Have a cozy Christmas!!

Image: Sacramento Street.

Giving Back - AFH + The Conservation Fund

It's been a while since I blogged about our love for the environment and animals. Since we have a lot of newly engaged couples that are getting to know us, I thought it was a good time to talk a little about My Simple Details charitable giving. Starting in 2009 we made a decision to donate 1% of all our client's package costs to either A Forever Home, a local animal rescue, or to The Conservation Fund. This year we were so excited to make our largest donations in our history, on behalf of our clients.  We're looking forward to making many more donations to these two causes in the new year, and want to thank all of our clients who appreciate our love for nature and furry friends. Happy Holidays!

Shown above: Images from the Rover 2011 Calendar 

Love Couture Bridal - Sample Sale

In the past I've hearing some great things about Love Couture Bridal from our brides, so I'm excited to here that they are having a 3-day Sample Sale December 26-28th. If you're looking for a dress with style that won't bust the budget, call to make your appointment today. I'm sure the dresses will sell out fast.  

Destination Venue- Rosewood Mayakobá

We recently coordinated a wedding for one of our clients in sunny, warm Me-hee-co. The wedding was held at a boutique resort north of Cancun in the Riviera Maya. After the wedding I planned a short trip South to the Rosewood Mayakobá Resort as a site visit for one of our 2011 destination couples. After my visit I can say, they will not be disappointed in this resort. 

When Phong and I arrived we were greeted with non-alcoholic mojitos that were delish. Since mojitos are one of my favorite refreshments, Rosewood was already racking up bonus points in my book. We were promptly checked in and whisked off on a super cute wooden boat to our suite.  As we enjoyed welcome snacks on the boat of fresh fruit, and finished our drinks, we floated down the canals and eventually arrived at our suite's private dock.  The plunge pool looked inviting and the suite was picture perfect. 

The standard suites include a private plunge pool; luxurious tub; inside rain shower; outside rain shower; a second floor roof-top daybed, perfect for sunsets and soaking up rays; an extremely comfortable bed, that I didn't want to leave after working a wedding the previous night; and sheets that I just wanted to put in my suitcase before I checked out.  

During our oh too short stay,  the event planner at the Rosewood treated myself and one of the local florists (that I adore) to a walk through. This local florist has supplied my clients with some amazing flowers and always goes above and beyond. I can't wait to work with her again in 2011. 

During the tour we looked at the beach deck, the location for the ceremony which overlooks the blue ocean; multiple spots for the perfect cocktail hour; the restaurant area, that will be used for the reception;  and the garden, where the welcome dinner will be served. Every area at Rosewood was immaculate, giving us a great starting point. By just adding a few simple details my clients are sure to have the magical wedding of their dreams. Here are some images that I took along the way. I really didn't want to leave. 

Subdued Tones for Winter Brides

It's snowy in DC and with more in the forecast, the muted colors have inspired a simple subdued winter inspiration board for those planning winter weddings. I hope you enjoy!  



First Row: Jose Villa/ Second Row: Cameron Ingalls, James Carriere/Third Row: Gold block letter from Cabin 7, Meg Perotti Photographer, Leg-warmers from Free People / Fourth Row: Small calendar from Kitty Rogers on etsy, James Carriere

Moroccan Day After Session - Featured on Style Me Pretty

This post is a little delayed, but trust me it's worth the wait. I didn't want to post this amazing shoot until it was featured on Style Me Pretty, and then I  was so busy getting ready for a destination wedding in Mexico, that it was put off a little longer. I returned early this week from Mexico and now I'm ready to show you all the gorgeousness from our Moroccan Styled Day After Shoot with Kate Triano Photography. 

Tram and Tiko were married this past fall and were Kate's 2010 wedding giveaway winners. They are so... sweet and a total joy to work with.  After chatting with them about the style of shoot, they wanted something different, exotic, and colorful.  Immediately a Moroccan theme emerged and I had the perfect fabrics to use from my recent trip to India. In the end I personally think we hit the nail on the head. Holly Chapple Flowers provided Tram and Tiko's flowers for their real wedding, so I thought it was perfect for Holly to be involved in creating the flowers for their day after shoot, and man did Holly deliver!  To read more info on the flowers used and all the little details swing on over to Style Me Pretty. 

Kate Triano Photography and Holly Chapple Flowers each have amazing blog posts about this styled shoot with more drool worthy pics, so when you get a chance hop over to these amazing vendor's websites.  They won't disappoint! 

