Alison & Jeremy chose Rose Hill Manor in scenic Leesburg, VA for their wedding — I wanted to share some photos of their big day!  Special thanks goes to Julia MacInnis, wedding photographer extraordinaire. First, Rose Hill:

While R&R Catering & Wish were setting up downstairs, the girls were getting ready upstairs.  Check out the vibrant bouquets that Linda from Heaven on Earth Wedding Flowers brought:

Doesn’t Alison look like a princess?  Her big dreamy dress fit the wedding perfectly:

::le sigh::  Julia really creates some stunning photos:

This is the “OK, let’s get married!” look:

Rose Hill has a magnificent brick terrace that’s perfect for an outdoor ceremony.  This is also a great site for a tent if you have a really large wedding:

Aren’t these two adorable?

Big bridal parties are always a logistical challenge but they sure are a lot of fun:

Rose Hill keeps their grounds pretty manicured.  See what I mean about how pretty Leesburg is for a wedding?

Back inside, R&R Catering’s chivari chairs, gold chargers, and white pintuck linens await the reception:

If you’re going to have a favor, it might as well be chocolate.  Edible favors are definitely the way to go, especially cute personalized ones like these:

Here’s another view of Rose Hill Manor, looking down from their second-floor balcony:

Look who caught the bouquet!

Congratulations, Alison & Jeremy!  For some more photos of this wedding, be sure to visit Julia MacInnis’ blog!

Today I have photos from Melissa and TJ’s Memorial Day weekend wedding!  Wish had FIVE weddings that Saturday so several of our coordinators were busy bees.  We have lots of “Real Weddings” lined up for you in the next couple weeks.

Melissa and I first met at the Washington Bridal Showcase.  Right away I could immediately tell that this energetic bride would have a great wedding!  She proved me right and I enjoyed every second of their big day.

This couple chose Leesburg’s Raspberry Plain as their wedding venue.  If you’re not familiar, Raspberry Plain is a big, gorgeous mansion just north of historic downtown Leesburg.  Unfortunately over the past few years there have been a few subdivisions built nearby which means it’s not as remote and isolated as it once was.  However, it’s still a FANTASTIC spot for a wedding!  Unlike other historic venues, there is a large room built on the side of the mansion which means you can enjoy the beautiful architecture of the house but can still seat all your guests in one large space.

R&R Catering is the exclusive food provider at Raspberry Plain and they’ve really gotten it down to a science.  Working with Megan there was a pleasure as it always is.  Congratulations in advance to her and her husband on their upcoming little one!

Andrea Marie Photography was on hand the whole day to capture the images you see below.  She was on her toes the entire time and came up with some really beautiful and creative shots!  ::My photos are mixed in here and there…I’ll bet you’ll be able to figure out which ones aren’t professional::

Raspberry Plain, all ready to go:

Linda at Heaven on Earth Wedding Flowers made these beautiful bouquets:

I especially loved the big wreath Linda made for the front door:

Melissa got dressed at Raspberry Plain so there was plenty of time for photographs and sentimental time with Mom and Dad.  Her parents were the cutest:

Look how adorable the flower girl was!  Here she is in her pretty Tiffany Blue dress, holding one of the bridesmaid bouquets.  I love that the flowers are bigger than her head!

Raspberry Plain has two perfect spots for outdoor ceremonies.  This is the garden to the side of the house.  Melissa’s colors were obviously hot pink and Tiffany Blue.  I loved the combination…the hot pink rose petals just set off the aisle:

Melissa had so many adorable details:

R&R Catering set up a small lemonade stand so guests could get a refreshing drink before being seated for the ceremony.  Good thing they did — it was HOT outside!

