Equally Wed!

I am loving the online magazine Equally Wed! Aside from featuring gay-friendly vendors around the country (including us), the magazine has great content. From real wedding profiles and ideas on personalizing your wedding to fun fashion reports from Randy Fenoli (from "Say Yes to the Dress"), there is plenty of advice and eye candy.

Plus, they have a fab swag bag giveaway. Enter Equally Wed’s Swag Bag Giveaway contest to win $500 worth of wedding swag, including beauty and grooming goods, fashion accessories, and travel products and services! Good luck!

How Sweet It Is {Cupcake Inspiration Board}

mmm... delicious
row 1: Brides.com and The Knot row 2: Brides.com, Martha Stewart Weddings, The Knot row 3: Style Me Pretty, Brides.com, The Knot, Martha Stewart Weddings row 4: Martha Stewart Weddings, Brides.com

You've probably noticed that we love cupcakes. And the cupcake craze has certainly taken D.C. by storm. We now have numerous cupcake bakeries and even a mobile cupcake truck! We've been doing cupcakes at weddings long before the shops showed up, though.

I love when couples offer lots of flavors or present them in a pretty way. I'm a fan of cupcake wrappers and cupcake towers. I also love when the cupcakes are arranged on various cake stands and pedestals. I love when the icing coordinates with the wedding, and I think monogram toppers are fab. I am so into the cupcakes on sticks, too! How cute is that?

There isn't much you can do to make me dislike a cupcake unless it just doesn't taste good. The cake has to be moist but not too spongy and the icing can't leave a waxy coating in my mouth (yuck). We are always on the lookout for new cupcake sources so stay tuned this week for some new reviews of our favorite cupcakes!
Laura and Alison

Inspired by Art {Museum Inspiration Board}

busts (Style Me Pretty), flowers (Martha Stewart Weddings), cake (Snippet &


Ink), couple kissing (Brides.com), framed escort cards (In Style Weddings), live event painter (Wedding Bee), tablescape (Brides.com), bride (Favors in the City)

We love working in museums (and D.C. has a lot of them, although not all will host weddings)! Although you don't have to theme your wedding around art if you choose a museum as your venue, the setting does offer a wonderful background for an elegant and sophisticated affair. 

We're using fabulous white frames like the one shown above to house escort cards for an upcoming museum wedding and creating gorgeous still-life arrangements that echo classic paintings for another. I also love the idea of having guests "paint" wishes on a canvas that you can then hang in your new home (as opposed to the traditional guest book). And you know we're crazy about live painters at weddings! Enjoy the arty inspiration!

Laura and Alison

Amenity Baskets for the Bathrooms

Today's post isn't too glamorous but it is super practical for brides wondering what to put in amenity baskets for the ladies' (and men's) rooms. You can always simplify or embellish but here is a list to get you started. I usually try to find a container to match the decor of the wedding so I've used metal buckets for farm weddings, plexiglass trays for uber-modern weddings and white baskets for garden weddings. I'm famous for clearing out the sample aisle at the drugstore; those mini sizes are perfect for bathroom baskets!

For Men or women:

Combs
Hair gel
Breath mints and breath strips
Dental floss picks
Mouthwash
Prepasted wrapped toothbrushes
Individual packets of aspirin and Advil
Imodium
Chewable antacids
Dr. Scholl's blister treatments
Bandaids
Shout stain remover pads
Lint roller
Kleenex
Lotion
Static Guard
Safety pins
Mini sewing kit with small pair of scissors
Deodorant
Hand sanitizer

Additionally, in the ladies' basket:

Tampons
Pads
Hairspray
Bobby Pins (blond, black and brown)
Clear nail polish
Q-tips
Blotting papers
Lip balm
Powder and individual make-up sponges
Nail files
Replacement earring backs

I've found that people clear out these baskets by the end of the night so don't count on getting anything back! If anyone has ideas for items I've left out, let me know!

