2009 September

Vendor Thank You & Media Launch Party

Thursday night!!! WHOOOHOOO!!! What an adventure!!

The Sorrento Hotel was so generous (Thank you SO much!) and hosted a fabulously swanky preview to our October 29th event and PHEW what an amazing success!

A bunch of BIG thank you’s to The Sorrento Hotel, (for the venue & savory treats) Jen’s Desserts & Judy from Tallant House (for the SWEET treats… yummm!), Michael Forte with Events with Integrity (music & sound), Jenny Jimenez (our personal paparazi), Brenda Chovanak from The Making Memories Breast Cancer Foundation for coming all this way just for us and speaking with the group. We heart you guys – thank you for coming together!!

AND OF COURSE – I cannot even begin to Thank all of the super generous GIVERS (GHGH vendors) for donating their time, service, products and of course – bringing their cute selves to the party! THANK YOU THANK YOU THANK YOU!! We hope you were able to meet everyone, get to know a few new people and get a LOT excited for 10.29.09 (32 days!!)

Here are a few of my favorite photos from the evening – credit to Jenny J – (it was WAY too hard to choose, loved them ALL!!!)

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(above – the super swanky Sorrento Hotel – located on 9th & Madison)

034 copy (above The 2009 GHGH Crew (top left: Laurel McConnell, Eliza Truitt, Middle Row seated left: Kaycee Parker, Michelle Loretta, Ryan Barr, Bottom Left: Holly Kate Foss, Barbie Hull, Shannon Lassen, Wendi Hroncich)

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(photo above – Judy with Tallant House and her delicious sweet tarts… yummmmmmmmmm!)

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(above: Hans Rasmussen enjoys the Sorrento Sliders. (He is our super generous insurance agent – get a quote (HERE)… and he’ll make a donation!!)

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075 copy Our lovely guests enjoying a fabulous time!!

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So – in recap, our event on 9/24/2009 was to help promote the October 29th event – to let everyone know what to expect, to show the media how RAD we are and OF COURSE to THANK all the fabulous vendors for their generosity. We hope that people (that’s you!) grab these photos (gallery soon to follow) blog about it, send them into the media, send them to your Mom, your cousin & your clients and tell them how cool and what a great cause Get Hitched Give Hope is. Oh and that you can plan your ENTIRE wedding at a super swanky cocktail party!! OOHHHH YEAH!

email me - hello@gethitchedgivehope.com if you have any questions, need help or have a special request.

Lots of love,

The Get Hitched Give Hope Crew

[post by barbie]

Jason Parker – CD Release Party!

We LOVE supporting our Givers!! If you are free – we’d love to see you there!! Great music no doubt!!

Event: Jason Parker Quartet CD Release Party @ Lucid Jazz Lounge
“Help us celebrate the relase of “No More, No Less”"
What: Concert
Start Time: Saturday, October 24 at 9:30pm
End Time: Sunday, October 25 at 1:00am
Where: Lucid Jazz Lounge

Tacoma Gown Sale

Hey brides, there’s a big Brides Against Breast Cancer gown sale in Tacoma this weekend! Like us, BABC raises money for the Making Memories Breast Cancer Foundation, and in addition to having gorgeous gowns at unreal low prices, they’re a TON of fun. The sale is this Saturday and Sunday at the Greater Tacoma Convention & Trade Center (at 1500 Broadway, Tacoma, WA), and admission is free unless you want to get a VIP power-hours early entry ticket. Those are $20 and give you access to the sale a full two hours before everyone else. Sounds like a good idea to me…click here to get yours.

Vendor Profile: Gown Diva’s Liz Navarro

The amazing Liz Navarro of Gown Diva Consulting was a key part of last year’s Get Hitched, Give Hope. Not only did she contribute a fabulous gown consulting package to our auction, but she styled all the models displaying wedding gowns throughout the night. They were completely stunning, and we’re so glad to have her with us again this year.

