Colorful & Retro Botanical Conservatory Wedding
Hannah & Gunnar’s colorful & retro Tacoma wedding at Historic 1625 was a phenomenal way to kick off the 2023 wedding season. It was one of the most unique weddings I’ve EVER photographed, put together by a couple who knew exactly what they wanted and what would best represent them + their unique love. And let me tell you – they beyond succeeded in bringing their vision to life! From start to finish, this day was filled with vibrant colors, impeccable decor, retro-inspired touches, and pure fun & celebration. Keep scrolling if you want to see the dreamy tropical conservatory wedding portraits we took at W. W. Seymour, the most incredible colorful wedding decor, three (three!!) outfit changes by the bride, and a fun little mid-reception surprise ✂️
Hannah & Gunnar’s One-of-a-Kind Tacoma Wedding Day
A romantic Seattle waterfront engagement session
Along with their recent wedding, I also had the honor of photographing Hannah & Gunnar’s engagements – and of course, it was an absolute blast! We explored the streets and the rooftops of downtown Seattle, watched the sunset from the waterfront, and toasted champagne at the end of the night. These two clearly love a good retro moment (and they make it look damn good), because they brought allll the retro-inspired vibes to their engagement session, too, with a stylish convertible, cat-eye sunglasses, and a vintage floral jumpsuit that I absolutely need in my closet. Take a peek at the whole session here if you’d like to see the magical precursor to their big day!
Colorful & retro wedding decor inspo galore
I said it in the blog post for their engagement, but I’ll say it again: Hannah & Gunnar are two of the sweetest people I’ve ever met. Just like their waterfront session, they focused their entire wedding day around FUN – and lots of it. They weren’t the type of couple who needed everything to look perfect (except spoiler alert: it did), or who wanted their day to look like everybody else’s that they’ve seen on Pinterest. No, Hannah and Gunnar had a unique vision for their wedding, filled with retro, vibrant decor, breathtaking floral design, and pops of color galore – and whew did they pull it off flawlessly!
Every minute detail had so much thought & intention poured into it, I could barely narrow down the photo selection for this blog post. From the drool-worthy pastel color palette, to the retro stationery, to the intricate tablescapes (with Pantone shades as table numbers – how cool is that?!) and the retro ice cream cones at the end of the night, I could NOT stop taking photos! Enjoy scrolling through this dream of a day that this creative couple & their talented vendors put so much effort into ✨
And fun fact – Hannah actually owns her own business, Picnic Party Seattle, which is a creative company that creates pop-up picnics around the Greater Seattle Area & also offers custom event planning! They put together the dreamiest picnic setups with a focus around warm hospitality, community, and creativity, and are a must-follow on Instagram @picnicpartyseattle 🩷
Part 1: Dreamy conservatory wedding portraits at W. W. Seymour
Hannah and Gunnar split their wedding into what felt like three main parts: their first look + bride and groom portraits, their ceremony, and their reception – each of which, by the way, had Hannah in a whole separate outfit. You heard me right: this gorgeous, brilliant, creative human had TWO outfit changes throughout the day and rocked THREE unique gowns! But more on that a little later, otherwise I’ll never make any progress with the rest of their celebration 😉
After getting ready with their loved ones, Hannah and Gunnar made their way to the W. W. Seymour Botanical Conservatory, a stunning arboretum located in Tacoma’s historic Wright Park. (Fun little historical fact for you: this conservatory was built way back in 1908 and is one of only three Victorian-style conservatories on the West Coast!)
This building was an absolute dream of a location for their first look & conservatory wedding portraits, featuring tons and tons of soft, natural light and filled with more than 250 species of vibrant tropical plants. I could not have pictured a more magical setting for Hannah and Gunnar to start their day in, surrounded by the lush greenery and colorful blooming florals while they exchanged loving words and plenty of sweet hugs 🤍
P.S. If you’re a Seattleite looking for a botanical conservatory in Seattle for your wedding, I highly recommend the Volunteer Park Conservatory! It’s the most beautiful conservatory at the north end of Volunteer Park on Capitol Hill, and is another one of the few Victorian-style greenhouses on the West Coast. And if you need a photographer for your Volunteer Park Conservatory wedding, count me in – my gear bags are already packed and ready to roll 😉
Part 2: A stunning ceremony at Historic 1625
Next up was the official stuff! Hannah and Gunnar held their ceremony at Historic 1625, a gorgeous, rustic Tacoma wedding venue boasting warm brick walls, beautiful exposed beam ceilings, and plenty of space to host all your loved ones. It’s a fantastic venue for couples looking to have their ceremony and reception all in one place, without a ton of difficult tear down and setup in between!
For their ceremony, Hannah and Gunnar opted for a modern, layered backdrop featuring multiple salmon-colored arches and two asymmetrical floral installations. My jaw was on the floor when I walked up and saw this setup – the pastel shade of the backdrop complemented the color palette of the florals SO beautifully, and the floral installations provided the perfect natural frame for the bride and groom to stand in front of! They did a phenomenal job of coordinating the soft tones of the ceremony decor with the warm tones of the venue’s ambient lighting & exposed brick walls, as well as the whimsical string lights hanging above them.
Part 3: A mid-evening haircut, dancing, & ice cream
As if this wedding weren’t already fabulous enough, Hannah and Gunnar truly saved the best for last with the most epic retro wedding reception ever. Right after the ceremony, Hannah snuck away for one of the most creative, fun surprises I’ve ever seen on a wedding day: a mid-evening haircut!! Yes, that’s right – this beauty chopped a few inches off of her gorgeous hair, changed into a retro-glam, pearl-covered gown, and walked back out to her new hubby like it was nobody’s business. She was on FIRE 🔥And what a fun way to surprise your spouse + totally change up your look on your big day!
They toasted with their loved ones, snapped photos with as many guests as they could, and kicked off the night with a series of sweet first dances. Instead of having a traditional wedding cake as their dessert, they opted for a way more fun ice cream table, where guests could scoop their own ice cream into old-fashioned cones + add the toppings of their choice – my new favorite dessert idea for couples who want a simpler option than a large cake or dessert table!
Before enjoying some pizza and really hitting the dance floor, Hannah snuck away for – you guessed it – ANOTHER outfit change. This stunner swapped her glam gown for a dress that embodied all the fun, retro vibes even more, covered in floral appliques. I adored this final dress of the day, especially with the custom, white bridal jacket she paired it with, featuring gorg fringe sleeves and the word “hitched” on the back in bold, retro letters! What a fashion QUEEN.
And what a way to kick off this new wedding season. So excited for a full year of love, good vibes, and epic celebrations just like this one!
Tacoma wedding vendors
A massive thank you goes out to all the vendors who contributed their talent + creativity and helped bring this incredible day to life!
Planning & Coordination: Emerald Engagements | @emeraldengagements
Floral Design: Peonies and Sunshine
Venue: Historic 1625 | @historic1625
Catering: Snuffin’s Catering
For more gorgeous inspiration to help you dream up your own special day, take a look at a few of my recent Seattle elopements & weddings below:
