Hoo-rah-ray, hoo-rah-ray, ray, ray–U-VA!

That’s right, today we’re featuring the blue and orange of the University of Virginia.  And we don’t have to look too far — remember Meredith and Howard’s wedding?  It was full of blue and orange goodness, shot by Jake Holt:

I also wanted to make sure you saw the gorgeous tent decoration, but the picture is not Jake’s, it’s from my lousy camera (I need a new camera…any recommendations?)

I love everything about this, from the way we set up the tables to the navy pintuck linens to the orange napkins to the orange and blue lanterns!

You know who else loves these colors?  A Wahoo Wedding, a blogger in Virginia planning a Richmond wedding with UVA colors!  Look at her awesome logo!

And look at their cute story, all UVA-themed!

She’s FULL of the UVAspiration

OMG!  How cute are those shoes?!??!!  Speaking of cute shoes…

Julia MacInnis:

The Knot

What, girls get to have all the fun?!

Rachel Clare

(I can’t tell if his shoes are orange or brown, but let’s say orange, okay?)

These are definitely orange, though, right?

And these? (Joe Elario Photography)

(Yes, that was back to the girls again, but guys can wear orange (or blue) Chucks too!)

More for the guys…

E.C. Campbell Photography via Mitten Smitten

A Suit That Fits

Love this bout…

Paper is a great way to use your colors, like this cute invitation:

Or these adorable touches from the Wedding Wire Blog:

Of course, there are TONS of gorgeous orange flowers out there for bouquets — just use some navy ribbon, and you’re all set!

Becker:

Elegance and Simplicity:

Flora Fauna Weddings:

One Thousand Words Photography:

Rachel Clare:

Bridesmaids get to have all the fun when it comes to colors!

E.C. Campbell Photography:

One Thousand Words Photography:

The Preppy Wedding

What Junebug Loves

Of course, the kiddies get some cute duds and accessories too…

Studio Diana

Michelle Lindsay (one of our favorite photographers!)

E Photography:

How awesome is this little man bow tie from Etsy seller Chick and Bud?!

You can highlight the orange and blue in your ceremony decor…

Julia Newman Photography:

Millie Holloman Photography:

Or at your reception:

Heather Saunders Photography:

Etsy Seller Pom Flair:

Renee Broughton:

Vibrant Bride:

Are you having a Wahoo Wedding?  How will you incorporate Blue and Orange?

Continuing our College Football series, we move now to my hometown of Pittsburgh, and the Pitt Panthers!  Although Pitt’s new logo looks like this:

which is more Navy and Gold, I’m going to focus on the logo I grew up with:

Oh, that’s right…the straight 70’s Royal Blue and Yellow!  Both are beautiful, but the bright yellow and royal blue make for a fun wedding color combo, don’t you think?!  Wedding Wire sure thought so

(p.s. How much are you loving those chairs in blue and yellow?!)

Here’s another great blue and yellow inspiration board, from Style Me Pretty:

Mrs. Lemon from Wedding Bee got in on the blue and yellow action too!

Blue and Yellow are easy to use, especially in your wedding party.  I LOVE a blue dress with yellow accents:

Decisive Moment Photojournalists

Always a Bridesmaid, Never a Bridezilla (That’s the name of the blog, not a commentary…)

How about this cute yellow J. Crew dress with one of the necklaces below, from Etsy sellers Londons Gate and Night Owl Crafts

There’s also this bib statement necklace, which is great, although I’m not sure that the bib necklace trend is for everyone (Etsy seller Lily White Pad)

Or how about a great blue dress with some adorable yellow sandals?! (Coren Moore dress, shoes by Kelsi Dagger at Zappos)

Of course, you need to get the guys involved too!

Next two photos by Millie Holloman Photography

Style Me Pretty

Decisive Moment Photojournalists

And, of course, you can’t forget the little ones!

(Above and below pictures, Millie Holloman)

Union Photography

Actually, that adorable flower girl was in an AWESOME blue and yellow wedding, featured on Project Wedding.

Linens and tableware such as china and glassware are a lovely way to bring your color palette out at your wedding, as shown here by Style Me Pretty.  Of course, a gorgeous centerpiece doesn’t hurt either!