Tell us about yourself !
My name is Liz Navarro, a bridal fashion expert with Gown Diva Consulting. My company includes bridal business consulting and bridal fashion styling. Currently, I’m working with an upcoming bridal designer in NYC! It’s truly an exciting and rewarding job working behind the scenes as well as one on one with brides, sharing my knowledge and insider tips!

What do you love about your work?
I love the art of a bridal gown and truly fell in love with bridal fashions during an internship in London. I especially love helping brides look absolutely gorgeous on their wedding day, by simply sharing my knowledge acquired over the years!

What drew you to Get Hitched, Give Hope?
I’ve always wanted to somehow be involved with giving back, especially since I’ve been personally affected by the devastating effects of cancer.

What is your favorite product that you offer?
Free first style consultation. I love to talk bridal!! It’s truly fun to meet with brides and get them started on their hunt for the perfect gown. If they hire me great! If not, at least they have the tools needed to start shopping.

How are you participating in the event?
I wanted to do something special this year and decided to ask designer Anne Barge if she would like to participate in donating a bridal gown for an auction item with my fashion styling services. Anne is not only a great designer, but she is a fabulous lady!

Anything else you’d like to share?
It’s a honor to be involved with the classiest bridal event in Seattle!

The Gown Diva Package :: Anne Barge

October 29th is 37 & 1/2 days away!!! oooooohhh!!! If you are planning your wedding you will for SURE want to know about this fabulous package!! Liz Navarro (The Gown Diva) put this stunning package together and I KNOW it will be a highlight!!

1028 |The Gown Diva Package

Anne Barge
Couture designer Anne Barge is gracefully donating a stunning bridal gown sample.
With help from expert bridal fashion stylist Liz Navarro of Gown Diva, you
will select one of five sample gowns best suited for your wedding! The sample
gowns are one size only and the measurements are as follows: Bust 35.5 Waist 27
Hip 38. (Please note the gowns can be altered down a size but not up a size).
Gown selection will need to be completed by Thursday, November 5, no exceptions. The Madina
Vadache veil and Grace Shoes must also be selected at the time of gown selection. Gown alterations
and cleaning are not included with auction item. Auction winner is responsible for gown
alterations.

Gown Diva Consulting
Personal bridal style consultation by Gown Diva Consulting to help select the best
gown & accessories for your wedding day ensemble.

Voletta Couture
Madina Vadache veil and Grace Shoes courtesy of Voletta Couture.
Total retail value $4,050.00

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LF132a

LF154f

LF158f

LF177 f

Don’t you LOVE these gowns?!?! I know they will look fabulous one lucky bride this year!!! So be sure to get your ticket so you can BID on this fabulous auction item!!

Thank You Liz and THANK YOU Anne Barge!!

[Post by barbie & laurel]

The Goods!

So now that we’re a little more than a month away from the big night (October 29th! Buy your tickets here!), it’s time to talk about all the amazing goods that will be up for auction and raffle that night. Here’s a partial list:

DIAMONDS! his and hers wedding bands
wedding planning
bouquets, bouts, and corsages
wedding photography
overnight vacations
custom invites
spa services like massage and men’s grooming
a post-wedding fashion shoot
a band for your reception
did someone say MEXICO?!
wine, champagne, and signature cocktails
ice cream, cupcakes, and wedding cake
a couture wedding gown (yep, I said it!)
a veil, shoes, a hair fascinator, and of course, a garter set
an engagement music video
virtual golf party, beer pong party, and paparazzi party
a Mercedes Benz van for your wedding party
person stylist consultions
makeup and hair styling
party planning
custom wedding stationery (table numbers, programs, etc)
did someone say MEXICO?!
personal training
custom tailored shirts
floral centerpieces
and much much more!

It’s going to be one incredible night…hope to see you there!

Vendor Profile: Flora Nova

I first met Christiane of Flora Nova a few years back at a wedding industry get-together, but it was only recently that I got a chance to see her beautiful work up close. She is so talented, and I’m thrilled that she’s a part of Get Hitched, Give Hope!

