Stories from the 31st Floor

BEHIND THE SCENES: HOW FINE DINING STAFF KEEPS SKILLS SHARP

The perfect meal at a fine-dining restaurant begins long before the first plate is set on the table. There’s the moment when the reservation is made – and whether it’s done online or over the phone, it’s a taste of what’s to come and can be an invitation to anticipation. Was the process smooth? Were there options to customize the experience? Did a bit of the restaurant’s personality shine through?

Upon arrival, the first interaction is often with the host. Those same questions come into play, and that initial contact adds another layer of nuance to the menu. At the table, a variety of service staff use their expertise to support the unique experience the restaurant offers, from creating the table setting to describing the menu and suggesting the perfect wine or cocktail. In the kitchen, the culinary team works its magic to meet and exceed the sense of anticipation that’s been building. For the guest, it should feel effortless. But behind the scenes, the work is never ending.

Any successful restaurant prioritizes keeping its staff’s skills sharp and knowledge expanding. Yet sometimes unexpected lessons can only be learned in real time. Take, for example, when a recent guest at Ascend Prime Steak & Sushi didn’t care for the $2,000 bottle of Champagne they had ordered, instead of disposing of the bubbly, the staff was encouraged to sample the wine themselves after their shifts, which undoubtedly will prove beneficial when describing and selling the wine to future guests.

Hospitality, like any profession, requires both consistent, ongoing training and refinement, according to Ascend Prime Steak & Sushi General Manager Caleb Lavin. “As needs, products and trends change,” he says, “we must similarly adapt with them.”

Lavin believes the most important skills are the ability to ask questions and truly listen — with your eyes and your ears. “Guests will tell you exactly what they want,” Lavin says. “Being observant in hospitality is incredibly important.” Each guest has their own agenda and timetable in mind; this is something the service staff can only gauge in the moment.

Lavin also encourages his team to learn through the “old-school method” of going out to dine whenever possible, so they can take note of what they personally enjoy. As someone who likes to dine out himself, Lavin is always looking for a personalized performance. “I want [a restaurant] to be taking care of me as Caleb, versus as guest number 29.”

“We encourage our team to dine out, go to the farmers market and speak to a local food provider, sit at a bar and chat with the bartender, get fresh food and cook at home,” he says. “There are so many things one learns from reading a book or watching a video, but nothing will ever duplicate the amount you learn when you live the experience.”

Elaina Morris, CEO and president of Ascend Hospitality Group which owns Ascend Prime, shares that the hospitality industry also offers varied opportunities in traditional roles like marketing, finance, accounting and human resources. “As it relates to fine dining, culinary and restaurant management are the two primary career paths offered,” she adds. “The best way to advance in those roles is to be a lifelong enthusiastic learner and demonstrate leadership to your peers and management.”

In a large and complex business like Ascend, Lavin says each role is crucial in helping to create a positive guest experience — from the host team that seats the guests to the bar staff crafting those Instagram-worthy cocktails and the entirety of the culinary team behind the scenes.

To keep the team cohesive, fine-dining restaurants like Ascend provide as much on-the-job training as possible. “We use our daily pre-shift meeting for tastings and role play practices, and we have several department leaders who teach weekly classes on specific products,” Lavin says.

For example, wine director Brandon Rastok recently finished a six-week course on spirits in which he covered everything from the regulations of American bourbon to the variations of agave spirits. This series was part of his larger educational program, Ascend Academy, which provides detailed courses on beverages and is made available for any staff member who would like to attend.

As for the culinary team, Lavin says they use a program called “Cooks Cooking for Cooks,” so that employees can observe one another’s techniques and taste completed dishes, too.

“Our fine-dining team has one singular focus — to deliver a world-class, elevated dining experience,” Morris says. “To do that, they have created a 1-to-1 server mentoring program comprising guest service, menu, refined hospitality techniques and training. In addition, our management team uses daily data analytics to track and measure performance.”

