The wedding of Elizabeth and Peter at Bistro 76 Cafe and Catering

Getting Ready at the Embassy Suites Hotel

On Saturday January 7 Peter and Elizabeth were married at Bistro 76 Cafe and Catering.  But the wedding preparations began much earlier in the day, at the Embassy Suites in nearby Lynnwood.  I arrived at the hotel a bit before 2:30 in the afternoon so I could get some photos of the “getting ready” process.  The original plan was to start these photos earlier, and then go to the beach in Edmonds to take photos of Elizabeth, Peter and their wedding party.  But the weather gods did not decide to smile on this idea, and we decided a couple of days before that taking photos at the beach in a heavy rainstorm would NOT be a lot of fun!  Since Peter really did not want to see Elizabeth in her dress until the wedding ceremony this was actually a bit of a positive, at least in that respect.

When I arrived Elizabeth and the other ladies who were part of the wedding were still getting their makeup done, while the guys were hanging out in the room next door.  I always enjoy the “getting ready” photos for both the guys and gals, and often have to help the groom and groomsmen with their tuxes.  That was not the case today, as the guys all had things well under control.  I got a few photos of the guys as they were finishing up getting dressed, and then moved back to concentrate on Elizabeth and the ladies.

Once Elizabeth had her hair and makeup finished we had a “non-first look” for Elizabeth and Peter, with Elizabeth still in her dressing gown.  This allowed us to get some photos of Elizabeth with Peter and the groomsmen (Joel, Domanic, Taylor, Josh and Issac) in the hotel atrium while we still had some daylight and a larger area to use for the photos, as well as a few window-lit shots of Peter and Elizabeth in their room.  The guys then all headed off for the wedding venue, and Elizabeth was able to put on her wedding dress.  We took advantage of the last bits of daylight for a few more window light photos of Elizabeth in her wedding dress by herself (and they came out great – see below!), then back to the atrium for some photos of Elizabeth with the ladies side of the wedding party; Maid of Honor Peg, Bridesmaid Suzie and Flower Girl Madison.

The Wedding Ceremony

Now it was time to get into our cars and head for Bistro 76 so the wedding could get started!  Once the ladies arrived they hid out in the back of the Cafe while all the guests were seated, and finally it was time for the show to get started.  The groom, groomsmen and bridesmaids got into position in the portion of the restaurant that had been set up as the altar, and Flower Girl Madison came down the aisle (spreading flowers along the way).  Finally it was time for Elizabeth to come down the aisle, accompanied by  Domanic.  She looked simply amazing!

The ceremony was officiated by Craig Nelson, and everything went pretty much perfectly.  Even the Unity Candle was lit without incident, something that happens far less often than you would think!  In what seemed like no time we had a brand-new married couple, the Donnellys!  Peter and Elizabeth kissed and came back down the aisle, and it was time for the party to get underway.

The Reception

Because the Bistro is not exactly a large restaurant all of the guests needed to move out of the area where the ceremony had taken place, so it could be turned back into a restaurant.  I got a few photos of Elizabeth, Peter and the wedding party then Elizabeth disappeared into the back of the restaurant with the ladies to have her dress bustled, and the rest of the group joined the guests for drinks and appetizers while the dining area was turned over.  Once the dining space was ready the buffet was opened and dinner began.  The food was wonderful, and everyone had a fantastic meal.  Music was provided by Sounds Unlimited, who did their usual excellent jod.

After dinner was completed we moved right into the toasts by the Best Man Joel and the Maid of Honor Peg, with a surprise toast by Madison.  Next up was the cutting of the cake, which both Elizabeth and Peter completed with notable restraint – as in neither of them ended up with wedding cake smeared in their face.

Enough of my babbling, why don’t you take a few minutes now and check out the photos below?  Lots to see, so take your time and let me know what you think in the Comment box.  I hope you like the photos!