We just received images from talented photographer Laura Novak!  Meaghan and Kevin’s wedding was coordinated by the one and only Ryan.  Here are the ladies getting ready in their suite at The St. Regis:

Multiflor provided all the flowers for this wedding.  Isn’t Meaghan’s bouquet just beautiful?

Beautiful flowers for a stunning bride.  Here’s Meaghan under the gate at The St. Regis:

Well, the boys don’t look half bad either!  That’s Kevin our groom towards the left:

The ceremony was held at Georgetown University’s Dahlgren Chapel.  The gothic details, dark wood, stained glass, and low light make it oh so romantic.  We just love working here:

This one speaks for itself:

Gettin’ hitched:

Pretty maids all in a row:

Married!  These types of photos are always my personal favorite.  The expressions of pure joy are just overwhelming:

Dahlgren is the perfect spot for a bubble exit:

Back at the St. Regis, the finishing touches were being put on the reception.  Nick at Multiflor outdid himself with the table arrangements.  I especially love the varying height of the candles:

Let the party begin!  Entertainment was provided by McCusker & Barrick Music:

The St. Regis provided this simple but beautiful cake.  I can taste the buttercream already:

A goodnight kiss:

Congratulations again, you two!  We hope you enjoyed every tiny little moment of your wedding day and we were thrilled to be a part of it.

For a few more images from this wedding, be sure to check out Laura Novak’s blog!

I recently received an email forward about wedding cakes created for royalty in Kuwait.  WOW!  (Guy would say Holy Kaw!).  These cakes are just stunning.  I’ve never seen anything like this come out of a bakery in the U.S. and would be surprised if even the top-rated celebrity wedding cake bakers would attempt some of these designs.  Here are a handful of my favorites:

They are made by Chef Omar Addihaoui and some serve up to 1000 guests.  He works in Kuwait for Cafe Opera, a patisserie and cafe.  I haven’t posted all the images here but you can see more on this website.

You may remember Meghan and Eric of Washington Post Express fame — the couple who claimed to be having an elephant at their wedding?  Well, they’re married now, and although their wedding was sans elephant, it was still an amazing time!

Meghan and Eric got married on a chilly fall day at the GORGEOUS Oatlands Historic House and Gardens in  Leesburg.  My cousin married one of my best friends a few years ago here, and I was so excited to go back!  As you pull into the Oatlands in the fall, here is your view:

(I can only imagine what it looks like now, with the amazing colors we’ve been having this season)

When I arrived, the catering staff at RSVP Catering was getting everything ready inside the GORGEOUS tent, provided by Select Event Rentals. Select Event Rentals is the exclusive tent company for the Oatlands, and I can see why.  From the walls that were very lovely, to the BEAUTIFUL chandeliers, seen here:

to the MUCH NEEDED heaters (Eric, aren’t you glad now I insisted on heaters?!), they did an amazing job!

We must now pause to discuss the flowers.  OH, the FLOWERS!  I have a confession here.  Before I started doing weddings, I didn’t see what the big deal was about flowers.  Why were they so expensive?  (Okay, I still sort of think that, but I’m cheap…) Why so many?  What’s the big deal, just go to Trader Joe’s and buy some, right?  But oh, no.  Over the past few months, I’ve seen some amazing flowers, and I’ve seen some…flowers.  There IS a difference, people!  And the difference can be seen in Meghan and Eric’s flowers, provided by the outstanding Country Way Flowers of Middleburg.  I was SO in love with Meghan’s flowers, from the boutonnieres:

to the altar flowers:

to even the simple little decorations on the cocktail tables:

Everything was gorgeous.  But my favorite, of course, were the bouquets.  The bridesmaids bouquets were the perfect matching shade of red, with gorgeous red berries and lotus pods, which are my new favorite bouquet inclusion:

Meghan’s bouquet stole the show.  It smelled AMAZING, thanks to what I think was freesia (someone correct me if I’m wrong) and was filled with gorgeous flowers in shades of white, along with lotus pods, and adorable green berries.  I just can’t say enough how perfect this bouquet was, and how sweet the ladies of Country Way were.  I hope to work with them again soon.

