Our weddings for April and May have been keeping us busy here at For All Occasions.  Each one is so different and has represented our couple's style and who they are as people.  They have been fun, understated in some cases, and elegant. That is what makes planning a wedding so interesting!  Make it your own.  Weddings do not have to be cookie cutter look alikes...be creative, think about who you are and what makes you as a couple unique.  Display your creativity whether it be in a centerpiece, in a different way to display seating cards, or in your music style.  No matter what the budget, you can have affordable ideas that will make your wedding a WOW! Don't be afraid to step out of the box, and if you cannot get your creative juices flowing, remember to ask for help from your bridal party, family, or hire a consultant.

 

Happy Planning!

Saturday evening began the official spring season for us .  My team and I were at the Hyatt Bethesda for a 243 person wedding. The ceremony and reception were held in the Crystal Ballroom, and the team at the Hyatt provided great service throughout the evening.

 DJ Mark Wilner of Washington Talent did an awesome job keeping the crowd entertained, and many great photo memories were captured by Tracy Timmester, the photographer as well as by Shelly of Blue Sky Films Videography.  The decor by Partyland was phenomenal and created a romantic and dramatic ambiance in the ballroom.

Congratulations to Welby and Irene who allowed me to be a part of their wedding day.

I had the pleasure of meeting with Catering Sales Manager, Keith Jagdhuber of The Mason Inn yesterday.  Keith took Ron Jones of Ron Jones Photography and myself on a hard hat tour of the new facility.  It was exciting to see this new venue on the George Mason campus in Fairfax. It is going to be a great venue for weddings with it's grand ballroom able to host over 300 people with a dance floor, plus it will have great space for ceremonies either indoors or outside by the pond area.  The Inn will have guest rooms, conference rooms and a restaurant that will be open to the public as well.  I look forward to it's opening coming this summer right here in Fairfax.

 I am back; sorry for the hiatus in my writing, but an eye problem has kept me from being able to write.

 

Many couples have asked these common etiquette questions when in the planning process for their wedding, so I thought I would share a few with you.  If you are planning yourselves, then hopefully this wll be some good guidance for you.

Beginning with invitations: When should they be ordered and mailed?

Invitations should be ordered when all the pertinent information for the ceremony and reception have been confirmed.  Order them at least 3 months before the wedding and mail them  between 6 to 8 weeks before the ceremony is to take place. The invitation sets the tone of the wedding as it is the first glimpse into what your wedding will be like.

May guests be invited to a reception and not the wedding itself?

If the wedding ceremony is only for relatives and close friends, then yes, others may be invited only to the reception.

The Ceremony:What if the church has two center aisles?

You can use one of the aisles for the processional and one for the recessional; you donot have to use just one aisle for the entire wedding unless the church policy says to do so.

How many ushers and bridesmaids are needed?

It certainly depends on the size of the wedding, but normally there would be one usher for every 50 guests.  The average wedding party for a formal or semi-formal wedding would be 4 to 6 bridesmaids and groomsmen.

At the reception, on which side of the groom does the bride sit?

The bride is always seated on the groom's right.

Who proposes the first toast?

The Best Man is to propose the first toast to the bride and groom. He must remember that it is a toast, not a roast.  This is different from a welcome by the bride's parents.

 

Many couples decide that they would like a little extra bling of decor to make their wedding reception a bit more elegant.  You do not necessarily have to do a great deal; sometimes a little uplighting can add enough warmth to make everything in the room look romantic and elegant.

 

Using different size tables makes a difference as well.  Here are a few examples of a wedding I did that took us a little out of the box, and was all about lighting and being different.  It was a fun wedding just like the wonderful couple who got married! Thanks to Tony Brown of Imijination Photography for his excellent images.

 I had the pleasure of meeting Jeffrey Fox of Capital Decor and Events last evening at The Association of Wedding Professionals monthly meeting. It was held at The Hilton Alexandria Mark Center where we were wined and dined with delicious food and great service.  After cocktails in the Capital View on the 29th floor of the hotel which boasted a wondeful view with it's spiral staircase and quaint space , we went dowstairs for dinner in the Terrace Ballroom.  What a pleasant surprise to see the room decorated with tables and benches for our dining pleasure, compliments of Capital Decor.

