We thought we’d take this post to reintroduce ourselves but in a different way. Elegant Affairs is not new to the wedding industry. We’ve been around for over a decade. We started with just our fearless founder, Lori Losee. She graduated WSU and had worked in communications in the Pacific Northwest. As time went on, she started a family and became a mom to two boys, Grant and Jackson. As she began her family, she realized that she wanted to move down another path and explore the wedding industry – this sparked the creation of Elegant Affairs. At the time, what started off as a side gig, Lori had NO idea that Elegant affairs would BOOM into the company that it is today. Lori and her team have won top Wedding Planning Company in the Pacific Northwest for many years, have had their work graced in magazines, such as Bride Magazine, and continue to expand their wedding planning expertise to other states such as Idaho, Hawai’i, California, and even dabbled with a few destination weddings in Cabo San Lucas, Mexico. Elegant Affairs has come so far and with the hard work, comes some fun of course. So, let us share with you 5 fun facts about Elegant Affairs and the work we do.
#01: 367
367 – represents how many weddings our team, Elegant Affairs has planned and coordinated to date. We’ve worked with 367 couples, had over 367 planning meetings (depending on packages of course), and watched 367 couples tie the knot. No matter how many weddings we do or couples we meet, watching each and every one of our couples tie the knot is truly the best part of our job. Even though we’ve done hundreds of weddings, our team members still feel their hearts flutter as the bride walks down and we may even shed a tear here and there. But, let me tell you – we remember every couple and every wedding we plan and coordinate. Each of our couples holds a special place in our hearts. We’ve kept in touch with hundreds of our couples and have followed their relationships blossom – from babies, moves, and new jobs– we love watching our couples’ adventures.
#02: We Keep it In the Family
If you know our founder and owner, you know that Lori is a cougar. And by cougar, we mean a Washington State University Cougar. She graduated from WSU and is a proud Coug. WSU is meaningful for Lori, as she is a proud member and alumni of Alpha Phi - Beta Rho and met her husband, Steve, at WSU. Her son, Grant is currently a freshman at the university, and she keeps close ties with the campus. In fact, many of her couples are former Alpha Phi’s or are graduates of WSU (Go Cougs!). Lori also started an internship program with Alpha Phis, which allowed collegiate members and alumni to intern with Alpha Phi. Through this internship, interns learned how to hold client meetings, form relationships with vendors and network within the wedding industry, helped the wedding planning team coordinate weddings, and became a forever member of the Elegant Affairs team. Many of Elegant Affairs planners were WSU/Alpha Phi alumni, and worked for the company for many years. Some even turned from our planners, to EA brides. We have loved helping our WSU and Alpha Phi family and working with them as a part of the Elegant Affairs team. As times changed, we’ve been able to work with so many of these ladies and are incredibly fortunate to have them on the team.
#03: Our Frequent Flyers
Since we’ve worked in the Pacific Northwest wedding industry for over two decades, we’ve formed a lot of relationships with other vendors. But, there are definitely a few vendors that we could call frequent flyers. These are vendors or venues that we’ve been to, or worked with A LOT – and we mean over a dozen of times. These vendors and venues became our friends and created so many memories. Some of our frequent flyers from the past are Port Gamble, Essence of the Thymes, The Lloyds, Tonie Christine, Dubreezy Entertainment, and The Kelly Farm. We’ve known and used these vendors countless times and they’ve truly become a part of our Elegant Affair Family. We always smile when a couple works with them, as we know that it’s going to not only be a wonderful addition to their vendor list, but we know we will have an enjoyable time working with them.
#04: I Now Pronounce You…
One of our favorite, fun facts, is that Lori went from planning weddings to helping our couples say “I do.” Throughout the planning process, we become a part of our couples lives and form long-lasting relationships with our couples. We had many couples ask Lori to help them tie the knot, by officiating their wedding. So much, that Lori took it upon herself to become an ordained minister! Lori even married one of our former wedding planners on the beach in North Tacoma. She loves planning the perfect ceremony for our couples and enjoys offering these services to those in need. And in our opinion, she does a fine job as an ordained minister too.
#05: It’s a Losee Affair
Now, we talked about how we love WSU and the COUGS. But sometimes, when we’re in a crunch, we have to ask our family to help. Lori has two boys, one in high school and one in college, and a husband who works and coaches. But her family still finds the time, when needed to lend an extra hand. Her entire family, including her sister, has played a role in Elegant Affairs from time to time. There have been numerous instances where she has had to ask for support from her family and they took over the role of wedding day or planning assistants. And, they have all done a killer job at it. So, at times – Elegant Affairs is truly a family affair!
We have SO enjoyed watching Elegant Affairs grow over the last two decades. It has grown and evolved in ways that Lori couldn’t even imagine at the start. Every member of our team, present and past, have loved what they did and the friendships and bonds created with our team and clients will last a lifetime.
Lori Losee is the owner of Elegant Affairs, a Tacoma Wedding Planner with over 18 years of experience. We create awe-inspiring experiences—Events filled with meaning and refined elegance. Behind the scenes, our experienced team collaborates on each stage of the process, executing your vision and a wedding, celebration, or corporate event that is unique to you.