The beautiful bride has shared a little bit about her day with us…first up, her inspiration and favorite wedding detail…

I always knew that I wanted a traditional, classic black tie wedding but I also wanted it to be a reflection of both Branden and I. We instantly feel in love with the St. Regis in Washington DC, it is known for its timeless elegance and that is how we wanted out wedding to feel. The ballroom is not overwhelmingly big which allowed us to capture that feeling of being at an intimate dinner party with the people we love the most in the world. The beautiful terrace outside allowed us to be a little whimsical and unexpected with tables covered in a beautiful black and white flower toile which created the illusion of being at a romantic garden party. We didn’t want our wedding to feel stuffy so we took inspiration from one of my favorite designers, Kate Spade. We wanted to use color in an unexpected way which she does often, so I chose rich Kelly Green Bridesmaid Dresses by LulaKate to bring in a pop of color and bright and light pink flowers for my bridesmaids flowers and centerpieces which added a sweet preppy feel.

My dress, Christos by Amsale, really captured the feeling we wanted for our wedding which was timeless and classic. The lace lent itself to the traditional black tie affair, but by adding a black sash that tied into a large double black bow in the back not only subtly reinforced the theme of our wedding but was a true reflection of me, for anyone that knows me, knows how much I love bows and that I can almost always be found in black.

For our wedding stationary we incorporated the pop of color with the front of the card in Kelly Green with the phrase “Debby and Branden are getting Married…” in gold and then on the back of the card in black and white we had fun including our wedding date which is my favorite detail of our wedding 09.10.11. Our invitations were simple and classic in black and white but we incorporated small details such as a black and white striped liner for both our save the dates and our wedding invitations which we carried over into black and white striped linen for our bars.  The phrase “The Best is Yet to Come” which was printed in gold on the shoulder of our invitations and on our napkins is from the lyrics from our wedding song “Someone like you” I loved that these little details were unexpected and added an element of surprise.

Since the St. Regis in only about 2 blocks away from The White House you can’t not feel like you are a part of history as Presidents both past and present have walked the hallways of the St. Regis, this lead to us using Presidents names for our table numbers which is one of my favorite details from our wedding day as this was Branden’s idea.

It is hard to pick a favorite moment of your wedding day…but Debby did have a few that stood out to her!

1. Riding in a vintage 1964 Bentley that I surprised my father with. I remember just feeling so calm as we drove to the church together, I will always cherish those few minutes we had alone just laughing and talking and taking it all in. The best part of our drive together was how calm and relaxed I felt as we road through Georgetown.

2. There was a moment during the night that Branden and I took a moment to ourselves and stepped outside on to the terrace, we looked around and there were people outside drinking and laughing and then we looked inside at the ballroom and the dance floor was packed, it was a great moment to be surrounded by the people we love the most in our lives and see that they were having just as much fun as we were.

3. But, my absolute favorite memory is when the doors of the church opened and I saw Branden for the first time, as I walked down the aisle he was the only person I could see and when I got close enough he said “You Look Beautiful”, it was as if time stopped and it was just the two of us standing there.

And, as for any DIY projects…

I didn’t have too many DIY elements other than often creating Powerpoint presentations for my vendors so that they could really see my vision. My favorite presentation that I created was for our wedding website. I couldn’t find a template that I liked and that I felt that went with our theme and since this was an out of town wedding for everyone, Branden’s family is form Cincinnati, my family is from Connecticut and we live in New York it was important that our website be a tool that our guests could refer to and use to make their travel plans as easy as possible. I hired graphic designer Damian Barchowsky to make our wedding website and it still is one of my favorite elements of our wedding, especially the map that Daley Ann made. Our wedding website is http://debbyandbranden.com/

The fabulous vendor team:

