Elegance & Simplicity - Engaged & Green Blog » Details!

Escort Card Wall

Chris Easter — Mon, 26 Jul 2010 18:09:52 +0000

I am finally having a chance to unload a lot of images that I took myself at various weddings this year. This is from Alison’s wedding that we featured earlier this and her wedding is featured in the current issue of Eco-Beautiful Weddings.

We have our walls (8 of them to be exact) in our inventory that have served an amazing amount of purposes for various weddings and various events over this past year.

For Alison’s wedding – we simply attached the escort cards to the wall with fabric that she provided to us for the wall. It was an easy and quick way for the guests to find their cards and the pins can be used again!

Happy Planning!

Bat Mitzvah Cupcake Trees

Chris Easter — Thu, 22 Jul 2010 05:32:57 +0000

This was such a fun bat mitzvah that we did in late spring from repeat clients for their 2nd daughter’s bat mitzvah in Bethesda!

She really let us great creative by using our cupcake trees along with wheat grass to place along the edge of the kid’s tables along with nestled cupcakes!

The adult tables had tall arrangements with ginger, eremurus (foxtail lilies) orchids and elephant leaves to remind the guests of their family’s heritage in Costa Rica!

Thanks to Debbie Delardi over at Cakes by Design once again for her amazing cupcakes!

By the way – we have a number of the cupcake trees in stock for rent anywhere in the Washington, DC and Baltimore areas! They have been super popular this year with our clients! Not exactly the best photos we have ever taken – but it got he job done!

Mazel Tov!

Mary Kate’s Wedding – Part II

Chris Easter — Wed, 21 Jul 2010 05:45:41 +0000

Oh how we love it when wedding professionals get married and ask us to be a part of their day! As company policy – we will help give our friends in the biz some tips – but most of the time – they don’t need it. Sure – I will point them in the right direction if they want it, but we will not coordinate the day of the wedding – too much pressure! Amen for Laura Auer from Wish Special Events for taking care of the details the day of the wedding. Most wedding professionals get pretty darn creative for their wedding day – as they have seen so many details that they have loved along their career path. Mary Kate McKenna’s wedding was no exception.

We just loved how she gathered bottles and mason jars from all over the DC, Frederick and Baltimore area to create a unique mix of local flair. Not only that – she made these adorable boxes with the numbers of the tables on them herself! Yes – she went to a carpentry class to learn how! We could have made them for her – but what a great DIY project! So adorable! We simply provided the flowers!

Thanks to The Blonde Photographer for taking these photos and getting them back to Mary Kate so quickly! Keya did such an amazing job on this bouquet. She used a beautiful coral toned peony, purple delphinium, peach lisianthus and fresh lavender to create her beautiful hand-tied bouquet. Take a look at the first post to see the cute arch we made. We will post more as soon as their photographer has them ready!

Cheers!

Mary Kate’s Wedding at Thorpewood – Part I

Chris Easter — Thu, 15 Jul 2010 15:00:00 +0000

I know that this wedding is going to have a few posts on it…

So I decided to start with the most unusual part of this wedding. Never mind the fact that the beautiful bride in the photo is cutie patootie photographer Mary Kate McKenna – this wedding had some serious flair!

Her wedding was at the beautiful Thorpewood and her wedding planner – Laura Auer of Wish Special Events made it incredible and easy for Mary Kate! Of course – we love working with other wedding planners!

I wanted to focus on this very special arch we made for Mary Kate. She let us get creative but using hearty branches, a bit of curly willow, and grapevine to create this quirky (and I think adorable) arch for their altar. Being outside and in a very woody area – it made the perfect setting for a very cute couple! So many of our couples this year have let us get creative and use the talents of my amazing husband – who is a master carpenter! We donated the arch to the property as the branches will biodegrade over the next few months! Click on the photo to enlarge it!

Stay tuned for more photos!

Thanks to Jaime from The Blonde Photographer for the image above!

Jordan and Jeremy’s Wedding Part II

Chris Easter — Wed, 14 Jul 2010 14:15:44 +0000

For those of you who do not follow me on Twitter – I thought I would go ahead and post the three images that I posted to Twitter the day of Jordan and Jeremy’s wedding on June 26, 2010. Keep in mind all of these photos were taken by my Blackberry – so they are not the finest in photography! Those will come shortly from Ralph Alswang!

As you can see – this was a very bright and summery wedding! I can’t wait to show you all the pink, yellow and green yummy details.

We created our signature photobooth for Jordan with her colors and style from her wedding. Above is Jen Franz from Documentary Associates who took the photos at the photobooth during the reception! I can’t wait to show some of the funniest photos I have ever seen from a photobooth and the funnest props!

Now this photo is really terrible and does not show the true essence of this decor piece at the reception. We brought in actual school lockers that we painted in their wedding colors! We still have the lockers in stock as we just could not part from them! Inside the lockers were her stuff, his stuff and then in the yellow locker – their stuff.

There is so much more to show – so stay tuned for the professional photos – which will be so much better than these! But I just could not wait to show these to you!

Kati & Jason’s Wedding at The Decatur House – Part III!

Katie L Martin — Fri, 09 Jul 2010 13:23:19 +0000

We posted a few of the photos from Kati & Jason’s wedding from May this year…however Rodney sent over this great video montage of the images from their wedding at the Decatur House!

Take a look by clicking on the image above!

Cheers to Kati & Jason!

Kendall & Mo – Part III – Wedding Decor

Chris Easter — Wed, 07 Jul 2010 13:30:02 +0000

This is a continuation (part 3 of 4) of Kendall & Mo’s wedding – all about the decor we did for them! Grab a cool drink as this will be a long one!

