Events
Build Your Community
Emerald Hour is excited to host and participate in a variety of events throughout the year, from membership-only gatherings to events hosted by other local organizations and partners.
View our upcoming and past events below for more details!
Photos above provided by Marla Manes, Bloom & Wander Co., and Claire Kerbs.
Upcoming Events
Susan’s Annual Garden Party in Normandy Park (near SeaTac)
June 17, 2026
This is our fourth annual summer garden party in Susan’s magical backyard, an event we look forward to all year!
As wedding vendors, we know how stressful the summer wedding season can be. With back-to-back events and never-ending client emails (not to mention all our other responsibilities in life!), it can be difficult to make time for joy and intentional self-care. That’s why we started hosting this event four years ago. Our summer garden party is all about bringing members together for an evening of connection, relaxation, and a little indulgence.
In addition to our evening gathering, this year we’re also hosting an afternoon workshop where we’ll discuss what it means to thrive (and not just survive) during wedding season and explore practical, science-based strategies for prioritizing our well-being.
Members are welcome to arrive between 2:30 – 3:00 PM to settle in for our workshop, where we’ll serve tea and pastries. We’ll have a break from 5 – 6:00 PM for members to take a walk outside, get any necessary emails done, etc. The evening garden party will start at 6:00 PM and wrap up around 8:00 PM. We’ll have cocktails, mocktails, and a summer-inspired menu of sweet and savory treats.
You can join us for one or both parts of the day. It’s sure to be a BERRY good time! Register using the link in the email we’ve sent out to all members.
Past Events
Virtual Workshop: How to Navigate AI as a Sustainable Business Owner
APRIL 28, 2026
There’s no doubt that AI is everywhere these days. As small business owners who value sustainability, it’s hard to figure out how to balance the benefits of using AI to make our work more efficient with the undeniable environmental impacts of AI. That’s why we were excited to host a much-needed workshop on this topic featuring two experts on balancing sustainability and digital tools: Hazel Horvath and Jen McFarland.
Hazel is the founder and CEO of Ecolytics, a single platform for corporate sustainability. The company recently launched Offset AI, a tool that helps companies understand and reduce the footprint of tools like ChatGPT and Gemini by tracking usage and supporting credible offsetting. Jen is the founder of Marit Digital, which partners with organizations as they plan, assess, and improve the digital solutions that help them succeed.
This event was open to all wedding vendors and Emerald Hour members also have access to the replay.
3rd Annual Sustainable Wedding Show
April 12, 2026
Emerald Hour had such a great time hosting our third annual Sustainable Wedding Show! This was our second time hosting the event at the Pickering Barn in Issaquah, which was a great space for our members and attendees in 2025. This year our theme was “Colors of the PNW,” and even for those not participating, all members were invited to attend (for free!) and enjoy the creativity of fellow members.
This one-of-a-kind event offered engaged couples and vendors an opportunity to be inspired by the beauty of the PNW and the possibilities for eco-friendly weddings that are stunning and sustainable.
Values-Focused SEO Strategies Workshop
March 18, 2026
This SEO workshop was focused on writing content that aligns with your values! This educational and interactive virtual meeting was for members-only, and all beginners to SEO were welcome to attend.
Workshop + Mixer: Aligning Your Business with Your Values
January 27, 2026
Our first event of 2026 was a community workshop and mixer at the Cloud Room in Capitol Hill in Seattle. We started with a hands-on workshop, all about how we can build a wedding business that aligns with our values, with an emphasis on marketing and operations. Then, a few of us went upstairs to the lounge for a social mixer, to meet and connect with other wedding pros in our community. This was open to both Emerald Hour members and non-members. We hope to do similar events again in the future!
Members-Only End of the Year Reflections + Conversation
December 16, 2025
To wrap up 2025, we held a virtual conversation where we reflected on 2025, looked ahead to 2026, and got to know fellow members of our Emerald Hour community. The vibes were cozy, casual, and nourishing!
Members-Only Retreat at Tierra Retreat Center in Leavenworth
November 11 – 13, 2025
(Tues dinner thru thurs lunch)
We had a great time connecting with members for a relaxing, fun, and thoughtful retreat at Tierra Retreat Center! We talked about sustainability and the wedding industry, our individual businesses, goals for 2026, and even had time for puzzles, cooking together, and hiking in the forest. Stay tuned for future retreat opportunities in 2026.
Being an Online Ally: How to Write Inclusive Copy in your Wedding Business”
12 – 1 PM
September 25, 2025
This virtual workshop was co-hosted by Emerald Hour and Kinder Weddings. We were honored to have Cindy Savage, the wedding planner behind Aisle Less Traveled and the co-creator/co-host of the Super Gay Wedding podcast, as the speaker and facilitator for this virtual, hands-on workshop. Cindy helped us dive into our websites, social media, and working documents to identify places where we can make our language more inclusive.
Content Day + Summer Gathering at Evergreen Gardens in Ferndale
September 17, 2025
After last year’s success, we hosted another members-only Content Day at Evergreen Gardens! Themes, designs, and collabs were up to member participants. This was a great way for members to enjoy their own creativity and collaborate with other members.
We also held a casual dinner after the content day when we gathered to celebrate surviving another wedding season.
