Carefree Bainbridge Island Wedding at the Manor House
When you make it a point to be fully engaged with the planning process and have fun every step of the way, you’ll inevitably have a wedding that aligns with your values, your passions, and your unique love story. Megan and Andrew hosted an intimate destination wedding weekend at the Manor House at Pleasant Beach, one of our favorite Bainbridge Island wedding venues here at Tapestry, and we could not have been more thrilled with how it turned out. From the moment their guests arrived at the rooftop welcome party in downtown Bainbridge till the very last song played on the dance floor, each and every element of this celebration was designed intentionally with Megan and Andrew’s gleeful relationship, adventurous spirits, and deep love for their closest people in mind.
A Destination Wedding at the Manor House on Bainbridge Island
The couple: Megan + Andrew
Megan and Andrew are the kind of folks you’ll laugh with for a full 90-minute planning session—and laugh we did during our own! Their relationship is a delightful blend of childish friendship and glee meets snarky sarcasm and empathetic storytelling; a recipe for a long-lasting, well-balanced love story that can find joy in even the hardest of times. Andrew is curious and determined, and loves figuring out how things work, while Megan is present and never lets an opportunity pass by. Their shared love for adventure has taken their relationship to more international trips than anyone else I’ve met, and has kept their relationship strong through a number of moves due to Megan’s job as a travel nurse. We were incredibly impressed with the way they managed to continue planning their wedding with joy and excitement even through a couple of moves during the planning process itself! We noticed that they helped each other make decisions that felt right to the both of them, and really made it a point to be engaged every step of the way, resulting in an event that felt deeply authentic to their unique story.
The vision: value-aligned, laid-back, and honest
Through looking at the images in this blog, you may never know that Megan and Andrew were truthfully a bit torn during the beginning stages of planning—they originally toyed with the idea of an elopement because of their love for hiking and exploring, but ultimately decided on a full ceremony and reception with their closest friends and family. A majority of their guests traveled in from out of town, making it a destination wedding for most, so they wanted the days surrounding their wedding to be just as filled with celebration and quality time with everyone. Their main vision for the weekend was relaxed, fun, and easy; a celebration full of laughter, with those underlying warm, fuzzy feelings of love we all so badly crave and hold dearly to our hearts.
When we chatted with Megan and Andrew about what they wanted out of a wedding planner, they mentioned that what stood out about Tapestry was the way we prioritized values over everything. The two weren’t looking for someone who could simply help them create a “typical wedding,” but design one that was about them and their honest love story. We love asking our couples questions that will make them think, that will keep them accountable, and that will dive deeper than just the aesthetics, from the very beginning of their inquiry to the final planning meeting. It was important to Megan and Andrew that they hire a planner who would encourage them to do things their own way, and bring their own ideas to create a seamless, aligned collaboration, and we were honored to be the ones to do so.
It can often be tricky to plan a wedding that feels intimate, laid-back, and relaxed while also welcoming in a group of guests, especially ones who are traveling in and may be expecting multiple days of entertainment or hosting. A lot of couples think that they have to choose between an elopement and a traditional wedding, when really, their perfect day probably lies somewhere in that beautiful middle zone. Megan and Andrew wanted to remember the quiet moments of their wedding day, where they really had time to be present in the moment, but they also wanted to focus on creating moments and memories with their friends and families. In service of this vision, we made sure their schedule allowed time to not only mingle and share stories with loved ones, but also for the two of them to spend a few minutes alone as needed. Megan and Andrew told us they wanted to feel the love and celebration without the stress of little details, or worries about expectations—so that’s exactly what we helped them bring to life.
The venue: Manor House at Pleasant Beach
We wanted to take a moment to spotlight Megan and Andrew’s venue of choice, the stunning Manor House at Pleasant Beach. Nestled among Bainbridge Island’s charming Pleasant Beach Village, this 1920’s Tudor-style home provided the perfect atmosphere for their destination wedding weekend. A truly quintessential Pacific Northwest venue, Megan, Andrew and their guests enjoyed spectacular views of Puget Sound, lush greenery, and sweet summer sunshine that lit up their event with a bit of a whimsical glow; the type of day you can only cross your fingers for in the Seattle area, even in the midst of a warm July.
To see more of our top venue recommendations in the Seattle area, scroll through our blog featuring Our Tried and True Favorite Venues.