On to the ceremony!  Meghan and Eric had their wonderful friend Jason officiate the ceremony.  I’m not quite sure how Jason was ordained, but because he lives in Colorado and isn’t affiliated with a particular church, we were unable to get him authorized in Virginia.  However, Virginia does allow residents of certain counties to become officiants on a one time only basis, so Meghan’s adorable father, who lives in Fairfax County, was able to certify the marriage on their marriage license.  I actually think this is very sweet, to have your dad “officiate” your wedding.  If you’re interested in doing something like this, definitely check your local County or City Clerk’s office for the rules.  It’s different everywhere.

The Oatlands has a beautiful location for outdoor ceremonies, but it comes with a slight logistical challenge…a GIANT urn of flowers smack dab in the middle of the aisle!  After much discussion at the rehearsal, this is how Meghan and her dad decided to tackle it:

Meghan and Eric also used one of my favorite new trends in weddings, which is multi-gender wedding parties.  Meghan had her brother as her Man of Honor, and Eric’s sister was one of the groom’s women.  (Okay, the only groomswoman, but still…)  Rather than have his sister wear a bridesmaid’s dress, she wore a lovely black gown:

and Meghan’s brother wore the same tux as the groomsmen.

The music for the ceremony and cocktail hour held a special place in the hearts of Meghan and her family (and their wedding planner), all of whom grew up on Irish music.  Celtic Marc was the Irish band hired for the music, and they were WONDERFUL!  Not only was their music perfect, but these guys were just great to work with.  I can’t recommend them strongly enough to anyone who is considering adding an Irish touch to your wedding!

At our final meeting before the wedding, Eric and Meghan realized they wanted a special “send off”, but many places have restrictions, whether it’s on sparklers, rice, birdseed, etc.  They wanted something fun!  I mentioned that I had seen ribbon wands on a wedding blog and Meghan fell in love with the idea.  She and her mom MADE these gorgeous wands, with mom sewing bells onto the ribbon, and Meghan painstakingly gluing the ribbons to each wand (in spite of some serious hot glue gun injuries…weddings are pain, people!):

I wish I had a picture of them waving, but no such luck!  Trust me, though, they were really great.

After dinner, the couple cut their DELICIOUS cake from Cake Lore (aka “Cakes by Loretta”).  The cake looked EXACTLY like the pictures Meghan provided as inspiration — great job, Loretta!

Cutting the cake isn’t as easy as it might seem — often the couple will get to the table and realize they’re not sure what to do!  Enter, your friendly wedding planner:

After much dancing and merriment, it was time to say goodbye, but Meghan and Eric, yet again, didn’t want to do something boring, so rather than your standard limo, they rented this GORGEOUS 1962 Bentley, courtsey of Regal Limousine:

If you’re looking for a “special” car on your wedding day, John Bays is the guy to call.  The driver, Ken, was a complete professional, and allowed the MANY people who wanted to photograph the car (yours truly included) tons of photos, as well as looks inside the car, and answered the questions everyone had.  Yet another vendor I can’t say enough nice things about!

The ribbon wavers were brought out again for the big send off, and the couple and their guests retired to Lansdowne Resort to meet back at the bar as the party continued!

Congratulations again, Meghan and Eric.  You guys and your families were an absolute joy to work with, and I hope to see you again soon.

Last weekend we had the honor of coordinating Lauren & Jake’s big day.  Their wedding ceremony and reception were both held at the Fairmont hotel in the west end of Georgetown.  What a beautiful hotel!  They chose the lower ballroom to accommodate all of their guests.  Using one half of the ballroom for the ceremony, we ‘flipped’ the room during cocktail hour and used the whole space for the reception.

Special thanks to Bob, Chack, and Lonnie at the Fairmont.  Their amazing staff took care of nearly every detail and really provided 5-star service.  I highly recommend this hotel to any bride looking for an elegant, easy, and top-notch wedding venue.

