D.C. Wedding Venues We Love!

Bride on the balcony of The Mandarin. Photo by Isacson Studios.

For all of the brides who just got engaged over the holidays, one of the first decisions to make is when to hold the big event followed closely by where to hold the big day. Although the Washington, D.C. area has tons of venues, we've decided to feature some of our favorites over the next few days.

Keep in mind that the size of your wedding as well as personal taste and budget may eliminate some of these options for you but all are places that we think are fabulous! Also, keep in mind that there are lots of great sites that we may not mention. These are just a few of our faves (and everyone on our team has different ones). When we start working with couples, we use our database of hundreds of sites to find the perfect match. This is just a taste, but enjoy!

The Willard
I love the historic ambiance of the hotel and the grandeur of the lobby and Peacock Alley. The Crystal Room is a stunning setting for a ceremony, the Willard Room is my new favorite spot in the city and the ballroom is beautiful (especially with votives lining the ledge above). The catering staff is wonderful and the suites are to-die-for. The location (right across from the White House) isn't bad, either.

Photo by Fotobriceno

The Mandarin Oriental Hotel
I love the Mandarin for its sleek ballrooms, gorgeous garden (ceremony or cocktails) and amazing catering team. This hotel can handle large weddings but can also do smaller events nicely. It is always fun to work here! Not to mention that it has the best spa in the city. By far.

Photo by Isacson Studios

The Mellon Auditorium
I have done some of my most spectacular weddings here and it takes my breath away every time. You just can't beat the magnificence of the main hall and the enormous columns. The upstairs terrace is the coolest place for an after-dinner lounge with a killer view of the Washington Monument.

Photo by Greg Gibson

The DAR
Another great venue for a smaller wedding (125-150 is perfect) with perhaps the city's best backdrop (the Washington Monument) for a ceremony. The portico is an amazing setting for a ceremony or even just dancing after dinner in the O'Byrne Gallery. Great location and great for photos!

Photo by Babs Evangelista

The Corcoran
After a brief wedding hiatus, The Corcoran is back and we are thrilled! I've done ceremonies on the grand staircase, cocktails on the bridge overlooking the atriums and dinner and dancing below. I love the versatility of the space!

The Hotel Monaco
And last, but certainly not least, is the site of my recent New Year's Eve wedding. The Hotel Monaco in D.C. is perfect for 175 guests, and its ballroom has such personality. I love the mix of historical details and modern whimsy. The hotel's wide hallways and spiral staircase are great for photos plus the catering staff is always wonderful!

Photo by Greg Gibson

More favorites sites tomorrow so stay tuned!
Laura

Hitched Sample Sale Soiree!

Check out another fabulous sample sale at Hitched. This is the time to find an amazing gown for a steal, ladies!

When: Thursday, January 14th, 5-8pm. The event is first-come, first-serve, so no appointment is necessary.

What: A night of trying on a selection of deeply discounted designer bridal gowns (including Oscar de la Renta, Lela Rose, Judd Waddell, Amsale and many more) and accoutrements

Who: You! Feel free to bring the ladies in your life who help you make important decisions and get ready to pick "the one" (gown, that is!). Once you’ve picked it ... It's yours to take home with you that night.

To preview some of the sample sale gowns, visit Hitched online.

Ring in the New Year with a Great Deal on a Wedding Gown!

Carine's New Year Sample Sale
Sunday, January 17th, 2010 at 12pm-3pm

Designer gowns will be priced as low as $999 to $1,899, marked down from original retail prices ranging from $3,000 to $9,000 - a fantastic savings for brides!

"Sample gowns are a great option for brides on a budget or on a short wedding time line," 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 size. Carine's Bridal Atelier offers custom alterations on-site in their Georgetown boutique.

Designers 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.

Sale is first come, first serve. No appointments needed. For more information, call (202) 965-4696 or email info@carinesbridal.com

Carine's Bridal Atelier
1726 Wisconsin Ave, 2nd Floor
Washington, District of Columbia 20007
www.carinesbridal.com

A Love Story at The Willard {Kendall + Nick}

Kendall and Nick had a fairytale wedding that was perfect for their storybook romance. This couple actually met when they were in fourth grade and have been together (off and on a wee bit) since then! When Kendall and I first met, she knew exactly the style of wedding she wanted. Romantic, fun and pulling in all the elements she loved about Fall. We're talking autumn leaves and candied apples and rich, warm colors!

