Here is a sneak peek!  Will post more photos soon!

Love their website and love their style.  Check it out!  Punk Rock Bride! Support local designers!

I am sending out a request to all of the MOBS out there that would like to tell me what they have learned throughout the wedding planning process!

If you are at the beginning stages:

• What frightens you most?
• Are you wanting more or less control over the bride or grooms choices?
• What are you most excited about?

We have them in both four and five feet heights.  The pedestals can used to either place a vase on top of them or (like in the photo of above) vases can be placed inside the pedestal to make the pedestal seem like a vase in and of itself!  We are using them at an upcoming wedding at the Ronald Reagan Building with manzanita branches!  Imagine the possibilities for your event!

Thanks to Documentary Associates for coming out and taking the photos for us!

I am extending the giveaway until August 15th!  We have a lot of clients coming in between now and August 15th.  I want to give all of those clients a chance to get a garter too!

Call today for your free consultation and come in before 8/15!  Click on her logo below to check out all the fun styles and her cute blog as well!

Cheers, Katie Martin

Our new structure gives us the ability to customize the size of the structure to fit your needs!  The basic structure is 6×6x8 feet as shown here:

You can attach greenery garlands and other fabric to the top!  We now can customize the top portion of the chuppah to fit the size of your stages.  We have a couple coming up that are 3×4 feet and 3×5 feet. One of the weddings we are customizing the top to accommodate a family tallit!

The structure is made of local, renewable lumber and some of the pieces of the wood that we have used for customizing the top has come from reclaimed wood that we have stripped and refinished – so it is eco-friendly as well!

Make this chuppah yours with fabric, flowers and size!  We look forward to being a part of your wedding day!

Cheers, Katie Martin

(Photo was taken by Steve Voss from Shulamit and Eric’s wedding at the Meridian House this past July 5th! – Congrats!)

Here is a fun new photo of another fantastic Pantone gift that I would love!

Actually – I would love to give it to my brother.  He knows how to get the colors back when they are scrambled!  My brother is a genius.  He deserves a pantone rubitone…yes, I am obsessed with clean color!

***Katie Martin

It is a official – I love www.afoxywedding.com which is a fun and wonderful wedding blog written and updated by Jessica Fox.  Check it out!

She puts stuff about weddings and every once in a while will just post some fun stuff!

Adding it to my blogroll!

Cheers, Katie Martin

Our friends over at Carine’s let us know about their upcoming sale!

Save on over 100 sample bridal gowns by top designers including Angel Sanchez, Junko Yoshioka, Melissa Sweet, Platinum Collection, Reem Acra, Rosa Clara, and others. Buy your gown NOW for your 2010 wedding and save up to 70% off retail prices. Sample sale gowns include Spring and Fall 2009 collections!! Help them make room for new designer gowns!

Mid-Summer Sample Sale at Carine’s Bridal Atelier
Thursday, July 23rd at 6pm-9pm
Now offering a FREE VEIL with purchase this day only!

Please RSVP to info@carinesbridal.com

Carine’s Bridal Atelier
1726 Wisconsin Ave NW 2nd Flr
(Between R and S Streets in Georgetown)
Washington, DC 20007
(202) 965-4696

www.carinesbridal.com

Tell them you found out about the sale here!

Cheers!  Katie Martin

There really aren’t any garters like these!  To top it all off – she is local!

Cheers!

Katie Martin

My favorite is Cakes by Design.  Debbie has become such a great friend and part of our family.  She makes my son’s birthday cake every year!  Then, when Miguel and I were married last June she made our wedding cake.  Here it is – for those that are interested (yes it is weird and zig-zaggy – just like life!):

Debbie will be having an open house cake tasting this weekend at her cute space in Occoquan.  Email Debbie directly at cakesbydesign@yahoo.com!  I have a few clients going this weekend, so I plan on going myself!  Hope to see you there! – Katie Martin

Click here for how to listen!