Lauren’s dress hanging in a window of the bridal suite, ready to go:

Petal’s Edge Floral Design did a fantastic job on all the floral decor.  Everything was fresh, fragrant, and most importantly delivered on time!  Here’s the bouquets:

Our couple decided to see each other beforehand.  Like many Jewish couples, they planned to meet before the ceremony to sign the Ketubah (marriage contract) anyway.  That meant we had plenty of time for formal photographs before the ceremony.  Here’s our bride and groom in the Fairmont’s beautiful garden:

A photo of the Ketubah after the signing ceremony:

A closeup:

The wedding programs from The Dandelion Patch:

The ceremony was just stunning.  Chairs were provided by Party Rental, Ltd.  Lighting was in-house at the Fairmont by SWANK.  Check out the beautiful chuppah by Petal’s Edge:

The escort card table, ready to go for cocktail hour:

The escort cards up close.  All the paper goods were provided by our family at The Dandelion Patch:

Lauren & Jake chose to have an Asian food station during cocktail hour.  They served all types of Asian-style hors d’oeuvres.  YUM!  I love how the Fairmont decorated the table with props:

The HUGE ovular bar in the center of the cocktail space.  This was taken before the event began.  I swear they moved those racks before guests showed up:

Here’s the ‘ballroom-in-waiting.’  This is how all the tables were lined up while the ceremony was taking place:

The wedding cake provided by the Fairmont:

At this point my camera’s battery promptly died.  Here’s what I captured from my Blackberry of the reception:

Escapade provided awesome entertainment all night long.  This wedding band was the BEST band I’ve seen in four years of planning weddings:

The candy bar was a SMASH hit!  I love how the centerpiece has Hershey’s Kisses below the flowers:

I hope to have photos from photographer Robert Isacson soon.  Hopefully I’ll be able to share those with you when I have them.
Congratulations again, Lauren & Jake!

Remember when we took a tour of The Willard Intercontinental?  Well a few weeks after I took those photos I had the opportunity to experience an event at this historic hotel.  Washingtonian magazine hosted a luncheon for the wedding vendors they feature in every year’s “They Know Weddings” list.  This year they are launching a brand new magazine solely aimed at brides and grooms.  Finally us wedding vendors won’t have to share January’s issue with the top 100 restaurants!  Washingtonian Bride & Groom magazine will be on stands this winter and again over the summer.

In the lobby there were these cute pink cocktail tables set around:

I love how the linens were different but complementary.  Not everything at an event needs to match:

Photos of the gorgeous ballroom.  This place was packed with talented wedding vendors!

Some jumbo sample magazine covers suspended from the ceiling:

One corner of the room had a few wedding cakes on display:

Up front there was a stage where the Washingtonian editors shared information about the new publication.  This photo is exciting for us event planners who will notice the gorgeous clear Louis Ghost Chairs:

The room featured a mix of square and round tables.  Every centerpiece was lush, huge, and just luxurious-looking.  Rick at Amaryllis came up with these beauties:

Menu cards were displayed at each place setting.  I just love the Willard’s in-house china:

I neglected to get a photo of my amazing beef tenderloin lunch.  Here’s the first course of mushroom ravioli:

Dessert was a mini white chiffon cake with white chocolate mousse.  Check out the chocolate figures standing against the cake:

Photographer Kathy Blanchard also grabbed a handful of photos and shared them on her blog.  Obviously they’re prettier than mine.  Check them out!

If you’re a past Soiree or Wish client, we’d love your feedback!  Please take a minute and fill in our easy online survey.  It promise it won’t take you more than 5 minutes.

Click Here to Take our Survey

Have you followed our blog for a while?  If so, you know about our obsession with the Offray Ribbon Outlet in Hagerstown, MD.  This is THE place for great deals on ribbon since they manufacture it right next door.  Check out our old blog post to see photos and learn more about this magical, magical place.

Join us for a field trip on SATURDAY, DECEMBER 6th.  Just in time for the holidays, this is a great opportunity to stock up for your wedding or just to fill your general pretty ribbon cravings.  We’ll be leaving Tyson’s Corner at 1:00pm for the 75-minute ride to the outlet.  They close at 4pm on Saturdays which gives us plenty of time to snag some great deals.  Depending on who else plans to come, we may need some drivers to help us carpool.  If you live along the 270 corridor (MK, that’s you!) we can meet you along the way.

Post below if you’re interested in going!  Don’t forget to leave your email address or shoot me an email directly.

Two weeks ago I promised photos of the National Press Club.  After doing a walkthrough with our clients and their vendors, I’m thrilled to share more information with you.

The National Press Club is a beautiful venue in the heart of downtown DC.  They are near 14th & F, just north of the J.W. Marriott.  What a perfect location!  Not only are there hotels within walking distance, there are also several restaurant options for rehearsal dinners and tons of stuff for out-of-town guests to check out.