And again here, photographed by Geoff White Photographers:

Speaking of beautiful centerpieces, look at these beauties, photographed by Millie Holloman photography:

Although there aren’t really any royal blue flowers, you can come awfully close with Hydrangea, and mix them with fun yellow flowers to create some gorgeous arrangements.

Theresa Choi Photography:

Style Me Pretty (next two photos)

How about using blue and yellow in your programs like these photographed by Millie Holloman:

Or these from Union Photography:

And, finally, how about some fun lawn games for your guests, like bocce at this Salt Harbor Designs wedding:

Are you a Pitt Panthers fan?  How are you showing them the love in your wedding?

I had the pleasure of sharing my Memorial Day weekend with April and Lindsay as they got married in the beautiful Meridian Hill Park, which is just across the street from Josephine Butler Parks Center, where the reception was held.

April was glowing when she arrived at Josephine Butler to finish getting ready for the ceremony.  She insisted on taking this picture with me and my little assistant (who is due to arrive any day now!).  All of the awesome photographs were taken by Laurel Jensen of Laurel Jensen Photography.

And there is Lindsay getting on his boutonniere just downstairs.  The feathers in all the personal flowers were a great touch.  Bethany and Jeanne from Park Florist in Takoma Park, MD really did an amazing job with all the flowers.

April’s bouquet was absolutely gorgeous.  Bethany and her team secured a hankie that was April’s Grandmother’s to the bouquet using an antique brooch that April had found.  I loved the color scheme for all the arrangements.  The colors were romantic, but very appropriate for the laid back feel that April wanted to achieve for her Memorial Day weekend nuptials.

The couple’s family and friends gathered in the park to witness the ceremony performed by A.C. Warden of Capital Ceremonies.  A.C. did a great job customizing the ceremony to incorporate all the elements that were important to April and Lindsay.

As we all know, it was quite warm that Saturday, so the couple provided these really pretty parasols for their guests.  This blue one really made for some cool pics!  Aren’t these two cute!

The park really was a great backdrop for photos.  These two are a perfect match and Laurel did a fabulous job capturing the special moments.

The front view of Josephine Butler Parks Center in DC.

There are so many wonderful elements in this shot of the welcome/gift table.  April had given the florist a bunch of old scarves, hankies, table cloths and pieces of fabric that she loved and Bethany from Park Florist used them throughout the venue.  I love how this particular piece looked under this arrangement, which was contained in an old fashioned mason jar.  But the best part is the picture of Lindsay’s grandparents who were married 66 years earlier on the exact same day!

Guests were asked to write a message to the couple and leave it in an old box.  Special thanks to both of my assistants that day, Jasmine and Jenny, for helping with all of the set up.

Love this photo of the couple as they enter to join their guests and get the party started!

The reception space is perfect for smaller weddings.  If you love a ton of natural light, this is the venue for you!

All of the centerpieces were slightly different and while it is a bit hard to see in this photograph,  all of the tables had one of those unique pieces of fabric under the flowers.

Love the lace under this one!  I also like the use of the silver julep cups for the centerpieces.  The couple served mint juleps as one of their signature cocktails!

Josephine Butler also has this great terrace on the second floor just off the reception space, which is perfect for guests during cocktail hour and throughout the night.

April and Lindsay enjoying a fun moment during their first dance!

Ok, let me just tell you how delicious the food was!  As always, Peggy McGuire and the folks at Main Event Caterers did a superb job with all the details.   They are always a pleasure to work with.

April and Lindsay didn’t have a traditional wedding cake.  Instead, they decided to have some of their friends contribute homemade desserts of their choice.

The Capitol Building….made from white chocolate….yummmm!!!

The couple chose two pies from the selection to cut in front of their guests.

The couple supplemented the homemade desserts with some yummy cupcakes from Hello Cupcake!  Each flavor was topped with a monogram.  Main Event did a fantastic job with the dessert display.

