Our last wedding of 2009 was Jen & Brent’s bash at The Barns at Wolf Trap.  Although we’ve been planning weddings for over four years and even employ a former Wolf Trap employee, we’ve never had the opportunity to coordinate an event in this beautiful space.  Jen & Brent certainly had a fabulous wedding to wrap up the end of the year!

I’ll share professional images from Amir at Photo Fanatic when I get them.  For now, here’s my take on the day!

Jen & Brent wanted a candlelit ceremony so that’s what they got!  Aside from some twinkle lights on the trees rented from DaVinci’s Florist, the only other light was from dozens of floating candles down the aisle:

Unfortunately my camera’s not that great in the dark but you get the idea.  It was gorgeous!

The ceremony and reception happened in the same room so once the ceremony concluded we sent all the guests to a cocktail /bar area down the hall.  I didn’t get a photo of the built-in bar at Wolf Trap but here’s the big foyer area:

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Jen & Brent had a kelly green & gray color scheme.  Isn’t that fabulous!?  I was so excited to see how the colors came together.  Here’s her escort card table.  I loved the whole limes in the vase underneath that big hydrangea arrangement:

Meanwhile inside, we were busy setting up the reception!  Keep in mind that we had NOTHING set up for the reception during the ceremony, not even staged tables waiting in the back.  We re-used the chairs to save on the cost and flipped the room entirely:

We had three different centerpieces on the tables to break up the room and show some creativity!  DaVinci’s Florist was really flexible and rolled with all the ideas.  Here’s the tall arrangements:

See how we re-used the ceremony floating candles on the tables?  This arrangement was on the table where the bride & groom sat:

The final table arrangements, featuring submerged orchids and floating candles:

Hold on, did you see that?  The adorable table number?  Jen made these all herself!

Another cute detail was the favors, Hershey’s Kisses in tiny customized glass jars:

For such a late fall wedding, Jen and Brent wanted the room to be DARK!  I thought it was a gorgeous candlelit reception, perfectly romantic for the occasion:

I wish I had a better photo of Jen’s dress but believe me, it was stunning!  She offset the asymmetrical gown with a birdcage veil that was so perfectly vintage-inspired.  Her flowing hair was kept down and had finger waves.  How many brides do we see anymore who keep their hair down?  This girl’s got style!  Here she is dancing with her dad:

Guests enjoying their meal, catered by R&R Catering:

I have to mention the cupcake tree, which was made by Jen herself!  The cupcakes came from Hello Cupcake and fit perfectly on the kelly green stand.  Check out the way they stack up:

OK, I just wanted to rub in how delicious these things were.  Are you jealous yet?

Another lame attempt at getting a photo of Jen’s gown!  Here you can actually see Brent too (sorry for the lack of representation, Brent — we love you!):

…and they danced the night away, thanks to David from MyDeejay:

That’s all for now, folks!  Jen & Brent, I hope you had a fabulous honeymoon and are enjoying the new year together as newlyweds!

This weekend I had the pleasure of working at Cara & Dave’s wedding!  These two exchanged vows and celebrated at the Galleria at Lafayette Centre in downtown Washington, DC.  We had an all-star team of vendors who pulled of a beautiful event.  Check it out for yourself!

Guests arrive for the wedding ceremony, set in the main space at the Galleria.  I thought DaVinci’s Florist did a great job decorating the perimeter of the room with drape and uplighting it.  They also provided the chuppah and altar pillars:

This is a view of the aisle from the ground floor on the opposite side of the room.  Cara & Dave are getting married!

I really love the tall ceilings and glass atrium feel at the Galleria.  It’s so airy and spacious there!  In this photo you can see photographer Genevieve Leiper, doing her thing.  I can’t wait to see her images!

