Original Wedding: Danita & Fritz

This past weekend, on a sunny December day, Danita & Fritz tied the knot. Both their ceremony and reception were perfectly elegant with romantic draping and tons of up-lighting. The food was spectacular, the cake was to die for and not a single guest left without a smile on their face!

My favorite things:

1. Little Aiden, the ring bearer, going out of his way to give me a hug at the end of the night. So precious!
2. Watching the entire dance floor "gangnam style". That's right, it's a verb.
3. The elegance of the reception room. It's amazing what up-lighting and pipe and drape can do for a ballroom.

Things I learned:

1. A ceremony room can be turned into a reception room in a matter of minutes. I had NEVER seen a room flip done so quickly but apparently if you have the right staff and the right frame of mind, its a piece of cake!
2. The United States Postal Service owns event venues... who would have thought.
3. If you need mingling guests to move from the lobby to the cocktail room, just mention the open bar!

Danita & Fritz-- Thank you for letting NoLo be a part of your special day. I wish you nothing but the best!

Venue: The Bolger Center

Catering: The Bolger Center

Coordinator: NoLo Weddings & Events

Florist/ Rentals/ Decor: Da Vinci's Florist

Photographer: The Pros

Wedding Cake: Cakes Plus

DJ: JD the DJ

Connecting with Wedding Vendors

Connecting with wedding vendors is always something that I have felt strongly about, not only as a bride but as a planner. As a bride, I want my vendors to understand Josh and I. I want our photographer to understand our style so that we love our pictures and for our DJ to know us and our families so that everyone stays entertained. Most of the vendors we selected, we selected because they felt like friends. And because of this, I feel confident that on our wedding day I will not be disappointed, I will not have to watch over and make sure that they are doing exactly what I want and I will feel perfectly comfortable.

More importantly-- As a planner, I want to connect with my brides and grooms. I want to understand their personalities and who they are as a couple. And not only do I want to connect with the bride and groom, but when it comes to the big day, I want to connect with the family as well! I honestly feel that the wedding day is such a nicer experience for the family (especially the parents and grandparents) if they connect with the me as the wedding planner. If we can laugh and joke and goof off (when appropriate of course) the  rehearsal and formal activities are so much more enjoyable! I have had so many parents and guests come up and thank me at the end of a loooooong day of wedding activities for such a great time, and that means the world to me. That is why I continue to love this job.

Last weekend's wedding was the perfect example! (That's the ring bearer hugging my partner in crime, Nora!)

Potomac Floral: Great For the DIY Bride!

If you are a DIY bride in the DC/Maryland/Virginia area, and looking to make your own bouquets and flower arrangements, you should DEFINITELY check out Potomac Floral. They are a floral warehouse in Silver Spring that let's individuals purchase, not just companies. As a bride who is doing all of her own flowers, I took a drive down there a few days ago and was very impressed. The warehouse isn't quite as large as I was expecting, but they have a ton of flowers! They even have a supplies section where you can find all of the floral tape, ribbon and accessories that you need.

The staff is also extremely helpful. I was provided with a list of private florists who could help me if I end up needing it and they made sure I was aware that the flowers I would see now, in December, would not be the same as what would be available in April. The person I spoke too gave me recommendations on when to order and pick up and how long the flowers would stay fresh after I make the bouquets. I was also allowed to wonder around the warehouse and look at all they have to offer. Although I knew some flowers would not be available in April, I still took the time to walk around just so that I could see the quality and condition of the flowers they offer. They were all beautiful! Great quality and phenomenal color choices.

Potomac even makes ordering easy. You can call or order online and all of the prices are listed right on their website. So far, with all of my researching, they have the lowest pricing that I have seen. I have a few more places to check out, but I'm pretty positive I will be using Potomac Floral for the flowers at our wedding!

Here are my favorites-- Look at how gorgeous!

I was so surprised to see actual cotton!

Peonies and garden roses are my absolute favorite!

So many colors of daises!

Tip-- Carnations are extremely affordable and so pretty! If you are trying to save money, definitely work these into your arrangements!

