January 31, 2024

Kitsap

Wedding GUIDE January 2024

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Kitsap Wedding Expo

By Kathy Cruz The end of each year brings Christmas engagement rings, and a new year brings a host of wedding exhibitions to help couples plan their big day.

The largest wedding show in the West Sound – the Kitsap Wedding Expo - is scheduled for Saturday, Feb. 3. It will take place from 10 a.m. to 4 p.m. at the Kitsap Sun Pavilion on the Kitsap Fairgrounds at 1200 Fairgrounds Road NW in Bremerton.

The annual event, which has taken place for more than a decade, is organized by Sunny Saunders of Sunny Jack Events. Sponsors include The Point Casino & Hotel, CME Experience and Travel Leaders. Seventy vendors were already on the books by mid-December and Saunders said she anticipated booking as many as 80.

The expo is an opportunity for couples and

The Kitsap Wedding Expo will take place on Saturday, Feb. 3 at the Kitsap Sun Pavilion on the Kitsap Fairgrounds.

their friends and family members to meet with a variety of wedding-related professionals, including photographers, bakers, DJs, venue representatives, bartending services, florists, caterers and more.

Although there is always stress involved in

organizing such a large event, which drew more than 1,000 people last year, Saunders said the annual expo is “fun to plan.”

“I’ve become friends with many of the vendors,” she said. “It’s fun to have them all in one place and showcase the amazing services and venues and food that they offer. It’s a sense of camaraderie, like we’re all in this together – kind of like one big team.”

Tickets can be purchased online at kitsapweddingexpo.com but can also be purchased at the door.

VIP tickets, which include a swag bag and entry into a contest for a Mexico getaway provided

by Travel Leaders (airfare not included), can be purchased for $14 online or $15 at the door until all 300 swag bags are gone.

“We did sell out last year,” Saunders said.

General admission tickets are $8 online, $10 at the door. Seniors 60 and older and active-duty see WEDDING EXPO on page 10

Kitsap

Wedding GUIDE January 2024

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Drone photography adds new dimension to weddings

By Kathy Cruz

Couples are flying high at their wedding and now so are cameras that record their big day.

Wedding experts predict that drone photography will be one of the hottest trends for weddings in 2024.

“These shots provide a birds eye view of your wedding venue and capture the grandeur and beauty of your special day from a unique perspective,” states Rock My Wedding’s 2024 Wedding Trend Report. “From sweeping landscapes to breathtaking aerial wedding first dances, these drone shots add a touch

of cinematic magic to your wedding video.”

Although drones are not new, their popularity is growing every year, noted The Knot, a leading wedding vendor marketplace, which placed drone photography as No. 6 on its list of 24 wedding trends for 2024.

Erik Holsather, founder of Sky Solutions NW, said there is “definitely a dearth of experience” when it comes to professional drone wedding photography. His company, based in Seattle and Everett, specializes in commercial drone photography, mostly such things as real estate see DRONE on page 10

Drone photography can offer unique vantage points for recording a couple’s big day.

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Ceremonies

This 15 Acre world-renowned garden can hold ceremonies in multiple spots on the property. Couples can exchange their vows in the beautiful Potager Garden or one of the many lawns, which can accommodate anywhere from 50 to 150 guests.

Receptions

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KITSAP Wedding Guide

Heronswood has a large 20 x 50 & 40 X 60 foot custom wedding tent that is perfect for covered outdoor receptions. The Garden House comes with two wedding party quarters so that the wedding party can properly prepare.

7530 NE 288th St., Kingston, WA

An easy ferry ride from Seattle or Edmonds

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Start Forever Somewhere Unforgettable Say “I do” against the stunning Puget Sound backdrop at The Manor House in Pleasant Beach Village.

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There is limited seating; maximum of 4 people per table.

KITSAP Wedding Guide

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Hot air balloon helps brides ditch wheelchair

By Kathy Cruz

Captain-Crystal Stout, right, and a friend enjoy the special seat on Stout’s Dream Catcher hot air balloon, which is available for weddings. | Photo by Dream Catcher Balloon

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basket that most hot air balloons have, the Dream Catcher Balloon Wheelchair-bound brides aren’t has a two-seat apparatus that is like able to walk down the aisle on their a ski chair lift. Those in wheelchairs wedding day but Captain-Crystal can easily slide into one of the Stout and her specially designed balloon’s two seats, Captain-Crystal hot air balloon can make them float said, and they are secured with a five-point harness. on air.