We were able to eat yummy cupcakes and check out the garters all at the same time!  I loved meeting Penny, the owner of Hello Cupcake, and eating a yummy carrot cake cupcake!  Aren’t Penny and Julianne cuties!  Cupcakes and garters – how could you go wrong????

Ivy Robinson came up from Charlotte for the event.  Ivy is our Charlotte Couture Wedding Consortium Director and she has been featured several times on Whose Wedding is it Anyway? and on the new series Hitched or Ditched!  

I want to also send a quick thanks to Shannon from Sevan Photography for taking the photos and sending them to us so quickly!  We were truly excited to be invited to the event and one of our brides go to be among the exclusive “10 brides only” list to check out the garters and meet wedding professionals from around the area!  

Julianne’s motto:  Embrace the Garter Tradition, With Style.

She is able to custom coordinate your colors with your garter!  Check out her website today!

****Katie Martin

I heard that Barbara from The Observatory was their photographer – so I am excited to see those photos!  I loved Claire’s color palette of ice blues, lavenders and cool greens.  Her bouquet was definitely the favorite that I made this past weekend!

Then Stephanie and Kevin delivered our striking monochromatic deep red floral designs to Marie for her wedding at Holy Trinity in Georgetown and their reception 101 Constitution’s rooftop terrace (by the way, catered by Avalon Caterers!)  Here is a peek at their centerpieces consisting of burgundy dupioni silk covered vases filled with bursting peonies, mini calla lilies, tulips and roses:

Arney, Tara and Charlie consulted and delivered flowers and installed lanterns at the GW River Farm for Claire S.’s wedding!  Here is Claire’s beautiful and traditional bridal bouquet:

Miguel, Chrishaun, Lauren and I had a fantastic time while consulting and doing the chuppah and floral designs for Susan and Matt’s ceremony at the Historic 6th & I Synagogue. The ceremony was followed by a festive and fun reception at the Woman’s National Democratic Club complete with our blue and pink colored glass candy jars filled with 30 different types of candy! I was able to take a quick sneak photo of their ceremony for you!  Eli Turner will have photos for us soon!  We also had the pleasure of having Chris Dunn play classical guitar for both the ceremony and cocktail hour.  If you have not had a chance to hear Chris play, he is truly THE classical guitarist in the Baltimore-Washington area!  We loved working with Susan from the beginning and truly enjoyed the day!  Mazel Tov Susan & Matt!

Then Tinica and Jeannine were at the Omni Shoreham for Leila’s wedding!  We do not have any photos from that wedding yet!  We did not do the flowers for them, but helped to coordinate their large and elegant Persian-American wedding!

Yes – all of the above was on Saturday!

Then – we went back to the Omni Shoreham on Sunday for Susanna and Ariel’s wedding!  All I can say is that it was fabulous, fabulous, fabulous!  A truly cultural event with both Susanna’s Chinese culture infused with Ariel’s Jewish traditions.  Complete with a fabulous (and auspicious) gold and red dragonfly (a symbol of summer and happiness) embroidered topper for their chuppah and yarmulkes to the exciting performance by Lion Dancers at the reception. The bride changed her dress twice during the reception (as is customary in traditional Chinese weddings)!  There are so many details from this wedding, I could probably write a small book about it.  I don’t have photos yet – but Jennifer Domenick and Mary Gardella Hester of Love Life Images were both there to capture the moments!  I will post their wedding photos and more photos from the above weddings as I receive them from the various photographers over the next couple of weeks!  

More to come, Congratulations to all of our couples this weekend! – Katie Martin

Check out the wikipedia entry here!

Congrats Katie!

You have seen previous posts about the beautiful Adele Wechsler wedding gown that was provided by Promise for the Savvy Bride, but here you will finally get to see the bride in the dress that she chose! Robin Fisher from Polished helped to style the bride and her sister with the best colors and accessories.

Although Earth Day was a very strange weather day, the wedding was beautiful!  Fortunately, the couple had two of our favorite photographers (Love Life Images & Documentary Associates) that took amazing photos for them. The wedding day started off with a quick interview from WJLA Channel 7 at the Mount Vernon United Methodist Church!