Since the ceremony and reception took place in the same spot, R&R Catering got creative and staged the tables behind the draped area.  Here’s the dinner tables off in the wings, waiting for their moment to shine:

I couldn’t believe how quickly the room was flipped!  Within 20 minutes, R&R Catering had brought out 18 tables, the DJ moved to a new spot, and DaVinci’s set all the centerpieces and adjusted the drape:

There was a mix of tall and short centerpieces to create some interest in the room and also fit the spacious feel of the room.  Here’s one of the tall ones:

Here’s the other tall arrangement.  It’s decidedly different and very modern, but still fits in with the decor of the party.  Granny Smith apples are stacked and submerged then one sprig of deep purple orchids crown the top:

I especially loved the low centerpieces.  Look at the vibrant colors!  There was a lush mix of hot pink, tangerine, lime green, and deep plum all in one arrangement:

The cocktail table arrangements complimented the dinner table pieces:

The Galleria is such a pretty place for a wedding!  Here’s the whole space as seen from the second floor balcony (where we hosted cocktails):

Did you see that?  The cupcake tree?  YES!  Cara & Dave ordered an acrylic stand which imitated a wedding cake design and displayed the cupcakes perfectly.  I really loved the big momma cupcake on the top.  Tim at Baked & Wired hooked us up with the yummy cupcakes:

Cara & Dave used the topper for the cake cutting ceremony then guests took their cupcakes directly from the stand:

One little detail I liked was that the tables were named after important places in the couple’s history together.  DC locals will appreciate this one:

Check out their adorable wedding flavors!  One of their friends handmade candy apples for all the guests.  She even used green candy coloring to match the wedding colors:

Another cute detail was the guest book.  The pages were illustrated!  Each illustration told a part of Cara & Dave’s story.  Guests then signed in the blank spaces around the illustrations.  Check it out:

I also really liked how she tied the guest book pens with colorful ribbon:

Another view of the party from above.  Cara & Dave are the first couple I’ve met who danced to a Chicago song for their first dance!  DJ Derek Romanoff from Bialek’s Music kept guests on the dance floor the whole night long (literally!):

A big special thank you goes to my assistants Kenlinishia and Megan, who were wedding day rock stars.  All those candy apples weren’t going to put themselves out.  Thanks guys!

Congratulations Cara & Dave!  I really had a wonderful time at your wedding and was glad to be a part of it.  I hope you have a FABULOUS time in Thailand later this week!

The first weekend in October was a fabulous time for a wedding!  Stacey & Todd had a gorgeous fall day with warm sunlight and a cool breeze.  We started the day off in Georgetown, at Holy Trinity’s Chapel of St. Ignatius Loyola.  I always love weddings in historic Georgetown:

Here’s the front of the chapel.  35 years older than the main church, this pretty building dates to 1794!  I loved the white hydrangea wreaths that DaVinci’s Florist hung on the doors:

After the intimate and touching ceremony, Stacey, Todd, and their families took photographs outside in the chapel’s pretty courtyard.  I thought Stacey looked just stunning in her elegant gown and long veil:

After the family photos, the newlyweds and their bridal party went on a photo safari around the DC monuments.  The advantage of having an afternoon ceremony and evening reception is that you have plenty of time for photos like these!  The next two images were taken by photographer Armin DeFiesta:

The steps of the US Capitol are so utterly ‘DC’ in every way.  I really like this photo because it shows Todd’s “groomswoman” on the right.  His friend Jody stood on Todd’s side during the ceremony and wore black to match the tuxedos.  She carried a bouquet and had a similar style gown like the bridesmaids.  I thought it was a perfect way to match her to the rest of the bridal party:

Armin somehow convinced the US Capitol Police to get them closer to the building!  Here they are coming down from the photo shoot, escorted by the police.  Want to see the images he captured?  Check out Armin’s Blog to see more!

Meanwhile, the set-up at The Washington Club on Dupont Circle was going smoothly!  Here’s the stunning white face of the building:

Just inside, we displayed the guest book and family photographs on an existing marble table:

The guest book was a coffee table photo book of DC!  Guests could use a black or silver marker to write notes to the couple.  What a great way to incorporate DC into the festivities:

Upstairs inside the club, Ridgewells, DaVinci’s Florist, and the band were hastily setting the final touches on the reception:

Here’s a view from the back of the room.  Did you know that The Washington Club has it’s own in-house uplighting?  Stacey & Todd chose an amber color to match the gold & ivory colors of the wedding as well as the warm wood tones in the room.  The band, Doctor’s Orders, somehow all fit on the little stage:

This was one of my favorite floral pieces of the day.  DaVinci’s Florist created this solid rectangular cube out of hydrangea and nestled votive candles inside.  It sat on the sweetheart table and provided just enough romantic candlelight for the newlyweds.  Gorgeous!

