Alissa Bacon & Bryan Gabriel
Married and celebrated: A private residence in Medina
Date: July 23, 2016
THE COUPLE: Alissa Bacon first met Bryan Gabriel when she helped him with a purchase he made at Nordstrom while she was working the counter. Instantly smitten, Bryan asked Alissa for a date; then attached, she demurred, but Bryan soon made a habit of checking out his local Nordstrom every few months to say hello. Eventually, the timing was right for a romance, and after dating three years, the two became engaged on a beach in Maui as Alissa’s entire family looked on.
COMPLETELY AT HOME: At first flummoxed about where to hold their wedding, the pair then found the perfect spot right under their noses as they turned Alissa’s parents’ lakefront Medina home into a stunning and sophisticated venue suited to their intimate gathering. “We had to bring absolutely everything in,” says the bride. “But it made everything, even the decor, so personal that way. We were even able to tweak the flowers in the garden to match the wedding colors.”
DECADENT DESIGN: Settling on a pretty palette of pinks and golds, the couple then gave wedding planner Katy Roberts of Vows Wedding & Event Planning together with Rented Elegance & Design the task of building a showpiece arch festooned with abundant cream and blush blooms; Rented Elegance also added chic white lounge seating and hung floating chandeliers over the ceremony, as well as installed a dance floor space to dramatic effect. In addition to Alissa’s favorite peonies, white orchids were used throughout the decor, including popping up on the reception tables, which also featured glittery table linens and gold-accented tableware.
PARTY PEOPLE: After a moving ceremony during which the couple were wed by Bryan’s childhood best friend, the party moved onto cocktail hour (guests loved the custom ice luge that served up tequila shots), then onto dinner, toasts and dancing. A live band and comfy flip-flops for tired tootsies kept the party going into the wee hours, when the remaining guests all went for a swim in Lake Washington and the house pool.
