I'm Dreaming of a White (Feathery) Wedding!

Etsy.com

I have to admit that I'm a sucker for white holiday decor and I kind of love feathers so combining them both makes me pretty happy. And I love the idea of a white holiday wedding blinged out with fluffy feathers. Heaven!

myjeanm.com

Gorgeous white feather bouquet!

bride.ca

Not sure if I have the guts to put feather angel wings on the back of my chairs but part of me really loves it. The other part needs to lie down for a bit.

Weddbook.com

Wishing you a fabulously feathery day!

Sample Sale at Carine's!

Romance in Red at the Cathedral {Rebecca + Jason}

The beautiful and historic National Cathedral was the location for R + J’s September wedding ceremony.  The couple, who live in NYC, chose to get married in DC because it is the bride’s hometown.  The bride and her family spent the morning getting ready with hairstylist Giselle of Hair by Giselle and makeup artist Nikki Frasier at the Ritz Carlton on 22^nd Street. 

The day could not have been more beautiful for Greg Gibson to take photos in and around the Cathedral. 

The bride loves the color red and decided to use that as the overall theme of the wedding.  Check out her beautiful red bouquet (made of red roses and red dahlias) against the white of her wedding dress. 

She had her bridesmaids wear bright red dresses.

The ceremony at the Cathedral was intimate and beautiful as only a ceremony in the grand space can be.

After the ceremony, everyone moved to the Corcoran Museum for a night of dinner, drinks and dancing.  Red linens covered each table.  Capitol Décor created six beautiful tall centerpieces out of manzanita branches and rich red roses and six lower arrangements that consisted of a cluster of smaller vases each filled with a single type of flower such as roses or dahlias.  The head table was a long rectangular table that consisted of the tall branch centerpieces and the white bridesmaid bouquets.

Custom menu cards, tables named after places important to the couple's courtship and squares of fabric for the guests to sign, that would be later used to make a quilt, were some of the fun and creative accents that made this wedding so special.

Lighting provided by John Farr Lighting highlighted the columns surrounding the event space as well as the dancefloor area.  DJ Jason Wallace made sure to keep everyone on the dancefloor all night long.

The tasty cake, specially designed by the bride’s cousin, was made with white frosting and red ribbon on each layer.

As a send-off, the Groom specifically designed a fun candy buffet with red and white candies (mostly gummies – his favorite).

A HUGE thank you to my associate Amanda Smith who helped run the day of and made sure everything went smoothly!

Thank you also to Joel Wolke and his team at Occasions Caterers for the amazing food and fabulous service.  And thank you to Greg Gibson for sharing his amazing images with us!

Congratulations Rebecca + Jason!

Christine

Junko Yoshioka Trunk Show!

Saks Jandel Sample Sale!

 

 

YEAR END BRIDAL SAMPLE SALE

 

over 60 gowns on sale

as much as 75% off!

Vera Wang, Oscar de la Renta, Reem Acra 

& more

 

Saturday December 1st

presale starts Friday, November 30th 

 

 

5510 Wisconsin Avenue

Chevy Chase, MD

301.652.2250

Styling Night at Hitched!

Baubles and bling and veils, oh my! Before you deck the halls this holiday season, let the Hitched gals help you put all the trimmings on your wedding day look at their upcoming Styling Night, featuring accessories by Erin Cole!

What: Hitched Styling Night featuring Erin Cole

When: Thursday, December 6th from 5-8pm (though no appointment is necessary, please RSVP!)

RSVP: 202.333.6162 or info@hitchedsalon.com

All the Details: During the Styling Night, Hitched will be showcasing the latest collection of jewelry, veils, headpieces, belts, sashes, hair flowers, and more from designer Erin Cole. As an added bonus, all accessories will be 10% off during the event!

Marisa at Love Couture!

Happy Thanksgiving!

Wishing you all the happiest of Thanksgivings!

Engaging Affairs is Thankful For . . .

In the spirit of being grateful this week (and all this month), we came up with some wedding-related things we're thankful for!

Laura is thankful for:

* the wonderful families who have called her for multiple weddings over the years and make her feel like part of the family
* the amazing Engaging Affairs team and our mad dancing skills
* safety pins (because she uses them at almost every wedding in some capacity) and Robek's smoothies (because she drinks one before every wedding)

Sara is grateful for:

* that each couple is so different and unique that they keep her creativity sharp
* vendors who understand we are all part of a team making brides' and grooms' dreams come true, no matter what we have to do to achieve it
* an Engaging Affairs team that is determined and innovative, supportive of each other and super fun whenever we are together 

Amanda is grateful for:

*her Cole Haan/Nike Air wedges, Luna Bars, and Sugar Free Red Bull that keep her comfortable and energetic on wedding days!
*her amazing past clients whom she's lucky to still keep in touch with even though their big day is over!  There were some really special ones this year! 
* all of the amazing vendors that we work with!  There is such talent behind each and every one of them, and she's thankful to have the opportunity to get to know them as people as well-- beyond the wedding days!  

Christine is thankful for:

* her super sweet couples that are kind enough to refer her to their family and friends

* comfortable black dresses (preferably with pockets) that last from wedding season to wedding season

*the top notch vendors we work with that keep her laughing no matter how long the day is 

* those magical moments she has with couples during the planning process when the wedding design and details just "come together"

And, finally, we're thankful for all of you reading our blog. Thanks for stopping by and hanging out for a while. Happy Thanksgiving!

Thank You Notes!

Since November is the month of gratitude, I thought we'd touch on the subject of being grateful for all those fabulous wedding and shower gifts that are piling up!

The answer to your questions: yes, you must write hand-written thank you notes for wedding and shower gifts you receive and no, you don't have a year to do it. I've heard this year concept bandied about and it's wishful thinking. Etiquette dictates that you should write a note as soon after you receive a gift as possible but a up to three months later is acceptable. They don't need to be long but they do need to be personal.

Here is the nitty-gritty on structuring a proper thank you note:

-Address the recipient as “Dear {Name}”, then open the letter by thanking them for the gift.

-Your second sentence or paragraph should give some indication of your enjoyment or use of the gift.

-Some people like to go on to share a little news, especially if they have been out of touch with the recipient for a while.Just don't go on too long about yourself. The purpose of the note is to thank them.

-A good closing sentence or paragraph is one which looks forward to seeing or speaking to the recipient again. Mentioning “thank you ” again is great as it emphasizes the point of the letter.

-Try not to end with “yours sincerely” but with a less formal phrase like “love” or “love from” for relatives or “best wishes”, “warmest wishes” or even “thanks again.”


Example of a Personal Thank You Note
Here’s an example, from the Etiquette Grrls’ book More Things You Need to Be Told (p56):

September 1, 2005
Dear Katherine,
Thank you so much for the wonderful book about nineteenth-century architecture of Long Island that you sent me. Not only was it the perfect present (I haven’t been able to put it down!) but it will certainly come in handy for my studies. You always pick the perfect thing!
Again, thanks so much, and I’ll talk to you soon.
Love,
Bitsy

As you can see, a thank you note doesn't need to be long to be warm and effective.  Happy writing!