Last wedding of 2006!

Congratulations to Liz and Craig, my last couple of the year.

We have come full circle! I started the year at Rebecca and Kyle's wedding in April, who happen to be Liz and Craig's neighbor and co-workers. I especially like that fact that Craig is a fellow NY Giants fan!

We had a gorgeous day, not extremely cold and a bright blue sky. The ceremony was held at the Lutheran Church of the Redeemer in McLean, VA, while the reception was held at the Washington Golf & Country Club in Arlington, VA. The vendor team included: Company Flowers for the personal and ceremony flowers; Riverside Brass performed at the ceremony; and we had a wonderful time working with Paul and his assistant Donna from Paul Pavot Photography. Everything went smoothly and everyone had a wonderful time.

We had a VIP attend the event (I'll just say that he is a high ranking government official). It was really interesting because he was a good dancer, tearing up the dance floor with his wife! It was really cute. We had another awesome band, Truth Groove (booked through Elan Artist), perform. They kept the dance floor completely packed and the guests would not let them go home! There is nothing like live music, especially an outstanding band!

The beautiful cake by Cakes by Carolyn. The snowflakes scattered on the cake was so fitting for this winter wedding. Not to mention that this was one of the BEST tasting cakes I've ever had!

The newly renovated ballroom at the Washington Golf & Country Club! It was a beautiful venue and everyone took a picture in front of the Christmas tree.

Wedding Planning made easier!

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Oh What a Night!

My friends Kendra and Roger finally got married in November. I swore to my husband that I would not work another friend's wedding again! But I just can't help myself!

It was such a fun event and very urban chic! We had a fabulous team of wedding professionals. The wedding reception was held at the elegant Washington Club. What a great place to have an event! My MVP goes to Meg Pearson of Occasions Caterers. She was extremely professional, flexible and accommodating. The best band ever, Kaleidoscope, booked through Bialeks, kept the dance floor packed all night. The guests didn't even want them to leave when it was all over at midnight! A 3 piece trio, taken from the band, performed during cocktail and dinner time. I highly recommend them! I had a great time working with and getting to know our photographers, Julie Ann Woodford and Claudia Akers. The fabulous John Duffy of Yellow Door Floral Design provided the autumal inspired floral designs. Videography was provided by Dockside Videos. Finally, the cake was by Kendall's Cakes.

Yours truly and my hubby!

Kaleidoscope entertaining the crowd!

Beautiful cake by Kendall's Cakes and the gorgeous gold overlay tablecloth we loved.

We have fun too!

Check us out hamming it up at Suzann & Michael's wedding!

Yours truly & my assistant Christina - we are still friends :) I don't know what I would do without her help!

Christina goofing around with DJ Mike Valenti. Who says we don't have fun :)

What's in a Name?

Another FAQ: Name changes information

1. Be sure to send for copies of your marriage license from the courthouse in the jurisdiction where you got married.
   
2. Social Security Card change
3. State Department information on passport changes
4. Change your name at the DMV. Virginia - Maryland - DC
   

To Tip or Not to Tip ... that is the question

I've gotten so many questions regarding this recently so here are some general rules regarding tipping.

The Knot.com
Weddingchannel.com
Weddingchannel.com - Peggy Post Q&A

Marriage License

Instead of searching all over for this , I've listed most of the marriage license information in the DC area here:

City of Alexandria, VA
Arlington County, VA
Fairfax County, VA
Loudon County, VA
Prince William County, VA
Washington, DC
Montgomery County, MD
Howard County, MD
Baltimore County, MD
Anne Arundel County, MD

Fall is Beautiful in DC

Congratulations to Suzann and Michael!

(this is going to be a long one so i'm going to post this in pieces ... check back for the complete version)

Over the past several months, Suzann worked really hard to make her wedding day a beautiful celebration of her and Michael's union. And over this time, I have had the privilege of getting to know Suzann and her family. It is such an honor to be included on one of the most important life events. I am a total stranger afterall. The amount of trust they place in me is nervewrecking at best but the results are totally worth the stress :)

So much of Team Suzann was similar to Team Karen, one of my April brides. The team of Kathy and Melanie of MeKa did a wonderful job with makeup and hair. All the girls looked beautiful and their dos stayed in place all night long. Suzann's hair do is probably my favorite one to-date of all of Melanie's creations! Simple, elegant, sophisticated but yet original.

Anne Lord was our photographer along with her assistant Brian. Leo Zhang and his assistant Julia videotaped the whole event. Both teams are so easy to work and didn't seem to get in each other's way.

We had a harpist and a flutist from Music Unlimited providing the prelude music and part of the processional music along with the church's organist. And my Favorite DJ, Mike Valenti from Bialeks, kept the dance floor packed all night long!! I just love this guy!

The ceremony was held at St. Paul's Episcopal Church in Old Town Alexandria and the reception at the Clarendon Ballroom in Arlington. Now, I am a bit biased here since I had my own reception at the Clarendon Ballroom 2 years ago so it's hard for me not to love it.

Some photos from the beautiful day ...

There is no place like it ... the Clarendon Ballroom in all its glory. The glow is magical. It has the WOW factor! Suzann did a great job choosing stylish chocolate brown pintuck linens for the dining room tables and a brocade red for the station tables. We used cream pintucks in the cocktail area. The effect was a sophisticated transformation with a nod to the colors of the fall.