Original Wedding: Alexandra & Anthony

The award for most personal wedding that I have to done, to date, definitely goes to Alex and Anthony. The couple not only created an amazing wedding day to share with family and friends, but they did so while sharing stories and facts about their relationship throughout the entire day. We started on Georgetown campus in DC, where Alex and Anthony both attended college, and ended at the Washington Club, where the couple met years ago. There were very personal touches from start to finish, my favorite being Anthony's speech that took place in the exact spot that the couple met. They even decided to use family recipes for some of the food items, and selected others based on places from their past (like their first date!). Even the champagne was specifically selected to be what the couple had brought to their table the night they were engaged. The night ended perfectly with a popcorn truck right outside for guests to grab a midnight snack!

My favorite things:

1. The popcorn truck. Hands down. The absolute best end to a wedding ever.
2. The personal touches throughout the entire wedding. There is nothing better than a wedding that reflects the couple in every single aspect.
3. The hot chocolate bar!!

Things I learned:

1. Being a maverick at the DC metro system does not necessarily make you a maverick at the DC metro bus system. Leave extra early. 
2. The majority of Georgetown campus is not supposed to be driven on... noted.
3. If you see a DC taxi driver wave to be let in, you let him in. What will unfold next as he does a 3-point turn in the middle of oncoming traffic is quite possibly the best entertainment you will have all month. Maybe all year. (I SO wish I had those 45 seconds of my life on video for those that did not get to experience it. It was hilarious. Literally everyone stopped to give this man room and that's saying something for DC drivers!)

I just realized that all of my lessons learned involve navigating in DC. I've lived within 20 minutes of DC my entire 24 years of life... let this be a lesson to all that you will NEVER figure out DC roads, navigation or traffic. Ever.

Alex & Anthony-- After taking part in your wedding day I felt like I had been there throughout your entire relationship. It was such a treat to see your day come together and I wish you both the absolute best!

Venue: The Washington Club

Caterer: The Washington Club

Coordinator: NoLo Weddings & Events
Photographer: Monika Broz

Florist: Twinbrook Florist

Wedding Cake: Cakes by Carolyn
Band: Laissez Foure
DJ: Bruce Pike Productions
Videographer: The Pros
Ceremony Musicians: Sage String Quartet

Keep Calm and Deck the Halls!

I don't know about you guys, but I love pulling out the Christmas boxes and jumping right in to decorating my house the week after Thanksgiving. So for myself and all of those who will be putting up tons of decorations this week...

I found it while browsing Etsy and couldn't resist :)

Happy Monday!

Original Wedding: Sandy & Tony

The first weekend of November, right after hurricane Sandy swept through the DC area, Sandy & Tony said "I Do" at Fort Myer. They had a perfectly elegant ceremony, complete with the Arch of Sabers, followed by an intimate brunch for their friends and family. Sandy & Tony even played the shoe game, much like the newlywed game, where the DJ asked questions and guests cheered as they picked the right answers! Not a single person could have been enjoying themselves more with the amazing view of DC in the background, the delicious breakfast sandwiches and omelettes and the entertaining atmosphere.

My favorite things:

1. The officiant breaking out in full on Spanish the second time we ran through the ceremony at the rehearsal. Talk about catching you off guard-- SO entertaining!
2. The groom's cake! Sandy had a baseball cake made for Tony since he used to play, currently coaches, and Sandy & their girls love cheering him on at games.
3. The fact that Sandy was up at 3am to get in her morning jog before getting ready for a 10am wedding ceremony!

Things I learned:

1. Military ceremonies have the potential to run very ahead of schedule. So...
2. Anytime the Honor Guard is involved in a wedding ceremony, make sure you keep them close enough to be on call at any time. When Sandy & Tony's ceremony ran ahead of schedule (40 minutes ahead of schedule) it was really handy that they were right around the corner!
3. Guests really don't mind being up for a 10am ceremony followed by a brunch reception. Out-of-town guests had plenty of time to make their way home and it was just a great atmosphere all around!

Sandy & Tony-- I loved being a part of your big day and helping to pull everything together. You have a beautiful family and I wish you nothing but the very best!

Oh and fun fact-- Ironically enough, the tropical storm right after Hurricane Sandy was Tropical Storm Tony! Sandy & Tony. Who would have thought?!

