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

Fit For Royalty

Last Friday was an absolutely perfect day to jump start my spring season. My New York City couple went chic and had 125 guests attend their Friday evening celebration. David and Bershan were a pleasure to work with from day 1, which happened to be just over 4 months ago. The couple envisioned a wedding with a little DC and a little WOW NYC.

While the bride grew up on the outskirts of Washington, the groom was British down to his accent so the couple wanted to make sure their international guests were treated to the best of what the city had to offer. They chose the rooftop of the Hay Adams for their ceremony and cocktail reception, showing off the hotel's famous view. Overlooking the White House, guests were surrounded by Cherry Blossoms, another DC signature, that helped frame the aisle.

Regal seemed to be the word of the evening as the stunning couple moved around the corner to their reception at the US Chamber of Commerce. The detail of the old building is grand and spectacular and most of all, it's a place their guests would only expect to see on CNN.

The couple shared two first dances, one when they were introduced and the other after dinner when the bride changed into her party dress. The two were exquisite all evening long and were thrilled at the outcome of their vision. Here's to you, Bershan and David!

Sara

A Cherry Blossom Wedding at The Mandarin

Last week brought my first wedding of the Spring season and what a way to kick things off! Mila and Chip's wedding was such a fun, beautiful event that I feel like I am spoiled for the rest of the year. I had such a great time working on the wedding with the bride's mother, Christine, and the bride. They both had great taste and a fabulous sense of fun. While the wedding was elegant, it was also full of whimsical touches.

Both the ceremony and reception were held at the amazing Mandarin Oriental Hotel with the flawless assistance by Director of Catering Michael Deltette. It is always such a joy to work with Michael! The bride was made even more stunning by the skills of makeup artist Carl Ray and hairstylist Ishmael, both from George's Salon at The Four Seasons. After getting into her slinky gown and fabulous burgundy shoes, the bride took some time for portraits with the fabulous team from Ever After Visuals. This easygoing and charming group of photographers was a joy to work with!

The ceremony featured soaring arrangements of cherry blossoms hung with tiny votives by the talented John Duffy of Yellow Door Floral Design and white chiffon draping by Fabrications.

Chris Grasso provided lovely music for both ceremony and cocktail reception, while DJ Andres kicked things up later on for the party. The cherry blossom theme was carried through the reception in the centerpieces, menu cards and cake (a fabulous white chocolate confection by Kendall's Cakes). We brought in rental chairs and linens from DC Rental to really make the room pop, all in shades of deep wine to pink. The Oriental ballroom really looked stunning!

Of course what I loved most about this wedding were the fun touches like the digital portrait station from Fotobriceno, the donut machine from Smoothie Time that turned out unbelievably delicious donuts, and the Easter candy station (it was the day before Easter, after all). It was so much fun watching the guests discover each surprise throughout the evening. I love creating the WOW factor over and over during an event and this party definitely had lots of those moments.

Aside from the fun details and fabulous design, the bride and groom were so wonderful and clearly head-over-heels in love. And on top of all of that, the families were delightful and the guests were lovely. What more could a wedding planner ask for?

Wedding Photo Station

I have always been a fan of the photo guest book that we used to do back in the days of Polaroids and the recent comeback of the photo booths at weddings. This past weekend at my fabulous wedding at The Mandarin Hotel, though, I did something that was kind of a combination of both and it was a HUGE hit!

Juan Carlos Briceno of Fotobriceno set up a digital portrait station for me where guests could take photos of themselves (alone, as couples or larger groups) by pressing a remote clicker (I'm sure there is a more technical name for it but that's what it looks like to me!) and then he would print them on site and put them in the guest book for guests to sign around. People had so much fun goofing off for the camera and they loved seeing the images a few minutes later in the guest book and writing messages for the bride and groom.

A digital portrait station for a corporate event or holiday party is usually pretty expensive but Juan Carlos gave us a great price, and I have to say that it was one of the biggest hits of the night. The bride and groom ended up with a guestbook that was so much more fun than the usual version, and it turned out to be entertainment for the guests, as well. Check out some of my favorites! The one at the very bottom is actually me and my assistants Christine and Maeve. We had to make sure it was working properly, right?!

The Winner Is . . .

I know I said that we'd announce a winner on Friday but I got caught up in last-minute wedding prep for this weekend plus the rehearsal and a wayward shuttle bus (ah, the glamorous life of a wedding planner!). So here it is, one day late. Thanks to everyone who entered the giveaway for a fabulous Julianne Smith garter, and a big thanks to Julianne for offering one of her amazing creations. The winner is ShaMaLa! Congratulations! Be sure to email me (lauraeai@aol.com) with your address so I can make sure to get the garter to you.

I'm off to the fabulous Mandarin Hotel for a wedding. Should be fun!
Laura

Cherry Blossom Wedding Details

It's that time of year again. The weather turns warm, tulips bloom, the cherry blossoms emerge and anywhere in D.C. remotely near the Tidal Basin is gripped in traffic gridlock. You know it's cherry blossom season when it takes half an hour to move three blocks in downtown Washington! But enough of my day and back to the joy of the cherry blossoms.

I really do love the cherry blossoms, and I love doing cherry blossom weddings even more. There are few things more stunning than soaring blooming cherry branches in a floral arrangment. For truly gorgeous blooms en masse, be sure to visit The Willard Hotel this week. Their Peacock Alley is full of cherry branches. You can even have afternoon tea in Peacock Alley among the blossoms!

