Photobooth Fun!

At this past weekend's wedding, we had a very long cocktail hour with which to contend. Since the reception was at the family home/horse farm, we were able to set up croquet and boccie ball on the lawn to amuse people. But perhaps the biggest hit was the photo booth from PoshBooth!

I think photo booths are just the right mix of kitsch and fun at a wedding. Guests love goofing around and taking home silly shots but photo booths are also the perfect alternative to the traditional guestbook. I'm not a big fan of the "sign your name on the dotted line" guest books of old. I don't know any couple who curls up by the fire to read through a list of names after their wedding. Snooze.

But a scrapbook filled with fun photos of your friends and messages they have written next to them is a different story. The folks from PoshBooth are so nice, the photo booths look great and are easy to use (which is helpful after a few cocktails) and don't take up tons of space, and their packages are reasonable. So if you're looking to sidestep the boring guestbook, entertain your guests and provide fun take-away gifts, look no further!

Laura

Fairytale Wedding at The Fairmont

Trina and Gene were such a pleasure to work with. Both are successful and career-minded and, up until they met each other, had not found the time to focus on love or getting married. Meeting through mutual friends and after initial hesitation, they both realized they had an immediate connection. Gene being 42 and Trina in her 30’s (I would never tell a lady's age), they realized they had finally met their soul mate and 9 months later, Gene proposed to Trina.

Trina, falling in love with The Fairmont Hotel, chose this to be the site of her reception. Cocktails would take place in the loggia and courtyard while dinner and dancing would be in the garden-style Colonnade Room. Working with the amazing Mark Medrick, they came up with a menu that was to die for. They then began working with Janet Flowers to come up with centerpieces, bouquets and other flower accents that incorporated the colors of orange and deep red. Even the cake was adorned with burgandy ribbon. Such gorgeous colors for an autumn wedding!

On the day of the wedding, the bride spent most of the morning surrounded by her mother and bridesmaids in her suite at the Fairmont hotel while hairstylist, Jean of Salon Montage, and make-up artist, Kim Giammaria, worked their magic on all of the ladies. Once the bride was dressed and ready to go, a vintage Bentley, provided by Regal Limousine, whisked her and her father off to Mt. Olive Baptist Church in Arlington for her ceremony.

The ceremony was beautiful and included an organist and three soloists who performed not only during the processional and recessional but also throughout the ceremony itself. After the

ceremony, guests moved to the Fairmont for a stunning cocktail reception. The weather could not have been more perfect and we were able to utilize the gorgeous outdoor courtyard. Guests enjoyed the delicious appetizers and the drinks flowed from two bars.

Once the formal reception began, it was clear everyone was ready to celebrate. DJ Cheryl Brockington, of Mitchell’s Music and Entertainment, kept the guests on the dancefloor all night. Darla of Darla Photography was kept busy capturing all of the special moments of the day. The video of the wedding was taken by Stephen at Video Express.

Congratulations Trina and Gene!

Christine

The Great Sandal Giveaway!

Well, you caught us! Sometimes I just don't know where the weeks go! Yes, weeks. There is not enough time in the day and then all of a sudden months are flying by. But anyway, back to the case at hand. Thank you to our brides who posted about the fantastic sandals giveaway from Sandals4Events. Congratulations to Angela, you are our winner! Please contact us so we can send you your fabulous footwear!

Sara

Hail to the SugaChef!

You may have noticed that we have quite a few blogs devoted to cakes, cupcakes, and various forms of sugar. We're big fans. My assistant, Alison, knows more about cupcakes in the D.C. area than anyone over the age of eight probably should. She can tell you who has the best cake to icing ratio, who has the best red velvet in town and who is out of their mind for serving cold cupcakes. It's both impressive and scary. But at Engaging Affairs not only do we value such knowledge, we embrace it. Which is why I was so thrilled when Padua from SugaChef contacted me about his boutique dessert business.

Padua has created wedding cakes and pastry for one of the area's top caterers so I knew his work very well already (and liked it a lot). But when he brought over a selection of his desserts for me to sample, from cookies to tarts to cheesecake, I was blown away. It's hard to pick a favorite but the bread pudding was surprisingly addictive for something that looked so simple and the apple tart was beautiful and delicious. His cookies were so yummy and the perfect size for an almost guilt-free treat.

We love finding new talent in the event world and Padua is definitely one to watch. He can turn out a fabulous wedding cake and then wow guests with lots of tiny treats (including the ubiquitous cupcake). And since I think hors d'oeuvres and dessert are the best parts of any meal, Padua's amazing confections are right up my alley!