The morning of the wedding was gorgeous and (after a week of rain) not a drop in the sky. Kendall got ready at The Willard with fabulous makeup artist Carl Ray and hair stylist Remona while the guys got ready at the groom's family home in Virginia.



The bride's gorgeous dress was by Kenneth Pool (before Project Runway's Austin Scarlett left) and her bridesmaids wore chocolate brown gowns. Even the flower girl had a brown sash to coordinate.


Here is a rare photo of me helping the bride into her gown. I'm pretty good at ducking out of the photos so it's funny for me to see myself at work!




Doesn't she look stunning (and so happy)?!



The guys pose for a shot at the groom's family home before hopping in a limo and heading for the church.

Love the shoes!



All of the floral decor was done by the super talented Capital Decor. Jeff, Kevin, Patrick, and Iris were on deck for this wedding and they did an amazing job! I adore the fiddle head fern popping out of the top of the bride's bouquet!


The adorable flower girl ran the entire way down the aisle at St. John Neumann Catholic Church!


Nick and Kendall enjoy a quite moment after the ceremony before running out and hopping in a stretch Hummer (courtesy of Linder and Associates) while guests blew bubbles!



Meanwhile, we were busy at The Willard getting the ballroom ready with the help of our wonderful catering manager, Christina Canalez-Presock. Capital Decor created amazing tablescapes with runners made of fall leaves, trees covered in orange and brown leaves and even a tree with escort cards hanging from branches. We brought in burgandy linens, gold chivari chairs, gold napkins and amber water goblets from DC Rental to complete the look.


Each table had custom table numbers designed by Saima Says Design, who designed all the paper elements of the wedding from the Save-the-Dates (a leaf tied onto an actual twig) to the invitations to the programs to the menus to the favor stickers.


Each guest also received at their place a bottle of maple syrup in the shape of a leaf. So cute!


Since the bride and groom had such a long history, we decided to create something completely unique for their wedding: the love story of Kendall and Nick in an acordian-style booklet. It told of their courtship in a fairytale format.

Lara Stuckey of Fluffy Thoughts designed the wedding cake covered with fall flowers and leaves made entirely of sugar and the groom's cake made to look like the groom's camera (compete with a photo of Kendall and Nick in the viewscreen on back!).





Guests loved the photo booth from Posh Booth. Even the bride and groom got into the action!

This was one bride who had fun at her wedding. Jeff Hulbert from Bialek's kept the floor packed all night!


Guests left with bags of freshly made donuts compete with monogram stickers (designed by Saima Says Design) and to-go cups of warm cider.


A HUGE thanks to everyone who worked with me on this amazing event and to the wonderful couple and their families. This wedding was a joy to work on from beginning to end!

Thanks to Juan Carlos Briceno and the team from Fotobriceno for the gorgeous photos. You captured all the beautiful details and moments of the day!

Laura

Happy New Year!

Just a quick note to say a HUGE thank you to my team last night for a fabulous New Year's Eve wedding at the Historic 6th and I Synagogue and The Hotel Monaco. The party was amazing! A big shout-out to my wonderful assistants Krista and Erika (and kudos to Erika's quick thinking with some White-Out to cover a a stain on the bride's dress). I'll share photos as soon as I get them but now I'm going to crawl back in bed. Needless to say, it was a late night! I wish everyone an amazing 2010. Happy New Year!

Gustavo Mottola {A Makeup Lesson}

Sorry for the extended absence everyone. I always take a little time off around the holidays since I work through most holidays (Labor Day, Memorial Day, etc.) but now I am back at it!

While I was off, I had the good fortune to see one of my industry colleagues, makeup artist Gustavo Mottola. I've known Gustavo for eons and we've done some pretty phenomenal weddings together. He is such a great guy plus he always makes brides look stunning (and it's fun to see the latest celebrities that he's done--Penelope Cruz, Julia Roberts, Paris Hilton, Katie Holmes)! Recently, he's developed his own line of organic skin care and makeup (Gustavo Cosmetics) so my eco-friendly brides love him even more. No animal testing or harmful chemicals or any yucky stuff!



