1. Real Weddings

Leea & Shane: A Modern Wedding in Seattle, WA

Bold colors and exotic orchids jazzed up this reception that celebrated not only the couple, but also their family and friends. The Bride Leea Roozen

Bold colors and exotic orchids jazzed up this reception that celebrated not only the couple, but also their family and friends. The Bride Leea Roozen, 27, student The Groom Shane Brady, 30, software developer The Date September 4 Where would Leea Roozen and Shane Brady be without their friends? When they met, Leea was out celebrating her friend’s birthday at the same bar where Shane was catching up with a friend from college. Neither of them had ever been to this particular Seattle hotspot before. “It was just dumb luck,” says Leea, who fell hard for Shane and proposed (yes, she proposed) to him four years later. So when it came time to plan their wedding, Leea and Shane’s personal needs took a back seat to those of their friends. “All along, we wanted this day to be a truly fun event for our guests,” Leea explains. “We wanted to make it clear that this event wasn’t just about us, because if it wasn’t for our friends and family we wouldn’t be where we are.” Their ultimate goal: show their guests a really good time.

The wedding was held on the top of Seattle’s historic Pike Place Market -- an Old World venue with magnificent windows overlooking Puget Sound. At 7 p.m. sharp, as the sun began to set, the ceremony began.
Their cocktail party hit a high note with their signature cocktails. Leea and Shane selected martinis that matched their chosen palette. Guests had fun sipping lime green appletinis and bright orange tangerinetinis as they listened to a mix of jazzy selections played by a friend who acted as DJ.
The Reception Decor
The Couple
The couple gave Jelly Belly beans in their signature color flavors: pear, cherry, lemon, and tangerine, and also handed out a set of garden bulbs, donated by Leea’s parents through their wholesale flower and bulb company. Packaged in striped paper that matched the invites, the garden bulbs (and Jelly Belly beans) were a huge hit!
Leea complemented her strapless ivory gown with a Swarovski crystal tiara she borrowed from her maid of honor. “Most of my now-married friends have worn it at their weddings, so needless to say it is starting to become a tradition!” says Leea.
The Boutonniere
Meal favorites included those delectable desserts: petit fours of vanilla and chocolate mousse, lemon and raspberry tarts, and more.
Leea replaced the facility’s white paper lanterns hanging in the reception area with colored ones (in an assortment of orange, lime green, red, and yellow). Hanging from each lantern was a ribbon in a complementary color.
Flowers were bought from a wholesaler through Leea’s parent's shop.
To add to the spectacular atmosphere, the couple outfitted the room with an eclectic mix of flowers, including green cymbidium orchids and bright orange Chinese lanterns, from her parent's wholesale shop in Mount Vernon.
The Transportation