Mimi & Harry Married and Featured on Martha Stewart Weddings!

I'm on cloud 9!  One of my favorite couples, Mimi & Harry, shown here and here, at their engagement shoots, are featured on Martha Stewart Weddings : The Bride's Guide Blog. Theresa Choi and Julie Lim did an amazing job, capturing all the little details of their Wedding on May 1, 2010.   The ceremony took place at Brookside Gardens followed by an 11-course dinner reception for 400 guests at China Garden Restaurant in Rosslyn, Virginia.  To read more about Mimi & Harry's unique ceremony and reception please visit Martha Stewart Weddings: The Bride's Guide.   {Vicki}

            

Here are some of the simple details that made it unique & personal event: 

Little dandy boutonniere by EmersonMade 

Custom fascinator by Doreen at Unveiled Bridal Design

J.Crew's "Lucinda" ball gown with pockets to hold Mimi's vows

Pink Paper Poms to highlight the ceremony space 

Bamboo chairs for the parents from Party Rental Ltd.

"Luckiest" pink lemonade stand with origami crane garnishes by Mejulie for each glass

Porcelain tea set with pink roses

Mini calla lilies for each ceremony guest 

Custom embroidered pillow "Mimi + Harry Est. 5.1.2010" by Sweet Tea and Linen 

DIY centerpieces of branches and origami blooms 

Custom Nintendo Wii cake toper by Paul Pape Designs  

Banana cake from Momofuku Milk Bar

    

One of my favorite little details from the reception was their slide show of  "When Harry met Sally Mimi".   Tell us what you love about Mimi and Harry's wedding?  

Courtney & Drew Married - House of Sweden DC

The House of Sweden was the perfect venue for Courtney and Drew's drop dead gorgeous event. Guests began the evening with rooftop cocktails provided by Design Cuisine. As guests and the couple mingled overlooking the georgetown waterfront, the sunset was the queue to start the festivities inside, including a touching toast by the bride's dad, amazing food, including an extravagant sushi bar, and then music and dancing, in the club atmosphere of the lower level of the House of Sweden.  Details that we loved included the bride's amazing Jimmy Choo heels, the deep purple speckled orchids in Courtney's bouquet (very Sex in the City), the modern centerpieces by  Spot Floral Design, and of course the venue itself. Jamie Windon, otherwise know as The Blonde Photographer was wonderful to work with and captured every little detail beautifully. Congratulations Courtney and Drew, it was an amazing event and we were so glad to be a part of it!  {Vicki}

Worldwide Wednesdays - African Safari

The other day I stumbled upon the South Africa based photographer Christopher Munton and absolutely love his work and his unique clients.  I decided to design a board based on recent wedding that Christopher captured and I hope you enjoy.  I'm in love the natural, stylish feel of many of the weddings and the how cool would shuttling your guests in safari jeeps be? {Vicki}

First Row:  Christopher Munton/ Second Row: Christopher Munton/ Third Row: Jasmine Star, Christopher Munton/ Fourth Row: Christine Meintjes via Southern Weddings, Christopher Munton, Fifth & Sixth Rows: Christopher Munton

Worldwide Wednesdays -Dreams of Morocco

The other day I saw a tweet by Holly at Decor8, a fabulous blog, that I follow, about a workshop that she is leading in Marrkesh. Can you say amazing!!!  I am so tempted to attend and inspired by some of the image Holly posted of the ultra exclusive Peacock Pavilions where Holly and all attendees will be staying.  So here is an inspiration board that I created full of colors and textures and even a fabulous bouquet byHolly Chapple Flowers. I hope you enjoy! 

   

First Row: Maryam Montague via Decor8, Nooosugar / Second Row: Jamie Hammond via Ruffled/ Third Row: Jamie Hammond via Ruffled, Holly Chapple Flowers/ Fourth Row: Earrings from Amrita Singh/ Carla Ten Eyck

Water Inspiration

Last weekend I went out on the water around Annapolis. It was a beautiful day with light breeze and the trip completely inspired me. I looked around the wedding blogosphere today and here are some great images I found that invoke the same feelings. I love the bride's fish shoes, from a wedding at the Baltimore Aquarium that the wonderful  Genevieve Leiper tweeted about on Sunday.  





First Row: The Blonde Photographer,  Laura Ivanova/ Second Row: The Blonde Photographer , Laura Ivanova/ Third Row: Genevieve Leiper, Laura Ivanova

Heather & Jon Married Raspberry Plain

I've been waiting to blog this wedding for a while and I am so excited to share it today! Heather, one of the sweetest brides ever, was married at Raspberry Plain on a beautiful day in May. The weather was absolutely perfect for Jon and Heather's outside ceremony.  Our brides really like to do things a little differently, so for the ceremony we setup a traditional chuppah,  down to the furthest area of the venue's back lawn looking out towards Sugarloaf mountain.  The best part was it was handmade out of birch by Heather's super sweet dad!  Raspberry Plain had never had a ceremony set up like this before, but Heather wanted an entrance through the trees on the property and to make the processional more unique we strung long ribbons and mason jars with birdseed and candles throughout the trees.  

Holly Heider Chapple Flowers made to most stunning bouquets and arrangements for the wedding. Heather, who admittedly isn't a big flower person, was in awe of Holly's work, and we were too. The bridesmaids bouquets were supposed to include some natural brown scabiosa pods, but instead Holly made some out of burlap that were not only unique but added amazing texture. 

All the details and events throughout the day were beautifully captured by Laura at Three Lights Photography. RSVP Catering provided the food including the late night authentic Chicago deep dish pizza, and last but not least, the band Ameretto kept everyone dancing all night long.

Hitched Maids - Grand Opening!

Hitched Bridal Salon has just hatched Hitched Maids, a fresh bridesmaid dress shop located on the 2nd floor of 1523 Wisconsin Avenue, right above their bridal boutique in Georgetown.  Hitched Maids provides an inviting space to look at fabulous dresses from Amsale, Anna Elyse, Lela Rose, Simple Silhouettes,Thread, and my favorite, Jenny Yoo. I wore a Jenny Yoo dress for my wedding and adore her.   

To celebrate, Hitched Maids is offering 10% off any bridesmaid dress purchased during the month of June!   

     Image: Kate Headley Photography

Inspired Creations Contest - 80's School Love

I've been keeping these images under wraps for a week now and I'm so excited to share them today. The Inspired Creation Contest held by Ami at Elizabeth Anne Designs and Cyd at The Sweetest Occasion challenged wedding vendors to team up and create a unique wedding concept to inspire couples as they plan their event.  I couldn't resist and rushed to create a star-studded team of local DC vendors which included, Kate Triano Photography, Holly Chapple Flowers, and Paperzest. Other amazing vendors that contributed to the design included Unveiled Bridal Designs for the veil, Vintage Mama, a new dress designer on etsy, and  Julia Juliette who created the letterpresses coasters. 

My absolute favorite part of the shoot was the "Boombox Love" guests book, where guests can leave message for the couple on their big day.  

Here are some of the fabulous immages, but head over to The Sweetest Occasions Blog to see more, and post your love for the 80's.  We would love to win! 

  

Kerry & Josh's Wedding Details - Aqua and Red

I promised that I would post the images, by Mary Kate McKenna, of all the details that went into Kerry and Josh's wedding at Hotel Monaco in Alexandria and here they are.  

With Kerry's Mom and Step Dad living in France, Josh growing up in England,  his parents and many of the couples friends living abroad, traveling was a big part of this wedding. Kerry purchased cute mini suite cases from Paper Source to use as the card box.  They ended up being the perfect props for her red shoes as she was getting ready.  The maids bouquets from Barbara at Growing Wild were delicate and I loved the slight hint of red in the white blooms. All the paper products were handmade by Kerry, including an amazing city map of Alexandria. 

