Kara and Shawn’s Wedding: A Classic Ballroom Setting with Vintage Touches

Something Borrowed, Something New, Something Blue   


The bride’s classic wedding upheld classic traditions. The bride even doubled up on her "something borrowed"! A vintage cameo brooch in her hair was lent by the groom’s grandmother and a vintage diamond and pearl bracelet was courtesy of her dearest friend. The bride treated herself to a pair of rose gold and crystal earrings as her ‘something new’. The entire wedding party embraced the concept of ‘something blue’ by popping a bottle of blueberry scented bubbles pre-ceremony!

Bride and groom

Colors & Décor


Emerald, gold and champagne were the colors of the evening. Pulling inspiration from the color palate of the venue itself, these colors were no short of regal. Using champagne as a neutral backdrop throughout, the emerald and gold elements were able to shine through. Emerald touches could be seen through the bridesmaids lace dresses, bridesman’s bow tie, satin cocktail table runners, and succulent floral greenery on the dining tables and ceremony cross. Variations of gold were found on the rose bud kissed candelabra centerpieces and glitzy table runners. Champagne and gold vintage furniture completed the vanity suite to create the perfect pre-ceremony space for the bride and her wedding party.

Bride on vintage white and gold furniture
Vintage bride gets ready at the Great Hal
Emerald bridesmaids at the Great Hall
Bride and bridesmaids (and one bridesman!) pose on vintage furniture at the Great Hall
Gold vintage wedding details
Emerald and gold guestbook table
Vintage rose bud kissed candelabra centerpieces
Gold table runners
Gold vintage wedding details
Emerald, gold and champange tables
The Great Hall at Union Station Vintage Wedding
Bride place setting
Great Hall at Union Station Reception Set Up

It Starts with a Kiss

 
The bride and groom decided to have a "first look" at the venue prior to their ceremony. This enabled the couple to have a special and private moment prior to the madness of the wedding ensuing. A photographer loves nothing more than to capture a candid moment such as this. The ‘first look’ also allowed for family and wedding party portraits to be taken prior to the ceremony. Every bride and groom deserves to relax and enjoy their own cocktail hour, especially when devouring Jewel Hospitality’s delicious appetizers.

Bride and groom first look
Bride and groom in front of the emerald backdrop at the Great Hall
Bride and groom

Pioneer Square & Occidental Street


In the heart of Seattle’s historic district, the Great Hall at Union Station neighbors elegant Occidental Street. With classic architecture dating back to the late 1800’s, Romanesque and Victorian inspired buildings line the street. Stunning northwest maple trees made the 92 degree heat of this scorching Seattle summer day bearable for this brave Seattle couple and wedding party!  

Groomsmen
Groomsmen in Pioneer Square
The bridal party
Bride and groom
Bride and groom

Tying the Knot


The ceremony was held in the front of this stunning ballroom. The bride created an intimate space by using ivory colored pipe and drape to segment the ceremony off from the reception. With simple elegance at the forefront, gold chivari chairs and glass hurricane candles completed this romantic setting. The couple was able to incorporate elements of Catholicism into their ceremony through the handmade cross by the bride’s step father and unity candle lighters from their local church. The bride walked down the aisle to ‘Marry Me’ by Train, bringing tears to the groom’s eyes.

Great Hall at Union Station Gold Ceremony Setup
Bride getting ready to walk down the isle
Great Hall at Union Station Ceremony Setup
Great Hall At Union Station Cermeony
Bride and groom Great Hall at Union Station
The happy couple!

Dining & Dancing the Night Away

Guests were greeted during cocktail hour with an assortment of delightful appetizers, from classic crab cakes to braised pork belly skewers with Washington peach chutney. Dinner was served family style on elegant long dining tables. Platters of delicious food graced the tables. The couple’s personal favorite was the wild king salmon filets drizzled in a caviar beurre blanc. First dances took place on the stunning black and white tiled floor for all to view. Embracing the groom’s Filipino culture, the ‘Money Dance’ added a surge of enthusiasm into the evening. The couple was greeted during a slow dance with a hand made money lei from Honolulu and were eventually showered with money from all guests. From slow dancing to some might say questionable dance moves, the ‘Money Dance’ was a success. The couple was showered with love and best wishes of a prosperous future.

