A California Couple in DC

Stretching back to September, I have some catching on to do on my blogging. On September 13th, Allison Jackson and Tyler Woodman gathered friends and family for a raging party to celebrate their wedding. The couple, in from California, chose DC because Allison's parents live in the area and they wanted an all inclusive experience for their guests.




I wanted to create and event that was as refreshing as being out on the California Coast, but clearly knew my restraints in the DC grid. The ceremony was held at Western Presbyterian Church and was performed by an old friend of the bride's family. The ceremony had a personal feel as the string musicians played modern music and the bride's aunt performed for the group accompanied by a guitar.



Colors were key to create the right feel and Allison went with a sky blue and orange combination. The venue was a given- clean, modern and large to accommodate the party goers, the Ronald Reagan Building Atrium space was the clear choice. John Duffy of Yellow Door created multiple arrangements for the reception that complimented both the long rectangular and round tables guests were seated at in front of the dance floor.



New Monopoly started the evening off with the Queen classic, "You're My Best Friend" as the couple had their first dance as husband and wife. And the tunes didn't stop there. By the close of the evening, the guests were chanting for "One more song!" and the band obliged.

Adding to the fun of the evening was the photo booth provided by Poshbooth, complete with dress up gear and a candy bar so everyone could get their sugar hugh after dinner. This must be what fueled the dancing with the orange napkins on the guests heads.



The cake was one of my favorite parts. A funky, modern design created by Leslie at Fancy Cakes by Leslie was a focal point of the event. Special thanks to my other partners in crime that evening: Digital Lightning and Syzygy Events for the drape and lighting, Linder and Associates for the transportation for the weekend, Open Eye Media for the Videography and of course, the lovely Jenni Green of Studio Diana for the amazing photo coverage.



Sara

Old Hollywood Comes To D.C. {Wendy + Jason}

After 7 years of dating, Jason popped the question and Wendy said yes. From that point forward, Wendy had the task of making her vision a reality for her wedding. Wendy’s vision…to bring 1920’s Hollywood to her 2009 Washington, DC wedding. She chose the elegant Willard Hotel (thanks to Laurie at the hotel for all her help) as the setting for their wedding vows and the historic Washington restaurant, The Occidental Grill, as the setting for her reception.

Wendy's wedding gown was classic and evoked a sleek Hollywood glamor with her fabulous birdcage veil (our favorite) and her all red bouquet. Under a simple yet beautiful chuppah in the Willard Room, Wendy and Jason said their vows in front of about seventy friends and family. As they recessed out of their ceremony, guests blew bubbles which made the room look magical.

After the ceremony, guests were ushered next door to the Monument Room at the Occidental Grill for cocktails where they nibbled on delicious crab croquettes and chicken skewers, to name a few. The Monument Room, on the second floor, is covered with black and white photos of prominent figures of the past and has a dark wood bar and walls so you feel as if you are stepping back in time.

We brought in black linens, black chairs and red centerpieces, which transformed the room and gave it a sleek, supper club feel. Rentals were provided by Select Event Rentals. The beautiful centerpieces along with the flowers and chuppah for the ceremony were created by none other than the fabulous Christopher at Amaryllis.

Their black and white cake by Jennifer Winter had a simple yet striking design and added to the sophisticated and chic decor.



After the cocktail reception concluded, guests were ushered to their tables to begin the evening’s festivities. DJ Chris spun a perfect mix of Latin and American music and kept the guests dancing all night long. I've never seen guests swarm the dance floor even before the 1^st course was served (both the photographer and I were both dragged onto the dance floor to join in)! Guests departed with custom candy bars in a chic black and white design.

Thank you to Michael Bonfigli Photography who captured all of the special moments of the evening and let us share them with you. And a special thanks to Wendy and Jason who let me share their amazing day!

Christine

P.S. Don't forget to enter our giveaway for a chance to win a signed wedding planning book! Just post a comment telling us that you'd love to win. Good luck!

Another Bridal Bubbly Giveaway!

