Remember this Real Wedding?!

Photo Credit: Procopio Photography

For more information on the property, contact Alison Okobi at aokobi@hayadams.com.

Well, today, I have the pleasure of sharing her beautiful, emotion-filled wedding pictures by the talented Jay Premack…so happy!

Be sure to check back tomorrow for the fabulous video from Humanstory Films!

The fabulous vendor team:

Venue and Catering: The Hay-Adams
Dress:  Monique Lhuillier from Carine’s Bridal Atelier
Band: Doctor’s Orders (Bialek’s Music Group)
Ceremony Music: Cherry Blossom String Quartet (Bialek’s Music Group)
Flowers: Sidra Forman
Cake: Wegman’s
Photography: Jay Premack; assisted by Andrew Harnik
Videography: Humanstory Films
Hair: Ismail Tekin at George Salon
Make-Up: Carl Ray

For more pics, be sure to check out the fabulous Love Brunch images here.

The fabulous vendor team:

Venue: The Hay-Adams

Dress: Badgley Mischka

Veil: Sara Gabriel

Shoes: Jimmy Choo

Makeup & Hair: Up Do’s for I Do’s

Florist:  Helen Olivia

Cake: Kendall’s Cakes

DJ: Chris Laich

Lighting: John Farr Lighting

Photography: Cicely & Jason of Procopio Photography

Today’s wedding reminds me so much of D.C. – the type of classic and sophisticated elegance that you can only find in the District…

This Memorial Day Weekend wedding by Cherry Blossom Weddings & Events took place at the National Cathedral and the Hay-Adams.

The light shown through the gorgeous stained glass windows as the beautiful bride and handsome groom exchanged vows in the Great Choir in the heart of the cathedral in front of 120 of their closest friends and family.  The bishop’s garden at the Cathedral provided a perfect backdrop for some fun portrait shots. Fun!

Chantal of Cherry Blossom Weddings & Events told us, “The cocktail hour atop the Hay-Adams’ roof took in one of the most amazing views of the city as guests mingled and enjoyed hors d’ourvres.  After a delicious dinner in the ornate John Hay room, guests danced the night away to the amazing band Sound Nation.”

Sounds like a blast – and so pretty!!

Thanks to Bryan Blanken from Freed Photography for sharing the pictures!

The fabulous vendor team:

Ceremony: The National Cathedral

Reception: The Hay-Adams

Photographer: Bryan Blanken from Freed Photography

Planner: Cherry Blossom Weddings & Events

Band: Sound Nation

Cake: Kendall’s Cakes

With a gorgeous ceremony at the National Cathedral and an fabulously fun reception at The Hay-Adams, this was quite the affair!

They tried to make the wedding, in the words of the bride, a “real DC experience.” Of course, what is more D.C. than Cherry Blossoms!? These were seen throughout celebration: Not only did they choose a spring date so their guests could experience the beauty of D.C.’s Cherry Blossom Festival, but they used the flower as inspiration for color scheme (pinks and colors), invites, welcome bags and decor. The couple even led guests on a moonlit tour of the monuments. Amazing!

The couple was married by Rachel’s parent’s lifelong family friend (and Maid of Honor’s father), Reverend Tate.

The couple and guests headed over to the Hay Adams for an unforgettable, music-filled reception. Guests happily watched the couple’s romantic newly-wed dance and a sweet father-daughter spin around the dance floor before bounding in front of the stage themselves for a night of dancing.

The arrangements by Multiflor look so lovely!!

The fabulous vendor team:

Ceremony: National Cathedral

Reception: Hay Adams Hotel

Flowers: Multiflor

Photography: Love Life Images

***

There are so many different places to get married.  I learned that you really need L.O.V.E. for the venue search: a Location, an Outlook, a Vision, and a sense of your Entertaining style.