When used in a wedding, the Known simply as “CaptainCrystal” (Stout prefers to be balloon provides entertainment referred to that way), the pilot and for guests after the nuptials. They wedding officiant designed a two- can enjoy a bird’s-eye view of the seater balloon that can be booked festivities from up to 300 feet in the air. The balloon slowly spins, giving for weddings.

Captain-Crystal’s Dream Catcher riders a 360-degree view. With three Balloon is a nonprofit. Although ropes securing it to the ground, anyone is allowed to ride, the the balloon stays in one place and nonprofit was created to give is easily managed, according to children, veterans and others with dreamcatcherballoon.org.

Use of the balloon depends on physical disabilities a free tethered the weather, of course, so Dream ride.

Instead of a traditional gondola Catcher Balloon is recommended for small, intimate weddings and for couples willing to have an alternate plan or to change the time or even the date of their ceremony if it is raining or too windy.

Captain-Crystal said that one couple went to the Sequim Farmers & Artisans Market in their wedding attire to wait for weather conditions to improve for their hot-air-fueled nuptials. Naturally, they received quite a bit of attention from wellwishers because of their attire.

“They were laughing so hard,” Captain-Crystal said of the couple and their laidback, go-with-theflow attitude.

Most weddings are conducted at Sequim Valley Airport, but the balloon and its transport van can travel to other outdoor locations for couples willing to cover transportation expenses, CaptainCrystal said.

Dream Catcher Balloon can be booked for a donation of $600 per hour. Bookings are typically for up

KITSAP Wedding Guide

Dream Catcher Balloon is a nonprofit.

Photo by Dream Catcher Balloon.

The special seat secures riders with a fivepoint harness. | Photo by Dream Catcher Balloon.

to two hours. According to CaptainCrystal, all of the money goes to help the nonprofit fulfill its main mission.

“We are looking for opportunities to give as many smiles as we can,” she said.

Bremerton native has been planning weddings for more than a decade

By Kathy Cruz Planning a major event like a wedding can be stressful and overwhelming, but attendees of the Kitsap Wedding Expo will find some readymade inspiration to either copy outright or to use as a baseline to get their creative juices flowing.

Bremerton-based CME Experience will stage “inspiration areas” at the Saturday, Feb. 3 event where soonto-be brides and grooms can view decorations and table settings. The company will also have a vendor booth where owner Chloe Hix and other CME Experience representatives will be on hand to answer questions and schedule consultations.

Hix is a Bremerton native whose experience with planning events began when she was in high school.

By the time she was a senior at the University of Montana Western, she knew that her passion was the wedding and events industry.

She said that college advisers assured her that her major in business administration and tourism was all she needed to follow that dream. They helped her get started by introducing her to chamber and college foundation officials who enlisted her to help with their events.

After returning to Washington, the young entrepreneur founded Chloe Mosey Events in December 2012. In 2015, she changed the company’s name to CME Experience.

Hix said that her inspiration areas at the Kitsap Sun Pavilion on the Kitsap Fairgrounds will feature the most basic, common table set-up, which

she described as “a three-tiered cylinder look with floating candles in it and a bit of greenery around the base.” But there will be other displays as well, including a sweetheart table for just-married couples.

Attendees can expect to see touches of what Hix said will be the big color for weddings in 2024: Peach Fuzz. Top wedding experts make their predictions based on a variety of factors that include fashion and design, she said.

“We will see a lot of peach combo wedding décor,” Hix said of the new year.

There will be plenty to see at the expo, but attendees will not be able to view the three classic cars that CME Experience rents for wedding photo ops and grand exits by newly married couples at the end of their wedding festivities. Since the expo is in the winter and the owners of the 1960’s-era Cadillac DeVille Convertibles are quite protective of them, they will not be on display there.

One car is a 1967 model, black with black interior; another is a 1968 model, white with red interior; and the third is a 1969 model, white with black interior.

The three owners are Hix and her two sisters, who help her with her business. The girls were given the classic cars years ago by their parents, Jim and Teresa Mosey, owners of Signature Auto Sales in Bremerton.

The sisters and their classic cars can often be seen in parades and at car shows. Where CME

CME Experience offers couples the use of three, 1960’s-era Cadillac DeVille Convertibles owned by owner Chloe Hix and her sisters. Photo by Cultural Vandalism Media

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Picture perfect wedding day photography tips

By Metro Creative Connection

bride or groom to try a dramatic new style, according to photographer Amanda Lamb. Resist the urge for a daring cut or color. It’s also likely not the place to try out new facial hair or heavy makeup. A couple unaccustomed to the way they look may be shy in front of the camera.

Few things document weddings more effectively than photographs.

Carefully curated wedding albums and portraits hung on walls serve as daily reminders of a couple’s special day.

