take place indoors or outdoors, in the morning or at night, and if the wed-ding ceremony will be traditional or

non-traditional," said Jason Edenholm, formalwear specialist for The Tux Shop in Marysville. "We'd also ask for suf� cient time to take all the men's measure-ments."

Hecita explained that, after dealing with the groom, he prefers to give the groomsmen and ushers, the bridesmen, the father of the bride and the ring bearer a relatively generous window of time to come into The Tux Shop to have their measurements taken on a walk-in basis.

"If you're planning a summertime wedding, which is a very busy season for tuxedo shops because of proms, February or March would be about the right time to pay your � rst visit to a tuxedo shop," Hecita said. "We know that a lot of men like to take their time before they come in for their � ttings, so that allows them some breathing room. For ring bearers

For tuxedos and formalwear, plan ahead

The Tux Shop’s Regional Manager Vandrick Hecita, left, and Formalwear Specialist Jason Edenholm show off some of the more casual fashions that have been favored by men in recent years.

Wedding Guide 20138


When it comes to tying the knot, buying a wedding gown is arguably the biggest decision a bride-to-be can face. Luckily, we’ve found some experts to advise you on your journey.

Zerlinda Lochtie is a wedding gown designer and owner of Laineemeg Bridal in Snohomish, and has been helping women � nd the perfect gown for years.

A big consideration for brides is the cost of the gown — most women can’t shell out $25,000 for a dress they will wear once.

The most common budget for women in Snohomish County is $1,200 to $1,500, according to Lochtie.

“Pick the elements in your wedding that are most important and budget for these � rst,” she said.

Lochtie had a lot of advice on what styles will � atter each individual shape. Here’s her advice:

For an hourglass � gure, choose any dress that emphasizes your small waist. Popular choices are corset gowns, two-piece dresses and ball gowns with a � tted top.

For a pear-shaped � gure, try full A-line

silhouettes, V-neck tops, scoop-neck tops and strapless necklines, which all disguise fuller hips and the pear shaped body types best. These looks also balance torso to bust proportions. For a headpiece that adds slender lines, go with a chapel-length bridal veil.

Petite brides should look for sheath wedding dresses, which are a great choice as they tend to elongate.

“Most importantly keep it simple without too much drama or detail,” said Lochtie.

Almost any style gown will work for a tall bride, but Lochtie warns brides to avoid empire-waist dresses to avoid the tent look.

Broad-shouldered women should steer clear of halter and off-the-shoulder necklines, which tend to accentuate the shoulders. Instead, try strapless and scoop necklines. Delicate jewelry works best for broad shouldered brides as well.

Women with full busts are encouraged to get help from a corset to keep their breasts under control. After that is taken care of, look for dresses with a higher neckline or a rounded cup to draw less attention to the chest area.

If you have fuller arms, look for gowns with off-the-shoulder straps or sheer fabric over the arms. You can also � nd a � attering formal short jacket to wear over your dress. Also try dresses with a longer sleeve. You’ll just have to make sure the sleeves aren’t too tight.

Before making an appointment with a gown shop or a designer, browse around online or on your smart phone.

“It is a great way for brides to get inspiration,” said Lochtie.

Once you think you’ve found a dress, the only person you need to please is you.

“Do you love it? Do you feel beautiful and amazing? Done!” said Lochtie, who also noted that it’s important to be happy during the dress selection process. “Have fun. Enjoy the

experience and don’t overthink it. Relax and go with what makes you feel the most like the bride you want to be,” she said.

Bridesmaids The bride isn’t the only one who should

look beautiful at a wedding — the bridal party should as well. When buying bridesmaid dresses, � rst look for affordability — buying a brand new designer dress is going to cost you

Find the right � t: gowns and dresses

A Laineemeg original. This and many other style gowns can be found at Laineemeg Bridal in Snohomish. Wedding Dresses continued on page 9


a pretty penny and it’s likely that you’ll never wear it again.

If you are set on a high-fashion name look for designers who collaborate with department stores to sell ready-to-wear collections at affordable prices, notable past designer collaborations include Karl Lager� eld for H&M, Isaac Mizrahi for Target and Nanette

Lapore for J.C. Penney.If a brand new dress is still out of your

price range, consider shopping consignment. What do other women do when they buy a dress for a wedding and wear it once? They don’t leave it in their closet collecting dust, they sell it to a consignment shop.

Jeanne Watanabe is the owner of the Silver Hanger consignment shop in Arlington, and

loves helping women � nd a good deal for the big day.

“We sell a lot of dresses long and short, not speci� cally bridesmaid dresses, we also sell mother of the bride dresses. It’s pretty fun because it makes it so much more affordable,” she said.

