My wife and I just returned from our honeymoon after a beautiful wedding planned and coordinated by…read moreAshka at Pink Orchid Events. Over a sixteen month period, Ashka's organized nature and wonderful personality made the planning process fun and largely stress free. Although we had a rehearsal dinner, extra dinner for out of town guests, wedding, next day brunch, and honeymoon to plan, we never felt overwhelmed. She did a wonderful job of tailoring her services to be exactly what we needed. She kept us on track, simplified decisions, researched options, negotiated with vendors, and solved problems. When it came to the wedding itself, she made sure everyone knew their roles and responsibilities, managed the vendors and schedule, and allowed us to simply relax and enjoy the best day of our lives. Hiring Pink Orchid Events is the best investment we have ever made in our relationship, and I could not recommend them more highly. Thank you, Ashka, for everything! We could not have done it without you!!

There comes a point in every Type A bride-to-be's planning when she realizes she won't be able to…read moretake care of all the details of the wedding because she will be busy being the bride. And it gets worse: all the people you trust most in the world, who would normally take care of things for you when you can't, they will be busy too! Your significant other, your best friend, your mom, your sister... all busy on the day of your wedding! It's a horrible, horrible feeling. But I know the secret to having your perfect wedding day AND being able to enjoy every minute of the day with all of your loved ones. Seeing as this is a yelp review for Pink Orchid Events - you probably guessed it: hire this amazing wedding coordinator! We had the privilege of working with Ashka as our Day of Coordinator for our wedding this past June at the Four Seasons Hotel in downtown Seattle, but she did so much more than just coordinate the day of our wedding - above and beyond! From our first meeting, she had lots of tips and ideas to turn our vision into a perfect wedding. I am not always an easy person to deal with - just ask my husband. I have illusions of grandeur and a slight obsession with pinterest (what a dangerous combination), but no idea how to follow through with execution. Queue Ashka! She referred great vendors to us and helped to make our dreams a reality. She worked really well with all of our vendors - she developed relationships with each of them and made sure that everyone had the details needed so they would have no need to reach out to me for anything. She even offered to help us manage our contracts and made sure final payments and tips were appropriately disbursed on the day of the wedding. Ashka created our rehearsal and wedding day timeline with every detail noted making it very clear who needed to be involved for every step. This (as with most things related to our wedding) was much more difficult than I initially thought it would be, particularly because my husband and I come from different cultures/religions and we wanted to incorporate traditions from both sides as well as our own ideas of what a wedding means to us. Ashka learned about Filipino Catholic traditions and Vietnamese Buddhist traditions and helped us figure out how to honor both our families while also incorporating what was important to us. I had no idea that a Day Of Coordinator would also help with rehearsal, but thank goodness Ashka did! She was running lines with our officiant to ensure timing was perfect, she played our music and taught our whole wedding party how to process and recess and when. When it came to the day of the wedding, she was there bright and early getting vendors where they needed to be and getting things set up for the day - including an emergency kit which me and my girls definitely put to good use throughout the day! She was busy busy busy all day, but she was always checking in on me and husband to make sure we had everything we needed and asking us questions in such a calm and reassuring way. Of course, I ran out of time to prepare everything I wanted, but Ashka picked up where I left off and even made things better! I wanted framed pictures of members of our immediate families along with framed names and Ashka finished putting them together, making sure the correct names were placed with the correct pictures, and even had them placed at different elevations to make sure they looked even better than I had planned. She made sure the pinwheels my niece made for me were beautifully placed in the photo booth we designed. She made sure that the ushers and attendants knew where to be and what to do. She took care of all the details that I cared so much about but couldn't do myself. And the thing is, Ashka never told us all the things she did to ensure our day went smoothly. She wasn't looking for recognition or special thanks. She did it because that's what it was gonna take to make our wedding day go smoothly. I just happened to find out about some of the amazing, above and beyond things she did from other vendors and guests, which means she did a whole lot more that no one went out of their way to tell me about, and that I will never know. THAT is what you need in a coordinator. You need to trust that things will be done exactly as you want them without any of the stress and drama. Thank goodness we found Ashka - it really was the perfect wedding for us!