The ceremony, in progress.  In the foreground you can see the Cherry Blossom String Quartet.  They always do such a beautiful job at weddings:

The gardens are a perfect spot for formal photographs too:

Inside, R&R was busy setting up the reception in the Atrium.  Raspberry Plain is large enough to hold about 200 guests, I’d estimate:

Melissa’s table numbers each featured a different photo of the newlyweds through their relationship:

The escort cards were displayed on these big boards.  I suspect they were large poster frames wrapped in black fabric but I couldn’t really tell!  Melissa wrapped blue ribbons around each of them and secured the cards alphabetically:

More and more we’re seeing non-traditional guestbooks at weddings.  Gone are the “sign a line” books that will sit on a bookshelf for the rest of their lives.  Melissa & TJ chose a “Make a Wish, Take a Kiss” station.  Guests filled in cards with their wish for the newlyweds.  In exchange, they could take a Hershey’s Kiss.  I always like seeing what advice gets passed on:

Debbie at Cakes by Design brought this gorgeous four-layer cake with Tiffany Blue ribbon.  Unfortunately the cake got bumped and had a slight frosting problem during transit.  Debbie fixed it right up on-site and it looked flawless before the reception began.  I snagged a small piece and it was DELISH!

When cocktail hour was over, the bridal party was introduced into the reception like at most weddings. However, each couple got to pick ktheir own song!  Jake from Dream Day DJs (who was awesome, by the way), mixed this especially for the wedding and I thought it turned out great:

Now for the highlight of the day!  Melissa and TJ spent HOURS practicing their first dance which was quite impressive.  It started as a fairly traditional ’stand and sway’ to an oldies love song then broke out into a series of hilarious dance numbers.  Even better?  This was a COMPLETE SURPRISE to EVERYONE!  Not even their bridal party or parents knew what to expect.  Here’s some photos from the big moment:

And we even have a video!  This was taken by my assistant, Nicole, who unfortunately had a less-than-perfect vantage point.  You get the idea:

Then later, Melissa and her dad switched it up again!  Their sappy dance turned into the Chicken Dance:

I even got a short video of the newlyweds cutting their wedding cake:

Melissa & TJ, I really had a great time working with you on this wedding.  Your families were wonderful and you have so many folks who truly love you.  I hope you had a wonderful honeymoon and I’m looking forward to catching up when you return!

Meredith might honestly have been one of the most laid-back brides I’ve ever worked with.  Howard was a pretty cool cucumber too, actually.  They’re going to have a great, relaxed marriage…once they’re finally in the same town together, that is!  Meredith will be finishing up her Ph.D. in Austin, Texas while Howard continues his medical/Army training in Norfolk for the first few months of their marriage.

(Photo by the outstanding Jake Holt …more of his photos to come!)

Lori from Windows Catering came up with the awesome table set up for this wedding, which I loved!  It was perfect for the space and the number of people we had, and the DJ (Ron Gray of Kirkabees) remarked that he had been to the venue dozens of times, and had never seen it set up like that!

Isn’t it awesome?!  The dance floor was inside the tables and the chairs were both outside and inside of the square with openings at each end.  It made for great conversation at the tables, too!  Here’s another picture of the set up.  (Above picture, and those below, taken by one of our assistants that day.  I had to hand off my camera because of all of the running around!)  Note the gorgeous blue pintuck linens provided by Windows.  Meredith picked these out, along with the orange linen napkins not only to go with the Mexican theme of the wedding, but also as a nod to the fact that she and Howard are both UVA grads.  Go Hoos!

This was my first time at the Thomas Birkby House, but I hope it won’t be my last!  Wish does a lot of weddings there, which we love, thanks to the beautiful venue and the lovely on-site coordinator, Mary Louise.

This venue has it all — adorable historic house (complete with lots of hidden nooks, a GORGEOUS bride’s room, and even cute porches to hang out on), a beautiful courtyard, a big permanent tent, and the most gorgeous gardens!  The little gazebo is where their cake shows up later (although in this picture it was still living inside, in the air conditioning):

See the little banner hanging inside the gazebo?  Meredith special ordered it in orange and blue.  Here is the blue one, which was inside the tent:

We also set up a few tables inside in case people wanted to escape from the heat.  Once the sun set, though, it was absolutely lovely outside, so these didn’t get used much:

Also inside the house was the escort card table.  Although the couple had place cards at each seat, Meredith’s dad came up with a cute “icebreaker” game that also served as an escort card.  Each guest had the name of one half of a couple on each side of their escort card.  When they found their match, that’s who they were sitting next to at dinner!