This is our signature trellis that we have been using for about 2 years now. We have now taken it out of commission and have reused the wood to create a smaller version. No worries – we can still make another one like it – we just felt a smaller version would make some of our upcoming weddings more intimate! We purchased the aqua glass hanging votives to add to our ever-growing collection of amazing hanging glassware! Of course we also have every color of the rainbow in paper lanterns. It was just especially whimsical to have them inside this beautiful atrium at the Engineer’s Club in Baltimore.

After choosing her save the dates -Kendall brought one to me and we designed the day around the adorable colors from her paper items (which were showcased in yesterday’s post)! We created simple but beautiful bouquets comprised of green hydrangea with white ranunculus for the bridesmaids to go with their beautiful turquoise/aqua shade dresses from Jenny Yoo. Each bridesmaid had an individual beautiful brooch that Kendall bought for them as gifts! She even gave one to me that I adore!

Here is her lovely bouquet! She chose white peonies (available in May and June) with white ranunculus, green cymbidium orchids with blue delphinium accents. (Look at that cute chair decor her mom made!)

We love our oval vases! We used them for the atrium as decor on the railings with submerged green cymbidium orchids and fun aqua stones.

We custom designed this piece for Kendall! It was gorgeous and huge! We took manzanita branches and fastened them to a box Miguel made out of some old wood from our workshop and filled it with wheat grass. Then we added green dendrobium orchids with her cute paper flowers (and escort cards) from her Etsy Paper designer Magnolia! Check out the post from yesterday to get a closer view of the flowers – by clicking here! (You can also click on the image to make it larger to see more detail).

Here is a nice snapshot of the tablescapes! We used our tall cylindrical glass vases with manzanita branches with hanging green and aqua glass hanging votives (hung with vintage green and blue ribbons). Then we had 3 lower vases with submerged white dendrobium orchids with floating white candles. Then you can see her adorable napkin rings here too – which were featured yesterday on the blog!

(There was also a candy bar – which I don’t have photos of at the moment!)

Mo is Lebanese and we were able to get Debke dancers in for their reception as well from MSE Productions!

MyDeejay was there that night for all of the other music and it was seamless! Anthony is always a pleasure to work with!

I love this photo of the Engineer’s Club as it shows their signature lighting ceiling system that I am in love with! However – this is not to be confused with the fantastic job that Ampa Events did with the uplighting around the facility! Truly an amazing event!

I wanted to make one final note on this blog post. This wedding was planned with eco-friendliness in mind. Kendall and Mo are busy doctors and highly aware of what is going on in our environment. She chose Etsy Designers to give back to the creative artist community, chose us for our eco-friendly designs, chose the Engineer’s Club for its beauty and historical significance, chose MyDeejay as they are a carbon-neutral company, her friends and family took most of the paper decor to be reused again…the list is really endless. We adored Kendall from the moment she stepped into our offices!

Going green can be fab folks – as you can see here!

Stay tuned for the 4th and final installment tomorrow for Kendall & Mo’s wedding! All about cake – not to be missed!

All images were provided by the amazing Jennifer Hughes!

Kendall & Mo’s Wedding at the Engineer’s Club

Chris Easter — Tue, 29 Jun 2010 13:53:55 +0000

I am so excited about the cutie patootie wedding that we did with Kendall & Mo on May 8th! I got the photos back last week and was just so jazzed to relive this event. Truly one of the top ten favorite weddings we have every done. From the bride and groom being just fantastic clients to now being our friends…to the amazing details that I can’t wait to share.

Stay tuned for a more detailed post later this week! The images from Jennifer Hughes are amazing!

Kati & Jason’s Wedding

Chris Easter — Mon, 21 Jun 2010 14:29:43 +0000

Here are a few more details from Kati & Jason’s wedding at the Decatur House this spring. They had such a fun a funky decor design and everyone left saying that the wedding was “so them”! I love hearing that!

Yes – we always want people to say that the wedding was fun and beautiful and elegant…but we also want the weddings that we are a part of to really reflect the client and their taste. It is not about what we want or how we do things – it is about what you want for your wedding day. When we hear guests say things like that was so unique and so much like Kati (the bride) – then we know we have done our job!

Kati and her mom brought me dozens of cute and interesting small vases that they collected over the past few months and we filled all of them with various purple and blue flowers. They had one small vase with two photos of them at each age – representing the number of the table…very cute and very them!

Along with this hilarious – yet simple cake.

We love weddings that are as unique as the couple themselves. They had two ceremonies to reflect both of their cultures – be sure to incorporate heritage and culture in your reception as well!

Thanks to Rodney Bailey again for providing amazing photos in with such a short turn around!

Congrats Kati & Jason!

Card Box Giveaway!

Chris Easter — Sat, 03 Apr 2010 17:00:53 +0000

Don’t forget to sign up for the Creative Custom Card Box Giveaway on the Eco-Beautiful Weddings Blog! The box was featured in my editor’s pick section!

WIN IT!

Click here to learn how to win it for your wedding! We will choose the winner on the 5th!

Good Luck!
Katie Martin

Summer bouquets – Yellow!

Chris Easter — Mon, 29 Mar 2010 17:00:22 +0000

Summer is just around the corner and yellow is such a hot color right now. I have had three different magazines contact us for yellow bouquets and we had a great yellow ETSY feature in the Eco-Beautiful Weddings Spring 2010 edition! I see yellow everywhere now!

So – I figured I would just post a few of my favorites today. I also had someone from twitter specifically ask about yellow flowers – so here they are!

We love gathering yellow pin cushions – so much fun! One of my favorite flowers!

We added pin cushions to calla lilies, billy balls, carnations and then red aspidistra leaves for this wedding. The carnations are not a typical addition but added a fluffy pop to this quirky bouquet.