Bride and groom's first dance at the Great Hall
Bride and groom money dance
Bride and groom money dance
Bride and groom money dance
Bride and groom do the money dance
Money dance

The Sweet Side


A classic four tiered wedding cake was created by Jewel Hospitality’s phenomenal in house baking team. This stunning rosette designed cake was hard to miss as it sat royally under the black and white vintage clock, waiting to be sliced. The couple cut their luscious vintage red velvet cake in a traditional cake cutting ceremony. Without prompting, Jewel Hospitality sent the bride and groom home with the cake topper as a keepsake to be frozen and enjoyed on their one year anniversary.

Jewel Hospitality created this beautiful rosette wedding cake at the Great Hall
Beautiful rosette wedding cake on a vintage cake stand
Rosette wedding cake

Sparklers! Sparklers! Sparklers!


It started with a kiss, it ended with a kiss. Love was pouring out of this couple from their first look to their sparkler send off. Guests were handed a sparkler and a custom gold matchbox embossed with the bride and grooms first names and wedding date. To prepare for the big finale, guests lined the brick roundabout of this classic 1910 train station. Sparklers lit up the night as the bride and groom were surrounded by their loved ones. The Great Hall at Union Station became the perfect mix of timeless elegance embracing new traditions. A truly classic wedding completed with a modern day send off.

Great Hall Sparkler SendOff
Sparkler sendoff at the Great Hall
Sparkler Sendoff

Thanks to all of the fabulous vendors who helped create this gorgeous wedding! 

Venue: Great Hall at Union Station

Catering: Jewel Catering

Rentals: Pedersen’s Rentals & Vintage Ambiance

Ceremony Draping: Prop Gallery

Flowers: Ravenna Bloom

DJ: Baby Van Beezly

Photography: Alante Photography

Day Of Hair & Make Up: Off White Makeup & Beauty

Wedding Dress: Romashka Bridal 

Bridesmaids Dresses: Nordstrom Bridal Suite

Custom Calligraphy Design Work: Songbird Paperie 

How to Have an Amazing Super Bowl Party

The Seahawks amazing come-back on Sunday had the fans in such an uproar that it almost registered as a real earthquake on seismic sensors – that’s how dedicated and excited the fans are! Now that the Hawks are headed to the Super Bowl, it’s time to start planning an unforgettable Super Bowl Party. Jewel Hospitality provides exquisite catering onsite at our four amazing venues (the Canal, the Ballard Bay Club, Stimson-Green Mansion, and the Great Hall at Union Station) as well as off-site catering. Contact us if you’d like Jewel to cater your Super Bowl Party – Go Hawks!

Below are a few tips for throwing the perfect Super Bowl party – share your tips in the comments below!

Up Your Food and Drink Game

12th Man Shortbread Cookies

12th Man Shortbread Cookies

12th Man Cupcakes

12th Man Cupcakes

No party (Super Bowl or not) is complete without delicious food! From Jumbo Shrimp with Tequila Lime Cocktail Sauce, Fried Green Tomato Sliders and Hardwood Smoked Bacon Wrapped Sweet Potatoes, to Caramel and Fleur De Sel Popcorn and 12th Man Cookies - Jewel has a lot of tasty appetizers to choose from. Remember to provide your guests with a variety of savory and sweet snacks to enjoy while they watch the game; and keep them coming! Top off the event with some Washington local beers, wines, and ciders – and don’t forget the skittles!

