The Omni at Bedford Springs {Fabulous FAM Trip}

Welcome to Bedford Springs week at Bridal Bubbly!  We were lucky enough to spend a few days at the lovely Omni at Bedford Springs Resort a couple of weeks ago, and we wanted to share what a wonderful venue this is for weddings, girls' weekends or bachelorette parties and honeymoons.

The fabulous Lori Amery from the Omni Shoreham in DC took us up to Bedford to share one of her favorite getaways with us. After a quick two-hour drive from the DC area, we drove up to the magnificent hotel tucked away in the middle of nowhere. After checking in, we went to the Frontier Tavern for a little lunch.  The casual fare was so yummy!

After lunch, we checked out our rooms and were so pleasantly surprised. We were in the spa wing of the hotel and our rooms were gorgeous with huge soaking tubs and gorgeous beds. Heaven!  Even though this is a historic property, the buildings were built or completely renovated only a few years ago so everything is pristine.

One of my favorite parts of the hotel is that each room walks out onto a long, connecting veranda with rocking chairs and wicker recliners. Perfect for relaxing with an afternoon drink.

We then met the charming Bryan Stiffler, who takes care of the weddings at Bedford Springs. Bryan gave us a tour of the property, showing us all the spots for ceremonies and receptions (and there are so many)!

The Engaging Affairs team dressed for dinner!

After our tour, we went back into the kitchen for the "Chef's Table" which is actually set up in the kitchen so guests can participate in the cooking process with the chefs. We all donned black aprons and (most of us) got to work preparing baby lamb chops, crab cakes, spinach spaetzle, a citrus and scallop salad, filet mignon, and chocolate mousse. Dinner was delicious and such fun. Our hats off to the chefs and Bryan who made our evening such fun and so educational!

Laura and Lori in the kitchen.

Sara and Lori getting pointers from the cooking staff.

Bryan, Laura and Chef making crab cakes.

Omni colleagues Bryan and Lori.

Laura and Amanda having fun in the kitchen.

Christine enjoying the crab cakes (maybe a little too much?)!

Laura and Christine goofing around.

After dinner, some of us enjoyed a late night swim in the beautiful thermal pool before heading off to bed.

The next morning, Sara impressed us all by hitting the hotel gym early then we had breakfast in the Crystal Room before heading off to the Eternal Springs Spa. What a fantastic breakfast buffet, complete with made-to-order stuffed French toast, waffles and omelettes.

Christine, Sara, and Amanda ready for the spa!

If there is one thing we love, it's spas. Our favorite in DC is the Mandarin Hotel Spa but the Eternal Springs Spa at Bedford Springs might just be our new favorite!  Before our treatments, we enjoyed the Bedford Baths, a water circuit of experience showers, steam room, hot and cool mineral pools and products like the black walnut ginger body polish and hydrating aroma mist.  Then we relaxed in the lounge until our mud wraps and massages. Heaven!

Even though our stay was brief, we got a wonderful taste of the amazing things the Omni at Bedford Springs offers. This stunning property has such old-world charm and grace yet is pristine and modern. It is such a great venue for a wedding (more on that this week) or a quick getaway from the city. I know it is one of Lori's favorite resorts and now we are all firmly in the fan category!

Thank you to Lori, Bryan, Chef David Noto, the cooking team and the entire staff at the Omni at Bedford Springs for treating us to an amazing visit. We were very impressed and can't wait to bring a wedding to the resort!

Photos courtesy of the Omni at Bedford Springs and our own cameras/phones (I'm sure you can tell the difference)!

Photography: The Next Generation {Geoff Chesman Visuals}

Earlier this week I finally had some time to catch up with a great photographer and friend, Geoff Chesman of Geoff Chesman Visuals.  He filled me in on his new digs, beautiful family and most importantly, his new concept behind the "visuals" part of his brand.  You see, Geoff is a photographer, and admittedly, I always found it interesting that "Photography" was not a part of his name.  You may ask yourself, as I did, what in the world is "visuals".  Then, it all made sense.

Besides pulling out some of the new album styles he is working with these days, he handed over his Ipad- complete with great custom case that looks just like a photo album.  Two points for creativity there.  But I was thinking Geoff, Ipads don't show flash, so I can't see your slideshows.  What he showed me was awesome.  I saw a slideshow, similar in many ways to ones I have seen in the past, but different because some of the pictures were actually moving in their spot.  Yes, moving, like a small video!  In a crowded restaurant, I couldn't hear, but asked if sound was included as well and he replied yes.  How cool!