Lavin believes the fine-dining world possesses limitless growth potential, and he hopes to provide tools that give folks as many chances to learn as possible. This is an investment in the restaurant and the individual’s future, and this happens to help with staff retainment, too.

“We always hope to promote from within and will do everything we can to train in a manner that creates the best environment for success,” he says. “The best ways to advance are really pretty simple: remain open to coaching, know that others who have more experience are trying to help as none of us have all the answers, and that nothing worth having comes easily. Do the homework — all the information required to be successful in the fine dining world cannot be learned in seven hours a day at work; it requires discretionary time and effort.”

Lavin knows former servers who now run restaurants, former chefs who design concepts in other areas and former coffee makers who head up internal communication for large casino properties. “If you want to make something happen,” he says, “you can make it happen.”

-Originally published at SeattleTimes.com

DETAILS BEHIND THE DECADENCE OF JAPANESE WAGYU BEEF

Japanese Wagyu beef is a luxury dining experience — one with great allure — but not many Americans know details behind the exclusivity. Ascend Prime Steak & Sushi Executive Chef Brandon Muehl describes the delicacy using tantalizing adjectives like: “buttery,” “decadent,” “delicious” and “creamy.”

When the beef, which comes on a marbling scale (BMS) between 1 and 12, is graded at an 11 or 12, Muehl says, “It literally melts in your mouth.” And since the product is so rich, a couple of ounces per person typically are enough to enjoy its flavor and decadence. “If I had to compare to another food,” he says, “I would say it is like a beautifully seared piece of foie gras as far as the richness goes. Or similar to some really good golden Osetra caviar when you roll all the beads around your tongue and truly allow the flavors to develop.”

A tenured chef for the Bellevue steakhouse, Muehl could talk for days about the storied history behind Wagyu. Firstly, there are only four breeds of Wagyu cattle and more than 150 brands from Japan exist, most of which cannot be exported. “We only get to see a very select brand dependent on the allotted amount that has been exported to the U.S.,” he explains. “The genetics for Japanese Wagyu are put through rigorous testing to ensure that only the best is allowed to breed, which has cultivated the A5 classification we have come to love here in the States.”

There is a predisposition for Japanese Wagyu to retain fat throughout the muscle (not only outside the muscle), which gives the beef an intense marbling we’ve grown accustomed to seeing and tasting. The A5 that we hear about the most grades at beef marbling scales of 8 or higher. “The grade that we specifically look for here at Ascend is 11+,” Muehl says. “This will be some of the highest marbling that can be seen and received, ensuring the highest quality product we serve.”

Aside from the science behind Wagyu’s genetics, the treatment of its cattle is unlike any other animal. “In Japan, Wagyu is treated as it should be,” Muehl says. “It is a life source from the food it provides. The cattle is allowed to roam freely and is treated with the utmost respect.” He offers the example of the Hokkaido Japanese Wagyu. “This is the northernmost prefecture in Japan, where they have temperate summers with lush greenery at the foot of the mountains,” he says. “But the winters get cold, which allow for the intense marbling, due to retaining fat for warmth, that you see specifically for the Hokkaido brand of Wagyu.”

The Japanese cattle are also raised for longer (26 to 30 months) than USDA Prime cattle (15 to 20 months) before harvest. This contributes to more marbling but also leads to a higher price tag when factoring feed that the Wagyu ingests over this length of time. “There is significant care and consideration for the food the Wagyu cattle receives,” Muehl says, “For example, Takamori Wagyu (Drunken Wagyu) is fed sake mash for the entirety of its life.”

Muehl goes on to explain that our country was fortunate to crossbreed Japanese Wagyu with black angus a few decades ago. “While nothing is like authentic Japanese Wagyu, we do have a few standing domestic companies and farms that have done a great job in passing on similar qualities of the Japanese Wagyu at a slightly lower price point than the imported Japanese Wagyu cattle,” he says. “Snake River Farms and Mishima Reserve are two great companies that treat the cattle in a similar manner and have significantly more marbling than the USDA Prime beef. The American Wagyu will follow a similar grading scale and the highest tiered American Wagyu grades at an 8/9+.”