Taste of the Stars Gala

The other week Phong and I volunteered at the 11th Annual Taste of the Stars Gala for the Mid-Atlantic Starlight Children’s Foundation, which is dedicated to lifting the spirits of seriously ill children and their families in the region. The event, which was held at the Four Seasons Georgetown, was themed “Bedtime Bash”. The ballroom was completely draped in floor-to-ceiling blue dupioni silk, oversized candelabras were placed on various tables, and stunning calla lily floral arrangement were everywhere. Guests had an elegant dinner and specialty cocktails, and dinner concluded with a dessert of milk and cookies. The event raised over $500,000 from ticket sales, sponsorships, and the silent and live auctions, which featured items like a 1900 vintage bottle of Chateau Margaux, trips to the Kentucky Derby,  a Jamaican vacation, and some ski vacations.  After dinner one of the side ballrooms was transformed into a loungy club atmosphere with large bed like ottomans and pillows and a white dance floor.  It was a great event the all the guest enjoyed while supporting an amazing local cause. 

First 3 photos by Tony Powell

Cozy Bridal Style

If you're planning a wedding in the Northeast, the chances are good for a chill in the air if your date falls anywhere from September to April. The brides below made sure they could take great natural light photos on their wedding day without goose bumps, chattering teeth, or the shivers. When you’re not cuddled up for a photo with your new hubby, how do you plan to stay warm on your wedding day?


First Row: Cameron Ingalls, Kate Headley Photography/ Second Row: Shannon Nicole Smith, Rachel Thurston

Happy Anniversary Minh-Thu & Rith!

Last year at this time we were headed from Minh-Thu and Rith's traditional Vietnamese ceremony at Minh-Thu's parents house to Lansdowne Resort to set up their western ceremony and reception for 300 guests. The previous day they had a traditional Cambodian ceremony at Rith's Father's house, and all the events of the weekend were truly joy filled as their families joined.  We just wanted to take a moment to congratulate them on their 1 year anniversary!

All of the images below are from Kate Triano Photography.  

Barrel Oak Winery

Last weekend my husband and I, and 2 of our dogs (the lucky ones), got to go with us to Barrel Oak Winery. Barrel oaks' slogan "We're an Hour from Downtown and a World Away", is really a true statement!  I love this winery's setup. It's kid & dog friendly, has fire-pits, picnic tables, and umbrellas spread out all over their hillside so you can relax and enjoy the scenery with a glass of wine. You can bring our own picnic food, buy a chilled bottle of wine, and use their complementary glasses.  They also rent their facilities and offer various vineyard locations where you can hold an outdoor or tented event.  I will definitely be going back soon! 

Kathryn and Andy - Married! - Whitehall Manor

In late October Kathryn and Andy were married at Holy Trinity Catholic Church in Gainesville followed by a beautiful reception at Whitehall Manor in Bluemont,Virginia.  Because of the distance between the two locations, Kathryn knew hiring a coordinator would help make their day stress-free and take care of all the little details such as her DIY centerpieces consisting of tree trunk slivers, cylinder vases wrapped with raffia and leaf details with floating candles, and birch wrapped votives.   

It was a picture perfect fall day as they said I do, and I personally loved the dresses and suits that Kathryn and Andy picked out for their entire bridal party. The long chocolate dresses with ruffle back detail and the navy suits with striped ties looked perfect. All the girls got ready at Carlos Salon & Spa and the salon did an amazing job with Kathryn's hair. Connie's Cake Creations created a lovely lace detailed cake and Evan from MyDeejay kept everyone on the dance floor all night long.  Mark Kent Photography captured these images from the day. 

Summer Backyard Wedding - Warming thing up!

It's getting cold in DC, so I have a fun backyard wedding to share with you from this past August. 

Dan and Shaina were married in late August at Shaina's Dad's house in Haymarket, Virginia. With 200+ guests, a tight budget, and a desire to create a personal, fun, and casual backyard event, we were up to the challenge.  The ceremony was held on the beautiful red roofed porch with a few chairs for the parents and grandparents and blankets for others to lounge on as they enjoyed a drink and waited for the ceremony to begin. It was really like a rock concert when the bride and groom made their way to the front.  A close friend of the couple, officiated the ceremony, with his notes written on a paper towel roll that included jokes and stories about when the Dan and Shaina first met.  Another close friend to the couple, Cliff Owen, was there to capture all the moments and details of the day. 

