Seven-months after the proposal and five-months before their May 2017 nuptials were set to take place in North Carolina, Rebecca Samuelson and Alana Fernandez quickly decided to cancel their original plans, and opted for a city wedding where they had originally met and fell in love. The couple said 'we just wanted to be together and be married'.
With only two-weeks to pull off an elopement-style ceremony and reception, they called in their close friend and wedding coordinator, Alyssa Ennis, to bring their wedding day to life. Rebecca and Alana only had three requests: they wanted to get married outside, they wanted their closest friends and family in attendance, and they wanted a hot chocolate bar and donuts. The rest of the details, from the decor to the reception venue, would remain a complete surprise and only be revealed on their wedding.
Alyssa immediately went to work gathering what she describes as an "absolute dream-team" of Seattle wedding vendors to pull it off. "I was SO honored and lucky to have such an amazingly talented group of women step-up and really make this wedding a reality" said Alyssa. "Even though we only had two-weeks to pull it together, everyone was 100% on board and passionate about making Rebecca and Alana feel like they were getting the wedding they always wanted, despite the short time frame. From the flowers to the cake to the photography, everything came together beautifully and the day looked and felt like it had been months in the making."
On a day that was originally forecasted to be full of wind and rain, they woke up to clear skies and bright sunshine - practically unheard of for December in Seattle. Rebecca and Alana walked down an aisle set up on the rooftop of a Pioneer Square office building and exchanged vows under a birch arbor wrapped with floral greenery in front of 30 of their closest friends and family. Both brides wore dresses by BHLDN, and Rebecca carried a bouquet along with her grandmother's vintage Rolex that was originally a gift from her grandfather to her grandmother. Guests cozied up on dark farmstyle benches, wrapped in fur and plaid blankets, and sipped hot chocolate from vintage teacups while the couple read the vows that each had hand-written for the other. After the "I do's" were complete, the brides and guests caught a trolly from Pioneer Square to the Capitol Hill venue 'Sole Repair Shop', where Rebecca and Alana were able to step foot into their reception site for the very first time.
Family and friends enjoyed music, drinks, and dinner at long farm tables set up to dine 'family style' with vintage mixed-and-match wood chairs and organic-style floral centerpieces in shades of blush, cream, and burgundy. Gold-rimmed vintage china and gold-rimmed wine glasses were set for guests at each place setting, while sliced amber-colored agate served as both seating assignments and guest favors. A dessert table of cake, brownies, and a donut board ensured that no one left with a sweet-tooth craving at the end of the night! Rebecca & Alana shared their first dance to James Arthur's hit "Say You Won't Let Go" underneath strings of bistro lights, while guests watched and snapped polaroid pictures for the guestbook from the balcony above.
When looking back on the day, Rebecca and Alana say they now can't imagine having their wedding happen any other way. "Not seeing the ceremony setup ahead of time and having never even seen the venue before walking into our own reception was a very surreal experience" says Alana. "We left every single detail and decision up to Alyssa and the incredible team of vendors she hand-picked to create our wedding, and it turned out more perfect and beautiful than we could have ever imagined."