Congratulations, April and Lindsay!  Thanks for letting me be a part of your day!

xoxo,

Felicia

I have known this bride for a LONG time.  I began my career years ago at Wolf Trap and one summer, had a WONDERFUL intern named Julia.  Fast forward over 10 years later, and I see on Facebook Julia’s getting married!  I email her to congratulate her, and she says “oh, and by the way, I need a planner…”  Of course I signed right up!

Julia planned every last detail but Chris, a graphic designer, designed all of the paper pieces, including the menus, invitations, and programs!

I absolutely LOVE this photo of the couple, just after they were married, at the church’s entrance.  How gorgeous is that vintage fur stole, compliments of the bride’s grandmother?

After the ceremony, everyone headed to the Fairfax Marriott at Fair Oaks to start the party.  This Marriott has a GORGEOUS cocktail area, made even more beautiful by the lighting from Swank Audio Visuals:

Throughout the planning, Julia kept talking about the “wow” factor in the ballroom.  Well, she definitely got it!  With a combination of the already beautiful ballroom:

Linens from DC Rental:

More lighting from Swank:

…and my favorite part, the centerpieces!  Chris and Julia had three different centerpieces.  Two of them were provided by a Wish favorite, Barbara Von Elm at Growing Wild:

And the third was designed by Julia and put together by my beautiful assistants and me! (and which you’ve seen before, as they’re for sale!)

(The small bride’s cake was based on Chris’ design from the invitations!)

As if that wasn’t enough sugar, Julia’s mom baked mini breads for guests to take home, sealed with the couple’s custom monogram (again, created by the groom) and gave them the recipe for the bread to bake at home!

A few more gorgeous pictures of the day:

Last spring we posted about Kelly & Jason’s wedding at Hollin Hall in Alexandria, VA.  I can’t believe I never shared their professional photographs, shot by Heather Z Photography!  Without further ado, here’s the day through Heather’s lens.

Here’s Hollin Hall, looking regal:

On the wedding day, it rained and poured all morning.  Kelly had wanted an outdoor ceremony in Hollin Hall’s beautiful boxwood garden but the forecast was looking grim.  We were watching the radar and trying to play weatherman, keeping hope out for what looked like could be a break in the clouds.  Meanwhile, there was nothing for Kelly to do but get ready:

Barbara at Growing Wild always makes the most stunning arrangements:

Kelly had the sweetest bridesmaids — don’t they look like fun friends?

I especially loved her light blue flats — perfect for their intimate, elegant, yet casual wedding:

The rain did indeed break just before the ceremony but the ground was too muddy to hold a ceremony in the spot we had wanted.  So – Kelly opted for Plan B and we moved the ceremony into the main house.  Here she is, getting ready to go down the steps and straight down the aisle:

I thought the indoor ceremony was just perfect.  We used pillar candles on the mantle and the altar floral arrangements on the floor.  Rev. Wesley Peyton performed a touching wedding ceremony like he always does:

And they’re married!  This is always my favorite moment at every wedding:

While their guests were enjoying cocktails, Kelly and Jason made use of some clear skies and headed into the garden for some portraits.  I’m so glad they were able to get some pictures outside:

Don’t these guys make a handsome pair?

Another cute detail — Jason’s white rananculus boutonniere:

Back inside, the cute escort cards are held up by wine bottle corks:

I love when couples display family photos to share with their guests — I think it helps the two joining families connect:

Outside, the rain was still drizzling but the dinner tent was nice and dry.  Check out these gorgeous tables:

We thought long and hard about the color of these chairs.  I think the natural wood color really makes the blue pop out, don’t you agree?

I couldn’t resist showing you their wedding cakes!  Heidelberg Pastry Shoppe is one of the couple’s favorite spots so it was only fitting to have cakes from there.  While Heidelberg does make some amazing traditional wedding cakes, Kelly & Jason wanted to share their favorite flavors with their guests.  This way, everyone got a flavor they loved!

Of course the cake aftermath isn’t pretty — but it sure is tasty!

Kelly & Jason — I know you guys have already passed your first anniversary so I hope you had a lovely first year of marriage!  I fondly remember your wedding day and hope you both are doing well.  Congratulations again!

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!

Remember how rainy it was in June?  CRAZY rainy, right?!  Well, Veronica just KNEW it was going to be gorgeous on her wedding day, so she went ahead and planned dinner for outside, under the stars, no tent.  And you know what?  It was PERFECT!

