Wednesday, August 31, 2011

Modern Trousseau at Hitched {Trunk Show}

Join the lovely ladies at Hitched for one of their most anticipated trunk shows of the season- the Modern Trousseau Bridal Gown Trunk Show on Friday, September 9th & Saturday, September 10th!
 
Modern Trousseau designer Callie Tein's collection is full of fresh modern designs that are still undeniably bridal and classic. Whether you're looking for a funky ballgown with a jet-black sash or a form-fitting delicate lace sheath, she's sure to have something that will suit you perfectly! 

What: Modern Trousseau Bridal Gown Trunk Show

When: Friday, September 9th & Saturday, September 10th

RSVP:
202-333-6162 or appointments@hitchedsalon.com
(Please remember, gown trials are by appointment only) 

Special Treat: Designer Callie Tein will be on hand to chat about gown customizations and we'll be offering 10% off any gown purchased during the event! 

This trunk show is sure to book up fast, so make an appointment today to find your perfect gown!

Tuesday, August 30, 2011

Law School for Wedding Professionals


I wish this had been around when I first started out. What a fabulous resource for the wedding industry! For More information and to sign up, go to this site!

Monday, August 29, 2011

More Couples on the Water {Sea Kayaking}


When Sara and I were talking about last week's post on stand up paddling, she mentioned that she was dying to try it but currently her idea of complete serenity is ocean kayaking. I have to agree that anything that includes being on the water makes me feel at peace (unless I'm being tossed around in huge swells and turning green, which has happened to me on a diving boat before--not pretty).

Check out this fun couple who took to sea kayaks for their wedding! Lovely images by Claudia Akers.
This post is for you, Sara!


Thursday, August 25, 2011

Monte's Take {Say Yes to the Dress Atlanta}

You all know that I am a big fan of "Say Yes to the Dress Atlanta" and absolutely adore Monte Durham, the show's self-proclaimed drama queen (well, aside from the brides). Now, in addition to weekly episodes on Friday nights at 9 pm, you can get Monte's wedding advice on his TLC blog, Monte's Take.

Having worked with Monte for well over a dozen years and on more weddings than either of us can count, I can tell you that he knows his stuff and always has a fun perspective. Check it out!



Wednesday, August 24, 2011

Stand Up Paddle for Brides!



I am newly hooked on stand up paddling, or SUP, after doing it for a week on the Outer Banks. I loved surfing when I did it in Maui last year but am obsessed with the fact that you can do SUP even when the waves are dead. There is something so soothing about paddling on a glassy sea (but catching a swell in is also excellent).  So I wondered if there were any SUP brides out there and found these amazing photos by Tracy Turpen.








These photos make me want to hit the water in the worst way! What a fun couple (and love their "his and hers" Laird boards)!


Check out Tracy's blog for more photos of this fun shoot!

Tuesday, August 23, 2011

A Night of Glamour at the Corcoran {Tami + Omar}



Tami and Omar wanted to celebrate their wedding at an amazing location that was just as glamorous as they are so they chose the Corcoran Museum.  Kathleen Kelly, events coordinator at the museum, could not have been more amazing throughout the entire planning process.  So, after the formal wedding took place the week before, the couple was ready to celebrate with their friends and family. 






The historic and fun W Hotel, located right next to the White House, was the location where the Bride and Groom chose to spend their weekend preparing for the festivities.  The hotel provided a great backdrop for some interesting pictures taken by the talented Noah Hayes and an amazing video captured by none other than Bill Bowen of Suburban Video.  


The Bride, her lovely bridal party and family spent the morning with hairstylist, Remona of Bridal Hair by Remona and makeup artist, Nour of Made of Art.  The bride has a love of fashion and these ladies really nailed her look. After an incredible photo/video shoot around the hotel and driving around the city in the Groom’s Lamborghini, the couple headed off to the Corcoran for some more photos.  
As guests arrived, they were greeted with vibrant blue lighting on the main floor where the dinner and dancing would take place.   Their DJ, Dariush, played current music as well as traditional Afghan music for both cocktails and dancing.  They also incorporated an Afghan singer, David Sayed, to sing live for some of the special traditions they performed during the reception.
Some of the Afghan traditions they incorporated into their evening included decorating the Bride and groom with henna (after her bridal party performed a beautiful dance presenting her with the henna), serving malida (sugar mix) with the absolutely gorgeous cake designed by Maggie Austin Cakes, dancing by the ladies in her “court”, scarf tied around Bride’s hip by her father at the end of the evening, just to name a few.   In addition to the Afghan traditions, the Bride’s sister-in-law performed a beautiful traditional Indian dance for the couple.


Main Event Caterers provided staffing for the event while the guests dined on traditional Afghan food.


