A Spring Wedding in the Capitol {Natalie & Mike}

My Spring wedding season kicked off back in April with an amazing wedding at The Willard Hotel and amazing couple. Natalie and Mike (and their families) were such fun! I had the best time working with Natalie and her mom on all the details. As you've heard me say before, I really do have the most fabulous clients!

The day started at The Willard where the girls (and George, the couple's adorable dog) had hair done by Carlos of Corte Salon and makeup by the talented Gustavo Mottola. Okay, George didn't get his hair done but he had fun hanging with the ladies.

While the girls were primping the guys were, well, making human pyramids.

George got love from everyone! I've had lots of dogs in weddings and George was one of the best-behaved ones yet. He even had a floral collar and walked in the processional!

The bridal party took a few photos outside before it started to rain. The peony and lilac bouquets from Amaryllis were stunning and looked amazing against the green dresses. The bride's beautiful Melissa Sweet gown came from Carine's Bridal Atelier.

The Willard Room was the setting for the romantic and breathtaking ceremony. The masses of cherry blossom branches were to-die-for. A huge thanks to the amazing Christopher at Amaryllis for finding local cherry blossoms and peonies when our flowers got stuck overseas due to the volcanic ash cloud. We love you, Christopher!

Rabbi Blecher led the ceremony under the chuppah. Frost Lighting provided the gorgeous lighting for the ceremony and reception.

After cocktails in the Crystal Room, guests entered the Grand Ballroom which was decked out in pink and green with touches of lilac. Even the wedding cake (provided by the Willard) featured delicate pink and green detailing.

Linens, chairs and chargers were provided by Party Rentals.

Tables were set with either pink or green linens with custom-designed green menu cards tucked in the white linen napkins. We mixed up round tables with long high rectangular tables to create visual interest in the room and used candlelight everywhere from taper candles to votives to candles along the upper ledge of the room. The room looked phenomenal!

Thanks to the always wonderful Steele Stevenson from the Willard who worked with us to customize the menu to include such fun items as passed baby macaroons and mini ice cream sandwiches. Steele always makes sure everything is seamless!

I've never seen an entire wedding fill the dance floor from before the bride and groom even enter the room but this crowd didn't stop dancing for the entire evening. Sound Connection from Andy Kushner Entertainment was amazing and kept the floor packed.

Thanks to Justine Ungaro and her assistant, Jenni, for the amazing photos and to Tom Bowen for the fun video coverage that he gave us a sneak peek of earlier (click here for that video preview) . And a big thanks to Natalie and Mike and their families for letting us be a part of their amazing day!
Laura

Special Memories Created at The Willard {Sargine + Del}

Sargine & Del wanted their wedding to be a special and memorable experience for all of their guests, some of who traveled all the way from Haiti to be there. The bride chose none other than DC’s historic Willard Hotel for her wedding venue. She worked closely with the Willard’s Laurie Politzer to design a 4 course menu and mini dessert buffet that the guests were sure to love.

After several months of planning, the big day finally arrived. The bride was surrounded by family and friends while she and her bridal party had their hair done by the talented Jamal Edmonds and got their makeup done by the amazing Leiloni Cooper.

All of these special moments were captured by Tosha Francis (The Captured Life) and Felisha Gaskins (Endless Expressions).

The ceremony took place in the elegant Crystal Room which was decorated with white and red florals designed by Rebecca of Petal’s Edge Floral Design. Amber lighting lit the columns in the room and a pink wash lit the stage, thanks to Eric Hertsch and his team at Ampa Events. The bridal party walked down the aisle to music performed by harpist, Melissa Tardiff Dvorak.

After the I Do’s were said, guests were ushered to The Nest where they enjoyed Cirque-style music performed by the harpist and were entertained by Cirque-style performers such a ribbon dancers and living statues provided by Cast of Thousands.

Guests who had small children were able to enjoy some time without the little ones thanks to the helpful babysitter from Wee Sit. Wee Sit set up in a suite upstairs so parents could check on their kids throughout the night while the kids were entertained children’s videos and toys. We love Wee Sit and have used them for years!

After an extended cocktail hour, guests were directed down to the ornate Willard Room where they were able to enjoy their meals while listening to the sounds of Gordon Thorn of Absolute Entertainment. 

The room was decorated with amber lighting, a white dance floor and stunning centerpieces. Instead of favors, the bride chose to donate to the American Red Cross Haiti Relief Fund in each of the guest’s names. It was a beautiful evening!

Congratulations Sargine and Del!

Christine

Rustic Garden Wedding Inspiration

tomato centerpieces (Snippet & Ink), plant table numbers (Snippet & Ink), flower girl with watering can (Axel and Moa), escort cards (Elizabeth Anne Designs), flower seed favors (Martha Stewart Weddings), fruit favors (Style Me Pretty, bride in rain boots (Style Guide), bouquet with gardening gloves and shears (Better Home and Gardens), wreath (Minna Mercke Schmidt)

As the weather gets warmer and my garden is getting greener and greener, we thought we'd feature some fabulous rustic looks for outdoor weddings. I love using natural touches in wedding decor and think the baskets of tomatoes as centerpieces is so fun!

Laura

Inspiration Board {Yellow and Gray }

First Row: bridesmaid dresses (Sarah Seven via Stephanie Williams Photography) cake, bouquet (Style Me Pretty) 
Second Row: ring pillow (Brooklyn Bride), tablescape (Stephanie Williams photography

Third Row: escort card display and groomsmen (Stephanie Williams Photography)
Fourth Row: shoes (Wedding Wire), table setting (The Party Dress), invitations(Wedding Chicks)

Sara's gorgeous real wedding story featuring yellow and gray inspired us to do an inspiration board with this fresh but elegant color combination. We love these colors together because you don't see it everyday and it's unexpected but still so lovely.  Enjoy!

Alison and Laura

50's Throw Back {Abby + Zack}

Nothing like an engagement shoot to get you excited for the upcoming wedding! Justine Ungaro, fabulous photographer, sent over a few snap shots of my clients, Abby & Zack. They did a 50's themed shoot right in their own home!

Abby & Zack are getting married on October 10, 2010 on the Eastern Shore, MD. We are high into the planning and just had a fun-filled meeting this past Saturday at Capital Decor & Events to discuss decor and floral arrangements. Can't wait to see how this wedding turns out!!

Ah, I love this one!! We all have our days...

Happy Planning!
xoxo,
Amy Lorraine

No Parking!

I have to admit that I got some serious giggles when I came across this "No Parking" sign while I was searching for some DC parking info for my wedding this Sunday (yes, it is non-stop glamour around here between getting parking permits and checking road closures). I wish I could get a few of these signs to put up for my weddings!

A Tale of DC Wedding Parking Permits {with frosting}

When Laura introduces me to people, it usually goes something like this:

“This is my assistant Alison. She loves cupcakes more than you do.”

My cupcake obsession has become a bit of a company joke. Apparently, most people can’t draw a map of all the cupcakeries in DC with their eyes closed, have never eaten five cupcakes inside five minutes, and don’t start their days with a carrot cupcake (which I would argue is essentially a breakfast pastry). The last time my mom was in town, we went to four different bakeries in one day, and in her entire five-day trip, she ate SEVENTEEN cupcakes. (Clearly, the obsession is hereditary.) However, I’m embarrassed to say that up to very recently, my cupcake tour of DC was incomplete. I was a poser, a fraud—a cupFAKE. … until last Thursday.

Now I love my job so much that most days, I’d work for free. Last Thursday was not one of those days. My morning was spent at the DC permits building. I waited in line for two hours, talked thirty minutes to an official about whether a parking meter on the east side of Constitution Avenue could even exist since Constitution runs east-west, and then I was detained for another half hour when the building was on lockdown because some guy refused to leave his spot in line for the cashier to claim his briefcase. Through it all, Laura was sending me emails about how easy it used to be to get parking permits in DC—why, she used to have a stack of blank permits in her trunk to use whenever! (Clearly, Laura wanted to make me cry in the hope that some city employee would take pity on me and grant the appropriate permit. She’s just that brilliantly devious.)

By the time I left the Public Space Office with permits in hand, the sun was significantly higher than when I’d entered, but my spirits were not. And that is when I saw the most beautiful sight in all the land: the pink Curbside Cupcakes van pulling up directly in front of me. You can say it wasn’t fate but I won’t listen: the universe knew I needed a cupcake at that moment and it delivered. Literally.

I’d been eager to try Curbside ever since it beat out my beloved Baked & Wired in the second round of Washingtonian’s most recent cupcake tournament. Had the voting public gotten it wrong, or did Curbside really take the cake?

Here’s what I can tell you. The guys in the van were really nice, for one thing. At $3 a cupcake ($15 for a half dozen), Curbside is less expensive than Baked & Wired, although the cupcakes themselves are smaller. The cake itself is more spongey than crumbly, and the frosting on the Classic Vanilla was a tad too sweet for my liking, although it was still a great cupcake. My Carrot Cake was okay (Hello Cupcake and Lavender Moon both do it better) but the Red Velvet and Peanut Butter Cup were good, and the Dark Chocolate Delight lived up to its name. Laura gave both the Classic Vanilla and Dark Chocolate Delight two icing-covered thumbs up.

All in all, while Baked & Wired remains my standard for other cupcakes to beat, I can definitely see myself chasing down the Curbside Cupcakes van for a second tasting. Now if they’d only drive by the Engaging Affairs office…

Alison

Hitched Maids Grand Opening!!

After bursting at the seams for quite some time, we are thrilled to announce that Hitched is hatching Hitched Maids, a fresh, fun bridesmaid dress shop nestled above their bridal boutique in Georgetown. Opening this Tuesday, Hitched Maids will provide brides & their best gals with a warm and inviting space to ogle over fabulous frocks from some of our favorite bridesmaid designers-- Amsale, Anna Elyse, Jenny Yoo, Lela Rose, Simple Silhouettes, and Thread.



Hitched Maids, located on the 2nd floor of 1523 Wisconsin Avenue, will operate by appointment only from 12pm-8pm Tuesday-Thursday, 11am-6pm Friday, and 9am-5pm Saturday. We are so excited that there is a space dedicated solely to bridesmaid dress shopping, and we're sure that brides and bridesmaids alike will adore the chic environment and wide selection of dresses. The styles range from classically sophisticated to modern and trendy, and of course, Hitched Maids will offer the same knowledgeable, friendly service for which Hitched is known.



To celebrate the grand opening, Hitched Maids is offering 10% off any bridesmaid dress purchased during the month of June! So be sure to check it out! A special thanks to Kate Headley for the photography.

Love, love, LOVE in YELLOW!

Last week I posted parts of a speech given by father of the bride Aldred Williams. Here is the story of his daughter's day.

As I have previously mentioned, Lauren is the last of the Williams ladies I will get to work with. Youngest of three sisters, Lauren and Malik go back a few years. I was so excited to get the call from her last spring that they were in fact engaged and that Lauren would be planning her wedding from NYC for the next several months before the two moved back to VA.

We quickly chose the Hotel Monaco for her venue given the unique character of the "hotel" space. The fabulous Buddee Clinton made sure all the venue needs were addressed. Decor was an exiting part of the planning and Lauren wanted something fresh in design and fresh for the spring season. Yellow can be a hard color to pull off, but I was excited to match it with slate gray and Lauren quickly embraced all the possibilities. What's more refreshing in spring than lemon, yum!

So, yellow/lemon took on a life of it's own, showing up in the centerpieces, thanks to John Duffy of Yellow Door (how appropriate!) the favors, compliments of ETSY and even on the brides feet! (Stay turned for my exciting blog on wedding shoes- my love, love, LOVE!) The final touch, the yellow lighting on the columns. "The lighting made the room!" I can quote the mother of the bride exclaiming. "It always does," I replied :)

Lauren, Malik along with family and friends took to the dance floor and stayed there all night long thanks to DJ 2 Tone Jones. A shout out to Stephen from Love Life Images and Dolce video for capturing the fantastic night.


xox,
Sara