Another beautiful floral arrangement from Barbara von Elm of Growing Wild for their escort card table. I added the different height candles and petals to give it a more dramatic effect. (Sorry for the fuzzy picture ... my hands are shaky :)

Suzann put so much effort into personalizing this wedding and the results showed her hard work! A great idea in lieu of a traditional guestbook, Suzann used a wish bowl that was a gift from her parents. She provided notecards (in the African basket, a nod to the place of her birth) for the guests to leave the newlyweds well wishes. Suzann also included bottles of Hokie wine, a nod to the groom's alma mater. Guests were able to sign the bottles, a great way to commemorate this wonderful day!

To me, a great way to personalize your wedding is to use items that are special to you. Suzann used an Ethiopian wedding basket to hold her loose cards. Suzann was born in Ethiopia.

In closing, I'm a bit sentimental at this point because I only have 2 more weddings to go this season. And as this wedding season winds down, I have definitely learned so much about myself and how to run an effective business. I get attached to some weddings more than others and I have to say that I am really going to miss not getting 7 emails from Suzann every day :) I only keep in touch with a few of my former brides and I hope that I will keep in touch with Suzann and Michael in the future. And I hope to run into her mom and dad, Jeanette and Fred one day at the farmers market!

The Officer and His Lady

Congratulations to Barry (the police officer) and Erin (his lady)!

[This post is being posted 1 year after the fact. I'm not sure why I never posted it. Sorry not as detailed as normal]

The placecard table! Bless by assistant Brittany who spent quite a few minutes to get the rows just right! The floral arrangement was provided by a family friend.

The beautiful cake by Celebration Cakes.

Foxchase Manor in Manassas, VA. The ceremony was held on the patio through those glass doors.

If you are looking for wording for honoring loved ones who have passed, here is a good example.

Another wording idea for the bathroom basket.

The rest of the vendor team:
Mike Cowles from Horizon Entertainment
Flower Gallery provided the centerpieces
R&R Catering
Chariots for Hire for the Hummer Limo and a sedan
Hair styling by Kara Breissinger
Makeup by Kelley Epps

Mt. Vernon by Candle Light

Congratulations to Diane and Jeff!

I have to thank Breathe Events for this referral as Lauren was having herself a smashing event on the same date :)

Kathy, Diane's mom, contacted me because her wedding planner had some family issues and basically deserted her. Luckily, I had wored with some of her vendors so that made life easier. Diane, outside of choosing the venue, let Kathy planned her whole wedding! Talk about delegating!

Another beautiful wedding at Mt. Vernon Inn. I was there earlier this year in April. It's really a lovely venue but it's on the small size. We had about 200 people for dinner inside with dancing out on the back patio. If it had rain, it would have been a logistical nightmare. I would sugges that if anyone is looking to have an even there, the guest list should be no more than 120. Thumbs up to the kitchen for a great buffet (especially the crabcakes) and they serve my favorite beer (Old Dominion Oak Barrel Stout)!!

Erik Svensson was their photographer. Lace Music provided the strings ensemble for the ceremony, the jazz pianist for the cocktail hour, and Tony was our DJ. Growing Wild provided the floral designs and tent decor. Check out some of Barbara's work below.



Sorry for the blurry picture (tried the slower shutter speed on my digital camera but my hands were shaky.) Barbara von Elm went above and beyond the call of duty in the back patio. She strung lights along the stairwell banisters and along the inside of the tent, as well as the bags along terraces.


Beautiful and delicious cake by Rocio Diaz. Also in the photo is the toss bouquet by Growing Wild and the linen from Party Cloths in a gold leaf motif.


Don't waste your ceremony flowers! We brought the pew posies (the white hydrangeas) from the church and used them as decor on the guestbook table along with a memorial arrangement to the father of the groom.

Melissa & Brian Are Married!!!

The one word I would use for this wedding is BEAUTIFUL.

Melissa is a gorgeous girl and she has the cutest dog named Barry. Melissa and Brian are such a cute couple. Good luck to Brian on his BAR exam.

This wedding wins for the most number of personalized items. Melissa's Mom, Nan, is one crafty woman. The one design element that she repeated was a monogram - a very modern one, along with the color theme of brown, creams and green. She used it on the programs, the aisle runner, the napkin rings, the menu cards, the signage, etc. Nan also made the bathroom baskets, candy jars for each table, tied brown ribbons around a bunch of hurricane candles, table numbers ... Can you say lots of setup?! The coolest thing had to be the apple 'escort cards.' She ordered them dipped in chocolate and caramel and already wrapped in cellophane. All she had to do was put name tags on them.

Another excellent event at Meadowlark Botanical Gardens. It is such a great venue for outdoor photos. Luckily, we had beautiful weather even though it was really hot that day.

We had a great team of vendors: We had a wonderful band, Onyx (through Washington Talent) which apparently played at Brian's sister's bat mitzvah years ago!! Go figure! They had great energy. Nicole and Brad from SOTA Dzine have such an interesting perspective for wedding photography - it's more along the style of magazine/ads photography. I can't wait to see the photos! I saw Nicole portfolio and it is amazing! Kirby from Dolce Video was great to work with as well.