Venue: St. Regis

Ceremony: St John’s Episcopal Church Georgetown Parish

Cocktail Music: Celebrated Strings

Planning: A. Dominick Events

Photography: Rob Garland Photographers

Stationery: Cheree Berry Paper

Cake: St. Regis with flowers by K. Rose Cakes

Floral and Design: Multiflor

Band: Class Act Band

Lighting: Frost Lighting

Dance Floor: Perkins Productions

Candy Bar: Georgetown Candy

Rentals: Party Rental, DC Rental, La Tavola

Transportation: Atlantic

Vintage Car: Regal Limousine

Hair: George Salon

Make Up: Lindsay Steffens Montgomery

The couple embraced the elegance of the St. Regis ballroom while staying true to their own personal style.  Hiram is a composer, and his close friends provided the ceremony music.  Later in the evening. guests were surprised when District Taco arrived late night for a little street food action just outside of the Astor Terrace at the gorgeous St. Regis.

Happy Monday and enjoy this fun, fun, fun wedding!

From the oh-so lovely bride:

Hiram and I wanted to have a wedding that represented us as a couple by enjoying great food, in an elegant but comfortable outdoor space. This was the first time our families were going to meet so we wanted everything to be just right!

We debated renting a property and using a caterer versus going full-package with a hotel. We shopped around both options until we found the St. Regis. We loved their outdoor Astor Terrace, just off the Astor Ballroom and we were very excited about what their kitchen could do for us.

The wedding was in early May so the weather allowed us to have the ceremony outside on the terrace. After the ceremony we lead our guests to the lobby and the hotel salon for cocktails while the staff transformed the outdoor space into a super-cool lounge complete with strings of lights overhead (a brilliant idea from our planner Kate Harlan). After cocktails we led everyone into the ballroom which was exquisitely decorated with a mix of floral designs in mercury glass and glass and a wash of peach light. The inspiration for the whole color scheme was a previous design that we had seen in floral designer Philippa Tarrant’s portfolio.

We worked closely with the St. Regis on every aspect of our dinner menu. Events planner Haydee Gamez and chef Andrew Roche accommodated our desire to incorporate seasonal flavors that Hiram and I seek out each spring; wild ramps and morels, as well as our favorite Italian wines. I am in the food business myself and I was very pleased with the high quality and value of the dinner that was served.

To honor my husband’s Mexican heritage, we hired District Taco to serve late-night snacks from their cart. Haydee Gamez and the St. Regis had no problem with this service and even let the guys roll up on the lawn to be closer to our guests. I need to note that again, this was one of Kate Harlan’s great ideas and it is something that our guests are still talking about!

While the East Village Exchange was rocking the ballroom, the terrace was a wonderful escape for us to spend some time talking with our families and friends. Everyone was so receptive to the use of the terrace, first as a serene ceremony backdrop and then as a magical lounge area complete with rented sofas from AFR. Seriously though, I hardly left the dance floor that night because that band is incredibly talented!

Picking the East Village Exchange (from Elan Artists) was something that my husband was insistent on because he’s a composer and many of our friends are musicians. We knew that the East Village Exchange would deliver a high-quality performance in a variety of styles. When we asked them to learn a Mexican song for us they had no problem getting it completely right.

Our documentarian for the event was the fabulous Kate Headley, who clicked the night away using film cameras exclusively. Her prints are so evocative and beautiful, they are as real to me as my own memories of our wedding. We received our album exactly when it was promised to us so we were able to re-live the night shortly afterwards. Hiram and I had the time of our lives at our wedding and we owe it all to our superb vendors.

The fabulous vendor team:

Photography: Kate Headley Photography

Ceremony: St. Regis, Washington DC

Reception: Astor Ballroom and Astor Terrace at St. Regis, Washington DC

Florist: Philippa Tarrant

Wedding Planner: Kate Harlan, Simply Chic Events

Lighting: FROST Lighting

Furniture: AFR Furniture Rental

Hair: Petra Gephardt

Makeup: The Andre Chreky Salon

Late Night Bites: District Taco

The couple considered every detail  - from how to make environmentally conscious paper decisions to giving local farmer’s market filled welcome gifts to the pulling the perfect place setting – this wedding was full of charm and personality!

