Why attend Weddings in Woodinville? An attendees thoughts

The following is a guest blog from a former Weddings in Woodinville attendee on her experiences attending the tour and how she found her "dream wedding" vendors through it .  Thank you Pam!

Jenny GG Photography

I was actually a little apprehensive about attending the first show as I figured I would be the only "older" bride at the event. I was very happy to see that I wasn't. My girlfriend and I had a great time and I saw a lot of great ideas and vendors for our wedding.

I wanted this wedding to be the wedding I had always dreamed of even though it was my second. With the help of some of the vendors I met, especially Willows Lodge, it was truly that. My then fiance' Don and I attended again in 2014 because I had had so much fun the previous year. After attending the 2013 show, I was able to assure him that he wouldn't be the only man, and we wouldn't be the only older couple. We had pretty much selected and booked all of our vendors by that time, since our wedding was the following month on Valentine's Day, but it was great to be able to see and talk to some of them at the 2014 show.

If you love weddings, wineries, wine tasting and great food, Weddings in Woodinville is definitely an event to attend. That was one of my favorite experiences while planning our wedding. I will be attending this year with my 21 year-old daughter just for fun.... she can start dreaming about her own wedding! Don and I will continue to stay at Willows Lodge and will be staying this Valentine's Day for our first anniversary, and I have booked a hair appointment at Salon Maison for an upcoming event. Even though we are now married, we will continue to visit the wineries for wine tasting, and will continue to use some of the vendors that we met while attending Weddings in Woodinville.

BevMo! tips on planning the beverages for your wedding reception

BevMo! tips on planning the beverages for your wedding reception (a guest blog post from Kris Mulkey of BevMo!)

We Make Planning the Party Easy and Fun!

All great parties have three things in common: great people, great food and an amazing bar. We’ll leave the food and the guest list up to you. When it comes to the bar, we are king.

Here are some tips and tricks we’ve picked up along the way to make your reception stand out from the rest.

Wine Tips

• When planning the wine for your wedding we recommend keeping it simple. Select one red, one white and a sparkling. You may think you need a different varietal to meet all your guests needs, but you don’t! The best thing to do is buy wine that fits with your menu. Your guests will appreciate the wine and food pairing and will be totally delighted.
• A case of wine equals 60 servings (5oz).
• The average guest consumes two drinks in the first hour, then one drink each additional hour. (Example: a 3-hour reception for 150 guests = 10 cases of wine.)

• The most popular varietal to serve is Chardonnay and Pinot Noir because they are very food friendly!
• Tell a story with the wine: Select wine from the region where you met, or your favorite place, or your honeymoon destination!
• Serve a sweeter bubbly to complement the sweetness of the cake. Look for extra dry or dry on the label.
• Place opened wine bottles on the tables in the dining area so guests can help themselves. Attach a sweet note for your guests.
• If you want something fun and inexpensive, set up a no-host Champagne bar with a variety of bubbles, juices, fresh fruit and liqueurs. It’s perfect any time of year, and guests can help themselves.

Cocktail Tips

• Be creative! Serve two signature cocktails instead of an open bar. This keeps costs down and makes it really personal. You could serve a whiskey cocktail and a vodka cocktail side-by-side and let guests help themselves.
• Come up with creative names for your cocktails. Our favorite cocktails are First Kiss, Happily Ever After and Blushing Bride. (Click for the recipes!)
• Color-coordinate your signature cocktail to match the color palate of the wedding. Think of all the possibilities: mango, lavender, chartreuse, raspberry and more.
• Love martinis? Set up a martini bar with bottles of vodka, gin, vermouth olives and martini glasses.
• A coffee bar with an assortment of liqueurs is a nice way to end the evening.
• Bartenders are the best. Hire a professional to manage the bar so your friends and family will enjoy the party.

