Real Couple Weekend Celebration: Heather + Peter in Mazama

Heather and Peter’s celebration was all about Mazama: the place they fell in love, spend most of their time, and have a second home. They wanted to give their friends and family the ultimate Mazama experience and organized a fantastic weekend retreat with the support of Tapestry’s planners. When state-mandated COVID-19 restrictions loomed closer to the date of their wedding outdoor extravaganza, they adapted the celebration accordingly. Instead of holding any group celebrations, they gave their friends and family the gift of a Mazama vacation.

OUR TAPESTRY COUPLE.

The first time Peter saw Heather, he was intrigued. He saw her running past his house multiple times a week after she moved to his neighborhood. He cultivated a friendship with her, running into at farmer’s markets in community events. They fell in love after taking a trip out to Mazama when he invited her to be a part of his relay team. After that experience together, Heather and Peter have tried to spend as much time as possible out there. While they live together in Seattle, they have a second house in Mazama where they spend most of their weekends.

Outdoor activities brought Heather and Peter together. They love being in wide open spaces, running, biking, hiking, or anything else they decide to tackle together. We would describe them as high-powered introverts; they are highly successful in their careers while spending most of their time together doing simple things or spending time outdoors.

THE BIGGEST COVID PIVOT.

Heather and Peter’s original plan was to hold a weekend long retreat for their friends in their favorite place, doing their favorite activities. There were group bike races, a 5k run, hikes, cocktail hours, picnics, and, of course, a big party after their ceremony. When the COVID-19 restrictions hit, they were determined to find a safe way to still give the gift of this experience to their friends and family. They wanted to uphold the spirit of their original celebration while honoring the safety limitations required for the time.

Kate and her team supported their celebration by adapting their weekend itinerary from group events into pod events. For example, their group hike of the Spokane Gulch was socially distanced by staggering groups of five people by five minutes each. They provided masks and sanitary wipes in case the need ever came up. Heather and Peter’s weekend welcome dinner was provided takeout style from the couple’s house. They greeted their friends and family as they picked up their meals and took them to their stays or a beautiful outdoor spot for a socially distanced meal.

One of the most thoughtful touches was the welcome basket they provided each household group during their Hairpin Turn cocktail hour. Inside of each picnic basket, which they were encouraged to use for their meals over the weekend, was a blanket, Yeti thermoses, and sanitation supplies. They provided their guests with a guide to their wedding weekend and the Mazama area, designed by Tapestry and Stacey of Oh Hey Face. Tapestry helped design these gifts to support socially distanced meals, foster sustainable outdoor dining practices, and provide accessories that guests could enthusiastically use for outdoor adventures beyond the wedding weekend.

Let’s take a moment to talk about this guide. It. Was. Awesome! Not only did it talk about Mazama and their schedule of events, it also clearly stated the safety measures of each event. It gave guests clear expectations for the weekend and how to interact with each other and the community. As Mazama is a beloved community by the couple, Heather and Peter made sure that they checked in with the local stores and restaurants about the number of people that would be arriving during their wedding weekend. Businesses that had the capacity to serve their friends and family were recommended in the guide.

Another part of their thoughtfulness to the community was expressed through providing all the meals for the guests. Over the weekend, Table Catering Co. provided 390 to-go meals for Heather and Peter’s friends and family that they made in the couple’s home. Tapestry collaborated with Table and Methow Moments to construct an open-air 800 square-foot outdoor kitchen in the couple’s side yard. It was complete with ovens, assembly stations, prep zones, and a refrigerated truck. 

Because of this effort, Table Catering Co. was able to provide wine pairings with happy hour and dinner takeaways of incredible quality, taking into account all the various dietary restrictions of the guests. This took the load off of the restaurants in the area, which were mostly limited in staff and unable to accommodate such an influx.

MAKING THE WEDDING WEEKEND A GO.

Kate and Kaska of Tapestry Event Co. worked their tails off to communicate safety guidelines, smoothly welcome guests to the locations of the activities, and coordinate the vendors. After Friday’s hike, happy hour (with a fully circular rainbow!), and welcome dinner, they busied themselves prepping the ceremony site for the next morning. On Saturday, before the ceremony, Kate and Kaska were prepping guests to participate in either Peter’s bike ride and Heather’s run. Heather, a former Olympic athlete, wanted to spend her wedding morning doing what she loved best. Like the hike, Kaska and Kate staggered groups to begin their journey on the Goat Creek Loop and provided masks and sanitation supplies for each member to wear and carry.

The ceremony began at 4:00pm. They invited only thirty of their guests, as the state restrictions allowed, and staged the seating in household pods. It was heartfelt and beautiful, summarizing the incredible importance of the community Heather and Peter wanted to celebrate, even at a distance. After the ceremony, all of the guests were invited to the Wine Ledge to spread out blankets along the cliff top and share a champagne toast. The dinner was provided to-go from Heather and Peter’s house.

On Sunday, Heather and Peter started their morning slowly and invited their friends and family to continue bonding through the activities safely. Any interested guests were welcomed to an hour of horseback riding at Sun Mountain Lodge.

The wedding weekend perhaps wasn’t what they originally dreamed of, but Tapestry Event Co. was able to incorporate all of the most important elements of their ideal celebration into a safely coordinated and socially distanced weekend experience. They were able to honor their marriage, lift up their favorite town, and give the gift of their favorite activities to their friends and family.

If you want to read more about Heather and Peter’s weekend celebration, take a look at their photographer Bradley Hanson’s blog about their outdoor adventures.

— Kelleen, Tapestry Content Manager

Photos courtesy of Bradley Hanson Photography.

THE VENDOR TEAM.

Designer, Planner, + Coordinator: Kate + Kaska // Tapestry Event Co. // @tapestryeventco // tapestryeventco.com // Seattle, WA + Beyond

Photographer: Bradley // Bradley Hanson Photography // @bradleyhansonphotography //bradleyhanson.com // Seattle, Minneapolis, + Beyond

Caterer: Brooke // TABLE Catering Co. // @tablecateringco // tablecateringco.com // Seattle, WA + Beyond

Officiant: Emily // Rooted & Wild // @rootedandwildpdx // rootedandwild.co // Portland, OR + Beyond

Rental Provider: Paul + Mandy // Methow Moments // methowmoments.com // Methow Valley, WA

Florist: Katie // Twisted Willow Floral Studio // @twistedwillowfloral //twistedwillowfloral.com // Lake Chelan, WA

Stationer: Stacey // Oh Hey Face // @ohheyface // ohheyface.com // Seattle, WA

Paper Goods Vendor: Rachel // Rachel Marvin Creative // @rachelmarvincreative // rachelmarvincreative.com // Richmond, VA

Hair + Makeup Artist: Robert Leonard Salon // @rlsalonseattle //robertleonard.net // Seattle, WA + Beyond

Restroom Renter: Theresa // JA Wright Construction // jawrightconst.com // Methow Valley, WA

Venue: Mazama Ranch House // mazamaranchhouse.com // Mazama, WA