We kicked off wedding season this year with a gorgeous multicultural wedding in Arlington.  Chris and Marie were married on what started off as a cloudy day, but brightened up in time for group pictures outside, taken by the super fun Daniel McGarrity.

Marie had her hair and makeup done in the house she grew up in.  Cori Campbell came up HUGE in the hair department, by doing Marie’s trial the weekend before, and traveling all the way from West Virginia to be in Potomac by 8:00 in the morning!  Makeup was done for the girls by the AMAZING Lori Nansi, who then came to the hotel later for the reception to refresh Marie’s makeup and give her a “nighttime” look — what service!

After a traditional Indian ceremony at the bride’s parents’ house, the bridal party and family made their way to Arlington to the beautiful Cathedral of St. Thomas More

Marie’s bridal party had beautiful teal lenghas:

All of the flowers were provided by Jen and Nate’s florist, Maryam Flowers.  We LOVE Maryam, she is SO amazing!

I’m seeing more and more cascade bouquets these days.  Have you noticed that?

After the ceremony and family photos at the church, the bridal party, transported by the wonderful drivers at Limos, Inc. (Call Elissa there…she’s AWESOME!), headed off to the Library of Congress with Daniel and Neil from Blue Sky Films, one of our favorite videographers. (Here he is in action with his assistant later in the evening…)

I LOVED the pictures from the Library — what a great idea for a photo location, Daniel!  (Caution…slight photo overload ahead

After the visit to the Library of Congress, the bridal party headed to the Sheraton National for the reception.   Their rooftop ballroom has a great view of the city, especially of the Pentagon and the Air Force Memorial.

(This picture is from the hotel’s web site, just so you can see the view!)

When she arrived at the hotel, Marie made her first costume change of the evening, from her white wedding dress to her traditional sari, which was a gift to her from Chris.

She wore this during the first dance and toasts, but, seeing as how she had trouble moving in it, she soon switched to her lengha.

Marie’s cousin, who is a priest at the Vatican, was supposed to perform the ceremony, but due to the volcanoes earlier that month in Iceland, he wasn’t able to get a flight…or so Chris and Marie thought!  Her cousin was able to get there in time for the reception — and he brought with him a blessing from the Pope!  WOW!

Chris and Marie had a DELICIOUS cake from one of my absolute favorite bakeries (which is dangerously close to my house) Heidelberg Pastry Shoppe

And, of course at the reception, we had more gorgeous flowers from Maryam!  (These pictures are from me, not Daniel)

Thanks to all of  the wonderful vendors who made this day great!

Memorial Day weekend arrived VERY early for me this year, as I woke up at 6 am to trek to the Old Town Alexandria Farmer’s Market to buy flowers for Jen and Nate’s casual BBQ wedding.

See, Jen knew she needed help with the bouquets and personal flowers but thought she could handle the centerpieces on her own, and boy was she right!

The peonies and lilacs I bought that morning were SO gorgeous and fragrant, it made me start to consider actually getting married in the summer!  (Until I remembered that I hate being hot…and it’s hot in the summer.)

All photos from fellow Demon Deacon, Christine Meulemans.  Go Deacs!

Jen and Nate met learning to sail on the Potomac, so it was only natural for them to have their wedding on the river at the beautiful Collingwood Library:

The ceremony was held where Christine is standing while taking this picture, down on the waterfront, with the cocktail hour on the patio at the side of the house (which you can see guests enjoying here), and the reception inside the Conference Center.  (I’ll be honest…I miss the days when you could have your reception outside on the patio at Collingwood.  You still can, but you can’t have amplified music, so if anyone knows a good jazz trio or Dixieland Jazz Band, this is your place!!)

Jen and Nate wanted to make lots of use of the water, so Nate arrived via a groomsman’s sailboat!

He then took a little zodiac-dinghy thing to the property, where he ran up to get changed into his custom-made suit!

Meanwhile, Jen and the girls were getting ready in the beautiful bride’s room inside the house:

I am SO in love with her Grecian-inspired dress, which she got OFF THE RACK at Bloomingdale’s!  And she didn’t even need to have it altered — it fit her PERFECTLY!  So jealous!

The fun, summery bouquets were provided by one of our favorite florists, Maryam’s Flowers.  I had just worked with Maryam on another wedding a few weeks earlier, which you’ll get to see shortly!

Soon, it was time for the ceremony to start — guests had made their way down the hill and just as the ceremony was about to start, the clouds parted and created the beautiful sunny setting for Jen and Nate’s vows.

Jen had her girls choose whatever dresses they wanted, as long as they were seersucker.  They did SUCH a great job, including her sister, who had hers custom-made.  I LOVE the lace peeking out from underneath!