Photography is often left in the very qualified hands of professional photographers. However, couples can pitch in to make their photos really pop.

These picture pointers from industry insiders can help couples put their best smile forward.

Delve into the details

Prepare wedding details, like gowns, shoes, accessories, etc., in advance to save time once the photographer arrives, suggests Desi Mendoza, a pro from Dez and Tam Photography. Invest in a beautiful hanger for the wedding gown as well, because you may want to photograph that on its own.

Leave ample time

A carefully orchestrated timeline can ensure photos are the best they can be. Why? Because a couple who is relaxed and not overwhelmed will notice that attitude translates to their photographs. When planning wedding timelines, couples should leave ample opportunities for getting dressed, chatting with the wedding party and going through various photography settings to grab great photos, advise the experts at Martha Stewart.

Put together a short list

The photographer will have his or her ideas of which shots to cover, but a couple with specific goals in mind should relay that information to their photographer. For example, if

Learn to pose

a grandparent is getting up in years, request some solo photos of that person so you can look back on happy times together. Certain couples want to be snapped posing with a beloved pet.

Putting that on the list helps ensure it will happen.

or her own assistant, recruit someone who is assertive to help wrangle everyone for the family shots. Attempt to get family photos when family members are relaxed but not too far rumpled by dancing or having a good time.

Enlist a family photo coordinator

Play your style safe

If the photographer does not have his

Couples can practice posing in front of mirrors to get a feel for body positions that put them in their best light. A photographer’s advice in regard to posture is invaluable as well. Create space between arms and the body and learn how to angle the body so you look your best.

Photos will capture wedding day memories forever. Couples can put themselves in the best positions for success by following some photography guidelines.

A wedding day is not a time for the

“I do”

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Wedding day tipping guidelines Reception staff

By Metro Creative Connection

Vendors may be in the background during a wedding, but the roles they play are vital to making ceremonies and receptions memorable for couples and their guests. It’s customary to tip wedding vendors who provide great service. The wedding experts at The Knot note that the following guidelines can help couples determine how much to tip the unsung heroes who make their weddings so memorable.

Photographer/videographer

Photographers and videographers are unique among wedding vendors because their work will be looked at for decades to come. The Knot notes that it’s not necessary to tip wedding photographers and videographers

Some venues and transportation firms include gratuities in the contract.

who own their own studios. Their fees are all the compensation they need. However, many photographers and videographers do not own their own studios, and the efforts of such professionals are worthy of a little something extra at the end of

the night. The Knot notes that a tip between $50 and $200 is standard for these professionals, and that tip can be given at the end of the reception.

The reception staff works as hard as anyone during the wedding, and those efforts merit a good tip. Many reception venues include gratuities in their food and drink fees, and couples can check to see if they have already tipped staff and if they think the mandatory gratuity is sufficient.

A tip between 15 and 20 percent of the food and drink fee is standard.

Maître d’ fees also may be built into the wedding contract. If not, a tip between $200 and $300 is standard and can be delivered at the end of the night.

Band/DJ

Music features prominently at many wedding receptions. Bands see TIPS on page 11

PHOTO CREDIT: ALLEN TSAI

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WEDDING EXPO from page 2 military pay $8 (door only for activeduty military). Kids 12 and younger are admitted free.

Attendees can sample food from bakeries and caterers and visit “inspiration areas” where they can draw ideas for decorations and table settings.

Ticketholders can pick up a “passport” to be stamped or signed by vendors whose booth they visit for a chance to win a raffle basket worth a minimum of $500.

Saunders’ experience with large events dates back 20 years to when a nonprofit asked her to stage a small craft fair. The Bremerton native spearheads

such crowd-drawing annual events as Bremerton’s Bridge Blast, Blackberry Festival and Taste of Kitsap. She said the Kitsap Wedding Expo is the event she has been overseeing the longest.

As far as weddings go, Saunders said that “quite an industry” has developed in Kitsap over the past two decades because of “the pricing and availability.”

“Kitsap is absolutely a destination location,” the event planner said. “It has beautiful lodging and amazing outdoor and indoor venues. Some of the best wedding professionals in the state are from Kitsap County.”

Tickets to the Kitsap Wedding Expo can be purchased online or at the door.

DRONE from page 4 videos and windfarm inspections. However, the company photographed one wedding and is open to doing more, he said.

Daniel King of Port Orchard is a photographer in Kitsap County who shoots drone photography for weddings. King said he has the FFA Remote Pilot Certificate Part 107 that is required to be a commercial drone pilot. He said he also has a First Person View (FPV) drone that is like wearing virtual reality goggles.