Edible favors were boxed and carefully tied with red and white ribbon.  Each favor had custom name tags attached.  For the escort card table, the favors were lined up in front of custom tent cards that included a picture and the name of a DC neighborhood in which the guests table was named. Kerry also made custom runners for the guest and cake tables, and individual red paper poms that were tied around each napkin with red and white stripped twine.  Lara at Fluffy Thoughts Cakes made their 3 tier cake which was decorated to match Kerry's custom invitations. In addition the cake was displayed on a cake stand with red ribbon woven through the edge detail. The various little love birds were purchased on etsy along with Kerry's custom birdcage veil shown  here. 

Kerry & Josh Married - Hotel Monaco April 10, 2010

Kerry and Josh were married on a beautiful April day at the Hotel Monaco in Old Town Alexandria. The colors she selected for her big day were aqua and red and they fit in perfectly at the eclectic hotel.  Mary Kate McKenna captured the big day and snapped some great photos of the couple around old town after the ceremony. Barbara at Growing Wild, who I adore,  styled all the flowers and used custom vases which Kerry had made though a designer on etsy for all the table arrangements.  


Kerry did a ton of DIY projects for her wedding, including all the paper products, custom runners, paper pom napkin rings, which many of the girls repurposed as broaches during the reception, and the edible favors/escort cards. The details shots of these are coming up soon. 


I also have to comment on Josh's mom's amazing hairpiece and outfit. I absolutely loved it!  

Kristie & Willy - Bali May 2010

I posted a sneak peak a few weeks ago of Kristie and Willy's May 11, 2010 wedding in Bali, but here are more amazing images to make you dream of far away places. My Simple Details assisted Kristie in almost all aspects of her wedding planning and secured a day of coordinator through Bali Weddings International to be there to make sure everything went smoothly.  Even though it rained during the ceremony, it was still a magical day. My favorite weddings are the ones that are very intimate with only close friends and family.  The Photo Factory did an amazing job capturing this intimate event, the stunning couple, and the spirit of Bali.  

The Simple Details:

For Kristie's wedding we worked with a simple white and green color palette with orchids playing a starring role. Kristie wore a stunning, yet simple and affordable, Nicole miller dress.  For the ceremony a four post bamboo alter with white curtains and orchid floral tie-backs invited the guests down towards the ocean. Guest were seated on wooden benches with white cushions and wooden bowls were placed out full of white orchid blooms to throw at Krisite and Willy as the walked down the aisle as newlyweds.  The table centerpieces were a mix of cube vases filled with bamboo shoots and white lilies, and rounded bottle vases with white orchids. Carved wooden place cards were secured to sarongs for the girls and beach mats for the guys and tied with raffia for a natural look.  The guests indulged in a tradition Balinese buffet with suckling pig followed by a Gamelan Orchestra performance lit by glass hurricanes vases lining the pool area.  The cake though small made a big impact with an off center second tier with orchids and branches spilling down one side. 

Worldwide Wednesdays - Curacao

I thought I'd post a few images of a new resort I adore in Curacao.  Baoase has a very Indonesian/Asian flair and offers pure luxury with only a handful of suites and villas. The island's location results in great weather year round with little chance of rain and therefore it makes a perfect location for a destination wedding.  What do you think? 

Kristie & Willy - Bali May 2010 - Sneak Peek

I'm still waiting for all the amazing images from Windi at The Photo Factory, but here is a sneak peek of Kristie and Willy's Wedding in Bali at Villa Semarapura on May 11, 2010.  The relaxed spirit of the whole wedding day just oozes from the images. 

In the details: The wooden place cards were made by  Oslo Press and tied to either white sarongs for the female guests or straw beach mats for the guys.   

Worldwide Wednesdays - Bali - My Love!

