whidbey wedding planner - 2012 edition

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A SPECIAL PULLOUT SECTION OF THE WHIDBEY NEWS-TIMES AND SOUTH WHIDBEY RECORD Whidbey Wedding Planner An all-Whidbey wedding makes memories Planning for your most special day Flower Power Great ideas and island sources to make them happen

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Page 1: Whidbey Wedding Planner - 2012 Edition

A SPECIAL PULLOUT SECTION OF THE WHIDBEY NEWS-TIMES AND SOUTH WHIDBEY RECORD

Whidbey Wedding Planner

An all-Whidbey weddingmakes memoriesPlanning for yourmost special day

Flower PowerGreat ideas and island sources

to make them happen

Page 2: Whidbey Wedding Planner - 2012 Edition

Page A12 WWW.WHIDBEYNEWSTIMES.COM

341.1808 Open Mon-Sat 9am-5pm

A Special Touch

Flowers & Gifts Wedding

Bouquet

Specializing in all yourWedding Floral arrangements

Just engaged? Wondering about all the things you’ll need to do and when? Here’s a month-by-monthsnapshot of all your wedding to-dos.

12+ MONTHS BEFORE® Envision your wedding and draw up a budget.® Assemble your “planning team.” Consider hiring a wed-ding consultant.® Pick a wedding date and time. Select several options, then check with your venues, offi ciant, important guests be-fore fi nalizing.® Start planning the guest list.® Look for and book ceremony and reception sites.® Ask friends and relatives to be in the wedding party.® Optional: Have an engagement party. You may want to register beforehand for gifts.

8-10 MONTHS BEFORE® Bride: Think about, shop for, and order your gown.® Envision reception food.® Decide what type of entertainment you want. A pianist for the cocktail hour, strolling violinists, a DJ, or band?® Think about your fl oral decor.® Research and book your wedding professionals. Inter-view vendors: photographer, videographer, reception band or DJ, fl orist.® Research a wedding insurance policy to protect your deposits.® Research and reserve accommodations for out-of-town guests.® Register for gifts.® Contact rental companies if you need to rent anything for ceremony/reception, such as chairs, tables, and tent.

6-8 MONTHS BEFORE® Book ceremony musicians.® Order bridesmaid dresses.® Start planning honeymoon.® Send save-the-date cards. This is a particularly good idea if you’re marrying during a tour-ist or holiday season or having a destination wedding.

4-6 MONTHS BEFORE® Attend prewedding counseling, if required.® Shop for and order invitations and wedding rings.® Shop for formalwear.® Renew or get passports, if necessary.® Envision your wedding cake and research, interview, and book a cake designer.

3 MONTHS BEFORE® Order wedding cake.® Hire a calligrapher, if you want your invitations profes-sionally addressed.® Attend your shower. (It may be earlier, depending on when hosts decide to have it.)® Groom: Rent the men’s formalwear.® Hire wedding-day transport: limousines, other cars. Look into transportation sooner if you’re considering rent-ing streetcars or over-the-top travel.

2 MONTHS BEFORE® Mail your invitations.® Write your vows.® Purchase gifts for parents, attendants, and each other.

® Book your stylist and try out big-day hairstyles.

® Book a makeup artist and go for a trial run.

1 MONTH BEFORE® Apply for a marriage license. Check with the local bu-reau in the town where you’ll wed.® Bride: Have fi nal gown fi tting. Bring your maid of honor along to learn how to bustle your dress. Have the dress pressed and bring it home.® Call all bridesmaids. Make sure they have their gowns ready for the wedding.® Make last-minute adjustments with vendors.® Create a wedding program to hand out to guests.® Order and plan in-room welcome baskets for out-of-town guests.

2 WEEKS BEFORE® Review fi nal RSVP list and call any guests who have not yet sent a response.® Deliver must-have shot lists to photographer and vid-eographer. Include who should be in formal portraits and determine when portraits will be taken.® Deliver fi nal song list to your DJ or bandleader. Include special song requests and songs you don’t want played.® Bride: Get your last prewedding haircut and color.