Special mention goes to Petals Edge Floral Design. It's been almost 2 years since I've had the pleasure of working with Gerry and Rebecca. Their designs are totally unique, very creative and that set themselves apart from other floral designers. Melissa had poppy pods trailing off her bouquets and poppy pods were used as boutonnieres also. Some of the taller arrangements were filled with brussel sprouts! Melissa and Brian got married under a beautiful, natural, organic looking chuppah, perfect for this setting. I heard so many compliments about their work and I hope they got a lot of business that night! They are worth every penny and their designs will MAKE your event! :)

Another special note goes to Fusions Cuisine. They had very creative and delicious food and their presentations were very artistic. This catering company is owned by James and Blaise Thompson. James, the executive chef, had worked at RSVP Catering. Blaise manages the events. They were excellent to work with. They just seemed to really care about the event and it wasn't 'just another wedding' to them.

The only things is that I never have time nor remember to take pictures at the wedding so here are some of the different design elements that I got before the wedding:


The handmade napkin rings!


The programs ...


The ladies bathroom basket ...


The display cake ...


The directional signs for outside ....


Chocolate dipped spoons made by Nan ...



Centerpiece for the escort card table ... this is later on in the night when the apples had been taken.


The mini cheesecakes instead of wedding cake for each guest with a monogramed flag (sorry for the blurry photo, one of the waiters was holding the plate :)

Congratulations Anita & Greg

I would say that Anita and Greg win for having the most unique venues. Their ceremony was held at the Woodrow Wilson House near Embassy Row and their reception was held at the Circle Bistro at the One Washington Circle Hotel. It was definitely the 'urban' wedding that they wanted.

The Woodrow Wilson House has a beautiful garden in the back and you would never know it was there unless you have been to the house. The staff was wonderful to work with and gave the guests a quick tour of the house when they arrived early. You do need to rent your own chairs and tent, if necessary.

The Circle Bistro is the restaurant at the One Washington Circle Hotel in Foggy Bottom. Anita and Greg had many of their infamous happy hours here. The food is excellent with very creative presentation. Anita and Greg chose a very sophisticated menu for their heavy hors d'oeuvres reception.

Barbara Von Elm from Growing Wild provided the floral designs and Shannon Bishop of Documentary Associates was our photographer.

Double Your Pleasure Part 2 of 2

Congratulations Melissa & Michael! This wraps up double weddings weekends of 2006!

These two have so much energy! They are both from Georgia to the point that I'm surprised that they didn't do a Georgia themed wedding.

The wedding was held at the Hendry House in Arlington. The food was provided by R&R Catering. Flowers by Heaven and Earth - Linda did another wonderful job that I thought was light and airy. I actually got to sit down and chat with Kelley Epps of Face Mode as she applied makeup to the bride. Kelley was so speedy the day before at the Omni that she had left before I had a chance to chat with her. Since this was an afternoon wedding for only 3 hours, we just used Melissa and Michael's IPod and hooked it up to the house sound system. It worked really well! It was just such an intimate event.

My new favorite has to be the photographer, Casey Templeton. He is about to start an internship at National Geographics. Not only is he talented, he is extremely kind and was always offering to help me. Super laid back and very creative - the pictures have a sense of happiness to them and lightness. You just feel happy looking at the pictures. Here are preview photos:


Yours truly busy setting up the cake table while the guests are enjoying themselves outside. We never get to have any fun! :)


What's a DC wedding without a stroll downtown for photo ops as the tourists go by!

Double Your Pleasure Part 1 of 2

Congratulations Richa and Deb!

This was my first Hindu wedding and so it was a huge learning process for me. It was great fun though!

Richa and Deb are both so smart. He went to MIT (and apparently part of an a capella group) and she got her JD from U. Chicago. Sometimes I feel so stupid :)

The wedding was at the Omni Shoreham Hotel in Woodley Park. This is a huge hotel - did I say huge? It felt like I was always running down the hallways or riding the elevators. This was also the first time I am working with a unionized hotel. I was all prepared for a lot of hassle but was pleasantly surprised at how accommodating the staff was!

So the one bad thing about summer weddings is that my assistants go on vacation. Whereas me, I have no life :) So I had resigned myself to doing this wedding by myself. It would have been OK but it probably would have meant that I would start setting up at 9am for a 6pm reception. No biggie. But last minute, I found a new assistant who will also be helping me in late September and a HUGE lifesaver from a fellow event planner (I owe you one LF!)

First off, the hotel gave Richa and Deb the presidential suite - yes, that's right - the palatial 5-room suite. Huge is an understatement. There was another Indian reception at the other end of the hotel and several other wedding parties staying there. It was nuts. Anyway, I was prepared to lay out the tablecloths ourselves as I was told that the staff would not touch them until 5pm. Nevermind that. They were helping throughout. It made setup so much faster.

On to the ceremony ... Richa was so nervous. Her maid of honor said that she might have puked! Oh no! I've never had a bride puke and I wasn't about to start! Hindu ceremonies are notoriously long. We had planned for 2 hours. The stage was decorated with a chuppah-like structure with tons of flowers and ceremonial items. Aradhana from As U Wish was the brilliant decorator. There were snacks and drinks available for the guests. It took nearly 20 minutes plus to get all the guests to stop eatting and drinking and chitchatting so that we could start the processional. From what I gathered, the ceremonies vary quite as nobody really knows the precise way they should be done. Much depends on the priest performing the ceremony and/or what the families want. What was really strange was that while the ceremony was going on, guests would routinely get up and get food and drinks and mill about the rear of the ceremony hall. Talk about polar opposites from a church wedding! The priest finished in record time, an hour and 20 minutes.