I am a huge fan of adding rosemary to bridal bouquets as a sign of fidelity along with the luxurious smell it adds. This bouquet was so aromatic with the rosemary mixed with freesia, roses and mini calla lily accents.

This is one of my favorite bouquets that might actually end up in my 3rd book: Eco-Beautiful Weddings (not the magazine – yes an actual printed book)! I feel like it is taking me forever to write it!!!! I love this bouquet for its simplicity with billy balls, hybrid double Dutch tulips and a green hypericum berry collar. We also used a Hannah hand-dyed silk ribbon to match the blooms! Simply yummy.

This is just a simple and rustic bouquet filled with yellow ranunculus and ornithologum. Even though it is a simple-looking bouquet – it was a relatively difficult bouquet to make as ranuculus is a soft-headed flower. I also wish she would have let me cut the stems – but that is just me and my ridiculous type A personality. It totally went with the backyard charm she was going with!

You have probably seen this bouquet. It goes with the last bouquet (from the same wedding) that was featured in the Washingtonian this year. I had so much fun with this wedding! Billy balls with a white dahlia – ahh simplicity at its finest!

What color would you like to see next?

St. Patrick’s Day – The Perfect Day to Go Green!

Chris Easter — Wed, 17 Mar 2010 06:45:53 +0000

Today is the perfect day to go green…so get ready for this long post on some of the many ways you can make today green!

Take the above (cute as can be decor) – you can hang on your wall or put on shelves. These finds come from an Etsy designer made from old dead wood! Spring is upon us and it is time to spruce up your bedroom for sure! See how cute this could be on your wall? And hey – you can use these on your escort card table as decor!

In love with these shoes I found on Nimli today – I want them and your groom might want them for the wedding day! Why not? He can wear them again! Made from 100% fair trade organic cotton!

For the dog lovers – how cute this is? ‘Nuff said!

Cute Skirt – Made in the USA and from the ever-lovely Anthropologie website:

We have had so many of our clients adore our line of stationery by Luscious Verde in the office…here is a similar design that a client picked out last week for her August wedding with eco-cream paper:

Make a statement and give buttons as favors for your guests! This Etsy designer only has one of these in particular:

But my fave on this Etsy shop (at the moment) are these as I am writing this pretty late at night!

You really have so many options to go green with your wedding day. St. Patrick’s is a great reminder that you can just start a new green trend in your wedding planning – starting today!

Happy St. Patrick’s Day – Start Greening your Life Today!

Katie Martin

Mother-of-the-Bride Wednesdays

Katie Martin — Wed, 10 Feb 2010 15:18:35 +0000

If your step-father is going to pay for the wedding, he gets to choose the soup!

In the movie ”True Love,” a caterer persuades the beleaguered young couple to serve sky-blue mashed potatoes to match the bridesmaids’ dresses. ”You should feel that anything’s possible,” he says.

But, if you (and your husband – the step-father) love to go out to good restaurants, have attended many events and know something about the caterers in your area, or perhaps the bride or groom worked in a professional kitchen, or attended gourmet cooking classes or have seen Julia and Julia 5 times and own all her cookbooks, then the emphasis changes from gussied up food to fabulous tasting food. So no matter how the scenario plays, you choose a caterer and then have THE TASTING.

Wedding Dinner meal tastings can be fraught with peril…so before you start, here is the etiquette that goes along with tastings.

Get quotes from your various caterers, compare and then choose not more than 3. Ask if they are conducting any tastings for groups/ do they have linens/table set ups to look at?
Is your budget limited or is the “sky’s the limit”? A good caterer can give you great suggestions for either type or one smack dab in the middle.
After you’ve made the decision of which caterer, then set up a date to have the tasting.
Ask how many people you are allowed to bring, (do not bring more!).
Tell them any dislikes prior to the tasting…if you really hate couscous ask them to leave it off…also let them know of any food allergies for people attending the tasting. Will you be having vegetarians attending? Let your account rep know prior to the tasting so there can be something included for those people at the wedding itself.
At the tasting- be clear and specific on what you like and don’t like…you won’t hurt their feelings (just do it tactfully). The sauce has anise? And you detest it? They can change sauces, leave off items you or the bride/groom dislike etc. That’s what tastings with a good caterer are for…it gives you an opportunity to modify the menu.
Ask to see photos of their work, ask about staff attire, staff ratios etc

Obviously, a great wedding planner will help guide you and your daughter through all of this! (www.eleganceandsimplicity.com – of course!)

OK- here’s an overview: You and your husband are paying for the wedding location (venue), the cocktail reception and the dinner. You have decided on French service (French service refers to having a waiter serve the food onto each guests plate for each course as opposed to bringing out plates with the food already placed on it.) The caterer will let you bring 7 people to the tasting. So it’s you, your husband – (fella with the buckys), the bride and groom, his parents, and a friend whose judgment both you and your daughter respect.

You will be given a list of the dishes to be served and a pen/pencil to rate which you like the best down to the least favorite. The appetizers are served by a staff waiter; 2 seafood, 2 beef, etc., everyone raves (or not) over each piece, then you all are seated and in comes the soup (3 different tiny cups) – much discussion ensues over the soup. Then the salad…one’s a crisp green, one is a blanched pear that is ‘too die for’ – all the women LOVE it – the men – not so much.