“It’s a lot of fun,” the 24-year-old said of shooting drone photography at weddings. “You get a unique perspective that really draws in people’s attention.

It’s not super common. It’s kind of unique.”

King, founder of Daniel King Media, said that he pays close attention to safety and brings along a spotter to help him avoid birds and other possible obstructions while flying the drone. He said that if he is not the main photographer he charges, on average, between $500-$700 for drone wedding photos and some video clips.

Visit danielkingmedia.com for more information, or email King at daniel@danielkingmedia.com.

Boston wedding photographer Nicole Chan offers a checklist for those hiring a drone photographer for their wedding. Aside from the most important questions - the photographer’s rate and whether they are available on your wedding date - Chan advises asking these questions: 10

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vehicle (drone) is a must for the drone operator, according to Chan.

What kind of experience do you have with drone wedding photography?

The FAA 107 exam is about safety; it doesn’t mean the drone operator is experienced at drone wedding photography, Chan points out.

What is your backup strategy?

Batteries die. Things break. You’ll want to know that your drone photographer is prepared for the unexpected.

Ask to see examples of their work This gives you a chance to see if their photography style matches your vision.

Drone wedding photography is on the rise.

Is your wedding drone pilot licensed?

In the United States, commercial drone pilots are required to have an FAA 107 certification in order to fly a drone.

Do you have the proper insurance for your wedding drone services?

Personal property and liability insurance specific for a commercial unmanned aerial

Ask if they have worked at your venue, or a similar one before If the answer is yes, they may know the ideal shots.

What if it rains or it’s too windy?

After all, chances are good that one or both could be an issue.

Taking these steps when planning for drone photography can lead to a picture-perfect wedding day.

Wedding Expo events

Here are other wedding expo events in Washington that were on the calendar at the time this publication went to press. Always check before planning to attend in case details have changed.

Sunday, February 4

Central Washington Bridal & Events Expo 11 a.m. - 4 p.m.

SunDome at State Fair Park 1301 S. Fair Ave., Yakima

Sunday, February 4

Weddings in Woodinville Noon - 5 p.m.

Chateau Lill featuring Lill Family Wines 14208 Redmond-Woodinville Road NE, Redmond

Saturday, March 23

Taste of Love Presented by Crave Catering 5:30-8 p.m.

Lairmont Manor 405 Fieldston Road, Bellingham *Menu-sampling event that includes other wedding-related vendors

TIPS from page 9

CME EXPERIENCE from page 7

and/or DJs can set the tone for a fun night that couples and their guests will remember for years to come. Tipping musicians is optional, but it’s the norm to do so when they provide exceptional service. Couples who have a band playing can tip between $25 and $35 per musician, while DJs generally receive a tip between $50 and $150.

Drivers

Bremerton-based CME Experience will have a booth at the Kitsap Wedding Expo as well as “inspiration areas” featuring samples of table settings and decorations. The expo will be held Saturday, Feb. 3 at the Kitsap Sun Pavilion. | Photo by Megan Johanna Photography

Experience is concerned, Hix’s sister Michelle Mosey handles marketing, advertising and social media and sister Brey Hemphill helps with planning and design.

“The business is mine, but my sisters are a huge part of it, and we definitely would not be where we are today without either one of them,” said Hix, whose husband, David, is a Texas native and a submariner in the U.S. Navy. The couple has a daughter,

Stella, who was born in January 2020 shortly before the COVID-19 pandemic hit.

Hix said that providing an officiant to perform wedding ceremonies and renting the cars for special events are “secondary” services offered by CME Experience.

“Our bread and butter is wedding and event planning,” she said.

For more information, visit cmeexperience.com.

Many transportation firms also include gratuities in their contracts, so couples should check to see if they’ve already tipped limo or bus drivers before paying them a little extra. If the tip is not included and the drivers arrive on time and get guests to the wedding on time, then a tip that’s between 15 and 20 percent of the total bill is standard.

those items up may be deserving of a little extra.

Officiants

Officiants who are affiliated with a church or synagogue where the ceremony will take place are not typically given a gratuity. However, The Knot notes that a donation to the place of worship between $100 and $500 is standard. Couples who still want to give the officiant a little extra can tip between $50 and $100.

Independent officiants who receive fees directly from the couple need not be tipped.

These figures can serve as guidelines, but couples also can give a little extra if they feel their vendors have gone above and beyond.

Delivery personnel

Individuals who deliver items like cakes and flowers are typically given a gratuity upon delivery. A tip between $5 and $10 per person is standard, though individuals who deliver items like tables, chairs and portable restroom facilities and then set KITSAP Wedding Guide

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