Inspo of the Season: Spring

One of my goals for this blog is to revisit some of my favorite weddings from years past.

I have a LOT to draw on, and almost never get to go back into the archives and reminisce. It will be really fun to share past projects. And if you’re planning a wedding with us, you’ll also see how beautiful (and varied!) seasonal flowers can be.

While not the perfect example of what this series will be, I wanted to start with an event that was really special to me.

I’m taking you back to March 2020. Riiiiight before the pandemic. It was also 3 years before my father’s death.

For their 35th wedding anniversary they wanted to celebrate their love with the friends, family, and community they’d built throughout their marriage. And now, in March 2025, we would have been celebrating their 40th wedding anniversary the same month we celebrate my brother’s wedding and my pop up shop opening.

The floral design for this event was based around my mother’s incredible garden. I’d spent my whole life learning and watching her tend to it the same way she and my father, James, tended to one another and their marriage. It’s something that has always fueled my love for the wedding industry - I got to watch a whirlwind romance grow into a

relationship that grew a family and inspired their community.

Here is that story, as told by my mom, Ashley Watkins.

Mom’s bouquet features seasonal gems in her favorite colors like tulips, hellebore, ranunculus, pieris, poppies, and artichoke. Many of these came directly from her garden - including the artichoke! Growing up we would melt some garlic butter and scarf them steamed straight from the garden as often as possible. I loved this bouquet so much it’s forever part of me - I had it inked full-size on my thigh.

“In August 1983 we met at a going away party James was having. It was his last night in Alaska after living in a fishing village for a few years - he was moving to Washington DC for University. We danced one dance together (She Blinded Me with Science, Thomas Dolby). It was love at first sight.

My date didn’t like how we looked at each other, and we left shortly after that! The next morning, James came to see me at the restaurant where I worked, and we exchanged contact information (back then, it was C/O parents’ addresses).”

I hope everyone finds someone to look at them with this amount of love.

“Three thousand miles apart, and pre-internet, we just kept each other’s information without writing, but neither of us could get the other out of their minds. Next June I learned through friends still in Alaska that James unexpectedly returned for the summer. It only took me a week or two to decide to give up my $100/month rented room, $16/hour PT job (VERY good money in those days), and the guys I’d been casually dating in Seattle. I returned to Dillingham without a job in the hope that there was something with James. When I arrived, James told me he’d been planning on stopping in Seattle on his way back to DC to see me.”

My father (James) was a huge lover of all things vintage, including his style. He loved wearing my boutonnieres, and would often wear them for days on end, until they wilted right off. Here he is pairing a boutonniere finished in recycled velvet with a vintage Italian suit. My mom initially wanted to wear a “mature” bridal suit, but fell in love with this set at Brides for a Cause on an impromptu visit. She looked so beautiful, just like the Queen I grew up seeing her as. My dad couldn’t keep his eyes off her all night.

“Our first date was a picnic dinner a few nights after I arrived during my dinner break. It was like the world stopped. The next night was our second date, July 16, 1984. It went very well. He took my hand, and we both felt electricity moving between us. Our whole lives we never realized that half of ourselves were missing, until our hands touched, and we realized we were whole for the first time.

I moved into his apartment the next day. A few days later he told me he loved me, then had to go away for a couple days on a business trip. Instead of getting freaked out, I realized I loved him too. We were together in Alaska for a few more weeks before I had to return to UW in Seattle. A few weeks later, James joined me in Seattle to meet my parents; then we flew to DC so I could meet his parents. We were officially engaged in DC on Sept 15, 1984. We decided on a year engagement.”

These are some of my favorite photos of my parents. Breanna & Kevin did such a fantastic job putting them at ease. They could just as easily have been in our kitchen making breakfast as in formalwear at a party.

“James took a leave of absence from his University to join me in Seattle in late September, then he returned to school in DC in January. In mid-February we decided to get married on Spring Break – no need to delay we thought. We picked March 9th, 1985.

(Laughs!) We didn’t have much time to plan, so we got married by a family friend – a Judge -in the Presidential Suite of the Madison Hotel in Seattle. Basically it was the only place I could find on such short notice. On the upside, we had a pre-wedding cocktail party, then the wedding, and then the reception. Since our wedding party stayed in rooms in the suite, and James’ Father and Sister were on the same floor, we continued the next morning and opened presents with cake and champagne. It was fabulous.”

They were soo excited about these cakes. A caramel whiskey infused chocolate cake for my dad, and an animal cookie funfetti cake for my mom - perfect reflections of their personalities.

“A week later, James was back in DC. I joined him that summer, and the following Spring, had the family priest marry us again on our first anniversary. Our love has only continued to grow and deepen. We’re still two parts of a whole, and best friends, always there for each other.”

As I was designing this event I wanted to draw inspiration from their first wedding(s), and from their lives together. When designing the invitations I included a photo from their reception, and made sure to bring an album for guests to look at throughout the evening at the renewal.

“In the early 1990’s, James’ Godparents celebrated their 50th Anniversary at their Catholic Church in Washington, DC. It was a wonderful event as they celebrated with their kids, grandkids, and about a million friends. It was a joyous celebration. The families have been friends, since the beginning, for over 50 years. Unfortunately, James’ parents were never able to have a similar celebration.”

The vow renewal ceremony took place at Saint Teresa of Calcutta Catholic Church in Woodinville, WA.

“In 2013 we joined the Catholic Church and a wonderful faith community. We decided we wanted to have a renewal of our vows in our new Church surrounded by friends and family. There are too few occasions lately… and you never know what life has for you around the corner. Anyway, it took a lot of planning to get most our family together, our marriage blessed, friends’ calendars cleared, and enjoy the formal wedding reception we’d never had.”

My parents have always been entertainers - having them sit back and be the center of attention for once was really fun for all of us.

“The day was perfect. Our son and James’ sister came in from the East Coast, and our daughter Katie did a fantastic job managing all the details. She made it so easy. She talked with me about what I wanted, and I hardly lifted a finger. The food was excellent and beautifully presented; the cake was thoughtful, delicious, and stunningly covered in flowers; and the photographer captured what I really wanted – wonderful forever memories with my family! Plus we had a wonderful time with our closest friends.”

“I don’t know how many people do a renewal ceremony like we did, and then follow it up with a sit-down meal and reception. But more should – it was truly wonderful.”

Looking back at the photos, I’m beyond grateful that we were able to celebrate my parents’ love like this.

It was truly perfect timing. Even a week later we would have been immersed in Covid-19 news and lockdowns. In 2021, My parents ended up selling the home they raised my brother and I in so they could move to Florida. And in December 2023, my father unexpectedly passed away. These photos have been everything to us in the time since then.

This past month my brother was married a week after what would have been my parents’ 40th wedding anniversary. An anniversary that unfortunately, he wasn't earthside for. Like my mom mentioned in her story, my grandparents never got to see their 50th wedding anniversary either.

The lesson all this has taught me is that whether it’s your wedding day, your anniversary, your 35th, or any other day - have the celebration. Do it exactly the way you want to. We never know how much time we have, so we should spend it with the people we care most about. And for everything and everyone you hold dear, get the photographer with the experience to shoot and edit photos your loved ones will look at with love for generations. I'm so glad we did.

Vendor List:

Ashley’s Separates: Purchased at Brides for a Cause, Designed by Jenny Yoo for BHDLN

My company (Blooms and Twine Floral Design) did florals, event design, and coordination

Photography was Breanna + Kevin

Catering was Camelot Catering

Cake was from Bee’s Custom Cakes (Permanently Closed)