And then two beef, two seafood, chicken and pork entrees with wonderful sides…everyone is in heaven! Stuffed! (They even serve a lovely lemon sorbet to cleanse the palate between courses.) No cake will be served since your cake will come from another source. But being the classy caterer they are, they do bring in some divine chocolates for ‘the final’ taste. They offer reg. coffee and espresso…

Then the discussion and ratings begin of each of the items each person tasted. Whew…got the appetizers decided, MUCH discussion again about the soup. The women INSIST on the pear salad…and your husband is burning under the collar about the soup! He wants what he wants especially if he’s giving in on the darn pear salad! You whisper to your friend (the respected one) and then, you pipe up “If your step-father is going to pay for this wedding, he gets to choose the soup!” WHOA…everyone looks at you like you are an ogre….BUT no one disagrees. The rest of the choices come easily. And thus – you’ve made it through the tasting. And he feels like he won a battle…probably the only one he will win. ;>) Ahhh, but such wonderful food…you can’t wait for the wedding, knowing the choice is perfect for your friends and their friends (bride and groom and his parents). YAY!

~Claudia Van Veen

Cocktails with DC’s Finest Event Professionals! (DCCWC BRIDAL SHOW IS RESCHEDULED)

Katie Martin — Fri, 05 Feb 2010 03:01:23 +0000

Due to the impending crazy snow we are about to get – we had to reschedule the bridal show!

We are moving the show time to

February 16, 2010

5-7pm

Decatur House Museum

So now, you have plenty of time to still register!

We are going to have a swanky cocktail party for all of you!

But you must register to get in!

So if you could not make it anyway this weekend – I am betting that you would not mind a quick drink after work while you cross a few vendors off your list in your wedding planning binder!

Leave a comment here about how you plan to make your wedding swanky too! The best comment will be able to pick up a fabulous prize from me at the bridal show! I will email you if you win! Good luck!

Come out the Chantilly Bridal Showcase Green Pavilion!

Katie Martin — Sat, 30 Jan 2010 17:01:56 +0000

Tara and I will be at the Bridal Showcase on Sunday at the Green Pavilion!

We will be giving away free tickets to the Washington DC Couture Wedding Consortium Bridal Show! If you can’t make it – be sure to check out the previous post about winning 2 free tickets here on the blog! Remember – we are giving away this $2500 The Cotton Bride Couture gown at the show on 2/6. So come out and grab some free tickets for that!

Learn about our wedding planning packages, floral designs, stationery, lighting, calligraphy for your DC wedding.

We will be giving away the following books from Chronicle:

Learn more about the Eco-Beautiful Weddings Magazine.

We are also giving away valuable discounts on our services – so it is well worth the trip!

See you there!

One of my favorite online stores is having a sale!

Katie Martin — Thu, 28 Jan 2010 15:59:37 +0000

Truly one of my favorite spots on the internet for green fashion: Nimli! They are having a sale on Hovey Lee jewelry! Just in time for Valentine’s Day! Click on the graphic above to browse through Nimli and take a look at Hovey Lee jewelry and don’t forget to put in the code HOVEY40 to save 40% on your Hovey Lee piece!

Come by the Mandarin Oriental Today!

Katie Martin — Sun, 24 Jan 2010 05:01:36 +0000

Can’t wait to see you today at the Mandarin Oriental Today from 11:30 – 3. Click on the image above to learn more about the event. Yesterday was the last day to register online, but you can still come and register at the door!

A few of the prizes that we will be giving away:

One lucky winner will receive a coupon to receive a pre-launch and signed The Everything Mother of the Bride Book by Katie Martin!

We will also be giving away a bunch of books from Chronicle Books!

And now, if you click on their logo below, 20% of all the proceeds from the sale of books that you buy from their website between now and January 31st will be donated to the relief efforts in Haiti! Plan your wedding and your life while helping others!

Here are the books from Chronicle that we will be giving away:

We {heart} Carolyn’s Anti-Bride Book Series – to learn more about Carolyn – check out her twitter page – @antibride! She will be with us in New York for the launch party!

HILARIOUS!

Destination Wedding Planner – A Fantastic guide for all of you on your way to far off places to wed!

Fortune Telling Book for Brides – so much fun!

Sweetie Stats – cute little pocket guide for a happy marriage! ;-)

Thanks Chronicle! Check out their facebook page by clicking here. And of course – on twitter by clicking here!

Several other prizes like free bridal bouquets and discounts off our services will be given away as well! Don’t miss it!

If you are not able to make it today – come to the bridal show on 2/6 (psst….we will be giving more books away and some of the most amazing bloggers will be there!)

Also – follow me on twitter (@greenwed) as I will try to tweet the details of our booth!

Happy Planning!

~Katie Martin

Mother-of-the-Bride Wednesdays – Speeches

Katie Martin — Wed, 20 Jan 2010 17:00:21 +0000

That speech you have to make at the wedding!

Chances are this is the first time you’ve given a Mother of the Bride wedding speech. If so, then there are certain things you’ll probably want to achieve…

You want your speech to be sentimental…with a touch of humor but not schmaltzy.
You don’t want to make a fool of yourself in front of 20, 50…300…or more wedding guests.
You want your speech to be a special tribute and something your daughter and her groom will remember with fond love – even if they don’t remember all the content. (see note below about this).
Your speech should be one of the highlights of your daughter’s wedding and one that you’ll want to look back and remember with pride.

But, if you are like most Mothers of the Bride, you don’t know where to start or what to say. You don’t know any jokes or quotes that are appropriate for weddings. And you don’t know how to word your feelings and sentiments so they are meaningful to your daughter. Not only that, you need inspiration to get ideas flowing so you can create a memorable speech. I’ve never had a problem speaking in front of people but I do have friends that are just terrified at the thought.

Which type are you? Practiced public speaker or neophyte – this occasion is different from every other one you would ever attend…it is your daughter’s wedding and so this speech must be as good as you can make it and that kinda puts all of you on a level playing field since even the ‘natural speaker’ can get nervous about speaking before this crowd. The old adage that we were all taught still holds true for all of us moms. Practice makes perfect. After you write out your speech, practice it out loud in the bathroom or in front of a bedroom mirror until you are comfortable with saying all the words…sometimes just saying it aloud makes you realize a phrase needs to be changed…looks good on paper but doesn’t ‘talk’ well. (You should get your husband to do this as well, if he is speaking, too.

