Woodsy Port Townsend Wedding
The vintage flair in this Washington wedding captured by Seattle photographer Yvonne Wong is nothing short of killer. From cardboard cutouts of retro ladies to hats aplenty for the gents, no detail was overlooked for these nuptials. And how about that woodsy ceremony setting also designed by Matthew Parker Events?
From the bride, Anne: We wanted to do a modern twist on the Prohibition era and then stage the whole thing in the woods. The trees and ferns on our land were our first inspiration, and then we realized that there is a rich rum-running history in the Northwest. It all worked perfectly together. We used lots of color, lace, wood, and ferns. Then Matthew Parker took our ideas, brought them to life, and incorporated all these other elements of who we are that made the day so special!
Sean is Dutch so we automatically had to use a lot of orange, then we just kept adding color! Dusty purple, persimmon, fern green, and light turquoise. We also used a lot of wood elements and tried to highlight the beauty of the northwest. Sean and I built the archway and aisle from a recycled garage door and old picket fence that we found at Waste Not Want Not in Port Townsend.
Any advice for brides planning their weddings now? We did two things that I would recommend to everyone: 1) We had fun! We spent as much time as possible dreaming and imagining together and this helped us create an event that was truly about us and our love for each other. 2) We only hired vendors that we really liked. We had a great team of flexible, supportive, friendly, and excited people. Everyone was great to work with and that made all the difference.
We had 230 people and decided that with so many people we wanted to prioritize just the things that would really make it memorable. We chose a couple elements to really splurge on and then kept it simple for everything else. For example, we wanted great food so we went as all out as we could there, but then played it simple and just served beer, wine, and a few premixed cocktails at the bar.
View all images from this wedding in the gallery
Wedding Vendors (Port Townsend, WA):
Reception Venue: Clam Cannery / Wedding Photographer: Yvonne Wong / Event Designer: Matthew Parker Events / Day-of Coordination: Karle Coppenrath of Weddings by Design / Wedding Flowers: Denise of Petals / Wedding Dress: Tara Keely, “2950” / Wedding Shoes: Seychelles / Bride’s Necklace: Express / Bride’s Earrings: Nordstrom / Bride’s Rings: Studio 311 / Hair and Makeup: Glynne Davies / Bridesmaids’ Dresses: BHLDN / Groom’s Suit: J. Crew / Groom’s Hat: Goorin Bros. Hat Company / Groomsmen’s Outfits: Macy’s / Groomsmen’s Hats: The Mad Hatter / Wedding Music: The Tune Stranglers / Wedding Caterer: Arran Stark of Cultivated Palette / Wedding Cake: Artisan Cake Guild / Wedding Invitations: Lucky Luxe / Information Cards: Anna Skates / Postcard RSVPs: Oh So Suite / Officiant: Kent Buttars of A Heavenly Ceremony / Tables, Chairs, and Dishware Rentals: R&R Party Rentals / Glassware Rentals: AA Rentals
Wow. We’d never have guessed that you had a count of 230; it still has an intimate and retro feel. We definitely agree on the importance of having fun; that was probably the single determining factor in how much we enjoyed our wedding last year. Kudos to you two for remembering what’s important in the midst of so many things clamoring for your attention!
Those bowler hat lights are stupendous!
Love the forever clogs! How unique!
I would LUUUUUUUUUURRRRRVE a tutorial on the hat lights. That is just badass.
I loved the ideas in this wedding. It is so organic and natural. It’s obvious that the couple made their personalities shine through in every detail of their wedding. Thanks for sharing 🙂
This wedding has so many great elements. The colors are scrumptious and I get such a kick out of the top hat lights. Way to be creative and think outside the box.