Here’s a special note we received from Lindsay & Sam after their wedding:

“I just wanted to thank you again for all your help throughout the whole planning process and the day of. You absolutely saved us.  Thank you for dealing with all the million little things that went wrong that you probably didn’t tell me about, although I hope there weren’t too many. I tried to be as organized as possible but things always slip through the cracks!

From our point of view everything went really well and we had very little to worry about…we have you and your staff to thank for that. I truly enjoyed working with you throughout the whole process and I’m so glad we found you.”

We barely got home from Laurie & Rod’s wedding when photographer Lara Swanson already had their slideshow up.  Wow!  She even incorporated their adorable first dance song.  Thanks Lara, for being so quick!

The ceremony and reception were held at Meadowlark Botanical Gardens.  The ceremony was performed by Rev. Julie Price, catering by Marco Polo, floral decor by Maryam Flowers, cake by Fluffy Thoughts, photo booth by Lara Swanson, and entertainment by Evan at MyDeejay.com.

Here’s one of my favorite shots from the day.  The newlyweds and their bridal party decided to go for Taco Bell the end of the night:

Click here to check out their amazing slideshow

As a proud graduate of the Fairfax County Public Schools ‘Academy’ program, I was asked to pose as part of an annual calendar for the schools!  This calendar is given to the teachers of the ‘career & technical education’ vocational classes as a way to show them what past students have been up to.  Many of the students don’t keep in touch after graduation so it’s nice for them to see where their pupils have gone.  Along with my photo I’ll have a little blurb about Soiree and Wish and where I’ve been since high school.

Since they needed a photo, FCPS sent over their resident photographer, Keith Erickson.  We decided to meet at White Swan Bridal in Vienna, VA.  This is a great little bridal shop that carries a lot of top-name designers.  I love the way they display their gowns on models instead of in bags and thought it’d be a perfect backdrop.

Here’s what Keith captured:

Getting a little artsy in this one.  I am apparently interested in something ‘over there.’  It reminds me of Blue Orchid’s hookah-smoking bride:

See how pretty all the dresses are on their model forms?

There’s even some fake flowers to add some colors.  I’m not sure…this one might be my favorite:

Which one would you pick?

Looking for a great DC-area photographer on an affordable budget?

Check out the new kid in town — Brian Tropiano!  This guy has shot several weddings and has worked with many of the local DC ‘big name‘ photographers.  He is out on his own and looking for brides.  His prices are reasonable for now…book him while you can!

Here are a few of my favorite images from his portfolio:

To check out his work, go to his website or check out his blog.

Every so often us wedding planners get spoiled.  Many of the parties and events we attend are purely functional to network with other industry leaders and to promote our business.  Sometimes, though, we are treated to something wonderful without all that “work” nonsense!

Last week we had the fantastic opportunity to join Main Event Caterers for a private luncheon tasting in their showroom.  What a phenomenal culinary event it was.  They presented it like they would for a bridal tasting so we really got to see and feel how our clients are treated.

Here is our luncheon table in the showroom:

They also set smaller tables in the showroom to give clients ideas on new colors and trends.  You may remember these from the last time we visited Main Event.  Here are two that Brian put together:

I’m so in love with this plum chivari chair cushion:

As we sat down for lunch my first exclamation was, “oh!  we have names!”  Everyone thought this was hilarious as I’m known for my ditzy comments.  I really meant that each menu was customized with our names, indicating where we should sit.  Here’s my menu:

First we started off with a sampling plate of hors d’oeuvres.  They presented each plate in a different way!  Each person received the same five appetizers.  It was a nice treat to see the chef’s creativity.  Here’s all the plates:

From the top we have a Portuguese Poached Pears & Brie de Meaux (eveloped in phyllo), then to the right is a Thai Spiced Chicken Salad (gathered in a petite crepe rucksack chive drawstring), below that a Isola di Capri (bocconcini with tiny yellow & red tomatoes, basil, & vintage balsamic), then a Jumbo lump Petite Crab cake (with eastern shore remoulade), and finally a Forest Foraged Mushroom & Camembert buttery tartlet.  MMM!

