This wedding was such a treat to design but the install day shall be forever burned into my memory because I was suffering from horrendous morning sickness (at only 8 weeks pregnant), couldn’t keep a thing down and had to rely on my amazing team to do the heavy lifting (literally – we had wood stumps to haul around!) All that aside, I always love going back to Alderbrook because that is where Grant and I got married almost 9 years ago. It is a beautiful, sophisticated, quintessential Pacific Northwest hotel and spa with all the charm of a 1950’s summer camp. Guests relax on their balconies or around the firepits and look out over the Hood Canal and the Olympic mountains beyond. Seals have even been known to swim with you along the boat dock.
Kristin and Marty wanted a woodland feel to their beautiful day with lots of ferns and woodgrain details. For the ceremony, we lined the aisle with wood stumps and potted ferns in distressed garden pots. For the tented reception, we created three huge chandeliers of greenery and white flowers and then added color to the tables with floral arrangements in coral, orange and pink. It was a beautiful, festive, joyful day photographed beautifully by Angela and Evan Photography and expertly coordinated by Chesney of All the Flutter.
It’s always fun to watch an old friend get married and even more fun when that friend is a fellow artist with excellent taste. Sarah is an art history professor who specializes in ancient Italian art so the decision to host her August wedding at the Corson Building was an easy one. Sarah and Mark wanted their wedding to feel like a large Italian dinner party and the Corson Building’s Tuscan style villa and beautiful gardens were a perfect match. For the event design and floral, I drew inspiration from the landscapes and gardens of Italy, with lush garden flowers in soft pastel tones, bowls of oranges, persimmons, grapes on the vine, and organic herbs. Guests feasted on locally caught, foraged, grown, and harvested products, served family style. I can personally guarantee that not only was it the best food I have ever eaten at a wedding or event, it was the best food I have ever eaten. Period. Each moment of this gorgeous gathering was beautifully captured by Ryan Flynn and was published on Elizabeth Anne Designs.
Photography: Ryan Flynn | Venue: The Corson Building | Floral and Event Design: Finch and Thistle Event Design | Stationery: Gogo Snap! | Calligraphy: La Happy | Favors: Fran’s Chocolates | Cake: Bakery Nouveau | Hair Stylist: Oohla’s | Makeup Artist: Marina Pirkle | Gown: BHLDN | Bride’s Shoes: Salvatore Ferragamo | Ties: Salvatore Ferragamo
Kevin & Nikki from J&B on Vimeo.
I’ve never shared a video on the blog before but I think this one from Janelle and Blake Abel is so fabulous and shows so many of the details from Nikki and Kevin’s August wedding at the Everett Golf and Country Club, that I can’t wait to share it now with more details to come soon… Enjoy!
Today is the first day it really feels like fall in Seattle. We made it all the way to October 11 before the sky turned grey and the fog drifted in from the Puget Sound. I finally had a moment to step outside and notice the jewel colored leaves littering my garden in just the prettiest way and the illustrated pumpkin spice lattes in the Starbucks window across the street. Mmm pumpkin spice…that reminds me to buy some of those lovely heirloom gourds Jello Mold Farm is selling at the market this week…
I have been slacking on the blogging. Truth be told, I just haven’t had time to even look through the photos of this summer’s weddings and now the professional shots are slowly trickling into my inbox. Those are so much better anyway and so my fall/winter resolution is to share images from a wedding or shoot every few weeks for the next few months. I was lucky enough to work with some amazingly creative couples and shockingly talented photographers this summer. I can’t wait to share with you what we came up with…
*image credits clockwise from top left: Chantal Andrea Photography, Bryce Covey Photography, Melissa Guzman via Pinterest
Hi friends!
My wonderful intern, Julie, is heading back to school and I am looking for a fall intern to help out with weddings and special events from mid-August through December. This would be an ideal situation for a student or new graduate seeking experience in the floral and event planning world and the schedule would work well for someone who works another job in the evenings. Studio days are usually Wednesdays-Fridays starting around 9am (dependent on our event schedule). The perfect candidate will have floral experience and/or a design background but we can teach the right person.
We all do a little bit of everything around here so you should be fine with getting dirty and doing particularly unglamorous things like hauling boxes, washing buckets and polishing silver. In exchange you will learn the ins and outs of an event business, help style photo shoots, create favors and design boards and learn to create the lovely, organic arrangements we are known for.
You must be reliable and available on certain key weekends in August and September. Must be able to stand for long periods of time, lift objects up to 30lbs and have own transportation, computer and a sense of humor. Experience in photography, editing, blogging and social media a major plus. There will be occasional early mornings, late nights and possible travel. Our studio is in West Seattle and we design and produce events all over the state. Most importantly you must like dogs (or at least tolerate them) as the two terrors, um, terriers, like to check in on our progress regularly.
Tasks could include:
Processing flowers
Installation/tear down of events and loading/unloading of vehicles
Cleaning the studio and organizing supplies after an event
Picking up rentals and craft materials
Creating visual displays or crafting favors
Ordering supplies
Delivering and setting up flowers
Creating and implementing an event timeline
Assisting on photo shoots and styling gigs
Writing blog posts and updating social media sites
Interested? Please email rachel{at}finchandthistleevents.com with the word INTERNSHIP in the subject line. Please include a short resume in the body of the email and attach or link to a portfolio, blog or design project. Please also answer the following questions (succinctly – no essays please!):
Where are you from?
Where do you live now?
Why are you interested in this internship?
Do you have any floral experience? If so, what?
What project or design piece are you most proud of and why?
What’s your favorite flower?
Favorite hobby?
Unusual talents?
All the fun British details from this Diamond Jubilee party on Bainbridge Island yesterday had me feeling quite patriotic over the weekend. Lots of Union Jacks, commemorative tins from M&S, tiny flags in the Pimms, festive flowers and classic British food – sausage rolls, flapjacks, victoria sponge, tea sandwiches…and chicken curry. Obviously. The Queen was there and Will and Kate put in an appearance over by the bar. As you can imagine there were lots of fascinators and hats among the guests and even a tiny corgi wearing pearls.
Finch & Thistle is featured on The Wedding Chicks today! Please take a look and leave a comment…
It’s been a long time coming, but here are some pictures of my newly installed studio complete with some preview shots of the flowers for Saturday’s wedding. I still have some tweaking and a little decorating to do (read: estate scale scouring) but the hard part is finished. Special thanks to my lovely husband for doing most of the work. I’m feeling much happier about spending the summer in my basement this year!