WAHOO!  For the third year in a row, Wish Special Events has been included in Washingtonian Magazine’s best wedding vendor list.  This is no small deal, folks.  Washingtonian Magazine has been publishing this list for quite a few years and has really become the gold standard in the DC area.  We’re thrilled to be included yet again!

Here’s what they had to say about our team:

Sounds like us, right?  They hit the nail on the head.  I’m really fortunate to have such a wonderful group of planners on my team.

A special round of applause goes to all our (friendly) competitors who also made the list.  We’re honored to be included amongst: Aimee @ A. Dominick Events, Alexandra Kovach, Atrendy Wedding & Event Co, Sara @ Bella Notte, Bonnie Schwartz & Co, Alex @ Cherry Blossom Weddings & Events, Creative Parties, Distinctive Events by Susan B. Katz, Katie @ Elegance & Simplicity, Laura @ Engaging Affairs, Events by Andre Wells, Events by Ayran Kanter, For All Occasions, Jodi @ Jodi Moraru & Associates, Michele Hodges Events, Party Portfolio, A Perfect Wedding, Pineapple Productions, Rave Reviews, Maria @ Ritzy Bee Events, Sandi Hoffman Special Events, Jamie @ Simply Chic Events, Sara @ Social Scene Events, Soco Events, and Terri Bergman Events.  Congratulations everyone!  We did it!

I have a few extra copies of the magazine and would be happy to mail one to you.  The first five commenters below will get a copy!

If Lindsay & Sam’s feature wasn’t enough, I flipped the page and my mouth dropped open.  We had TWO weddings in the Washingtonian!

Sara & Tyger’s wedding was a blast and we were thrilled to be a part of it.  Here’s their spread, found on pages 82-83:

And the second page:

A big big big kudos to DC wedding photographer MK McKenna who shot the wedding and submitted it to the magazine.  We’re so lucky to work with DC’s most talented vendors and MK definitely fits that category.

Congratulations Sara & Tyger!  I hope you get it framed!

We’re thrilled to announce that Lindsay & Sam (remember last year’s Indian/American wedding on the eastern shore?) were featured as one of the ‘real weddings’ in the Washingtonian’s Bride and Groom magazine:

I was ecstatic when I flipped through the pages and saw their smiling faces.  Here’s the first page of their beautiful spread:

Second page:

A big special thanks goes to DC wedding photographer Greg Gibson who photographed this gorgeous event and submitted it to the magazine.  He really captured the beauty, emotion, and love of the day.

To read their full story you have to see it for yourself!  They are on pages 80-81.  You can pick up a copy of Bride & Groom at many local DC retailers (usually Barnes & Noble is a good bet).

We just received our beautiful June 2009 Washingtonian Bride & Groom magazines. These big bold babies are gorgeous! The Washingtonian publishes a bi-annual wedding magazine that is a wonderful resource for any bride-to-be.

This is our third time being featured in the magazine on the prestigious “They Know Weddings” list. We are thrilled to be included with some of the area’s best wedding vendors. Here’s what they have to say about us on page 134:

We’re thrilled for our other planner friends who made the list too!  Aimee, Pam, Sara, Katie, Laura, Lynn and Priscilla, Jodi, Kim, Jamie, Sara F., and Jennifer all deserve a big congratulations.

I have a few extra copies!  Send me an email if you’d like to pick up a free copy (in Reston).  I believe these go on the stands sometime this week.

Our congratulations goes to Rae Robinson Trotman, a recent Wish Bride!  Rae and Braeden tied the knot and celebrated at 2941 Restaurant in Falls Church, VA this past September.  Cristin was their wedding day coordinator and handled the torrential downpours that day like a pro.  We were thrilled to see Rae’s spot-on advice featured in the new Washingtonian Bride & Groom magazine.  Her advice?

“When choosing a wedding planner, hire an experienced, tested professional.  Anyone who’s too new to the game can make things difficult.”

We couldn’t agree with you more, Rae!  Congratulations on the wedding and on this beautiful feature.

Washingtonian Bride & Groom is hosting a bridal show!

With a handful of special perks:

There will also be a lot of luxury door prizes!  Here is a short description of each.  My favorite would be Cinderella for a Day.  Can’t year hear Matthew McConaughey reading the title of the last one?

Tickets are $55 apiece and can be bought online.  Just click here to purchase tickets!

Washingtonian’s Best Wedding Vendors List 2009

Transcript for those of you at work without sound:
“Hi everybody, thanks for checking out the blog today.  I wanted to introduce you to a new wedding planning magazine.  This is for the DC-area only.  This is Washingtonian Bride and Groom.  This is a brand new publication.  It just hit the newsstands on December 15th.  Those of you who are here in the DC area are probably familiar with the Washingtonian already.  They area  monthly publication.  Every year they publish a 100 Best Restaurants list and as part of that magazine they do the top wedding vendors in the DC area.  This year they’ve decided instead of just throwing it into the monthly issue, they would make their own wedding-only magazine.  It’s a nice big, fat, chunky magazine…I love the feel of it…it’s nice and big.  This is DC-only which I really like because there’s not a lot of DC-area magazines.  They ask local vendors questions, they have information on real weddings, and venues, and all kinds of great stuff.  We are on page 202 as part of their “Best of Weddings” list…we are right under a beautiful image.  I’ll scan that for you so you can read below what they said about us.  They said some really nice things.  I’m really excited that this magazine is out.  It’s going to be a bi-annual publication so it’ll be in December and in June.  We’re just so thrilled and proud to be in the Washingtonian again this year.  This is our second year we are being featured.  I wanted to tell you about the magazine so you can check it out for yourself.  If you are interested in a copy of the magazine, I have about ten extra copies which you can see by my big ol’ stack.  If you would like a copy, I have ten to give away.  Just leave a comment here on the blog and I will send one to your address.  Make sure you leave your email address so I can get in contact with you and we’ll either set up a time that I can drop it off at your home office or I’ll just pop it in the mail to you.  Have a great day everybody and we’ll chat soon!  Thanks.”

Remember when we took a tour of The Willard Intercontinental?  Well a few weeks after I took those photos I had the opportunity to experience an event at this historic hotel.  Washingtonian magazine hosted a luncheon for the wedding vendors they feature in every year’s “They Know Weddings” list.  This year they are launching a brand new magazine solely aimed at brides and grooms.  Finally us wedding vendors won’t have to share January’s issue with the top 100 restaurants!  Washingtonian Bride & Groom magazine will be on stands this winter and again over the summer.

In the lobby there were these cute pink cocktail tables set around:

I love how the linens were different but complementary.  Not everything at an event needs to match:

Photos of the gorgeous ballroom.  This place was packed with talented wedding vendors!

Some jumbo sample magazine covers suspended from the ceiling:

One corner of the room had a few wedding cakes on display:

Up front there was a stage where the Washingtonian editors shared information about the new publication.  This photo is exciting for us event planners who will notice the gorgeous clear Louis Ghost Chairs:

The room featured a mix of square and round tables.  Every centerpiece was lush, huge, and just luxurious-looking.  Rick at Amaryllis came up with these beauties:

Menu cards were displayed at each place setting.  I just love the Willard’s in-house china:

I neglected to get a photo of my amazing beef tenderloin lunch.  Here’s the first course of mushroom ravioli:

Dessert was a mini white chiffon cake with white chocolate mousse.  Check out the chocolate figures standing against the cake:

Photographer Kathy Blanchard also grabbed a handful of photos and shared them on her blog.  Obviously they’re prettier than mine.  Check them out!