In Whatcom County, weddings come as unique as its people and places. Themes, colors, scents and even stationery can all reveal a couple’s personality and individuality.

Cathie Haag, co-owner of Simply Wonderful Weddings of Bellingham, says personalizing weddings is the most challenging and most enjoyable part of wedding planning.

Because Whatcom County is on a bay, there are opportunities to bring beach elements into decorations and add local delicacies to the menu, such as featuring salmon at the reception.

One of Haag’s clients took rocks and shells from a beach to use in the wedding, and then put the rocks back afterward. That way, whenever they walked there, they would know rocks from their wedding were on that very beach.

Haag says making decisions as a couple brings who you are to the wedding. “Imagination is your paintbrush,” she says. “Every element in your wedding is a chance to be creative.”

One bride, Jamie Shannon of Bellingham, who was married last August in Blaine, says she set up a table at the reception with 30 framed pictures of other family members and friends on their wedding days, including everyone from great-grandparents to recently married pals.

“It reminded me of all the marriages I have to look up to,” Shannon says.

She also compiled a photo journal of the 10-year courtship of her and her husband, Jason, so that guests could see how their relationship had grown through the years.

PLANNING AHEAD

Steve Moore, a Bellingham wedding consultant, works with brides to express who they are in their wedding.

“A lot of brides come with the idea of a big dress and big cake,” he says. “Nowadays, weddings should represent who you are and what you love. There are no wedding cops to come tell you you’re wrong.”

Kate Fadden, owner of In Bloom Designs, a Bellingham floral design company based in her home, does approximately a dozen weddings a year.

“We’ve all been to countless weddings, and we can’t all remember the little details,” she says. “Putting in unique aspects makes it memorable and more special to your spouse and family.”

Peggy Herrmann, an account executive at KAFE-FM, and her husband, Bob, own a Bellingham DJ business. They spend most every weekend in the summer at weddings, but last season the tables were turned when they tackled the task of their own daughter’s wedding.

To personalize her wedding, they held it in the same place the couple met eight years earlier: the Northwest Washington Fairgrounds. The bride and her family planned for a year and a half to make all the details just right. For example, Herrmann planted stargazer lilies the summer before the wedding because her daughter knew she would want those flowers.

Herrmann recommends planning ahead to pull off small touches. “Keep it within your means,” she says. “Keep it fun. It should be a bonding time you’re sharing with your daughter.”

Haag of Simply Wonderful Weddings says such small gestures mean personalizing your wedding doesn’t have to cost more. Adding notes to table place settings or giving special toasts and thanks doesn’t cost anything other than time.

BUDGETING FOR PERSONALITY

Knowing where your priorities lie will help you budget accordingly, Moore says. If you’re more concerned with fancy invitations, open bar, high-quality food, the best band in town, expensive photographers or floral arrangements, you know where to put most of your budget.

Fadden says it is OK to tell your florist what you want to spend. Most florists will try to make it work for your budget and offer competitive pricing. A good florist will stretch your dollar as far as he or she can.

Haag says prioritizing the budget and spending resources in certain areas can enhance the wedding day without breaking the budget.

Tshombe Brown of Your Signature Coaching and Consulting, a Bellingham-based business since 2003, says personalizing is more of a trend than ever.

“It doesn’t have to be expensive, it just has to reflect you and your tastes,” Brown says. “It can be fun.”

Inexpensive ways to personalize include using an accent color that ties into a theme, Brown says. Another emerging trend is a personalized scent for the wedding.

Instead of sprinkling roses down the aisle, brides could use lavender or ginger. If the bride wore a vanilla perfume when the couple met and vanilla reminds the groom of the bride, using vanilla adds an even more meaningful touch, all for a very manageable budget. Guests also will notice the extra touch and remember it.

'LOVE IS IN THE DETAILS

Personalizing the wedding begins with the first announcement of your engagement. Wedding favors, programs and menus can all be customized to reflect the couple, Moore says. Because we live in a visual culture, logos and graphics make the theme recognizable from invite to reception.

Moore says invitations set the tone for the wedding. Whether you send out “save the date” notices or invitations first, the type and style tell your guests what the wedding will be like.

Refined black-and-white design will show it is going to be a formal event. On the other hand, one of Moore’s clients who collects vintage bicycles went with bicycle-themed invitations that showed it would be a relaxed, fun wedding.

The theme and feel of the wedding should then be carried all the way through to the reception. From the fonts to the flowers, the wedding details will show the guests who the new couple is.

Bloom Designs owner Fadden says not to be distracted by what you see in wedding magazines. If you know what you want, communicate it with the people you hire.

“The love is in the details,” Haag says. “The details make people think it’s special.”

For example, one of Fadden’s clients tucked a flower into each napkin at every place setting. It was inexpensive but well received by the guests.

Carrying such meaningful themes and details throughout the wedding will create a truly memorable wedding for the bride, groom and guests.