Now, if the price is right and you’re ready to buy, take one more expert tip — make sure it � ts.

“If I were going to advise someone on buying a dress, I would tell them to make sure the salesperson understands their body shape and what looks good on them,” said Watanabe. “I don’t want anyone walking out looking anything less than beautiful.”

There are a lot of different nicknames for female body types — apple, pear, green bean, hourglass, triangle, inverted triangle, rectangle and more.

“Don’t look at the size,” said Watanabe. “The most important thing is how it feels on and not the size number.”

Believe it or not, there are dresses that � atter every shape. The same advice for wedding gowns styles applies to bridesmaids as well.

Lastly, before you leave the store with your � nd, do a few � eld tests. Sit down in the dress. If you can’t breathe, then it’s too tight. If you keep tugging on the hemline, it’s too short. Don’t forget footwear either — if it’s an outdoor wedding, don’t wear heels.

Remember, it’s not impossible to � nd a great look for the big day if you look for affordability, � t and style.

“I try to match the person to the dress,” said Watanabe. “We all want to feel like a princess.”

There are many different body shapes and sizes. Choose the dress that best suits yours.

Wedding Dresses continued from page 8

Wedding Guide 201310

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and other children, we actually recommend getting a second � tting done two to three weeks before the wedding date, just in case they've experienced any growth spurts in the interim."

Edenholm recommends that grooms who are uncertain about which colors of formalwear would work best should bring swatches of the bride's dress into their tuxedo shops. He also advised grooms to inform their tuxedo shops if they or any other men in their party plan on getting into shape during the months leading up to their weddings.

"One thing we deal with a lot is guys who have to be remeasured because they don't let us know ahead of time that they're going to be losing a lot of weight," Edenholm said.

In terms of formalwear styles, Hecita and Edenholm agreed that the trend of the past decade has been away from more traditional at-tire, toward more casual out� ts.

"It went from bow ties and cummerbunds to fashionable suits, although bow ties and suspenders are making a comeback," Eden-holm said.

"We carry � tted shirts, jackets and pants," said Hecita, who favors Perry Ellis for its lightweight material. "After Ryan Seacrest, everyone was wearing those skinny ties. A good rule of thumb is, if someone like Tom Cruise or Daniel Craig is seen wearing it, then everyone will want to wear it."

As far as what sort of prices the parties should expect to pay, The Tux Shop's own prices for wedding formalwear range from $59.99 to $194.95 per person, albeit with discounts for parties of six members or more.

Tuxedos continued from page 7

Formal wear for the ring bearer is as important as the groomsmen and groom.


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Photography continued on page 13


Debora Nelson provided wedding photogra-phy services for the past 10 of the 15 years that her Photographic Journeys business has been in operation in Arlington, and if she learned anything during that decade of photographing weddings, it's that the wedding party and photographers alike should expect the unexpected.

"Wedding photographs are about capturing emotion," Nelson said. "That's why I typically arranged '� rst look' photo sessions in a private courtyard for the bride and groom, just prior to the wedding ceremony. If the � rst time they see each other is during the ceremony, then it's harder to capture both of their reactions at the same time, since they're starting out so far apart."

Indeed, while Nelson shot staged group photos and even cake decorations, she focused more on the candid moments of the wedding, which Debora Nelson of Photographic Journeys in Arlington tests out the best settings for

her camera during certain times of day, since certain lighting conditions work better for wedding photos than others.

Wedding photos: Expect the unexpected


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usually led to her spending the majority of her four-hour window of photographs on the wedding preparations rather than later events such as the reception, especially since she found that most wedding parties preferred to rely on friends and amateurs for photos of the reception.

"In additional to the ceremony itself, I usually got hired to cover about an hour and a half of the bride and groom getting ready and acting goofy beforehand," Nelson said. "As soon as I arrived on site, the clock for my four-hour window started ticking with no breaks, and while I was willing to give them an extra hour to be � exible, those hours still added up fast."

Nelson's prices ranged from $250 an hour to $200 an hour in more recent years, the latter to accommodate those trying to stay within bud-gets in the midst of tough economic times. At the low end, this got her customers an unedited disc of hundreds of images, while at the higher end, other features included proofs.

"Those are the sorts of prices I'd expect in North Snohomish County, but if you go down to Seattle or even Redmond, you should expect to pay more like $700 an hour," Nelson said. "Either way, unrehearsed photojournalistic coverage has been the trend in recent years, rather than the standard staged shots. A lot of brides have even hired photog-raphers to get shots of them getting their wedding dresses muddy in puddles."

To make their photographers' jobs easier, Nelson warned wedding parties against wearing too much white or conducting their ceremonies during times of day with too much light.