Hopefully, you will actually get the chance to make your speech in front of all of the guests – but sometimes strange things happen and the mothers just don’t get the chance to make a toast (or just don’t want to do so). So in that particular instance and just to be safe for your moment to speak, I will repeat…write that speech out – or at least the highlights.

Contents of speech: You can

1. Thank the guests that attend the wedding for their efforts to make it successful and memorable for your child. Did someone come from a long distance, then smile and point to them and thank them by name for making this wonderful effort to help send the couple on their way.

2. Give the newlyweds advice that they could really use as a part of their foundation for marriage. You have experienced living in a married life and you know the ups and downs. Share a tip or two…here you can try a little humor… like ‘learn to always look before you sit on the toilet especially in the dark’ or If you both sometimes use the same razor…be sure to leave a note on the bathroom mirror that the razor is NEW! Or…try to remember to leave little surprises around for each other. But also, do offer that sage advice that we’ve all heard and that does bear repeating ‘Never go to sleep without touching the other’s face while you kiss goodnight’…the kiss could be habit but to touch never is.

3. Relate a personal story or habit (that won’t embarrass) that is funny or poignant about her…such as: “I’ll always remember the awe on Katie’s face the Christmas that Santa brought her a real carpenter-built, 4-story-with removable roof and floors, real shutters, hardwood floor, linoleum-in-the-kitchen (with the kitchen built-in) Barbie townhouse – and I can see that same look now as she looks at her wonderful new husband.”

4. Formally welcome the groom as part of your family. Sometimes, things haven’t been all that rosy with the groom-to-be leading up to a wedding. This is another chance for you to make your daughter proud of you as her mom…a simple “Welcome to the Family” will show that you are trying to or have accepted him.

5. Avoid thinking sad thoughts during speech delivery. Some moms commit the error of saying that they will be losing their child. Even if you are really thinking this…do NOT say it aloud at anytime. It could truly wreck havoc either with your speech or the whole evening. You really don’t want to become a mess of sobbing hiccups up there. That would be a downer for everyone. And you still have that toast to make. Or perhaps you’ve recently had a close member of the family die (your father, mother, etc), wait to mention this person to the very last since chances are you will cry and so will the bride. So just don’t mention that person until after the toast and then just say – “Aunt Bubba would be so proud. “

Sample toasts found at http://www.freeweddingtoasts.net

May all your ups and downs come only in the bedroom. (might be better for the best man to say this one, but I included it since it is funny and Irish!)
May you have warm words on a cold evening, a full moon on a dark night, and the road that goes downhill all the way to your welcoming door.
There is nothing nobler or more admirable than when two people who see eye to eye keep house as man and wife, confounding their enemies and delighting their friends.” ~Homer, Odyssey /ninth century B.C.
Here’s to your mother-in-law’s son; (With glass raised, indicate your daughter), Here’s to your father (mother) -in-law’s daughter, (indicate the groom), Here’s to the vows you’ve just taken, and the life you’ve just begun.

If you can’t create a speech or the toast portion of your speech that sounds like it is really coming from you, then copy several from the internet and change them around to make it your own. Look at your daughter, your guests in the eye when you speak, find people in the audience that you feel comfortable ‘talking’ to and that will help you give a speech that sounds like a conversation rather than like a ‘canned’ speech and voila…you did ok with it. Good luck!

Lastly, since surely there will be some tears during the wedding; be sure you have tissue or a handkerchief before starting your speech or listening to others talk about your little girl. It is not good to see the MOB with smeared mascara and a red nose!

Happy Planning!

~Claudia Van Veen

DCCWC 2nd Annual Bridal Show at the Decatur House

Katie Martin — Mon, 18 Jan 2010 05:01:29 +0000

Wanting to see the best wedding professionals under one roof and meet some of the top bloggers from the east coast? Come to the Washington DC Couture Wedding Consortium’s 2nd Annual Luxury Bridal Show at the Decatur House Museum on 2.6.2010!

Featuring Dresses from Punk Rock Bride & The Cotton Bride! Get an up close look at the dress on the cover of our magazine Eco-Beautiful Weddings!

Get some free goodies from The Knot!

We have Emily Newman from the amazing Once Wed blog:

Nole Garey from O So Beautiful Paper Blog:

Danielle Freedman & Devon Pearce from District Weddings:

Amy Jean Chung from Weddzilla & The Relentless Bride (who is getting married herself in March):

Custom Garter Gal Julianne Smith will be there!

Valet Parking will be provided by Marc Parc!

We have an amazing set of gifts to giveaway – stay tuned for that blog post!!!

The following vendors from the DC Couture Wedding Consortium will be present:

Wedding Planners

Elegance & Simplicity, Inc.

Bella Notte

Something Fabulous

Caterers

Occasions Caterers

Photographers

Documentary Associates

Cake Designers

Music & Entertainment

MSE Productions

Disc Jockeys On Call

Bialek’s Music

Videography

Jessica Pi Productions

Blue Sky Films

Marry Me Live

Rental Companies

Ampa Events

Sugar Plum Tent Company

Table Manners

Hair & Make-up

Elegant Hair by Giselle

Carola Myers

Wedding Style Consultants

Polished Image & Style

Invitations

Presentations

Eco-Beautiful Weddings Eco-Giveaways!

Katie Martin — Sun, 03 Jan 2010 22:26:37 +0000

Don’t miss out on all the beautiful items being given away on the Eco-Beautiful Weddings Blog! There are 6 items up for grabs on the blog – but you have to go to the blog and write the answer to each question in each post in order to win! Here are the different items! Click on the collage below to get to the Eco-Giveaways section on the Eco-Beautiful Weddings Blog! Good Luck!