Thank you to Noah Hayes for sharing the beautiful images and to my assistants for the day Amanda and Maeve!  You guys were awesome!
Hair – Remona  www.bridalhairbyremona.com
Makeup – Nour  www.madeupart.com
Venue – Corcoran
Photo – Noah Hayes   www.noahhayesphotography.com
Video – Bill at Suburban  www.suburbanvideo.com
Caterer – Main Events  www.maineventcaterers.com
Maggie Austin Cakes – www.maggieaustincake.com
Congratulations Tami and Omar!

Monday, August 22, 2011

Fashion's Night Out- What you need to know to win a dream Georgetown wedding!



DC's Fashion Night Out in Georgetown is back for it's second year and there is competition and industry partners that have really gotten us excited.  This year, 50 couples will compete for a chance to win the ultimate Georgetown wedding complete with Bridal Gown from Hitched Salon.  Interested?  Have a friend who just got engaged?  Visit or send this link and help make dreams a reality- as long as you're not scared of some friendly competition...

http://www.fashionsnightoutgeorgetowndc.com/gethitched.html


Thursday, August 18, 2011

A Rehearsal Dinner Spot with Many Options {Carmine's}

Last week the team took an outing to the Gallery Place area of DC to get the complete scoop on Carmine's, a NYC staple that has planted itself in DC.  While Christine has had clients in both DC and NYC use the institution, it was time the rest of us became familiar with it's versatility.



What we learned, besides the fact that the restaurant boasts 6 plus ample spaces to host private functions, is that special events as we know them in the scheme of Carmine's experience is relatively new.  Enter Kyle Carnegie, long time member of the restaurant and events community in Washington, DC.


As he showed us the spaces, he pointed out how they paid extreme attention to being able to section off spaces and close off the noise of the restaurant to a private event.  Each of their smaller spaces have AV accessibility so you can easily connect photo slideshows.  The main dining room can also be sectioned off into areas to accommodate groups of 100 plus!  Carmine's recently hosted their first wedding and they have a bar mitzvah coming up this fall.


Carmine’s Back Dining Room can be closed off with wood and glass doors for your
dinner for 120 guests and features a fully-stocked private bar.   Picture the room with
the lights turned down a little for your dinner.


So while private functions are something new in their latest location, the food is one thing that is not.  If it ain't broke, don't fix it, is what they say.  Carmine's takes very intense care to make sure their food from location to location is exactly the same in every way.  That is of course why they have such a devout following.  A two hour wait in NYC is completely normal and acceptable.


The menus don't change and are posted on the walls, big for everyone to see.  Their standards for food are high, so when I asked Kyle if they source locally, which is a hot button these days, his response was, as much as possible, but some local items aren't up to our standards and we thus need to source from elsewhere.



Did I mention this is a family style restaurant?  I take for granted I have been to multiple locations at this point.  My favorite dish is the Penne ala Vodka.  On a visit with a few other couples earlier this year, I learned how amazing their garlic bread is.  And last week on our visit I tried two new items (for me) their porterhouse with amazing herbed olive oil and their tugboat dessert.  You won't see the tugboat on their menus, but it's the smaller version of their Titanic, an ice cream sundae atop flourless chocolate cake that can feed an army.  The tugboat fed four of us with leftovers.


This space boasts a working fire place for a really cozy feeling

So, if you haven't yet visited, Carmine's is about to celebrate a year in DC and they sure have gotten their feet wet.  Give Kyle a call or stop in and try them out.  The versatile space is good for parties of 55 to over 200.

Wednesday, August 17, 2011

Paper Paper Party at The Dandelion Patch Georgetown {Lifestyle Wedding Event}


Last week, we held the second of our fabulous Lifestyle Wedding Planning events with our lovely friends at The Dandelion Patch in Georgetown. The "Paper Party" was a chance for engaged couples to learn the ins and outs of wedding stationery and invitations while sipping champagne and nibbling tasty sweets.



Sweet Hearts Patisserie provided delicious petit fours, macaroons and madeleines for everyone to enjoy.


Our Engaging Affairs team was out in force to greet couples and talk paper!








Brides loved mingling and looking at the gorgeous options available for their weddings.







Sara talks invitations with a bride.


It's easy to tell that Christine loves talking weddings!

The Engaging Affairs team, led by Sara and Amanda, share their invitation secrets and how to keep the process stress-free!



The knowledgeable crew at The Dandelion Patch talks tips and trends. They shared such great information!







Each couple left with a goodie bag full of fun treats, a handy invitation ordering timeline and a $25 gift card to use at The Dandelion Patch! Thanks to all the brides and grooms who braved the rain storm to come, thanks to Sweet Hearts Patisserie for the sweet treats, thanks to Susan Hornyak for capturing the event and sharing these fabulous images with us, and extra special thanks to The Dandelion Patch for being such amazing hosts.  Can't wait for the next party!