Now offering e-Design services

Spring Wedding at Chihuly Garden & Glass

These clients married in a medieval chapel on a private estate just outside Seattle. They wanted the chapel to have a dreamy, forest feel and I had an amazing time dreaming up the altar installation of  Japanese snowbell, privet, foxglove and clematis. By contrast, the Chihuly Glass museum is bright and airy with a huge glass poppy installation. This was the biggest set up we’ve ever had to do in a two hour window and I tried to keep that in mind with the event design as it was easy to get carried away with the greenhouse theme. We brought in potted vine maples and soft seating, created a custom bar backdrop and hanging plants to decorate the tented courtyard. I designed three styles of tables and a greenhouse inspired dessert table backdrop complete with custom 5′ wide laser cut monogram and trailing moss and orchids. The florals were filled with garden roses, mock orange, ranunculus, peonies and kumquats.  Italian poppies in sherbet shades added a pop of color and served to incorporate the infamous Chihuly glass installation.  Photography by Stephanie Cristalli with assistance by Jenn Tai. Event design, styling and floral by Finch & Thistle Event Design.

finch thistle chihuly gardens weddingfinch thistle chihuly gardens weddingfinch thistle chihuly gardens weddingfinch thistle chihuly gardens weddingfinch thistle chihuly gardens weddingfinch thistle chihuly gardens weddingfinch thistle chihuly gardens wedding
finch thistle chihuly gardens weddingfinch thistle chihuly gardens weddingfinch thistle chihuly gardens weddingfinch thistle chihuly gardens weddingfinch thistle chihuly gardens weddingfinch thistle chihuly gardens weddingfinch thistle chihuly gardens weddingfinch thistle chihuly gardens weddingfinch thistle chihuly gardens weddingfinch thistle chihuly gardens weddingfinch thistle chihuly gardens weddingfinch thistle chihuly gardens weddingfinch thistle chihuly gardens weddingfinch thistle chihuly gardens weddingfinch thistle chihuly gardens wedding
finch thistle chihuly gardens weddingfinch thistle chihuly gardens weddingfinch thistle chihuly gardens weddingfinch thistle chihuly gardens weddingfinch thistle chihuly gardens weddingfinch thistle chihuly gardens wedding
finch thistle chihuly gardens wedding
finch thistle chihuly gardens weddingfinch thistle chihuly gardens weddingfinch thistle chihuly gardens weddingfinch thistle chihuly gardens wedding

Woodland Wedding at Alderbrook Resort

This wedding was such a treat to design but the install day shall be forever burned into my memory because I was suffering from horrendous morning sickness (at only 8 weeks pregnant), couldn’t keep a thing down and had to rely on my amazing team to do the heavy lifting (literally – we had wood stumps to haul around!) All that aside, I always love going back to Alderbrook because that is where Grant and I got married almost 9 years ago. It is a beautiful, sophisticated, quintessential Pacific Northwest hotel and spa with all the charm of a 1950’s summer camp. Guests relax on their balconies or around the firepits and look out over the Hood Canal and the Olympic mountains beyond. Seals have even been known to swim with you along the boat dock.

finch_thistle_angela+evan_photography_Alderbrook_Wedding_51 finch_thistle_angela+evan_photography_Alderbrook_Wedding_66 finch_thistle_angela+evan_photography_Alderbrook_Wedding_59

Kristin and Marty wanted a woodland feel to their beautiful day with lots of ferns and woodgrain details. For the ceremony, we lined the aisle with wood stumps and potted ferns in distressed garden pots. For the tented reception, we created three huge chandeliers of greenery and white flowers and then added color to the tables with floral arrangements in coral, orange and pink. It was a beautiful, festive, joyful day photographed beautifully by Angela and Evan Photography and expertly coordinated by Chesney of All the Flutter.