Washingtonian Real Wedding Feature!

Katie Martin — Wed, 30 Dec 2009 04:25:47 +0000

As promised, here are more photos from the real wedding that was featured in the most recent Washingtonian magazine. We are super excited about Kate and Mark’s wedding and I will do a follow-up post sometime in the new year about their engagement photos which were even cuter! Another eco-friendly wedding shot by Tom Van Veen & Ashlee Wilcox of Documentary Associates with our floral designs! Such a fun wedding!

Kate had her chivari chairs custom painted with the help of her sister Arney who used to work for one of the best wedding caterers in the DC area. We were so happy that Kate let us have free reign over making her floral designs to match their vintage and whimsical style wedding. The lapel flowers were finished with hemp twine and the bride’s dress was by Lela Rose (manufactured and designed in New York City!)

The programs were beribboned with various shades of raffia and ribbon by the bride and her sister.

Every single detail of this wedding was well thought out – down to the vintage typewriter as the “guest book”.

Congratulations Kate & Mark!!

(and to our wonderful friend Arney too – sister of the bride!)

~Katie Martin

Eco-Friendly Sendoffs with Style

Katie Martin — Wed, 16 Dec 2009 06:01:14 +0000

You don’t have to give up a dramatic exit to be green! Consider asking your guests to blow (non-toxic ) bubbles, throw bio-degradable confetti, toss birdseed, or scatter pom poms!

Credits (from left to right)

Bio-degradable confetti

A Persian-American Wedding at GW River Farm

Katie Martin — Sat, 28 Nov 2009 08:26:20 +0000

We have had several inquiries lately for Persian weddings and we have done quite a few over the years. I wanted to showcase one of my favorites and talk a little about what is actually involved in a Persian Wedding. I have always found multi-cultural weddings absolutely thrilling. This particular wedding drew from Iranian, “American” and Thai traditions (the groom was working in Thailand at the time).

I want to really just focus on the details of what makes a Persian ceremony so wonderful as so many websites do great job of explaining what a sofreh-ye-aqd (or Agdh) is – but rarely have photos! So for my upcoming engaged couples that are looking for a little more photo action for the “Persian wedding cloth”…here it goes.

There are two stages to a Persian wedding/marriage. The first is called ”Agdh” or “Aqd”, which is the legal process of getting married. Typically the couple and their parents will sign a contract together. The second stage is the “Jashn-e Aroosi” (the wedding celebrations and festivities). In Iran, most traditional celebrations can last up to 2 to 7 days! Let’s just say for simplicity purposes, if you are here in the States, this will most likely only last 4-6 hours!

The ceremony will always have an elaborately decorated cloth on the floor which is called the “Sofreh-ye Aghd” (or “aqd”). You will need to have a bench or a love seat as you must sit close to each other during the ceremony and face east towards the direction of the sun. When planning your ceremony, you need to make sure you visit your ceremony site at the time of day that your actual ceremony will take place. This will help in the layout of your sofreh and chairs for guests. You may have restrictions due to the size and space of your venue. With the photos seen here at GW River Farm, the couple chose to have their ceremony outside (near their 1st ceremony – which was a mix of Western and Thai traditions). It is, however, customary to have the sofreh-ye agdh at the bride’s parents’ home. The arrival of your guests starts the wedding ceremony (so don’t expect it to start on time). This couple was smart by having their western ceremony first as it gave sufficient time for latecomers to be available for the Persian ceremony. Parents and elders welcome all of the guests and guide them to their seats. If one of you is not Persian, be sure to take the lead from the Persian side of the wedding. (Just a note: each family is different in respect to traditions – so be sure to ask what your family can be doing to help or to simply stay away from if you are not the Persian side.) After all the guests have arrived, the groom takes his place first, before the bride, on the right hand side of the bench or loveseat. The right side is thought to be a symbol of respect.

The underlying cloth that is spread below all of the elements of the sofreh is generally passed from mother to daughter (or son) However, you can always start your own tradition with a new cloth! The cloth is normally made of Cashmere.

Here are the different elements typically displayed on the Sofreh-Ye Agdh:

Mirror (of fate) “Aayeneh-ye Bakht” and two Candelabras (or candles with holders) represent the brightness in your future and are placed on each side of the mirror. When the bride enters the ceremony, she traditionally has a veil covering her face. This particular bride chose not to do this. (When having a multi-cultural wedding, rules can typically be bent a little – just be sure to include your parents in the rule breaking before you break them!) Once the bride sits besides her groom, she removes her veil and the first thing that the groom should see (or look for) in the mirror should be the reflection of his wife-to-be. It is important to note that if you are having a same-sex ceremony, veils do not have to be used, however, the mirror element is important to be able to see a bright future ahead for your marriage.

A tray of seven multi-colored herbs and spices (“Sini-ye Aatel-O-Baatel”) are artfully displayed to guard the couple and their lives together against the evil eye, witchcraft and to drive away evil spirits. This tray consists of seven elements in seven colors:

Poppy Seeds “Khash-Khaash” (to break spells and witchcraft)
Wild Rice “Berenj”
Angelica “Sabzi Khoshk”
Salt “Namak” (to blind the evil eye)
Nigella Seeds “Raziyaneh”
Black Tea “Chaay”
Frankincense “Kondor” (to burn the evil spirits)

You really need to get family involved when it comes to this – this tray is truly art. The Persian community does a great job of knowing where to find this artwork and many women in Persian families know how to make the display.

