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From Pineapple Productions…When Mary and I first started working together, she showed me photographs of a beautiful al fresco dinner set within a community garden in an urban area.  She hoped her rehearsal dinner would have the same feel — from the casual-but-chic outdoor setting to the seasonal fresh-from-the-garden cuisine.

We were all set with the perfect venue, the perfect caterer and the perfect floral designer when Mother Nature threw us a curve ball.  Record high temperatures hit Washington, DC, and the extreme heat and humidity made it impossible to be outdoors, even in the late evening.  Vendors worked together at the last minute to move the event to an indoor location and then to craft a plan that preserved Mary’s urban garden style inspiration.

To keep the al fresco feeling alive, rather than cancelling the market umbrellas, we kept them.  We just moved them into an art studio space with lofty ceilings.  From those lofty ceilings, Holly Heider Chapple hung an assortment of lanterns — some weathered wood, some nickle, some bronze — and interspersed them with suspended clutches of baby’s breath to add an ethereal and natural quality to the studio setting.

We completely re-worked the floor plan, using a mix of long rectangular tables and rounds dressed in heavy natural linen in a seamist and ivory color.  Some linens were striped, and others were in a graphic Grecian key pattern for a dressed up picnic feel.  Holly placed more lanterns on the tables, as well as herb pots and wooden boxes filled with dahlias, roses, hydrangeas and thistle in cheery coral, red  and blue tones.

The menu reflected favorites from Mary’s home state of Texas and her new home of Michigan.  Texas style watermelon margaritas and cans of Michigan’s own Vernor’s Ginger Ale were passed on trays as guests arrived for the party.  We also set up a beer bar featuring Mary and John’s favorite Michigan microbrews.  The buffet featured firecracker tenderloin of beef, pecan crusted chicken, crab cake sliders and Texas “caviar” made from black eyed peas and colorful peppers.  Dessert included Southern style caramel cake as well as hand pies made from Michigan cherries.

Venue: Halcyon House / Event Planner:  Allison Jackson of Pineapple Productions /Caterer: Design Cuisine / Photography: Kate Headley / Floral Design: Holly Heider Chapple Flowers LTD / Invitations: Just Paper and Tea / Calligraphy + Signage: Arney Walker Calligraphy

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Post tags: Arney Walker Calligraphy, Design Cuisine, Halcyon House, Holly Heider Chapple, Just Paper and Tea, Kate Headley, Pineapple Productions, Rehearsal Dinner, Washington DC
Post categories: The Blog

We met at American University in Washington, DC, where we were both students and working in the same campus office. It took a little while for the first date to happen, but when it did, it was a sushi dinner and a walk around the Jefferson Memorial, which Mark knew to be Katie’s favorite. When Mark proposed five years later, he did so by recreating this first date (on the sly, with the help of Katie’s maid of honor, Flannery) and asked Katie to marry him on the steps of the Jefferson.

The Meridian House was the first venue that we visited and we knew immediately that it was the right place for our wedding. We were looking for an elegant Washington, DC venue that had both indoor and outdoor spaces, as we hoped to hold the ceremony outdoors and then move indoors for dinner and dancing.  The Meridian House exceeded all expectations.  Nestled on a one-way street across from Meridian Hill Park, it is a hidden gem that offers beautiful gardens, a one-of-a-kind linden tree grove, and classic beauty, inside and out.  It was instantly our wedding style inspiration, which our florist described perfectly: Old World Luxe.

Our colors were bronze, chocolate and cream, which were featured in our save the dates, invitations, escort cards, place cards, programs, and guest book.  We wanted to do as much ourselves as possible, and worked hard to put personal touches on everything: the save the dates were designed and printed by Mark (and hand-embellished by, with envelopes embossed by Katie); the invitations were hand wax-sealed; the escort cards were hand-stamped and handwritten; the guests’ gift bags were hand-stamped and filled with goodies, including homemade chocolate chip cookies that Katie baked; and the guest book was carefully pieced together by Katie – she filled a photo album with chocolate and bronze envelopes, and stamped and embossed coordinating stickers to seal the “secret notes” guests were encouraged to leave behind.  After reading the entire guest book, we can safely say that while some of these secret notes contained words of wisdom and best wishes, others were more reminders of how much fun everyone had at the reception!

Other personal touches were special to us, because we were able to incorporate, or ask the advice of, people close to us.  Mark’s aunt is an accomplished musician and former U.S. Marine String Orchestra member – she and her quartet, Montebello Strings, provided the music for the ceremony and cocktail hour.  Katie’s good friend from high school is well connected in the music and DJ scene and was happy to introduce us to DJ Cuzzin B, who absolutely rocked out the reception.  Our wonderful photographer, MK, is an old friend from college, who we have known for years and we were so happy to share this event with her.

