Alfred Angelo is opening a store in Springfield, VA!  See below for information on their Grand Opening celebration this weekend and coupons for dresses:

I believe this store is going into the old Circuit City space across from Springfield Mall near Barnes & Noble, Bed Bath & Beyond, and DSW.  Can anyone confirm?

Armin DeFiesta, a great friend and a fabulous wedding photographer, is offering an awesome promotion!  Check it out:

“Book  your wedding with me at $5500 or more (new customers only) and receive a free 16G Wi-Fi Apple iPad!  It’s that easy.

Promotion Details: The iPad Giveaway promotion is for new customers only.  Armin DeFiesta agrees to include a 16GB Wi-Fi Apple iPad for each new wedding customer that books a wedding photography package $5500 in value or more before July 7, 2010.  Armin will deliver or ship the iPad to the customer within 2 weeks of the signed agreement, retainer, and booking time.  Promotional giveaway ends no later than July 7, 2010.”

Pretty cool, right?

We love working with Armin and highly recommend him.  Of course the iPad giveaway is a great incentive but it doesn’t mean anything if the photographer stinks!  Luckily Armin’s work speaks for itself and he’s worth every penny, which makes this promotion even better. Here’s a photo from Stacey & Todd’s wedding last year:

Tell him the WishBlog sent you!

Remember my dear friend Sarah who got married at Newton White Mansion?  Now coming up on her third wedding anniversary, she realized she still has a gorgeous tiara that she never wore on the big day.  Yes, she succumbed to the peer pressure of the ladies at the bridal salon early in her engagement and then decided to do something different with her hair (doesn’t everyone succumb to that?!).

Anyway, Sarah has this BEAUTIFUL Elen Henderson tiara that’s never been worn and needs a new home.  You could be the one to snag an amazing deal!

This crystal & pearl piece would go really well with an ivory gown that has either pearl or crystal detail (or a simple gown that you want to jazz up).  It was purchased for $298.  Sarah’s willing to part with it for a mere $200!  You can email her directly to arrange pickup or shipping and payment — she’s here in Northern Virginia and close to 495 which should make things easy.

If you email her, be sure you congratulate her on finishing grad school — she’ll be a Pediatric Nurse Practitioner when she graduates in a few days!

I’ll be posting about Julia and Chris’ gorgeous wedding soon, but now that the newlyweds are back from their honeymoon, they’re trying to make room in their house by clearing it of all wedding stuff.  Julia got these great branches at the sadly closed Smith & Hawken, and there are two to each centerpiece.

They come with the tall vase, two branches, black sand and river rocks to hold them up, plus the candles and icicles you see in the picture.  She’s looking for $500 for everything (5 Centerpieces total) (the branches were $30 each just by themselves!) but is willing to take the best offer.  These are REALLY popular, so definitely email her soon!  Pictures (and hints to how awesome their wedding was) below:

The first two photos are from the amazing Liz Hough, the second two are from one of our awesome assistants!  As you can see, the branches were spray painted silver, but you can paint them another color if that works better for you.

You can email Julia or Rebecca (me) for more info!

What are you doing this Saturday afternoon?  Be sure to check out the DC Couture Wedding Consortium’s Luxury Bridal Show at the Decatur House!  They’ll be open from 1-3pm on February 6th.  Tickets are $25 or you can use the code “DCCWCFREE” to get in for free!

We’re a little late on this one but there’s still time to take advantage of this great deal at The Dandelion Patch!

Have you bought your wedding gown yet?  This  might be your perfect opportunity!  Carine’s Bridal Atelier is hosting a sample sale this weekend.

What’s a sample sale, you ask?

Have you ever been to a bridal salon?  All those dresses hanging on the racks are gown samples, intended for brides to try on before ordering one directly from the manufacturer.  Once a new collection comes in for the next season, the ‘old’ gowns need to be sold to make space for the new ones.  Of course these are high-quality designer-made gowns so really there’s nothing terribly wrong with them.  Sometimes there might be a sequin or bead missing, a small tear, a little bit of dirt, or some other minor and fixable problem.  Other times they’re just like brand new and ready to go!  When you decide to purchase a sample gown, you’ll walk out of the store with it that day.  Remember that bridal gown samples are usually around a size 10 (street size so if you’re petite or plus-sized you may not have much luck at a sample sale.

With designer gowns discounted to $999-1899 (from $3k-9k), this could be a HUGE money-saver for your wedding.  They have name brands like Angel Sanchez, Carolina Herrera, Karl Lagerfeld, Kenneth Pool, Monique Lhullier, Reem Acra and more.  Click here to see what they’ll have available.  Why  not go check it out and see if there’s anything you like?  Here’s the details:

Sample Wedding Gown Sale
Carine’s Bridal Atelier
Sunday, January 17th
12:00-3:00pm
1726 Wisconsin Ave, 2nd Floor
Washington, DC  20007
202-965-4696
www.carinesbridal.com

Extra!  Extra!