Fans were provided as favors to keep guests cool, and both the bride and bridesmaids carried silk fans instead of traditional flower bouquets.  Since both the bride and groom share a love for motorcycles and riding, Dan's vintage Honda was displayed and instead of a simple bride and groom signs on their chairs, their signs included logos for their bike of choice, Honda and Ducati.  Red and white plastic TV trays were used as place setting for the sweetheart table and tall candlesticks and pillar candles added to the look. The other guests tables were decorated with vintage glass bottles, candles, candlesticks, shot glasses, cards, and red dice for the guests to use for games throughout the night.  In addition to traditional backyard barbecue food, such as hotdogs, hamburgers, corn on the cob, and a multitude of salads, guests has a choice of red velvet or double chocolate cupcakes from none other than Georgetown Cupcakes.  Capital Party Rentals supplied the tent, table, and chairs, while Shaina's Dad built and painted the red dance floor. Bar Tender 2 Go supplied bartenders to keep the drinks flowing, and DJ Jeff Mercer provided the beats.  

Unique Guest Books

When many brides think about their guest book, it's a last minute thought, if at all, but your guest book can make a statement and be something cherished and displayed in or around your house for years to come.  Here are some unique ideas that couples have used in the past. What will you be using for a guest book? I'm personally in love with the old Chevy guest book, so cool!

First Row: Olive Juice Photography/Second Row: Adeline & Grace Weddings/Third Row: Adeline & Grace Weddings,The Beautiful Mess/ Fourth Row: Jessica Watson/ Fifth Row: Joshua Caine

Featured on United With Love - New DC Wedding Blog

I'm so excited to share with you the amazing new wedding inspiration blog, United with Love. 

United with Love features fresh ideas and inspiration for weddings in the greater Washington, DC area. To read more about the super cute editors, Juli and Noel, and the goals of United With Love, jump on over to the new site here.  I promise it's full of great ideas and eye candy to inspire.  I'm particularly in love with their recent post about food trucks for weddings and events. Can you imagine the cool Red Hook Lobster Pound truck pulling up to your engagement party to provide yummy lobster rolls to your guests after a few drinks? Such a fun idea.    

One of our upcoming destination weddings couples, Astrid and Fred, were also recently featured on United with Love for their cute DC e-session with Kate Triano Photography.

Scouting Trip

I often go on scouting trips with my husband and one or more of our pups. Yesterday we headed out to a local park with a boat ramp which I think is perfect for an upcoming photo shoot with one of our couples. The changing leaves look perfect and even though it was a little cold, Bali stayed warm with a vest that one of our neighbor's kids donated.  

Meg & Matt Married - Old Town and Key Bridge Marriott

This September we were honored to witness Meg and Matt say "I do" at Blessed Sacrament in Alexandria and then celebrate their marriage in style with a gorgeous view over the city. We had been working with Meg and her Mom for months planning all the details from the beautiful invitation and paper products by Baumbirdy on Etsy, to the chocolate monument favors, to the flowers by J. Morris, including the most wonderfully fragrant gardenias.  The all low table arrangements were created to ensure an unobstructed view out of the wrap around floor to ceiling windows at the Key Bridge Marriott. Antiqued pottery vases were filled with blue, green, and white hydrangea, blue thistle, limes, pears, apples, and green spider mums to bring in the vibrant green color to contrast the deep navy linens.  White chivari chairs with navy cushions from Party Rental Ltd. completed the look.  We also lined the windows with floating candles in cylinder vases and votives to add to the atmosphere.  Cassidy DuHon captured all the great details and even took Meg, Matt and the Bridal party around Old Town near the water before cocktail hour began.

Here are some of the the details from Meg and Matt's wedding day.  I hope you enjoy! 

Worldwide Wednesdays - South Africa through Julie Lim's Lens

The past few weeks I've been religiously following Julie Lim's blog posts about her time in South Africa. Julie is an amazing up and coming photographer and is the lucky duck, who wedding photographer Christine Meintjes, personally choose to document all of her own upcoming wedding events. What and honor!  Below are some of the gorgeous images that Julie has captured of Cape Town during the last few weeks. To read about Julie's adventures and to see all the super cute details of  Christine Meintjes'  wedding events be sure to hop on over to Julie's blog. 

Karli & Rich Married and Featured on Style Me Pretty!

