Beth & Aaron

A drizzle, sunny blue skies, a rain storm with lightning and loud clapping thunder.  Ahhhh…, the fickleness of our weather in western Washington!  If you were in charge, you’d want the cold, rainy stuff before and after like it was on this summer solstice for Beth and Aaron’s outdoor wedding.  And if you were in charge of finding a place to have it, you’d definitely pick Laurel Creek Manor, Sumner’s perfect venue oasis.  Family and guests roamed the 5 acre manicured grounds with faithfully updated, turn-of-the-century facility, oo-ing and awe-ing as they went.  The Manor’s service was spot-on as was a couple of our favs – A Heavenly Ceremony’s comforting, personable style of officiating and Bamboo Beats, eclectic, atypical, fun, rocking DJ.  In charge of capping the day?  How about a rose pedal send off to Maui!

Katie & Jordan

Friends, family, and of course, color, fashion, glitter and lace – was all there in spades on Katie & Jordan’s wedding day.  Having met working at Nordstrom probably set the tone as everyone and everything was stylin’!  From the Four Season’s Hotel, the whole wedding party converged on the UW campus to start the clear, beautiful day.  Ceremony and reception was held at the beautiful, deco ornate Lake Union Cafe.   Where did Fleurish come up with all those  gorgeous peonies? The beautiful dress?  From Marcella’s la Boutique. Joe Yamada kept the dance floor groovin’ until a big yellow taxi came and took them away.

Ana & David

What an incredible day for Ana & David! We got to relive a bit of their history before they stepped into their bright future together. First sight photos took place on the UW campus where they met as engineering students and had their first date! Then it was off to the Woodland Park Zoo where the ceremony was held amongst the blooms of the Rose Garden, followed by a reception in the secluded Butterfly Garden. Post ceremony, the couple got to take a private after hours stroll through the park. Notice the looming lemurs above the kissing couple!

SOTG at Northshore Junior High

Officially, it’s called Field Day but by consensus, most of the kids call it the “last freaking day of school”.  Greeting them in the Northshore Junior High auditorium as it did over the last three years, was our Studio-on-the-Go to catalogue the relief and laughter of the end of the school year.  Look out – beginning of summer!

Studio-on-the-Go at the Pacific Science Center

The important work of conferencing for 4 days at the 12th International Symposium of Cochlear Implants for Children culminated with dinner and fun at Seattle Center’s Pacific Science Center.  The ever-popular Ravishing Radish catered the 1000+ attendee event with fancy, delectable appetizers and potato station (w/all the toppings including real bacon!), espresso cart, and can’t-go-wrong assorted chocolate dessert table.  And if you think surgeons and others who work in medical clinics around the world don’t have fun, take a look at these.  Or maybe it’s just that our Studio-on-the-Go brings out the FUN in people?!  (The huge chair is courtesy of the PSC)

Family Reunion part 2

Every two years, we all converge on New Hampton, Iowa, which, except for cute small towns and endless fields of soybeans and corn, isn’t much to get excited about.  But we do it because it’s bi-annual HOFFEY REUNION time!!  Held on a beautiful farm w/natural greenbelt, stream and pond along gravel roads “straight as the eye can see…”.   A perfect place where we can act like kooks, make a lot of noise, run around with abandon, then allow the kids to have a little fun as well!  Highlights included the two-day multi-stage all-terrain “o’er the meadow and thru the woods” obstacle course (anything to get them kids tired), the 15 types o’ potato chip challenge, match family names and birthdays test, fishing contest, the Bill Hoffey Memorial Cribbage Tournament, guess the baby photo and the blindfold-cellphone and texting challenges.  Weather highlights included a crazy wild, wet, loud and continuous thunder and lightning storm!

I’m positive I missed my calling as a camp counselor.

Rebecca’s Bat Mitzvah

It’s certainly fun and games at the reception but B’nai Mitzvah, the coming of age ceremony, is serious stuff for which one must prepare long and hard for, so we’re always impressed with these youngsters!  Rebecca’s Bat Mitzvah was held at Mercer Island’s Herzl Ner Tamid and the reception, a couple of days later at Seattle’s luxurious and chic, W Hotel.  Family and friends were entertained with much food, refreshments, games and dancing, and the hit at many a B’nai Mitzvah, our Studio-on-the-Go.  With Jennifer and Scott out of town, the event was shot by stellar team photographers – Toni, Audrey and Rachel. 

Ripples of Hope – a benefit for City Year and for Seattle

What makes a successful non-profit?  Relevance of its mission and ability to fund itself might be at the top of the list.  While few can say funding isn’t an issue these days, the recent Ripple of Hope auction held at the Seattle Waterfront Marriott and hosted by City Year Seattle/King County helped a lot.  A who’s-who of corporate sponsors including T-Mobile, Comcast, Blackberry, Alaska Airlines, Samsung, BofA and Pepsi, to name a few, solidified the evening and the $268,000 raised in just a few hours will be used for critically needed services to some of Seattle and King County’s most underserved children and youth.  This relevant organization supplies mentors and tutors to schools where 25% or less of the student body meet learning standards and more than 75% receive a subsidized lunch. Overall nationally, already more than 40% in urban neighborhoods fail to graduate, so their job is difficult but this successful auction raised hopes that at least THIS year, City Year and Seattle will succeed.

Robin & Andrew

Seems whenever we’re here the sky does something wistful, weird, beautiful and wondrous as it did this time, for Robin and Andrew.  Maybe it’s because of the perfect setting inland from the Sound’s ‘convergence zone’ above the vast and lush Snohomish Valley overlooking the picturesque, snow capped Cascade Mountains or maybe that’s just way things roll (perfectly, all the time) for Lord Hill Farms.  Either way, family and friends of the couple were happy to be there from hillside ceremony to ruckus reception to bubble send off for the limo ride and honeymoon!

The Hoffey Family Reunion part 1

We just came back from the jam-packed weekend of family fun in New Hampton, Iowa.  One mom, six kids, five spouses and 12 grandkids actually got together for a photo before anyone got injured!  More photos to come!