District Weddings

Washington, D.C. Wedding Blog – Real Weddings, Inspiring Ideas, Planning Tools, & Top Vendors in D.C., Maryland, and Virginia

Archive for the ‘Planning & Ideas’ Category

Having Fun with Photobooths

In the past year photobooths have become a hot trend in the entire event world. For weddings, photobooths add entertainment, interaction, and such a FUN element to the night. OnomonoMEDIA is a top notch company that offers not only photobooths, but high tech projections and endless options that make your wedding completely unique. Hear more from Dave Clark of onomonoMEDIA…

What is the execution process for your services at an event?

All of our services are all inclusive pricing that we figure out working with the client’s budget and timeline. From the first point of contact, we, as a team, communicate with the client to find as closely as we can the goals and objectives for the event at hand.

From there we keep a dialogue open about how things are moving along. If we have a logo or other things to design, we send several comps for approval until we get it right. When the event date hits, we show up as early as is convenient for the client, with an attendant (who is a hospitality expert and fully trained technician), and we don’t leave until the client clears us to go.

Every client gets a CD or flash drive of his or her pictures and an online web gallery that stays up at least 60 days, but we usually never take them down if we have the space. After the event, we always try to keep in touch about how well we performed our services and keep ourselves up to date on what is working and what isn’t.

What details can you add to your services that really customize each event for your clients? Can you give us some examples?

We have on-hand technologists who can code, construct and idealize creative technology and programs. This gives us an extinct advantage because instead of showing our clients a list of options from which to pick their package, we ask them what they want and let them figure out how our product should work for them.

The photobooth is really just the building block for everything else. Clients can even change most of the way our photobooth works: The screen graphics, the logos on the printouts, the layout of the print outs, the curtain colors, etc. We also offer extensive projection packages and do very custom installations in store fronts and as marketing tools. Anything in the realm of digital media is something we do.

For example, we worked for the Best of Washington 2010 party. We had a large projection scrolling live through the pictures the booth was taking and a separate setup with several plasma displays scrolling through a series of sponsor logos and live pictures being taken by a photographer at the event.

What abilities do you and your team possess that set you apart from other similar companies?

I feel I’ve answered this one with spades. I think what sets us apart is that we don’t say, “No.” We like to say that we don’t put our clients in a box; we put them in control.  You do not see any cookie cutter “packages” with us.  Each event is custom, personal, and one of a kind.

Are there any special features or media ideas that you wish to implement in the near future?

We have been working on different types of booths that look and work in different ways for different types of events.  We have a vintage inspired photo booth that we built that has that elegant, nostalgic charm but we also are building a contemporary machine with a super modern and clean design.  We also want to use video and sound in a bigger way; we don’t feel photobooths should be limited to still life. We actually don’t believe there are limits period.

Christos Bridal Dresses Trunk Show

Well, summer is definitely winding down but there is good news ahead — with the fall, comes trunk shows – an amazing opportunity to get the dress of your dreams at a bargain price!

First up, mark your calendar for September 10th and 11th for the Christos Bridal Trunk Show at Hitched. I LOVE, LOVE, LOVE the Christos collection. They are elegant, whimsical, classic!

Gown trials are by appointment only so please call 202.333.6162 or email appointments@hitchedsalon.com to make yours!

Bride Blogger Update: Bridesmaid Attire

Over the past several months, you all have gotten to know Kimberly’s thoughtful personality and fabulous sense of style…So, it should be no surprise that Kimberly has found a way to let each of her ‘maids shine in their own way on October 16th…

***

Now that I’ve found the dress of my dreams, it’s time to outfit my partners in crime – AKA, my bridesmaids.  These three ladies have been with me in various stages of my life, and my wedding wouldn’t be the same without them.  Gretchen, Inga, and Tammy are some of the most intelligent and unique women I know.  Each one has a distinct personality and taste in clothing, so I really wanted to make sure that they were able to showcase their individual style.

Once upon a time it was believed that “evil spirits” would attend weddings to harm a bride and groom, so, their closest friends would stand next to them and dress the same to confuse spirits. To this day, bridesmaids usually wear the same dresses at a wedding.  Having been a bridesmaid, I know about wearing the exact same dress…it’s normally not flattering for all involved.  As the bride, I’ve decided to change “tradition” and encouraged them to select a dress in whatever style they feel most comfortable in.

Now that the collective gasp from DW readers has subsided, let me explain my rationale.  My bridesmaids mean the world to me.  One has known me since I was 13, another since I was 17 and the other since I was in my mid 30’s.  All of these women are my friends, and friends don’t let friends wear unflattering dresses in skunky colors with no possibility of wearing them again.

Here’s how this works – I gave them a color palette that goes with my wedding colors (light to deep purple), and asked that the gown be floor length, that’s it.  I asked them to coordinate among themselves, and decide on a designer of their choosing from which to select a dress from.

The ladies agreed on designers they most liked were housed at Hannelore’s in Old Town.   On the first Saturday in May, my friends gathered together to show me the dresses they had selected:

Dress 1 by Mackenzie Michaels; Dress 2 by Jim Hjelm Occasions; Dress 3 by Jim Hjelm Occasions

Read the rest of this entry.

Volanni Floral Inspiration

Last week, Volanni, one of my absolute Favorites, did a sample table for one of the fall weddings that I am working on right now. To say the least, it blew me away – I was seriously speechless when I saw the beautiful table centerpieces.

After my awe-struck afternoon, I knew that I had to share their beautiful work with you!

Swoon’s Bridal Collection

For brides who are looking for a beautiful dress, without breaking the bank, I have amazing news for you!! Swoon just launched their new alternative bridal collection!  Swoon is known for its line of chic, silk chiffon and charmeuse bridesmaid dresses that retail under $300.00. The alternative bridal collection offers Swoon’s most popular cuts in ivory and pearl, with heavier fabric weight, and full lining (or double lining in the case of chiffon).

All of the sashes are also sold separately, so brides can play around with different sash styles and colors – so fun!

The new bridal dresses also retail for under $500.00 – a total steal! They will be sold on Swoon’s website as well as one of our Favorites local bridal shops, Bella Bridesmaid.

Happy shopping!