Help for Mothers of the Bride (or Groom)!

Truth time. Which is harder to check off your to-do list: finding your dream wedding gown, or finding a dress that's chic, sophisticated, and fabulous for your mom? If you're like most of our brides, mom is harder to outfit than you are!

So grab your mom, future mom-in-law, grandma, aunt – any woman in your life who has vented to you about her frustrating search for a great ensemble to wear to your wedding – and head on over to Hitched for the Modern Trousseau Mother of the Occasion Trunk Show at Hitched on Friday, April 23rd. Designer Callie Tein understands the frustration, and her Mother of the Occasion gowns and separates are anything but cringe-worthy. Instead of frumpy suits, she has fabulous, chic separates and gowns. Instead of gaudy beading, she has elegant and tasteful ruching, embroidery, and lace. Instead of tacky polyester, she has rich 100% silk separates and gowns. And her designs cover the entire spectrum of dress codes, from garden luncheon to black tie affair!

Make an appointment today for this fabulous opportunity to outfit the most important ladies in your life! Please call 202-333-6162, or email appointments@hitchedsalon.com.

Signature Cocktails for Outdoor Weddings

If you're still looking for a fun signature drink for your outdoor spring or summer wedding, look no further. Here are too yummy drink recipes from our favorite mixologist, Natalie Bovis-Nelson of TheLiquidMuse. For more amazing cocktails, be sure to check out her book, The Bubbly Bride. Thanks, as always, to Natalie, for her yummy drinks.

And remember, ladies, you can always rename a cocktail to fit your wedding or your names so your guests enjoy Mary's Mimosa or Robtinis!



Blueberry Lavender Lemonade

1 ounce blueberry vodka
1/2 ounce lemoncello
3/4 ounce Sonoma lavender syrup
3/4 ounce lemon juice
2 ounces prosecco
1 lemon wheel

Shake vodka, lemoncello, lavender syrup and lemon juice with ice. Strain into white wine glass. Add prosecco and stir. Place lemon wheel on edge of glass for garnish.


Fantasy Island Mimosa (perfect for daytime weddings!)

1 lemon wedge
1 package Pop Rocks candy
3/4 ounce pineapple juice
3/4 ounce guava juice
2 ounces champagne
1/2 ounce grenadine

Rub the rim of a champagne flute with a lemon wedge. Pour about two tablespoons of Pop Rocks onto a small, dry plate, Dip glass rim into the candy so that the pieces stick to it. Pour juices and champagne into the flute. Slowly add the grenadine, allowing it to sink to the bottom. If you make and drink it quickly, the candy will still crackle when you bring it to your lips!

Cherry Blossom Inspiration

credits: tablescape (A Delightful Day), bridesmaid dresses (In Style Weddings), centerpieces (In Style Weddings), cakes (Martha Stewart), invitations (Hello Lucky, landscape (Martha Stewart), cupcakes (Martha Stewart), cake slice (Martha Stewart), boutonnieres (Martha Stewart)

Cherry blossom season is one of my very favorite times in D.C., although I'm not crazy about the unbelievable traffic it creates around here. But what is more lovely that those fluffy pink and white blossoms? As you can imagine, we've done many cherry blossom themed weddings with everything from cherry blossom cakes to cherry blossom invitations to cherry blossom branches poking out of the top of hotel welcome bags. Enjoy!

Engaged at The Willard!

If you missed the Engaged Magazine Bridal Event, you missed an amazing evening. We were lucky enough to be at The Willard with the amazing Edge Floral Event Designers, Digital Lightning, Syzygy Events and DC Rental. Check out the photos of the unbelievable decor that this team created for the hotel.

As guests walked down Peacock Alley, they were met with towering black vases filled with hot pink flowers and surrounded by candles. What a statement!



The Crystal Room was a modern fantasy in white with a custom-built clear chuppah and a raised, lit aisle. The candlelight and white flowers softened this fabulously sleek look. I love the clear chairs from DC Rental--so stunning! A harp provided by Sterling Artists helped set the magical mood with soft, ethereal music.