In early September of this year we helped design and coordinate Karli and Rich's fall wedding at Whitehall Manor in Bluemont, Virginia. Karli looked drop dead gorgeous in her Legends by Romona Keveza dress, and her bridesmaids strutted their stuff in chic deep red dresses by Aria Dress.  Holly Chapple Flowers created the picture perfect bouquets and flowers, and Tracy at Timmester Photography captured all the details, including Karli's grandparents as they patiently waited for the ceremony to begin.  The gorgeous fall wedding was just featured in Style Me Pretty and we think it deserves the attention. Read Karli's & Rich's story here and how Karli felt the first look was her favorite moment from her wedding day. 

Earlier this year we were grateful to help Liz Guthrie of San Jose Wedding Consultants surprise a deserving couple with a dream wedding from San Francisco Dream Wedding Giveaway.  You can see photos & info here and press about the wedding and our video surprise here. Vanessa & Mike, the winning couple, were both Air Force Academy graduates, Michael returned from deployment, and Vanessa was in the midst of fighting stage IV Hodgkin's Lymphoma in Virginia. 

During the giveaway, Liz, decided to take the next step and founded Wish Upon a Wedding.  Wish Upon a Wedding is the world's first nonprofit wish granting organization that provides weddings & vow renewals for couples facing terminal illness or other serious life-altering circumstances. In less than a year the organization has 16 active chapters, and will have granted 12 wishes by the end of 2010.

During the month of November, the organization and it's chapters are hosting several fund raising galas & auctions throughout the country.  To support this great cause you can enjoy a night out at a local Blissful Wishes Ball or participate in the organization's online auction, Bid Your Wish for Wedded Bliss. Our local DC chapter is hosting their ball in Baltimore on November 17th.

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The online auction enables couples to plan their entire wedding knowing that every penny will go directly towards helping a couple in need.  In the online auction, you can find everything from invitations to flowers, catering to DJs, photography to wedding planners and more from the industry's best vendors.

Jefferson Wine and Apple Picking

This Saturday I went wine tasting at Jefferson Vineyards, apple picking at Carter Mountain Orchard, and then had an early dinner in downtown Charlottesville with the girls.  At the vineyard we shared a bottle of their 2009 Viognier, snacked on goat cheese and herbs with rosemary crackers, and discovered local Gearhart Chocolates chai spiced pecans that are amazing. I've already requested my husband get them for the holidays.  Here are images I snapped along the way.    

Miami Engagement - Lara Rios Photography

We recently planned an engagement session for one of our 2011 destination couples. We are helping Yasmin and Michael plan their April wedding in the heart of South Beach, Miami, and judging by these pictures, it's going to be hot. For the engagement session we planned a trip down to Miami, with a stay at the National Hotel, their amazing wedding venue. During their stay, Claudia of Art of Hair and Maritza of Make up by Marz met Yasmin for a trial run of hair and makeup. These ladies are a dream team and it really shows.  Up and coming photographer, Lara Rios, who I can't say enough good things about, arrived after the trials to take Yasmin and Michael around the hotel and out to the beach for some gorgeous pictures. The color of Yasmin dress was perfection and the images are yummy! During their stay Yasmin and Michael also had their tasting with the National's events coordinator to select the perfect menu for their big day. It was a pre-wedding trip that the couple will always remember and we're so glad we could help make it relaxing and fun. 

Clifton Day

We had a great afternoon at Clifton Day on Sunday.  I personally love this little town and they have  a cute little church and Trummers for top notch receptions or rehearsal dinners.  Trummers' executive chef Clayton Miller was recently named one of Food & Wine magazine's Best New Chefs of 2010 and the decor in their largest, glass-enclosed Atrium, with seating for up to 90, is drop dead gorgeous.  Here are some images I took as we walked around Clifton Day.  

Colored Glass

When you're deciding on a color palette for your wedding, besides taking some cues from the venue, and the feel you envision for your event, think about bringing in color through the vases and glassware. If you love blue's and yellow's, you may want to use all yellow flowers and have the vessels that hold your flowers bring in the color blue. Different colored vases add interest and a unique feel to a table scape verses using standard clear glass cubes. Drink glasses also come in a multitude of colors and unique shapes and can infuse more depth into your tables.

First Row: JL Designs, Photo by Gabriel Ryan/ Second Row: Jon Jensen Photography/Third Row: Love Ala Photography/ Fourth Row: Wohn Idee mag via She Walks in Beauty,  Millie Holloman Photography/ Fifth Row: Fat Orange Cat Studio, Tim Halberg,Rosanna Bowles