Flatbread (“Noon-e Sangak”) with the blessing “Mobaarak-Baad” written on it (with saffron, cinnamon or Nigella seeds) symbolizes prosperity in marriage. A separate platter of the bread with cheese (typically feta) and fresh herbs should be made available to share with the guests after the ceremony (to bring the new couple happiness and prosperity). Be sure to have extra trays of this handy if you are having a large number of guests. Everyone will want a taste!

A basket or bowl of decorated eggs and decorative glass/bowl or basket of decorated almonds, walnuts or hazelnuts in the shell to symbolize fertility (the more nuts – the better).

A basket of pomegranates and apples for a happy future. Pomegranates are considered heavenly fruits and apples symbolize the divine creation of mankind. Obviously in certain parts of the world, pomegranates are hard to get and are not available year round. Consider using dried pomegranates which can be provided for you by your florist or can be found online. Some people like to use plastic (sorry – I am just not a fan of anything plastic as we are eco-friendly planners and florists here).

A cup of rose water or perfume to perfume the air.

A bowl made out of crystallized sugar “Kaas-e Nabaat/Shaakh-e Nabaat” to sweeten life.

(click on the image to see a larger photo)

A brazier “Manghal” holding burning coals sprinkled with wild rue “Espand”. Wild rue is believed to keep the evil eye away and to bring health. Not all Persian couples use this tradition due to fire hazards and regulations of the properties where they are getting married.

A bowl of gold coins representing wealth and prosperity. (We did one recently where the parents provided all $1 coins – I think it was at least $100 worth! Yeah baby!)

A scarf or shawl made out of silk or any other fine fabric to be held over the couple’s head throughout the ceremony by various happily married female relatives.

Two sugar cones or bells “Kalleh Ghand” made out of hardened sugar to be used during the ceremony. The cones are ground together above the couple’s head (over the scarf held above their heads) throughout the ceremony to shower them in sugar (symbolizing sweetness and happiness). You need to assign a few people to this task as the ceremony can be lengthy (and one person can get tired quickly)…keep the sugar coming!

A cup or a glass of honey to sweeten life. Immediately after the couple is married they each should dip one pinky finger in the cup of honey and feed it to the other one. I find this part of the ceremony to be super sexy (as marriage should always be)!

A needle and seven strands of colored thread to figuratively sew up the mother-in-law’s lips from speaking unpleasant words to the bride! The shawl that is held above the couple’s head throughout the ceremony is sewed in one corner by the needle and threads.

A copy of the couple’s Holy Book is placed on the spread which symbolizes God’s blessing for the couple. Some couples use a poetry book instead of a religious holy book.

A prayer carpet/kit is placed in the center of the Sofreh-ye Aghd to remind the couple of the importance of prayer (both in good and bad times). If you are not religious, you can forgo this element.

An assortment of sweets and pastries to be shared with the guests after the ceremony. The assortment usually includes: Sugar coated almond strips “Noghl”, Baklava, Mulberry-almond paste made in the shape of mulberries “Tout”, Rice-flour cookies “Noon-Berenji”, Chickpea-flour cookies “Noon-Nokhodchi”, Almond-flour cookies “Noon-Baadoomi” and Honey roasted almonds “Sohaan A’sali”.

I would like to give Farisnet.com and The Persian Mirror a thank you for their wealth of information on Persian weddings. Some excerpts on this post were taken from these websites to be sure as much accuracy as possible would be provided here. Please visit these websites for more information on other specific elements of a Persian Wedding.

Another huge thanks goes to Jennifer Domenick of Love Life Images for taking these amazing detail shots for me (and the couple)!

To see more photos from this beautiiful wedding, please see our sister post to this on Wedding Chicks by clicking here!

Happy Persian Wedding Planning!

~Katie Marin

A Little Harvest Inspiration

Katie Martin — Fri, 27 Nov 2009 05:01:12 +0000

One look at this inspiration board and you’ll know what inspired us. That gorgeous Carolina Herrera gown, front and center. The stunning wheat design on the bodice makes visions of decadent chocolate cake, pomegranate, persimmon and wheat dance through our heads!

Credits clockwise from upper left:

Shoes: Style Me Pretty

Bouquet: Martha Stewart Weddings

Wheat Boutonniere: InStyle Weddings

Chocolate Cake: Martha Stewart Weddings

Place setting: 100 Layer Cake

Invitations: Bespoke Press

Pomegranate Escort Cards: Martha Stewart Weddings

Gown: Carolina Herrera via Kiss the Groom

A Few Thoughts on Love

Katie Martin — Mon, 23 Nov 2009 07:17:16 +0000

I love it when my clients come in and they are bursting with love. Clients like that are the reason why I love what I do. Weddings should be all about love. Yes, wedding planning can get hectic, but don’t let it get it in the way of love.

I want to throw around a few fun ideas I found centered around the word love on Etsy. Most of these items are great for wedding decor. However, anything you see here can be used in your home.

Think about your purchasing for your wedding. Find ways to reuse these items. Home decor from your wedding will bring back memories of the day you got married on a daily basis.

Weddings tend to be a feast for the eyes for your guests. Why not keep that amazing decor for your 1st home together?

Congratulations on your engagement!

Happy Planning,

Black & White Chic Inspiration Board

Katie Martin — Wed, 18 Nov 2009 15:30:31 +0000

One look at those fabulous shoes and you’ll know what inspired this collage. Sophisticated, chic and a little theatrical, they are the perfect foil for a black and white color palette with dramatic details.

Shoes: Christian Louboutin
Invitation: Wedding Paper Divas
Bouquet: Martha Stewart
Cookies: Epicurious
Gown: Ulla Maija
Hair: Pip Pip and All That
Parasol image: Green Wedding Shoes
Place setting: Style Me Pretty

Liz & Brian’s Wedding at Franklin Square

Katie Martin — Mon, 16 Nov 2009 05:01:15 +0000

Tara and I had the pleasure of helping Liz & Brian design their wedding day on 11/7 at the City Club at Franklin Square. While I was at the Hay-Adams for Maureen & Brendan’s wedding (photos coming shortly), Tara was with Liz & Brian!