Happy Friday everyone! It's time for more fun and free wedding goodies from Bridal Bubbly. Since we are all about wedding planning, we're offering a copy of "Stop! Don't Plan a Wedding Without This Book." This is my no-nonsense guide to planning a wedding without losing your mind. It's full of checklists and helpful tips. Kind of like a girlfriends' guide to wedding planning if your girlfriend had planned 500 weddings!

Just send us a message and you'll be in the running. We'll draw a name next Friday. Good luck, everyone!

Have a great weekend, and wish us luck. We have a couple of amazing weddings this weekend and our fingers are crossed for good weather!
Laura

Anna-Maier/Ulla-Maija Trunk Show {Hitched}

A personal favorite, Anna-Maier/Ulla-Maija, is showcasing at Hitched Friday, November 20th and Saturday, November 21st. For the discerning bride who wants a gown as unique and fabulous as she is.



From Hitched owners, Julia & Carin:

We are looking forward to having our favorite designers visit Hitched for the following trunk shows. Contact us at 202-333-6162 or appointments@hitchedsalon.com to schedule an appointment.

Anna-Maier/Ulla Maija Trunk Show
Friday, November 20th and Saturday, November 21st

Amsale Bridesmaid Trunk Show
Saturday, November 28th

Oscar de la Renta Trunk Show
Friday, December 4th and Saturday, December 5th

Carine's Bridal Atelier Trunk Show and Anniversary Sale!

Be sure to check out the latest amazing trunk shows and celebrations at Carine's Bridal Atelier. Happy 3rd Anniversary to Carine and her amazing staff! Our brides love you guys!

Thursday, Nov 12 - Saturday, Nov 14
Junko Yoshioka Trunk Show
View the latest Fall 2010 and Spring 2010 Bridal Collections by Junko Yoshioka.
Save 12% off Thursday and Friday and save 10% off on Saturday on all Junko Yoshioka gowns purchased over the trunk show weekend. Japanese designer, Junko Yoshioka designs innovative contemporary gowns with the timeless elegance of haute couture. Her gowns are often seen on the red carpet on starlets such as Jessica Alba, Kathryn Heigl, Ana Paquin, Helen Hunt, Jamie Pressley among others.


Friday, Nov 20 - Saturday, Nov 21
Third Anniversary Sale
Celebrate Carine's Bridal Atelier's third anniversary of the store opening with 13% off your dream gown! This weekend only!


Carine's Bridal Atelier is open Monday-Friday from 11am-7pm and Saturdays from 11am-6pm. All viewings are by appointments only.

Location: 1726 Wisconsin Avenue, 2nd Flr. Washington, DC 20007. Phone: (202) 965-469.

A Carolina Blue Wedding: Hillary & Tim

Hilary and Tim were about as lucky as a bride and groom can get. Their mid-September wedding day was absolutely perfect: gorgeous blue skies, mid 70s, not too hot but not too cool. The exact day you envision when you decide on a September wedding in D.C. Especially when you get married at the DAR with the Washington Monument as your backdrop!








And the blue skies were a perfect match for the shades of blue they had chosen for their wedding colors. Both the bride and groom attended UNC so Carolina blue was in abundance at the wedding. This wedding was near and dear to our own Alison's heart because she went to UNC so she was thrilled by the profusion of pale blue! Those who know me know that I favor a darker hue (some might call it "Duke" blue) but I have to admit the wedding colors were spectacular.





I started working with Hillary only a few months before her wedding but was immediately impressed by her organization. And that was before I met her mom! My heart sang when I saw that all of the wedding items the Mother of the Bride gave me were labeled and organized in boxes according to their use. Talk about wedding planner heaven! And on top of being super-organized, everyone (from the bride and groom to their families to the guests) was about as nice as humanly possible. Being a North Carolina girl myself, it was wonderful to be in a room brimming with Southern hospitality.




Everything on the wedding day went as perfectly as the weather. Thom from Dragonfly created the gorgeous floral decor while we set up for the ceremony. The bride got dressed upstairs in her stunning gown from Hitched. The ceremony featured a string quartet and solos from a family friend with a beautiful tenor voice.