This was Labor Day Saturday and it had been pouring rain. But by the time they were ready for photos, the rain had stopped so that they could shoot some photos out on the back garden area! So pretty!

DJ Hawk played a mix of Indian and popular music. We had a blast working with Roman Grinev, the photographer. It was great help that he was well versed in Indian weddings. I had been really looking forward to working with him as I had heard wonderful comments about his work. Ms. Kelley Epps of Face Mode did a fabulous job making our girls pretty. The delicious Indian buffet was provided by Indique/Bombay Bistro.

Double Happiness! Part 2 of 2

Wedding #2 - Jane & Kevin at the Clarendon Ballroom in Arlington (I'm partial to this venue since I had my own reception there.)

I LOVE the Clarendon Ballroom and don't think I've ever turned down an opportunity to eat their food :) and to work with Sandra, the catering manager and her new assistant, Amanda. Not to mention that it is just a few miles from my house - how could I say no?

Jane and Kevin met doing theatre work. Jane, lawyer by day, musical lover by night; and Kevin, pool owner by day, actor by night. Double trouble! They are another couple that have been together for something like 13 years!! Crazy!

To continue on my quest to do things extra, extra early, I made my husband get up early before Jennifer and Daniel's wedding to pick up and drop of Jane's stuff at the ballroom. A whole day before!

On the wedding day, I visited Jane at the hotel, who was cool as a cucumber. I got to the ballroom extra early and was completely done with setup by the time families arrived for photos. We had a beautiful, although long, Jewish ceremony, complete with a song from the best man and 7 readings. When we were done flipping the room, it was transformed into a fabulous dining room.

There were so many great moments at this wedding: Kevin & Jane's cheeky first dance (choreographed to include all sorts of theatrical moments) to The Best is Yet to Come; the best man serenading the couple to a Beatles tune; to all their theatre friends standing together for a rousing rendition of an Irish song in a capella and harmony.

Flowers were provided Flowers Unique by Marchand in Alexandria, the band Starfire kept the dance floor completely packed all night, photography by Tony Brown of Imijination Photography (can't wait to see the photos - I previewed some great shots), the beautiful cake and chocolate lollipop favors (with theatre masks imprinted) by their friend Keith Ryder.

Double Happiness! Part 1 of 2

Congratulations to Jennifer & Daniel and to Jane & Kevin !

My first time doing back to back weddings! Crazy, right? Outside of not having feelings in my feet (minor issue), they both went extremely well and made me so happy to have this job.

It was ironic that these were the weddings that were back to back. Both Jenn and Daniel and Jane and Kevin were both really into each other. You could tell they just were so in love ... I know - a bit mushy, sorry.

First, Jennifer and Daniel. These two are just so cute :) and I will never forget their wedding because it was on my birthday. My favorite memory thus far this season has to be Daniel at the tasting. I have NEVER witnessed someone eat (that's right, eat) with such passion! Just the funniest thing.

One of my process improvements is to get an even earlier start than normal so that I have plenty of time to get things perfect and not leave any room to chance. My first stop of the day was at Woodend Sanctuary in Chevy Chase, where the reception was held. Luckily, I did a wedding there last year so I'm pretty familiar with the location. The cocktail hour would be held in the grove area of Woodend and we were putting mason jars with tealights along the path to the grove. I got there hours before the ceremony, setup all the mason jars (unlit), and dropped off the box of reception stuff. I got to the church extra, extra early to tidy up a bit. Because I had all this extra time, I got to spend some quality time with and helping our florist, Barbara von Elm of Growing Wild. I LOVE Barbara. I LOVE her floral arrangements - they were just so colorful, vibrant - the perfect summer feel. Jennifer was the picture of calm and Daniel was the nervous one! DC traffic delayed several people, including the minister, as there was an accident on I-95 and I-495 interchange. Figures.

Because of the accident, we started about 15 minutes late to wait for guests. If there were ever a reason to hire competent professionals, this would be a good reason. Because of this, it delayed me getting over to Woodend from the church. Lauren from Festive Foods saved the day! She went ahead and laid out all the placecards, toasting flutes, etc. so that all I had to do was check everything and light all the mason jar candles. THANK YOU Lauren! Even Barbara stayed around to help out. I would recommend Festive Foods again in a heartbeat. Lauren and Marat, the banquet captain, were awesome. Because they were doing another event at Woodend the following day, Lauren got the chivari chairs for Sunday to arrive an extra day early so that Jenn and Daniel could use them too! Talk about going above and beyond the call of duty.

Another favorite moment - after the guests got seated for dinner, Jenn and Daniel sneaked out to the grove area by themselves for a quiet moment. It was just the two of them - a nice sweet moment.

The night included the Korean wedding tradition of p'ye-baek and a slideshow of Jenn and Daniel's childhood, dating and engagement photos provided by Leo Zhang, our videographer. Another fun element was provided by Jennifer Domenick, our photographer, who set up a snapshots studio in one of the rooms where guests can take photos of themselves. There were some pretty funny shots :) and I can't wait to see her pictures. To finish out the vendor team, we had a beautiful cake by Fiona's Cakes and great live music from the band Essence.

What a fun wedding! I am so glad that I was invited to be a part of it. Happily ever after to the Captain and the Mrs. :)

Congratulations Anna & JL

Anna & JL have been dating for 10 years! Can you believe it?! What's up with so many of my clients having dated for sooooooo long?! I thought my husband and I dating for 6 years was long.