Liz and Brian planned their DC wedding from all over the US. Living in New York and traveling often for business made it imperative for them to hire a wedding planner. Liz loved the fact that we do both wedding planning and floral designs! We save our clients a lot of time and hassle by doing both services. Liz also liked the fact that we are an eco-friendly company and we strive to provide only the best in quality “green” floral and event design elements. She asked, like many ask me, how are you able to do that? Well, we have staff and I love to create beautiful things! The people that work for Elegance & Simplicity are dedicated and loyal. More than half of our staff have been with us for over 5 years. We take our employees seriously and we are constantly learning (or educating others) about innovative wedding trends, technology and eco-friendly practices. Take a look at a few of the eco-friendly elements in their wedding below.

The couple chose a floral motif for all of their wedding stationery. The dried pressed flowers were also on their beautiful invitations. Our in-house calligrapher used soy ink for their escort cards.

Instead of a wedding cake, the couple choose fantastic cupcakes from Kendall’s Cakes! At the top of the cupcake tower they used a family heirloom cake topper. I absolutely adore this particular topper as it is simple and it just has an enormous amount of character and charm. Reusing items for your wedding and donating what you have left over is key for an eco-friendly wedding.

All I have to say here – the cupcakes are almost as cute as Kendall! If you have not met with her yet for your wedding cake, desserts or cupcakes – click on the photo here and get in touch with her! Cream cheese frosting on top of red velvet cupcakes in cute paper holders- seriously yummy for the eyes and the tummy! If you have not noticed already – she decorated the cake stand with matching ribbon. Ahh – how I love thee (Kendall)! A wedding professional that understands the importance of the details! You would think this happens all the time, unfortunately such is not the case. Just a case-in-point of why asking questions is so important when meeting with all of your wedding professionals!

Yet another reason why I love Jennifer…she is the only photographer that I have had at the City Club at Franklin Square who has taken a photo of the club outside after dark. I love my city at night! The City Club at Franklin Square is right in the center of the city and easily accessible via metro and within walking distance of a couple of museums, restaurants and hotels!

The couple chose a mixture of low centerpieces with tall arrangements with manzanita branches and hanging glass votives. I love using these branches – they create a sense of wedding whimsy to me!

These photos from people dancing to Aaron Couch’s skills as a DJ are hilarious. LOVE IT!

I want to hug Jennifer for taking this photo…perfection…

I will post again about their flowers in a separate post! For now, I want to just say a big congrats to Liz & Brian. Another happy couple to add to the Elegance & Simplicity, Inc. newlywed column!

~Katie Martin

Design Inspiration – Start with Your Bedroom!

Katie Martin — Sun, 15 Nov 2009 08:39:56 +0000

If you are having a hard time trying to figure out what your wedding design & style will be? Then this post is for you!

Getting inspiration should always start with your personal style. So many couples come into my office with no clue as to where to start and always leave with a clearer picture. It is really simple…start in your bedroom or what you want your bedroom to look like.

Why your bedroom style? This is where you probably spend a lot of time! Most people love to decorate their bedrooms in their own personal style and then leave the rest of their home to more “mainstream’ decorating. (I said most people – not all!)

Are you a shabby chic or simply elegant kinda couple?

(above 2 photos from Atlanta Bartlett’s amazing website!)

Are you a Feng Shui “clean line” kinda couple?

Are you a practical kinda couple?

Or are you an artsy kinda a couple?

I am betting you will find certain elements in your bedroom that would translate well into your wedding design.

Do you tend to pick the same colors? Same designs? Same textures? Chances are those things will resonate with your wedding style.

This is not my room – but I might just make it mine as my wedding had similar style.

I used the same bright greens and blues with hints of browns with circles, polka dots, patterned papers and lanterns. We even had some daisies thrown in with our wedding in the Dominican Republic.

Decorating your wedding should be like decorating your new home together. Makes it much easier to dream! You might even be able to reuse some of your decor for your wedding into your home. This is a great green way to plan your wedding and nesting all at the same time!

Click on any of the photos above to find more inspiration from the websites I pulled them from.

Let me know what inspires you by leaving a comment or emailing me at katie {at} eleganceandsimplicity {dot} com

Happy Planning!

~Katie Martin

Invite Couture

Katie Martin — Sat, 14 Nov 2009 04:01:09 +0000

While I was in New York during Bridal Market, I had the pleasure of meeting Corrie Feld of Invite Couture! Her work is exquisite and hand-made!

For couples that are planning eco-friendly weddings, Invite Couture offers a variety of eco-friendly stock options including cotton papers made from 100% cotton linters leftover from textile processing, or several 100% FSC certified papers.

Your invitations set the tone for your wedding day! Make sure they represent you and your fiance!

Happy Planning!

~Katie Martin

Etsy Love

Katie Martin — Fri, 13 Nov 2009 05:01:14 +0000

Had a great week with Etsy. Take a look at the eco-friendly goodies I found!

Eco-Friendly Bookmarks!!! (I could not help myself…they practically belong on my blog with the colors!)

For a truly vintage and organic look to go with your gown – take a look at these beautiful organic linen Lariats on Magdalinen’s Etsy Site! GORGEOUS! I bought this green one (sorry folks, sold out) All of these are one of a kind: so HURRY! Click on any of these Lariats to get to her etsy page!:

Perfect for brides or bridesmaids:

Love these tags from Renee Anne (really could be used for weddings or Christmas!):

Have fun with all the Esty Shopping!

~Katie Martin