The day of our wedding, the weather called for rain.  We were lucky enough to take photos outside (slightly cloudy is great light for photos!) but had to take advantage of our Plan B and move the ceremony inside.  This, too, ended up being lucky, as the room we moved into was filled to the brim and made for a very intimate, and very personal, wedding ceremony.  One of Katie’s favorite memories is walking into the room and just filling up with an overwhelming happiness of seeing, so close together, all of the people who mean so much to us in our lives.  It was a very, very special moment.

We worked with our minister, Rev. Jeff Maszal, to create our own ceremony, one that would be very special and personal to us. Our readings were excerpts from larger works that have great meaning for us: from Love and Living by Thomas Merton (Mark) and from Le Petit Prince by Antoine de St-Exupery (Katie). In this second reading, the Little Prince is reminded by the Fox he meets that only with the heart can one see rightly and that he, the Little Prince, is forever responsible for his rose, the rose that he has chosen.

One of Mark’s favorite memories from the wedding is the curveball Jeff threw at us—ad libbing from the ceremony script following this reading, Jeff asked Katie and Mark to look into each other’s eyes and repeat after him: “I am responsible for my rose.” It was an incredibly unexpected, emotional, and beautiful moment.

After the ceremony, the weather held off just enough so that guests could mingle in the linden grove and stroll through Meridian’s beautiful gardens. Out on the lawn, guests played our favorite lawn sports while sipping cocktails. Everyone then moved inside for a family-style dinner, catered by Lebanese Taverna. As food and travel are important parts of our lives, we wanted to incorporate both of these elements into the wedding dinner. An exotic yet accessible cuisine like Lebanese—which is also very conducive to sharing family style—fit that vision perfectly. We also chose French wines to serve to our guests, to reflect both of our years spent studying in France and our shared love for the country (including a white from the Loire Valley, made not 30 miles from where Mark lived). Mark also chose to serve one of his favorite beers, Porkslap Farmhouse Ale, which is brewed in upstate New York not far from Katie’s hometown of Rochester and is known for its refreshing ginger flavor and distinctive bright orange can.

To bid guests thank you and farewell, we sent them off with boxes of French macarons, Katie’s favorite cookie, from Michel Patisserie.  The flavors were Katie’s favorites: rose, pistachio, cafe, and vanilla.  

Our favorite photos from the wedding, in addition to the ones we took with family and friends and the ones that show everyone having a great time, are those that look timeless and will age gracefully.

Photography: Mary Kate McKenna Photography / Event Design: Friends of the bride / Ceremony Location: The Meridian House / Reception Location: The Meridian House / Shoes: Jimmy Choo / Floral Designer: Beehive Events / 
String quartet: Montebello Strings / 
Reception DJ: DJ Cuzzin B, Robert Carter /
 Day-of Coordinator: Ashley J. Bolding / 
Invitation Designer: Paper Source / 
Caterer: Lebanese Taverna / 
Cake & Desserts: CakeLove, Michel Patisserie / 
Wedding Gown Designer: Modern Trousseau, from Hitched / 
Bridesmaid’s Dress Designer: Joanna August, from Bella Bridesmaid / 

Veil: Sara Gabriel, from Gabriella New York / 
Hair and Makeup: Madeline Wade

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Post tags: Classic, Classic Color Palette, Color Palette Green White, DIY Event Planning, Flower girls, Jimmy Choo, Mary Kate McKenna Photography, Sidra Forman, The Meridian House, Traditional Elegance, Vera Wang, Washington DC, Wedding Photography
Post categories: Little Black Book Blog, Traditional Elegance

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From the Bride…Morgan and I met in college and have lived in Washington, D.C. since 2006.  After getting engaged, we knew that we wanted to have our wedding in D.C. so that our family and friends could experience D.C.’s history, culture, and food scenes – all the things we love about this city.  We started our wedding planning by searching for a unique venue that had an outdoor space for the ceremony.  After looking at a handful of options in and around D.C., we found our ideal location in Halcyon House, an 18th-century Georgetown mansion that is complete with tiered gardens that overlook the Potomac River and a very cool reception space – the owner’s first floor sculpture studio!

