Do you remember Victoria & Michael’s wedding at the Westin Grand in Georgetown?  I just got some of the professional photos from Joseph Allen and wanted to share them with you.

First, how stunning is this portrait of Vic, taken in their awesome honeymoon suite at the Westin Grand DC?  Mike’s a lucky guy!

We lucked out on the weather and were able to hold the wedding ceremony outside in the hotel’s courtyard.  I really loved the patterned parasols that Vic found:

Gettin’ hitched:

They’re married!  After the ceremony, our newlyweds took a stroll around Georgetown:

How cute are these two?

I really thought that Vic’s long veil suited her and her gown just perfectly.  Plus it made for some fun portraits:

Woo woo!  They even got a little sexy!  Didn’t Joseph do an amazing job on these photos?

Another cute Georgetown street shot:

Meanwhile back at the Westin, guests were enjoying cocktails in the courtyard and we were putting the finishing touches on the reception room.  If you want the convenience of a hotel wedding but not a typical hotel ballroom, check out the Westin Grand!  It has big beautiful wooden columns, a wooden floor, two steps down to create an elevated dance floor area (or head table area or cocktail area or ceremony area or whatever you want it to be), and a funky little nook that’s perfect for the bar and a seating lounge area.

I would be amiss if I didn’t point out the GORGEOUS centerpieces provided by DaVinci’s Florist.  The black vases were topped with rose and calla lily domes and also featured dripping crystals.  The candles on the tables made the crystals sparkle and the whole piece made the room look very dramatic:

Another stunning feature was the black and white damask wedding cake made by Lara Stuckey at Fluffy Thoughts.  Isn’t this thing beautiful?  I liked how the tiers alternated square and round.  You can also see Vic’s bouquet which we displayed next to the cake:

Well, that’s the party, folks!  Vic & Mike also had a traditional Chinese tea ceremony which was an intimate moment for both families.  She also changed into a traditional Qi Pao for the second half of the reception:

For some more detail shots and my perspective on the day, be sure to check out the original post about Vic & Mike’s wedding at the Westin Grand DC.  I really loved this wedding and hope you do too!

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!