The Willard Room was divided into two different looks by beautiful brown drapes. The first was a fun, edgy pink on pink look with clean lines and bright flowers. Pink is so fabulous with brown and it looked amazing against the dark wood of The Willard Room. The VIPs, courtesy of Andy Kushner Entertainment, played great 80s hits.





The other half of The Willard Room was a more rich, rustic setting alternating wooden farmhouse tables with brown and copper linens, peasant plates with beaded chargers and velvet Renaissance chairs with tufted banquettes. The power band, Sound Connection, (also from Andy Kushner Entertainment) rocked out. What a gorgeous look for a Fall wedding!





The Engaged Event was an amazing creative showcase and Edge, Digital Lightning, Syzygy and DC Rental blew us away with their ideas. Plus, they are all favorites of ours to work with; you couldn't ask for nicer or more fun people! Everyone was amazing to work with and that is exactly what you want for a wedding. We can't recommend this team enough!

Thanks to Steele and Christina and the entire staff at The Willard for the stunning culinary displays and for making the day run so smoothly. You are the BEST! A huge thank you to Doreen at Engaged Magazine and her crew for conceptualizing and pulling off such a phenomenal event.

We had a fabulous time meeting couples and enjoying the other vendors. The wedding gowns being modeled by Rizik's were beautiful. We loved the mini cupcakes from June B Sweet and the champagne girl (wearing a peacock skirt that held glasses of bubbly) from Moet & Chandon. The amazingly gifted cake designer Patty Colette created a breathtaking wedding cake. We were also spoiled by the talented team from Red Door Salon who touched up our makeup and by the guys at Fotobriceno, who treated us to a fun photo session for our long overdue company portrait (more on that later this week)! The lovely Julie from Blue Sky Films was filming all the behind-the-scenes action and we can't wait to see that (we'll be sure to share).

Hope you all enjoy the inspiration!

Princess for a Night

It's that time again … time to start cleaning out those winter clothes to make room for the flirty clothes of Spring. And with Spring comes weddings … and new bridesmaids dresses to fill your closet.

So even though your best friend who got married two years ago went out of her way to pick a dress that you would wear again (you knew it would never happen) … it's time to clean it out and bring it down to the 5th Annual Hitched Dress Drive to benefit Princess for a Night.

Beginning April 1st, and continuing throughout the month, we invite you to stop by Hitched to donate your gently worn (and dry cleaned) bridesmaid dresses (in all sizes!) that will go to students in the D.C. community. Due to the great expense of prom dresses, these girls might otherwise not be able to afford a dress for this special night.

So clean out your closet and make a girl's taffeta, silk, or satin dreams come true! And feel good about you; someone will wear the dress a second time.

Help Hitched reach their goal of collecting over 200 dresses for these girls. Thanks!

Easter Inspiration!

Credits: tablescape (Martha Stewart), bridesmaids and flower girl (J. Crew), egg place card (A Southern Life), linens (Martha Stewart weddings), cake (Martha Stewart Weddings), egg nest menu display (pottery barn), bride (Jessica Clare Photography), tie (The Perfect Palette), candy (the Wedding Vine), Easter Lilies (Martha Stewart), tulip basket (Martha Stewart)

Easter colors are so wonderful for weddings and, although I don't always have a wedding on Easter weekend, I think it can lend itself to some lovely touches. I love using candied eggs in nests for place cards! Last year I had a wonderful wedding over the Easter weekend and we did a candy station but with all Easter candies (peeps in yellow, peeps in pink, jellybeans, chocolate eggs, malted milks that looked like blue robin's eggs, little chocolate bunnies wrapped in foil) and petite baskets for people to fill. It was so pretty and adults loved feeling like kids again as they filled their baskets with childhood favorites.

Enjoy our Easter inspiration and have a wonderful holiday!
Laura