My second-favorite piece was the bridal bouquet.  Stacey carried this all-white collection of roses, calla lilies, and poppies:

The wedding cake is a little tricky to see here but really was beautiful!  It mimicked a photograph that Stacey gave the baker, Lara Stuckey of Fluffy Thoughts.  I especially loved the little twigs sticking out of the flowers to match the centerpieces:

Doctor’s Orders rocked the party the whole night!  We should have had a bigger dance area but we moved some dinner tables out of the way once people were done eating.  What a fun time everyone had!

The night was full of culinary surprises.  Towards the end of the evening, Ridgewell’s came out with mini sliders and hash browns, perfect for anyone with the late-night munchies.  It was so much fun to see the shock and delight on the faces of their guests when they realized what they were being offered!  I always love little surprises like that.

Then, as guests headed back down towards the staircase at the end of the evening, they were encouraged to take a little bag of sweets from the candy table.  Some of the chocolates were hand-made by Stacey!  Isn’t this display adorable?

Congratulations again, Stacey & Todd!  I hope you had a fantastic time on your honeymoon in South America!

If you want to see more images from this wedding, be sure you go to Armin DeFiesta’s Blog and watch the slideshow!

Vic & Mike tied the knot!  I was so excited when I met Vic and Mike for the first time.  They truly are sweet people and were very organized with all their wedding details.  A wedding planner’s dream!  Plus they pulled together a great team of wedding day vendors so I knew we’d have a well-oiled machine working to our advantage.

I’ll post photos from Joseph Allen when I get them.  For now, here are the ones I took with my iPhone!

The ceremony was held outside in the Westin Grand’s courtyard.  This space is in the very center of the building, surrounded by guest rooms above.  While you can hear the noise of busy M Street, it still feels very private.  What a great oasis inside the city!

DaVinci’s Florist did a phenomenal job with the ‘altar’ arrangements.  These glass vases are about 4′ tall!  There’s a wreath of hydrangea around the top then the calla lilies bursting out of the top make a dramatic statement.  I loved these pieces.  Victoria also bought red Asian-inspired lanterns that I hung from the trees:

Here’s a view of the ceremony:

The courtyard is also a perfect place for outdoor photos.  I thought Victoria’s stunning gown was suited perfectly to her and the wedding:

This is the opposite view of the courtyard.  Through the windows you can see the ballroom.  Photographer Joseph Allen and videographer Katherine from Blue Sky Films were hard at work here:

After the ceremony and some family photographs, Joseph took Vic & Mike to the street!  I’m super excited to see what he captured…I always love when couples incorporate DC flavor in their photos:

Back at the hotel, cocktails were getting underway.  Of particular note was the escort card table, which featured this fun floral design piece.  The pomander balls are hanging from a branch and there are strands of crystals hanging down too.  Talk about glamour!

I also thought the escort cards themselves were pretty adorable.  Look at the cute damask print along the edge of each card:

Over in the reception room, things are ready to go!  We re-used the chairs from the ceremony so the hotel set up as much as they could beforehand.  Here, tables are waiting for a few final chairs to be placed before we can open the doors.  This is a great view of the room at the Westin Grand, though, to give you an idea of what it looks like.  It’s not your typical hotel ballroom!

Here’s one of the tables, close-up.  Can you believe that centerpiece?!  It’s mostly roses with some deep red calla lilies stuck in.   Diana at DaVinci’s Florist told me how phenomenal they were but I didn’t believe it until I saw it.  Look at how tightly those flowers are packed!  They were simply amazing:

The Westin followed a photograph that Victoria sent them of a particular napkin fold.  I thought they did a great job replicating her idea!  You can also see the bases of their champagne toasting flutes…check out the bling on the bottom of the glasses!

