Since I have two small children, most of my New Year's Eve celebrations nowadays are pretty tame and I'm lucky to make it until the ball drops. This year, however, I had the distinct pleasure of spending New Year's Eve at a fabulous wedding and with an amazing couple and their families!
I know I go on and on about how wonderful my clients are but Eliza and Micah were truly an amazing couple. From the moment we met, I loved the fact that they wanted to have as "green" a wedding as possible (getting all recycled paper products and using as many organic flowers as possible). And they wanted it to be fun! The planning went so smoothly, even when they had the amazing opportunity to take two long trips abroad during the middle of it. Luckily, Eliza's mother and sister were able to step in and we didn't miss a beat!
Eliza and Micah loved the Hotel Monaco's unique design and the fact that it wasn't a cookie-cutter hotel. And this wedding was full of personalized elements from the bride's cool, vintage-style dress to the bright orange and purple palette of the ballroom to the fabulously kitschy New Year's Eve trinkets.
The bride's gown and her mother beautiful dress came from Hitched. We love the new Mother of the Occasion dresses at Hitched. So much nicer than traditional MOB gowns! Eliza searched high and low for the perfect wrap for her dress (since it was darn cold on New Year's Eve!) and finally happened upon a vintage white stole in a Silver Spring consignment shop.
I love the Hotel Monaco's staircases. They make for amazing photos and a great spot for the bride and groom's "big reveal."
The Hotel Monaco is one of my all-time favorite wedding spots in the city. Not only is it a fabulous looking hotel with a really unique ballroom but the catering staff is the best. Buddee Clinton is a dream to work with and Betty, the banquet captain, keeps the events moving perfectly.
The super-talented and so-sweet Jennifer Domenick with Love Life Images took the couple around the hotel for some great portraits before the wedding. The Monaco is a photographer's dream hotel!
The bride and groom steal a moment aboard the shuttle bus heading to the Sixth and I Street Synagogue with the extended families. The groom is one of six children so we needed a shuttle bus for the families!
The couple signed the ketubah before the ceremony surrounded by family and friends.
My new favorite ceremony site is the Synague at Sixth and I Streets. Not only is it stunning but the staff there is so phenomenal. They helped us set up the chuppah cover that the bride's mother hand-knit and made the wedding day go so smoothly. Thank you, Matt!
The groom's father conducted the ceremony, which made it even more meaningful for Eliza and Micah. The grandparents and parents each read one of the Seven Blessings during the ceremony. I loved seeing a wedding with so many proud grandparents in attendance!
The gorgeous cake cake from the amazing Kendall from Kendall's Cakes. The inside was delicious carrot cake. Yum!
What is New Year's Eve without funny hats? Everyone got in the spirit of the night and had a great time wearing them!
We also tucked colorful horns into everyone's napkins and guests really got into blowing them from the moment they sat down! The tables were each named after a country that Eliza and Micah had recently visited and since they had been trekking in Cambodia, Nepal, Vietnam and India, it made for quite the conversation starters. Framed photos from their trip were tucked on the bookshelves around the room.
The gorgeous flowers were designed by the uber-deluxe Nick Perez from Multiflor. The purple and orange blooms looked amazing on the shimmery silver linens from DC Rental. John Farr Lighting provided the perfect lighting to create a festive yet sexy mood.
A romantic first dance.
This wedding had some wonderful toasts and really nice moments. It's impressive when a wedding veteran like me gets teary!
A brave groom goes "hands-free" during the hora!
The band "Nation" from Elan Artists was amazing and kept the dance floor packed all night! Plus, they were so easy to work with.
When the clock struck midnight, the air above the bride and groom filled with confetti. Special thanks to the staff at The Monaco for being such good sports because it looked fabulous but made a bit of a mess!
A huge thank you to the amazing team of wedding professionals who helped make the day such a success. The guys from Monachetti Video were a blast and I can't wait to see the video; Miles Stiebel provided beautiful strings for the ceremony music; Linda and the wonderful drivers from Linder and Associates who got the guests to the wedding on time. My assistants Erika and Krista were super stars and I couldn't have done it without them!
It was such a delight to work with Eliza and Micah and both of their families. I feel incredibly lucky to have been a part of their wedding day. Best wishes and lots of love from all of us at Engaging Affairs!
Laura
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