Venue: Sheraton National

Caterer: Sheraton National

Coordinator: NoLo Weddings & Events
Photographer: Steve Canning

Florist: Royal Floral Designs

Wedding Cake/ Groom's Cake: The Cake Guy

Wedding Dress Woe

On Sunday I did something I had been looking forward to doing for weeks. I took my wedding dress out of my closest, removed it from it's bags, carefully stepped in to it and slowly zipped it up. And then I cried.

I tried my dress on when I picked it up from the bridal shop a couple of weeks ago, but there were quite a few other people in the shop and I didn't have the space to stare at myself in the mirror for 20 minutes, nor did I want to look THAT full of myself! So I took a few glimpses, made sure there were no stains or rips and packed it back up to take home. I finally got the chance to try it back on this weekend and I wasn't thrilled. To my horror, I hated it. Hated it. After about 10 minutes of breaking down, my 5-year old cousin hugging me while telling me I looked pretty and my mom talking me through it, I warmed back up to it. My problem was, I was looking at the dress as it was. I wasn't taking into consideration the alterations that still have to be done and the little changes that I want to make to it.

When I tried the dress on originally, the smallest they had was a size 10, so of course they had it clipped tightly on to me so that I could see what it would look like in my size. And of course it looked great-- It hugged me perfectly. But my dress does not. I have next to no shape and felt as though I looked like a bit of a marshmallow with all of the extra fabric that has yet to be taken off. After I calmed down a bit and started playing around with holding the fabric back here, and tucking a piece in there, it started looking like the dress that I remember loving in the shop.

So why am I sharing this? Definitely not so that I look like a crazy person who is overly emotional (although I felt a little like that on Sunday), but so that I can save maybe just a couple of brides from the "I hate my dress" breakdown! My message here-- When you try on your newly purchased dress at home, remember all of the things that still need to be done to it. Unless you have a model's body, chances are it's going to need some alterations and will look completely different on you afterwards. I for one cannot wait to get my dress altered, and I'm going to make sure that I have a darn good seamstress when I do because every bride deserves happy tears the moment they step into the most expensive dress that they will probably ever buy!

P.S. Just try to stay sad with this little darling telling you "You are so beautiful. Are you okay?"... you just can't do it.

Original Wedding: Jenny & Michael

The last weekend of October, with the threat of an incoming hurricane, Jenny & Michael pledged their love to one another and it couldn't have been more wonderful. The couple took everything in stride as we changed the ceremony location and moved things around to accommodate Hurricane Sandy. Even as the rain started and winds picked up on Sunday evening, the guests remained as excited and happy to be there as ever. With the ceremony moved indoors, the reception space took on a cozy feel and guests were able to shed their coats and umbrellas. Afterwards, a folk band, complete with banjos, entertained the crowd during cocktail hour. Between cloudy weather and wind gusts, Jenny & Michael were even able to continue with pictures outside (which was great considering the AH-mazing scenery surrounding Smokey Glen)! Hurricane and all, Jenny & Michael's wedding was fabulous-- Although I have to admit, I was bummed that the weather prevented guests from the lawn games (including zip-lining)!

My favorite things:

1. Smokey Glen's scenery. There is something about fall colors and tons of hills that just make a wedding that much better!
2. The music! With a rustic wedding, you really can't go wrong with banjos during cocktail hour.
3. The cake topper. The MOH designed a cake topper to reflect Jenny & Michael and it was adorable!

Things I learned:

1. Don't underestimate the time that it takes to hang paper lanterns on twine-- It's a good thing we started earlier than originally planned!
2. If people love you, they will make it to your wedding! Even with Hurricane Sandy starting to beat down on the East Coast, only a few people cancelled last minute, and even those were because of flights being cancelled, not personal choice!
3. If you are doing an "iPod reception", have 3 back-ups. Not 1. Not 2. 3. You will need them. Luckily, the groom provided us with just that many!

Jenny & Michael-- I absolutely loved every minute of working with you both and wish you nothing but the best in your life together!

Venue: Smokey Glen Farm

Caterer: Smokey Glen Farm

Vegetarian Caterer: Everlasting Life

Coordinator: NoLo Weddings & Events

Florist: Mary-Ruth Chapin

Wedding Cake: Bakeshop