Friday, September 15, 2017

Part of our SBTN Squad, meet the lovely Claire!

We are SO lucky to have our very own

"Miss Logistics"  . . . Claire on our team!


Claire has been helping with weddings with Simply by Tamara Nicole for almost 4 years now, AND has been a Lead Planner with us for the past 3 years.  Her clients ADORE her, and her attention to detail is impressive. She is sweet and calm during any event, even if there are "fires" to be put out, NO ONE will know! She gets things DONE, and is my right hand gal.  ALSO I am biased, she is my lil sis and a beautiful person inside and out (love ya!).



Not only does Claire love helping her clients plan their weddings, BUT  . . . she is getting married herself in less than a month in Mexico! SO feel free to ask any questions about planning a destination wedding, OR contact us to book her for your own destination wedding . . . she is your gal!


 . . . . . .
Here's some random facts from our dear Claire
I absolutely adore my little family, 7 y/o daughter, fiancé, black lab puppy, sweet kitty and Guinea pig (full house!)


My favorite color is pink. Add glitter and even better! 


I love all things Seattle, especially the Seahawks, Mariners and the beautiful Pacific Northwest!

I'm a sucker for peppermint white mochas! My go to coffee drink on the daily

My daughter is a definite mini me. She loves all of the same things: pink, animals, dancing, the Seahawks and so much more. Twinning! 

The love and excitement from my couples is so magical, and I truly enjoy learning about my new lovebirds each and every year! Their style and energy inspires me to make their day and the days leading up to it just as magical as their love is!!!
 . . . . . .
(From Brittni and Ted's Wedding, Nikki Closser Photography)


Hop on over to Claire's IG and leave her some love! 



ALSO she's getting ready to rock her last wedding for the 2017 season tomorrow (apart from her own), so watch for her behind the scenes IG stories, etc.  It's going to be a GOOD ONE!


Claire we LOVE you!





Psssst planning a wedding for 2018?! We have a few Full Planning and Design spots with me (Tamara Nicole) and of course Nicole and Claire are booking up, so make sure to contact us soon!

We also have been working like MAD getting our new website and rebrand up and running, stay tuned!!!

Thursday, October 6, 2016

Simply Engaged: Reby and Chase!

I'd love to introduce another LOVELY
Simply by Tamara Nicole couple . . .

as part of our series

Simply Engaged

Here's a glimpse into the sweet couple that is
{Reby & Chase}

Wedding Date: October 14th 2016
Wedding Location: Axis Pioneer Square Seattle, WA
Photographer: Jordan Quinn Photography

. . . 

How did you two love birds meet?

In the beginning, Chase and Reby were an unlikely couple.  
They met at their local teacher’s union building, both serving as building representatives for their respective schools.  At the time, relationship prospects for the pair were slim: Reby was teaching 5th grade highly capable students at Lake Youngs Elementary, and Chase was teaching Social Studies at Kentlake High School, both differed in their political beliefs, and Reby was married while Chase was still “playing the field”.  

The first time Chase and Reby hung out was at a political gathering in September 2012.  Reby was only slightly interested in the political guest, but both Reby and Chase recall being interested in each other!  Chase even jotted down “Reh-bee” (the bee being a sketch of a bumblebee) in order to remember how to say Reby’s sometimes confusingly pronounced name. 



Then, in July of 2013, Chase and Reby both attended a political organizing training and had the opportunity to stay at the Tulalip Casino.  On the first night, they ran into each other on the casino floor and the sparks really flew!  For nearly three hours Reby and Chase sat at the bar.  They became immediate friends, laughed constantly, and talked about everything under the sun.  When it was time to go they shared an elevator ride, which was recalled by the future couple as filled with an awkward, chemistry-filled tension.  After the conference, their friendship grew and they began chatting at future union meetings.

The next big step for Chase and Reby was at another conference – this time in Spokane at the 2014 Washington Education Association Representative Assembly. After the first day of business, the Kent delegation met at their hotel lounge, and the sparks flew even hotter this time!  All of the Kent educators had a wonderful time and Chase and Reby were the last ones to leave in the early hours of the morning.  Again, they had a chemistry-filled moment in an elevator and 
began to take note of all these moments in elevators!