The flower girl and ring bearer did a great job…

And then it was time for Jen and her dad to walk down the aisle.  The problem?  Remember that gorgeous dress?  Well, the grass was a little wet, and naturally Jen didn’t want the dress to be ruined.  So she did what any sensible bride wearing Havaianas would do…

She hitched up that dress and walked right down the aisle!  And she looked GORGEOUS doing it, with hair and makeup from one of our favorite day spas, Sugar House.

LOVE this shot of Nate nervously waiting for his bride, while her sister excitedly looks down the aisle

After a beautiful ceremony, Nate and Jen were pronounced husband and wife, and they set off down the aisle…until breaking into the most adorable run I’ve ever seen.

After the ceremony, Christine was able to take some time to get some AMAZING shots of the bride and groom:

This last one is probably my favorite…it just shows Jen’s playfulness perfectly…

Afterward, Jen and Nate got to sample some of the appetizers:

The guests made their way inside to the Conference Center, which our awesome team of Wish assistants helped me decorate.  Christine did a fantastic job of getting pictures of the details — we love it when our photographers do this!

Jen ordered these adorable stickers to go on Hershey’s kisses, which we put a bowl of on each table.

When Nate proposed, he wrote a message on a sail and flew it off the boat for Jen to see.  Jen brought that sail to the wedding for all to appreciate (thanks to Jen’s VERY tall brother for helping me hang this up!)

Jen wasn’t sure if their guests were a big dancing crowd, but she wanted to make sure they were entertained (as well as take advantage of the gorgeous grounds at Collingwood). She brought along a croquet set and a couple of bocce sets, which Jamie, one of our super assistants, made adorable signs for!

As you can see, the guests (especially the kids) definitely took advantage of it!

Before she cut the cake, Jen changed into a traditional Vietnamese outfit, which Nate’s family had brought her.  Unfortunately, no one told her how to put the hat on, so it ended up upside down!  Nate straightened her out, though…

Then it was time for the newlyweds to cut the DELICIOUS cake, provided by Balducci’s in Alexandria.

Don’t you LOVE the sailing rope coiled around the cake as a nod to their shared love?  Too cute

After the cake was cut, one of Nate’s groomsmen (and owner of the boat that delivered him to the ceremony!) offered a toast and dedicated the perfect song to Jen and Nate, the Zac Brown Band’s “Toes in the Water.”

Jen and Nate, thanks for letting me be part of your special day.  Congratulations!

Remember Kristan and Steve, one of our recent Meadowlark couples?  I just got professional images from Justine Ungaro and think they’re amazing!  I wanted to share since Kristan and Steve had such a beautiful day.

They chose to see each other before the ceremony.  I love the ‘reveal’ moment when the bride and groom see each other for the first time:

Seeing each other beforehand also allows plenty of time for formal photographs.  I think this portrait is really classic but edgy in it’s own way:

Off to the ceremony!  Daddy’s face is just priceless here.  Justine captured a lot of different emotions in this image:

Ceremonies at Meadowlark are always so idyllic:

This really, truly, sums up Kristan’s personality in one photo.  She was like this the whole day:

Maryam Flowers made these pretty bouquets for the bridesmaids.  Since the girls were wearing different colors, they had alternating bouquets to complement the dresses:

In my last post you can see the ‘behind the scenes’ view.  Here’s what Justine was getting:

The girls had so much fun with these paper parasols:

Great Blue Heron, the in-house caterer at Meadowlark, did a great job setting the tables.  I love these tall martini glasses that Maryam uses for centerpieces:

Norm at The Sweet Life brought this phenomenal suitcase cake.  Don’t you love it!?

I mentioned that Steve is a member of the great local band Gonzo’s Nose.  Hence, a lot of their friends are musicians!  Kristan and Steve were treated to a number of amazing acoustic live performances during the reception:

They had a DJ on hand, too, to really get the party going:

Once the sun went down the party moved outside!  The patio was the perfect place to mix and mingle under the stars:

I love this final shot that Justine took:

Congrats again, Kristan & Steve!

When I first met with Amy and Alex, the first thing I noticed was Amy’s quiet personality and Alex’s robust sense of humor.  Amy explained that she wanted a ‘French Countryside with an English Garden’ feel for the wedding.  Alex and I joked about having a helicopter transport them from the reception James Bond-style.  While we didn’t quite end up with a helicopter, I think we certainly achieved the European aura that Amy was looking for.