Enjoy,

Laura

August Wedding on the Bay

Well, I admit I have fallen quite behind. I had a huge wedding month in August and have yet to share all of the wonderful details with you. So, here goes!

On August 22nd, Annie and Rob treated their guests to Annapolis wedding weekend that would keep the celebrating going for days. I met Annie and Rob in January and there was really only one issue we had to work with. Very good friends of theirs were getting married Sept. 19th so we had to leave some time before or after that date. So, we started looking at places on Maryland's Eastern Shore, Annie and Rob were coming from NYC and wanted something a bit more slow paced than DC, and we decided on an October wedding date. After reevaluating their guest numbers a couple of times, we determined that their ideal setting was going to be a bit too quaint for their numbers and we had to look elsewhere. The couple finally fell in love with the setting of the Chesapeake Bay Beach Club and decided to nab the only date still available, August 22nd!


The humid weekend began with a rehearsal at St. Christopher's Church, a newly opened house of warship in Chester, MD. The wedding party boarded the bus to travel over the Bay Bridge from their hotel in Annapolis. The rain came and went while we were inside practicing, and as the night cleared up, the celebration continued with a dinner at Treaty of Paris and drinking in Annapolis.

The morning of the wedding was a humid one but the bridal party was in great spirits as they got ready and boarded the buses to the ceremony. The rain came later, as guests were arriving at the Beach Club but that certainly wasn't going to start the festivities. The steel drum group, Oasis Trio provided by Bialek's Music, moved themselves inside and the cocktail hour was hopping


Amaryllis and Digital Lightning made the ballroom look beautifully traditional, but the decor didn't take away for the beautiful wall of windows overlooking the Chesapeake and the Bay Bridge. Rentals were brought in from Party Rental LTD to finish the look.



A special thank you to Fancy Cakes by Leslie for the wedding cake and grooms cake, a Loyola Grey Hound, Free Spirit for keeping the party pumping all night long, Linder and Associates for the transportation, Jenny Lehman Video for capturing the emotions of the day and Michael Bennet Kress and Associates for the beautiful Images.

Sara

What Makes You Feel Like a Bride?

I got the most interesting phone call yesterday and thought I would share. First, it was from a groom. That isn't completely unheard of but it isn't typical. Most of our calls come from brides or their mothers. Then, he mentioned that his wedding was in two days. That got my attention. Lastly, he told me that he wasn't looking for wedding planning but wanted to know how to make his bride "feel like a bride." Even though I was juggling about a hundred things to do (this is the Fall wedding season, after all), I thought his request was so sweet that I had to help.

Apparently, the groom-to-be and his bride were eloping (second wedding for both) but the bride had told him (with tears in her eyes) that on the wedding day she wanted to feel like a bride. The groom wanted to make her happy but didn't know exactly what it takes to make a woman feel like a bride. After bantering some ideas back and forth (and him rejecting my fantasy of sending her to the Mandarin Spa for the day), we decided that a limo ride around the monuments culminating in a picnic with champagne, flowers and gourmet fare would be perfect for them.

This phone call made me think that we all have different ideas of what it takes to feel like a bride. I'd love to hear what yours is!

Laura

Wedding Shoes Giveaway!

It's the giveaway you have been waiting for! About a month ago I blogged about a great pair of footwear one of my spring brides sported. Now, it's your turn to win a pair for yourself! Sandals4events are custom personalized sandals great for weddings, bridal and bachelorette events, the honeymoon and then every day use! No more spending tons of money on shoes you will only wear once and will want to take off after the pre ceremony pictures. Flip flops are great for every day, but the pair you wear at your wedding should be a little more special!

So, just send us a comment with you name and be sure to check back on Monday when we announce the winner!

A Romantic Proposal at The Inn at Little Washington

So how romantic is this? We wanted to share a picture of our very own Amy as Clark is proposing to her at The Inn at Little Washington. Not only did he set her up with some beauty treatments and plan a day at Virginia wineries together, he invited their families and friends to join them (and surprise her) at The Inn after the proposal. We think Amy is a lucky duck (and we can't wait for her to start blogging about her wedding plans)! Congratulations and lots of love from all the Engaging Affairs ladies!

Laura

Veil Giveaway!

Hello lovely ladies! The Unbride is back. The funky blog site started by the chic photographer Justine Ungaro is back with great new stuff and a birdcage veil giveaway! You can win one just like the lovely Katherine Heigl wore when she wed singer Josh Kelly. Check out the link and let me know if you win!

Sara

Engaging Affairs is getting Hitched Again!

Congratulations to yet another member of the Engaging Affairs Team. Amy Lorraine, we love you and can't wait to start planning your big day!

xoxo

Sara