Stop! Don't Plan A Wedding Without This Book!

Since this book came out a few years ago, lots of our new readers may have missed it. "Stop! Don't Plan a Wedding Without This Book" is the no-nonsense wedding planning book I wrote when a publisher approached me to put together a "girlfriend's guide" to wedding planning (if your girlfriend had planned a few hundred weddings and lived to tell the tale).

It gives the real scoop on how the wedding business operates, so readers can avoid headaches like last-minute crises with dress, flowers, and music, among other things. In addition, readers get practical budgeting tips, up-to-the-minute info on current trends—what works and what doesn’t—and common-sense tips on dealing with sales and service people, family, friends, and yes, even the spouse-to-be.

Bop on over to the right side of the blog and click on the link with the cover to go right to the Amazon page and see what brides think about it. Hope you enjoy and have a great weekend!
Laura

Happy Independence Day!

 Photo by Greg Gibson

Happy 4th of July everyone!!

Irish Eyes Were Smiling {Erin + Mike}

We often talk about how lucky we are and how much we love our clients and this couple and their families are at the top of my list!! They were wonderful and we had so much fun working together!

The bride and her family checked into the Willard a few day early in order to begin relaxing and spending quality time with their loved ones.  We brought Nail Taxi in to come to the bride’s suite to give the bride’s mother and all of the bridesmaids manicures and pedicures the day before the wedding.  They were able to enjoy a nice brunch and champagne all while relaxing and getting their nails done.

On the day of the wedding, hairstylist and makeup artist, Andrea Bissanti spent the morning with the girls in the bride’s suite at the Willard hotel.  When it was time to get the bride dressed and ready for the ceremony, the amazing team (videographer Tom Bowen of Tom Bowen Films and photographer Greg Gibson) were there to capture every special moment.

The couple chose Holy Trinity Catholic Church in Georgetown for their ceremony.  The bride not only loved the look of the church but also teaches at the school.  She thought it would be fun for her young students to participate in the ceremony.  She arranged to have her students each carry a rose down the aisle to create the bouquet the couple then offered the Mary statue during the ceremony. 

In honor of Bride and Groom’s strong Irish ties, the guests were surprised with bagpiper, Tim Carey, immediately following the ceremony.  Guests were then loaded onto shuttles provided by International Limo and headed over to The Ronald Reagan Building for the reception.

 Once there, guests were able to sign custom sports jerseys decorated with the date of the wedding on the back--a nod to the couple who are big sports lovers.   Ice sculptures with the popular trinity knot flanked the bars at the reception. 

This mimicked the trinity knot that was also included in the couple’s wedding invitations.  “Kelly” green was also an important accent piece throughout the wedding (invites, bridesmaid dresses, menu cards, etc.) to highlight their strong Irish roots. 

Guests were then invited to enter the Atrium of the building for the remainder of the evening where gorgeous cherry blossoms along with accents of pink and green blooms, designed by the talented Kelly of Capitol Décor, accented each of the 40 tables.  

Guests, including the Bride and Groom, enjoyed taking photos in the photobooth provided by the fabulous guys at Booth-O-Rama and everyone loved the Irish dance performance!

The talented Kendall of Kendall’s Cakes created the beautiful and tasty wedding cake!

The band Retrospect got this crowd on their feet and kept them there until the very end of the night when noisemakers were handed out and everyone made their way, on foot, to the after party at the JW Marriott.

Congratulations Erin and Mike! And special thanks to Greg Gibson for sharing the beautiful images with us!

Christine

Florida Wedding Video!

Thank you Cabana Pictures for this fantastic look at Jessica and Todd's March wedding in Sarasota!



Sara

Indian Elegance at The Mandarin Oriental DC {Natasha + Ravi}

Waking up to a beautiful spring day in May was the perfect start to the incredible day that was in store for Natasha and Ravi.  

The Bride, her sister and her mother had a relaxing morning in the Bride’s suite while makeup artists Carl Ray of Georges at the Four Seasons and Gustavo of Faces by Gustavo applied their makeup. The Bride then got dressed into her first sari of the day…a stunning cream and gold look.  While the girls were enjoying their morning, the Groom participated in a private prayer ceremony with his family before setting off for his Baraat, which took place in the circle in front of the hotel.  His family along with a DJ and dohl player (drummer) led the guests with lots of dancing and singing. 

Once the Baraat was done, the Bride’s family met Ravi outside of the Sikh ceremony where they performed the Milni just before entering the ceremony.  The ceremony, decorated in traditional reds and golds, was designed by Dharma Events and led by Sikh priest, Bhai Sahib.  

Guests were then escorted outside to the garden terrace where the Christian ceremony, led by officiant Amos Dodge, took place.  The ceremony area was framed by a wooden arc decorated with rich purple and pink flowers with hanging crystal strands.  The grass aisle was covered with bright purple petals and purple balls of flowers hung from a few of the aisle chairs to help frame the aisle.  The talented Cherry Blossom String Quartet played as the guests made their way to their seats and as the processional and recessional took place for the ceremony.  The bride wore another gorgeous cream and white sari for this ceremony as well.  

Following the Christian ceremony, guests were treated to an Indian buffet lunch prepared by the amazing Mandarin Oriental chef.  They were then able to explore or relax for a few hours before the evening’s festivities began.

As guests entered cocktails, they were greeted by a beautiful escort card table with a centerpiece make of purple feathers and smaller vases with orchids designed by Bill Enright of Edge Flowers.  The photographer, Kelsey Thompson, set up a “photobooth” area, including props, for guests to visit and use during both cocktails and dinner.   She is responsible for the beautiful photos in this blog.

The Grand Ballroom opened for dinner and guests were treated to a stunning room full of bright blue, purple and pink centerpieces, mirrored tables and rose lighting.  The cake, in all of its glory, was designed by Maggie Austin and the bright purples and pinks were used in the cake design.  For the Bride’s final outfit change, she wore a teal, purple and gold sari for the reception.

Once the dinner was complete, DJ Karan Kapoor and MC Vishal Suchdeve., from Dynasty Entertainment, turned up the hits and kept people on the dancefloor until the wee hours of the morning.  

Thank you to Bret Freeman at the Mandarin Oriental for EVERYTHING!  You and your team were instrumental on such a successful and special day for Natasha, Ravi and all of their friends and family.

Thank you to Tom Bowen Films for all of the amazing video captured from the day! 

Thank you to Steve at Swank Audio Visuals for the time you spent helping all of us create an amazing look with lighting!

Congratulations to Natasha and Ravi!!

Christine