Outdoors - In, Kirsten and Ben

     This past Saturday we had a reception with unique requirements. The original venue for the reception was to be held at and outdoor facility, but there was a change in dates, and the couple lost that location. So the request was to see if we could somehow bring an outdoor feeling to an indoor reception.
     Well, with lighting, trees and fencing - we did!

Lots of lights with paper globes hid the ceiling from below.

We brought the space in by several feet by using fencing and trees

Bridal party stood here to receive guests.

Benches and chairs were added around the perimeter, making you feel like you were in a park.

The guest table was on the left of the entrance, and the gifts were on the right. When you entered, these areas provided a screen so the guests couldn't see the entire room. Sort of a surprise!

They had two cakes: A traditional Scandinavian 'ring' cake and a more conventional wedding cake. Fun topiary trees behind the tables added a touch of whimsey.

The buffet was at the far end of the room. Five large lighted ficus trees are behind the table.

The colors were navy blue and sunflower yellow, with a bit of red thrown in.

     I was using a flash camera, which unfortunately adds extra light. The mood was very soft, just the right amount of light. It really felt like you were in an outdoor lighted park in the evening.
     I need to give a big thanks to Fred Christian of Christians Trees in Tacoma. He brought us some amazing trees and shrubs - we couldn't have pulled it off without them. Every thing but the ficus trees was live. Fabulous!  EJ's Catering from Maple Valley were great to work with. 

A view from above.

This is what you saw after signing the guest book.

This was a lot of hard work, but the result was well worth it. We made some great contacts, and more importantly, we made a bride (and her mother) happy!