Red Carpet Fun on Oscar Night at Novelty Hill-Januik Winery

Things we love….

1. A red carpet… especially one that has all our favorite celebrates and the most gorgeous and garish gowns on it
2. Great food and wine
3. Acknowledging the talents of those who entertain us
4. Billy Crystal

We’re talking about this Sunday nights 84^th Oscar night and this year, we're excited to watch all the cheers, tears and jokes with our friends at Novelty Hill-Januik Winery.

Check out the details below for this glitz and glam night:

Red Carpet Fun for Oscar Night!

Join Novelty Hill-Januik Winery for a night of red carpet glitz and velvet rope glam! They'll be watching in high-style on their giant 8' screen, starting with red carpet coverage before the awards (celebrity gossip included). Ladies, this is your night to show off your new cocktail dress and walk the red carpet in your favorite shoes! Have your photo taken in the spotlight with Oscar and sample some of our Best Picture menu specials. Test your Academy knowledge with Oscar Bingo - winners take home a bottle of our favorite Cab!

Sunday, February 26 - 3:00pm Red Carpet / 4:00pm Awards

Open to public ~ No cover charge ~ No RSVP required

A sneak peek of our Oscar menu:

• •   Kahlua Pork with Hawaiian Sweet Roll & Pineapple Slaw (“The Descendents”)
• •   Mussels Cooked in White Wine, Tomatoes, Breadcrumbs & Herbs (“Midnight in Paris”)
• •   Creamy Herbed Polenta with Garlic Marinated Prawns (“The Help”)
• •   Fish & Chips with Malt Vinegar Aioli (“The Iron Lady”)
• •   Black Beans, Collard Greens, Fried Egg, Sausage (“Real in Rio”)
• •   Honey & Pine Nut Marinated Lamb Skewers with Rice, Lime Yogurt Dipping Sauce (“A Separation”)http://www.noveltyhilljanuik.com/

Cast you ballots

January is known for being wedding show season (Weddings in Woodinville in which 3 of Team Butler hold positions on it’s Board of Directors, was just this last Sunday and was a roaring success… but more on that later) it is also Ballot polling time.

This year there are two magazine publications that are asking for your help in letting them know who you deem the best in the industry, Meetings & Events Magazine and Seattle Bride Magazine. 

Northwest Meetings & Events MagazineMeetings + Events, is the premier magazine for meetings and events professionals.  It is published regionally four times a year by Tiger Oak Media. Circulated to approximately 10,000 planners, suppliers and related professionals per region, the magazine includes essential information on a range of topics, from venues and supplier news, to tips, best practices and industry developments.

Seattle Bride Magazine was founded in 1998.  Seattle Bride is the region’s premier luxury bridal magazine and website, catering to engaged couples looking for the top wedding vendors and the most creative, inspired ideas for their Northwest wedding.

Seattle Bride MagazineYou have helped us win "Best Valet Service" since 2003, "Best Bachelorette Party" for Butler Wine Tours and voted us in the top 3 for "Best Transportation" for Seattle Bride and this is the first year in that Meetings & Events Magazine has had a category for Transportation/Valet.  We would be honored if you took a moment and voted for your favorite vendors in each of these publications. 

The details:

NW Meeting & Events – vote for the top Washington Suppliers & Vendors

Deadline is February 24^th by 5pm

http://nw.meetingsmags.com/northwest-meetings-events-2nd-annual-readers-choice-best-awards-official-online-ballot

Seattle Bride Magazine – vote for Seattle’s Top Wedding Vendors

 http://seattlebridemag.com/best-of

Deadline is February 15^th, 2012

 Have fun voting and thank you for your support!

Why you should attend a wedding show

January = the start of wedding show season for us at Butler.  Almost every weekend this month and for the next few months you can find a show to attend.  So how do you narrow down which one to attend?  (Besides seeing us there of course!)  What is the best way to choose the shows that will fit your needs best?

Here are some tips from us on how to help you navigate through wedding show season:

2012 Color of the Year Tangerine Tango Polyvore.com1.  Hooray!  You're engaged, but the date is still TBD.  No problem!   Now is the best time to attend a wedding show, because you are flexibile on the details and are looking for inspiration on every aspect of your day.  Venue availability, seasonal food and coordinating colors will change with each season but at the first of the year, shows are playing up this years wedding colors and themes (Tangerine Tango is the color for 2012, which happens to be Stuart's daughter favorite color).  We bet you will leave the show with a better idea of when you want your wedding to be by discussing your options with the vendors you’ve met.

2. Who should you bring with you?  Think about the important influential people in your life that will help you make important decisions about vendors:  Do you always ask your mom? Your mother-in-law? Spouse or maid-of-honor and bridesmaids?  Your best friend from grade school?  These are the people you’ll want to have with you at the wedding show. If they will be weighing in, let them receive the information when you do and experience the event together.