Prelude-a-Bliss does it all - from start to finish, and makes sure your event runs perfectly…read moresmooth! Yalda, the owner, is a socially conscious business owner, so has volunteered event planning for our nonprofit's fundraising events. Her team has supported a number of events and plans everything to perfection. Her team handles all the little things like what wine to serve, how to display tables, floral arrangements, staying on-time with event program, organizing the space, ordering rentals, etc... her expertise has been instrumental in our work! I can confidently say that Prelude-a-Bliss' contribution to our organization has helped us increased donations - just by having events that run so smoothly. I highly recommend Prelude-a-Bliss for your event needs. Communicative, organized, kind and knowledgeable... I promise you they will make sure you have the most amazing day!!!

Yalda and her lovely team at Prelude-a-Bliss were such a blessing during all aspects of our…read morewedding, from planning, to day of, to follow up. They were a wonderful balance of professional and personal. I'm a terrible delegator, but Yalda remained patient and positive even on my most stubborn and overwhelmed days. She and her team were accommodating to my schedule, supported myself and my husband without being pushy, and helped us create OUR version of the perfect day. They helped us plan for things we didn't even consider, and had resources available I never would have known existed. And the day of... well we were blown away. They arrived early and helped navigate several mini disasters from venue issues to late arrivals due to unexpected traffic delays. My husband and I didn't even realize there was a single hitch until my mom told us the day after the wedding. Every time we needed something, and often times before we needed it, Yalda and her team were there with that exact thing, an update about guests arriving, a sweet message sent from my soon to be husband, a glass of champagne. It was a true thing of beauty. I would definitely recommend Prelude-a-Bliss to my closest and best friends for their event and wedding planning.

If you are reading this, you are probably in the market for a wedding planner. Search no…read moremore.....Erin is the best!!! She was the best investment to our wedding. She found the perfect location for us after speaking with us for a whopping 30 minutes. On the day of, I didn't have a single worry in the world. She was extremely organized, happy, very knowledgeable and all around awesome! I can't stress enough how great she was. The months leading up to it, she kept us in line and all our other vendors appreciated her. She was worth every penny. PS. we hired her as for floral/decor and I would highly suggest that as well! PS x2 - too bad there isn't a 6 star system.....she'd get that!