The wedding party got ready at the Jefferson Hotel – one of the prettiest in town – with photography by Jay Premack and flowers by Sidra Forman — an all-star team.

The ceremony took place at Universalist National Memorial Church with the reception following at the Newseum.

The fabulous vendor team:

Planner: A. Dominick Events

Flowers: Sidra Forman

Photography: Jay Premack

Ceremony: Universalist National Memorial Church

Reception Venue: Newseum

Cake: Buzz Bakery

Band: The Hudson Project

Rentals: Party Rental, Ltd, DC Rental

Lighting: Frost Lighting

Dance Floor: Perkins Productions

Lounge Furniture: AFR

Transportation: Atlantic

Valet: MarcParc

Ceremony Music: Celebrated Strings

From the beautiful bride…

Although we grew up just miles away from each other in the DC area, Will and I didn’t meet until our sophmore year at Duke and we started dating at the end of our junior year.  Five years later, Will proposed the week before I left for 3 months working in Uganda.  I was so excited to get started wedding planning and a friend suggested that I read District Weddings, which I checked from Uganda every time I had internet access.  By the time I got home I still had a year left before our chosen date and my mom and I had already booked a planner, a venue, a photographer and a band.

We picked the Ritz-Carlton because we needed a big space and they are known for great food, which was the most important thing to me.  We worked out a very personalized menu that included a heavy cocktail hour with a bunch of passed hors d’oeuvres, a great cheese table and a latin station featuring tacos, ceviches, margaritas, and guacamole made right there.  The photographers couldn’t even get a picture of the latin station because there were so many people crowded around it.  In addition to our red velvet wedding cake, the pastry chef put together a dessert bar with sweet and savory desserts like strawberry-basil truffles and snickers macaroons.  At midnight we had dance floor passed milk shakes in mini metal cups and french fries and sweet potato fries.

Some of my favorite decor was in the flowers.  The aisle had rose petals in a lattice design that got all blended as we walked down the aisle.  The escort cards were on a table paved with white and yellow carnations.  I also loved how the roses in the dining room looked like beautiful candlelit mounds of color.

I am especially proud of the cake topper which I made myself from polymer clay to look like me and Will.  I got my dress at the Junko Yoshioka studio, where they combined a few dresses for me to make my dream dress, and I was so happy with it.  The company who printed our letterpress wedding invitations is only online.  I loved unique style of the calligrapher that they used for the invitation text so much that we had her calligraphy the escort cards, menus and programs too.

The fabulous vendor team:

Photographer: Bryan Blanken, Freed Photography

Planner: Ayran Kantor

Stationery:Bella Figura

Calligraphy: Debi Zeinert, The Blooming Quill

Venue: The Ritz-Carlton Washington DC

Band: Free Spirit

Floral: Amaryllis

Lighting: Frost Lighting

Ceremony Music: Ensemble Elan

Hair: Mindy from Andre Chreky

Makeup: Mimi Tran

Dress: Junko Yoshioka

Bridesmaid dresses: Amsale from Bella Bridesmaid

Video: Matheson Communications

Officiant: Cantor Maurice Singer

Kindly RSVP to rsvpdc@elanartists.com!

For this wedding by A. Dominick Events, Frost Lighting used a modern monogram designed by Cheree Berry Paper to create a custom gobo projection for the dance floor at the Ritz-Carlton…when it was time to dance, guests hit the d-floor hard!

How beautiful is this?!

Photo: Paul Morse

I hope that you all had a fabulous holiday and are hitting the new year with energy and excitement for what is to come — I know that I certainly am! Do we have any new engagements out there?

Today, I am psyched to kick off the new year with this beautiful wedding planned by A. Dominick Events – elegant, whimsical, and custom, all wrapped up in one marvelous day!

Monique and Graham were married at Christ Church in Georgetown and then headed over to historic Evermay for their reception.  All of the custom paper was designed by Cheree Berry Paper and the lovely decor by Multiflor.