The pair chose Trinity Episcopal Church mostly based on it’s European feel.  While this building was built in the 1950s, it’s style is based on 12th and 13th century churches in France.  Trinity’s campus boasts a number of other buildings including an antique greenhouse and the nation’s smallest lending library.  Here’s the main church building:

Inside the church, the touching ceremony takes place.  Unfortunately Trinity doesn’t allow photographers or videographers to get closer than the front doors but our vendors made the best of it.  I’ll be interested to see how Colin from Blue Sky Films and Mark from Rodney Bailey Photography captured the ceremony!  Here’s what I got from my angle:

As a quick note, did you know that Blue Sky Films offers Super 8 film instead of traditional video?  They can mix it in with traditional video, too, so your whole wedding isn’t shot just on film.  Amy chose to have some segments of the wedding captured on Super 8.  Check out a sample here.

Meanwhile at the reception, my assistants Julie and Felicia were busy setting up the tent at Historic Long Branch.  This venue was new to me although they’ve been doing weddings for years.  Located in Millwood, Virginia, it has a robust history and some of the most serene views of the rolling Blue Ridge Moutains I’ve seen at any wedding venue.  The house is open to docent-led tours during cocktail hour and the reception must be under a tent.  Although it was a bit hot this past weekend, the Sheila Macqueen-designed gardens were blooming beautifully and the view simply cannot be beat.

Amy chose purple and ivory as her wedding colors.  We used a lavender cotton on the cocktail and service tables and a plum pintuck on the guest tables.  Select Event Rentals provided the tent and Party Rental, Ltd. brought the chairs, linens, and china:

The escort cards even had a French flair to them.  Each card was held by a pewter fluer-de-lis holder.  Unfortunately they kept blowing over since the event was outdoors.  We ended up having to lay them down on the table but I think they still looked cute:

:::WishTip::: Color-code your place cards if you are offering your guests a meal choice.  At this wedding, purple, white, and green signaled Pork, Chicken, or Fish to the wait staff.

Unfortunately the cake table sat empty most of the night.  It was too hot to display the wedding cake inside the tent.  The buttercream icing starts melting and doesn’t keep the cake layers sturdy.  At 92 degrees, there was no chance this cake would’ve made it three hours outdoors!  While dinner got underway, the cake remained in a semi-air conditioned corner of the basement.  We moved it out right before the cake cutting ceremony but even by then the layers were starting to wobble a bit.  I decided to alter the schedule a little bit before the cake smushed into itself.  Yet one more reason why having a wedding day coordinator is a good investment.

Carolyn at Taylor Made Cakes did a beautiful job on this cake.  I’m impressed that it lasted as long as it did which means she’s had experience at building structurally sound cakes.  It’s hard to see but there is a lace detail all around the bottom of each layer.  It was gorgeous!

Back inside the tent, a closeup of one of the taller centerpieces.  Maryam at Maryam Flowers was a rockstar for this wedding.  We’ve worked with her several times and she never misses a beat.  I especially liked the old-style European stands she brought instead of the typical glass trumpet vases:

These cute lanterns served as the short centerpieces.  Maryam made three small tulip arrangements for each table.  It’s hard to see but each tulip bunch is wrapped in purple wire.  It was such a small touch but shows Maryam’s attention to detail.  This image shows the true colors of the table linen and the chivari chair cushions.  Amy printed these pretty table cards, named after chateaus in France:

Tom at Pineapple Alley Catering provided the fabulous food and attentive wait staff.  I snuck a leftover hors d’oeuvre from the kitchen and was really blown away.  I had no idea an onion tart could be so sweet and savory!  Tom even worked with Amy and Alex to get European beer and wine for the wedding.  If you’re looking for a caterer, working with Pineapple Alley was truly a pleasure all the way around.

Here’s one last shot of the wedding taking place.  I apologize for the cruddy BlackBerry camera quality.  I like this image because it shows the beautiful purple tent swagging that Eric at Frost Lighting did.  I don’t have any photos from the rest of the night but the whole tent glowed purple through the evening and really came alive once the sun went down.  You can just barely start to see the effect of the pinspots on those tall centerpieces towards the back.  It was gorgeous!

Although the weather was a bit on the toasty side (I came home with a sunburn), the ceremony was heartfelt, the scenery was gorgeous, and the newlyweds were smitten with each other.  Just how a wedding should be!

Special thanks to Jodi, Julie, and Felicia who helped me out at this gorgeous wedding.  More kudos go to Aaron from Chris Laich Music Services who kept the dance floor packed all night long and rolled with the schedule changes I threw at him!  It’s always wonderful to have an attentive and professional emcee on the microphone.  One last shout out to Dan at Reston Limousine who arranged for two limos, three shuttles, and one sedan with no hiccups or delays whatsoever.