So 9 out of 10 times when there is a church coordinator, I get worried because most of them don't like wedding coordinators for some reason. There seems to be a stigma that wedding coordinators waltz into a church and 'take over.' I LOVED Jane Connelly from St. Jane Frances de Chantal of Bethesda. She was awesome, especially for a huge bridal party. She was in charge, and I helped get all the flowers out to the right people and assisted her wherever necessary. The arrangement worked out just great!

I had the pleasure of working with some great vendors. Linda Merritt from Heaven on Earth made some gorgeous bouquets with the sparkliest butterfly pin in Anna's bouquet; soon-to-be-bride Erica Erickson and her assistant Ben from Innova Photography had some beautiful shots (check out her blog - Anna looks like a model!); Eric Nicholas shot the video and was great at moral support :); and great jazz sounds was provided by The George Turner Trio and Lori Derr (good luck to George in grad school and I've got to find out when Lori is singing next.)

I have to be honest - the reception was not my finest moment. I probably had the worst day ever and am extremely disappointed in myself for not bringing my A-game. Thank goodness the rest of the vendor team was such great professionals. You live and learn. I learned a lot about myself at this wedding and have come up with new ways to make sure that you get what you paid for and deliver as promised.

Congratulations Kristin & Tuong!!

This event made me smile and made me so proud to be included in such a unique life event.

Kristin and Tuong had met in high school. Can you believe it? I had worked mostly with Kristin and her Mom during the planning process and discovered how talented and crafty they were. I also learned that they both had a large family but I had no idea how large until the day of the wedding.

On Sunday, I was so happy to hear Kristin & Tuong had a wonderful Chinese celebration at Tuong's sister's house the day before. I had seen Kristin trying on her Chinese gown earlier in the week during our final meeting. I would love to see the photos from that.

As usual, I checked on Kristin at Le Salon in Tysons I early on the day of the wedding and couldn't get over how much her sister Caitlin looked like her. It wasn't until Caitlin put her on bridesmaid's dress that it was easier to tell them apart. Le Salon did a great job with the girls' hair, especially after the nightmare Kristin had at another salon that shall remain nameless in Tysons I which caused a last minute change of salon.

My assistant Brittany (whom I met at GW) and I headed over to the Harris Teeter to pick up the bouquets and boutonnieres. I was AMAZED at how nice they came out and for a totally reasonable price!! Onward to Meadowlark Botanical Gardens.

What a glorious day to get married. The flowers were in full bloom at Meadowlark, which provided such great backdrop for the whole event.

So those who knows me know that I'm good with kids but they scare me. So the processional started with 15 kids all under the age of 5 walking with bells and petals. What a scene! Thank God for Kristin's older sisters (the Moms) helping out or I would have probably ran the other way :) It was a bit hot during ceremony as the sun had not set yet. When the sun set, all the trees inside the Atrium and on the terrace lit up. It was just magical! We also put some candles along the ledge of the glass wall and the effect was awesome!

Drum roll for wedding moment ....

Kristin is just finishing getting dress in the bridal room, which would later become the kids room during the reception. The room was already chaotic with kids, toys, people visiting Kristin, etc. Amidst all this, Kristin's Mom comes into the room. Kristin asked if she had seen what she and Tuong had written in the back of the program to thank their families and friends for all their assistance. Her Mom holds Kristin's face in her hands and gave her a kiss. It was just the sweetest and most touching little moment ...

Kristin and Tuong danced the whole night and you can see in their faces how happy they were and how much fun they were having. DJ Bob Artman was a master at keeping the dance floor packed. Better Events provided a wonderful buffet dinner and their staff was great to work with, especially Vivian and Roberto. And my new favorite, Hans Ericsson, the photographer was the epitome of what a real photojournalist should do. He was laid back but was always in the right spot, getting into the middle of the action. I sometimes would lose him in the crowd of dancing guests! He also brought along his laptop and downloaded some of the images into a slideshow that allowed the guests to preview the shots of the day. What a great idea! And I know the photos are awesome so I can't wait to see the whole set.

This wedding was all about family and I was so privileged to be there to witness it.

You like us! You really, really like us!

We have been nominated for the 2006 WUSA9.com A-List for Best Wedding Planner category!



What an honor! Please vote for us! Vote many times (use different email addresses though) by 9/8/06.

Congratulations Megan & Paul!!

I am a new fan of Accuweather.com.

All the weather reports called for rain throughout the day and I checked every weather service available. Accuweather was the only one that said it would be partly cloudy/partly sunny with a chance of rain late in the afternoon and later at night and it was right on the money! The weather teased us all day and made my nerves crazy! Thankfully, the rain held out until well into the reception.

I really liked working with Paul & Megan. They are so laid back and easy going that it makes my job so much easier. Megan found me through one of her friends at church, who was one of my clients last year. Paul is like a big teddy bear with a remarkable resemblence to James Gandolfini from the Sopranos. One of my favorite moments was that our month-out planning session was held at a park along the GW Parkway. One had just finished the site walk through and didn't feel like driving all the way back to their house. The scenery kept us inspired and the outdoors kept the session moving along before my laptop battery ran out.