1 WEEK BEFORE® Give reception site/caterer fi nal guest head count. In-clude vendors, such as the photographer or band members, who will expect a meal. Ask how many extra plates the caterer will prepare.® Supply location manager with a list of vendor requests such as a table for DJ or setup spaceneeded by fl orist.® Plan reception seating chart.® Print place and table cards, or fi nalize list with the calligrapher you have hired to do so.® Call all wedding vendors and confi rm arrangements.® Give ceremony and reception site managers a schedule of vendor delivery and setup times, plus contact numbers.® Groom: Get your hair trimmed.® Attend bachelor/ette parties.

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CONTINUED ON A17

Wedding PlannerYour Whidbe y Island

Page 3: Whidbey Wedding Planner - 2012 Edition

Page A13

Calla LilyMeaning: magnifi cent beauty, feminine, modestyScent: lightly fragrantColors: ivory, yellow, orange, light pink, dark pink, red, dark burgundyIn Season: summer, but often imported during other seasonsPrice: expensive

CarnationMeaning: admiration, fascination, strong and pure love,

unfading beauty. Caution: yellow and striped have question-able meanings Scent: spicy, clovelikeColors: white, yellow, apricot, pale pink, dark pink, red, burgundy, also bicolors and fl ecked

In Season: year-roundPrice: inexpensive

IrisMeaning: eloquence, promise, complimentsScent: none to sweet depending on varietyColors: white, yellow, purpleIn Season: year-round, peak in spring and early summerPrice: inexpensive to moderate

OrchidMeaning: luxury, nobility, lust, love, beautyColors: white, yellow, green, apricot, orange, pale pink, dark pink, red, burgundy In Season: year-round, usually importedPrice: moderate to expensive

DahliaMeaning: gratitude, dignity, forever thineScent: spicyColors: white, yellow, orange, pink, red, purpleIn Season: summer-early fallPrice: inexpensive

DaisyMeaning: innocence, simplicity, I share your sentiments.Scent: noneColors: whiteIn Season: summer-early fallPrice: inexpensive

HydrangeaMeaning: un-derstanding, devotion,remem-

brance, boastfulnessScent: none

Colors: white, green, pink, burgundy, purple, blueSeason: July-NovemberPrice: Moderate to expensive

GerberaMeaning: needing protection, friendshipScent: noneColors: Nearly 350 intense shades are available, including bright orange, pink, red, yellow, and

burgundy.In Season: year-roundPrice: moderate

RoseMeaning: several depending on color, general, love, beauty, grace, joy, unityScent: none to intense, depending on varietyColors: white, cream, yellow, apricot, orange, pale pink, dark pink, red, burgundy,

lavenderIn Season: year-roundPrice: moderate to expensive (Goes up around key fl ower-giving holidays)

StephanotisMeaning: marital happiness (need we say more?)Scent: slight to noneColors: whiteIn Season: year-roundPrice: expensive

Flower PowerWhat these choices say about you {or your intended}

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Page 4: Whidbey Wedding Planner - 2012 Edition

By REBECCA OLSONStaff reporter

Having an island wedding may sound like a dream come true --- and it was for Jill Johnson Pfeiffer and Alex Pfeiffer, who, with plenty of creativity, planning and hard work pulled off an almost entirely Whidbey Island wed-ding.

Because so many family members and friends were flying in for the wedding, “that reminded us of how special living on Whidbey Island is. We wanted to showcase the best of what the island has,” Johnson Pfeiffer said, add-ing that they wanted to give everyone a “Whidbey Island experience.”

“Weddings by their nature are just very consumption-based. It was a really good chance to keep that money recycling in the community,” Johnson Pfeiffer said, add-ing that as director for the Oak Harbor Chamber of Commerce, she preaches

that all the time.“So you have to live it out

when you have the chance to live it out,” she added.

From Whidbey Coffee truffle balls to beer named after the Chetzemoka ferry to a wedding cake made at Treetop Baking Company, Johnson Pfeiffer said they were especially successful with local food.

Their first stop in the 8-month planning period was to Beth Kuchynka at Bayleaf for help sourcing the prod-ucts used in the wedding.

“We really can’t say enough about how important it is to work with someone who can help navigate through the process. Until more vendors use locally sourced products, you really need a ‘Beth,’” Johnson Pfeiffer said.

Kuchynka emphasized the importance of building rela-tionships at the chamber of commerce and local shops in order to find local items for a wedding. Bayleaf, with shops located in Oak Harbor and

Coupeville, works with farms and businesses on Whidbey Island, including Treetop Baking, to source local foods from quality, reliable purvey-ors.