Ok, so you don't get the "picture".  Understandable.  Check out the video below.


Melissa and Scott | Married | Moving Pictures from Geoff Chesman Visuals on Vimeo.


Cool stuff, right?  So this is what he calls moving pictures.  The camera used to capture the motion is the same camera used to capture the stills so you won't even know he is shooting.  This is such a fantastic compromise for my clients who are on the fence about video coverage.

Make no mistake though, Geoff is not offering video documentary services.  All this is are small 5-10 second clips integrated into the picture slideshow.  Want to learn more about is and see more samples, well, I have one more for you below.  This is the Living Album, which is actually an album layout with moving pictures.



Christine & Josh - A Living Album - Photo/Video Fusion from Geoff Chesman Visuals on Vimeo.


Please contact Geoff for more information and check out his blog, http://geoffchesman.com/blog/

Sara

Wedding Dress Giveaway! {Simply Bridal}

We just had to share this great giveaway! Simply Bridal, an online wedding dress 
store, selling 100% handmade, customized to fit dresses will be giving away a wedding dress 

every day for a month starting August 8th! Amazing, right?

We love the pretty dresses on this site, especially for our destination brides looking for 

something simple. And the prices are amazing! 

For a chance to win a free Simply Bridal wedding dress, visit simplybridal.com
to fill out the promotional form. All that is required: your full name,email address

and zip code. Each day (including weekends), a winner will be picked. The winner can 

select any standard size dress that is currently on the Simply Bridal website. No other 

fees are attached and no purchase is necessary.

Each Saturday, all seven winners from that week will be announced on Simply Bridal's Facebook page. Good luck!

Video by Photoria {Stephanie and Ron}

Stephanie & Ron: Sneak Peek from PHOTORIA MEDIA on Vimeo.

Love this sneak peek of Stephanie and Ron's video. It reminds me of what a fun day it was!

Making a Memory {A Kaboom! Wedding}

The act of participating in and celebrating a friend or family member's wedding is truly helping them weave a memory that we hope will last forever as a cherished event.  Haley and Dave have decided to go one step further and not only plan a party, but they, along with their wedding guests, are going to build a playground.  Read below about the inspiring decision one of my great couples has made to make their special day truly memorable.  

KaBOOM! is a national non-profit dedicated to saving play for America's children.

Their mission is to create great playspaces through the participation and leadership of communities. Ultimately, we envision a place to play within walking distance of every child in America.

Before you go any further, check out this awesome time lapse video of a build.

http://kaboom.org/about_kaboom/videos/playground_build_nestlé_1_minute

Haley and Dave grew up in Fairfield and Westchester Counties respectively. It was in those local parks and playgrounds that they enjoyed play dates, picnics, sports practices, summer camp events and more.  It’s also where they spent some of the best times of their lives with their fathers.  Dave vividly remembers his father packing sandwiches and every piece of sports equipment they owned and walking up the block to the playground in their apartment complex, where they would spend hours together.  Haley recalls her father taking her to years of town league soccer practice and nervously watching as she tried to play every minute of every game.   Both Haley and Dave lost their fathers much too young to cancer, but it’s still these memories that shine through and make them smile.

When planning their wedding, they decided their union was much more than simply about each other. They want to honor their fathers and local communities, while leaving a lasting message for their future children and local children for years to come.  The importance of play cannot be overlooked and Haley and Dave are excited to partner with KaBOOM!, an organization that shares the same values as they do. They believe that building this community play environment will help both children and parents enjoy and build lasting memories for generations.

KaBOOM! has recently been getting press as they just completed their 2000th playground on June 15th with the help of Michelle Obama at Imagine Southeast Public Charter School in Washington, DC.  

http://kaboom.org/blog/first_lady_michelle_obama_help_us_build_our_2000th_playground  

The build was also picked up by the NY Times

http://opinionator.blogs.nytimes.com/2011/06/13/mobilizing-the-playground-movement/

Haley and Dave have unselfishly made the decision to make their wedding day about more than just a party, but about involving their guests in ensuring a community of children has a safe place to exercise and grow for decades to come.  The memories they create with their guests in the hours prior to their ceremony by building a playground will surly honor the memories of their fathers.  Haley and Dave, I can't wait to experience this with you next year!

Sara

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!