Carine’s Bridal Atelier is hosting a sample sale this weekend.  Are you looking for a wedding gown?  This is the perfect opportunity to save some cash!  Here’s all the details:

Designer Bridal Gowns For As Low As $999 This Weekend Only!

Up to 75% off sample wedding gowns by Carolina Herrera, Melissa Sweet, Monique Lhuillier, Reem Acra, Platinum Collection and more!

Carine’s Bridal Atelier of Georgetown is hosting their annual end of year Sample Sale Event on Sunday, December 6^th from 12pm to 3pm. Sample wedding gowns by top designers will be on sale for up to 75% off retail prices—a fantastic savings for brides! Gowns will be priced as low as $999 to $1899marked down from original retail prices of $3000-$9000. Gowns sold on a first come, first serve basis.

“Sample gowns are a great option for brides on a budget or on a short wedding timeline,” says Carine Krawiec, Owner of Carine’s Bridal Atelier. Sample dresses are in great condition and must be sold to make room for new gowns. Sample gowns are a bridal size 8 or 10 and can always be altered to fit a smaller body size. Carine’s Bridal Atelier offers custom alterations onsite in their Georgetown boutique.

Brides can preview a selection of sample sale gowns online at http://carinesbridal.com/samplesale.htm. These gowns, plus MORE, will be priced to sell between $999 – $1899 at the Sample Sale Event.

Special Event Details

Date & Time: Sunday, December 6, 2009 (12pm–3pm)

Location: Carine’s Bridal Atelier, 1726 Wisconsin Ave NW, 2^nd Fl., Washington, DC 20007

Phone: 202-965-4696

Additional Important Information

• Sale is first come, first serve
• Line starts directly outside the boutique
• No appointments taken
• No merchandise hold policy
• Designer labels include Angel Sanchez, Carolina Herrera, Junko Yoshioka, Karl Lagerfeld, Kenneth Pool, Melissa Sweet, Monique Lhuillier, Platinum Collection, Reem Acra, Rivini, Rosa Clara, St. Pucchi, and The Vineyard Collection
• All shopping and “try-ons’s” are self-service
• Sales consultants will be available to answer questions and provide assistance as needed
• All gowns size 8 or 10
• Entire boutique will serve as an open dressing room; brides welcome to try-on gowns anywhere there is available space
• All brides are recommended to wear bras, lingerie, shorts, and underwear to try on gowns as entire boutique will become a dressing room
• All sales are final (no returns allowed); gowns are sold “As-Is”
• Cash and Mastercard, Visa, American Express accepted. NO Discover card. NO checks allowed.
• Street parking is limited.

For More Information

Contact Carine’s Bridal Atelier by phone 202.965.4696 or email info@carinesbridal.com or visit www.carinesbridal.com

Let us know if you attend the sale and if you score a deal!

Remember our post about the creative florist, Volanni, and their floral screen pieces?  These guys are fabulous!  See below for a coupon for 25% off of one arrangement this month.  Know anyone with a birthday coming up?  Or maybe you’ll want to send yourself flowers like Cher in that movie Clueless!

Here’s Volanni’s website if you want to check out more of their work!

“Free Wedding Cake for Washington DC-Area Military Men and Women

Fluffy Thoughts Cakes, a McLean, Virginia based specialty bakery, are offering a free wedding cake to a member of our armed forces serving in the Washington, DC metro area. Fluffy Thoughts Cakes will be accepting entries for the free wedding cake beginning now through November 1, 2009. The recipient will be selected on Verteran’s Day November 11th, 2009.

To qualify, the bride or groom must be a member of the military and must be getting married in 2010 in the Washington, DC metro area. To enter the give-away, the applicant should send an email to Fluffy Thoughts Cakes at lara8@aol.com including the following contact information: Name, Phone Number, Wedding Date, Location of Wedding.  Additionally, please include: why you should win a free wedding cake and a photo of the couple.”

We’ve worked with Lara several times over the years and she consistently brings beautiful cakes that are darn tasty too!  Here are just a couple of the creations she’s brought to Wish weddings:

Stacey & Todd’s cake at The Washington Club:

Laurie & Rod’s cherry blossom cake at Meadowlark:

Rob & Maya’s cake at the Hotel Monaco:

Victoria & Michael’s damask cake at the Westin Grand:

Gorgeous, no?  See more yummy cake designs on the Fluffy Thoughts blog!