We designed the eco-friendly bridal bouquet with blue delphnium, yellow freesia, pink astilbe,  lisianthus and bouvardia.

Videographer Jessica Pi took amazing coverage that I will post shortly!  Elegant Hair by Giselle provided a beautiful natural look for the bride and Carola Myers provided flawless eco-friendly make-up by Korres (which Katie is an avid fan of!).

Utilizing the amazing local Cherry Blossom farmers, Green Love Events was able to display these magnificent blooms in the alcoves going up the stairs to the cocktail hour.

The cocktail hour was hosted upstairs in the museum, complete with mason jars filled with flowers!  The tops of the mason jars were available to the guests at the end of the evening; encouraging guests to reuse the jars for their own use after the wedding!  All of the flowers used for their wedding were grown by local farmers or from Holland’s pesticide free farmers.  All Dutch flowers were flown in on a commercial flight to utilize space otherwise unused by the average consumer on a commercial flight! 

The bride and groom made their way to the reception in a pedicab!

The guests were invited into the Carriage House after the cocktail hour for dinner and dancing.  Here are some of the beautiful details from the tables!  We love billy balls and lisianthus!  Every place setting had a different type of flower tucked into their napkin!

The centerpieces consisted of three vases.  Some tables had pink recycled glass jars (others had orange) accompanied by a flip top container and spice bottle filled with flowers.  The tops for the spice jars were provided to guests at the end of the night and they were able to take the flip top jars to use for anything from holding sugar for their coffee in the morning to saving leftovers!

Evan from MyDeejay.com had everyone dancing all night long to the couples favorite tunes!

Avalon Caterers provided eco-friendly, local and organic cuisine from the cocktail hours through the end of dinner!

 Cakes  by Design provided a beautiful eco-friendly cake complete with fresh local raspberries and decor that can be reused again and again!

The bride’s Scottish heritage brought forth the bagpiper at the church and the the beautiful custom-designed Korean Korum Bow on the bride’s gown was a fantastic addition to celebrate the groom’s culture.

Of course,  the snapshot studio from Love Life Images was a hit!

Last but not least, the entire wedding was carbon neutral with a carbon offset purchased by Elegance & Simplicity  from Carbonfund.org!

Elegance & Simplicity also provided all wedding stationery (which was all post-consumer waste recycled paper) and calligraphy.  The stationery included wedding invitations, escort cards and programs.  Elegance & Simplicity provided the couple with a logo and a logo sign to be reused by the couple as personal decor.  All leftover flowers were either taken by the family or composted by Elegance & Simplicity.  The discarded programs and escort cards were recycled by Elegance & Simplicity.  Leftover food was packed up for the bride and groom and their families at the end of the evening by Avalon Caterers.  Avalon Caterers made sure that all of their staff either carpooled or took Metro to the event.  Ask your wedding professionals how they can make a eco-friendly difference in your wedding day!  Check out all of the green wedding professionals in the consortium by clicking here!

Congratulations to our 2009 Green Wedding Giveaway Couple!

• We now offer wall backdrops.  We designed this concept last year with one of our clients that is getting married in September.  More comprehensive and interesting than a typical pipe and drape backdrop, it creates a romantic mood and endless possibilities for making your wedding unique and interesting. The wall panels come in 8 feet by 2 feet wide combinations.  They are boxes making them heavy enough to withstand wind for outdoor ceremonies and we currently have 3 panels in our inventory.  We have the ability to make as many panels as you want with our in-house carpenter.  We cover each panel in the fabric of your choice!  Soon we will have swatch samples for you to choose your color!  However, keeping in tune with how original our brides our – we will use whatever fabric you desire.  Bring in a swatch of fabric with your appointment!  We can match your linens, bridesmaids dress or your venue colors.  We even had a bride bring in a swatch of her bedroom’s wallpaper!  Here is a sample of what the 3 panels look like next to each other.  We used them at both the Washingtonian’s Bridal Show and the Washington DC Couture Wedding Bridal Show in January. As you can see, we have shelves for the panels (customized to your liking) and the ability to hang photos!  The shelves can hold actual vases full of flowers or votives.  How do you want your backdrop to look?  After the ceremony – reuse them as a photo backdrop for your guests and more!

