Quick Get Away! {Amy & Clark}

Bachelor and Bachelorette parties are more than ever a staple to your engagement period. And for many years, this outing has typically been a fun night out on the town with your closest friends. Now, couples are branching out and doing joint parties, spa days or golf outings. I have also heard of a lot of bridal parties wisking away the bride or groom to all out away weekends to their choice destination location. Everything from the Florida coast to Paris, France!

I was just sitting here day-dreaming of my own away weekend coming up soon and thought I would share a few pictures from my most recent bachelorette weekend.

If you recall, our very own Sara was recently married {Pictures from her wedding coming soon!} and we had an absolute BLAST at her away weekend at Disney World in Orlando, FL. We went in late October and it was wonderful having the warm sun beating down on us while laying by the pool for a few fabulous days! Now, it wasn't so much fun coming home to the freezing cold, but that's just life I suppose.This is a great pic of Sara & I. Trying to get into the Disney spirit and I had 5 pins of flair... who knows what I was thinking but it was fun!!

Obviously when it came to my own wedding, I was so excited to get out of DC for a few days and go on what is hopefully going to be the most fabulously fun girls weekend I have ever experienced! What is better than having all your best girlfriends with you for 3 days, at least 6 great meals and countless bottles of champagne?! We have decided to head out to the of Big Apple NYC in late January. Granted, it may be a bit chilly that time of year in New York but that's just fine with me. Snow boots, puffy coat and a new sweater and we'll be set!

Clark's brother {& Best Man}, Rob, decided to take the guys and head out to Snowshoe Ski Resort in WV for his bachelor weekend. Definitely more of a macho man trip than tromping down 5th Avenue shopping but we'll let the guys have their fun too.

I'll be sure to post pictures after our trip, stay tuned!

Whatever you end up doing to celebrate your last single times with your friends, have fun & be safe! We need you in one piece on your wedding day :)

xoxo,
Amy Lorraine

Advice Needed! Bridesmaid Gifts {Amy & Clark}

Game on, brides & bridesmaids out there! With only a few months to go and a MILLION options, I need some help coming up with some fabulous ideas for great bridesmaid gifts! Every bridesmaid has received gifts ranging from trinkets to jewelry to Coach bags... what did you love most? Items that you could wear, eat, or sit on a shelf as eye candy??

Let me know your thoughts, ideas and what you have seen out there that went over well! I have 11 bridesmaids, yes 11! Think budget friendly ;)

Then there is the thought of doing individualized gifts, something personal for each marvelous maid?

Bride & Groom Published! {Sloane & David}

Check out the current Bride & Groom {Washingtonian's Wedding Magazine} on shelves now and catch a glimpse of Sara's clients, Sloane & David. They had an all out wonderful affair at one of our FAVORITE venues, The Ronald Reagan Building. It was a great wedding with tons of fun guests dancing the night away and not to mention, the catering staff there is phenomenal!

Be sure to catch the NEW edition of Bride & Groom coming in January 2010! It will have the full line up of DC's Top Notch Wedding Vendors in their Annual List. It's a great resource for brides and not to mention, gives the full run down of who's who in the city!

Thanks to our darling friend, Justine Ungaro, for the beautiful photos!

Gay Weddings in DC

I recently had the distinct pleasure of hearing Bernadette Smith of 14 Stories, the country's most successful gay wedding planning company, speak about gay weddings coming to D.C. You may not know that earlier today the DC City Council voted in favor of allowing legal marriage. This isn't the final vote but it is a good sign.

Bernadette spoke on the positive impact that gay marriage had on Massachusetts (her state) and how it would bring tons of new revenue and jobs to the city (hooray!). Plus, who doesn't love thousands of additional weddings each year?

We are an open and affirming wedding planning company and love creating unique and personal weddings for all couples so we look forward to this new avenue opening up for D.C. Thanks to Bernadette for sharing her knowledge and enthusiasm! And thanks to Closed Circle Photography for the beautiful picture above!
Laura

Charming & Memorable {Amy & Clark}

In my opinion, one of the best parts of friendship, dating, engagement and marriage is the memories you build along the way with the people you hold nearest and dearest. I adore receiving gifts that are meaningful and ones that I will be able to keep with me for many years, often reminding me of a special trip, event or person.
My fabulously wonderful Maid of Honor, Stephanie, came up with a great idea to gift me with a charm bracelet and have each of the women in my life send a charm to represent a memory that I have with them. Stephanie started out by giving me a sweet bracelet from Tiffany & Co. and let me know then that each week until my wedding I would be receiving a charm from someone in my life. What fun!! I have very much enjoyed receiving fun charms of all shapes and sizes, some with hilarious memories, some with inspirational words, all amazingly memorable!


You can get creative and send sea shells, glass, vintage coins - whatever reminds you of the bride's style, personality or memories you have together!


If you are a bride who loves keepsakes, this is a great gift for you! Just send this link to your MOH and hope for the best...

Happy Planning!
xoxo,
Amy Lorraine

Among Life's precious jewels,
Genuine and rare,
The one that we call friendship
Has worth beyond compare.
~Author Unknown

Signature Celebration Cocktails: The Ring-A-Ding-Tini

Every bride knows that part of customizing your wedding lies in the signature cocktail. Since we're approaching the holidays, I thought I'd share a fabulous champagne cocktail perfect for celebrating a Christmas or New Year's wedding (or just celebrating Christmas and New Year's). This recipe comes courtesy of mixologist Natalie Bovis-Nelson of TheLiquidMuse.com and author of "The Bubbly Bride."