“We’re really open about sharing what items are avail-able here on the island,” Kuchynka said.

The festivities opened with a bridesmaid lunch at Christopher’s, a restaurant in Coupeville.

“We chose that because they have a local menu there also,” Johnson Pfeiffer said.

The couple held their rehearsal dinner, a Paella Party catered by Bayleaf, at the Oak Harbor Yacht Club. The paella featured Penn Cove mussels and clams from Penn Cove Shellfish, plus Bayleaf brought a cheese platter by Washington artisans. Bread came from Screaming Banshee Bakery in Greenbank.

The couple chose beer

Page A14 WWW.WHIDBEYNEWSTIMES.COM

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Jill Johnson Pfeiffer, director for the Oak Harbor Chamber of Commerce, and Alex Pfeiffer, architect for Batt + Lear, a green architecture business in Seattle, pulled off an almost entirely local wedding.

SEE PFEIFFER, A5

Page 5: Whidbey Wedding Planner - 2012 Edition

named after the Chetzemoka ferry from Port Townsend Brewery.

The dinner also had crack-ers from Treetop Baking, Johnson Pfeiffer’s favorite local vendor. Treetop Baking participated in every stage of the wedding with desserts, snacks and the wedding cake, a white cake with rasp-berry filling.

A dessert reception after the wedding, which was held at the First Reformed Church in Oak Harbor, featured Whidbey Coffee truffles, almond cookies and single-origin Whidbey coffee, as well as desserts made by friends and family, including bonket, which is a Dutch almond pastry, cheesecake made with local raspberries from a farmers market and more.

An after party at the Whidbey Golf and Country Club in Oak Harbor featured fall squash and apple soup by Treetop Baking, coffee from Honeymoon Bay Coffee, salmon, vegetable medley from local farmers markets and locally grown farro, prepared by Dan McDonough, the chef at the

Golf and Country Club. But the local touches went

much farther than food, with oak branch placecard hold-ers from fallen oak branches in Oak Harbor, trees rented from Mailliard’s Landing in Oak Harbor in lieu of flowers at the wedding and a sun-set cruise of Deception Pass as entertainment for out-of-town family and friends by Deception Pass Tours.

“I think that that was the advantage of a hometown wedding, that you have layer upon layer of these personal touches,” Johnson Pfeiffer said.

Family and friends stayed at the Captain Whidbey Inn. The restaurant at the inn is where the couple had their first date and later were engaged.

The couple hired Whidbey SeaTac Shuttle to take out-of-town guests to dinners, the hotel and airport, which was a relief for Johnson Pfeiffer because she knew everyone was safe.

They registered at Ace Hardware, Bayleaf and “out of laziness” at Macy’s, tell-ing people “to get a sense of what we like and go down to Eileen’s Kitchen,” Johnson Pfeiffer said.

Even Johnson Pfeiffer’s

Page A15

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PFEIFFERCONTINUED FROM A4

One of Jill Johnson Pfeiffer’s favorite parts of her wedding was this cake made by Treetop Baking on South Whidbey. This white cake with raspberry filling is one reason Treetop Baking is on the top of Johnson Pfeiffer’s list of favorite local vendors.

ABOVE: Alex Pfeiffer spent the summer growing hops to include in Jill Johnson Pfeiffer’s bouquet. Friends and family made many of the desserts. BELOW: Jill Johnson Pfeiffer bought this wedding ring pillow from Etsy.com, a website that allows people to sell their crafts.

Page 6: Whidbey Wedding Planner - 2012 Edition

ring, a unique vintage find, was bought locally, from Jewelry Gallery in downtown Oak Harbor.

“There’s so many beautiful things that already exist; you don’t have to go out and get new things,” Johnson Pfeiffer said.

Instead of asking her friends to be bridesmaids, Johnson Pfeiffer asked their children, who are ages 9 to 16.

“My definite tip for pre-serving future relationships: putting your friends in match-ing dresses never ends well,” Johnson Pfeiffer said with a laugh.

But despite much hard work, the entire wedding couldn’t be accomplished on the island.

“You can’t do everything from the island. We spent a lot of time trying. The major-ity of our problems had to do with the size of our wedding,” Johnson Pfeiffer said, add-

ing that some local vendors offered what she needed but not the quantity she needed for her 285 guests.

Johnson Pfeiffer did have to go to Edmonds for her wedding dress and brides-maid dresses. She chose Cynderellie’s Closet because it’s a locally owned shop.

