Featured Couple - Tanida & Brendan

THE BRIDE: Tanida Laohaprasit, 23
THE GROOM: Brendan Thomas Aye, 23
THE DATE: December 11, 2005
THE SCENE: Ceremony at Denny Park Lutheran Church and Reception at the Fairmont Olympic Hotel

View Pictures From Tanida & Brendan's Wedding

SCHOOL OF LOVE: Tanida and Brendan first met in High School where they actually did not know each other too well. It was not until after High School graduation that they became friends. They began to hang out through a mutual friend and by the time summer was over they were quite taken with each other. Brendan went to school in Bellingham and Tanida at the UW. After a year of long-distance love Brendan moved back to Seattle to be with Tanida and things got a lot more serious. After 4.5 years of dating Brendan surprised Tanida on a random Thursday night. It was late and by the time Tanida got off work she had no idea what was in store for her. Brendan had decorated her entire condo with rose petals and hundreds of candles, strawberries dipped in chocolate and a bottle of vintage Dom Perigon. Of course Tanida was ecstatic and said YES! They immediately called their parents and both sides couldn’t have been filled with more joy.

THE PLANNING BEGINS: The first thing they did before planning the wedding was to hire a wedding planner. Wendy Wojcik was the perfect person to help them. Tanida and Brendan decided on a winter wedding. They wanted the feel to be warm and elegant. The Fairmont Olympic would be the perfect setting. The Ceremony would be a traditional one at Denny Park Lutheran Church.

WINTER WONDERLAND: Now that the date and location had been set, an overall theme for the wedding was decided. Tanida and Brendan wanted their wedding to be a classic winter wedding with the warmth of tradition and family. The colors were different shades of whites to creams with a touch of silver. Tanida wore a beaded-white strapless ball gown in satin. The bridesmaids wore light silver dresses with winter white fur shrugs and crystal encrusted shoes and jewelry. They carried bouquets of white roses. The bride’s bouquet was large with white roses and crystals. The flower girls wore white dresses with swarovski crystal jewelry and walked with white fur muffs down the isle. The ring boys were both very young at the age of two and both looked darling in little white tuxes. The groomsmen wore black suits and black vests. Brendan’s vest was different of course. He wore a white vest to tie in with Tanida’s dress.

THE BIG DAY ARRIVES: As guests arrived and were being seated on a beautiful sunny day, the string quartet began playing Beethoven. After guests were seated, Brendan and Tanida’s mothers and grandmothers were seated by Brendan and his Father. After the ceremony, Brendan and Tanida were escorted by a white Rolls Royce from British Motor Coach over to the Fairmont Olympic to prepare for their formal introduction to their friends. They walked through the Spanish Foyer and into the Ballroom to be seated at their table. The ballroom couldn’t have been more beautiful. It had all the warmth of Christmas yet was the perfect winter wonderland because of the white flowers and white satin chair covers. As their guest entered the ballroom, they were greeted for the first time by Mr. and Mrs. Brendan Aye. After some touching toasts and speeches by their Fathers, it was time for their first dance. Michael Benson band played The Way You Look Tonight and they danced across the dance floor. The party was in full swing from that moment on, and Tanida and Brendan retired a few hours later to their room, bringing with them a lifetime of memories from their incredible night.

View Pictures From Tanida & Brendan's Wedding

Photography by Ron Henry / Jonathan King