Summer is the “It Girl” of the wedding season. But savvy, sophisticated planners know fall is truly the best for events in the Pacific Northwest — mild temperatures, eye-popping beauty, and endless bounty to tempt your eyes and appetite. Busy Bee offers the best of autumn for your worry-free, creative, and unforgettable indoor or outdoor occasion. Want to be the (very relaxed) star of fall everything? Let’s get started! 
Décor
We love squash; they’re yummy, good for you, and their amazing shapes and colors make remarkable centerpieces and décor for your creative buffet, gift, or place card tables. Ghost pumpkins are among our favorites for simple, stunning, seasonal statements. How about three small ones stacked vertically in a slender cylindrical glass vase? Or an adorable squat one topped with a spray of flowers (held in place by hidden oasis). Pinecones create the perfect brown accents, as do the reddish leaves of Japanese maples, or the cherry-lipstick red of nandina berries. Finish off with a sprig of dried, summertime lavender for the pop you’re looking for, plus an amazing scent! Your guests will feel festive and comfortable in these kinds of welcoming and beautiful autumn settings.
Food
We know, we know, such a cliché to say the selection is endless in fall in the Pacific Northwest. But it’s true that there’s an abundance of fresh, gorgeous food available for your event. Consider this short (though you may want to check our definition of ‘short’!) list of fresh foods that are absolutely at their peak in this season: butternut squash, beans, cipollini onions, red onions, leeks, green tomatoes, carrots (including rainbow carrots), spinach, garlic, sweet peppers, broccoli, cauliflower, potatoes, cabbage, Brussels sprouts, rutabagas, celeriac, even herbs used for delicious seasoning like basil, sage, and French sorrel.
Location
The Pacific Northwest has every kind of special-occasion venue, from mountain to seaside, from rustic resort to urban oasis. The hills and valleys in our neck of the woods mean a huge selection of one-of-a-kind locations for unique celebrations. Lodges, inns, B&Bs, forested estates, lakeside gardens, country clubs, historic homes, even vintage theaters all can be turned into party central. 
Outdoor event
Are there gray, cloud-covered days in the Pacific Northwest? Does it rain here? You betcha! That’s what makes us so, so green. Outdoor events — even on damp days — go off without a hitch when proper planning takes place. Tenting an affair does not minimize the beauty of location, particularly in this region within the Northwest corner of the country, where your al fresco backdrop is rolling hills, trained grapevines, and leaves in hues of green, yellow, red, and even purple. Or consider a bouquet of cheerful umbrellas for your party guests. They could be transparent through which to witness a fall drizzle or decorated with a key item from your edible table, such as squash blossoms or mini-pumpkins. How’s that for prepared and beautiful?
