The Best of 425 Magazine voting is here

The Best of 425 is back! Help choose the Eastside's best restaurants, shops, businesses, people and activities. Browse the lists to nominate your favorites. Spread the love -- don't just vote for your favorite pizza place!

They also want to keep things fair, so you have to register before you vote. Don't worry, they're not going to share your email address with anyone, but we'd love it if YOU shared this page with your friends! Votes from one email address per person will be counted. Voting Ends May 5. Look for the results in the July/August issue of 425 magazine!

We're all about supporting fellow local companies & there's no better way to help spread the love then by voting for them so everyone else can know about them too! Please take a moment to vote in 425 Magazine's "Best of" in some of the great categories like "Best Local Event" (such as Weddings in Woodinville!), "Best Northwest Travel Destination" (Woodinville Wine Country perhaps), "Best Hotel" (we love Willows Lodge), "Best Winery" or "Best Small Business" and show your enthusiasm for our Woodinville vendors.

Thank you and Happy Voting!

http://www.bestof425.com

How much do you cost? It’s a question that’s frequently asked, but tricky to answer.

“How much do you cost?” 

It’s a question that’s frequently asked, but tricky to answer.

With bottom lines on the mind, brides are eager to request on-the-spot quotes for our planning services. Unfortunately, pricing out your unique event is not that cut and dry. Brides – here are a few pointers to keep in mind when “shopping around.”

First, bridal shows like Weddings in Woodinville are not the ideal setting for a quick quote. Instead, these events are created to immerse you in the wedding world and introduce you to excellent vendor sources for products and services. While some vendors – like transportation providers or makeup artists – can give you a direct quote upon meeting, when investing in a wedding planner, capture the contact info of your favorites and follow up with them after the show. It’s this post-show one-on-one time that enables your planner to grow a deeper understanding of your wedding and form a more accurate, personalized quote.

As the foundation for your quote, planners request your day, date, time, guest & wedding party number, ceremony & reception location and your ideal, total budget. Here in the Northwest, Saturdays in June through August are considered prime dates in high demand. Friday and Sunday weddings may incur lower rates, but discounts vary by consultant or may be dependent on other factors. Your ceremony & reception’s location are also hugely significant to the quoting process. For example, a destination wedding on Maui or Washington’s San Juan Islands would require higher vendor and consultant travel costs than a winery wedding in Woodinville. The venue itself may even present challenging working conditions – think: a remote cliff-side ceremony vs. a resort ballroom reception.

Lead time is another element to consider.  Ideally, consultants welcome 10 - 12 months for proper planning. For a wedding with production beginning 3 - 4 months prior, additional man power is often necessary and may drive costs up.  That being said, if the wedding is fully planned and a bride chooses a Week-of Wedding Coordinator to implement and execute plans, consultants will sometimes reduce costs if your chosen date is still available.  

Money bride bouquet by It's Doable.... Crafts, food and life

How Much Do You Cost? was written by our guest blogger, Jacky Grotle of Event Sucess.  

At Event Success, we offer a range for both Full Planning and Week-of Wedding Coordination pricing, though we still rely on one-on-one time with our brides to determine their unique, precise needs and costs in the process of realizing their dream wedding. 

Transporting over 500,000 passengers annually, let SP Plus Transportation help you with your event

SP Plus Transportation Northwest, the premier luxury mini-coach and limo-coach provider of Washington State. We offer the most up to date fleet operated by some of the safest CDL drivers in the industry. With unparalleled service and well maintained vehicles, we are able to provide superior service at a competitive rate.

We transport over 500,000 passengers annually by means of; Weddings, airport, transfers, employee shuttle services, private charters, and excursions, just to name a few.

Let SP Plus Transportation Northwest handle your wedding with the most versatile fleet in Washington. From wine tours and weddings to corporate meetings and cruise ship transportation, our fleet and drivers can accommodate it all.

For your next event, remember to relax and choose SP Plus Transportation Northwest and leave the worries to us.

For more information on SP Plus Transportation

206.282.6442

www.spplusnw.com

Wedding Story - Jayson, Andrea & Nash Fung

Getting propsed too is a magical moment in and of itself, but read how Nash Fung - Seattle Wedding Magician really brought this bride-to-be into the "abracadabra" moment!

I was contacted by Megan from A Kurant Event for this special proposal. Her client Jayson wanted to surprise his girlfriend Andrea.  Our plan was to send Andrea on a girl’s night out, when of course, all their friends are helping us. Her friend Heidi came up with the story that we went to college together and wanted to see my magic as I ‘coincidentally’ ran into them in the restaurant. 

At the end of my performance, I made THE RING appear on Andrea’s arm; that’s when Jayson walked in and proposed. 

Here's the video from that night:

Wedding Story - Rachel, Tye and Pink Blossom Events

We’re excited to introduce you to a new series we’re starting called “Wedding Story”.  Although it will include a lot more than just wedding stories and will chronicle proposals, bachelorette tour happenings and much more from vendors who participated in Weddings in Woodinville. 

Photo by Belathee PhotographyOur first story is from BreeAnn Gale, of Pink Blossom Events who was Matthews Estate planner this year.

Photo by Belathee PhotographyPops of bright yellow, orange and burgundy fill Hollywood Schoolhouse this September as Rachel and Tye tied the knot! Rachel and Tye currently reside in North Carolina so it was a pleasure helping coordinate their wedding day as they returned home to celebrate with friends and family!

Photo by Belathee PhotographyI have two distinct favorite memories of this wedding. One was having to actually kick out the groom as he was so excited to help decorate the venue that morning that I had to let him know that photos were soon beginning at Rachel’s parents home in Sammamish and he might miss those. He had spent hours creating the colorful hanging paper flowers and luminaries that would light the path as guests leaved and he wanted to be sure they were all finished. Luckily for him, Pink Blossom Events was able to finish his labor of love!

Photo by Belathee PhotographyThe second memory came as guests were dismissed to the buffet by trivia. Guests were rolling with laughter as Tye and Rachel created the most humorous multiple-choice questions. For example, at one point in their career Rachel was his boss and this question came about from that:

Photo by Belathee PhotographyWhat was the final task Rachel assigned Tye on his last day of work in the ER?

a) Get her coffee

b) Soak a homeless man's feet

c) Clean a large, dirty wound

d) Clean & reorganize the drawers in her work area

Answer, was b!

Photo by Belathee PhotographyTruly a wedding to remember!