After setting the date with Halcyon House, we knew wanted to work with a local planner to help us refine our vision for our wedding day.  We immediately clicked with Aimee of A. Dominick Events.  Aimee and her colleague, Danielle, helped us immensely in every part of the wedding planning process.  We are especially grateful to them for helping us with finding fabulous vendors and for flawlessly executing our wedding day plans.   A big part of our planning included flowers and décor.  Our floral vision included soft, flowing arrangements in an array of blush colors that would work well with the historic features of Halcyon House, and complement its modern reception space.   Another important element to us was lighting, so we incorporated plenty of soft candlelight glow from wrought-iron chandeliers, hanging lanterns, and scattered candles.  Beehive Events understood our concept and gorgeously combined all the floral, lighting, and design elements.  On our wedding day, I loved seeing my bouquet and the “something blue” surprise designed by my mom and sisters – two petite blue flowers tucked into the bouquet!  And it was fun to get a sneak peek of all the décor before the reception began.

When our wedding weekend finally arrived, we kicked off the festivities with a welcome party for our out-of-town guests at our favorite local wine bar, Cork, which was a great way to introduce our family and friends to our neighborhood, and to each other!   Although the weather forecast threatened our outdoor ceremony, we were so glad that the rain stayed away.  Every moment of our wedding day, from putting on my wedding dress for real to laughing (and maybe shedding a tear) during the toasts, was surreal and very happy.  At the end of the day, the best part was having all of our family and friends there to celebrate with us!

Wedding Location: Halcyon House / Wedding Photography: Abby Jiu Photography / Event Planner: A. Dominick Events / Floral Design: Beehive Events / Rental Company: Party Rentals + Perfect Settings / Lighting: Frost Lighting / Caterer: Occasions Catering / Wedding Cake: Kendall’s Cake / Band: The Winn Brothers Band / Ceremony Music: Celebrated String Quartet

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Post tags: A. Dominick Events, Abby Jiu Photography, Beehive Events, Celebrated String Quartet, Frost Lighting, Garden Wedding, Halcyon House, Kendall's Cake, Occasions Catering, Party Rentals, Perfect Settings, The Winn Brothers Band, Washington DC
Post categories: Real Weddings, The Blog, Traditional Elegance

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From the Bride… Wow, thinking back to the beginning of the planning process still gets my heart racing. There were so many decisions to make and so little time! We got engaged over Christmas (at home in our pajamas with our daughter as the only witness!) and chose June 4th as our wedding date. After eight years together, we should have been more prepared to begin planning. But we started at the very beginning: destination or local? Big or small? In the end, it was actually an easy decision because the most important thing for us was to surround ourselves with family (which automatically meant big) and friends (which meant local). From there, it got a little harder.

We started with a venue. People kept telling me that I’d fall in love with the dress when I saw it, but my dress search was proving fruitless. In the meantime, I fell in love with the venue! From the first time we toured the W Hotel, we knew it was the perfect place for our wedding. They did a stunning job remodeling an old DC landmark hotel, making it both modern and elegant. Sitting in the heart of DC, one block from the White House and in view of the Washington Monument, it was also the ideal location. With the venue booked, I started clipping pictures from magazines, doing research on wedding websites, thinking back to other weddings we’d been to and soliciting advice from former brides. My tidy wedding folder quickly turned into a heaping pile on our apartment floor. But I had a ton of ideas! One of my favorite ideas was carnation balls. With the help of my amazingly creative friends at Uplyte, this idea became the main floral design. For the centerpieces, Uplyte created an ivory carnation cube encased by an acrylic box, with a carnation ball on top. A larger version of the carnation cubes and acrylic boxes lined the aisle during the ceremony and later became the tables in the lounge. I think the carnations were a beautiful and unexpected addition to the wedding. And they smelled delicious!

Although I had a steady stream of anxiety dreams over the six month planning period, I was surprised at how everything just fell into place. Even the weather cooperated! The unbearable heat and humidity from the previous weekend lifted and we were blessed with an insanely beautiful day! I savor every moment and detail of that day, from waking up in the morning and walking the quiet DC streets to dancing on the rooftop until 2 a.m. Some of my favorite memories are slipping into my dress, seeing my bouquet for the first time, my mom crying her way down the aisle during the ceremony, our daughter letting loose on the dance floor and our little niece with her serious dance face. But most of all, we were just happy to be surrounded by our friends and family!

