A self-guided tour for wedding planning

The Downtown Monroe Association is hosting a new self-guided tour that highlights the community’s event venues.

Sarah Dylan Jensen, owner of Mockingjay Press, a marketing company for local businesses, is partnering with the DMA for “Marry Me in Monroe,” festivities she says are a “unique and modern way to experience wedding planning.” The event will go from 11 a.m. to 4 p.m. Saturday, May 5. An evening wine walk will follow.

Jensen encourages couples, families and businesses to visit the dozen sites, all of which are within a 20-minute drive from town. She said the idea was DMA executive director Joie Worthen’s.

The two women were connected by a mutual friend, and it will be Jensen’s first time working on a large-scale event in Monroe. It is a 12-minute drive from her home, but she said she is excited to keep branching out.

“I know Monroe has been growing, and they are trying really hard to make a name for themselves, and I think they are doing a great job,” she said.

Mockingjay Press was formed in 2013 after Jensen noticed an unfulfilled need in her community. She works with businesses and organizations to develop a social media presence, plan events and improve general marketing strategies. She has worked with the Snohomish Chamber of Commerce in the past, and helped organize Snohomish’s annual farmers market.

Marry Me in Monroe is self-guided and costs $20 per person, Jensen said. Each venue, such as the Blue Boy West Golf Course, Madison Hill Chapel and Pine Creek Nursery, are a short drive, but a great escape and offer beautiful scenery. The area has a surprising amount of wedding planning resources, she said. Vendors will be set up at different sites and in businesses around the historic downtown corridor.

“Downtown Monroe businesses will be featuring fun ideas for you to think outside the box,” according to an event news release. “Sign up for a DIY class, host a girlfriends gathering or enjoy wine tasting in the newly revamped city district. Check out some fitness options, send your sweetie to a local brewery for a break, or plan your couples tattoo.”

Check-in will be at the Wellbeing Center for Health, 211 W. Hill St., in Monroe. Goody bags will be provided to everyone, and the first 50 brides will receive a special bag of goods donated by the city’s businesses, Jensen said. An hour after Marry Me ends, guests are invited to the “Wining Brides Wine Walk,” which goes from 5-8 p.m. Tickets are $25.

Any leftover proceeds that are not used to cover the costs of putting on the event will go to the DMA, Jensen said. Participants will get a glass, sash and wedding ring drinking tokens when they sign in.

Formal gowns and dresses are encouraged but not required in the evening, Jensen said. She said it is a chance to put on the outfits that have gone unworn since the big day for which they were purchased.

“We would love to have it be an annual event,” Jensen said.