An Elegant Union at Union Station {Premal + Chris}

The fun Hotel Monaco in Chinatown served as the getting ready location for both the bride and groom of this wedding.   Makeup artist, Pattie Martin and hairstylist Giselle of Hair by Giselle spent the morning with the bride and her close friends and family getting them all ready for the special day.

Sari wrapper, Yogita Devani, worked with the ladies to make sure their beautiful saris were put on correctly and looking perfect.

The bride and groom chose to see each other before the ceremony.  The talented Greg Gibson shot some amazing photos of their first meeting and pictures around the Hotel Monaco.  Their families then joined them to take pictures around the hotel and in and around Union Station, the site of their ceremony and reception.  

For the Groom’s baraat, the Groom rode in on a white horse (thanks to Harmon’s Carriages) and the crowd was led by both a drummer, Dholi Sorabh and pre-recorded music played by DJ Ross of Chris Laich Entertainment.  

Guests were then led through the ornate main hall of Union Station to the ceremony in Columbus Club.  Sachi Sood of Partyland created the colorful mandap and aisle décor for the ceremony.  Chaitanya Bhagavan Dasa did a great job leading the ceremony.  He took the time to explain, in English, what was happening throughout the entire ceremony for those guests who do not speak Hindi.  

The ceremony ended and guests entered the Palm Court for cocktails and hors d’eourves.  Guests found their escort cards under a stunning peacock statue the florist designed.

During cocktails and dinner, guests were encouraged to stop by the photobooth, provided by Booth-O-Rama, that also served as the couple’s guestbook. Guests could take pictures with fun props, keep a photo strip for themselves or glue a photo strip into the couple’s guestbook.  

After the bride and groom’s costume change, it was time for the dinner reception, that took place in the East Hall.   Amber lighting lit the room and bright pink, blue and purple linen covered the tables.  The couple was led into the reception by Dholi Sorabh.  What a great way to start a party!

Dinner was a team effort, Design Cuisine provided the American fare while IndAroma handled all Indian dishes.  One of the highlights was the delicious dessert buffet provided by Design Cuisine.  The based Alaska’s on a stick are to die for!!

DJ Michael Valenti did a great job of keeping the guests dancing the night away. The bride and groom made donations to the Susan G Komen Foundation in each guest’s name.

The bride and groom ended the night by having their guests hold sparklers outside of Union Station as they walked through it and headed off into the night.

Thank you to my assistant, Sarah Obenour, for all of your help!

Congratulations Premal and Chris!  The couple is now off to their 3 week honeymoon in Africa.  So jealous! 

It's a Birthday Party!

In honor of my big one today, I thought I would share some of my favorite birthday inspiration as well as some of my favorite things and gift ideas I love.  Enjoy and Happy Black Friday!

I don't consider myself overly "girly" in general, but I LOVE a very girly afternoon with my favorite women.  Dressing up is a MUST.

Madly Stylish Events

"And in the end, it's not the years in your life that count. It's the life in your years."
~ Abraham Lincoln

I would love to walk into the room above...Surprise!

"You know you're getting old when all the names in your black book have M.D. after them."
~ Arnold Palmer

I actually have several of these now!

I share with some of my brides the love for cheap confetti cake from a box.  Whatever happened to the real confetti frosting??

One of the things Laura and I share is our love of the amazing Spa at the Mandarin Oriental in DC.  When I got married, I told my husband if he wanted a happy wife, he should send me there at least once a year.

I love giving and getting party favor bags.  It almost doesn't matter what is in them.  It's just exciting to take something home.

This next item was introduced to me by a planner friend of mine.  Besides being the name of my cousins and one of my best friend's new baby girl, Zoe's Chocolate is out of this world.  The Chewy Sea Salt Caramels are amazing.  

Just two more loves of mine and great gifts, my feet are always cold, so warm fuzzy socks, especially this time of year is the best gift I can get.

(Those are not my legs)

And finally, I've said for a long time that what I would like fresh flowers in my house every week.    The colors just make me smile and feel alive.  Dahlia's are my favorite.

Sara

A Wise Man Has Said...

From a man who not only is a husband, but played a beloved one on TV...

For two people in a marriage to love together day after day is the one miracle the Vatican has overlooked.