The weather was going to be a challenge for the wedding day with temperatures soaring into the high 80s and low 90s as we had an outdoor ceremony & reception. But I knew how much Paul & Megan wanted their outdoor wedding so we were going to do the best to get it done! My assistant Brittany and I got to Collingwood Estate early to setup and within minutes we were sweating bullets. The little fans attached to the tent did their best to keep things cool. The skies were clearing up and even the sun came out. But 30 minutes before the ceremony was suppose to start, a huge, dark, ominous cloud was moving quickly up along the Potomac River. I started to panic. Thank goodness that we padded the schedule with plenty of time so all the pictures being taken prior to the ceremony were complete. With the go-ahead from Megan & Paul, we were actually able to start the ceremony a few minutes early. But the rain held out and Megan & Paul had the outdoor ceremony with the beautiful Potomac River behind them just as they had wanted. It was so hot that we couldn't tell if Paul was tearing or just sweating profusely!

The 2nd scare I had was for the bouquet toss. We planned a bouquet toss off the front balcony of the house on the 2nd floor, which required the guests to move out from under the tent. Also, this was when Megan was going to surprise Paul with a birthday cake. Yes - Paul got married on his birthday! Of course, 5 minutes before were going to do the toss, I see another dark, ominous cloud. Only this time, I thought it was really going to rain. And one of the bartenders said he could smell the rain coming. So just as we finished the bouquet toss and the surprise cake, it started to pour for the rest of the night. Many years of good luck for Megan and Paul!!

One of the really fun things about Collingwood is that it is quite a walk from the house down to the river front so they use a golf cart to transport people and things. It's just a hoot to see the bride ride in a golf cart as well as the quartet!

Overall, it was an incredibly laid back evening of fun. Team Megan & Paul included: Erica & Kristin from Innova Photography, Red, Hot & Blue for the yummy BBQ (it doesn't get anymore comfy than some good ole' BBQ), the best smelling cake from Manassas Cakery (the smell from this cake was unbelievable and you could smell it all throughout the house), dancing tunes provided by Ron of Kirkabee DJs (whom I had a lot of fun with trying to figure out how to not get us electricuted if it rained and trying to duck away from camera angles), beautiful sounds of Day Family Chamber Players (a family that plays music together, stays together).

Congratulations Jessica & Cristian!

Finally back on Eastern Daylight Savings Time.

This was my first wedding since I returned from China. Jessica & Cristian got married at Georgetown University's Copley Crypt. Now, everybody knows about Dahlgren Chapel but the Crypt is this cool, little church, perfect for a small wedding. I think GU is one of the prettiest place because there are so many little nooks for interesting photos. I believe you can only get married there if you attened GU.

It was another hot day! I must be cursed. It either rains or is hot as heck on the days I'm working a wedding.

Jessica and Cristian's wedding was one of the most memorable ones for melding two cultures together. Cristian's family is from Chile. To honor that, parts of the mass was said in Spanish, the program was bilingual, two of their friends did the Cueca, the national folk dance of Chile,
Pisco sours were served throughout the night, and Jessica's mom toasted her new family in Spanish.

Team J&C included: family style cuisine by 3Citron, Kim & Trevor from Photos Unscripted (I can't wait to see those pictures and I loved these two), Philippa Tarrant for her beautiful floral creations, and the dolphin ice sculpture/luge (oh the pictures from that!)

Floral Design in Asia

I'm back!!

I just returned from a 2-week trip around China and we had wonderful time. Of course, on our last day, there was a wedding getting setup at the hotel where we were staying. Also, apparently a bride was staying in the room across the hall from us. That morning, at like 9am, the groom and groomsmen came to do the traditional Chinese 'door games.' It was loud as heck!

Anyway, I saw some very creative floral arrangements and thought I'd share them. I'll try to post some vacation photos (over 400!) on my personal blog.


Lobby design

A lobby design

At a restaurant

Another lobby design

At a restaurant - interesting concept for a chuppah?

Lobby Design

No more papers and projects!!

I handed in my last assignment last Friday so I am officially done with graduate school! I am so excited to not be writing anymore papers or doing anymore group projects for the rest of my life! The last 21 months went by so quickly but I am really glad I went to business school. As much as I complain about it, it has been a great experience and I really feel like I've learned something that I can use in real life.

So in the height of wedding season, I am taking a 6-week break. Crazy, I know. But in May, I have my 10-year college reunion, followed by my own graduation. Then I am off for 2 weeks to China with my husband and family. Back to the motherland, as my brother says. It will be a good opportunity to rest and relax.

Congratulations Karen & Bob

A sunny Saturday in April! Not a rain drop in sight! It turned out to be a beautiful day for Karen and Bob's big day. I think I was happiest for Karen to finally be getting married and to finally be done with all the planning. I knew Karen and I would get along famously when I found out her dress had a detachable train, just like mine! I have not met another bride that had a detachable train yet so this is a pretty special sisterhood here.

The wedding moment, actually moments, since there were two ...

The first moment was right before Karen was about to walk down the aisle. We are standing at the back of the church and she starts to tear up. I think it just took me bysurprise because she is normally such a strong person. The emotion of the moment must have finally gotten to her. The second moment was when Karen saw the ballroom for the first time all decorated. She just had the biggest grin on her face and it made me so happy!

Major kudos to Kathy Aragon (makeup) and Melanie Medeiros (hair) for starting the day at 5am. The girls' makeup stayed put all day and Melanie did some beautiful hairstyles. I remember specifically one of the girls had an updo with little twists and knots that looked so neat! I hope we got a picture of that.

