A Nontraditional, festive, and musical extravaganza of a wedding: Peter + Karly
/A nontraditional wedding full of joy and music
“You do you” was the slogan of 2018, and no one embraced this more fully than our adorable, fun, wicked smart and kind couple, Peter and Karly. Peter is the kind of guy who everyone from highschool would remember, because he had crazy long hair that blew in the wind when he ran cross country, which he did while also consuming, in its entirety, a medium sized delivery pizza that he had delivered to the starting line of one race (and this was the days before Ubereats.) Yes, he is that guy from highschool, and while I think there is probably one quirky, knows exactly who he is and lives with a kind of gusto that most paralyzed-bysocial-pressures teenagers can only dream of, you can probably tell by now that he went to mine. So it was with delight that I began speaking to former and current Kentlake falcon (he teaches math) Peter about his upcoming wedding with Karly. Even better, she’s a librarian full of good humor and kindness, smarts and fashion sense, and they were to be married at one of our favorite hometown venues, Black Diamond Gardens.
The groom’s vows in front of the stage, photo by Photos by Betty https://bettyelainephotography.com
The bride wore blue, the groom wore pink
Check out the offbeat style of this couple and you can immediately get it- they were more likely the type to release parrots and toucans than white doves after their first kiss. They actually didn’t do that, but one of 4 or 5 friends and family bands that would play throughout the night lit up the outdoor ceremony area with joyful noise as soon as they embraced. The music at this wedding was unparalleled- a opera singer friend sang an aria as a gift to the couple, the groom himself grooved with his horn, and the best man sang his speech, in the form of an extremely impressively written spoof on “we didn’t start the fire.” If you know how long that song is, you will be even more impressed that he kept the crowd laughing the entire way through. This was a wedding that was all about celebration- of the couple, of their commitment, and most certainly, of life. The festivities were in full swing, quite literally, as swing dancing filled the tent and the groom’s father joined the band.
Caribbean Food and Local Wines and Craft Beer fueled the party
A colorful and delicious Caribbean feast was brought in by Seattle cult favorite Paseo, while at the Happy Camper bar we poured craft homebrew beers bottled by family and friends, and wine from the groom’s uncle’s winery. Peter and Karly chose our Betty (beer, wine, and cider) “Service Only” pouring package from the Happy Camper bar, meaning that they provided all the alcohol and we provided our friendly and professional staff, an adorable centerpiece of a bar including all necessary equipment, non-alcoholic drinks for self service by guests, and assisted with all the bar planning leading up to the wedding. The Pumpkin ale was especially popular given the mid-October date, and the South Sound Washington weather cooperated with weather so fine that it would have been surprising, were it not for the obvious persuasiveness of the party at hand: even Seattle wasn’t willing to rain on this parade!
I love that this couple identified EXACTLY what was important to them and highlighted these things. I am sure that they saved budget in some areas ( for instance, they provided their own alcohol and the venue Black Diamond Gardens is so lush and beautiful that very little decoration is needed) but they poured soul and talent into their wedding so much so that a richness and joie de vivre marked the evening.
It was a pleasure to take part in your wedding reception, Karly and Peter, one we will not soon forget!