Whether you choose a destination, a farm, or somewhere in D.C., think about your guests and how far they will be traveling.  Do you want to transport people to multiple locations or outside of the beltway?  I feel very fortunate to live in D.C., so I wanted our out-of-town guests to be in the heart of the city so that they can experience it the way that we do.

After you decide on your location, think sensibly about the event’s outlook.  How many people are you expecting and how much do you want to spend on the venue?  Size matters when it comes to the venue; some are too small and some are too big.  Do you want multiple rooms where dinner and dancing can be separate?  Do you want a large space for your guests to roam around?  I want our wedding to be like a hug: cozy, intimate, and warm.  With everyone in the appropriately sized room, the party will be full of energy.

Incorporating your vision with the location and outlook will help narrow down your choices.  Knowing the look ahead of time will also allow you to establish the dress for your guests.  A lot of great spaces can be tailored to your design aesthetic, whether it is historical elegance or contemporary minimalist.  We knew that we wanted an evening, indoor, black-tie wedding, so our search began with historic buildings in D.C.

Having the hostess gene is a gift, and unfortunately not everyone (I fall into this category) has it. Understanding how you approach entertaining will help you decide if you are looking for a venue that offers convenience like a one-stop shop or a clean slate for you to exercise your inner Martha Stewart.  My fiancé and I were looking for a checklist of options, so we were delighted about the convenience that hotels offer.

We attended the Engaged! in Washington event last March to compare our top prospects.  It was a great opportunity to see how a wedding would look in the five participating hotels and to sample the food.  Ultimately, we decided The Hay-Adams was the perfect place for us to get married.  These are the reasons why:

• Alison Okobi, Director of Catering, is wonderful.  Our personalities mesh well and we trust her.
• We will be the only event at the hotel that night.  The thought of taking over an entire hotel is appealing.  I don’t know why, but it is.
• The John Hay Room is the perfect size and look for the reception.  It has fireplaces, dark wood, and feels like fall.
• The location is perfect.  We are having the ceremony in the Lafayette Room.  When you look out the window you see The White House.  How cool is that?

The cake display looks delicious – a midnight treat to welcome the new year!  Love the party hats! What a fun way to say hello to 2010!

The fabulous vendor team:

Venue: The Hay-Adams

Wedding Planner: Elizabeth Duncan with Pineapple Productions

Florist: Jack Lucky Floral Design

Photographer: Deb Lindsey Photography

Band: Backstage

Cocktail Music: Bel Canto Strings

Make-up: Leah McKay

Hair: Christophe Jouenne

Dessert Display: Just Cakes

Wedding Cake: Kendall’s Cakes

Lighting: Frost Lighting

Linen/Chairs: DC Rental

From 5:00pm to 10:00pm next Friday, Engaged! in Washington will allow guests to experience five of DC’s most luxurious wedding venues, The Four Seasons Hotel, The Hay-Adams, The Ritz-Carlton, St. Regis Hotel, and The Willard as each would look for an actual wedding.

Guests will also meet the people that make fabulous weddings happen, linger and look, ooh and aah, and then take a limo bus to the next venue for more eye candy!

Photographers at each venue will take portraits, wedding planners and florists are designing knock-out spaces to wow guests, bands and DJs will play music, models from area bridal salons will be wearing the latest bridal fashion, hair and make-up artists will work their magic on attendees – first come, first served!

Click here to purchase tickets today!

We hope to see you there!

Wow.  What a beautiful wedding.  A big thanks to Andrew for always keeping us updated on his fabulous work!

First up, a Real Wedding sent to us by none other than Andrew Reilly.  If you’ve checked in with us before, you’ve probably heard about our obsession with Andrew.  He is a wedding photographer with an artistic edge.  His photos are, well, brilliant.  And, he just may be the nicest guy around.

Amir and Subha were married on May 23, 2009 at The Hay-Adams Hotel.  Their ceremony was held in the John-Hay Room, with cocktails, dinner, and dancing held on the roof of the hotel overlooking the White House.  Here’s the first rounds of photos… More to come in a bit!