Amy & Alex, it was truly a pleasure working with you over the better part of this past year.  I really enjoyed being a part of your wedding day and wish you both the best of luck in your lives.  I’m sure we’ll see each other soon.  Congratutulations!

Remember a few weeks ago when I posted the photo of Laurie & Rod at Taco Bell?  There was also a link to the slideshow created by photographer Lara Swanson.  In case you missed it, I just got a full set of images!  Here’s my favorites:

Wasn’t Laurie such a pretty bride?  She didn’t let the rain bother her at all:

Okay, Rod looked pretty sharp too:

Laurie & I finalizing a few last-minute details:

A gorgeous indoor Meadowlark ceremony:

All set up for the reception after the room flip:

Maryam did such a great job.  Here’s a centerpiece up close:

Meadowlark after the sun has gone down:

The cherry blossom wedding cake with amazing detailed sugar flowers:

If that weren’t enough sugar for you, check out the rockin’ candy buffet:

And a whole lot of personalized M&Ms:

Laurie is one of my husband’s former coworkers.  Here’s the four of us during the reception.  I love how both the boys have the same odd expression on their faces:

As part of her services, Lara is now offering a photobooth!  It prints on-site in just a few seconds and is really a lot of fun.  Even though there was a seasonal martini bar (pumpkin pie martinis!), an extensive candy buffet, an awesome DJ, and a wonderful bride and groom, I think this photobooth was the life of the party:

I think the best part about the photobooth is that you get all the images included with your regular wedding photos.  Here’s a couple of fun shots it captured:

Like I mentioned above, these newlyweds and their bridal party decided to take a limousine to Taco Bell after the reception.  I’m a fan whenever couples stop in their favorite places (my husband and I did this at Ben & Jerry’s).  I love the vibrant images from their adventure:

Can you see what that hot sauce packet says?

For more information on the vendors at this wedding, check out the original blog post.  Thanks again Lara, for being so quick!

We barely got home from Laurie & Rod’s wedding when photographer Lara Swanson already had their slideshow up.  Wow!  She even incorporated their adorable first dance song.  Thanks Lara, for being so quick!

The ceremony and reception were held at Meadowlark Botanical Gardens.  The ceremony was performed by Rev. Julie Price, catering by Marco Polo, floral decor by Maryam Flowers, cake by Fluffy Thoughts, photo booth by Lara Swanson, and entertainment by Evan at MyDeejay.com.

Here’s one of my favorite shots from the day.  The newlyweds and their bridal party decided to go for Taco Bell the end of the night:

Click here to check out their amazing slideshow

Last week I mentioned that we visited The Atrium at Meadowlark for a walkthrough.  Well, our first Meadowlark bride of the year tied the knot!  Our big hearty congratulations go to Kirsten & Daniel who celebrated their nuptials among close family and friends.  I’m holding out for professional photographs from Heather Z but for now my own images will do.

Since guests had to walk past the reception area on their way to the ceremony, we tied a ribbon across the bridge.  This prevented guests from leaving their jackets, purses, and other personal belongings at the tables before the photographer took room photos:

The ceremony from a sneaky ‘inside the atrium’ viewpoint:

After the ceremony, Heather Z was tasked with taking a lot of family portraits.  This is typical at a lot of weddings but you never see the ‘behind the scenes’!  Here’s Heather hard at work, making sure everyone’s face gets in the image:

Here’s Kirsten and her bridesmaids taking in the reception.  This is also a great shot of their bouquets from Maryam Flowers.  Can you guess which one is her sister?

Kirsten and me:

Here’s the Atrium, all set up!  Isn’t it gorgeous?

Kirsten’s friend Stephanie owns Soiree Papier, a stationery company.   Look at these adorable escort cards she made for the wedding:

Kirsten & Daniel also chose to donate to a handful of charities instead of giving favors to their guests.  Here’s a terrible photo of the cute cards that explain the charities:

Stephanie also made these great table numbers and the Mr. & Mrs. card for the sweetheart table:

Maryam did a great job on the centerpieces and bouquets!  Gorgeous!

Danielle at Windows Catering went above and beyond.  It’s the little things that make big differences.  Have you ever seen a buffet at a wedding?  Most have those unsightly chafing dishes that look like they’d be more suited for a school cafeteria.  These two small chafing dishes were decorative and unassuming.  The other foods were presented on gorgeous platters in smaller portions so everyone’s meal was hot and fresh from the kitchen:

Windows provided the cake too.  Yummy!

A shot of the party at night with all the twinkly lights in the trees:

Congratulations again, Kirsten & Daniel!  I really enjoyed working with you both and will miss our regular meetings at La Madeleine.  Say hello to your kitties for me!