She also shopped at Etsy, an online site that allows peo-ple to buy and sell arts and crafts, “just to try to keep that crafty feel to things,” Johnson Pfeiffer said.

“Getting married on the island isn’t as easy as going to a ballroom in Seattle and writing one check and every-thing shows up. You have a lot more moving pieces. But that process allows you to put your personal stamp on your wedding,” Johnson Pfeiffer said.

Despite going over budget, Johnson Pfeiffer said every penny was worth it.

“One of the things we didn’t anticipate was how meaning-ful that Whidbey Island expe-rience was for our guests because we live here and we take it for granted. The little touches we had --- local cof-fee, local seafoods, regional beer --- those are easy and the guests loved them,” Johnson Pfeiffer said.

Not to mention the mil-lions of treasured memories Johnson Pfeiffer took away from the experience.

Her favorite part was, “by far, it’s having all of your people in one place. And the cake,” she added, laughing.

While doing nearly every-thing local took a lot of work, Johnson Pfeiffer said that as more brides decide to focus on the local experience, it will become easier.

“The more of a priority it becomes for people, the more common it’ll be,” Johnson Pfeiffer said.

Page A16 WWW.WHIDBEYNEWSTIMES.COM

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You’ve been planning for this day your whole life.Protect it.

So much time has been invested in planning your dream wedding -your heart, your time, and your money. But what if severe weather rolls in? Or the bridal salon loses your dress? Or your caterer backs out?

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A u t o • H o m e • F l o o d • I d e n t i t y T h e f t P r o t e c t i o n • V a l u a b l e I t e m s

This material is for informational purposes only. All statements herein are subject to the provisions, exclusions and conditions of the applicable policy. For an actual description of all coverages, terms and conditions, refer to the insurance policy. Coverages are subject to individual insureds meeting our underwriting qualifications and to state availability.©2009 The Travelers Companies, Inc. All rights reserved. The Travelers Indemnity Company and its property casualty affiliates. One Tower Square, Hartford, CT 06183

Cascade Insurance AgencyShelli Trumbull404 S Main StCoupeville, WA 98239Phone: 360.682.2162 • 360.682.2173Email: [email protected] Site: www.cascadeinsuranceagency.comwww.facebook.com/CascadeInsurance

• • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • •

• • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • •

Beautiful grounds with old apple trees overlook an elegant

iron gate that opens into the vineyard…

www.whidbeyislandwinery.com

A place for your wedding…

PFEIFFERCONTINUED FROM A15

These placecards were made from an oak tree that fell down the street from Jill Johnson Pfeiffer’s home. She chose oaks as a theme because they are strong trees that grow out of small acorns, symbolic of strong love, Johnson Pfeiffer said.

Instead of a traditional guest book, Jill Johnson Pfeiffer and Alex Pfeiffer chose to use a piece of plywood with circles to sign in. It now hangs in their home as art. “We didn’t want anything that would just be put into a box. Pretty much if we couldn’t reuse it, we couldn’t have it,” Johnson Pfeiffer said.

Page 7: Whidbey Wedding Planner - 2012 Edition

Page A17

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Whidbey Island Wedding Planner ~ Shop locall y and supp ort our island business es wh ile creating your spe cial day!2-3 DAYS BEFORE® Bride: If you need to, have your gown pressed or steamed.® Groom: Go for fi nal fi tting and pick up your formal-wear.® Groom: Ask the best man to make sure all groomsmen attend fi ttings and pick up their outfi ts.® Hand off place cards, table cards, menus, disposable cameras, favors, and any other items for setting the tables to the caterer and/or reception site manager.® Reconfi rm fi nal details with all vendors. Discuss any necessary last-minute substitutions.® Call the limousine- or car-rental company for pickup times and locations.® Arrange for guests without cars to be picked up from the airport or train station. Ask friends, attendants, or relatives to help.® Deliver welcome baskets to the hotel concierge; make sure to include names and delivery instructions.

DAY BEFORE® Provide all wedding professionals with an emergency phone number to call on the day of the wedding.® Write checks and/or talk to wedding hosts (usually your parents, if not you) about any fi nal balances to be paid at the end of the reception.