finch_thistle_angela+evan_photography_Alderbrook_Wedding_1a finch_thistle_angela+evan_photography_Alderbrook_Wedding_57 finch_thistle_angela+evan_photography_Alderbrook_Wedding_11 finch_thistle_angela+evan_photography_Alderbrook_Wedding_6 finch_thistle_angela+evan_photography_Alderbrook_Wedding_4finch_thistle_angela+evan_photography_Alderbrook_Wedding_54 finch_thistle_angela+evan_photography_Alderbrook_Wedding_60finch_thistle_angela+evan_photography_Alderbrook_Wedding_55finch_thistle_angela+evan_photography_Alderbrook_Wedding_1cfinch_thistle_angela+evan_photography_Alderbrook_Wedding_13finch_thistle_angela+evan_photography_Alderbrook_Wedding_8 finch_thistle_angela+evan_photography_Alderbrook_Wedding_1d finch_thistle_angela+evan_photography_Alderbrook_Wedding_68finch_thistle_angela+evan_photography_Alderbrook_Wedding_31 finch_thistle_angela+evan_photography_Alderbrook_Wedding_2c finch_thistle_angela+evan_photography_Alderbrook_Wedding_9 finch_thistle_angela+evan_photography_Alderbrook_Wedding_33 finch_thistle_angela+evan_photography_Alderbrook_Wedding_2afinch_thistle_angela+evan_photography_Alderbrook_Wedding_32 finch_thistle_angela+evan_photography_Alderbrook_Wedding_34 finch_thistle_angela+evan_photography_Alderbrook_Wedding_1bfinch_thistle_angela+evan_photography_Alderbrook_Wedding_2b finch_thistle_angela+evan_photography_Alderbrook_Wedding_65finch_thistle_angela+evan_photography_Alderbrook_Wedding_53 finch_thistle_angela+evan_photography_Alderbrook_Wedding_3d finch_thistle_angela+evan_photography_Alderbrook_Wedding_41 finch_thistle_angela+evan_photography_Alderbrook_Wedding_26 finch_thistle_angela+evan_photography_Alderbrook_Wedding_2d finch_thistle_angela+evan_photography_Alderbrook_Wedding_14finch_thistle_angela+evan_photography_Alderbrook_Wedding_58 finch_thistle_angela+evan_photography_Alderbrook_Wedding_10 Processed with VSCOcam with 10 preset finch_thistle_angela+evan_photography_Alderbrook_Wedding_3a finch_thistle_angela+evan_photography_Alderbrook_Wedding_43 finch_thistle_angela+evan_photography_Alderbrook_Wedding_25finch_thistle_angela+evan_photography_Alderbrook_Wedding_3b finch_thistle_angela+evan_photography_Alderbrook_Wedding_24 finch_thistle_angela+evan_photography_Alderbrook_Wedding_20 finch_thistle_angela+evan_photography_Alderbrook_Wedding_44finch_thistle_angela+evan_photography_Alderbrook_Wedding_4afinch_thistle_angela+evan_photography_Alderbrook_Wedding_49finch_thistle_angela+evan_photography_Alderbrook_Wedding_3cfinch_thistle_angela+evan_photography_Alderbrook_Wedding_62finch_thistle_angela+evan_photography_Alderbrook_Wedding_52

Published: Cover Story at Seattle Met Bride & Groom

Last week I had possibly the most exciting trip to QFC with baby in tow *ever* when I spotted my work on the cover of my favorite wedding magazine – Seattle Metropolitan Bride & Groom. I was asked to create a mostly white bridal bouquet for a color story in the latest issue, but I had no idea until I saw it in person that the editor had picked that shot for the cover.

SMBG Spring_16_Finch & Thistle Event Design SMBG Spring_16_Finch & Thistle Event Design SMBG Spring_16_Finch & Thistle Event Design

Elegant Washington Farm Wedding

Audrey wanted her Washington State barn wedding to have a loose Marie Antoinette theme and I loved the idea of contrasting the rustic farm venue with a gilded, ballroom design scheme. To achieve this, we employed a mix of rented vintage pieces – old clocks, jewelry boxes, packets of antique love letters, a French barn ladder, and art déco pottery with lush, organic florals in luxe gold urns. Gold rimmed plates, chargers and Chiviari chairs added to the ballroom look while stunning La Tavola linens added a final touch of elegance. This lovely wedding was featured on Style Me Pretty last week – you can see the full gallery of images from Coco Tran here.garden rose bridal bouquetjuliet garden rose garden rose bouquet pink and gold wedding washington_farm_wedding_finch_thistle_event_design_03 blush pink bridesmaid dresses

The garden inspired florals included local garden roses and dahlias, fresh blueberry branches, clematis, Annabelle hydrangea and Kent Beauty oregano. A sprig of rosemary at each place setting added a fragrant touch.washington_farm_wedding_finch_thistle_event_design_28 washington_farm_wedding_finch_thistle_event_design_18washington_farm_wedding_finch_thistle_event_design_06 washington_farm_wedding_finch_thistle_event_design_26 washington_farm_wedding_finch_thistle_event_design_05Guests wandered around the farm visiting the various resident animals and then took their seats for the ceremony on rustic wooden benches as Audrey and David were married under a metal arch covered in peach, blush and green blooms.