The day started with the ladies getting their hair and makeup done at Jon’Ric Alexandria, who did a great job getting them dolled up!  Everyone then trekked over to the new National Harbor, where the girls finished getting ready at the Westin.  What great light they had in their room, and great places were found all around at the National Harbor by their photographer, Mark Sypher, of Bella Pictures.

I love this picture of Veronica’s shoes — look how great their view is!

Mark got some GREAT shots of the guys at National Harbor too!

From National Harbor, it is literally about a 2 minute drive up the hill to the gorgeous Oxon Hill Manor.  Everything in this place is beautiful, but one of my favorites is the spiral staircase up to the amazing bride’s room!

I love this shot of Veronica and two of her bridesmaids in the bridal room, one of whom, if you couldn’t tell, is her twin sister!

The room has such gorgeous light — it’s great for a “first look” with the groom, or for dad to see his little girl in her dress for the first time.

Veronica is checking out her dad’s bout — the AMAZING flowers were actually done by Poya’s sister!  This girl basically turned her parents basement into a floral studio for the week before the wedding, and boy was it worth it.  The flowers were GORGEOUS!!!

Actually, the programs were designed by a friend as well.  It’s nice to have talented friends!

As everyone got ready for the wedding, I wrangled the adorable flower girl and ring bearer, who were doing a perfect job…right up until they saw the fountain at the start of the aisle:

I was able to get them on their way…

And then I think someone spotted her mom…

For me, it’s moments like those that make weddings so great — completely adorable and spontaneous.  Luckily, no one actually fell in the fountain!

Mark got some gorgeous shots of the ceremony, which included both Veronica’s faith, Episcopalian, and Poya’s, Baha’i.

After the ceremony in the upper gardens, the guests moved to the house and patios for cocktail hour, while Mark used the awesome reflecting pool for some great shots!

When they finished with photos, everyone returned to the manor to get ready for introductions.  I swear, there’s a picture of me like this at almost every wedding, bustling the bride’s dress.

See that dapper looking fellow standing next to me?  That is the AMAZING Pete Medina.  When Veronica told me that their wedding was being catered by a restaurant (the OHMYGOD SO GOOD Kabob Bazaar in Clarendon), I told her she absolutely HAD to have Pete do her staffing and rentals.  I worked with Pete on Rama and Neel’s wedding, so I knew he was perfect.  He works everywhere from the Italian Embassy on down to offering to get me a few linens for a shower I was throwing.  He does rentals for everything from silverware to linens to ceremony arches, plus he provides a wonderful staff, and, perhaps most importantly, finds out what the bride and groom (and even the Maid of Honor) drink, and makes sure there’s one in their hand all night.  If you’re having a restaurant cater your wedding, or if you need catering staff or linens, post a comment and we’ll send you his information.  He is THE BEST!  He even got Veronica and Poya special linens, chargers and glassware for their sweetheart table.

When Veronica and Poya were introduced onto the patio for the first time as husband and wife, I couldn’t believe it — from every area of the patio, roses came FLYING!  I had never seen this before, but it was so sweet!  They continued to fly during their first dance…you can see some in these photos.

(Author’s Photo)

We were SO lucky to have dinner on the patio — there’s a great fountain, and a great view…plus the night was just PERFECT, temperature wise.  This was largely thanks to the awesome lighting from Frost Lighting. I like working with these guys because they actually leave a technician there on site in case something goes wrong…as it did this night when a little too much power blew a fuse!

After dinner, it was back inside for the delicious cake from Amphora Bakery.

See the Cake Topper?  Veronica really wanted a Gold “S” for their new last name, but all I could find were silver ones…or ones that were INSANELY expensive!  So I did what any crafty (and cheap) girl would do — I bought a silver one and spray painted it gold!  See what your wedding planner can do for you?  We really do save you money

After cake, everyone hit the dance floor where DJ Ani kept the crowd going with Persian and American tunes.  It actually got insanely hot in the room, so the crowd just moved out to the wraparound porch and kept the dancing out there!