When it comes to savoring a special meal showcasing A5 Japanese Wagyu, Muehl and his team at Ascend Prime Steak & Sushi like to keep the beef in its truest form — accompanied by a bit of salt and a prepared in a carbon steel pan. He recommends using high heat and searing the meat on all sides, before resting the steak for 10 to 15 minutes, allowing the internal temperature to continue to rise slowly. The beef then gets seared a second time to complete the caramelization process. And to round out the decadent feast? Muehl likes to maintain a balance with complementary pureed butter potatoes and grilled vegetables on the side.

-Originally published at SeattleTimes.com

GUIDE TO SUSHI AND SASHIMI FOR BEGINNERS AND BEYOND

A well-prepared sushi plate might look like a tray filled with elegant little gifts, some wrapped in glossy fish, some held together with dark seaweed containing a delightful bite of rice with a jewel of green avocado, pink shrimp or salmon inside. It’s elegant. Enticing. And perhaps a bit daunting, whether it’s your first time trying a California roll or you’ve decided to put yourself in the sushi chef’s expertly trained hands for omakase.

Sushi is undoubtedly one of the most popular international cuisines on the culinary scene. And with the Pacific Northwest’s plentiful supply of fresh, high-quality fish, Washington is one of the best places in the country to either try sushi for the first time or take your sushi dining experience to the next level.

Sushi chef Peter Belmonte and executive chef Brandon Muehl, both at Ascend Prime Steak & Sushi, share their expert tips for enjoying the perfect sushi experience.

Belmonte says it’s not unusual to feel apprehensive at the prospect of eating raw fish for the first time. To ease yourself in, he recommends starting with a vegetarian roll. “That way you can see if you like the whole rice and seaweed flavors and textures,” Belmonte explains.

If you enjoy your veggie roll and are ready to add the fish component, Belmonte suggests trying a roll with ebi —cooked shrimp. “Once you feel comfortable enough to try raw fish, salmon is probably the best place to start,” he says, noting that salmon is a familiar fish and most people have eaten it cooked, or even ordered medium-rare to rare in restaurants. For that reason, Belmonte describes salmon as a good steppingstone to tuna, mackerel and other flavorful fish used in sushi.

Don’t be shy about asking questions. “People really do get anxious about raw fish, so ask your server any question you’re concerned about, and they should have the knowledge to provide some solid feedback and comfort before you have your first experience,” Belmonte says.

Before you even take your first bite, you’re confronted with an array of condiments. Have no fear – these are your new sushi friends. Knowing what they are and when and where to use them allows you to customize flavors to suit your palate, as well as to cleanse your palate between bites to make the most of each flavor. The basic condiment selection includes wasabi, ginger and soy sauce.

Wasabi is a root that has a spicy but floral taste to it. Belmonte and Muehl both explain that wasabi is meant to add a bit of extra flavor and “kick,” and it also helps bring out a lot of the natural flavor of the fish. They recommend starting with a small amount and experimenting until you find the portion that best suits your palate.

Most people are familiar with ginger, but when it’s prepared for sushi it’s pickled so it’s typically on the sweeter side. “It’s also going to have a little bit of saltiness and some acid from the pickling process,” Muehl explains, “so it’s really meant to be like a palate cleanser.” In between each bite of sushi, have a little bit of the ginger to cleanse your palate so you’re refreshed and ready for your next bite. “And if it’s a different kind of fish, you’ll be able to tell the different nuances of each if you have ginger in between,” Muehl adds.

Lastly, there’s soy sauce, which is both a seasoning and dipping sauce. What you don’t want to do, Belmonte says, is dump a lot of soy sauce on your fish or roll. Instead, test it out slowly. “Dip the end of your chopstick into the saucer and then dab it on top of the fish a little bit,” he advises.

