The fabulous vendor team:

Ceremony and Reception: The Willard

Planner: SoCo Events

Photography: Deb Lindsey

DJ: Dan Goldman of Bialek’s

Florals and Lighting: DaVinci Florist and Lighting

Favors: June B Sweets

Dress: Hannelore’s

Makeup: Stacy Ferguson

***

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

Gretchen’s dress by Mackenzie Michaels, suits her trend-setting style.  This dress flatters her 6’1 height, and great waist plus the dual colors fit my palette perfectly.

Inga’s dress is by a different designer, Jim Hjelm.  Inga is 5’11, so this is ideal for her because it can be ordered in tall.  The one shoulder will be totally flattering because she’s got a great back so this dress will definitely show it off!

Tammy’s dress, also by Jim Hjelm, is the same color as and fabric as Gretchen’s skirt.  Tammy is 5’3, so she didn’t want anything overwhelming.  She absolutely loves the simplicity of this dress, and since she’s got fantastic shoulders and it’s an A-line, it’s perfect for most body shapes and heights.

My bridesmaids are as distinctive as the dresses they’ve chosen, so I’m glad they’ve found styles they love, and want to wear again.  Gretchen, Inga and Tammy are true individuals, and that’s why I love them so very much!

Married at Lansdowne Resort this past June, Mark and Alexis were absolutely glowing on the big day.

The paper was all created by Cami’s Paperie.  Cami designed the fabulous save the dates, invites, table numbers, place cards, menu cards, programs and the little signs at the wedding.  She even created a map for out of town guests.  Quite the suite!

And, how good looking is this wedding party?  The bridesmaids are so stylish, the groomsmen so handsome!  The beautiful bridesmaids dresses are by Jenny Yoo, one of our fav designers.

At the reception, for the little ones, Alexis made crayon favor bags by melting crayons into silicon alphabet molds. Each child had little bags set out for them at the reception that had crayons spelling their names.  So fun!

The cake topper was by Ann Wood Handmade – I think it is my favorite detail…okay, well one of my many favorites!

Thank you so much to Alexis and Mark for sharing their big day with us – it truly was so special – such an inspiration!

The vendor team behind this lovely wedding…

Dress: Monique Lhuillier from Hannelore’s of Olde Town

Florist: Devers Design Group

Photographer: Studio Kama

Makeup: Laura Bateman

DJ: Chris Laich

String Trio: Ensemble Elan

I couldn’t be more excited to introduce you to Erin Cole bridal accessories.  One part vintage, one part chic, Erin’s pieces are timeless, yet filled with modern style.  Each piece is made with such care, such love.  I want to find a way to walk down the aisle wearing them all!

Photos: Perfect Details

Aren’t they  stunning?  These beautiful earrings are available online at Perfect Details.  Erin Cole accessories are also available locally at Hitched Salon (Georgetown neighborhood of D.C.) and Hannelore’s (Alexandria, Virginia).

Photos: Perfect Details

I fell in love with a pair of Erin Cole earrings at Hitched.  Since each piece is custom ordered, I won’t have them in my hands for a few weeks, but… I know when I get them, I’ll likely be wearing them around my house every day until the wedding.

If you’re in the market for bridal accessories (or if you’re a sucker for beautiful jewelry), check out Erin’s website, shop on-line at Perfect Details, or head over to Hitched or Hannelore’s.  Trust me, you’ll want to leave with everything!

After Cheree designed the District Weddings logo, I then created this idea board from the cherry blossom picture.  I thought about the most beautiful, most elegant, most perfectly “D.C.” wedding — one that incorporated the color of the gorgeous cherry blossom in little ways, without being too over-the-top.  

Here’s the picture…

And here’s the idea board that came from it…

Photos: A Bryan Photo (Jenny Yoo bridesmaid dresses in Paige, Lucy, and Kayla styles…available at Hannelore’s and Promise…for the savvy bride); Invitation by Dauphine Press available at Hitched Salon in Georgetown; Bridal gown seen on A Bryan Photo; Bouquet and Ice Sculpture from Martha Stewart Weddings; Bride and Groom from brides.com

While we’re on the topic of D.C., my absolute favorite D.C. hotel is The Hay-Adams Hotel.  I love many others for their service and quality, but The Hay-Adams is my most favorite because of its beauty.  Located right across the street from the White House, this hotel is drop-dead gorgeous.  From the front drive, to the ornate lobby, to the plush bedding, to the view from the rooftop, The Hay-Adams, in my mind, is one of the best hotels D.C. has to offer.

After creating the cherry blossom board, I used this picture of The Hay-Adams…

…to create this board of ideas…

Photos: Groom from brides.com; Christian Louboutin “Satin d’Orsays” in Ivory…available at Saks Fifth Avenue in Chevy Chase; Bouquet by Martha Stewart Weddings; Table setting on brides.com; Invitation by Dauphine Press…available at Hitched; Champagne glasses on brides.com; Bridal bouquet on Martha Stewart Weddings

From this board I see an April wedding at The Hay-Adams Hotel!

Still to come…a fun giveaway in honor of our one month anniversary!

Photos: Martha Stewart Weddings

Whimsical garden wedding or big city chic affair, a wedding is just a little sweeter when there’s a little one around.  Maybe it’s their wobbly walking/running down the aisle, or maybe it’s the look on their faces when the music is playing and they realize they are the center of everyone’s attention, or maybe it’s simply their a-dor-a-ble outfits.  So sweet.

Photos: Martha Stewart Weddings (top); Ladybug Collection (bottom)

Isn’t this last little one precious?  With her billowing white dress and that bow!  This dress is part of the Ladybug Collection and is available at Hannelore’s of Olde Town in Alexandria, Virginia.