The sessions today were quite eclectic, ranging from a group of silly (and terrific!) co-workers who like to think they are Charlie’s Angels, to a family with a brand new addition to their home. The little one pictured below was born earlier this month and still very new! Her big sister is excited to have her, as you can see! It was really fun to photograph such a range of subjects all in one afternoon. Thanks everyone for your enthusiasm, your bright colors (I LOVE me some bright colors), and your support as we continue to establish ourselves in Seattle!

Chesney Schmidt from All the Flutter Wedding & Event Design was one of the first people I met when I arrived in town and she’s really great! I joined her for lunch at her home recently (which was delicious by the way!) and snapped these photos of her, relaxed and lovely! Below the photos there is a brief interview with her about her life & business as a wedding designer.

SA: Thanks for letting us have a peek into your life, Chesney!

Chesney: Well…. I appreciate the interest!

SA: Your home is beautiful!  How did you go about decorating your home? Do some of your furniture and decorative pieces have great stories of origin or specific sentimental value?

Chesney: Oh, thanks! Well, I LOVE to design and decorate so there was no real method to my madness, just doing what I LOVE!  Our black and white photos we have in our living room are all of both mine and my husbands family. It was so much fun to look at the old photos and decide which once we wanted to blow up and display in our living room, but also a very tough decision too!

SA: Can you give us an overview of what it is that you do as a wedding and event designer?

Chesney: I work with my clients in creating a unique and personal design for their event. Whether is be a wedding or a baby shower, we always want the guests to step away and remember what a unique and beautiful event it was!

SA: What inspired you to get into this industry?

Chesney: Well, when I was little I would make collages out of my mom’s home decorating magazines and post them on a large board, it eventually inspired me to study design as a career, for which I attended the Art Institute of Seattle for Interior Design. Later I found that I was always finding an excuse to host some sort of party, and all parties HAVE to have a theme right! So I then decided to start my own Event & Wedding Design Boutique, this way I have the best of both worlds!

SA: How do you approach designing an event?

Chesney: It’s all about personal style. I love to meet with my clients and listen to their interests, everything to the music they listen to, to what they do for a living, and I begin by creating a few different concept boards reflecting what I learned, then it just flows from there.

SA: What kind of experience do you strive to give your clients as they work with you?

Chesney: A peaceful and unique experience! With all the stress of planning any event, it is always nice to work with individuals with a down to earth personality. Also, there are so any trends now a days with event design, so make sure that I give my clients a unique and personal touch to their event.

SA: What are some ideas you incorporated in your own wedding that meant a lot to you?

Chesney: Gosh, there were so many! First off the location! Roche Harbor is so romantic! Plus it has that vintage feel, both of what me and my hubby LOVE! Also, just having my grandfather’s old 1959 Glaspar boat as our getaway after the ceremony in an unforgettable moment!

SA: Where do you find inspiration for your wedding designs?

Chesney: Ya know again my inspiration comes from my clients. Their stories help me create their designs. But certainly as fashion goes, I love to read up on interior fashion as well as clothing fashions, It definitely flows into what’s going on in event designs as well.

SA: How do you handle unexpected and stressful situations at weddings?

Chesney: Ya know, I just take it a moment at a time. Stressful situations will come up, but as long as I can keep calm, in which I can safely say I do, then it will all work out as it is meant to be.

SA: What is the best vacation you’ve ever been on?

Chesney: Oh wow! Well, my honeymoon was by far the BEST!  We went to Playa del Carmen in Mexico, it was magical! But we have so many more vacations to look forward to as well!!

SA: What is one of your lifetime goals/dreams?

Chesney: Oh I knew you would ask me this one…….Goals and dreams!!! I am such a dreamer so my dreams are endless! My goals, well I would say to continue to create extraordinary events!

SA: What are a few of your favorite books? Movies? Sweet Treats?

Chesney: I really wish I was a reader, but I just can’t get into books! I know, I know I am missing out!!! But my mind wonders, but I always LOVE, LOVE anything and everything sweet !

SA: Thanks for taking the time to share with us!

Chesney: Well thank you! I enjoyed our time together!

Thanks to everyone who braved the rain and navigated the mud puddles to participate in our Quick Takes this weekend! It was great seeing/meeting all of you!

To all of you who participated, thanks so much for your enthusiasm! We’ll be in touch soon when all the images from your Quick Takes session are available to view.

Happy Valentine’s Day! Hug the ones you love today and every day!

The idea is to wear bright, fun colors and have a great time capturing some photos with with ones you love. Sessions are free of charge and prints/files will be available for purchase following your session. Participants will be asked to sign a model release and images will be shared on our blog and facebook. If you or someone you know is interested in this opportunity, please have them contact us!

We’re very glad to be settled in to our new place (pictured below) and our kids seem to be excited for our new adventures here. I never did get around to posting our Christmas card, so you’ll find it in the lineup of this post.

We wanted to formally announce our arrival in Seattle and let you know that we’ll be posting some exciting special offers soon to celebrate our Grand Re-Opening in Seattle. We are presently booking weddings and portrait sessions for 2010, so if we can serve you in any way, please let us know! Happy New Year!