All of these amazing serving pieces are from our buddies at Party Rental Ltd:

Another fun tidbit!  All the garnish they use on their plates is 100% edible:

This one was set with a large cheese crisp embedded with peppercorns.  We couldn’t resist breaking it up and eating almost the whole thing.  Yum-o:

Next was the soup course.  Yes, a soup course after all those hor d’oeuvres!  This was a sampling of mini soups, including a butternut squash bisque with chestnuts, a very wild musroom soup, and a oyster creme with thyme and roquefort grissini:

On to the entrees!  We got entrees (PLURAL) after all that food.  First up was this beautiful Miro Miso Cured Monk Fish with carrot ginger broth, baby bok choi, and purple potatoes.  Anyone will tell you that I’m not really a seafood fan but this was really light and not ‘fishy’ at all:

Next we enjoyed a beautiful chicken dish.  They described this one as a Goat’s Cheese & Mushroom Plumped Breast of Chicken with glazed turned vegetables & griddled polenta cake.  What a great combination:

Our final entree was a unique spin on a beef.  Most weddings turn to the traditional filet mignon.  Here we were presented with a Braised Boneless Beef Rib with a syrah reduction, cauliflower puree, and tobacco fried onions (named for the spice in the batter):

If that weren’t enough, we were then invited to their wine room for dessert and coffee!  These guys are serious about dessert.  Check out this beautiful display:

Main Event is known for their signature Deep Dark Chocolate Truffles.  You can see those in the bowl in the center of the lower tray.  These little guys are so good they even come with their own warning!  The menu says “caution: may elicit an elation of joy.”  They sure were.  One of my favorites was the Truffle Mousse Cake with Grand Marnier Swirl:

Here’s a small portion of the Main Event crew.  From the left we have VP Nancy, General Manager Cheryl, Creative Director Brian, and Director of Sales Renee:

We really enjoyed our afternoon with Main Event Caterers and hope you’ll take a moment to consider them for your event!  They are a great value for the quality they produce and the people are just delightful to work with.  We hope to see them at more weddings very soon.

If you missed yesterday’s post on Lindsay & Sam’s wedding ceremony, scroll down or click here!  You can also see my non-pro photos from this event right here.  Again, a big special thanks to photographer Greg Gibson for his hard work at the event, fantastic followup, and of course, amazing images:

Ray at Party Perfect hooked us up with this beautiful tent and even a tent attendant for the day:

Inside the tent:

Capitol Catering really did a phenomenal job with the food and service.  Notice the tables have alternating linens of orange and yellow!  Here’s what the whole setting looks like:

Lindsay designed all the paper products herself, including these menus.  Isn’t their monogram to die for?

John at Spot Floral Design really went above and beyond with these beautiful and unique centerpieces.  Each one had three small vases of flowers and three pillars of floating gold candles.  They were gorgeous!

Mike at Blondell’s Accents on Events hung all those Chinese lanterns and also provided uplighting on the tent and trees:

Kendall did a phenomenal job on their wedding cake:

David from MyDeejay.com kept people on the dance floor all night long!  He really did a great job at balancing American and Indian music to keep everyone happy:

And they partied all night long!  I love this image of the tent and the beautiful Chesapeake Bay:

reception-tent-chesapeake-bay

Usually I only post once about any given wedding.  This time I have too many photos!  Today we have images from Lindsay & Sam’s ceremony and tomorrow we’ll feature their reception.  Special thanks to photographer Greg Gibson who got these to me lightning-fast!

Rebecca and I started the day off at 11am.  Here’s the River House at Queenstown Golf Club, all ready for an event:

Since we had a lot of setting up to do I chose to wear some more comfortable clothes then change into my ‘wedding outfit’ later in the day.  Here I am confirming some of the last-minute changes with Lindsay while she gets beautified:

I think all that time in the director’s chair was worth it!  Here’s our star of the show.  Isn’t she gorgeous?