"White shirts and dresses will give off a glare during outdoor ceremonies, especially if they're held midday," Nelson said. "It's better to start your ceremony in the morning or the late afternoon rather than, say, 1 p.m."

Although Nelson has been hired to photograph weddings only weeks prior to the dates of their ceremonies, she recommended hiring a wed-ding photographer nine months to a year in advance, as well as telling all the participants to be in place half an hour earlier than they're scheduled to be.

"There's always going to be someone who's late," Nelson said. "Getting the entire wedding party where they're supposed to be is like herding cats. The trick is to be as � exible as you can. I've had several

weddings scheduled for August, but one year, it just poured buckets of rain, so we got big black umbrellas for the entire party."

One last-minute emergency that Nelson learned to anticipate through experience was that, frequently, one man in the party would � nd himself without a serviceable dress shirt, so Nelson made a habit of carrying both an extra-large men's dress shirt and a sewing kit for wardrobe malfunctions, and recommended that wedding parties do the same.

"It also helped me, as a photographer, to know the blended family dynamics," Nelson said. "If I'm coordinating people for the sake of shots, I need to know up front if certain family members or friends or other guests don't get along or aren't on speaking terms, because otherwise I run the risk of causing all sorts of problems I don't even know about."

Nelson's � nal bit of advice for wedding parties is to respect the boundaries of their photographers, to allow them to do their jobs properly.

"I actually had it in my contract as a wedding photographer that other people were not allowed to take photos over my shoulder," Nelson said. "I was already being paid for my time, but I wanted to ensure that the photos I was taking of the bride and groom's special day were the best they could be, and if people were looking over my shoulder at the other photographers behind me, it compromised my shots that I was being paid for. What I always did for staged shots was take my photos, then invite everyone else with a camera to take shots of their own using the same backdrops."

Photography continued from page 11


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Florists continued on page 15


David Boulton is a veteran of furnishing weddings with � tting � oral arrangements, through Flowers By George in Arlington, and while he strives to serve weddings of all sizes, sometimes within extremely tight schedules, he noted that it will be easier for a wedding party to work with any � orist if they have their budgets and venues mapped out.

"Although I'd prefer to start planning for the wedding about six months out, we have managed to do it within two weeks, because that's what professional � orists do," Boulton said. "You need to know how much money you can set aside for the � oral arrangements, though, at the same time that you're covering all your other expenses. The recent trend has been away from church weddings into event

David Boulton prepares a table centerpiece at Flowers By George in Arlington, and provides samples of his � oral arrangements months in advance to his wedding parties.

Work early with � orists to avoid surprises


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locations, which will cost you more money right off the top."Boulton recommends working with a professional � orist local to

your area, and touted their ability to provide a number of seasonal � owers year-round, thanks to greenhouses that keep those � ow-ers growing all year long, although he acknowledged that certain seasonal � owers might be more pricey if they're only available at such greenhouses at the time.

"Roses are consistently popular and available for a consistent quality and price throughout the year, except for during the 10 days leading up to Valentine's Day," Boulton said. "I love using them. Lilies are also popular and consistent in quality and price."

While Boulton estimates that he charges an average of $1,000 for � oral arrangements per wedding, he was quick to point out that the size of the wedding party plays a signi� cant part in determining the exact price.

"If you come to me, I'm going to ask you how many groomsmen and bridesmaids you have, in addition to any other family members who will be getting � owers of their own," Boulton said. "If they're go-ing to be part of any of the formal photo sessions, it's probably a safe bet that they should be wearing, or at least carrying, � owers."

To help his wedding parties stay within what can be limited funds, Boulton often makes sure that the same � ower arrangements which feature in the wedding ceremony can also be used for the wedding

reception."Again, when they're already paying rent for a space, for food, for

spirits and for a DJ, we try to save people money by steering them in directions that would suit their budgets best," Boulton said. "This is why it's best to come in early to start working with your local � orist. It also helps you avoid any surprises. The one thing I never want to hear from a customer is, 'Oh, that's not what I wanted.' If there are 25 tables, we'll make 25 centerpieces for them, but before we do that, we'll show you samples months in advance, so that you can look at them and say, 'That's perfect,' or, 'It's nice, but I'd like it to be a bit bigger.'"

Given the amount of money that wedding parties spend on services such as his, Boulton believes that they should be able to trust that they'll get exactly what they have in mind.

"A professional � orist should take the surprises out of your day," Boulton said. "Your wedding should be special, so you should be able to put it in our hands and not worry about it."

Florists continued from page 14

Centerpieces for receptions are as important as � oral arrangements for the main ceremony.


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weddings - 2013 wedding guide

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