One of my favorite details was the hanging crystals, dripping from the flowers.  It gave the whole table a certain sense of bling!

Lara Stuckey at Fluffy Thoughts brought this stunning cake.  The design mimics the damask theme and was so intricate and precise.  I wish I asked Lara how she did this — it really was a beautiful piece of art!

Here they are, cutting the gorgeous thing.  Look how tall it is!

(Can I let you in on a little secret?  Lara made a dummy layer.  That bottom tier is styrofoam!)

After the cake cutting, Victoria, her mother, and her two sisters each changed into a Qi Pao, a traditional Chinese gown.  You can just barely see Victoria kneeling in her red Qi Pao but she looked amazing!  Mike swapped his tie so they’d match each other.  I thought everyone looked great.

Here you see Victoria & Mike performing a Chinese Tea Ceremony.  While they didn’t follow all the formal Chinese rules and customs, we did a shortened Americanized version.  The same values are upheld, though, and the ceremony represents the joining of both families into one.  The parents give the newlyweds valuable gifts and the couple serves them tea as a sign of respect: 

A special shout-out goes to Carolyn Horton, the director of catering at the Westin Grand in DC.  Carolyn was one step ahead of me the entire night and was 110% attentive, responsive, and proactive.  She was a fantastic team-mate and was very instrumental in the success of the wedding.  Maurice, the banquet captain, was a godsend as well.  I highly recommend them crew if you’re considering the Westin Grand for your event.

Congratulations, Vic & Mike!  I hope you both had a really fabulous time on your honeymoon (Fiji, right?) and enjoyed every moment of your wedding day.  Talk to you soon!

Did you know DaVinci’s Florist has a blog?  Neither did we!  We’ve worked with them on quite a few occasions (here, here, here) and are always impressed.

They’ve posted some amazing photos of their work that are simply stunning.  Check these out:

For more, go check out their blog right now!

Remember the 2007 DC ISES expo?  Check out part one, part two, and part three if you want to see what you missed last year.

Last week, Ryan and I ventured to the Bethesda North Marriott where the DC chapter of the International Special Events Society was hosting it’s 2008 expo.  This is a spectacular trade show for event professionals that shows us what’s new in the industry and what the latest trends are.

What a beautiful hotel!  If you’re planning a larger wedding (400+ guests), this is a really nice new venue that would be ideal for a lot of people.  There are plenty of hotel rooms on-site, the ballroom is nearly new and is appointed tastefully, and the staff is used to acommodating a lot of people at once.  Here’s what we saw when we entered:

The ISES committee that put together the expo decided to go all out with a theme.  Last year’s James Bond theme was only tied into the event a little bit.  This year it was Cirque du Soleil!  You can really tell by all the beautiful lighting, swagged fabric on the ceiling, and crazy bright colors.  I liked this iridescent dance floor although it would hardly be appropriate for a wedding:

The center of the room held a huge circle of lounge furniture from Cort Event Furnishings.  Standing on the tables were Cirque-inspired performers who juggled, danced, and generally provided eye candy.  Cast of Thousands provided these characters.  There’s one in the center there wearing all black and another one off to the right with blue skin:

On the opposite side of the room, Arachne Aerial Arts did a fantastic Cirque-style performance:

One of the booths I was intriqued by was set up by Capitol Decor.  Remember when we visited their warehouse in January?  Apparently black and white damask is the hot new trend!  If you haven’t seen enough of this scheme on Weddingbee (here and here) or Junebug, you certainly will at weddings across the DC metro area over the next two years:

I liked the whole thing, really, but what really got me was the table.  Do you see how it’s a clear acrylic or lucite material?  There’s space to put stuff in between.  They used yellow roses and a layer of water:

Another little detail that struck my fancy was the damask votive holders.  Look how cute:

Another furniture rental company, Room Service, caught on to the damask trend too.  This company is new to the DC area and we’re glad to have another lounge furniture option:

Sadly I don’t remember whose booth this was and I already tossed the program (eek!).  Does anyone remember who had this cool display?  Again with the damask…those are actually removable vinyl stickers that can be applied to any surface:

The lights behind the panels subtlety changed colors!  Here it is in pink and purple:

Select Event Rentals had this beautiful mini tent set up with a tabletop display inside.  I love the ribbon inside the centerpiece vase instead of traditional clear water.  I also like the aqua-colored plates on top of the white square chargers:

American Furniture Rental set up this arrangement with funky blue suede furniture pieces:

As always, we saw a few of our vendor friends out and about at the expo.  Here’s Tonya from Blue Sky Films:

We also ran into the DaVinci’s Florist crew!  The owner Sharone is there on the left, his sister Sivan in the white coat, and Diana on the far right.  Jennifer from Syzygy Events is there in the middle.  Even when blurry they make a handsome group, don’t you think?

This proper lady was walking around, displaying brochures and candy on her tabletop skirt:

Party Rental had a beautiful table set up with all different combinations of place setting pieces:

Here are a few of my favorites:

If that weren’t enough sensory overload for you, they even had an Obama impersonator complete with a secret service agent (see his earpiece on the right?).  Obama got it right down to the American flag lapel pin.  Here he is posing with Ryan:

Remember Dora & Kaisorn’s sneak peek back in June?  I’ve had images from Cassidy DuHon for a while now and am so excited to share them with you.
The ceremony and reception were both held at Brookside Gardens in Wheaton, Maryland.  Much like Meadowlark in Vienna, this is a public botanical garden.  Due to the size of the wedding we weren’t able to use their on-site events facility.  It’s not as nice or new as Meadowlark’s but it’s functional.  Instead we chose to tent a random flat space within the gardens.  Here’s a shot of the tent provided by Grand Rental Station:

Across the path we set up a small tent for Dora to dress in.  She didn’t want to walk an eigth of a mile from the visitor’s center’s public restrooms for the processional so we hooked her up with her own digs.  Here’s an image captured while she was getting ready.  Isn’t she gorgeous?

The rings are ready to go in a bowl from Palomas’ Nest:

Right next door we set up the chairs for the ceremony.  The chairs and decor are all provided by DaVinci’s Florist.  Did you know they have the cheapest gold chivari chairs in town?

The ceremony.  Rev. Bill Cochran performed the service.  Check out that ribboned gate DaVinci’s created:

My favorite image from the ceremony:

This photo might look familiar from the sneak peek!  I love the all-orchid bouquets:

Keep in mind that bouquets don’t have to match!  Here’s Dora’s all-calla bouquet:

After the ceremony we got lucky with the weather and were able to do some outdoor portraits.  I liked this one:

Meanwhile inside the tent the party was getting started!  DJ Brennan Sullivan from Bialek’s Music provided the entertainment.  I loved all the DIY projects Dora provided.  Here are some flowers we tied on her and Kaisorn’s chairs:

The all-orchid bouquets were matched by all-orchid centerpieces.  Check out the bamboo set inside the vase:

Instead of a guest book, guests wrote words of advice to the newlyweds:

OK so this isn’t a DIY detail but I thought the image was cool anyway.  This is how caterer Basikneads stacks their glasses at the bar!

All the kids at the wedding got their very own goodie bag:

The first dance:

The wedding cake was provided by Margie at Artistic Cake Creations:

If wedding cake weren’t sweet enough, check out this color-coordinated candy bar!  I really love how she used takeout boxes instead of the traditional cellophane bags:

Dora & Kaisorn — it’s been a couple months but I hope you both are doing well!  Looking at these images brings me right back to your special rainy day.  Even though we had a couple hiccups along the way I really enjoyed working with you both.  Congratulations again!

Recently we had the honor of coordinating Kinley & Drew’s big day!  We enjoyed our walkthrough at the Chesapeake Bay Beach Club back in August and were excited for the real deal.  This Annapolis couple chose to get married on the eastern shore of Maryland, a beautiful part of the state.  While the talented Amy Raab will have some professional photos to drool over in a couple weeks, my photos will have to do for now.

A special shout-out goes to my associate Rebecca, who has served as a rockstar assistant at a few of our most recent weddings.  If you’re planning a wedding in Annapolis or the Eastern Shore (okay, or DC or Leesburg for that matter!), Rebecca really knows her stuff.