washington_farm_wedding_finch_thistle_event_design_20 washington_farm_wedding_finch_thistle_event_design_07 bride and groom chairs gold placesettings la tavola linens washington_farm_wedding_finch_thistle_event_design_27 elegant wedding washington_farm_wedding_finch_thistle_event_design_12 table styling washington_farm_wedding_finch_thistle_event_design_32washington_farm_wedding_finch_thistle_event_design_09washington_farm_wedding_finch_thistle_event_design_10gold urn centerpiece tallant house gold and pink cake washington_farm_wedding_finch_thistle_event_design_13Photography: Coco Tran | Floral & Event Design: Finch And Thistle Event Design | Day-of Coordination: Lovely Events | Wedding Dress: Custom Made | Wedding Cake & Desserts: Tallant House | Bridesmaids’ Dresses: Jenny Yoo | Caterer: A Grand Affaire | Calligraphy:La Happy | Venue: Red Cedar Farm | Vintage Rentals: Vintage Ambiance

Canlis Dinner Party

As I’m currently in hospital due to some complications with my pregnancy, I figured now is as good a time as any to go through all the professional pictures from our events last year and refresh the portfolio and blog (unreliable internet connection allowing). This dinner party was thrown in honor of a client’s 60th birthday and as friends and family were being flown in from around the country, we wanted to make sure the 60′ King’s table was appropriately lavish but still maintained a wilder, Pacific NW look. The linens were from Choice and the beautiful images are by Stephanie Cristalli.

finch_thistle_event_design_stephanie_cristalli_canlis_dinner_1 finch_thistle_event_design_stephanie_cristalli_canlis_dinner_7 finch_thistle_event_design_stephanie_cristalli_canlis_dinner_2 finch_thistle_event_design_stephanie_cristalli_canlis_dinner_8 finch_thistle_event_design_stephanie_cristalli_canlis_dinner_11 finch_thistle_event_design_stephanie_cristalli_canlis_dinner_6 finch_thistle_event_design_stephanie_cristalli_canlis_dinner_9 finch_thistle_event_design_stephanie_cristalli_canlis_dinner_10 finch_thistle_event_design_stephanie_cristalli_canlis_dinner_5 finch_thistle_event_design_stephanie_cristalli_canlis_dinner_3 finch_thistle_event_design_stephanie_cristalli_canlis_dinner_8a

This beautiful and FUN travel themed wedding at Sodo Park was recently published in Seattle Bride AND on Style Me Pretty. Here are some images from Laurel McConnell Photographyemily_kent_SMP_6 copy emily_kent_finch_thistle_Mcconnell_photo_6 emily_kent_SMP_7 emily_kent_SMP_8 emily_kent_finch_thistle_Mcconnell_photo_3 emily_kent_finch_thistle_Mcconnell_photo_2 emily_kent_finch_thistle_Mcconnell_photo_1 emily_kent_finch_thistle_Mcconnell_photo_5 emily_kent_SMP_9 copy emily_kent_finch_thistle_Mcconnell_photo_9 emily_kent_SMP_10 emily_kent_SMP_4 emily_kent_SMP_5 emily_kent_finch_thistle_Mcconnell_photo_7 emily_kent_SMP_1 emily_kent_finch_thistle_Mcconnell_photo_8 emily_kent_SMP_2 emily_kent_SMP_3 emily_kent_SMP_12 emily_kent_SMP_11 emily_kent_finch_thistle_Mcconnell_photo_10 emily_kent_finch_thistle_Mcconnell_photo_13 emily_kent_finch_thistle_Mcconnell_photo_12 emily_kent_finch_thistle_Mcconnell_photo_4

Photography: Laurel McConnell | Floral and Styling: Finch & Thistle Event Design | Venue: SODO Park by Herban Feast Catering | Day-of Coordination: Jen Leslie Events | Dress: J. Heljm

Peaches and Cream

Sneak peek from a recent bridal shoot on the University of Washington campus with Jacqueline Dallimore.