Despite the rain, guests stayed dry and warm in the tent  on the patio – which felt like an extension of the historic home.  The night really heated up when Nation and Sin Miedo played with Latin flair.

The fabulous vendor team:

Planner: A. Dominick Events

Stationery: Cheree Berry Paper

Venue: Evermay

Ceremony: Christ Church

Catering: Occasions

Valet: Atlantic Valet

Band: Nation and Sin Miedo

Photographer: Greg Gibson

Floral: Multiflor

Cake: Patisserie Poupon

Vintage Car: RMA Transportation

Tent: HDO Tents

Lighting: Frost Lighting

Ceremony Music: Celebrated Strings

Hair: Meg Ford

Video: Blue Sky Films

Favor: Baked and Wired

Tyler tells us, “We picked Lansdowne as our ceremony and reception location for its ability to hold the rehearsal dinner, the ceremony, and the reception as well as provide rooms for our guests at a reasonable rate.  We liked to call it our “wedding compound”.  It was also a great location for its proximity to Dulles airport for the large number of out of town guests and for the beautiful grounds which included three pools, 2 golf courses, and a huge spa.  At the end of the day we wanted everything to be easy – for us and our guests.  Lansdowne followed through, their staff was friendly and efficient and provided us with the wedding of our dreams.”

After booking Lansdowne Resort, Tyler’s parents (John and Amy) and Luke started in on the details.  They chose fuschia and charcoal as their wedding colors with black as an accent.  After meeting with a family friend who was starting her own invitation business, they decided to use a charcoal and black paisley background with bold fuschia coloring.  The paisley would become a theme throughout the wedding from the save the dates and invitations to the cake and linens.

As Tyler’s parents are from Atlanta, GA, Tyler purchased her Amsale Serena wedding gown at Bridal’s by Lori salon in Dunwoody, GA (the salon is now featured on Say Yes To The Dress Atlanta).  Monte Durham, the salon’s fashion director, was from the DC area and recommended Remona Soleimani of Bridal Hair by Remona as a top hair stylist in the area and Remona was able to recommend Nour Kazoun of Made Up Art Makeup as the best make-up artist.  Tyler exclaims that “Remona and Nour could not have done a better job and I felt like the most beautiful bride for my wedding day.” Of course, at District Weddings, we agree about these two Favorites!

Tyler’s friend and bridesmaid, Kim, suggested that she check out the headpiece Alyssa Milano wore for her wedding which was featured on the cover of People Magazine.  After investigating the designer, Tyler fell in love with the headpieces from Maria Elena.  She chose a very romantic piece that complimented her dress and her wedding day hair style.

As June 26^th, 2010 turned out to be an incredibly hot day, Tyler and Luke provided guests at the ceremony with sandlewood fans with their names and wedding date.  They proved to be incredibly useful for them men in suits and a good way to entertain the children.

At the ceremony, bells Tyler’s great grandmother had collected on her travels throughout the world were placed on the front two rows for family to ring as Tyler and Luke were introduced as man and wife.  Tyler’s parents, John and Amy, also had these same bells rung at their wedding 36 years ago.

The happy bride shares, “At the end of the day we wanted our wedding to be fun and enjoyable for people.  The day was not just about us, but it was about all the people coming to the event who had loved and supported us along the way.  A chance for them to celebrate our love and to imbibe on some good food and drink, while dancing the night away.”

The fabulous vendor team:

Ceremony and Reception Site: Lansdowne Resort

Floral and Decor: Divine Designs & Events

Photography: Paired Images

Officiant: Say “I do” Your Way, Jim Campbell

Ceremony Music: Cherry Blossom String Quartet

Hair: Bridal Hair by Remona

Make Up: Made Up Art Makeup

Bridesmaid Dresses: Betsy Robinson’s Bridal, Priscilla of Boston

Linens: Select Event Rentals

Lighting: Frost Lighting

First, there was a Hindu ceremony complete with a barat, the elaborate procession with the groom on a horse accompanied by his entire family, set to music.  The festivities were outside of the Ritz-Carlton on 22nd street, and drew quite a crowd. Aimee tells us that they “were nervous when a DC police car showed up — but luckily, the officer was Indian and loved it!!”