And don’t let that chopstick suggestion worry you. “The traditional way is to eat [sushi] with your hands,” says Muehl. “It’s also a lot less intimidating than trying to use chopsticks because they take some practice to get used to.” He explains that sushi restaurants provide oshibori towels (a white, hot wet towel) specifically so you can wipe your hands in between each bite when eating with your hands.

When you open a menu and see a variety sushi options, from rolls to nigiri, the most obvious first question is: “what’s the difference and which should I try?”

The biggest difference is the rice: sushi rolls and nigiri have a rice component, while sashimi is the fish in its purest form, sliced with precision and served. “Sashimi isn’t for beginners,” Muehl says, while Belmonte says you’d “definitely” want to try sushi rolls or nigiri — sliced fish laid on a bed of rice and often a dab of wasabi — first because the rice, extra sauces and flavors mask the more intense raw fish flavor.

Once you’re comfortable with sushi as a concept, give sashimi a try. “You get to experience the more intense flavor and taste the fish for what it is,” Muehl says. “But it’s just the fish presented in a way that looks nice and elegant, served with a little bit of pickled ginger and maybe a little wasabi or soy sauce.”

If you already know and love sushi but find yourself ordering the same rolls each time you go out, why not try something new and different?

“Be adventurous,” Muehl says. “Try new and exciting dishes because when you’re in the hands of a trained sushi chef, there is the utmost care and concern with every single fish that comes in.”

Omakase, the chef’s selection of the day’s freshest sushi, is a popular option. Muehl notes that there are many wonderful ingredients and different kinds of fish in the Pacific Northwest — and making the most of those things is exciting for both the chef and the guests.

“When you think about omakase, it may seem like it’s just a piece of fish on top of rice,” says Muehl. “But at Ascend, [Belmonte] studies and dedicates extensive time figuring out which component is going to be the best on each specific fish.” Belmonte also builds the order of the pieces carefully so you don’t go from eating something with a very intense flavor as your first bite to finishing with something that doesn’t have as much intensity and flavor.

During an omakase experience, Muehl urges diners to be mindful of how the fish is presented, the accouterments on top of the fish, and the way that they’re arranged in a row to be eaten in order.

Belmonte says that in order to embrace the sushi experience to its fullest, it’s important to be open and push your boundaries. Of course, do your research to ensure the restaurant has a solid reputation — and then enjoy every aspect of the experience. “You want to have fun with whatever you’re doing, especially if it’s food,” he says. “Get out there, have fun and try new things."

-Originally published at SeattleTimes.com

SECRET MENU "DINING EXPERIENCES" THAT ELEVATE EXPECTATIONS

It turns out that sometimes in life, “more is more,” especially when it comes to elevated dining experiences that bring theatrics and whimsy into the mix. Increasingly, restaurant guests seem to appreciate memory-making flair that accompanies exquisite dishes.

Ascend Prime Steak & Sushi delivers just that with the evolution of off-menu or “secret menu” options like the Scorpion Chop and The Hive. Executive Chef Brandon Muehl thinks it’s always exciting both as a chef and a restaurant guest to experience something unique not seen on the menu. “Oftentimes I find that an off-menu item is a chance to get even more creative and have fun with ingredients and techniques that we are passionate about,” he says.

Fine-dining restaurants like Ascend often have seasonal dish changes and special events that feature varied menus, yet Muehl thinks having rare off-menu offerings up their sleeves to ‘wow’ guests can take the dining experience to the next level. “Something that completely takes the guests off guard and invites everybody to pull out their phones and look in amazement at what is happening,” he says.