Beer

• Stock a supply of craft beer to pair with the menu. Purchase bottles or kegs to please all the beer lovers at your party.
• A 15.5 Gallon keg equals 164 servings (12oz glass)

Non-Alcoholic Products

• Don’t forget to set up non-alcoholic beverages! Go beyond the traditional sodas and check out BevMo!’s selection of old time soda and sparkling ciders and waters.
• Grab a root beer keg for the kids!
• Martinelli’s cider is festive for all ages, and any occasion

Money Saving Ideas

• Budget: Bring in your own wine to your venue. You’ll save money even if you have to pay a corkage fee. Event mark-up is huge at hotels! A $12 bottle at BevMo! can be $40 or more at a hotel. You will save anywhere from 25-50% on your total alcohol budget by shopping at BevMo! (For example: $12 bottle from BevMo! + $15 corkage fee from the hotel = $27 That is a $13 savings per bottle!!)
• Wine: Shop the 5c Wine Sale for your wine (buy one wine at regular price, get the second bottle for just 5 cents.) We have a selection of 50 wines on the sale every day. It’s a great value.
• Cocktails: Serve signature cocktails instead of an open bar! A bottle of vodka (1.75L) makes 39 drinks. It’s very economical, simple, and fun to do it this way!
• Beer: Get a great keg of beer for your guests. Dress up the tub with toile and you’ll be set. The average 15.5 gallon keg = 164 servings. (Example: A 15.5 gallon keg of Sam Adams is $174 = $1.06 per serving.)

Need help setting a budget? Play around with our drink calculator. Just fill in how many people, the length of the party, and the types of drinks you want to serve. The calculator will then give you an example of how much you need.

Are you Ready to Get Started?

•Start by registering on bevmo.com/weddings, or stopping in your nearest BevMo! The best time to do this is 45-60 days before your event.
• We’ll set you up with one of our party experts who will help you plan and order all the beverages.
• Not sure what to order? We offer a private wine tasting prior to ordering so you feel confident in your selection.
• Delivery is available! We’ll deliver all the product on the big day. We even provide complimentary local delivery on all orders over $500. *See store for details.

* Delivery service is subject to availability and limited to specific delivery zones. Must be scheduled in advance and requires a two-hour window of delivery. An adult of legal drinking age must provide valid ID and signature to verify receipt of the order. Ask a BevMo! associate for details.

- See more at: http://bevmothirstytimes.com/bevmo-tips-on-planning-the-beverages-for-your-wedding-reception/#sthash.OjvbZLO1.dpuf

Planning your wedding through Weddings in Woodinville-a former attendees thoughts

The following is a guest blog post from a former Weddings in Woodinville attendee on why she attends the tour every year and how she and her fiancé planned their wedding with the help of our vendors.  Thank you Sarah!

When Devin and I got engaged, I knew for our wedding that I wanted our venue to be at a winery.  Woodinville is the closest "wine country" so I did a quick google search for "woodinville wineries for weddings".  That's how I discovered that there was a specific event that revolved around exactly what I was looking for: Weddings in Woodinville!  I figured that since there was an event dedicated to promoting these specific venues for weddings, they must be the best!  I used the list of venues as my initial baseline of potential wedding venues.  When we visited these venues we fell in love with Januik.  It was really reflective of our style and personalities.  From there we looked at Januik's preferred vendor list and that's how we found our amazing wedding planner Jennifer Taylor at Taylor'd Events.  We used Jennifer's preferred vendor list to research vendors for all aspects of our wedding (photographer, DJ, etc).  We learned that the majority of the vendors we ended up choosing participate in Weddings in Woodinville.  So I know for a fact that they only showcase the best of the best vendors at Weddings in Woodinville!  These are the vendors that have proven to be outstanding in their category.  A lot of times these vendors have worked together in the past, which really make your wedding day go seamless.  