How amazing is the Indian Mandap by Sachi Sood? And, the decor by Volanni was so vibrant and absolutely AHH-MAZ-ING! The oh-so-talented Ralph Alswang of Alswang Photography captured the emotion, beauty and excitement of the day – fabulous pics!

The first ceremony was followed by a lunch at the West End Cafe in the Ritz with a Christian ceremony in the afternoon. The team changed the entire set up from oranges and magenta to cool ivory and blue for the Christian ceremony.  It was then that the bride changed into a white “western” style gown. For the Christian ceremony, the bridesmaids wore dresses of a lovely muted teal, with shimmering slate gray sashes and all carried individual bouquets with different types of flowers. Heidi’s bouquet featured flowers from all five bridesmaids’ as a special touch.

The reception had the most amazing entertainment – Two Indian dance troops, an “American” style big band called Fabulous Fantoms, and Indian DJ and a singer flown in from India. Talk about a party!

The guests were treated to a buffet dinner with American and Indian fare and danced until the wee hours.

Even the cake by Kendall’s Cakes had intricate designs, making it appear to be adorned with sapphire beads and jewels! It stood proudly in the room while guests dined at magenta and green tables with urns full of gorgeous flowers.

At each place setting, there was a box of cookies from One Girl Cookies in Brooklyn with baby photos of the bride and groom. Adorable!!

The lighting was done by Frost Lighting and absolutely completed the look and design!

The fabulous vendor team:

Planner: Aimee Dominick of A. Dominick Events

Photographer: Ralph Alswang

Floral and Decor: Volanni

Cake: Kendall’s Cakes

Venue and Catering: The Ritz-Carlton, Washington, DC

Lighting: Frost Lighting

Horse: Harmon Carriages

Band: Fabulous Fantoms

Favors: One Girl Cookies

At their wedding in heart of Georgetown at the Halcyon House, Sara explains, “We wanted the overall vibe of the wedding to be fun and different, yet still have a very classic feel to it. We absolutely did not want a typical wedding venue, which made the Halycon House perfect.”  The venue allowed them to achieve this dream of “fun yet classic” for their wedding: the downstairs space is a blank canvas, and very modern, providing the couple with ample room to use their imagination and create their ideal setting, while the upstairs space is more traditional.

The variation among rooms of the house let Sara and Owen use a different color scheme and theme in each room. The end result was incredibly unique – full of fun, beautiful, and diverse décor by Amaryllis Florist, Capital Décor and Events, Pam Barefoot and Frost Lighting!

Dinner was served in the spacious lower level of the House, which had been transformed from a typical concrete basement into a classy, elegant dining room. Everything was lit with a red hue – so very romantic.

After dinner, the guests were led upstairs into a completely different environment than where they had just dined – suddenly they were stepping foot into a room with bright colors, fun patterns, and glowing colored lights. Sara and Owen loved seeing the looks of shock and awe on the guests’ faces as they saw the dance area – a total change of scenery from the dining room! They say that the unexpected, wild atmosphere “really let our guests know that it was not time to let loose and have a great time, which is ultimately what we wanted.”

After the ceremony and reception, Sara and Owen sped off to their Bahamas honeymoon in an elegant, vintage Bentley!

The fabulous vendor team:

Ceremony: Trinity Methodist

Venue: Halcyon House

Planner: Atrendy Wedding, Pam Barefoot

Caterer: Main Event Caterers

Photographer: Rodney Bailey

Florist: Amaryllis Florist

Band: Eleven Eleven Band, Jazz Trio

Décor: Capital Décor and Events

Cake: Fancy Cakes by Leslie

Lighting: Frost Lighting

Makeup: Leah McKay

Hair: Sachi Medlicott

Photobooth: M J Alexander

Transportation: Atlantic Valet, Fleet Transportation, Fairfax Limo