Rustic is a really popular style, but I’m loving the simple and chic version in this coastal wedding from Meredith McKee. You can really tell this couple kept the focus on their guests and keeping true to their style. I love the centerpieces that have beach elements, without getting too kitschy and overdone.
Our wedding was at Golden Gardens in Ballard. We had approx. 90 guests. The ceremony was in the north Meadow under an arbor my dad made out of driftwood from the beach at my Grandma’s house on Camano Island. The reception was inside the bathhouse. Most of Niko’s friends and family flew in from the east coast so we wanted a fairly casual wedding that would allow for lots of time to visit and enjoy everyone’s company. I guess you could call the theme rustic/coastal/simplicity.
The flower arrangements were pretty minimal and included shells from my Grandma’s house. The florist was very accommodating and was happy to incorporate the shells. They are also a sustainable flower shop, sourcing local, organic and consciously grown flowers. We had a friend MC the wedding to keep things moving (I would highly recommend this to anyone who is on the fence about whether or not they need someone to handle day-of planning). We wanted most of our pictures to be candid and our photographer, Meredith, was perfect. She was everywhere she needed to be at all the right times, but you didn’t even notice she was there. She’s like a ninja… a super sweet ninja that was great to work with.
Most important to us was ambiance and quality. We wanted to create a dinner party atmosphere. We pulled it off by renting farm tables and putting them end to end to create two really long tables. We put open bottles of wine out on the tables so there was no standing in line at a bar and we kept the lighting dim with lots of candles. Most importantly, our main focus during planning was on the food. We did not want typical wedding food. We did not want a buffet. We were not willing to have the food prepared ahead of time and kept in warmers for hours. Best decision we made in my opinion. The food was also organic. The caterer was awesome. Here name is Sunshine and she has a small, super positive team that made amazing food. We got tons of compliments and are actually still receiving compliments on the food months later!
Our favorite part of the day was at the end when all the guests lit and released lanterns on the beach. It was windy which made it more difficult, but also made it more fun because everyone had to work together to get the lanterns lit and in the air. Everyone was cheering and laughing and running with the lanterns. Priceless.
Photography | Meredith McKee Photography | Venue | Golden Gardens | Florist | Terra Bella | Caterer | Sunshine’s All Naturals | Table Rentals | Seattle Farm Tables
