"Modern, Simple, and Elegant"

...."modern, simple and elegant"...

In my opinion, these are three of the most popular adjectives that I have heard from clients while trying to describe their wedding design goals. No matter how common, though, they can also be one of the most difficult "themes" to achieve as the words are not as descript as a planner would hope.

In 2008, I had the pleasure of working with two parents during the planning of their daughter's Fall 2008 wedding... and again, these adjectives were used at our first meeting. However, during the five month planning period, we were able to hit the nail on the head! From start to finish, we were able to deliver this consistant message to the guests - from the invitations to the flowers to the table settings and even in the lighting.

The 220-person event was one of my all-time favorites! The structural and clean details of the event helped contribute to the energy of the event as they added texture and beauty but did not cause distraction from the music and ambiance of the entire setting.

The band, Dexter Lake Club Band, kept the energy higher than I've ever seen it and the dance floor PACKED from the moment the doors opened until the very last minute (including a few encores)!! They rocked the place with untraditional wedding music including covers of Guns 'N Roses, A-ha, Talking Heads, and Rolling Stones. After numerous tastings, we finalized the perfect menu with the Mandarin Oriental that blended comfort food with more formal fare. During cocktail hour, guests were served Mini-B.L.T.'s (the "L" being lobster), Pigs-in-a-Blanket, an active sushi station, Pommes Frites in cones, and pistachio encrusted lamb chops that literally melted in your mouth. The four-course dinner included an impressive amuse bouche served in a hollowed egg, a duo first course, duo entree including beef tenderloin, whole lobster tail and perfectly roasted artichokes, and customized cookies and strawberries for an after-dinner sweet. Guests later enjoyed wedding cake, as well as cotton candy - an homage to their engagement at Coney Island! As guests departed, they were given hot cocoa in "to-go" containers to prepare them for the cold weather outside.

See below pictures taken by Barnaby Draper Studios:

Our vendors were AMAZING! They worked tirelessly throughout the entire planning process to ensure that the event was 100% perfect, and it WAS! :)

Reception site: Mandarin Oriental hotel
Florist: Multiflor, Nick Perez
Custom Linens, Chivari Chairs, China and more: DC Rental, Liz Kelly Waylan
Ceremony Riser: Capital Party Rentals
Reception Chairs: Perfect Settings, Esteban Gimenez
Ceremony Music: Sterling Artists, David Kucharski
Cocktail Hour Trio and Singer: Janine Carter Trio
Reception Band: Dexter Lake Club Band, James Krents
Photographer and Videographer: Barnaby Draper Studios, Barnaby Draper & Craig MacNeil
Make-up: Kathy Aragon
Lighting: Swank AV
Wedding Planner: breathe. event planning, Lauren Freeman, CMP

A Rockstar Wedding - Kristin & JP

These two had such character, which always makes my job so much fun. Kristin and JP have a common love for music and especially indy rock, so decided that they wanted this to be the common "theme" to be carried throughout their event. Kristin found me about halfway through her planning once she had most of the big decisions made (location, photographer, caterer). I joined the planning team with about 4 months to go to help her nail down the overall look and feel of the event.

This wedding had a mixture of funkiness with elegance, which is a great combination. Combining the classic DC venue - National Museum of Women in the Arts - with the colors and angles of the lighting (Atmosphere Lighting) and details made for a truly stylish event.

Greg Gibson does amazing work... check it out:

The vendors:
Venue - National Museum of Women in the Arts
Caterer - Capitol Catering, Jennifer Krysa
Rentals - DC Rental, Liz Waylan
Ceremony Musicians - Celebrated String Quartet
Reception Music - DJ PGee
Photographer - Greg Gibson
Videographer - Dolce Video
Planner - breathe. event planning, Lauren Freeman
Florist - Growing Wild Floral
Lighting - Atmosphere Lighting
Draping - Fabrication Events
Transportation - Chariots for Hire

A Day in the Life of a Breathe Bride

Barnaby Draper Studios has shared with me the exquisite video of my client's Sarah and Jack's wedding from March 2008. (Sarah & Jack).... See what it's like to be a breathe bride for a day!

Thanks Barnaby!

Happy 1st Anniversary Cheryl & Corey!

Almost a year to the date, I'm finally blogging about one of my alltime favorite couples - Cheryl & Corey.

In my opinion, these two did it JUST right. Having met through mutual friends, Cheryl and Corey decided to abandon some of the more traditional wedding details and to instead focus on making their wedding day a truly personal celebration of their love as well as their friendships and family. I loved the whole energy of the day.

Because of their dedication to environmental issues, it was important to them to host a "Green" wedding. They selected the Audubon Naturalists Society's Woodend Sanctuary in Chevy Chase, MD as their venue, and worked with Cheryl Mazo of Capitol Catering to ensure that nothing went to waste. Their invitations, created at Written Word (one of my favorites!), used minimal paper and carried out their "nature" theme with a simple leaf as the motif.

So much thought was put into the details, but they remembered also the importance of not killing themselves over them. All added a personal touch to the day, but at the same time did not distract away from the purpose of the day.

Guests were greeted with drinks prior to the ceremony, and rather than having a full bridal party, Cheryl and Corey selected their close friends to act as "Greeters" to help blend groups of family and friends and help everyone get to know each other. Cheryl's brother had the role of her "Man of Honor" and Corey's sisters had the role of "Best Women". Truth Groove rocked the house during the reception, and as a late night treat, and homage to Corey's home city, we brought out Dunkin Donut Munchkins, which were devoured by the dancing guests! At the end of the night, Cheryl and Corey were sent off with a "lavendar send-off" and jumped into their decorated white Zipcar to head off for the night :)

Since their wedding day, they have been featured in Zipcar Newsletter, The Washington Post Express, and most recently Brides Maryland.

Below are some pictures of the night from one of my favorite photographers - Jay Premack:

Brienne & Steve Tie the Knot

Brienne and Steve are such a sweet couple and it was my pleasure to help them out on their wedding day. These two rocket scientists (literally!) tied the knot this past September at the gorgeous Woodend Sanctuary - one of my favorite DC area sites. Brienne did such a great job with the details, and this event goes to show that you can never have too many candles! It looked so beautiful under the tent.

Below are some fantastic professional pics from the very talented Mary Kate McKenna: