Meet our members ~ Rein Fire Ranch

Name: Rich Kaalaas                                                            Business Name: Rein Fire Ranch
Website: www.reinfireranch.com                Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/ReinFireRanch
Twitter: https://twitter.com/Rein_Fire_Ranch
Other: http://pinterest.com/reinfireranch/

How would you describe your business?
Rein Fire Ranch is an elegant rustic country venue nestled in the Sugarloaf Mountain Valley, just east of Maple Valley, WA.

What’s your favorite part of the job?
The People. Plain and simple. It is such an exciting time in a couples life, and I love assisting in the process, working with them.

What should a bride know about your expertise and experience?
Separate from having many years of design and management experience, I also have about 12 years of event production experience, ranging from dance events, fundraising and social events, so I have sense of the various components and how they play into the needs with respect to a venue layout and setup.

How did you get to where you are today?
A number of mistakes, and hopefully more successes. :)

What inspired you to start your business?
This is actually my second business that I have started. I learned a great deal from that one, and definitely carry that experience into this one. As to inspiration, I just don't sit still. I look upon a situation and start planning in my head. I looked across the ranch, and considered what changes I would start making to create the perfect mountain/ranch/garden setting that would appeal to couples, while at the same time retain is roots as a working farm.

In what ways do you take a leadership role in the wedding community?
Still working on leadership. I have a great deal still to learn, but I do feel that my background in design and branding is something that I have developed a great deal over the years.

How is your business different from your competitors?
With any venue that is outdoor and sort of farm oriented, each has similarities, pluses and minuses. I would say Rein Fire Ranch is different just in where it is situated in this amazing valley, as well as how far off of the main road we are. It definitely adds to the serene feel of the place.

Do you do anything special or different from your competition?
I feel that the ceremony garden and especially the gazebo that we have designed and built is very unique, and can be highly customized to each couples needs, while at the same time makes a statement in and of itself.

What is your range of services?
We offer venue rental, as well as set/up tear down services, and decorating services.

What has been your sweetest success story?
At our first wedding, it just so happened that one of the guest couples were the owners of a well established hospitality company in Seattle (venues, catering, planning…quite a large operation). The bride/groom went out of their way to introduce them to me during the reception. The praise, comments and feedback were pretty overwhelming, and truly made me believe in my vision of what this ranch could be, to couples getting married, the community, and ourselves as our home.

What was your most memorable wedding?
My own. :) Prior to really making big changes, we did our own wedding here a few years back. It is special to me obviously, but also set the stage for the big changes we have undertaken.

Who are some wedding vendors that inspire you and why?
Kelli Bielema of Shindig Events is one. She is just such a firecracker, and approaches everything with such zeal, while at the same time tossing in a bit of whimsy and deep creativity. I also have come to learn so much and become great friends with Kier and Mitzi of Firstlight Photography. Professional, Creative and down right whacky. Love them.

What are some of the pitfalls a bride can expect if they don’t hire a professional like yourself?
Missed details. Of course they come up, but without professional assistance, it can spin out of control, especially on the three days prior and during the wedding.

Who do you work well with and who is not the best match for your services?
I work best with collaborative people I think. Dictators and I don't mesh well, BUT if it is the couple getting married, I can work with it.

What are your hobbies or non-work-related activities that you enjoy?
The standard stuff, movies, hiking, we have a number of animals which keeps us busy.

What is the most awkward moment you’ve experienced while on the job?
Showing a gay male couple around the ranch, and touring the the "Bridal Suite". They asked me which one of them was to use that. I renamed it the Wedding Day Suite. :)

What is your favorite venue and why?
Well, Rein Fire Ranch, but if I picked next favorite, I really love Rock Creek Gardens in Puyallup. In addition to being amazing, Gracie and Dave have been very generous with their time and support as I have gotten the ranch up and running.

The Wedding Ceremony - When Sarah marries Sam

So finally Sarah and Sam are engaged. This is an exciting and exhilarating time for a newly engaged couple. It can, however, also be a time filled with concerns and questions about how to plan their wedding ceremony.

Let me tell you a little about Sarah and Sam, my fictional couple for this post. Sarah and Sam just got engaged after being together for several years. They both live in and grew up in Washington State. They are very excited to be taking the step of marriage in their relationship. They are both in their middle to late twenties. Sarah is not very religious but Sam grew up going to church. Some of their family and friends are very happy for them. However there are others who do not support their engagement and upcoming marriage. Sarah’s parents were divorced when she was fairly young and her mom has remarried. Sarah is close to both her step Dad and her father. Sam’s parents have been married for almost 30 years. They are uncertain if they can be supportive of Sam’s marriage to Sarah.

As Sarah and Sam start to think about their wedding day, they have many of the same questions and issues that other couples have. They, as a couple, have never had to consider the aspects of planning a wedding ceremony.

· Who will walk down the aisle with Sarah or Sam? Will it be Sarah’s Step Dad, her father, or both of them? Sarah now needs to think about what this decision will mean to each of her “dads”. Will Sam walk down the aisle with parents or alone? Maybe Sarah and Sam will each walk down the aisle alone or together and not be “given away”.

· Will they have friends and family in their wedding party and if so, how many people? Neither of them wants to alienate any of their friends or family by not choosing one of them. Who will stand up for them and support them? Many they will be unique and have a Man of Honor or a Best Woman.

· Which family members will sit in the first few rows at the ceremony? Will Sarah’s Mom sit in the first row with her husband along with Sarah’s Dad or will this a point of contention? Will family or friends who don’t support them decide not to attend at all? Will Sam’s parents come around and be there for them? How will Sarah and Sam feel about this possibility?

· Will they write their own vows or go with a more traditional ceremony based on Sam’s religious background? Perhaps Sam’s family, trying to be involved and supportive, will give lots of unsolicited advice about what they should or should not do. How will the couple address this in a strong but loving way so they can have the ceremony that they really want and still be respectful of Sam’s parents?

· Who will perform their ceremony and marry them since Sarah does not belong to Sam’s church? Will they even be able to marry in Sam’s church or will they need to consider getting married by a non-denominational celebrant at their reception venue instead?

These are a few of the many decisions Sarah and Sam will need to make for their wedding ceremony. Just the same as other couples, they will have some easy and some challenging moments during their wedding planning. They now can plan their wedding ceremony in Washington State and say “I do”. Until now, this was not a legally recognized option for same sex couples. But now, with some family support, love and good wedding planning, all the details will come together on the day that Sarah marries Samantha.

Tags: marriage equality, same sex marriage, gay and lesbian weddings, wedding day, wedding ceremonies, gay wedding ceremonies, wedding planning

Contributed by Puget Sound Wedding Professional Member: Nancy Skipton of Simply Celebrations & Events LLC.