The staff at the Birkby House hung the lanterns Meredith and Howard purchased inside the tent (which you can see in the photos of the tent set up above), and one of our assistants hung a few in the trees as well.  I love the orange stars!

The florist, Barbara Von Elm of Growing Wild, joked to me in an email that we’re dating.  That’s how much we’re seeing each other these days!  You’ll be seeing her handy work for another one of my weddings in just a few weeks, not to mention several other Wish weddings!  She brought in her own Mexican pottery that she had in her house to decorate the cocktail tables in the theme of the wedding…how sweet is that!

Of course, the flowers didn’t stop there.  The tables inside the tent were lined with dozens of small vases filled with different flowers, and the arbor for the ceremony was decorated beautifully as well:

Instead of clinking glasses or ringing bells, the guests shook the maracas that the couple provided as favors at each place setting:

A lemonade stand was set up by the Windows staff at the entrance to the courtyard.  It came in awfully handy when the sun was out!

Instead of a traditional guest book, Meredith and Howard had a friend design a poster for them to have signed:

Lori and I had never heard of the company that provided the cake, Terracocoa, but holy moly, you better believe I know them now!  Not only was this cake GORGEOUS but it was one of the most delicious wedding cakes I’ve ever had.  I normally am not a fondant fan but this cake was chocolate with a Burnt Sugar Fondant.  The cake tasted almost like fudge, that’s how rich and decadent it was.  It was I.N.S.A.N.E.  And I know me some wedding cake, kids.  Baker/decorator/owner Marilyn Mueller did an amazing job.  So yummy:

The only teeny, tiny issue with the cake was, well, fondant is fairly thick.  As such, it’s not always easy to cut into.  In spite of my instructions on how to daintily and beautifully cut their cake, by Meredith gently and lovingly resting her hand on Howard’s, preserving their gorgeous photo for years to come, Meredith decided to take a…different approach:

That girl cracks me up.

I also want to give a special shout out to K.C. Felton of The Elegant Artisan and Aisha Alves of Picture Perfect Makeup (whose web site I just went to in order to link to it and saw a good friend of mine, whose makeup they did for her wedding, on the home page!).  Meredith and her bridesmaids looked GORGEOUS!  Meredith is, much like me, a very low key kind of gal who doesn’t wear much makeup.  Aisha and KC did an amazing job of making her look gorgeous but natural.  You’ll see what I mean in the photos below.

Which brings me to Jake Holt.  Ah, Jake Holt.  I have such a crush on this adorable Texan.  See, Meredith and Howard live in Texas and were originally planning to get married there.  However, you know, stuff happens, and the wedding got moved to Leesburg instead.  The couple had fallen so in love with their photographer that they asked him if he might be willing to travel to Virginia to do their wedding.  He even brought an assistant with him on their ROAD TRIP from Texas! (yes, these boys DROVE from Austin.  Crazy.)  Below are just a few pictures from his blog but I hope to have even more once he’s finished editing.  This guy was SO amazing to work with, and his pictures are…well, just see for yourself:

Ooh, I forgot to talk about the bouquets.  The bouquets were great!  Meredith had specifically asked Barbara for a fragrant bouquet, since she doesn’t wear perfume.  Barbara accomplished this in spades!  I could smell that baby all the way down the hall and I swooned.  Gardenias and peonies will do that to a girl

Jake really took advantage of the downtown area of Leesburg (so much so that I had to go chase him down a few blocks and tell him it was time for them to come back!)

To any Loudoun County Police that happen to read wedding blogs…those are totally fake margaritas that were being carried around the streets of Leesburg.  Right, guys?