 3. Ask questions.  You are there to learn and vendors love what they do and can not wait to share their passion & expertise with you. Photographers, transportation, florists, caterers, DJs, entertainers, wedding planners and bridal boutiques will all be in attendance. Rather than sifting through countless websites, you can meet and see the real work of these outstanding professionals.  This way you can rule out anyone that does not feel right and have a smaller number of people to contact for personal meetings after the event.

BanquetEvent.com Wedding Resource Guide4.  Get your hands on a Wedding Resource Guide!  These guides will be your “bridal bible” and can be the ultimate resource to reference after the show is done so you don't have to sort through all those individual pamphletes.  

5.  With so many big decisions to make, attending a wedding show feels overwhelming.  Whether you have a good feel for what you want your wedding to be or have no clue at all, you will surely see something that gets you excited.  There really is no better place to find the inspiration to take your wedding planning to the next level.

Weddings in Woodinville 2011-Photo by Visions of Romance6.  Large wedding shows versus boutique-style?  The large shows can be an overload for the senses but also have a palatable buzz of excitement in the air and are a good place to get ideas for just how many options there are out there.  Boutique shows are more intimate and you get the chance to interact with the vendors on a more personal and unrushed time frame.  

A wedding show is that experience alternative to looking through endless pictures and websites.   A show is your opportunity to walk into a venue that you might be considering, see the decorations of a rental company, taste the food of a caterer and meet the people who can make your dream wedding a reality.

Some of our favorite wedding shows are:

The Seattle Wedding Show - January 7-8, 2012

Weddings in Woodinville - January 29, 2012

Voila! Wedding Show – March 25, 2012

The Snohomish Wedding Tour – May 20, 2012

Twelve Baskets Open House

Update!

This event has been rescheduled for Thursday, February 9th, 2012 because of weather.

Twelve Basket’s Catering is having an Open House!  They promise that they “are busy getting geared up for what is sure to be our greatest open house event in 35 years!”  So come join us and 14 other fabulous vendors for a fun night of food, drinks and connections with vendors who can help you turn your wedding or event into something truly memorable.

We hope you can join Twelve Baskets Catering and us for this amazing evening.  Please make sure to RSVP and let them know you’re coming!

We are honored to be working with the following vendors for this amazing event:

Venue: 415 Westlake
Flowers: Woodland Flowers
Rentals/Linens: AA Party Rentals
Vintage Rentals/Decor: Scout Vintage Rentals
Bridal Attire: La Belle Reve
DJ & Lighting Services: Wave Link Music
Wedding & Event Coordinator: Pink Blossom Events
Wine: Lobo Hills Hills
Donuts: Mighty-O
Entertainment: Sam Day
Espresso Services: Espresso Elegance
Hair & Makeup: Salon Maison
Invitations/Stationary: Heathoriginal
Officiant: Annemarie Juhlian
Photographer: Calima Portraits
Transportation/Parking Services: Butler Seattle
Photo Booth Services: Emerald City Photo Booth

Photos from Twelve Baskets Catering  

The Details:

Tuesday, January 17^th

5-9pm

415 Westlake in the South Lake Union neighborhood of Seattle

for more information please visit twelvebasketscatering.com

Ready for Christmas light displays?! We are!

♪ ♫ ♩ ♬  It’s beginning to look a lot like Christmas…. ♪ ♫ ♩ ♬

and one of our favorite winter activities has begun…  viewing Christmas lights!  A family tradition of ours for years now, we love to layer up in our knit hats (most knit by Jeremy & Stuart's wives), gloves & scarves and load our friends & family into one of the Mercedes Sprinters to begin our annual hunt for the best Christmas lights our beautiful area has to offer.  Hands down, besides our own Jeremy Butler, who gives any holiday house a run for its money (check out the last photo), Garden d’Lights is the highlight of the tour.

We hope you take some time this year to smell the hot mocha & hot chocolate (which are also hot, fragrant & fantastic inside at the Bellevue Botanical Garden’s gift shop, The Trillium) and savor the beautiful displays of the holiday spirit!