The Ring-A-Ding-Tini

1 sugar cube
Dash Fee Brothers rhubarb bitters
1 ounce vodka
1/2 ounce peach or passion fruit puree
3/4 ounce acai juice
1/4 ounce simple syrup
2 1/2 ounces chilled champagne

Muddle the sugar cube and rhubarb bitters in the bottom of a mixing glass. Add vodka, fruit puree, acai juice, simple syrup and ice. Shake well, then strain into a chilled champagne flute. Top with ice cold champagne.

Natalie just sent us a copy of her delicious book so stay tuned this week for more about the book and creating a custom cocktail for your wedding. Cheers!
Laura

Designer Bridal Gown Blowout Sample Sale!

Sample Sale Event on Sunday, December 6^th from 12pm to 3pm

Designer Bridal Gowns For As Low As $999 This Weekend Only!

Up to 75% off sample wedding gowns by Carolina Herrera, Melissa Sweet, Monique Lhuillier, Reem Acra, Platinum Collection and more!

Carine’s Bridal Atelier of Georgetown is hosting their annual end of year Sample Sale Event on Sunday, December 6^th from 12pm to 3pm. Sample wedding gowns by top designers will be on sale for up to 75% off retail prices—a fantastic savings for brides! Gowns will be priced as low as $999 to $1899marked down from original retail prices of $3000-$9000. Gowns sold on a first come, first serve basis.

“Sample gowns are a great option for brides on a budget or on a short wedding timeline,” says Carine Krawiec, Owner of Carine’s Bridal Atelier. Sample dresses are in great condition and must be sold to make room for new gowns. Sample gowns are a bridal size 8 or 10 and can always be altered to fit a smaller body size. Carine’s Bridal Atelier offers custom alterations onsite in their Georgetown boutique.

Brides can preview a selection of sample sale gowns online at http://carinesbridal.com/samplesale.htm. These gowns, plus MORE, will be priced to sell between $999 - $1899 at the Sample Sale Event.

Special Event Details

Date & Time: Sunday, December 6, 2009 (12pm–3pm)

Location: Carine’s Bridal Atelier, 1726 Wisconsin Ave NW, 2^nd Fl., Washington, DC 20007

Phone: (202) 965-4696

Additional Important Information

• Sale is first come, first serve
• Line starts directly outside the boutique
• No appointments taken
• No merchandise hold policy
• Designer labels include Angel Sanchez, Carolina Herrera, Junko Yoshioka, Karl Lagerfeld, Kenneth Pool, Melissa Sweet, Monique Lhuillier, Platinum Collection, Reem Acra, Rivini, Rosa Clara, St. Pucchi, and The Vineyard Collection
• All shopping and “try-ons’s” are self-service
• Sales consultants will be available to answer questions and provide assistance as needed
• All gowns size 8 or 10
• Entire boutique will serve as an open dressing room; brides welcome to try-on gowns anywhere there is available space
• All brides are recommended to wear bras, lingerie, shorts, and underwear to try on gowns as entire boutique will become a dressing room
• All sales are final (no returns allowed); gowns are sold “As-Is”
• Cash and Mastercard, Visa, American Express accepted. NO Discover card. NO checks allowed.
• Street parking is limited.

For More Information

Contact Carine’s Bridal Atelier by phone 202.965.4696 or email info@carinesbridal.com or visit www.carinesbridal.com.

Happy Thanksgiving!

The ladies at Engaging Affairs wish everyone a wonderful Thanksgiving! We are so grateful for our amazing clients, our fabulous industry friends and our devoted blog readers. You all make it easy for us to love weddings and love our jobs.

The Thanksgiving montage above is courtesy of Manolo for the Brides and, aside from the paper squirrels (creepy), I'm loving it! Happy Turkey Day!

Chic Comfort Food

Before we all head off to indulge in way too much Thanksgiving dinner, I thought it would be fun to visit the idea of comfort foods as elegant wedding fare. Some of my favorite wedding hors d'oeuvres are luxe versions of childhood favorites: mini grilled cheese sandwiches with shots of tomato soup, mac and cheese (I love DC caterer Occasions' version with lobster), pigs in blankets, french fries in paper cones, petite Philly cheesesteaks and sliders.

Mashed potato bars with do-it-yourself toppings have been big for years and we've done the same with risotto and grits. For one holiday wedding, we did a very popular sweet potato bar with yummy add-ins like candied pecans and caramelized onions.

And I love our own Sara's idea to serve breakfast for dinner at her wedding on Saturday (more about her amazing wedding later). The French toast station during cocktails was a huge hit and so yummy. Talk about comfort food!

So before you get caught up in the idea that you have to serve oh-so-elegant filet with a few artfully arranged stalks of asparagus think of the foods you truly love and crave. I'll bet your guests would love them, too!

Laura


Photo courtesy of Brides.com

Chalkboard Details from Etsy!

A couple of months ago when I was searching for the perfect chalkboard for my outdoor October wedding, I came across artist Garth Fouts on Etsy. I loved the fact that he would create a chalkboard for me to my specifications because I needed something huge! I ended up getting a 6 foot tall black chalkboard that Garth hinged for me (which made it so much easier to transport and you couldn't even tell once it was unfolded). It looked so cool at the wedding; everyone commented on it!

Since I have several brides who are schoolteachers, the idea of using chalkboards has come up again and again. When I mentioned this to Garth, he sent me some other chalkboard ideas he came up with for weddings. I love the idea of chalkboard place cards and chalkboard tags.



I adore the idea of hanging chalkboard tags off the backs of each chair for table numbers instead of the traditional number stand on the table. The place cards could be used for signs on buffets, dessert displays or favor tables. I've even gotten a bee in my bonnet about having a children's table with a chalkboard topper so the kids could draw while they eat.

What fun ideas can you come up with for these chalkboard details?
Laura