The reason I got to see Gustavo the day after Christmas was that he was part of my stepdaughter's Christmas present. She's in high school and apparently the trend for 14-year-old girls is to wear as much black eyeliner as possible without actually tipping over from the weight of it. Since I didn't want her to go through life looking like she'd been sucker punched, I called Gustavo and set up a makeup lesson.

He was so great at showing her how to do everything from clean her face to how to put on blush so that it looks natural to how to do her eyes without caking on the liner. She left looking so pretty and with a bag full of new makeup and lots of confidence. I even got a party favor: Gustavo's Vitamin C Lifting Serum. I have been faithfully applying it and I could swear that I look 25 again. For those of you saying that you thought I was 25, I love you the most!

Check out Gustavo if you're looking for great wedding day makeup (and hair--he has a resident stylist) or just a lesson to learn how to do your own. And check out his amazing organic products online!
Laura

Brand Spankin' New Location {Georgetown Cupcake}

I was strolling down M Street in Georgetown just last week admiring all of the hussle and bussle of the holiday season. Just as I came upon Dean & Deluca, I glanced across the street and noticed the most delightful little shop! And how much more excited was I to see that it was the brand spankin' new Georgetown Cupcake location!


Now this shop is clearly larger than their last location, which sits pretty on the corner of 33rd & M St., offering plenty of room to sit down and enjoy a tasting of all their wonderful creations! Oh, how we do love the cupcake! And what a fabulous treat for your wedding guests, giving them oodles of options to nibble on!

{Photo by Jaime Windon, The Blonde Photographer}


Happy planning!
xoxo,
Amy Lorraine

Engaging Affairs #1 in Washingtonian Again!

We are so thrilled to announce that Engaging Affairs was just voted the #1 wedding planner in the Washington, D.C. area by The Washingtonian Bride and Groom magazine. We want to thank everyone in the industry who voted for us and all the brides who have been so supportive of us this year. We couldn't do it without amazing clients and the world's best colleagues. Thank you everyone!

The winter 2010 issue just hit the stands so be sure to grab a copy!

A Wedding Planner's Wedding; Part I

Oh, the pressure! A wedding planner planning her own wedding. After weighing the facts, I made the conscious decision to get married here, in DC, surrounded by my favorite people. (and, my Engaging Affairs associates)


Like many of my clients, most of our guests would have been traveling in from out of state so location was key. The U.S. Chamber of Commerce was our venue of choice for many reasons. First, it was completely unexpected. You get a wedding invitation and it lists the name of a hotel or a banquet space, sometimes even a restaurant. But a government organization building like this, how interesting! Besides that, it has the location going for it- 1615 H Street, directly across from the White House and the amazing detail in the function spaces. I always say, the more interesting the room, the less you have to do to it! Our guests noticed details we never even saw, and we had many planning trips to the space.


While I have done other events in the building, each had a more regal feel (see the photos above of my past weddings there) that somewhat "fit" the framework of the space. I had slight concerns as I went in a more modern direction, something I hadn't tried there before! Check out my take on the space in the photos below.


You can show me pictures of a million weddings, and trust me that's how many I have seen, and I might love them all. But at the end of the day, for myself, I kept going back to elegant, classy green and white. Then I realized, that wasn't enough "me". I have a little more bite to my personality than that. So, I added black. It's funny, brides do black tie affairs all the time, but many seem to be scared of black as a color at their wedding. (A secret, it looks fabulous with the right flower colors popping off of it)



And so there you go! Peek #1 into the wedding planner's wedding. Stay tuned for more installments about decor, lighting, entertainment, food and surprises!

Sara
And of course, thank you to Justine Ungaro for the fabulous images!

Insider's Guide to Sunny Honeymoons

Teresa Belcher of Honeymoon Islands has sent us some more fabulous ideas for sunny honeymoons from Virtuoso. Check out their website! I don't know about you but I could use some surf and sun right about now! Whether you're considering Hawaii or the Caribbean Islands or the Mexican Riviera, there are some fabulous resorts and great deals. Send us a postcard when you get there!

Laura