Despite the chemistry, Reby and Chase at the time were mutually unavailable.  Nevertheless they stayed friends and had fun sitting next to each other at union meetings.  They occasionally met up for a drink or a bite to eat just to have a laugh and talk about life.


Eventually, things came to a head in Spring of 2015.  




Reby and Chase were at the annual WEA Representative Assembly, this time in Bellevue.  They sat next to each other and, although they voted and paid enough attention, 
they probably also deserved the “most flirtatious” award 
out of the 1,000 representatives present. As the first day of business wrapped up, a fellow teacher gave Chase a quick pep talk, convincing Chase into asking Reby to hang out that evening.  It was excellent advice as Chase called Reby on his drive home.  The two excited delegates set up a meeting at Joey’s in Bellevue and Chase whipped his car around halfway home on the freeway.  Chase and Reby hung out that night and the next, and, since both were now single, the two decided to spend more time together. Eventually, their relationship became solidified when Chase suggested that they be an official couple in early July.

How did he pop the big question?

In December 2015, 
Chase decided to make his bold move
One evening, Chase coaxed an unsuspecting Reby into their apartment building’s freight elevator...a continuation of the reoccurring elevator theme in their relationship.  Chase dropped down on one knee after the elevator started towards the basement, and proposed. Reby said YES and shook with excitement. And, in a faux pas, Chase did not put the ring on Reby’s finger! Luckily, the ring fit perfectly and the couple became engaged on February 3, 2016.  



What is your fave date spot/activity?

Chase and Reby have fun anywhere they go, but one thing they love to do is to attend Seattle Mariners games
(Go M's!) 
Chase, a sports enthusiast but more of a bandwagon Mariners fan, was not sufficiently prepared to go to the first Mariners game with Reby. In contrast to the bandwagon approach, Reby is a committed Mariners fan. She keeps score at every game,  tracks of every pitch, and is a card-carrying season ticket holder in the "All Star Club" section of the ballpark.  Reby's love for the Mariners and all things baseball is slowly transforming Chase into a real fan.:)



What is your fave part about the wedding planning process?

Our favorite part of wedding planning was hiring Tamara!  Tamara has taken so much stress and pressure off with all things wedding related. Without her, Chase and Reby agree they would be lost in the process!

(I legit did NOT expect this while reading through the answers, SO so sweet!!! I adore working with you guys too Reby!!!)



What first caught your eye?


{Her}
 The first thing that caught my eye about Chase was his wonderful smile and his confidence. A few years ago I was able to go into his classroom and see him teach a history lesson. His passion of teaching and the subject of history definitely stole my heart!


{Him}
 I remember Reby's confidence, the way she carried herself, and her intelligence. She always dresses well, is fit, and is extremely sharp. She is a beautiful woman inside and out!




{Her faves}
Mariners
playing piano
traveling
running
cooking
eating & sampling wine at new fun restaurants!

{His faves} 
weightlifting
reading history books
travel
 talking politics
watching movies
sports
bars



On my wedding day I am most excited about . . .

Chase and Reby are both most excited about seeing all of their friends and family. 



Fave meal your fiance makes for you?


Chase cooks a mean can of sardines.  
Chase's other specialties include dried seaweed and raw eggs.
(teee heee love this!)


Reby is great cook and Chase does the dishes more than cooking! Reby makes amazing dinners, Brussels sprouts, egg breakfasts, and lots more.  She loves hosting dinner parties at their home!



If we could travel anywhere for our honeymoon we would  . . .

Chase and Reby LOVE to travel.  For their honeymoon they hope to spend time in Punta del Este, Uruguay and Buenos Aires, Argentina.  
(jealous!)
Punta del Este is a famous, world class beach resort area.  Playing in the ocean, speaking some Spanish, dancing the tango, eating gaucho steak and sipping on Argentinian wine sound fun!!!


. . .

I know this wedding is going to be SO gorgeous, and we have an AMAZING team lined up, not to mention some fabulous details :)

Thanks for sharing with me R & C!

SO happy for you both!
(and how cute is their rainy Seattle engagement, AND her shoes?!)