• Our 10 x 10 foot pergola style mandap/chuppah that we introduced to our inventory last year has won raves and is now being offered in a smaller 6 x 8 foot option.  The pergola style mandap/chuppah gives your ceremony structure a signature style.  Style the beautiful (and sustainable) wood with fabric, curly willow or flowers to make it yours!  Here is the 10 x 10 foot model.  The 10 x 10 foot size is wonderful for reusing after your ceremony to dine and entertain under!
• New recycled glass lanterns and sustainable material lanterns have been added and more coming soon to inventory in various colors and styles!  They are hanging in the mandap above.  Here is a close-up!

I have been getting a lot of emails about how Dana & David are coming along with their Green Wedding Plans!!

Her dress is picked, she met with Avalon about Eco-Cuisine as well.  They are getting married at Mount Vernon United Methodist and they have picked out their invitations!  With that – they have also chosen a logo!  

We will be using their logo on their invitation envelopes and programs and stamps!  However – we specifically helped her choose a logo that did not have the date of their wedding.  Why is this green?  So they can use the logo for the rest of their lives.  They will have other celebrations and things to do in the future together – so why not have a logo that is a stamp for their lives.  Reusing items from your wedding is key to being green and keeping the memories of your wedding vibrant and alive in your daily living!

We are off to see Debbie at Cakes By Design tomorrow to pick out their cake!  Stay tuned!

***Katie

Soon – I will be launching the Green Love Events website (a 100% eco-friendly wedding division of Elegance & Simplicity Wedding & Event Designers, Inc.)!  We had a preview available of our services at the Washington DC Couture Wedding Consortium Bridal show.  However – we have changed the logo!

Here it is:

Stay tuned for the launch of the website featuring our flowers, Photography from Love Life Images & Documentary Associates, Sound from Disc Jockeys on Call & MyDeejay.com, Bridal Fashion and Style from Promise for the Savvy Bride and Polished Image & Style Consultants.  It will be your one stop shop for an unforgettable Eco-Friendly Green Wedding or Event in the Greater Washington DC and Baltimore Metro Areas!

* Katie Martin

This photo comes from Jennifer Hughes.  A fantastic photographer that has a great way of capturing color.  Of course she has a ton of other talents!  I am big on color when it comes to weddings (as opposed to themes).  I find that colors can be used to create a mood or a feeling and in this photo – I see happy color and I see fun!  Weddings should be all about fun and love and for me – color!!!!  Love it Jennifer!

This next photo comes from Barbara Salisbury of The Observatory.  The Observatory and owner Andrea Jacobson are new to the consortium, but not new to DC!   I just basically like being around Andrea and her team!  Andrea has to be one of the sweetest photographers that I have gotten to know!  Their attention to detail is what catches my eye in particular.  This photo is about the details to me. In this photo,  you can feel the excitement!  I was actually the planner for this wedding (at the Decatur House Museum) and I remember how much in love this couple was and how much fun they had.  They had so much fun and you can see it in the photos from their wedding.  The detail here is the groom and the guys right next to him- priceless photo! Makes me smile and I remember this moment as if I were still there (click on the photo to see it enlarged). LOVE IT!