Another kudos to Amphora Bakery who supplied the cake, which was delicious and beautiful, and 130 cookies placecards/favors! The work that must have gone into writing everyone's names on each cookie!!

I loved working with Anne Lord and her assistant Brian Lusby - very laid back. Melanie Swan did a fabulous job with the flowers, especially the centerpieces which were so vibrant. The team at the Reston Hyatt presented some delicious food.

Wedding Songs

OK - it's 1:40AM and I'm supposed to be finishing up a paper due today. I'm taking a 'break' :)
I'm also listening to a Michel Buble CD and got to thinking that some of you might find a list of wedding songs I've heard to be useful. Here is the start (check back for updates):

Introductions
Let's Get this Party Started, Pink
Crazy in Love, Beyonce (for bride and groom)
The Best is Yet to Come, Sinatra
Let's Get it Started in Here, Black Eye Peas
Another One Bites the Dust, Queen (for bride and groom)
Can't Get Enough of Your Love Baby, Barry white
This Will Be,

First Dance
Sway, Michael Buble (a great cha-cha)
The Way you Look Tonight, Michael Buble (a Rumba or Fox Trot)
Bless the Broken Road, Rascal Flatts (slow - not a big country music fan but this song I like)
Someone to Watch Over Me, Sting (slow - one of my all time favorites)
Come Away with Me, Norah Jones
Just the Way You Are, Billy Joel
You Mean the World to Me, Toni Braxton
When Somebody Loves You, Frank Sinatra
By Your Side, Sade
At Last, Etta James or Celine Dion
Me & You, Kenny Chesney
All We Ever Find, Tim McGraw
You and Me, Lighthouse
Stay with You, John Legend
The Best is Yet to Come, Sinatra
Unforgettable
So Happy Together, Turtles

Parents Dance
Fernando, ABBA (no joke - it was a song the bride and her Dad used to sing along to during family road trips. All the guests, and your truly, sang along as they danced. It was awesome!)
You Raise Me Up, Josh Groban (This is the new "Wind Beneath my Wings")
Buttefly Kisses, Bob Carlisle
Wind Beneath my Wings, Bette Midler
Unforgettable, Natalie and Nat King Cole
Sunrise, Sunset, Soundtrack to Fiddler on the Roof
Can't Smile without You, Barry Manilow
Daddy's Little Girl, Al Martino
What a Wonderful World, Louis Armstrong
I Love Her First, Heartland
A Song for Mama, BoyzIIMen
You Are the Sunshine of My Life,

Cake Cutting Song
It's Your Love, Faith Hill & Tim McGraw
LOVE, Nat King Cole
How Sweet it Is, James Taylor
This Magic Moment

Bouquet Toss
Let's Get Ready to Rumble
Girls Just Want to Have Fun, Cyndi Lauper

Getting the Garter
You can Leave Your Hat On, Joe Cocker

Garter Toss
Who Let the Dogs Out, Baha Men
You Sexy Thing
Sugar Pie Honey Bunch

Bouquet & Garter Winners
Let's Get it On, Marvin Gaye

Anniversary
It Had to Be You, Harry Connick, Jr
Can You Feel the Love Tonight, Elton John
Through the Year, Kenny Rogers

Last Dance
Never Say Goodbye, Bon Jovi (great for an 80s music theme)
Last Dance, Donna Summer (appropriately titled)
At Last, Etta James
Save the Best for Last, Vanessa Williams
Wonderful Tonight, Eric Clapton
Just in Time, Dean Martin
Sweet Caroline, Neil Diamond
Stand by Me, Ben E. King

Congratulations Tracy & David!

2nd wedding of the season and I'm back into the swing of things again! It was nice to have the Easter weekend break.

Tracy was probably the most crafty bride I've worked with so far. She made the card holder box, the cake topper, the centerpieces, the table numbers, the menu cards, the escort cards, the place cards, the programs, and much, much more! I was really nervous about being able to set up the decor to meet Tracy's expectations - especially since she put so much hard work into customizing her wedding.

Anyway! I prayed and did my no-rain dance. Asked everyone I knew to do the no-rain dance. And finally, somebody heard our prayers - at least for about an hour! The skies cleared and the rain stopped long enough for Tracy to walk down the aisle. No sooner we closed the church doors, it poured again and didn't stop all night.

The wedding moment. There is one at every wedding for me. Here is Tracy and David's.

It was in the middle of the reception and the ballroom is now dimly lit. A slow song comes on and Tracy and David are dancing. Tracy rests her head on David's shoulders and closes her eyes. The light from the videocamera shone on them as if it was a spotlight. They both looked so content and really let the moment sink in. Even with people surrounding them on the dance floor, it seemed like they were all by themselves. You can't help but feel love.

We had a few wedding crashers, who were promptly escorted out by the buffed groomsmen and the groom. Guests from another wedding attempted to steal our favors until I brought out my nightstick -- just kidding :) But overall, everyone had a great time!

I had so much fun with the dynamic husbands and wives teams of Rick and Susan Martin of Rick Martin Photography (I can't wait to see the photos!) and Jeff and Lori Carpenter of Red Feather Video. Marc from Kirkabee DJs kept the dance floor packed the whole night. The chocolate fountain provided by Chocolate Falls was a big hit and we had enough leftovers for Tracy and David to nibble on after the reception. You could smell the chocolate all the way to the hotel lobby! The rest of the team included: beautiful Tiffany blue cake by Fancy Cakes by Leslie, wonderful flowers by Heaven on Earth Wedding Flowers, limo by Majestic Limo, and hair by O'Hair Salon in the Kentlands of Gaithersburg.

