Work & Play in the Pacific Northwest

I hope you all enjoyed a fun and delicious Thanksgiving weekend! After getting back from Seattle earlier in the week, Stephen and I were more than happy to spend a low-key holiday here in DC, where we had dinner with my sister-in-law and her boyfriend, decorated for Christmas, and otherwise just tried to get caught up on things after a week away.

One thing I happily got around to was organizing the photos from our trip, which was all-around fantastic. In addition to coordinating our friends’ wedding, which I’ll recap Thursday, we were also able to spend a couple extra days exploring the area and visiting our friend Ted, who’s completing his residency at one of the city’s hospitals.

Along with checking out the Space Needle and famous Pike Place Market, we had fun relaxing at Ted’s condo, which is located just outside the city and right on Puget Sound, offering truly incredible views of the surrounding mountains and landscape.

Though the weather was quite cold, with temperatures mostly in the upper 30s and low 40s, we felt lucky that it only rained the day we arrived and the day we left. Still, since the cold kept us from doing all of the outdoor activities we might have liked, we’re hoping to head back sometime during the summer to go hiking and whale watching. 

Here, a few highlight photos Stephen snapped throughout the trip. Next time, we definitely need to remember to get him in front of the camera more often! 

Posing with Ted at his condo on Puget Sound. 

The view from Ted's balcony. 

Beautiful snow-capped mountains beneath a layer of clouds. 

Gazing up at the iconic Space Needle. 

 Looking out from the Needle's upper deck. 

Outside the original Starbucks at Pike Place Market. 

Shopping at Pike Place with our friends, including bride and groom Julie & Nash.

Joining the wedding party as they selected floral arrangements at Pike Place, where small bouquets can be purchased for as little as $5 and large ones for as little as $15. Isn't that amazing? Later on, bridesmaid Jessica did a fabulous job reworking and enhancing the already gorgeous arrangements to create just the perfect look for Julie & Nash's wedding day.

Collaborating with the officiants and wedding party during Julie & Nash's rehearsal.

Groomsman Leigh holding Julie & Nash's lovable pup Apollo, who just couldn't resist getting in on the wedding day preparations himself. But would the dog get the hint and stay out of our way?

No! Despite Leigh's best efforts, Apollo darted downstairs and, as captured here by photographer Jon Fisch, made a beeline straight for Julie's train as I tried desperately, and thank goodness successfully, to restrain him. All in a day's work for a wedding coordinator, I guess!

Stay tuned Thursday for more recaps, and tell me, have you ever combined work and play in the same trip?