Here is a photo from Documentary Associates.  Tom Van Veen and I set up a photo shoot at the National Museum of Women in the Arts (www.nmwa.org).  Without going into too much detail as to the reason why we had the photo shoot – I will tell you why I love this photo.  It is the lighting and the city backdrop.  For those of you that did not know,  I was born in DC (at a hospital which is no longer in existence).  I love DC – I think it is the best city in the world.  Call me crazy – but that is how I feel! I find this photo to be beautiful and interesting all at the same time.  The beautiful bride, beautiful flowers and the lighting are all great…however it is what is going on outside the window that makes me smile.  I have a feeling that if it were 2 or 3 other photographers that I know, they would photoshop out the building’s address that is outside the 2 right pieces of window glass.  I love it!  You can tell that the bride is in a beautiful place inside a big city.  That is what your photographer should represent and document the day of your wedding. Those are the details in a photo that will make your grandchildren wonder where that photo was taken.  I know – I am rambling, but I love this photo!  Thanks Tom (you know I loved all the photos that day right?)  :)  A big thank you to the Tom & Ashlee, the museum staff, Carola Myers, Jessica Fox from Promise for the Savvy Bride, and the crew (especially my sweetheart!).

Hoping everyone had a wonderful Valentine’s Day and these photos were a bit of eye candy for your “eyebuds”!

* Katie Martin

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=SxF7BXM-MjU

Video by Jessica Pi

We are already planning next year’s event!  Thanks to all of the brides and vendors that came out and all of the vendors showcasing their talents!

For more information about the Washington DC Couture Wedding Consortium – click here:

www.coutureweddingconsortium.com/DCCWC

We had a wonderful time last Friday helping Dana to pick out her green wedding dress by Adele Wechsler at Promise for the Savvy Bride!  Jessica’s store is right on the same block as our office – so it was super easy to just pop over to the store!  Take a look at the fun photos taken by Tom from Documentary Associates.

Robin Fisher was there from Polished to help Dana find the best dress for her and her sister as the maid of honor.  Finding the right style for your wedding day can be tricky – but not with this dream team!

I just sat back for the ride.  It was very fun to watch Dana try on the dresses sent overnight from Adele directly to make sure Dana had the perfect dress for her eco-friendly wedding.  The Eco-Couture bridal gowns are amazing and full of fun details and sophistication!

A no!  THAT IS NOT THE DRESS SHE PICKED!!!!  That will be secret until the day of the wedding!  Stay tuned – more updates and meetings are planned.

Katie

Check out the fun post about our Washington DC Green Wedding Winners on District Weddings DC!

http://www.districtweddings.com/planning-a-green-wedding/ 

Thanks Devon!  We love your site!

Talking about Green Weddings in DC is our passion!

Check out our blog often to see updated about Dana & David!  We have several meetings planned and the wedding is coming up soon!

We are meeting with them on Saturday to go over their wedding plans.  Then we will walk them over to Promise for the Savvy Bride to try on her eco-couture wedding gowns by Adele Wechsler!

We are so excited for them!

Check out all the green vendors at:

www.greenweddingconsortium.com/DCGWC

Stay tuned for the upcoming Washington DC Green Wedding Consortium’s blog where we will be documenting all of Dana & David’s plans….in the meantime – check back here!

On January 31st, at the Washington DC Couture Wedding Consortium’s Couture Bridal Show at the Decatur House Museum, Dana & David won a green wedding worth over $50,000!

The Green wedding includes the following:

$5,000 Eco-Couture Adele Wechsler Gown from Promise…For the Savvy Bride Salon

$6,000 Event Rental from Decatur House Museum

$10,000 in Eco-Cuisine from Avalon Caterers

$10,000 in Eco Wedding Planning, Stationery & Calligraphy from Elegance and Simplicity, Inc.

$2,000 in Eco-Floral designs from Green Love Events (a subsidiary of Elegance and Simplicity, Inc.)

$10,000 worth of photography from Love Life Images & Documentary Associates

$5,500 worth of videography from Jessica Pi Video

$1,500 worth of DJ services from MyDeeJay.com

$500 worth of cake from Cakes by Design

$500 worth of make-up and hair design by Carola Myers

$500 Image & Color consulting from Polished

$250 worth of officiating from Jim Burch

Our sincerest congrats to them!  It is a true pleasure for us to be a part of this group and to serve Dana and David!