Ascend sales and events manager Alysha Janmohamed shares her front-of-house perspective, observing that diners have been truly enamored with their tableside experiences. She sees how the restaurant team takes pride in their commitment to innovation, too — not only in their presentations, but also in the exceptional flavors offered. “Take, for instance, the Scorpion Chop,” she says of the restaurant’s whimsical upgrade on a classic surf n’turf. “It transcends the traditional tableside steak and lobster. Featuring a colossal miso-cured double chop Mishima long-bone rib-eye, it is expertly rolled out tableside by one of our chefs along with a lobster roulade. The dish is further elevated with a house-made shoyu-truffle beurre blanc, generously adorned with shaved black truffles, and perfectly complemented with Osetra caviar, tobiko and masago.”

Adding more surf to the turf, Ascend’s Shellfish Tower serves it on levels, featuring a pound of king crab, two pounds of lobster, a pound of poached tiger prawns, a pound scallop crudo, a dozen oysters, a pound of sake-steamed mussels and chef’s accompaniments for 8-10 guests.

“The Shellfish Tower stands as one of our most sought-after menu items, a three-tiered display of exquisite seafood designed to incorporate intricate flavors of Japanese fusion into a beloved steakhouse staple,” Muehl says. “Our vision was to captivate both the palate and gaze — it was conceived not just for its sophisticated flavors, but also for its breathtaking presentation.”

Another culinary showcase, The Hive, takes a tableside flambee to new heights with dynamic and unconventional dessert flavors like candy cap mushroom ice cream, yuzu merengue or Toki whiskey jaconde. “This now-popular dessert in particular took months of conceptualization and tastings before being offered to our guests,” Janmohamed says.

Muehl confirms that it took ample time and even more iterations of both items in order to “get it right.” For the Scorpion, first they wanted to showcase the wonderful American Wagyu program from Mishima Reserve and tried to figure out a dazzling presentation. They already had the dry-aged long-bone from esteemed purveyor Pat LaFrieda, so they asked: How do we top that? “By presenting a triple long-bone that has been presented in a way that gives it the appearance of a scorpion’s tail,” Muehl says, “And the rest of the accouterments just seemed to fit and make sense.”

To continue raising the bar, the culinary team decided to serve it with a three-plus-pound Maine lobster. “We were able to garnish in a way that showcased some of the other amazing ingredients that we have available with the caviar, truffles and other roes (tobiko and masago),” Muehl says.

It was the same practice for The Hive, with many trials to figure out an equally extraordinary presentation to make the dish their own. “It is a rendition of an old favorite, a baked Alaska,” Muehl says. “And The Hive represents all the required work in unison it takes to create not only that dish, but all the dishes and service that every guest will experience here at Ascend.”

For Muehl, it’s all about conceptualizing and painstakingly trying to get the dishes “show ready.” “I love having an idea and figuring out a way to bring it to life,” he says, “including the rest of the chef team to offer input and creativity to continue to push the envelope even more.”

Janmohamed agrees. “In the private dining department, there has always been a desire and even demand for these outside-the-box opportunities within personal events. Chef Brandon wanted to make sure that we had the opportunity to create memorable and one-of-a-kind experiences that could be executed on a busy night.”

-Originally published at SeattleTimes.com

FIRE AND FLAVOR: EXPERT TIPS FOR PERFECT STEAKS

Now that grilling season is officially upon us, it seems a prime time to brush up on tips from experts in the know. Ascend Prime Steak & Sushi Executive Chef Brandon Muehl takes in a handful of considerations when choosing a steak, and this can be dependent on whether he’s looking for wet aged or dry aged, as well as which specific cut of beef.

At Ascend Prime, they always use prime grade for domestic cuts, but if searching for a cut to make at home, Muehl suggests looking for choice grade or higher. Prime beef has abundant marbling (the amount of fat interspersed with lean meat) and is generally sold in restaurants and hotels. Choice beef is high quality but has less marbling than prime. All steaks should look bright red when fresh, he advises — if it’s been aging for too long, the steak gets a pinkish hue, which then makes it more wet or saturated to cook. “This will also dilute some of the great beef flavor from the steak,” he adds. And although not always the most important factor, he also pays attention to the marbling, since “a good marbled steak” will have a more-rounded flavor.