Susan’s Annual Garden Party in Normandy Park (near SeaTac)
June 25, 2025
This was the kick-off of our THIRD wedding season survival series! This year we had a French Frolic featuring botanical cocktails/mocktails (with Jeremy tending bar and Rosie frolicking around, iykyk) and delicious French bites and treats in Susan’s lush cottage garden overflowing with 50+ rose bushes.
2nd Annual Sustainable Wedding Show
April 6, 2025
Our second annual Sustainable Wedding Show held at the Pickering Barn in Issaquah was even bigger and better than the first! Even for those not participating, all members are invited to attend (for free!) and enjoy the creativity of fellow members. This year our theme was celebrating “Elements of the PNW” and how they tie into different aspects of sustainability in our region.
This one-of-a-kind event offers engaged couples and vendors an opportunity to be inspired by the beauty of the PNW and the possibilities for eco-friendly weddings that are stunning and sustainable. You can attend mini-workshops, enjoy delicious snacks, sweet treats and signature sips, and couples can enter to win valuable prizes donated by our members. (Total value over $5,000!)
Sustainability Statement Virtual Workshop
March 12, 2025
As of this year, all members who want to be listed on the Emerald Hour directory and display a badge on their website need to post a Sustainability Statement on their website. Emerald Hour hosted an online brainstorming session to provide support to any/all members who would like some help creating their sustainability statement. This session was a chance to discuss what it means to market with their values and workshop their sustainability statement in a safe, supportive environment.
Virtual Financial Workshop
October 3, 2024
Emerald Hour hosted a virtual workshop with Jenny Girl Friday that focused on how to pay ourselves as business owners and save for taxes. Jenny is a new biz/money/tax specialist with over 11 years of experience supporting self-employed folks in Seattle.
Content Day at Evergreen Gardens
September 24, 2024
A day of creative collaboration with other members! This was similar to a styled shoot in spirit, but we had a nice mix of styles and designs created by members with a real couple as our models. It was a great way to get creative and showcase sustainability, and was limited to members only.
Day Trip to Whidbey Island
September 10, 2024
Together we enjoyed a scenic hike, visited a local farm, and ended the day with dinner in Coupeville. It was a great way for members to connect and feel recharged as we approached the end of wedding season!
Summer Celebration #2
July 24, 2024
The second event in our 2024 Wedding Season Survival Series occurred at Evergreen Gardens in Ferndale. We started off the afternoon by visiting Boxx Berry Farms to pick our own flowers and berries. Then we returned to Evergreen Gardens where we enjoyed a light supper and indulged in a sundae bar.
Summer Solstice Celebration
JuNE 21, 2024
Emerald Hour kicked off our 2024 Wedding Season Survival Series with a Summer Solstice Celebration in Susan’s magical English cottage garden in Normandy Park. Amongst over 60 rose bushes, we sipped on botanical beverages and participated in a solstice-themed craft, while enjoying an evening connecting with fellow members!
Building Resilience for the Busy Season
May 20, 2024
Emerald Hour held a virtual community call for a conversation on how we can better take care of ourselves and support our fellow vendors (especially as we approach the summer wedding season)! Topics discussed included practical tips on how to maintain our physical and mental well-being and ways we can support each other to facilitate a caring vendor community.
WCA Workshop
April 22, 2024
For a second celebration of Earth Day, Emerald Hour hosted a virtual workshop with Katie Byrnes, Toxics and Stormwater Policy Manager at Washington Conservation Action, to understand current environmental challenges and advocacy priorities in the Puget Sound region and how we, as individuals, can take action.
Earth Day Volunteering Event
April 20, 2024
In celebration of Earth Day, Emerald Hour members joined with Great Peninsula Conservancy for a work party to build habitat piles inside Grovers Creek Preserve near Kingston in North Kitsap.
SEO Workshop
March 13, 2024
The “How to Create an SEO-Friendly Blog Post” workshop was led by Danielle, a wedding-photographer-turned-creative-copywriter and SEO specialist. She taught Emerald Hour members how to start blogging for their businesses with SEO in mind and improve what they’re already doing with blogging.
Snohomish Guild Presentation
March 12, 2024
Emerald Hour presented to the wedding vendors in the Snohomish Guild about how to make their businesses more environmentally conscious, how we can collectively make the local wedding industry in WA more sustainable, and information about our online Green Swaps Guide and membership.
Sustainable Wedding Show
February 25, 2024
Emerald Hour hosted Seattle’s very first Sustainable Wedding Show, complete with 30+ sustainable wedding vendors from across the Pacific Northwest. The event included tips and inspiration for creating greener weddings, where couples could discuss their wedding vision with vendors and learn how to make more sustainable choices for their wedding day.
Pitching to the Media
January 24, 2024
Emerald Hour hosted a class on the art of pitching your business to the local media, including how to strategically leverage public relations to elevate your brand, connect with your community, gain notable features, and attract your best-fit clients.
2023 Events
Emerald Hour hosted several events in its first year, including the Emerald Hour Launch Party, a Carbon Footprint Workshop, and Earth Day event, the Wedding Season Survival Series, a Leave No Trace Workshop, a Day Trip to Tierra Retreat Center in Leavenworth, and a Goal Setting Workshop.