Tell us about yourself
Christiane Zweifler, Flora Nova Design, main website is here, blog is here.

What do you love about your work?
Oh, so many aspects: meeting brides and their families, helping them realize their vision for their big day, designing events from scratch, the experience of seeing it all come together on the day of the wedding, coming up with cool new décor ideas,…

What drew you to Get Hitched, Give Hope?
The fact that a bridal benefit event is organized by a bunch of really talented colleague friends! How can you not be drawn to it. J

What is your favorite product that you offer?
A full event design service package. People often forget that when they hire Flora Nova, they don’t just get beautiful floral décor, but rather can benefit of a full event design service. We love coordinating the entire décor (linens, props, chairs, drapes, lighting, flowers, etc) – only that way can we ensure that all aspects of the overall vision will work harmoniously.

How are you participating in the event?
We will have a display table the evening of the event and have also donated a $1,000 floral package for the auction. I am looking forward to a fun evening!

Dancing with Ellen!!

On our PR team one of our big goals is for Ellen DeGeneres to know about our fabulous event (the of course come to the party & maybe even invite us to dance with her!) and so at the beginning of 2009 we grew our PR team from local to National, we have Giver Girls in other states writing letters to Ellen, watching her show (research right?!), twittering to her and just letting her know that we are here and that we love her!

WELL – don’t get too excited now but… turn on the Ellen show on Monday morning 11am to channel 5 (if you live in Seattle, or click HERE to see what channel in your city) and WATCH NICHOLLE CHANDLER DANCE WITH ELLEN!!!!!!!!!!! (Nicholle is a FABULOUS supporter of Get Hitched Give Hope – she was the QUEEN of the 08 raffle, a fabulous national PR member & will be our raffle coordinator for the 2009 event!!)

Freak out right?? I’m recording it – so if you miss it, come on over and we’ll watch it together!!

Nicholle – thank you so much for all of your love & support – you are beyond amazing! I can’t wait to see you dance!!

{post by Barbie}

Vendor Profile: Willow & Bloom

I’ve seen first hand the incredible flowers that willow & bloom does at weddings I’ve photographed, and I love how beautiful and creative their work is. Here’s a little bit about who they are and what they do!

Tell us about yourself!
My name is Erika Bush. I am the Event Coordinator at willow & bloom and one of the staff floral designers, as well. Part of my job is to ensure that everything runs smoothly for the events we work on and to make sure that all of those little, but very important, details are not overlooked. Our website is www.willowandbloom.com and we have a blog as well that can be accessed through our website.

What do you love about your work?
I love the whole process, from meeting and getting to know our customers, to seeing the event designs come fruition, to the actual set up and seeing the final results. Working on the creative process is an extremely rewarding aspect of my job and to be able to meet so many fun and interesting people along the way is really amazing.

What drew you to Get Hitched, Give Hope?
It is such a touching cause. To be able to come together with so many talented people in the industry and to help a charity that is so thoughtful is very rewarding.

What is your favorite product that you offer?
My favorite product we offer is actually our customer service and the emphasis we put on our client’s satisfaction. At willow & bloom every wedding and event we work on is truly customized to our clients and after each event, I decide that this one has been my favorite. “The previous event was great, but this is my new favorite.” We put a tremendous amount of thought and heart into each piece to make sure that everything is perfect and beautiful. It is hard not to look at the final result and not think that it is the best event yet.

How are you participating in the event?
We are providing a custom floral arrangement for the event.

Thanks so much to Erika and everyone else at willow & bloom for being a part of Get Hitched, Give Hope!

A Wedding Winner From Last Year

At last year’s Get Hitched, Give Hope, Tiffanie won a photography package with me in the silent auction, and I so enjoyed photographing her beautiful, intimate, family-only wedding up at the Timberline Lodge. Here are a few shots from the day: