Wedding Love- Colors and Details

Ask anyone, I say time and again the best part of my job is that each wedding I do is about the specific couple and shows their own style and personality.  Rebecca and Jeff were no different.  We started with the Hotel Monaco is DC.  I have much love for the wonderful Buddee Clinton there.

Becca and Jeff had a very close and person hand at creating every detail from each word of their ceremony to the home made favors Becca baked the week of the wedding.  The array of bright colors used everywhere mimicked the energy of the weekend.

One of their favorite parts of the hotel besides it's comfortable, intimate feel, was the catering aspect and how important locally grown ingredients are to the menu.  Buddee and Chef helped Becca go one step further sourcing additional ingredients locally and we made sure this was noted to the guests on their menu cards.

Special thank you to Lisa Sprites of Sprites INK! who worked tirelessly with Becca on all the finishing touch printed details that helped put Rebecca and Jeff's seal on their big day,

Thank you to John Duffy of Yellow Door for creating my favorite bouquet of all time, Greg Gibson for the amazing pictures, Fancy Cakes by Leslie, Kendall's Cakes and Raggs and the All Stars for keeping the dance floor packed. 

Sara

Say Cheese { Wedding Paper Props}

I know that mustaches on sticks are nothing new but I did love this site that does all sorts of paper signs and props for weddings. Local designer Carla David is so innovative with her invitation design and this latest creative endeavor is just as fabulous. Here is what she has to say about "Say Cheese"

"Our aim is to be a haven for event planner’s, mom’s, photographers, brides, grooms, and anyone who’s looking for a paper prop. Shimmery card stock, durable wood sticks, and chic designs have resulted in happy customers who can be witnessed smiling and laughing throughout their events." Sounds great to us! Check it out for lots of fun ideas!

Styling Party at Love Couture {Lifestyle Wedding Planning}

We mentioned earlier the fabulous Lifestyle Wedding party we had at Love Couture for our brides and now here are some photos!  We had such a fun time with our brides. Usually we're busy planning but this was an evening for sipping bubbly and just enjoying ourselves with our clients. We did a few moments before guests arrived to take some pictures of our Engaging Affairs team!

This event was held at our friend Sandy Leone's gorgeous bridal salon, Love Couture Bridal, and was a wonderful chance for brides, their moms and maids to see the latest in bridal fashion straight off the New York runways and also see how to change up their look with veils, jewelry, gloves and hairpieces. The dresses were gorgeous! Some of our mothers even shed a few tears when they saw a model transformed into a bride when she put on a full veil and blusher!

Brides and their maids were then treated to hair and makeup trials with some of DC's top artists: Carl Ray, Remona, Giselle and Nikki.  Everyone looked so glamorous after their transformation!

Everyone had such a lovely time mingling and sampling the yummy sweets provided by the talented ladies of The Sweetest Affair. We love their custom lollipop and dessert displays!

Brides had fun meeting each other and talking "weddings" and two of our moms happened to be old friends. It is a small wedding world!

Everyone left with Engaging Affairs gift bags filled with bottles of pink champagne and other goodies. It was such a lovely evening! Thanks to Sandy Leone and the amazing team at Love Couture for hosting the party, our wonderful stylists who made everyone look stunning, the delightful duo from The Sweetest Affair for the spectacular sweets display, Daniel McGarrity for capturing all the fun moments, my Engaging Affairs team and our phenomenal brides for just being so fabulous!  Can't wait for the next Lifestyle Wedding party at The Dandelion Patch!

I See Green!

Green is for summer.  It's also for St. Patrick's Day, which does not usually feel like summer, or even spring for that matter!.  While I don't remember the weather on St. Patrick's day this year, I sure do remember the weather the day after for Shannon and Kevin's "St. Partick's Day feel wedding at St. Bartholomew's and Congressional Country Club in Bethesda.

Enjoy these pictures from a cooler part of the year :)

Sara

Remembering an Outdoor Wedding...during this heat!

As stifling as last week and weekend had been, it is a true blessing in disguise.  I have planned many a summer wedding in my time, but how do you get those excited couples planning their July and August weddings during the beautiful fall months to remember just how hot summers in DC get?  While I am on a small wedding hiatus after my jam packed spring, I can't help but think of the handful of summer weddings I have next year and how glad I am that I can use this weather to point out that being outside is not something you want to take a chance on.

It makes me think back on a couple I worked with in June of 2008 and the absolutely beautiful weather we had...oh wait, that was not without stress.  If any of you remember June 2008, it rained just about EVERY DAY, including the morning of Laura and Ben's wedding at his family home in Easton, MD.

Armed with what photographer Mary Gardella of Love Life Images called my "wellies" I made the command decision to carry on as scheduled with the outdoor ceremony an hour before we were supposed to begin, just as the rain started to ease.  (Note, not every planner is as adventurous as I)  The event that followed could not have been any more perfect.  Enjoy!

Sara

Calling All Bridesmaids! {Jenny Yoo Trunk Show at Love Couture}