-Bill Cosby

Sara

A Special Couple

Jeff and Dan got married on a gorgeous Sunday evening in October at the Anderson House in Dupont.  The couple, who hosted the nuptials of friends last year at their home, wanted an intimate, dinner at home feel, but needed a slightly larger space to accommodate all of the friends and family who mean so much to them.

As guests arrived, they mingled and noshed with each other and the couple before the ceremony got underway.

Upon being pronounced, the couple took the time to hug and kiss their family members seated in the first row before walking back up the aisle together.

The grand staircase in the ballroom made for the perfect post to thank their guests for the love and support they have received.

Sara

Love Couture Sample Sale!

Groom's Cakes Gone Wrong!

Yes, that is a toilet bowl cake. Many of you know how much I love Cake Wrecks. If I'm ever having a rough day, I can just bop on over to the site and I will be in tears laughing within minutes. Something about really bad cakes makes me hysterical.  So I thought I'd share a round-up of some hilariously bad groom's cakes from Cake Wrecks. 

The toilet bowl cake above really makes you wonder about people. Specifically the groom. Maybe I shouldn't wonder too hard.  But speaking about bad ideas, how about a foot cake?

Mike R. reports: "This was the groom's cake at a wedding I photographed. (The groom lost his big toe in a lawnmower accident as a kid.) You can't see it in this photo, but of course the cake is red raspberry."

Um, yum?

This ode to shooting deers and mounting their heads really looks festive with that party hat, huh?   I ask you now, who wouldn't want that sitting on a table next to their wedding cake?

 
But in case you were starting to think that sharing table space with the Groom's cakes is a bad idea, check this out.  It's always better to let him have his own cake, my friends. Always.

Thanks to Cake Wrecks for the pictures and the giggles. Enjoy!

Fun Groom's Cakes!

kaceyskitchen.com

As a true Southern girl, I love Groom's cakes. The classic armadillo one from Steel Magnolias isn't exactly my style but I do love a creative cake made just for the groom.  We've had some fun ones over the years, from the replica of the Washington Monument for the groom who oversaw the renovation of the monument to the edible Hummer for the car buff.  Now there are plenty that are just plain bad and deserve to be on Cake Wrecks (perhaps my favorite website EVER), but that's another post for another day.

Here are some I love (some are ours and some aren't).

The above cake was for one of our grooms and was an exact replica of the cabin he loved visiting as a boy.  The cake was designed by Fancy Cakes by Leslie.

delish.com

 This sushi cake is so fun!

 Fancy Cakes by Leslie created both the above crab-inspired cake for a Maryland groom and the cooler below for a die-hard Redskins fan.

The cake below is from Charm City Cakes (of Ace of Cakes fame) in Baltimore and is just hilarious.  Yes, it is a replica of the bridge from the original Star Trek and yes, I do feel like a dork for loving it.

Did you do a fun groom's cake?  We'd love to hear about it!

Scarves for a Good Cause {Cindy's Cancer Fund}

Today's post isn't about wedding details or wedding inspiration. It's about real-life inspiration. One of the wedding vendors we've worked with for years and years, Lisa Sprites of Sprites Ink, is raising funds to help her sister-in-law, Cindy, who has been diagnosed with terminal cancer.

Cindy's mom is knitting beautiful shimmery scarves to raise money to help with her daughter's treatments and all the costs that start piling up when you deal with a terminal illness. She's selling the scarves for $12 each or 2 for $20. This is a steal for such pretty scarves and she is making them in lots of colors (see above).

I think these are great gifts for the holidays and really lovely stocking-stuffers PLUS they help someone who is going through a tough time.  If you'd like to order scarves, contact Lisa Sprites directly by email: lisa@spritesink.com

 Thanks everyone!!

Monique Lhuillier at Carine's in Georgetown!

Engagement Session in Georgetown!

I love this sexy Georgetown engagement shoot of one of our couples from Jason Keefer Photography.  The couple started out at Mie N Yu on M Street, which has a fabulously sultry ambiance.

Then they continued walking around Georgetown, stopping at favorite spots and along the canal.

After changing outfits, they headed for downtown for some evening shots.  Gorgeous!

Thanks to Jason for sharing!