I have Bali on my mind and it's getting hard to shake.  With one of our bride getting married there next week, and my anniversary coming up in June, I have a craving to take off and head for that magical island.  Everyone I've ever met that's been to Bali has fallen head over heals for the little gem of an island and I must admit I am in love with it too. 

As I've worked with destination brides I've always stumbled upon villas in many places of the world that were designed and built in the balinese style as their owners were smitten with the island, it's people, and it's relaxed style.  The Ohana villa in Tobago is one of these villas. With 4 bedrooms, 6 baths, and room for up to 100 inside for a reception, it's not surprising that it hosts about 10 weddings a year and was voted amongst the top twenty villas in the Caribbean by Conde Nast Traveler.   

I think I'm planning my next vacation there! 

Worldwide Wednesdays - Bermuda

We're working with a fantastic couple on their Bermuda wedding for 2011 and I recently stumbled upon Gavin Howarth, a photographer located in Bermuda who does some amazing work, and who's website puts you in a very island mood. After going to his site today I want to leave on a flight right now. 


Ok, I'll stop day dreaming, but on Gavin's blog I found the stunning and simple beach wedding of  Charlotte & Alexander who flew in from Germany with a few close friends and their son to say their vows.  I can just feel the love through Gavin's images.      

Fluffy Thoughts Cakes - New Home!

Lara at Fluffy Thoughts Cakes has made a number of my brides stunning and delicious cakes over the years and I was ecstatic to hear that she was opening a retail space that offers freshly baked goods including my favorite treat French macaroons. Lara actually made some amazing green tea macaroons for Kim and Kwang's wedding favors that were to die for.   


Lara's new bakery features a stunning private tasting room for brides and grooms to taste custom wedding cakes and you can even reserve the room for private events such as tea parties and bridal showers. I must say this space is just my style and I'm loving those light fixtures!  

The new location of Fluffy Thoughts Cakes is 1320 Old Chain Bridge Road, McLean, VA 22101 and the bakery will be open 9am to 6pm, Monday – Saturday with the private tastings available by appointment.  


So here are some images from their grand opening shot by Susan Hornyak Photography. 

Worldwide Wednesdays - St. Lucia

Today I'm writing about a wedding I fell in love with a few years ago that features a local DC area couple that were were married on Pigeon Island in St. Lucia. Sota Dzine, a Fairfax based  photographer team joined the couple on the trip to capture all the wedding events.   Though this couple was originally planning a winter DC wedding, they scraped all their plans 4 months before the date and began planning a more intimate destination wedding on the beach. Looking at the images it was a great choice and the couple truly enjoyed time celebrating with their closest friends and family.   Vicki

Worldwide Wednesdays - Casa Chic Tulum Mexico

Lately, we've been working with a few brides to find the perfect location for their destination wedding and as a result we stumbled upon the Casa Chic a five bedroom luxury beach villa located on the southern end of Tulum beach in Mexico.  The casa's unique features like its use of natural materials, rope swing bar stools, and the jungle feel in the back of the property that leads to a stunning beach drew me in. They also have great wooden steps that look like bleachers and would be great as casual seating for a ceremony under the trees.  
 

First Row: Image via Gypsy Girl Guide, Casa Chic/ Second Row: Casa Chic, Victor C. Sizemore Photography/ Third Row: Sabine Scherer via Green Wedding Shoes,  Abi Q Photography , Mulberry Photography

Mimi & Harry Engaged! Theresa Choi Photography

I already told you how much I love this couple and the anticipation is growing for their May 1st wedding.  The photographer for their big day is the talented Theresa Choi and here are some of her shots from an engagement session with Mimi and Harry in Old Town Alexandria.

Meg and Matthew Engaged - Cassidy Duhon Photography

We just got the images from Meg and Matthew's engagement shoot around Georgetown with Cassidy Duhon. We've been working hard with Meg to plan the couples September wedding and it's coming together beautifully with a very classic yet relaxed feel. I think Cassidy's image of the white blooms behind Meg and Matthew really fits the tone.