Kinley & Drew chose to see each other before the ceremony and get some of their bridal party photos out of the way.  Here’s the groomsmen hanging out by the shuttle bus from Chariots for Hire:

A bridesmaid shows of her bouquet, provided by DaVinci’s Florist:

Here’s the bride’s bouquet!  All white tulips, this gorgeous arrangement stayed surprisingly perky all day:

Getting a chance at some outdoor photos in front of the church with Amy Raab:

Historic Christ Church in downtown Stevensville, Maryland provided the perfect venue for their intimate ceremony.  This gorgeous building was built in 1880 and holds a large significance to the town and their local parish.  Here are the church doors sporting some hydrangea wreaths:

Inside, the church’s altar:

The pews sported these adorable galvanized pails brimming with white hydrangea and accented with a nautical-inspired navy ribbon:

The altar flowers were simple calla lilies set atop a cylindrical vase.  Gorgeous!

A quick look at the program cover, complete with nautical motif:

My BlackBerry took this one of the ceremony in action:

Over at the Chesapeake Bay Beach Club, Rebecca was setting up the reception.  Unfortunately due to the weather we weren’t able to use the rooftop deck.  The view from the deck looks out over this gorgeous marina on one side:

And this amazing view of the Chesapeake Bay on the other side:

Since the pouring rain was imminent, we opted to have the bar open in the covered cocktail area.  The rooftop area was open but most guests enjoyed the climate-controlled space.  The Garden Room has this great fireplace that we decorated with hydrangea flower boxes and galvanized lanterns:

Here’s a better view of the Garden Room.  Check out that nautical detail with the rope around the cocktail table:

The beautiful wedding cake was provided by Annapolis’ own Main Ingredient.  Check out the nautical rope accent coiled on the table:

Check out the detail on the top!  Can you believe the pastry chef did this freestyle on-site?

During cocktail hour, the Polaroid Guestbook was a hit!  If you plan to do this, don’t forget that Polaroid cameras will soon be extinct:

Seriously — people loved this thing:

I love these adorable escort cards!  Each name comes with a flag which guests match to the appropriate table.  The galvanized tray holds a sheet of foam which we covered with white rocks:

Here’s how Kinley displayed the table flags for guests to match up:

The reception room, all ready to go:

Centerpieces with simple hydrangea were provided by DaVinci’s Florist:

An awful photo of a beautiful moment.  Kinley and Drew enjoy their first dance:

Congraulations again, you two!  It was a pleasure working with you through the planning process and also spending time with you on your wedding day.  Our first experience at the Beach Club was a phenomenal one.  I hope you had a great honeymoon in the Outer Banks!

I almost fell out of my chair when photographer Greg Gibson sent me this images. Seriously. I’ve been around quite a few wedding images in my day and these just blew me away! They are from Arienne & Rahman’s wedding which took place over Memorial Day weekend this year. Greg’s photos are a far cry from the ones I put on the original blog post. Here goes:

DaVinci’s did a knockout job on the flowers:

This particular high school principal is a hottie!

A few last moments before entering the church. Can you spot me? (::I’m at the top of the steps, just to the right of Arienne’s hand::)

This image captures exactly how it felt to watch her:

They stared at each other like this through the whole ceremony:

Did you know you need a photo permit to take professional pictures in front of the DC monuments? Luckily the US Capitol doesn’t require this and it makes a great background for portraits:

I just can’t get over these portraits! I think Arienne & Rahman have their future cut out in modeling:

They even look amazing in black & white!

The Galleria at Lafayette Square, all ready to go:

Their big entrance:

First dance:

They looked so happy the entire day:

Getting emotional during a sorority tradition:

Windows Catering provided the cake. Yum-o! Thanks Danielle, for all your hard work:

OK…now we see where he gets his dashing good looks from:

There were SO many single ladies! These kind of bouquet tosses are fun:

Congratulations again, Arienne & Rahman! Seeing these photos reminds me of how wonderful your wedding day was. Everything was so filled with pure joy and the overwhelming sense of family. Thank you for including us in your special day.