The catering staff at the Gaithersburg Hilton gets major kudos for setting up all the decor. Since the ceremony ran 20 minutes late, I got to the Hilton much later than scheduled. Without the help of the catering staff, we could not have setup the reception in time.

Kicking off the 2006 Wedding Season

The April showers welcomed us into the first wedding of 2006. Even the rain couldn't put a damper on what turned out to be a beautiful celebration.

Rebecca and Kyle have become one of my favorite couples and I will totally miss their sense of humor and their cute kitties.

I experienced one of the most emotional moments I've ever had at a wedding (as a coordinator). The moment when Kyle saw Rebecca for the first time was the most genuine and heartfelt moment! It made me cry! Let me set the scene for you:

We're at the Old Town Hilton (which has a pretty lobby, BTW). It's raining, winding, gloomy and cold outside but inside, there was a warm and loving story beginnign to unfold. Rebecca, with her entourage in tow (4 bridesmaids and Moms), has just come out of the elevator to the lobby. Meanwhile, Kyle is hiding around the corner underneath a 20-foot tall mural, a quiet little nook area with nobody else in sight. You can see the anticipation on Kyle's face. Other family and friends have gathered in the lobby as well, along with Stacey and Jason, the creative photographers from Labor of Love Photography. The bridesmaids, trailing with Rebecca's train in hands, escorted her about half way towards Kyle. You can feel everyone holding their breath as Rebecca took the final few steps before turning the corner. Being a classically trained dancer, she carried herself with such grace and the way her dress flowed made her look so regal. As Rebecca turned the corner, you saw the biggest smile on Kyle's face. They hugged and kissed and it felt like they were the only two in that lobby, even as we all gleamed from ear to ear and broke out in applause.

That, was clearly my favorite part of the day.

What made the day so much fun for me was getting to know the bridal party and the families. I especially loved the bridesmaids. Alana, the most animated matron of honor I've ever met was exactly the kind of gal I would want as the MOH. And a message to Kerry -- don't be so pessimistic!! Dana and I spent a lot of time sitting on the floor repinning Rebecca's bustle :)

The day would not have been as wonderful if not for the fun music provided by Steve at GoodNote DJs. He kept everyone dancing all night long, including Kyle's grandparents who will be celebrating their 57th wedding anniversary next week. The most vibrant bouquets of tulips I had ever seen came from the veteran skills of Wendy at Heather and Honey, a 5th generation florist who brought her 90 year old Dad along. Dad was the youngest 90 year old I had ever met and clearly loved his craft too. And you can tell that he passed his passion onto his daughter. Kelley Epps of Face Mode and Kara Breissinger worked their magic with the ladies' makeup and hair.

Finally, a major THANK YOU to my newly recruited assistant, Sydney Williams. Sydney and I met while volunteering at a conference type event. She is completing the certificate program in event management from George Washington University. With a day like that, I could not have done it without her and I hope she enjoyed herself as well.

After a hiatus since October, it's great to get the adrenaline rush from coordinating an event again. I'm really looking forward to this season and hope to learn more about what I can do better. I'm doing events at locations I had never been to before and working with other professionals I haven't worked with yet. I'm working on several projects to provide my clients with improved service and hope to have those ready to go soon. And as always, if you have any suggestions, please email me!

4 More Weeks!!

As many of you know, I will be receiving my MBA from George Washington University next month. 4 more weeks until my last assignment is due!! I cannot wait! I don't want to write another paper, take another quiz or give another b-school presentation for the rest of my life!

What does this mean for all my clients? You will be getting more of me than you bargained for!! I will be able to make more weeknight meetings. Bear with me in these last few weeks. Wish me luck!

A Little Pow Wow

Kudos to Laura from Soiree Special Events for setting up the first pow-wow of DC area wedding coordinators this past Sunday. What a great way to network and exchange ideas, tips, and information. I wasn't sure what to expect, as you never know what can happen with a room full of women :) But what a pleasant surprise! We had a dynamic and smart group of women! I can say now with certainty that DC area couples have nothing to worry about with us coordinating your weddings!

We are all small business owners and we all go through similar challenges with balancing work and personal lives. I'm always fascinated by the creativity of small business owners and entrepreneurs.

Bottom Row: Priscilla (The Finer Points), Deb (The Raspberry Carousel), AJ (Soiree Special Events), Lynn (The Finer Points), Laura (Soiree Special Events), me. Top Row: Kim (A Timeless Affair), Shana (Designs by Epiphany), Angel and Kim (Serendipity Special Events), Lauren (Breathe Events)! Missing from the photo: Meredith (Elegant Engagements), Linda (Sparkle Event Planning), and makeup artist Kim Finnegan.

Be a Guest at your own dinner party!

It's no fun to slave over your dishes while your guests are having a blast at your own dinner party.
Today's DailyCandyDC featured cooking lessons at Company's Coming in NW DC. Classes are taught by Ed and Jinny Fleischman and cover all the necessary aspects of throwing a dinner party — not just the cooking part. It's totally hands-on and you get to eat what your prepared at the end.

I'll definitely check this out soon and so should you!

*This is strictly editorial. Event Accomplished does not endorse any product or service described in this Blog nor are we paid to write about them.