Some of our favorite stops are:

Garden d'Lights

Over a half million lights go into creating Garden d' LightsBellevue Botanical Gardens
November 26 – December 31
5pm to 10pm every evening including the holidays
Purchase Tickets online or  at the gardens gate. Tickets are $5 and free for anyone 10 & younger
Free Nights to view are 11/28, 29 & 30, & 12/5, 6, 7, 12, 13 & 14
For more information visit http://www.gardendlights.org/

Keep Clam! at the Ivar's Clam LightsIvars Clam Lights
Gene Coulon Memorial Beach Park, Renton     
December 2 through January 1
5pm-9pm
Free (but be sure to stop by the Ivar’s Seafood Bar for a cup of their amazing clam chowder and Keep Clam!)
For more information visit http://www.ivars.com

Point Defiance Zoo LightsZoo Lights at Point Defiance Zoo & Aquarium
November 25 – January 1 (closed 12/24)
5pm-9pm
Tickets can be purchased online, at Fred Meyer or at the gate.  Tickets are $7 prepurchased & $8.25 at the gate.  2 & under are free. 
Military Mondays 11/28, 12/5 & 12/12 $6.50 for active duty military & their household with military ID
College Student Discount Nights 11/29, 12/6 & 12/13 $6.50 with student ID
For more information visit http://www.pdza.org/page.php?id=435 

A small portion of the Butler clan enjoying the lights at Warm Beach

Lights of Christmas - Warm Beach Camp
December 1-4, 8-11, 15-23, 26-28
5pm-10pm
Tickets can be purchased online or in person.   Kids 3 & under are free, 4-12 $9, 13-59 $15, 60+ and military $10
For more information visit http://www.warmbeach.com/lights-of-christmas.html

"Blast this Christmas music. It's joyful and triumphant." - The GrinchBallard’s Olympic Manor  (a must for this Ballard born blogger with a pre-stop at Robertino’s Italian Specialties for Lavazza coffee & THE BEST homemade gelato e.v.e.r.)

December 1 through January 1^st
Evenings
Free 

Looking for more?  We always refer to Steve Pool’s Parade of Lights on KOMO News for the latest and most fantastic neighborhood displays.

Tickets are on sale now for Weddings in Woodinville 2012

Attention Future Brides & Grooms! You Are Invited To Experience Woodinville’s Top Wedding Venues on January 29th, 2012, 11:30 a.m. to 5:00 p.m.

“WEDDINGS IN WOODINVILLE” • 7 Venues • 100 Vendors • 16 Wines

“Weddings in Woodinville” is a boutique wedding tour and wine tasting experience for brides and their wedding party to enjoy while viewing and visiting with the best vendors in the industry. Take your tour in luxury style with Butler Transportation between locations that include The Woodhouse Wine Estates, Columbia Winery, DeLille Cellars, JM Cellars, Novelty Hill - Januik Winery, Matthews Estate and Willows Lodge.

Gather your friends and families to join this exciting afternoon tour of wine tasting, catered food, fabulous décor and live entertainment during a special open-house of Woodinville’s top wedding venues. Ticket holders for this event will board chauffeur- driven luxury transportation for a half-day tour that will escort your group to each venue.

This extraordinary event has been designed to give couples, their families and friends a sneak preview of each fully-decorated venue to better envision their special wedding day and meet with industry professionals that can help them put it all together.

“Weddings in Woodinville” was voted one of the top three wedding shows in Seattle Bride Magazine, 2010 and 2011. Last year the event sold out within three weeks! Over 500 guests were in attendance.

NEW THIS YEAR: Exclusive VIP tickets! Limited to 75 attendees this ticket includes early registration, champagne reception, VIP swag bags, additional tour time and more. Check in time is 10:30 a.m. to 11:30 a.m. at Woodhouse Wine Estates, where parking is available. Please visit our website for additional benefits.

Make your reservation today and purchase your tickets online! If you are making plans for your very special wedding day you won’t want to miss this fantastic bridal event!

Check out last year’s event: Weddings in Woodinville 2011, video courtesy of Bogle Productions and Edit1Media.

Weddings in Woodinville from Bogle Productions on Vimeo.

All that glitters does bring gold to GHGH

Get Hitched Give Hope Silent Auction Item table by Butler Seattle, Taylor'd Events by Jennifer & The Northwest FaceOn Thursday, October 27, 2011, Seattleites gathered together in all their sequins, rhinestoned heels & hot pink accessories (which included some of the best pink ties ever seen!) for the do-good wedding event of the season, Get Hitched Give Hope.  The Four Season’s Seattle was bathed in feathers, glamour & wedding white with the perfect amount of pink ambiance with Seattle’s finest vendors and humanitarian residents that made a record year for GHGH fundraising, breaking their goal to raise $75,000 by almost $10,000! 

Seattle's Four Season's ready for Get Hitched Give Hope

We were honored to participate with Jennifer Taylor of Taylor’d Events with Jennifer and The Woodmark Hotel for a Girls Day Out Wine, Spa & Happy Hour auction package and can’t wait to take our winners out for their GDO!

 

Check out their Facebook page for an amazing recap by La Vie Photography and Flipped Out Productions for an awesome video of the evening.  

Congratulations to everyone involved!  We can’t wait to participate again!  (It’s not too early to start finding those perfect pink accessories yet is it?!)