Also a bed and breakfast, the Island Center business lacks proper permits.

Brides, grooms, their families and friends flock to Patti Dusbabek’s island farm every summer to capture a once-in-a-lifetime moment in a one-of-a-kind setting.

But the ‘I do’s’ just got a big ‘do not’ from the city when Dusbabek received notice this month that her wedding events and bed and breakfast violate city code. She is now working with the city for a special permit to allow her businesses to continue.

“These types of things – weddings and the other things I do – are absolutely essential for farms to survive as farms,” said Dusbabek, whose 9-acre property on Holly Farm Lane near Island Center produces vegetables and numerous varieties of flowers and herbs.

“‘Agri-tourism’ is becoming essential and it’s not a negative thing,” she said. “It’s a win-win situation for everybody and I think it should be nurtured.”

But not everybody is so keen on nurturing a neighborhood events center.

The city’s cease-and-desist order was spurred by a complaint from one of Dusbabek’s neighbors, according to senior city planner Bob Katai.

“The main reason was that her business operation was not compatible with residential use,” he said. “I’m aware of at least one complaint about (Dusbabek’s) special events.”

A visit by the city code enforcement officer also found that Dusbabek’s four-room bed and breakfast business exceeded city regulations by two rooms.

Katai and the planning department are working with Dusbabek in applying for a $4,500 conditional use permit that could restrict business hours, the number of people at events and parking.

But maintaining the residential character of the neighborhood is paramount, Katai said.

“This one’s complicated,” he said. “Knowing the neighbor’s concerns, (the permit) can be difficult to obtain.”

But Dusbabek says she’s willing to bend over backwards to keep her businesses running.

“I want to do whatever I have to,” she said. “I’m filling out all the documents and trying to show that I’m cooperating in every way to meet all I have to.”

Dusbabek’s cooperation was rewarded Monday when the city agreed to delay the closing of her wedding hosting business until the city makes a decision on her permit application in the coming weeks.

Katai said the city arrived at the decision after considering Dusbabek’s efforts to comply and the undue strain the wedding cancellations would cause Dusbabek and her customers.

Dusbabek declined to say how many weddings she has scheduled or typically hosts at her farm. But weddings and other special events have recently accounted for nearly half her income, she said.

Dusbabek, 67, makes her living in a variety of ways on the farm she purchased nearly six years ago. In addition to the B&B and wedding hosting, she bakes breads and pastries for the Bainbridge Island Farmers Market and sells home-made jams and vinegars. She also arranges and sells bouquets, weaves baskets and ships hand-crafted Christmas wreathes around the world.

“My work, it’s like heaven,” she said. “I’m the best employer I’ve ever had! I work all day. I can put in 24 hours a day – and I do – and I love it.”

But her love for the job doesn’t mean the job’s easy.

“I’m a single woman, a senior and I bought my own land,” she said. “I’m not independently wealthy. I work on all this singlehandedly. I’m not doing this because I’m a workaholic. Working by myself is the only way to make my payments.”

Stripping away her most lucrative endeavor could endanger her other pursuits, she said.

“Having my farm is a good situation for everybody,” she said. “I educate the public about the value of farms. And what could be better than a young bride and a young groom walking through my garden setting?”

Hosting weddings is also good for other island businesses, she said.

Merrill Robison, who helped found the Bainbridge Island Lodging Association, estimates that a wedding party of 40 drawn to Dusbabek’s farm could book nearly every B&B on the island.

Weddings have become increasingly popular on Bainbridge Island, leading to a stable summer-time market for local hotels, shops and retailers.

“You can’t even get a room in the summer because of all the weddings,” he said. “And for every dollar people spend on lodging, another three dollars goes into the community and other businesses.”

Robison, a former city councilman, wants to see policy changes that eases restrictions on businesses like Dusbabek’s.

“We shouldn’t be putting the thumb on poor old Patti,” he said. “She does a lot all by herself that brings a lot of people to the island. And one thing the city needs is more sales tax (revenue).”