If you're considering incorporating cherry blossoms in your wedding or just love to look at them, here are some of our favorite looks. Although it is not an entirely cherry blossom themed wedding, my wedding this weekend is using cherry blossoms in half of the centerpieces and they are having a cherry blossom cake. The Mother of the Bride (whom I adore) found faux cherry branches and is putting one in each of the hotel guests' welcome bags. Cute!







I love cherry blossom cakes. They appeal to my love of simple, yet intricate (if that makes sense). I love the simplicity of cherry blossoms yet they are so delicate and detailed. The white cake above was made by Lara Stuckey of Fluffy Thoughts Cakes. She also makes adorable cupcakes with cherry blossoms on them. The chocolate version with the loose blossoms make out of sugar comes from Martha Stewart.

We've used cherry blossoms and cherry blossom details at very formal weddings as well as outdoor garden parties. The photo at the top of the blog (taken by Juan Carlos Briceno of Fotobriceno) features escort cards with a cherry blossom design painted on them for an outdoor wedding. But they also look fabulous above at a very formal wedding we did at The Corcoran from a few years back(photo by Robert Isacson). For the crafty, you can make your own cherry blossom place card holders (picture below from Martha Stewart).

Whether you add one lovely cherry blossom detail or put the blossoms on everything from your invitations to your welcome bags to your programs to your favors, cherry blossoms are quinessentially spring (and very D.C.). Now if we could just do something about that traffic. Happy Spring!

Laura

New Wedding Venue at DC Four Seasons Hotel

More big news in the hotel world (and good news for all those brides hunting for the perfect reception space). The fabulous Four Seasons in Georgetown has transformed its former restaurant, Seasons, into new social space for weddings of 100 or less, rehearsal dinners, or 300 person cocktail receptions. It is a total of 3800 sq feet with two private rooms attached.

Whether it's fabulous rehearsal dinner with friends and family, an intimate wedding reception, or a dazzling engagement party, the Four Seasons Hotel Washington, DC now offers the services and setting for an unforgettable experience. Formally the hotel restaurant overlooking the tree-lined, historic C&O Canal through miles of picturesque floor-to-ceiling windows, SEASONS, also known as a "Room with a View" is ready to host your next special event with expert professionalism and elegant panache. Since only January 15, 2009 the hotel has reserved this unique space for over 50 event this year.

This space is really beautiful and has lots of natural light (which we are big fans of) plus the legendary food and service of the Four Seasons. It's a combination that can't be beat! We are so excited to add this to our list of amazing site options in the city. As a matter of fact, I think I have a rehearsal dinner that would be a perfect fit!

Laura

Wedding Transportation Options

As the spring wedding season gets underway, I am confronted with how to get my brides and grooms from hotel to ceremony to reception and back. When they are not situated to walk from venue to venue, most of them want to move in style. There are a few options for this.

The first option is your standard white or black limo. Most brides want white, just be warned that for some reason there are fewer white vehicles out there than black. So, be sure to reserve early! Staying within the limo family, you move into your suvs. While it may seem like a fun idea to roll up to your church rocking tunes in this serious car, it may be more suitable to transport your fine men in this stylish manor. Unfortunately, it can be quite a manuver to get into this vehicle for most women in their dresses. It's a high up step in. As a last note on the more traditional limos, my absolute favorite is the rarely seen Jaguar Limo. It is sleek and classic looking. Very much an elegant statement, but only for certain tastes.

Next you have the limo bus, known in your younger days as the "party bus". This is the ideal mode of transportation for large wedding parties trecking around town for pictures at the monuments. It holds the largest amount of people, besides the SUV limo and it much easier to get in and out of. The outside looks like your standard tinted window mini shuttle but the inside is all limo seating.A trendy way to travel if you are moving through Old Town or Georgetown is a trolley. It's ideal in nice weather and has a fun, easy experience. Just keep in mind most don't allow you to have open alcohol containers.
Finally, you have your classic or vintage cars. Our good friend Justine cruised the streets of DC in a stylish pink Cadillac. Recently I have been working a lot with John Bays at Regal Limousine . His inventory includes 2 Bentleys and 2 Rolls Royces of which I have a bride using the '52 Gold Rolls Royce next weekend. They are great for pictures and once in a lifetime vehicles.

There are still many other ways of getting around town. If you are in to hurry, try a horse and carriage. You can even flag a yellow cab. Whatever your style, know the options are out there. Make this a fun experience and cruise the town in style.

Sara

A Bridal Bubbly Garter Toss!

It's time for another fun contest! This time one lucky reader will win a gorgeous, custom-made garter from Julianne Smith. Julianne started her custom garter business after she was tasked to find a fun garter for a friend's wedding and couldn't find anything that fit the bill. Being the creative sort, she made it herself and a business was born. I love all of the fun designs she comes up with from grosgrain ribbon to animal print. I have seen a lot of bad garters in my day but these garters are so chic and fun. I've included a few of her fun blue designs (don't forget your something blue) but check out all of her fabulous designs on her website. If you want to win a fabulous Julianne Smith garter, leave a comment here and be sure to check back on Friday when we'll announce the winner!

The Willard Room for Weddings

Great news for the D.C. wedding industry: the Willard Hotel's restaurant (the illustrious Willard Room) will now be available for private parties. Starting May 1st, you can host a wedding for 150, a dinner for 200 or a standing reception for 300. If you haven't seen the gorgeous space, be sure to check it out. It features lots of stunning wood detailing, striking columns and old-world chandeliers as well as plenty of windows. So if you're looking to host a wedding in a room that looks nothing like a hotel ballroom, but want the amazing service and food that the Willard Hotel is known for, look no further. We can't wait to plan a wedding there!

Laura