Tuesday, September 13, 2016

A little Q&A with Borrowed and Blue!

Simply by Tamara Nicole  
Q&A Collaboration

First of all before we get into this little interview by Borrowed and Blue, I want to share that earlier this year we were voted as one of the top Wedding Planners, as well as the "Most Valuable Vendor" and we are SO honored!



NOW on to a little fun interview:
Recently, the Simply Tamara Nicole team heard from Helen at Borrowed & Blue, who wanted to get to know our business a little better and learn more about Seattle weddings. Here’s a little background from her:

“When you’re planning your wedding, there are a lot of resources you need at your fingertips in order to achieve the awesome celebration of the love between you and your partner. Having a planner is a crucial part of that process—and that’s where Tamara and her team at Simply Tamara Nicole come in, Seattle couples! The industry smarts of this group are just amazing, and they are totally committed not only to helping you figure out the logistics of your day, but to personalizing it so that your wedding feels like the two of you, and not something out of a magazine. They’re all about making sure #everywedding is unique and special, just like we are at Borrowed & Blue! I can’t wait for you to learn more about Tamara and her wonderful team.” - Helen, Borrowed & Blue’s Seattle Market Specialist

Questions:

1. Tamara! Tell us the story of how you became a wedding planner.
Well . . . I planned my own wedding  . . . I actually am one of “those” planners haha! Keeping the super long story short (ish) I went to UW for pre-dental. Got my Bachelors in Biology, got accepted into NYU for Dental School.  I just felt like there was something missing, and that something was passion. SO I took a year to think about it, with the thought that I would re-apply to Dental School.  What happened was 3 months later I met the love of my life, and then decided that sure being a Dentist would be a pretty amazing career, but not for me. It took a little while after to figure out what my REAL passion was, BUT I found it! I’m SO happy that I chose happiness over money and took a risk.  Starting your own company can be so scary.


Now looking back, this career totally makes sense for me.  I’ve always been the party planner in my group.  When anyone was getting married, I jumped at the chance to throw any kind of party I could.  I LOVED decor and crafts so much, that I started an Etsy shop for some interior decor items for a little while. I love to cook, sew, create, design, plan.  I had SO much fun working on all of the little details for our wedding, that I think it just felt right :) AND viola! Here we are now, over 100+ weddings and 6 wedding seasons in and I couldn’t imagine doing anything else!

(Blue Rose Photography, Rent the Runway, Hollywood Schoolhouse, From the Ground Up Floral, Yessie Libby, etc)

2. What is your favorite aspect of your job?
SUCH a hard question, I love it all! From meeting new people, seeing their relationships, witnessing so much love.  DETAILS, wedding design, being social. Fun meetings with treats.  I mean it’s all super fun. BUT I would say my absolute favorite is seeing it all come together amazingly well on the wedding day.  Seeing my couple’s face as they walk into the wedding space, seeing all of our hard work come together and look fabulous.  Being able to be there and see their love shine through their wedding.  Meeting all of their loved ones, and seeing really what makes them who they are. It can truly be a hard job, but these moments on the wedding day are truly SO rewarding!



3. What is the first question you like to ask a couple when you meet with them?
This might sound super cliche, but I love to hear about them.  I don’t get too specific, like how they met or anything (which I do love to hear about) BUT I like to keep it more open ended and really see what is important to them. Learn about them, their focus, their relationship.  You can really learn a lot about people in the first conversation!



4. What does “personalizing” a wedding mean, and how does a couple go about doing that?
This is one thing that we really love to focus on.  It’s 2016, and gone are the “cookie cutter” wedding days.  You also don’t want your guests to go to your wedding and not feel and see “you” at your wedding.  We love to get to know our couples, and let THEM shine through the wedding .  I want their family and friends to walk into their wedding, smile at some fun detail (or even chuckle a little) and think “this is SO them!”.  Their wedding should be all about them, not just the latest trends on the big blogs, Instagram or Pinterest.  This can be anything from the favors, even the names of the signature drinks.  Fun facts on your cocktail napkins for guests to enjoy reading during cocktail hour.  We’ve seen SO many fun ideas. As long as you are true to yourself and your relationship, you really can’t go wrong:)



5. Let’s talk 2016 trends. What are you seeing? What trends do you think will stick around?
Still seeing a lot of the “Garden” trend for flowers and decor, a LOT of greenery, soft whimsical flowing centerpieces. A pretty, classic wedding is always good.  Also, what I really love is the pops of modern and minimal styles that are showing up.  We’ve had a lot of fun adding these pops of modern touches into romantic weddings and I love it!



