Wedding on The Eastern Shore

The last weekend in April was a steamy one. Much better than this 50 degree rainy weather we are having the first week of May here in DC. But I digress. On April 25th I had the pleasure of being out on the Eastern Shore, back at a little place called the Oaks where I tend to be once or twice a year. Andrea and Rick had a lovely evening for their intimate wedding celebration and the party lasted all night long.


Wanting to take their guests out of the busy hustle and bustle of the every day DC life, the couple settled on the quaint inn on the water after realizing they had attended a wedding there years ago.


As always, a fabulous cast of characters worked with me to create an evening the couple would not soon forget. Candi Erin and Paul at the Oaks are always wonderful, the food is fantastic and the view is picturesque. Juan Carlos and JC from Fotobriceno were there to capture every minute. Pattie Martin and Susie Rucksthul, my dream hair and make up team, made up Andrea so she could relax and enjoy her day. The yummy cake was provided by Gena at Bay Country Bakery and Prelude kept the DC crowd dancing all night long.


Sara

A Perfect Southern Wedding

Last weekend I was blessed with gorgeous weather, a stunning wedding and a fabulous couple! This has been the year of amazing clients for me, and Susan and David were two of my all-time favorites. Susan is so easy-going and sweet and David is high-energy and one of the funniest people I've ever met. They are the perfect example of a couple who balances each other beautifully.

They started the fun on Friday night with a rehearsal dinner at Ruth's Chris Steakhouse in Crystal City, which is known for great food and fabulous views of the city. The bride surprised the groom with a cake in the shape of the Washington Monument (created by Fluffy Thoughts), a tribute to the fact that his company restored the Washington Monument a few years ago.

Both hailing from the South (the bride from North Carolina and the groom from Lousiana), this fun couple eschewed the DC wedding paradigm of a seated dinner and instead chose to have a traditional Southern-style reception with lots of food stations, great music and plenty of mingling. I love this style of reception; it can be so much fun!

Before the party, though, the bride got ready at the Willard in one of their amazing suites with her four sisters. The bride looked absolutely gorgeous in her gown (and was so calm)! The groom and his men, looking so swanky in white dinner jackets, had a toast at The Willard before heading off to the church in a executive coach bus from Capital City Limo. The couple had a beautiful ceremony at Ascension and St. Agnes Episcopal Church in D.C. Since both the bride and groom had been musicians for years, the music they chose for the ceremony was amazing and included The Strolling Strings, a choir and a trumpeter.

Between the ceremony and reception, the couple took their classic car from Regal Limousine to the monuments for some photos with Robert Isacson and videographer Jenny Lehman. As you can see, they had the perfect day for this! All the photos are courtesy of the amazingly talented (and fun to work with) Robert Isacson.

When they joined their guests in the Crystal Room at The Willard Hotel, the Jack Diamond Band was in full swing and guests were dining on seafood from an ice bar, crawfish etouffe, the groom's favorite pizza flown up from Lousiana, mini North Carolina barbeque sandwiches and a towering display of tiny cupcakes (courtesy of Kendall's Cakes) and sweets. Steele Stevenson from the Willard was amazing, as always, and made my job so much easier.

The stunning flowers by Alison de Wit of Distinctive Floral Designs featured cherry blossom branches lining Peacock Alley and tulips and hydrangea in a soft Spring palette. John Farr Lighting created an amazing ambiance in the room with his soft uplighting. The groom's sister, Becky (who used to do events for the Governor of Louisiana), had envisioned the tower in the center of the room topped with flowers and bedecked with sweets of all kinds, and it was the hit of the night!

At the end of the evening, no one wanted to leave so they extended an hour and even then guests still lingered! It was an amazing party for a truly fabulous couple (and one I'll miss working with).

Laura