Finch + Thistle Event Design | Jacqueline Dallimore Photography

Published: Snippet + Ink Yacht Club Wedding

Fun to see Edwina and Jesse’s sorbet colored yacht club wedding featured on Snippet and Ink today! Check out all the details here

seattle wedding design finch & thistle event design

vKristin and Gary’s Fall wedding at Within Sodo has been published on Style Me Pretty today so I can finally share all the details and Chantal Andrea‘s gorgeous pictures here! This was far from a traditional wedding – no sit down dinner, no bouquet toss, no cake cutting and a professional stage setup for the band (with musical cameos by the Groom, Groomsmen, both Fathers, and the Groom’s grandfather)! Half the guests had flown in from the UK and Kristin and Gary really wanted to ensure that everyone had a wonderful time and got to experience a real Pacific Northwest atmosphere.

Finch + Thistle Event Design, Seattle | Chantal Andrea Photography Finch + Thistle Event Design, Seattle | Chantal Andrea Photography Finch + Thistle Event Design, Seattle | Chantal Andrea Photography Finch + Thistle Event Design, Seattle | Chantal Andrea PhotographyThey wanted the wedding to reflect their cultural differences – Gary is British and Kristin is a Washington native – and show off the beautiful city where they had made a home together. They picked a very urban, warehouse style venue with a rooftop deck, their favorite local tapas bar to cater, Macrina Bakery to provide the desserts and Kristin’s dad’s pub in Anacortes provided the beverages, Rainier beer included.Finch + Thistle Event Design, Seattle | Chantal Andrea Photography Finch + Thistle Event Design, Seattle | Chantal Andrea Photography Finch + Thistle Event Design, Seattle | Chantal Andrea Photography

Finch + Thistle Event Design, Seattle | Chantal Andrea Photography Finch + Thistle Event Design, Seattle | Chantal Andrea PhotographyFinch + Thistle Event Design, Seattle | Chantal Andrea Photography

Kristin and Gary’s wedding was a dream to design because the couple was so open to pushing the envelope design-wise. We wanted to highlight the urban feel of the venue, Within Sodo, but also bring an air of glamour and elegance to the space. We picked a color scheme of navy, cream, red and burgundy so we could use the beautiful local fall flowers and foliage that Kristin loves. The ceremony backdrop that we created out of a Magnolia leaf garland hung with industrial bulb lights and decorated with garden roses was a design highlight.

Finch + Thistle Event Design, Seattle | Chantal Andrea Photography Finch + Thistle Event Design, Seattle | Chantal Andrea Photography Finch + Thistle Event Design, Seattle | Chantal Andrea Photography Finch + Thistle Event Design, Seattle | Chantal Andrea PhotographyFinch + Thistle Event Design, Seattle | Chantal Andrea Photography

We also decorated the buffet tables and dessert buffet with the same magnolia garlands and large, overflowing gold urns filled with garden roses, crabapple branches and dahlias. The centerpieces alternated with gold urns on the larger tables and a smokey grey glass vase on the bistro style seating near the stage. We hung giant greenery chandeliers in the main room and Polish glass lanterns twinkled above the dessert table.

Finch + Thistle Event Design, Seattle | Finch + Thistle Event Design, Seattle | Chantal Andrea Photography Finch + Thistle Event Design, Seattle | Chantal Andrea Photography Finch + Thistle Event Design, Seattle | Chantal Andrea Photography Finch + Thistle Event Design, Seattle | Chantal Andrea Photography Finch + Thistle Event Design, Seattle | Chantal Andrea Photography Finch + Thistle Event Design, Seattle | Chantal Andrea Photography Finch + Thistle Event Design, Seattle | Chantal Andrea Photography Finch + Thistle Event Design, Seattle | Chantal Andrea Photography Finch + Thistle Event Design, Seattle | Chantal Andrea Photography Finch + Thistle Event Design, Seattle | Chantal Andrea Photography Finch + Thistle Event Design, Seattle | Chantal Andrea Photography Finch + Thistle Event Design, Seattle | Chantal Andrea Photography Finch + Thistle Event Design, Seattle

Finch + Thistle Event Design, Seattle | Chantal Andrea PhotographyFinch + Thistle Event Design, Seattle | Chantal Andrea Photography

Photography: Chantal Andrea | Floral and Event Design: Finch & Thistle Event Design | Venue: Within Sodo | Linens: La Tavola | Vintage Furniture: Vintage Ambiance | Catering: Pintxo | Desserts: Macrina Bakery | Bar: H2O Anacortes 

Friday Florals

Finch + Thistle Event Design | Stephanie Cristalli Photography Finch + Thistle Event Design | Stephanie Cristalli Photography Finch + Thistle Event Design | Stephanie Cristalli PhotographyPhotography by Stephanie Cristalli

Previous posts

Friends

For all inquiries please contact us at