Congratulations, Veronica and Poya!  Thanks for a great day, and all the best in the future!

O.M.G.  Can I tell you guys how much I love Hallie and Matt?  I freaking LOVE HALLIE AND MATT!!!  I think every single person involved with their wedding, from my assistants to the photographers to the caterers to the guests all at one point mentioned how NICE this couple is!  I mean, there are just not enough words to express how genuine and adorable these two are.

The day started as the adorable duo that runs Atelier Floral Design, Jen and Rachel, stopped by my house to pick up the INSANE white lanterns that were to be hung at Glen Echo.  I say insane because these were the biggest lanterns I’ve ever seen.  In fact, I had to search my house for some rope because the boxes were so big, they didn’t fit in Jen’s SUV — we had to tie them to the roof!

(Guest Photo)

Jen and Rachel got there a few hours before me because there were SO many lanterns to set up!  Luckily, Glen Echo has this cool rolling scaffolding thing…I mean, lucky for the people who would climb on it.  At the end of the night I got about three steps up before realizing that I was afraid of heights.  Thank God for assistants!

Soon after I arrived at Glen Echo, Tom and Ashley from Documentary Associates showed up and started scouting locations, and I just knew their pictures were going to be AMAZING…you’ll see they didn’t let me down!

How gorgeous is Hallie’s dress?!  Almost as gorgeous as these Christian Louboutin red shoes! In the words of Rachel Zoe, I Die:

Now, when Hallie and Matt told me they were getting married on July 18th, at Glen Echo, in the Bumper Car Pavilion, my immediate thought was “Um…the bumper car pavilion isn’t air conditioned, right?”  No, no it isn’t.  However, someone up there must have realized how truly amazing this couple is, because it was like 72 degrees and AMAZING.  I mean, look at this sky!

It was literally the most perfect day anyone could ask for — in fact, by the time the sun went down, I would dare to say it was actually cool!!  ON JULY 18TH!!!!

Sorry, where was I?  Oh, so, back to the amazing girls at Atelier. Not only do these chicas hang lanterns, but look at their adorable flower arrangements!!!

Hallie wanted lots of different arrangements, and boy did they deliver!  Different shapes and sizes, different vessels…they even had hydrangea in ice cream cones on the cocktail tables!

(Author Photo)

And look at these adorable tea cups, which, if I’m not mistaken, came from Jen’s kitchen!

I loved Matt’s bout, too.

Hallie and Matt wanted a very short, very meaningful ceremony.  And they wanted a great officiant.  Luckily I knew just the gal, having met her at Lindsay and Sam’s awesome wedding last year — Rev. Amanda Tate. Amanda is seriously the NICEST person — and is now registered in Virginia as well as Maryland!  I have referred her to so many of my brides (as well as several of my friends) because she is just so sweet, and makes the ceremony so personal.  Of course, Hallie and Matt added to this by writing their own vows. One of them MAY have been writing her vows that morning, on the balcony of her hotel room…I won’t say who…

(Oh, Facebook, how I love you…)

Speaking of Facebook, I was able to “borrow” quite a few adorable photos from the shutterbug guests at the wedding:

Now, generally, for the stomping of the glass, which is part of the Jewish tradition, couples will either have a special bag or just borrow a linen from the caterer.  Hallie wanted to make it special, so she grabbed a wine bag from their kitchen…and a lightbulb right from their hall closet!  I even saw her unscrew it!  (Tip…glasses these days are pretty hard to break…most people use a lightbulb!)

Speaking of Jewish traditions, Matt and Hallie wanted to do the Hora (Matt’s family is Jewish).  You know, there are some things as a wedding planner that you just have to learn.  One of them is that you need two NON-FOLDING CHAIRS to do the hora!  And preferably a bride whose dress isn’t 100% silk…it tends to be a little slippery!

(Yes, that is a look of terror on Hallie’s face…and she hasn’t even been lifted up yet)

(See what I meant about those giant lanterns?!  Those things were HUGE!)

Before the Hora, though, guests found their way to their seats by the CUTEST escort cards!  Hallie and Matt have a friend who is a graphic designer.  Although I think some of the post cards that were used may have actually been authentic post cards, I believe many of them were created by their friend.  How great to have a friend like that!

