About Emerald Hour
Our Mission
To inspire and empower wedding professionals to create more sustainable events in the Pacific Northwest.
Objectives
Build Community
Build an inclusive community of eco-minded wedding professionals.
Inspire Change
Inspire a cultural shift away from the wedding industry’s wasteful status-quo.
The Team
Founded in 2021, Emerald Hour was born after a handful of wedding pros came together to commiserate over our industry’s wasteful ways and to brainstorm how we might inspire change. Since then, we’ve formed a larger group of professionals leading our organization and continually striving for membership growth, education, community connections, and real-world impact.
Meet the creative and hardworking committee behind our events, educational tools, and organization:
Hannah
Emerald Hour Co-Founder
The Hummingbird Event Co.
I’m the owner of The Hummingbird Event Co., where I specialize in wedding and elopement planning in Washington State. I find so much joy in supporting and collaborating with couples to craft an intentional and meaningful wedding experience.
Since starting my business in 2020, I’ve felt increasingly compelled to make weddings less environmentally-harmful, so I was thrilled to team up with three like-minded wedding vendors back in 2022 to found Emerald Hour.
I’m honored to have the opportunity to collaborate with other sustainable wedding professionals and continue to make my own business more environmentally-conscious!
Marla
Emerald Hour Co-Founder
Marla Manes Photography
I’m a full-time photographer specializing in intimate weddings & elopements in the great outdoors. I moved from to Seattle a couple years ago seeking out these gorgeous views, and I couldn’t be happier to call Washington my home! I’m a University of Florida graduate who majored, double minored, studied abroad, and interned in environmental sustainability, and have always been the “eco-warrior” of my friend groups.
I advocate for Leave No Trace practices throughout the elopement community, and educate all of my clients about the importance of LNT principles and environmental awareness as they plan their events. I love being part of the incredible wedding community of the PNW, where so many vendors lead their businesses with their values.
Susan
Emerald Hour Co-Founder
Celebrations for Every Season
For decades I’ve been “that friend” hosting sustainable celebrations, insisting on things like cloth napkins and reusable party supplies. In 2019 I decided to make my passion my profession and set out to help other people celebrate their most special moments and try to normalize sustainable weddings and events along the way.
Now my vintage party rental business specializes in weddings and events for up to 50 guests here in the Pacific Northwest, using perfectly mismatched dishes, glassware, silverware, and other tabletop items that I source mostly from thrift stores. I love creating gatherings that are good for people AND good for the planet! My favorite celebrations usually involve a flower filled garden setting and/or a fancy tea party. Cheers!
Holly
Committee Member
Holly Yee Floral Architecture
Floral design entered my life when I was in grade school and living on the island of Kauai. I took a lei-making workshop at the local community center where I learned how to make leis and flower crowns (called hakus in Hawaii). Later on in high school I taught myself to make boutonnieres and corsages, and then sold them to fellow classmates for prom and other school dances. The first time I designed flowers for a wedding was when my cousin got married in the late 90’s. After that I would do floral design for weddings here and there for friends and acquaintances. I decided to start my own floral design business back in 2011. I operated Love Letters Floral Design in Colorado until 2018 when my husband and I moved to Washington state for his new job. Holly Yee Floral Architecture launched in 2019 and my services include not only weddings, but corporate events, biophilic installations, and floral workshops. Sustainability is a cornerstone of my business. I don’t use floral foam, I re-use as many mechanics as possible, and I buy flowers locally when possible. The earth laughs in flowers and I honor their natural beauty the way nature intended!
Kiira
Committee Member
Evergreen Event Co.
I began my career in corporate events, but quickly found myself drawn to the creativity and emotional depth of weddings. I got my start by cold-calling one of Seattle’s top planners and asking to be her assistant—she took me under her wing, and I learned so much. But I also saw how much waste went into one day of celebration. I believed there had to be a better way.
A few years later, I launched my own planning company with sustainability at its core. I joined Emerald Hour early in its inception, struck by how few vendors were focused on eco-conscious practices in such an environmentally-minded city. I’m proud to serve on the committee, supporting the movement toward a more sustainable and intentional wedding industry alongside others pushing for thoughtful, lasting change.
Kaitlyn
Website Wizard
Skyewater Photo + Film
Originally born in Florida, Kaitlyn has since found a home out west after living in Nevada, Colorado, and now Washington State.
Since 2012, I’ve been documenting elopements and weddings with a focus on scenery, color, and emotion. It took me several years to figure out how to blend my educational background in environmental science and nature writing with my photography work, and creating Skyewater transformed the brand into something meaningful.
Not only does our focus on outdoor elopements and small weddings align well with clients who also care about nature, but we’re also making an impact through donations funded by every wedding package we sell. As part of the Emerald Hour committee, I now get to combine these passions with my skills in website design, copywriting, and SEO to continue growing our community of vendors and inspiring couples.
Contact Us
Have a question or suggestion? Want to get involved?
We’d love to hear from you!