Howard’s brother is tall, but not THAT tall.  So I couldn’t understand why this happened to his tie:

I saw someone trying to fix it, but we just gave up and told him to keep his coat buttoned.

Jake even set up a little “photo studio” outside after dark, to take some great little portraits and candid shots:

(Oh yeah, the couple supplied the pillows for the benches too…they seriously thought of EVERYTHING!)

This is probably my favorite shot of the entire day:

And now, we must talk about the pinata.  Oh yes, there was a pinata.  Actually, there were two, which was a good thing since the first one broke free from it’s string.  Unfortunately, it broke free from it’s string right over a bar and broke about 20 glasses.  ::Note to future couples considering having a pinata at their wedding.  Over the bar = bad idea::  The second pinata we got right:

Walk softly and carry a big stick.  This is what I tell my brides.

Meredith and Howard’s wedding was an amazing day, filled with an adorable bride and groom, and awesome vendors.  And, at the end of the day, after the broken glasses and pinata parts are cleaned up, your gifts and liquor are all packed up, and all that are left are your wedding coordinator and catering manager, we’re still smiling.  (No, Jake Holt did NOT take this photo, how could you tell?)

Thanks Meredith and Howard for an amazing day!!!  Hope you had a great time in Hawaii!

Last week I was invited to visit Morven Park, a beautiful historic manor in Leesburg, Virginia that’s just recently been opened for weddings and private events.  This beautiful home has housed two governors: Thomas Swann of Maryland and Virginia’s reform governor, Westmoreland Davis.

Under the direction of it’s managing group, the Westmoreland Davis Memorial Foundation, the mansion itself is currently in the middle of a HUGE renovation.  They’ve restored four of the 22 rooms, installed a geothermal HVAC system, stablized the foundation and restored the exterior so far, with plans to do much more.  This is in efforts to maintain the building as a museum and tours resumed May 1, 2009.  Unfortunately the interior spaces are not available for rent.  However, the 1,000+ acres of expansive grounds are perfect for tenting and secluded enough that you feel worlds away from civilization.

Pulling into the grounds, the first thing you notice is the stunning Morven Park mansion:

Anthony Cavallo from Vintage 50 is the person who’s handling the booking of all private events held at Morven Park.  He gave us a tour of the grounds and took us to the front drive of the mansion:

The porch is one spot where you can host an event.  The Mansion Portico holds about 50 standing guests and would be perfect for a cocktail hour.

Looking out from the Portico, you’re treated to a breathtaking view of the Leesburg countryside.  Morven Park often uses the Mansion Lawn for equestrian events and large festivals:

On either side of the mansion, the grounds feature several stunning spots that can easily be tented.  After venturing through the manicured gardens…..

….we stumbled upon the Croquet Court!  I can only assume that people used to play croquet here, hence the name.  It’s the prettiest spot in the whole place, I think.  Big, beautiful trees line either side to make a large rectangular space.  This site holds up to 800 guests although a wedding with 300-400 guests would fit perfectly:

Here’s another view of the Croquet Court, showing the character of the trees:

Morven Park is filled with little beautiful gardens strewn here and there.  I thought this one was particularly pretty since the daffodils were in bloom:

Near the Croquet Field, a pleasant surprise awaits below a short flight of tucked away stone steps:

The Reflection Pool is hidden away but a true gem.  There is less than a foot of water in the pond and the fountain in the center gives some background noise to the peaceful spot.  I envision the lawn to either side acting as the aisle for a wedding ceremony.

Just past the two trees in the above photo, there is another lawn that can be tented.  The Reflection Pool Lawn can seat up to about 120 guests and is perfect for smaller weddings:

I really enjoyed my afternoon at Morven Park (and my yummy brunch at Vintage 50). If you’re looking for an elegant outdoor spot for your wedding, please consider this historic gem.  The fees are relatively reasonable ($1500-3500 before the tent) and well worth the natural beauty of the venue.  Since they just opened for private events, most dates in 2010 are still available as well as some select dates for this fall.  Be sure to contact Anthony if you’d like to see it for yourself!