Before cooking, it’s important to allow the steak to sit out at room temperature so it will cook more evenly, as well as oxygenate. This deepens the color before cooking and intensifies the beef flavor most people seek out.

Seasoning proves to be one of the most important steps as well. “Do not be afraid of salt!” Muehl says. “A good kosher salt to season generously will also bring out the flavor of the steak to be enjoyed as it was meant to be. Keep in mind that, depending on how you are going to cook your steak, whether on the grill or in a pan, you will lose about 35% of the seasoning on a grill, so be generous.”

Additionally, the smaller the steak, the more the temperature will carry. “When cooking a tenderloin, like a filet mignon cut, because it contains less fat, I always enjoy it at a lower temperature like a rare or medium rare,” says Muehl. “If I am cooking a rare tenderloin after searing or grilling, I will pull it off at around 100 degrees, and it will rest up to around 110 to 115 degrees.” If cooking a New York strip or rib-eye, he cooks it to a slightly higher temperature to allow for some of the fat to render down. “Always remember to rest your steak for as long as you cooked it,” he advises, noting this helps to pull the red or pink color through the entirety of the protein, while eliminating the gray ring that often proves dry and tasteless.

Muehl’s favorite way to prepare a steak? Either in a cast iron or carbon steel pan, since he loves the crust on the outside that forms in a very hot pan. At Ascend Prime, he would use Wagyu beef fat, which has a very high smoke point, to sear both sides and then finish with a butter baste. If cooking at home, he uses a grapeseed oil in a very hot pan to sear his steak — also finishing with a butter baste.

Folks need not be intimated, since Muehl doesn’t believe an at-home steak has to entail an extravagant process. First choose your steaks, and make sure they’re at room temperature before cooking. For home, he would choose a heavy-duty, three-ply or five-ply stainless steel saute pan or a carbon steel pan. Cast iron is nice but can get a bit smoky.

Next steps: Turn on your burner to medium high and get the pan hot. Do not add oil until ready to put the steak in the pan. This ensures you don’t burn the oil and overpower the steak’s delicate flavor.

With a gas stovetop, before adding oil to your hot pan, turn the burner off to ensure the heated oil doesn’t ignite. After the oil is added, turn the burner back on and place the steak. Slide the steak around in the pan to caramelize the protein for about 45 seconds, then flip and repeat on the other side. Take your cold butter and throw in a couple tablespoons, then begin basting with the pan tilted on the burner. After your desired temperature has been reached, remove the steak and rest, preferably on a cooling rack so that air can flow freely over the entire surface.

To take it a step further, with the steak cooking, you can add in aromatics like thyme, rosemary and crushed garlic cloves. “This will impart more flavor and then you can take and make a pan sauce after you have removed the steak,” he says. “Add some mushrooms and caramelize with the fat in the pan, and then deglaze with brandy or cognac. From here, you can add in either a stock and reduce down to make a sauce or you can add in heavy cream and reduce down to make a pan cream sauce.”

While a perfectly cooked steak at home is delicious, for the ultimate steak experience, restaurant-quality steaks offer next-level flavor. Muehl notes that the steak offerings at Ascend Prime Steak & Sushi — all prime wet-aged and dry-aged steaks, as well as Japanese A5 Wagyu — offer something for everybody. And these steaks are cooked in a space that takes grilling seriously. Muehl shares that when building the restaurant, the grill went in first, and the building was put up around it.

As if a perfectly cooked steak wasn’t enough cause to celebrate, Ascend has a special reason to commemorate this July 4, since the date also marks the restaurant’s six-year anniversary. “We will be celebrating every single person here that has made all of this possible over the last six years,” Muehl says. No matter your reason to eat well during this season ahead, an excuse is rarely needed to savor a perfectly cooked, sumptuous steak.

