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

Danielle and Nick’s wedding was a swanky, sultry throwback to the 1940′s. This gorgeous couple had an incredible eye for detail and a wonderfully theatrical sense of style that translated into an absolutely stunning affair.

“I loved the couple’s distinct style. There was nothing “bridaly” about this wedding, which made it even more fun to plan.” said wedding planner Laura Weatherly of Engaging Affairs.

Following a beautiful candelit ceremony at St. Aloysius Church, the happy couple were whisked away in a vintage Rolls Royce while guests were transported to an era-gone-by when they entered the intimate reception at the Carnegie Institute.

The deep, rich colors and sumptuous fabrics were bathed in warm hues of amber and burgundy light to create a mood of regal elegance. A custom built wood bar created a speak-easy vibe as bartenders from the popular Todd Thresher bar PX crafted signature cocktails like a sweet basil martini. During cocktails, guests oohed and aahed over the vintage typewriter with a note welcoming them to the wedding and the gorgeous cake decorated with peacock feathers that sat on a linen created entirely out of feathers!

While guests enjoyed cocktails and fun hors d’oeurves like mini pigs-in-blankets atop shots of beer, Nick changed out of his ceremony tux into a custom brown suit that fit the reception’s mood. Danielle changed her hair and jewelry but stayed in the same gorgeous Monique Lhullier  gown and to-die-for Christian Louboutin shoes.

The sumptuous dining room continued the elegantly retro look of the night. Long rectangular tables and velvet-tufted chairs ran the length of the room. Deep brown velvet lines  were topped with crystal table runners, jeweled candles and shaded candleabra dripping with crystals. Peacock feathers were tucked into napkins along with menu cards bedecked with peacocks and the guests’ place cards were printed in a vintage typewriter font.

After a dinner of three exquisite courses, guests began dancing the night away while the dining room was turned into a gentleman’s lounge featuring a cappuccino station and donut machine. This stylish retro event was timeless from start to finish.

The fabulous vendor team:

Event Planner: Laura Weatherly, Engaging Affairs

Venue: Carnegie Institute

Photographer: Juan Carlos Briceno, Fotobriceno

Videography: Stereo Waltz Films

Caterer: Ric Marino, Well Dunn Catering

Cake: Kendall’s Cakes

Floral Design & Decor: Jeffrey Fox, Capital Decor

DJ: Chris Kopec

Transportation: Linder & Associates and Regal Limousine

Strings: Cherry Blossom String Quartet

Place cards: Sprites Ink

Rentals: DC Rental

Lighting: John Farr Lighting

Valet Parking: Unipark

Alex and Aisha’s wedding can be explained in three words: classic, romantic, and sophisticated. Alex, a “true prince charming,” proposed to Aisha in front of her favorite place on earth – Cinderella’s Castle in Disney World… what a wonderful true, fairytale wedding story. The couple continued this theme of glamour, elegance, and romance at the wedding, though from a more grownup angle – classic Hollywood.

Sara Muchnick at Engaging Affairs, the planner for this lovely event, explains that Aisha was the perfect Hollywood glamour girl. The décor fit the motif as well, with deep, rich colors and a setting mimicking an old Hollywood bar with ferns, lounge furniture, and crystal lampshades and chandeliers. Everything was incredibly sophisticated, lush, and luxurious. Looking at these photographs, you might mistakenly believe you’re watching an old Hollywood film!

Aisha tells us, “I never imagined that my actual wedding would exceed every expectation I ever had as a little girl growing up.  But it did!  I loved everything about my wedding and wouldn’t change a thing.  Every time I think of how happy I was that day and how perfect everything was my eyes still well up with tears…of joy! I could go on and on and write you a whole story about how much I loved my wedding!  Simply perfect is how I’ll always remember it!”

The fabulous vendor team:

Planner: Sara Muchnick at Engaging Affairs

Venue: Omni Shoreham

Makeup: Nono Girma

Hair: Erwin Gomez

Classic Car: Regal Limousine

Photographer: Michael Bonfigli

Flowers and Décor: Capital Décor

DJ: Aaron Couch

Lighting: Digital Lighting

Solosit: Toni Wilson

Rentals: Party Rentals

Cake: Fancy Cakes by Leslie

Videographer: Blue Sky Films

Dear Devon,

I know the cherry blossom trees bloom in early April, but I’m planning a summer D.C. wedding and would like to use the cherry blossom theme.  Do you know where I can find cherry blossom details for my wedding?  

Great question!  Cherry blossoms are so lovely, so delicate, and so perfect for weddings.  Cherry blossom branches make fabulous Chuppah decor, beautiful centerpieces, and pretty little details. Here are a few details I found at Estilo Weddings…

Dear Devon,

Do you know of a good vendor for getaway cars?  We’re looking for something classic, maybe something vintage…

I think getaway cars are such a fun touch!  Not only do they make great pictures, but guests are always wowed by them.  Some couples choose to depart in untraditional ways — I’ve seen golf carts, horse-drawn carriages, and bicycles.  Other couples, like the reader who emailed me, prefer classic, vintage, luxury vehicles.  

A great source for these cars is Regal Limousine, a classic Bentley and Rolls Royce wedding limousine provider serving Maryland, D.C., and Northern Virginia.

Dear Devon,

A quick wedding etiquette question (feel free to post on the blog!) — if I’m invited to two bridal showers for the same bride (and I can attend neither), do I need to send gifts to both? Also, where should I send the gift?

This is a question I hear a lot.  In my opinion, it is a good idea to send gifts for both showers.  One of the gifts can be larger, and one can be smaller, less expensive.  ”Group gifts” are also a good idea, particularly if you know of others who are invited to both showers.  Etiquette normally dictates that guests shouldn’t be invited to more than one shower, but sometimes members of the wedding party are invited to every pre-wedding celebration.  I would suggest sending both gifts to the bride’s home.

Here are a few ideas for smaller gift items — each of these is only $18 and could work for a kitchen shower (dish towels), honeymoon shower (Hanky Pankies or sunscreen), or around-the-house shower (coasters)…

Photos: Kiehl’s Sunscreen ($18.50); Williams-Sonoma dish towels ($18.00); Crate & Barrel photo coasters ($16.95); and Hanky Panky low rise thong ($18.00 for one pair)