Wedding Photography: Gabe Aceves / Event Design, Ceremony + Reception Florals + Lighting: Uplyte Event Design / Venue + Catering: W Hotel Washington DC / Bride’s Shoes: Jimmy Choo / Wedding Dress: Monique Lhuillier from Carine’s Bridal Atelier / Florist: Judi Undercoffer (bouquets + boutonnieres) / Make-up Artist: Marquia Kinard of Blend / DJ: As-One of Scratch Weddings / Groom’s Suit: Banana Republic

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Post tags: Banana Republic, Blend, Gace Aceves, Jimmy Choo, Judi Undercoffer, Monique Lhuillier, Scratch Weddings, Uplyte Event Design, W Hotel Washington DC, Washington DC
Post categories: Contemporary, The Blog

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From the Bride…For our wedding, I wanted to bring a piece of South Carolina, my home state, to Washington, DC, where we currently live. I grew up in a small historical town and later lived in Charleston, SC for several years.  Charleston is the kind of place that gets into your soul and it’s a place you never forget.  I lived in Charleston during my early to late 20’s and during that time many of my friends were getting married.  I attended so many gorgeous weddings in the Lowcountry that I wanted to bring a bit of Southern charm, elegance and grace to our guests in Washington, DC.

When I stepped foot onto the grounds of Dumbarton House Museum and Gardens in the Georgetown neighborhood of Washington, I knew immediately it was the perfect place for our wedding. It reminded me so much of South Carolina. The beautiful house gardens, the historical house museum and the ballroom and terrace exuded Southern elegance!  Chris and I wanted the reception to feel like an elegant dinner party. We chose white table linens and assorted green and white flowers in mint julep cups to line the center of the tables. My inspiration for the table setting came from one of Ina Garten’s illustrated cookbooks that I often refer to for entertaining. Chris and I are obsessed with Ina and when I saw a dinner party she featured in her book that had a few clusters of flowers in vases lining a long table, I knew that was the look we wanted. My favorite detail of our place setting was our charger plate. My wedding planner and I discovered it our first meeting with the party rentals vendor. It was a clear glass plate with silver beads around the edge. It made me think of a string of pearls and I liked that it would look fabulous next to the mint julep cups.

When my wedding planner, Jamie, called me a few days after the wedding and asked what I thought of it, I told her that what meant the most to me was that every detail of the reception was me. From the flowers to the food to the table settings, the signature drink, the first dances, and last dances, it all was a piece of the South and a piece of me. It was a special evening and we were thankful to have so many wonderful people to share it with.

Ceremony Location: St. Sophia Greek Orthodox Cathedral / Reception Location: Dumbarton House / Event Planner + Designer: Jamie Sears of Simply Chic Events / Wedding Dress: Modern Trousseau via Hitched Maids / Hair + Make-up: Marcella of ILO Salon / Men’s Attire: Hugo Boss / Floral Design: Philippa Tarrant Floral Design / Caterer: Main Event Caterers / Wedding Cake: Fancy Cakes by Leslie / Transportation: Linder & Associates / Reception Music: MyDeejay / Invitations: The Lettered Olive / Wedding Photography: Love Life Images

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Post tags: Dumbarton House, Fancy Cakes by Leslie, Hitched, Hugo Boss, ILO Salon, Linder & Associates, Main Event Catering, Modern Trousseau, MyDeejay, Philippa Tarrant Floral Designs, Preppy, Simply Chic Events, St. Sophia Greek Orthodox Catherdral, The Lettered Olive, Washington DC
Post categories: Traditional Elegance

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From the Bride… My goal was to balance traditional with today’s trends (and FUN!). In other words, the tradition of my church and it’s ceremony… the simpleness or classical style of my dress with the fun(!) of Glen Echo, and the hip and personal touch of today’s stylish weddings. I was inspired by many magazines and websites where people made their own decorations and I did my best to have every detail handmade, tasteful and simple. I liked the idea that personal energy went into making the event beautiful and didn’t want our wedding to be just a package or lose it’s uniqueness. I worked on balancing, white linen table cloths with the fun and modern style of bumper cars, carousels, and dessert tables! I loved that Glen Echo has been enjoyed by the generations. Many of my parents friends, and some of our family, grew up going there during the summers while it was still an active amusement park. So for many of them there was sort of a ‘coming home,’ not to mention something that brought them back to their youth – riding a carousel! It helped form the spirit of fun that we had at the wedding reception!

I wore my aunt’s dress to honor her. She passed away suddenly 3 years ago this July, and was only 52. She was my dad’s baby sister and someone dearly loved by all. My whole life I’ve been mistakenly called Ruthie – for a variety of reasons, including because I reminded people of her. When she passed, my uncle sent me her custom made wedding dress. I wore her dress as a surprise to my family, to honor her and all of the family we have lost over the years. If she had been with us, she would have been the life of the party! I also had the hope of having my wedding on Martha’s Vineyard – where my folks have a home, and where I spent many of my childhood summers. There’s a famous carousel there as well, I believe the oldest carousel in the country. Unfortunately, when Nick and I really thought about it, we realized many of our family and friends may not be able to make the trip so we decided to stay local. And when we found Glen Echo Park and the Bumper Car Pavilion, it was the closest I’d gotten to Martha’s Vineyard and having that inspired youthful feeling. Not to mention, being able to incorporate a carousel into the evening’s fun!!