I did not want to get a wedding planner because I know exactly what I want...and if it isn't what I…read morewant...then you know someone will get in trouble. I am glad that my husband (then fiancée) convinced me to hire one. We interviewed 3 planners but I knew before I met Erin that I wanted her to be my planner. Her website and portfolio embodies the type of wedding I wanted to throw and her knowledge and taste of what I needed was what I was looking for. Erin was instrumental to making everything leading up to our wedding perfect, especially for THE Day Of. I have heard that no wedding is perfect, but despite the rocky start we had with our makeup artist (she was an hour late with no warning), our ceremony and reception WERE perfect. Erin gave great advice, made my life easier, and went above and beyond on the day of. She and her assistants were FANTASTIC in making sure everything was perfect for the most important day of our lives (so far). We can easily see that her expertise wedding coordination and she's the best planner we have come across (have worked with other planners for friends' weddings and they were a bit disorganized the day of). Everything was well orchestrated and when things hit a snag or we were running an hour late, she improvised and the guests didn't notice a thing. We really appreciate all of her assistance from helping me bring my vision to life with your experience, idea for something different on the invite - the wax seal, bringing in the window panes, setting up the centerpieces, placing the name cards in the sand trays to contacting the vendors when we were running late, helping us stay on time as much as possible, and being so positive the entire night. My guests noticed her as the "woman running around gathering everything" but in the background, not distracting from the wedding itself. Her and her team worked tirelessly on the day of, and were constantly smiling and happy to be there and pull everything off. Because we were an hour late in arriving to the ceremony venue (again, makeup artist's fault) - we missed what the ceremony looked like before guests were seated and we were walking down the aisle. However, Erin was SO thoughtful, taking a photo of it before anyone got there and stepped on the runner with the petals, so that we could get a sneak peek. We also had no idea what to expect for the decor in reception hall and were taken by surprise when we made our grand entrance. I had communicated how I wanted to alternate flower centerpieces and beach lantern centerpieces, but didn't have time to give her specifics. Erin and her staff took initiative in alternating the decor for the tables wonderfully. It was breathtaking. And I forgot to bring candles, but somehow she managed to get them and add that much more to the centerpiece look. I was really impressed by how Erin took everything in stride and didn't pepper me with small detail questions to make sure we didn't stress out. Erin's work for the day of really brought to life what I described and so much more. I can't even begin to express how wonderful I felt when I walked into the aquarium. Her positive can-do attitude and support was really encouraging, especially when I was upset by the makeup artist's unprofessional demeanor. (see my review about her shortly) Many of my friends commented on how calm I was a month before the big day. Having Erin as our planner was the reason why. Although I did get a bit stressed 2 days before the wedding (who wouldn't?) because there was a lot to do, it was reassuring to know that she was available and offering to help with anything left over after the rehearsal. However, I would recommend all brides to lean on their friends during this time as they are willing to help. Her recommendation for the florist was spot on. She did a beautiful job. I was stunned by the beauty of the arbor, the gold orchids that popped and her attention to detail. She was so accommodating in every meeting and email exchange we had with her, and delivered gorgeous bouquets, boutonniere, and corsages beyond my expectations. Most importantly, she made the last minute addition of having aisle flowers unique. I am definitely recommending that my friends use a planner, and if they do, they should no doubt work with Erin. I don't give compliments without meaning it, and my friends know that when I give endorsements or recommendations, I am strongly convicted in my opinions. I firmly believe in her abilities to pull off ANY wedding, no matter how complex, or how demanding the bride may get. I also believe that she always want what's best for the couple and is truly passionate about her work. Erin continued to amaze me, helping us find the right decor for our big day to making everything perfect for when we showed up. We had the most amazing wedding we have both been to and a lot of our guests also told us the same. It would not have been possible without Erin and her team!

Vicki helped with a lot more than I expected for a day-of coordinator, and was super responsive to…read moremy texts on quick questions for how to setup and organize different aspects. Even helped look over the invitation wording so it made sense. Day-of I barely had to think about anything (I could have done less I'm sure, but I can't help myself). She had all my timing notes and made sure the vendors were on track - I got to have fun and didn't even remember the cleanup at the end of the night!

My husband and I used this company for our 10 year vowel renewal. They were awesome, quick response…read moretime, great communication, and very professional. I will use them again in the future for our larger events! Thank you SWAY Events!

Althauser Design created the bridal bouquet of my wildest dreams and helped to made me feel like a…read moretrue princess on my wedding day by designing such beautiful arrangements! I approached Theresa with thoughts on what flowers and colors I wanted included in my wedding day bouquet (one must have for me was a King Protea to add a tropical touch to our wedding day) and she created an absolutely stunning bridal bouquet and boutonniere for my husband by using her expertise and the ideas I had shared with her. From the moment I saw the flowers Theresa designed on our wedding day, I was amazed at how incredibly beautiful they turned out. I am incredibly grateful and thankful for Theresa (Althauser Design) for helping to make our day spectacular!

I recently worked with Althauser Design for a wedding I coordinated at 415 Westlake. Theresa's work…read morewas impeccable, from the arbor to the signs to the gorgeous floral arrangements. She was easy to work with and quick to respond to email and text. I highly recommend Althauser Design and hope to work with Theresa again soon!