6. If you weren’t a wedding planner, what would you want to do for a living?
Perhaps be a dentist?! Haha. But seriously, I previously thought about being a teacher, or a judge. Something that I knew could make a difference in other’s lives.  I also secretly (OK the secret is out now!) want to style and design photo shoots (catalogs), and window displays for companies like Anthropologie or Crate and Barrel.  I have so many things that I love to do, the list and ideas could go on! Good thing being a Wedding Planner fits just right :)


7. Share a memory from a recent wedding.
There are so many great ones to choose from! I would have to say one that stands out was helping to pull off a surprise Gospel Choir performance during a ceremony, from the Bride to the Groom.  The ceremony was already jam packed full of fun, intentional moments.  A butterfly release, a nod to the Bride’s late Grandma who loved butterflies. I remember at least one still being on the Bride’s dress at the end.  Other fun things were a poem written by the Best Man, and brother of the Groom.  Also, a musical number by one of their singer friends. A fun pre-ceremony drink.  So add to ALL of this fun . . . right during the vows, the Bride was partway through hers, and said she isn’t always the best with words and wanted to say it through music.  I was waiting for this exact moment to open the doors to a 9 person Gospel Choir, who walked up the side while starting to sing.  The look on his face, and hearing him talk about that first thing when he walked in from the ceremony. What a fun ceremony that was, and I LOVE surprises during weddings and being sneaky with them!

8. I’ve never been to Seattle, but I’m thrilled to learn more about it! Where do you go on your days off?
Being close to Seattle, we are surrounded by so many mountains just a little drive away.  My husband and I LOVE to pack some snacks, and our now 2 year old, and take a little drive out to the mountains and go on a hike.  We’ve been on over 20-30 different hikes around the area, and it’s just so beautiful, invigorating and relaxing after the hustle and bustle of the city and wedding season.  Not only is it fun family time, but it helps to center and refresh life.  AND let’s face it, wedding season there isn’t a lot of family time so this helps with that! Even on a Sunday morning, after a 14 hour wedding on Saturday, and 5 hours of sleep you will find us heading out the the mountains!

Other things we love to do is take walks along the waterfront with our 4 Westies, go kayaking, and really anything else outdoors during the beautiful Seattle summers! Also there are so many amazing restaurants to try, and we sure do love our food :)


9. What is your favorite venue in the area?
OH man this is so hard too! I love a variety, and love that Seattle has it all.  Some pretty classy hotels such as Four Seasons, The Woodmark Hotel, Fairmont Olympic and The Arctic Club are some faves in this area. I love the industrial/urban feel of venues like Axis, Sodo Park and Westland Distillery.  Also you really can’t beat the view atop The Golf Club at Newcastle.  SO many more good ones too!


(Ryan Flynn Photography, Bash and Bloom, Vintage Ambiance, Sodo Park, Chalkful,etc)


10. What makes the Seattle area unique?
I think it’s the gorgeous green outdoors here. I mean everyone wants to have a pretty outdoor wedding in the summers here, but we all know that you can never ever count on the weather (even after the 4th of July) here.  Always have a back up rain plan, which most venues have here.  Also, the variety of venues here is really nice.  Anywhere from rustic barns, ballrooms, urban city vibes, to wineries . . . the Seattle area really has it all.

I have many clients that live out of town, but want to get married in Seattle! It’s becoming quite the destination for people.  Guests who might have never been will love to plan their trip to allow time to play tourist in the area, there is so much to do and see. I really feel lucky to be a Wedding Planner here in Seattle!



If you’re planning a wedding, head on over to Borrowed & Blue to find your Seattle wedding photographer and more!