  

Weddings in Woodinville is like no other wedding show.  I love that it's pretty much a wedding themed wine tour.  It feels intimate and personal, not overwhelming and disconnected like most wedding shows.  I love that you really get to explore all aspects of a wedding through a really unique experience.  Each venue tells their own wedding story.  It's so great to see each venue mocked up as a real wedding with a dedicated wedding planner that has picked out specific vendors for all aspects of the wedding.  It's pretty cool that you don't have competing vendors in any one venue, they only have one type of vendor at each venue (like a real wedding).  This is great for soon-to-be brides to be able to focus in on specific vendors for each category and be able to remember at the end of the event.  For instance, "Oh I really liked the invitations at <blank> venue and liked the floral arrangements at <blank> venue."  

  

At the end of the day, my favorite part of Weddings in Woodinville is the amazing food, wine and transportation!  I mean you get to eat, drink and get chauffeured (limo, party bus, etc) from one venue to another.  How awesome is that?!  This keeps me coming back year after year (this will be my third time)!  I always invite newly engaged couples, friends and family.  Everyone always has a great time!  That's another great thing about Weddings in Woodinville, you don't have to be engaged to attend!  It's such a great deal with the food, wine and transportation alone; the pretty wedding decor is a fabulous bonus!  Weddings in Woodinville is an event my husband and I look forward to attending every year!

  

To purchase tickets and learn more about Weddings in Woodinville visit weddingsinwoodinville.com

Amelia Soper Photography

Thank you to our Sponsors BanquetEvent.com and Seattle Bride

Weddings in Woodinville would like to thank its Media Sponsors, BanquetEvent.com and Seattle Bride, for their unwavering support and dedication to our tour! 
Thank you for 6 years of devoted commitment!

Seattle Bride magazine offers local resources for all your wedding needs from photographers to dj’s and more. Online and available at local retailers every issue showcases fabulous, creative, and quintessentially Northwest weddings that celebrate the beauty of Washington state and those who call it home through wedding blogs, print and resources. The Seattle Bride Resource Guide is a practical workbook for the bride and groom. Each section of the planning chapter covers one aspect of the wedding, from setting a budget and compiling the guest list to setting the date and writing your vows, through dressing the wedding party and packing for your honeymoon. There’s also a section devoted to local wedding resources, including florists, photographers, caterers, and reception sites.

B&E/banquetevent.com is committed to providing brides and grooms with the most comprehensive collection of wedding vendors in your area. Based in Seattle, B&E publishes the Puget Sound Wedding Resource Guide, available in print and digital formats. They welcome you to their online wedding planning guide, which provides you with the top wedding professionals from reception sites, to wedding caterers, bridal salons, floristsand more. BanquetEvent.com is a two easy-to-use, comprehensive directories featuring detailed information for wedding or event planning businesses and services. You'll also find information, helpful hints and ideas you won't find anywhere else throughout each site, particularly in their wedding blog, LUCKY IN LOVE and EVENT PLANNING BLOG.

Be sure to pick up your complimentary copies of their Resource Guides during registration.

"Come Dance With Me" at JM Cellars during Weddings in Woodinville 2015

Our last venue theme for Weddings in Woodinville 2015 is for lovely JM Cellars as designed, coordinated and hosted by wedding planner Melody Davis of MG Davis Events and her hand-picked team of supporting wedding vendors.   

"In the spirit of Frank Sinatra we celebrate Weddings in Woodinville this year in the grand style of a 1950s garden fête. Our décor inspiration reflects a time when weddings were often held on a terrace or the lawn of a majestic home with all manner of pomp and circumstance.  As a cornerstone to the Hollywood Regency style, we’ll use black and white as a sharp contrast to the abundance of deep greens in the landscape at JM Cellars while a sprinkle of platinum and gold will add an extra layer of luxe. Scores of crisp paper lanterns will canopy the dining area and dancefloor where guests can relax and enjoy the music of a bygone era and mingle with our team of extraordinary vendors. See you on the dancefloor!"

Meet MG Davis Events and all of JM Cellars partcipating vendors on 
Sunday, January 25th, 2015, during Weddings in Woodinville.  For a full-list of participating vendors and to purchase tickets visit www.weddingsinwoodinville.com.