I couldn’t resist this one of Lindsay peeking out the window at her future husband:

Lindsay and Sam chose to see each other before the ceremony, which I am a big proponent of.  It gives couples the opportunity to share a private moment of bliss before the mayhem begins.  Here’s a glimpse at how special it can be:

They even had some time for photos with the bridal party.  This one has to be my favorite.  If you’ve followed us since the beginning, you may recognize one of the bridesmaids.  The gal standing closest to the Sam (our groom) is Mariah!  Mariah was one of our very first brides, then turned into one of our best planners, then started her family off with twins and moved to Minnesota.  It was great to see her even just for a couple minutes here and there:

On to the ceremony!  John at Spot Floral Design set up this beautiful canopy with orange fabric and bamboo poles.  The one problem was that the fabric acted like a sail and kept blowing the whole thing over!  Even after we pieced it together it still provided a perfect spot for their altar.  ::note to self…no canopies when you’re on the waterfront::

Reverend Amanda Tate performed a fantastic ceremony that incorporated Sam’s Indian culture.  Lindsay’s sister and Sam’s brother served as matron of honor and best man:

We passed out small bags of flower petals so guests could toss them at the newlyweds.  Don’t you just love their expression of sheer joy?

I’ll leave you with a few breathtaking images of Lindsay and Sam.  After the ceremony they were able to take these photos because they had done the family portraits earlier.  Greg and his assistant Rebecca were so wonderful to work with and I love what they captured:

Check back tomorrow for the photos of the par-tay!

Remember Lindsay & Sam?  We had their walkthrough at Queenstown’s River House and then I posted my own photos from their wedding at the end of September.  Well, Mr. Greg Gibson is quick with the editing because the photos are already online!

I’m still figuring out which ones to share but thought I’d tempt you with this one for now:

I can’t wait to show you how beautiful this one was!

You know the Washington Post Express? That free newspaper that gets distributed at Metro stops and various other places around the DC area?  Well, each Friday they have a section called “B.I.O” which stands for “By Invitation Only”  And this past Friday it featured my awesome bride and groom for this weekend’s wedding, Meghan and Eric!  Their story is SO sweet!

B.I.O.: He Went The Distance

OF COURSE THERE were sparks when Meghan Kelly and Eric Schleicher met at a mutual pal’s birthday barbecue in D.C. — it was the Fourth of July weekend, after all. “We made a killer pool team,” recalls Meghan. “Since I learned he lived in Florida, I wasn’t nervous about making a fool of myself. I figured we’d just enjoy the evening.” She happily found herself proved wrong six weeks later when Eric flew from Cocoa Beach to take her to dinner at Cafe Atlantico. “I was in awe that he’d flown from a different state to go on a date.” It was a bold move that paid off. After several months of keeping in touch, Eric knew this relationship was headed toward the aisle: He moved to D.C. in May 2005. When they vacationed in Amsterdam last October, he made it official by popping the question in their hotel room. They will wed Oct. 18 in Leesburg in a somewhat traditional ceremony. Says Eric: “We’re getting an elephant to give rides to our guests.”

Meghan, 29, is a program management analyst. Eric, 29, is an aerospace engineer. They live in D.C.

Oh, and just as an FYI, there will SO not be an elephant at their wedding.  I’m pretty sure their venue frowns upon zoo animals.

Congratulations, media darlings!  Can’t wait for your wedding this weekend!

A black and white color scheme has become popular lately, especially with a yellow accent, but think of it as a starting point…

{ row 1: table | lounge | guest basket }
{ row 2: food | monogram | invite | bride }
{ row 3: cake | bridesmaid | flowers | chandelier | invite | bouquet }

It isn’t just the color you select, but the way you use it. Black can be a heavy color for a wedding, but when used as the base of a color pallet, it can enhance the other colors you have selected.

Here, a black and white pattern is the backdrop for sprinkling yellow (or the color of your choice) and a dramatic statement. Incorporating subtle patterns in the table linens, invitations, favors, and even the bridesmaid’s dresses will bring a balance to your decor without drowning the reception in bold or vibrant solid colors.

These colors were also used to create a more modern twist on a slightly retro feel – from the lounge furniture to the centerpiece vases, this wedding incorporates vintage items in a sleek way. Event the all white cake has a textured feel that mirrors the “bubbles” on the vases, flowers, and bouquet.

And for the bride who has her own special statement, try the knee length dress with a touch of crinoline.