As you walk in, there is a large lobby space with a large glass and marble staircase.  This is a great spot for wedding party photos:

The view from upstairs:

Just beyond the staircase leads you into the ‘Holeman Lounge.’  This is a great big area for cocktails with plenty of space to mingle with guests and lots of natural light:

Looking back towards the door.  Check out that beautiful fireplace!

Off to the left is a built-in wooden bar.  I’ll give you one guess why they call it the ‘Square Bar:’

Just beyond the bar there is yet another cocktail room!  They call this one the ‘First Amendment Lounge.’  This is where we’ll put some stationery hors d’oeuvres and some casual cocktail seating:

Yet again, more natural light!  What hotel ballroom can promise this many windows?

Headed back the way we came, we find ourselves back in the Holeman Lounge.  If we were to turn right instead of left, another bar!  This one is beautiful too:

If you’re lost already, there is a helpful floor plan here!

Beyond the bar is the Ballroom.  This is what you see on CNN all the time and has hosted countless famous speakers through history.  It has nice tall ceilings, a balcony on two sides, and is completely functional for handling large groups:

The view from the balcony.  Imagine the photos your photographer could capture from up here:

Just outside the ballroom is a hallway that features photos of all the celebrities who’ve spoken at the Club. Most of them are signed a la Sardi’s.  You just have to check it for yourself to see who they have:

There is also a nice large bridal party room at the end of the hallway.  This is nice because it’s so close to the ballroom!  No stairs or elevators or anything so bridesmaids and brides have access to their totes, flip flops, lipstick, and whatever else they need.  It’s nice to be able to store all your personal items away from the party, too, so your overnight bag isn’t peeking out from under the gift table.

Don’t forget the Press Club is offering an amazing deal for August weddings next year!

I’ve recently been publishing articles on eHow.com.  This great website has how-to instructions for just about anything you can imagine.  Since I know how I started my own company, I thought I’d share the steps I took to create Wish.  Click here to read How to Become a Wedding Planner.
I’ll have another post later on today.  Just have to pull some photos from my camera!

In this series, we interviewed our team with a handful of lighthearted questions.  You can read Allison’s formal bio here. Read below to learn a bit more about who she really is inside:

How would you describe your approach to planning weddings?
Detailed and organized.  Being organized is the easiest approach to making sure nothing is overlooked.  With so many important details, it could be easy to get overwhelmed.  I find that being systematic keeps everything as manageable as possible.

What do you do for fun?
Other than plan weddings, of course?  I love to run, read, and play kickball on Wednesday nights in the World Adult Kickball Association!  I also enjoy traveling and watching football.

What’s the most important piece of advice for brides?
I try to remind brides that their wedding day is ultimately about them and their future husband.  When the pressure of planning the “event of the year” becomes so stressful it is important to remember why you are planning the wedding in the first place.  While all the details are important, as long as the couple is happy and comfortable then everything else can be taken care of.

What inspires you?
The couples are always my inspiration.  Each wedding is one-of-a-kind because the people are!

Which blogs do you frequent often?
The Regeti’s Photography blog is definitely one of my favorites.  They are amazing!

What’s the best thing about weddings?
The moment in each wedding that I enjoy most is just before the bride walks down the aisle.  The anticipation in the room, from the groom, and from the bride is just exciting to me.

What is your favorite memory from a wedding?
During my very first wedding, the bride accidentally ripped the hem on her gown.  Luckily I was able to sew it back and the bride kept right on dancing.  While this could have easily make it into my worst memory from a wedding, the bride had the most amazing attitude.  She was just enjoying the time surrounded by family, friends, and her new husband.  It was one of those moments when you noticed that even the bride was just happy to be having fun.

What is your favorite wedding trend right now?
The ‘Man of Honor.’  I think that having a wedding party where a female can be in the groom’s party and a male can be in the bride’s party is a great example of the changing  times.  While I am a full supporter of traditions, it’s wonderful to see the bride and groom have their best friend stand next to them at the altar, regardless of sex or gender.

What is your least favorite wedding trend right now?
Ice sculptures.  They can be very pretty and add a unique vantage point to the room.  However at the end of the night when it’s begun to melt, you spent your money on frozen water.  I just don’t see the appeal.