To see video of the inside of the mansion, see FoxDC’s newscast about this beautiful property.

I’ll admit it…I’m sad that it’s over. Esther and Michael were the very first clients I ever booked (actually, I was booked by her beautiful Matron of Honor and cousin Joanna and her adorable husband Patrick as a gift to the couple) and, as such, they hold a special place in my heart. Of course, that special place is helped by the fact that, as the groom’s brother said in his toast, Esther may well be the nicest person I have ever met. (And Michael’s not too bad himself!) Esther and I spent a lot of time together the week before the wedding going over the last minute details (and eating pizza…) and I got to know her better, and I now consider us good friends…but sadly the couple lives in Seattle! Oh, well…now I have a good reason to visit one of my favorite cities!

The day started with a Catholic ceremony at St. Thomas a’Becket in Reston. I need to offer special thanks to Jessica, another Soiree coordinator who stepped in LITERALLY at the last minute to help out after one of our assistants was unable to make it. Thanks, Jessica!!

Esther and Michael had a large bridal party — 24 people! All were wonderful (including two HILARIOUS best men, who I conspired with, along with the band, to create an “unusual” Tom Jones inspired toast), and I spent as much time as possible holding one of the adorable 6 month old ring bearers!

The theme for the couple’s wedding was “Seattle in DC” and boy did they pull it off! Esther and Michael are a very outdoorsy couple, which was reflected in their decor. They collected amazing river rocks from a beach in front of their Seattle home, and somehow transferred over 200 of them back to DC (thanks, in part, to groomsman Jeff!)

The rocks were then placed on each napkin and were used among the decor throughout their reception venue, the beautiful River Creek Club in Leesburg, Virginia. River Creek is at the intersection of the Potomac River and Goose Creek, providing amazing views such as this one from the balcony of the club.

That’s a great little pond and just beyond is the Potomac River.

Esther and Michael did an amazing job finding some great natural elements and some adorable creations at Michaels. (Michaels…the mecca of many a bride and wedding planner…) The centerpieces were provided by River Creek, but Esther added her own touch by filling the hurricanes with recycled glass from one of her favorite shops in Seattle.

Instead of table numbers, each table was named after one of their favorite places in Seattle, and postcards were placed in each holder to indicate the name of the table. The one above is Mount Rainier. Oh! And the beautiful latte colored linen above the centerpiece in the above picture? It’s a pillow sham! Esther found them on DEEP discount in Seattle and carried them back to her house on her bike!

There were pictures of Esther and Michael and their families all over the venue. My favorite photo tables, though, were outside on the deck – Esther gave us a huge box of Manzanita branches (like those found here), some vases, even more rocks and pebbles and recycled glass, some moss, various large potpourri and said “Go at it!” Well, one of our wonderful Soiree assistants, Julie, did just that and came up with the displays you see in these pictures (also taken by Julie…thanks for your help!!!) It’s amazing what you can come up with when you’re given fun objects, a creative assistant and a relaxed bride who basically says “make it look cool.”

In addition to the awesome staff at River Creek, we also got to work with some great vendors. The cake (which I heard was delicious, although I never seemed to find a piece) was provided by Chantel’s Cakes & Pastries in Sterling. In addition to the cake, AMAZING pastries were provided by the mothers of the bride and groom.

The bridal party flowers and two beautiful arrangements that did double duty at both the church and the reception (and are on either side of the table in the picture below, with the orange flowers) were provided by, get this, Giant! (Yes…the grocery store, can you believe it?! I didn’t even know they could do stuff like this!)

Entertainment was provided by the amazing Mustangs. I don’t think I’ve ever been to a wedding that had SO many people on the dance floor for SO long. No one ever had to look for the bride or groom, because you knew they would be on the dance floor ALL NIGHT!

As they were leaving, guests were treated to either a beer or a root beer that was home brewed by Michael in their Seattle home. I never did find a beer, but the root beer was delicious!