 

Mr. Fox gave us some new ideas and insights into trends of the new year.  "Less is More" is the attitude with simple being the key word.  Furnture  groupings can play a huge part in the design of the room for your wedding, softening the look. Round tables which we are used to, are no longer the norm.  Being creative with tables, tablescapes and lighting can help capture any theme for your reception. Using the same color in different shades and textures instead of two complmentary colors is really a neat idea this year.  Details at each place setting is something you might consider instead of a huge centerpeice on the table.  Sometimes this is more cost effective for you.The one other thing that I was happy to hear about is that feathers are being used again ...what fun they can add to centerpieces and room decor.  Consider them when planning your special day!

 Wedding season is upon us and so are many bridal shows.  Please join me and meet my colleagues at Stonewall Golf Club's annual Bridal Show tomorrow, Sunday, Feb 21st between 11 and 3pm.  There will be lots to see and learn, so hope to see you there.

 Next Saturday, February 27th, meet with me at Ft. Belvoir's Bridal Fair also from 11 to 2pm.  Many talented wedding vendors will be present with some exciting products and services for your wedding day. Make sure to visit Ron Jones at his photography booth and spin the wheel for many wonderful prizes....even a special prize from Myrna at For All Occasions can be won!

 

March 7th at Bristow Manor Golf Club is where you can chat with me next. Planning your wedding can be a fun and exciting time...too stressed?  Ask me your questions on how to enjoy the process.  Looking forward to meeting many newly engaged couples!

Thank goodness the snow is finally behind us, for now.  I hope you all have kept safe and warm during these last two snow events.

While I had some time without seeing clients this past week, my thoughts rolled over to the topic of wedding insurance.  It is a relatively new idea in the industry, but I do believe that for certain instances , it would be something very important to have.  Case in point, this last storm when so many events had to be canceled and/or postponed. Wedding insurance not only covers the bride and groom, but can also cover the parents of each and some airline flights.

When you have a moment, do some research.  There are several companies that offer wedding insurance, but I would suggest checking out a site at www.protectmywedding.com .  This is a company that some of my couples have used. It is better to be safe, than sorry!

 

Happy Planning..

 

 It is so important to read all of your wedding contracts.  This weekend I was to do a wedding at a hotel in DC. Due to the weather predictions, my couple and I sat down on Wednesday to review all options in the contracts just in case the snow was to become an issue.  Sure enough, it has become an issue, but because we were on top of things, it was easy to postpone the wedding by enforcing a clause called 'Force Majeure'.  Although it is a very sad and disappointing time for my clients, they at least have not lost any monies and can look forward to a spring wedding when the weather will not be an issue to ensure their guests a safe and pleasant day.

Lesson learned, if planning a winter wedding, keep in mind the weather is so unpredictable..who would have thought we could get another 12 to 24 inches of snow, and remember, if you are not using a planner to assist, please read and be familiar with your rights and options in every contract you sign.

 enjoy the snow!

 

To keep abreast of all the latest trends and wedding happenings in our area, it is important as a certified wedding planner to continually network. I had the pleasure today to network with members of The Association of Wedding Professionals at The Hilton Garden Inn in Greenbelt, where our speaker Vicky Johnson, from Whose Wedding Is It Anyway , and owner of her own planning business , gave us great insight into how to continually have a vision  for our business and how to assist our clients in understanding thier visions for their wedding.    

Tonight I had the opportunity to be part of The Association of Bridal Consultants first meeting in Northern Virginia. David Wood, the Presdient of the national organization spoke to the group at The Ritz Carlton in Tysons Corner.  He spoke of how important education is in the wedding business. By taking classes, going to conferences, and by networking with others in the industry, we as wedding professionals can offer so much more to our wedding clients.

Networking opportunities and continuing education keep me fresh and excited to plan the next wedding!