Joel + Michelle's Labor Day Wedding 2015 was one of many firsts for me. This was my first wedding having a family member as a client, my first time in Chelan hence Elegant Affairs' first wedding there too.

This was a fun wedding to plan and also very special this Joel is my baby cousin and he and Michelle are both Cougars as they met at WSU(and yes, they named their tables after their favorite spots in Pullman) and finally began dating after many years of friendship. This wedding was truly a family affair, from me as their wedding planner, my uncle (aka the groom's father) as the officiant and Joe's sons serving as ring security. Finally, the couple served Tim's Cascade Potato Chips to their guests as the family's farm produces the potatoes for all chips made in the month of July. And yes, at every family event Tim's are always served! Good thing they are tasty.

From the early stages of planning (just over a year), Michelle knew exactly what she wanted as her color scheme for her late summer wedding at Karma Vineyards. The bride wanted a bright blue and orange and that really complimented the gorgeous scenery at the venue. Now, what we didn't plan on was the raging wildfire that hit the area weeks before the couple said I Do. We were on fire watch leading up to the wedding day, including daily calls into the venue for an update. Ultimately we really lucked out since the smoke finally dissipated and from the ceremony area, we were able to see all of the lake. We all blew a sigh of relief that Mother Nature was on our side.

When it comes to destination weddings, we lucked out with some amazing vendors including Janine from J9Bing Floral Design who splits her time between Puyallup and Manson (which is right out of Chelan). She created some beautiful bouquets and ceremony pieces. Then we were tasked to create centerpieces for the rectangle tables. Joel + Michelle wanted simple yet elegant. We used our rectangle vases and used the hydrangeas and roses and as a homage to the winery we filled the vases with corks and then made a beautiful arrangement.

What I loved most was using my creativity for those extra touches from the chalkboard signs to creating a S'Mores station to our favorite of making watercolor escort cards that we displayed on vintage shutters to watercolor table names.

What we loved so much about this incredible venues is the many "spaces." From the outdoor covered area for a pre and post cocktail hour to taking a trolley bus up to the ceremony location for an unbelievable view to eating in the vineyard to going inside the cellar for dancing, this venue has it all and we are dying to go back.

Everything about this day was truly magical and it was hard to leave at the end of the night, but the best thing about a destination wedding is that we got to make it a family vacation and got to stay and play and enjoy all of our family.