Wedding Photography: Sweet Tea Photography / Wedding Planner: Emilie of Weddings and Events by Bliss / Blue Belt: The Bride / Wedding Gown: Karl Lagerfeld via Carine’s Bridal Atelier/ Bridesmaid Dresses: Jim Hjelm / Groom + Groomsmen Suits: Tommy Hilfiger / Groom’s Vest: Jos A. Bank / Caterer: Main Events Caterer / Flowers: Wegmans / Hair + Make-up: Belle Soeur / Cupcakes: Georgetown Cupcakes / Venue: Glen Echo Park

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Post tags: Belle Soeur, Carine's Bridal Atelier, Carnival, Georgetown Cupcakes, Glen Echo Park, Jim Hjelm, Jos A Bank, Karl Lagerfield, Main Events Caterer, Sweet Tea Photography, Tommy Hilfiger, Washington DC, Weddings and Events by Bliss, Wegmans
Post categories: Casual Elegance, The Blog

From Pineapple Productions … Using a stylishly designed and letterpressed save the date as inspiration for this photo shoot, we went with neutral colors with a pop of beet purple to create an eclectic and whimsical setting.   Neutral linens, with a purple plate and glass helped to bring in that color that tied everything together.

Meridian International Center was the perfect backdrop with its Parisian look and feel, with elaborate gardens and quirky Linden trees which were bare in the late winter.  A lacy and vintage inspired Claire Pettibone dress fit in well with the gauzy fabrics and wrought iron gates throughout the property.

The dessert buffet was also French-inspired with passion fruit with milk chocolate and orange-ginger macarons and lime and pistachio with green tea madeleines.  It was filled in with some white chocolate maltballs, Jelly Bellys and sour grapefruit slices.

Photography: Red Shoes Photography / Flowers: Philippa Tarrant Floral Designs / Event Design: Arney Walker of Pineapple Productions / Desserts: The Sweet Lobby / Event Rentals: DC Rental / Reception Location: Meridian International Center / Invitations: Designed by Ellie Goedeker, letterpressed by Gilah Press / Calligraphy: Arney Walker Calligraphy / Dress: Claire Pettibone, Kleinfeld’s Bridal

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Post tags: Arney Walker Calligraphy, Claire Pettibone, Color Palette Purple Orange Yellow, DC Rental, Ellie Goedeker, Gilah Press, Kleinfelds, macarons, Meridian International Center, Paris, Parisian Trends, Philippa Tarrant Floral Designs, Photo Shoot, Pineapple Productions, Red Shoes Photography, The Sweet Lobby, Washington D.C., Washington DC, Wedding Inspiration, Wedding Planners & Designers
Post categories: Little Black Book Blog, Photo Shoot

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From Shelby Leigh Photography…Julie and Aaron’s planned their very Washington wedding on their own. The ceremony was held at the gorgeous Cathedral of St. Matthew the Apostle, while they had their photos taken afterwards blocks away in front of the White House at Lafayette Square.  The reception at the St. Regis was an elegant affair with vintage touches, their silhouette adorned many of their details, laced was used throughout the decor and babies breath (one of the brides favorite florals) was used in their reception centerpieces. The bride had many costume changes throughout the day.  She wore her traditional veil and ivory sash for her ceremony and changed into her veiled fascinator and black sash for cocktail hour and finally a short ivory lace frock for dancing.

Wedding Photography: Shelby Leigh Photography / Floral Design: Occasional Flowers / Event Design + Planning: Bride / Ceremony Location: Cathedral of St. Matthew the Apostle / Reception Location: St. Regis Hotel / Wedding Invitations: Memento Designs / Bride’s Shoes: Jimmy Choo / Wedding Dress: Modern Troussau via Hitched Salon / Bridesmaid Dresses: Amsale via Hitched Salon / DJ: DJ Deep Sang

© Style Me Pretty : The Ultimate Wedding Blog, 2011. | Permalink | 13 comments | Add to del.icio.us
Post tags: Amsale, Cathedral of St. Matthew the Apostle, DJ Deep Sang, Hitched Salon, Jimmy Choo, Memento Designs, Modern Trousseau, Occasional Flowers, Shelby Leigh Photography, St. Regis Hotel, Traditional Elegance, Washington DC
Post categories: Traditional Elegance