The Manor House can accommodate weddings of 150 guests, making it the ideal setting for couples wanting to host a group of guests without turning it into too large of a celebration. You’ll be provided with a collection of tables and chairs, house linens, and table flatware for use during your ceremony and reception, as well as on-site event waitstaff and bartenders. We’ll collaborate with the Manor House to ensure your celebration flows as seamlessly as possible, transitioning through spaces without a hitch as day turns into night. Whether you are envisioning a cozy dinner party atmosphere with 10 of your favorite humans or a full-fledged reception overlooking the Sound with 100 loved ones, we simply can’t recommend the Manor House enough.
Reach out to the Manor House to get a custom wedding quote here!
The vibe: intimate, entertaining, and one-of-a-kind
One of our favorite parts of Megan and Andrew’s day was seeing all of the unique decisions they made about their weekend, throwing tradition to the wayside in favor of a wedding that felt so wholly them. They kicked the weekend off with a rooftop welcome party in downtown Bainbridge, adjacent to the ferry terminal, to welcome folks to their destination wedding weekend with delicious wood-fired pizza and a variety of craveworthy cocktails.
Curious what it might cost you to hold a full wedding of your own? We put together a blog to answer your top questions about where cost responsibility lies for weekend-long weddings, and to give you a peek at what hosts pay for vs. what guests pay for—read it here.
The two opted to ditch the traditional wedding party in order to cut the stress of large group coordination, and instead hosted grazing food & beverages in their getting ready spaces. Their main priority was to spend quality time throughout the day with select humans they love—plus their dog, Mieke, who got her own dog sitter! We love working with To Wag & To Hold, a Seattle-based dog service who provided Mieke with her own personal attendant. They ensured this sweet girl had time to exercise, behaved well during the first look and family portraits, welcomed guests to the ceremony, and made a calm exit after it was completed; we’re not sure if the couple were the stars of the show, or if it was all Mieke!
Megan and Andrew chose to have as much fun as they could with every element of the day, even down to the smallest of details such as their reception tables, which were named after all their favorite National Park trips. Each table was complete with tales from their adventures and recommendations for anyone else who wanted to visit; such a sweet and thoughtful touch to include. Even their cocktail hour napkins were covered with little-known facts about their relationship! When you pay close attention to the seemingly tiny details like these, it allows your guests to celebrate and cherish you throughout every aspect of your event, from the minute they cheer for your first kiss down to the moment they hear a memorable story about a trip you took together.
Partway through the reception, Megan and Andrew disappeared for sunset photos, heading across the street to the theater marquee that they’d rented out with a custom message. Meanwhile, back at the venue, their guests were invited to leave a video toast at a Voast station, complete with a marvelous view of the water and fun prompts for them to answer. We loved this creative way of including their guests in the reception, and what a meaningful video they’ll have to look back on later. The night ended with not one, not two, but three hours of dancing, the dance floor filled with the vibrant glow of endless glow bracelets and jewelry adorned by guests. It was truly the perfect way to wrap up a day that had been filled with so much love, laughter, and childlike fun that would turn into everlasting, heartwarming memories.
Gratitude from the bride and groom
We were so thankful to receive a lovely review from Megan and Andrew after their incredible celebration, and we wanted to share some of the highlights below.
“Working with Kate and the Tapestry team was easily one of the best decisions we made for our wedding. From the start, we never felt like just another couple on their list of clients. Kate took the time to really get to know us. She made sure she understood our vision for our wedding, but also helped foster our own understanding of what the marriage meant to both of us. She helped us focus on what was important to us and why, which led to us feeling great about our decisions and staying true to what we valued for the day.
Kate has a beautiful way of balancing professionalism and organization with humor and kindness, so that nothing feels stressful, pressured, or difficult. Simply seeing the Tapestry team the day before our wedding helped calm my anxieties. Their calm control of all the details made it easy for me to relax and enjoy the day.
I could type an entire essay on how much I loved working with Kate and all the ways she helped make my wedding day a beautiful celebration. But instead, I’ll give the TLDR and say Kate is a fabulous human and organizational boss who you definitely want to work with!”
The vendor team
Photographer: Kami LaLonde // @kami__lalonde
Planner: Tapestry Event Co. // @tapestryeventco
Florist: Villanelle Floral // @villanellefloral
DJ: Integral DJs // @integraldjs
Hair + Makeup: Makeup Artist Angela // @makeupartist.angela
Tables + Chairs: CORT Party Rental // @cortpartyrental
Linens: BBJ La Tavola // @bbjlatavola
Dog sitter: To Wag & To Hold // @towagandtohold
Venue: Manor House Events // @manorhouseevents98110
Want to start dreaming up your own unique Bainbridge Island wedding at the Manor House? We’d be so honored to collaborate with you on your event and be by your side every step of the way—reach out now.