After the ceremony, the bride and groom ran off to take photos with Babs Evangelista with Poetic Reality Produtions, a super-talented photographer they brought up from North Carolina. They even stopped and grabbed a hot dog from a street vendor before heading back to the party!







Guests went inside the O'Byrne Gallery for a lovely dinner by Capitol Catering, which was topped off by cupcakes from Georgetown Cupcakes. I have never seen a cupcake display cleared out so quickly. These guests loved cupcakes!





A guest writes a note to put in the antique birdcage that served as a "guest book."



After dinner, guests moved back out to the portico where they danced the rest of the evening away under the stars. The fabulous DJ Derrick from Bialek's Music provided both cocktail and reception music and set the perfect tone for the evening. It was truly a perfect September wedding in the city!


The bride and groom depart amid a flurry of bubbles!

Thanks to Babs for sharing her stunning images with us, and thanks to the amazing vendors who made the day flawless!

Laura

More Fall Wedding Details!

Photo Credit: Love Life Images

With the temperature dropping and more and more leaves falling outside the
Engaging Affairs' office windows, we thought it’d be fun to celebrate the season
by posting some of our all-time favorite autumn wedding details!

Speaking of leaves… a few weeks ago, Laura shared bride Kendall’s
foliage-inspired Save-the-Dates and invitations. Leaves can also be a festive
substitute for flower petals strewn down the aisle, and give floral arrangements
and centerpieces that perfect fall touch!






Photo credits: i.ehow, Martha Stewart Weddings

And of course, nothing says autumn like pumpkins!
Whether you’re getting married in a rustic barn or
elegant ballroom, with a little creativity, these fall
staples can be inserted seamlessly to create a real wow factor.

Photo Credits: Martha Stewart Weddings, Project Wedding, Portland Wedding and Portrait Photography, Love Life Images- Stephen Bobb 

And because everything should end with food, some delicious images of
autumn’s bounty to send you on your way (and if you’re like me, straight to the
refrigerator— I thought I saw a slice of pecan pie in there somewhere...)



We seem to be drawn to silhouettes lately.  These cinnamon
orange molasses silhouette cookies look so yummy!



Caramel cookie coffee warmers--
they even sound cozy!


What could be more Fall than s'mores? 
Love the pre-packaged s'mores favor!

Photo credits: Smores from Little White Book, all other images Martha Stewart Weddings

Happy Fall, everyone!
Alison

Engagement Photos {Amy & Clark}

Clark and I recently met up with a great friend of mine, Ralph Alswang, for our engagement photo shoot. Ralph is an amazing photographer and SO much fun to be on a shoot with! {Little known fact: He was the personal photog for Bill & Hillary during their 8 years in the White House}


We had a wonderful time revisiting our first date spot, Starbuck's on M Street in Georgetown. It brought back some great memories for Clark and I. Not to mention, it was good experience getting in front of the camera. I was surprisingly intimidated!! Engagement shoots can be fun and produce some pretty classic pics but if nothing else, it's a time for you to get comfortable in front of the camera! I cannot imagine if my wedding day was the first time I had had this experience as I am sure I would have been even more timid.



Tips for making the most out of your shoot from Ralph:
1) Make time in your schedule for the shoot depending on when the photog suggests will be the best light. Work and life may be insane but take the time to enjoy your engagement!
2) Start out at a location that sparks favorable memories of your time together. This will help you loosen up and get comfortable. If you want to go to a new location, talk to your photog about traveling there after you have had a few shots taken at a familiar spot.
3) Dress for success! Wear an outfit that is YOU - just like your wedding day, don't venture out of your comfort zone. Your confidence will shine through in your photos.
4) Snacks - not sure about anyone else, but snacks are a crucial piece to remaining in a good frame of mind for me. Hunger = unhappy bride ;)
5) Live it up! Being engaged is a wonderful season of life, enjoy being with one another!

Ralph also put together a fantastic little slide show for us - http://ralswang.myshowit.com/guthridge


For more of Ralph's fabulous photos, check out his website here. To get him on your wedding day dream team, he can be reached at ralph@ralphphoto.com.


xoxo,
Amy Lorraine