-Originally published at SeattleTimes.com

2025 USHERS IN A HOST OF INDIVIDUALIZED WEDDING EXPERIENCES

When it comes to planning wedding-related gatherings and celebrations, it’s certainly not one-size-fits-all. Those within the industry keep an eye on timely trends, while sharing tips on how to plan — from the perfect proposal to a celebratory engagement party and wedding reception — in a way that speaks to each individual pair.

Arielle Fernandez, event coordinator at Bellevue’s Ascend Prime Steak & Sushi which held over 40 weddings in 2024, believes there’s much creativity on the horizon for 2025, “with a shift toward more minimalistic décor and a heightened focus on the dining experience and guest engagement.” She’s seen couples embracing personalized touches, like custom floral arrangements that reflect their unique personalities, and walking down the aisle to meaningful songs. Folks are also incorporating such elements into their menu as custom cocktails that embody each partner’s personality — or a dish inspired by a childhood favorite. She feels that all of this adds to “a heartfelt and intimate atmosphere that leaves a lasting impression.”

Alysha Janmohamed, event director at Ascend, has been in the event planning industry for eight-plus years (four of those at Ascend). For the year ahead, she anticipates couples leaning into immersive guest experiences. “This could include interactive food and beverage stations, unexpected entertainment elements like live culinary demonstrations or custom cocktail pairings,” she predicts, adding that at Ascend, they’re fortunate to have options for experiential moments readily available to guests. She adds, “We’ve also noticed a shift toward more daytime weddings and wedding brunches, often featuring fun additions like build-your-own mimosa stations.”

Other event aspects aren’t likely to change, Janmohamed says, like high-quality food and beverage offerings, plus stunning floral arrangements that won’t ever go out of style. “These elements create a strong foundation for any wedding celebration,” she says, “setting the tone for elegance and leaving a lasting impression on guests.”

Over the years, these experts have witnessed countless ways people creatively make the special day (or days) uniquely theirs. One of Fernandez’s personal favorites is when couples honor loved ones who couldn’t be there — by incorporating their dogs into the wedding cake design or dedicating a special station to commemorate a passed loved one. “Whether it’s a reserved seat at the ceremony or a heartfelt display at the welcome table,” she reflects, “these personalized details truly stand out and create lasting memories.”

So where to begin when creating the perfect vibe for one’s own wedding or wedding-related event? Fernandez advises starting with a clear vision board and a realistic idea of your budget and non-negotiables. “While trendy décor can bring energy and fun to the day,” she says, “I always encourage couples to balance it with timeless elegance. Trends come and go, but when you look back at your wedding photos in 20 years, you want them to reflect the same sense of pride and joy you felt on your special day.”

One of the best tips Fernandez can offer is to start with the essentials and work backward. This means finalizing your guest list and venue first, as these are often the most challenging pieces to lock down. “Once those are in place,” she says, “it’s easier to focus on the finer details and create a day that truly reflects the couple’s unique personality. It’s also a great idea to explore different wedding expos, and don’t dismiss the value of wedding magazines; they can provide lots of inspiration and helpful information.”

When couples choose Ascend as their venue, Janmohamed’s priority revolves around ensuring the restaurant team has the ability to bring their vision to life. She highly recommends site tours of the venue before booking, so couples can see firsthand how the space aligns with their expectations and style. “Once booked, we work closely with each couple to understand their vision, personalities and priorities,” she continues. “We focus on the details, décor and customization that make their day uniquely theirs..”

Janmohamed believes that two things consistently create magic: exceptional hospitality and meaningful details. “When couples prioritize guest experience with unforgettable food and personal touches, it creates an atmosphere of connection and joy,” she says. “Also, staying true to their story and weaving it throughout the event makes the celebration feel that much more special.”

-Originally published at SeattleTimes.com

2025 USHERS IN A HOST OF INDIVIDUALIZED WEDDING EXPERIENCES

-Originally published at SeattleTimes.com