Working with Auntie M Mercantile was the best decision I made with my wedding (except for the…read moregroom, of course)! Melissa made everything a breeze. I am not artsy or creative at all, so the idea of planning a wedding was extremely daunting. I had looked at Pinterest and come up with some ideas I liked, but I had no way of making them a reality. This is where Melissa stepped in. We discussed the general theme of the wedding, the colors, location, etc. After that, we had a meeting where she had created checklists of super important details that I had not even thought about, including a variety of layout options which she diagrammed for me to show the pros and cons of each. In leading up to the actual day, she was nothing but responsive and calming. Every time I was worried about something, she was quick to respond and reassured me that she had everything under control. When I walked from my ceremony to my reception, I was shocked to find that it didn't look like I had expected. IT LOOKED SO MUCH BETTER. Everything was perfectly done, and so incredibly US! Melissa certainly knows how to listen to a bride and make their vision a reality. (I mean, she CREATED 20 different centerpieces using vintage vases, books, and HANDMADE numbers). You will not be disappointed with Auntie M Mercantile!

Oh, Seattle Design Center...so much potential as a wedding and large event venue. Yet, so poorly…read moremanaged. Let me explain. We had a beautiful wedding at the Seattle Design Center in May 2012--both the ceremony and the reception in the Atrium (the largest room). The venue is gorgeous--ridiculously high ceilings, full of skylights that bring in natural light, neutral tile flooring, a gorgeous grand staircase--part of the second floor balcony. The square footage is enormous and could easily hold 500 people if you wanted to. The BIGGEST PERK of the SDC: you can bring in your own caterer. That, and it's quite reasonably priced compared to other Seattle venues that would hold 200 or more people The biggest downside: the people who are supposed to be helping you plan your wedding in fact know next to nothing about the wedding business--they are managers at Molly's Salads, the daytime food cart! After booking the SDC officially in April 2011 (13 months before our wedding), our SDC "wedding coordinator" changed THREE TIMES. That meant we had to connect with the newbie each and every time to make sure they could accommodate some of our special needs, like having a small religious fire for our ceremony (don't ask). And also confirming (again and again) the rehearsal time and date, as well as where the bridal party would have space for changing and storing stuff. Needless to say, we had to be very proactive in dealing with the SDC and made sure to get everything in writing. They provided very little outside of signing the contract and some tables and chairs. If it had not been for our stellar wedding planners of Blue Ribbon, this event could never have happened. Thus, I am torn--the SDC is a stunning venue, but really needs to focus on event management and hiring people who know what they are doing.

I've booked two fundraising auctions at SDC, and am about to sign a contract on a third. As the…read moreother review mentioned, they had some turnover, but since last Fall there has been one person in charge of booking, Jenifer, and she is GREAT. The rest of their event staff, the people who are on-site managers during the event, are amazing, too: they helped us with everything from weird electrical stuff to dimming the lights for the video portion to moving stacks of chairs over and over as we got the tables set up, and stayed to the bitter end as our worn out staff and volunteers cleaned up (they clean up their own tables and chairs, we rented additional tables and catering-ware which we had to secure for pick up). Both of our events there looked stunning, and our constituents (who have been to many venues over the years) have only given us positive feedback on the move. Plus it's reasonably-priced AND has its own parking lot. I think this is one of the best venues in the city, and I look forward to putting on more events there in the future.

A Platinum made us feel like family. We interviewed several different caterers and Emily with A…read morePlatinum was the only one who made us feel like they were thinking about us instead of our wallets. Any request we made was met with "Of course we can do that" and as we waited for her to tell us what extra fee we had to pay, we kept waiting. She made us feel like they priced their food accordingly and wanted to accommodate us. And their food was excellent! We went with the plated option: steak, salmon, veggie pasta. I went around the wedding trying everyone's food and honestly wanted to keep eating--the steak was tender and a beautiful medium rare. The salmon was flaky with the right balance between savory and sweet. The pasta was bright and flavorful. For how much food we got and the quality of food we received, we were very satisfied. The serving staff was polite, attentive, and ON TIME. Our guests were served promptly and no one was left hungry by the end of the night. We HIGHLY recommend A Platinum to any couple who wants a caterer who cares.

A Platinum Event catered our wedding in May and we could not have had a better experience! All of…read moreour tastings were amazing and the quality of the food on the big day was incredible as well. Emily is so responsive and professional - we loved working with her and everything went so well at our wedding. Her organization made our event a success. We are hoping to use A Platinum Event again in the future. Amazing caterer!