I have to insert here that I had absolutely NOTHING to do with the hanging up of these escort cards.  Luckily, I had three amazing assistants with me that day — Felicia, Rene, and Tara — you girls were LIFE SAVERS!  The project was slightly more complicated than I thought it would be, and I am SO grateful to these girls for using some ingenuity to figure out how to make it work!

(Guest Photo)

It wasn’t enough for each guest to have a vintage post card — Hallie and Matt actually went to the trouble of making sure EVERY post card matched where the guest came from!  What a sweet, thoughtful touch!

Another sweet touch was providing tickets for their guests to ride the GORGEOUS carousel at Glen Echo. Check out the beautiful sign…made from my handy dandy Mac

Did Hallie and Matt have a lot of kids at their wedding?  Nope…these carousel rides were for everyone!

(Guest Photo)

(Guest Photo)

After dinner, although they had a small cake to cut, the main focus for the desserts was out in the Cuddle Up.

My favorite caterer, Main Event, not only did an awesome job with dinner, but they had both a cotton candy machine and a sno cone machine going!

Look at the adorable way they displayed the cotton candy!  And let me tell you, it was DELICIOUS!  I felt like I was at the county fair!

(Guest Photo)

Oh, what else have they got there?  ICE CREAM!??!!  Oh, that’s right — Matt somehow tracked down the NICEST guy to bring his ice cream truck out to Glen Echo, music and all!  A.J. was the SWEETEST, and if you need an ice cream truck at your next wedding, birthday party, or, you know, Tuesday, let me know, and I’ll send you his info — you won’t be disappointed!

And now, just because I have to show you just how amazing Tom and Ashley are, here are a few more GORGEOUS shots they took!

As the night came to a close, the guys at Chariots for Hire not only shuttled guests back to the hotel, but also apparently operated a party bus!

(Why, yes, that is our bride and groom, dancing in the aisle of a bus!)

And, just to show you how sweet these crazy kids are, towards the end of the evening, they came to me and said “Rebecca, we have to get a picture with you and your assistant!” — we were happy to have Tom Van Veen of Documentary Associates hop in there too, while his gorgeous wife Ashley took the pic!

Hallie and Matt, thank you SO MUCH for making us part of your day!

I just got Kara & Art’s professional images from northern Virginia wedding photographer Rob Holley.  They’re beautiful!  I really love the way that Rob captures emotion in all the faces.

What’s even better?  He got this done just a few days after the wedding!

Click here to see Kara & Art’s wedding slideshow!

::Disclaimer!  The photos in this post are purely inspirational and not from events that Wish Special Events has planned or coordinated.  We can re-create what you see below for your event but these are not a part of our portfolio::

Saturday is the 4th of July, and Jessica and I both have weddings in DC!  What better place to celebrate both your wedding and Independence Day?!  In honor of our adorable couples and our Nation, today’s post features the good old Red, White and Blue!

Rebecca Thuss:

Clouthier Photography:

Cook Images:

Marisa Holmes Photography:

Leigh Miller Photography:

Picnics are a great way to celebrate the 4th — how about a cute wagon for your drinks?!

Centerpieces are an easy way to incorporate your color palate without going overboard:

The Knot:

Seriously, how cute is this strawberry topiary?!  Doesn’t it just SCREAM Summer?!

Martha Stewart Weddings:

Or what about using food to add to your theme?  (All food photos are Martha Stewart)

Even your drinks can honor the nation, like this punch from Country Living.

Of course, attire is a great way to incorporate your colors as well.  Andrea Hallgren Photography:

Christine Hall Photography:

Stacey Kane Photography:

Goodlight Photography:

Kimberly Brooke Photography:

Marisa Holmes Photographer:

Sharyn Peavey Photography:

Stacey Kane Photography:

Stacey Kane Photography:

I love these red tulips with the blue dresses — GORGEOUS! (Photo by Scott and Tem Photography)

And, of course, the perfect way to end a wedding on the 4th:

Whether you’re going to a wedding or watching the fireworks, I hope everyone has a safe and happy 4th of July!