NIGHT BEFORE® Rehearse ceremony. Meet with wedding party, cer-emony readers, immediate family, and your offi ciant at the ceremony site to rehearse and iron out details. Determine wedding-party positions during ceremony and the order of the party in the processional and recessional.® Bring unity candle, aisle runner, yarmulkes, or other ceremony accessories to the site.® Give your marriage license to your offi ciant.® Attend rehearsal dinner.® Present attendants with gifts at the rehearsal dinner. You’ll want to do this especially if the gifts are accessories to be worn during the wedding.

DAY OF THE WEDDING® Present parents and each other with gifts.® Give wedding bands to the best man and the maid of honor to hold during the ceremony.® Give best man the offi ciant’s fee envelope, to be handed off after the ceremony.® Introduce your reception site manager to your consul-tant or maid of honor for questions or problems during the reception.® Assign a family member or attendant to be the photog-rapher’s contact so he knows who is who.

POSTWEDDING® Prearrange for someone to return any rentals.® Preplan for attendants to take the bride’s gown for clean-ing and return the groom’s tux to the rental shop.® Write and send thank-you notes to gift-bearing guests and vendors who were especially helpful.

JUST HOW MUCH WILL THIS DAY COST?When it comes to fi nancing a wedding, you should fi gure out how much you need to spend to get what you want. Here is a basic breakdown of what you can expect to pay*:

Reception: 48%-50%Ceremony: 2%-3%

Attire: 8%-10%Flowers: 8%-10%

Entertainment/Music: 8%-10%Photography/Videography: 10%-12%

Stationery: 2%-3%Wedding Rings: 2%-3%

Parking/Transportation: 2%-3%Gifts: 2%-3%

Miscellaneous: 8%* To avoid stress, allot about 5%

of your budget for a “just-in-case” fund. * If you’re paying for your honeymoon yourselves,

remember to budget for that as well.

With so many bridal gown style choices out there ,

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ALTERATIONS & TAILORING ★ CUSTOM DESIGN JEWELRY ★ CUSTOM EMBROIDERY

When it comes to planning a wedding and reception it’s always encouraged to head in a new, distinct direction. But, there are some trends out there that are just too tasty not to try... See for yourself why these trends are worthy of making your own.

TREND: SIGNATURE DRINKSGo beyond serving the standard champagne, wine and

beer by dazzling your guests with your hostess savvy via signature cocktails. Play off your wedding colors, last names and even wedding themes. Pink martinis become “blushing brides” and some drinks are just “mint to be.” Customize your bar menu and even drink fl ags. Or Set up a few bottles of bubbly and set mixers of Chombard, Midori, cranberry juice, pineapple juice and fresh fruit nearby. Idea is easily be adapted for kids using sparkling cider, fruit syrups and fresh fruit. Everyone will have fun making their own signature drink.

TREND: CAKE ALTERNATIVESYou can serve smaller single-layer cakes in various

fl avors at reception table stations– this has become a big trend in recent years. Having a small cake on each table allows guests to serve themselves. These cakes can double as centerpieces when accompanied by fl owers or items refl ecting the couple’s interests. Decorative tiered platters with cupcakes of assorted fl avors can also be placed in the center of each guest table. To give your wedding guests alternative choices, consider serving your dessert buffet style. Set up a coffee and dessert bar with various sweets from cheeesecake to pastries to puddings. This will satisfy a large number of sweet tooths and give guests opportunities to mingle. There is so much you could serve in addition to or in lieu of wedding cake. Check out some bridal blogs and magazines for other unique ideas.

WEDDING TRENDS

THE 4C’S OF DIAMOND SHOPPING:COLOR: The closer a diamond is to being colorless, the

more brilliant it becomes and it has a greater value. “Always go for color over clarity every time,” says Gloria Carothers of The Jewelry Gallery in Oak Harbor.

CLARITY: Grades are determined by the size and number of inclusions — another mineral, a fracture or a void — inside of it. Inclusions are considered anything that would interfere with the free passage of light.

CUT: The number one factor when it comes to cut is the brilliance. The facets of the gem act as mirrors to refl ect the light entering the stone back toward the observer. The round diamond tends to be the most brilliant.

CARAT: This is the size of the diamond. While a half to one full carat is a sought after standard for many brides, many styles such as micro pave afford the look of a larger carat without the large rock.

Page 8: Whidbey Wedding Planner - 2012 Edition

WNT

ENGAGING POSSIBILITIES!

Owned by Upper Skagit Indian Tribe