Jumbo Shrimp with Tequila Lime Sauce

Jumbo Shrimp with Tequila Lime Sauce

Fried Green Tomato Sliders

Fried Green Tomato Sliders

Go Plastic

No one wants to spend hours cleaning up after a party – paper plates, napkins, and plastic cutlery not only bring more color to the room, but make cleaning up a lot easier. If you just want to sit back and relax, all parties thrown at a Jewel venue provide set up and tear down - meaning you can go home without washing a single dish!

Show Your Colors

Seahawks Logo

Seahawks Logo

Your team’s colors should be prominent – and in this case we are hoping you’ll be sporting lots of green and blue! These colors can be incorporated into your decorations with flowers, streamers, plates and napkins, jerseys and even your food! Make sure anyone who walks in knows who you are rooting for.

Be Prepared

There’s nothing worse than turning on the game to see that your TV isn't working or the batteries on the remote have gone out. Make sure to check everything beforehand so the party will go smoothly and have no interruptions.

Now you can sit back with a drink, good food, and enjoy the game! Contact Jewel Hospitality if you would like to learn more about our imaginative cuisine and catering services. 

Jewel Hospitality’s Post Alley at the Commons Serve up a Delicious Feast at the Microsoft Alumni Event

Did you know that Jewel Hospitality has a food service out at Microsoft? Post Alley at the Commons is an urban market concept with fresh entrees, innovative breakfast and lunch, gourmet baked goods, local coffee and more. We utilize the best and freshest ingredients the Pacific Northwest has to offer, with food inspired by an eclectic mix of culinary backgrounds and heritages. We create different specials every day from salmon and cod to baby back ribs and vegetarian dishes.

Last Friday, October 17th, Jewel Hospitality and Post Alley at the Commons catered Microsoft’s sixth annual Microsoft Alumni Reunion with a Purpose event, which celebrates community engagement and philanthropy. Jewel’s Executive Chef Andy Leonard cooked up some mouth-watering appetizers and main dishes for the event, while our pastry chef Danielle Myxter created beautiful and delicious desserts.

Our chefs make an effort to provide food that meets all kinds of dietary needs. The menu included several vegetarian, gluten-free and vegan options for our Microsoft alum. One of our favorite appetizers Andy created was the local artisan goat cheese. This vegetarian option was a Homemade Pink Peppercorn Flatbread with Saffron-Vanilla Onion Marmalade on top.

Local-Artisan-Goat-Cheese

Popular dinner dishes included the Arugula Pesto Cous Cous (also Vegetarian), and the Chilled Jumbo Prawn & Mango Skewers with Cilantro Lime Vinaigrette.

Arugula Pesto Cous Cous & Chilled Jumbo Prawn & Mango Skewers

Arugula Pesto Cous Cous & Chilled Jumbo Prawn & Mango Skewers

For dessert, our favorite treats were the White Chocolate Ginger Cheesecake in a Gingersnap Cookie Crust and the Peanut Butter Mousse in a Chocolate Cup.

White Chocolate Ginger Cheesecake & Peanut Butter Mousse

White Chocolate Ginger Cheesecake & Peanut Butter Mousse 

Take a look at more of the people and food from the event in the gallery below. If the photos of delicious food make you hungry, you can always head down to Post Alley at the Commons or contact Jewel Hospitality to find out more information about catering.

Microsoft Alumni Buffet

Microsoft Alumni Buffet

Quinoa Salsa

Quinoa Salsa

Prosciutto Mozzarella Trofie

Prosciutto Mozzarella Trofie 

Fresh Seasonal Fruit Display

Fresh Seasonal Fruit Display

DSCN0303.JPG
Microsoft-Themed Tea Candles

Microsoft-Themed Tea Candles

Old School Microsoft Gear

Old School Microsoft Gear

Antipasto Skewers

Antipasto Skewers

House Cured Salmon Lox

House Cured Salmon Lox

Passion Fruit Curd Tartlet

Passion Fruit Curd Tartlet 

Pumpkin Cherry Spice Cupcake

Pumpkin Cherry Spice Cupcake


Curious to find out more about Post Alley at the Commons? We are located in the Commons at Microsoft’s West Campus.