An Evening at the Fairmont -- The Flowers

Revisiting the Fairmont post from a couple weeks ago, here are some beautiful photos of the floral decor at the event! Kudos to Janet Flowers Wedding and Event Designs for their amazing work.

Carnations are back in style! Here's some white ones clustered to create a pseudo lamp shade with a crystal curtain:
More hanging crystals to create a 'bling tree':
This one was huge! The framework underneath is a permanent wire piece that can be recycled for future events:
I love how this vase is wrapped to match the pink theme:
Black candles make an impressive statement:
This centerpiece was stunning. Branches were held by a tall vase. Then, rose petals were strung onto wire in clusters. The wires were suspended from the branches. It was beautiful!
Another huge arrangement. This one was more 'springtime' and was held by a beautiful silver pedestal:
More bling! This crystal curtain wrapped around the lampshade. The pole and base underneath are covered in white carnations. This would be awesome at a platinum wedding:
What do you think? Which one's your favorite?

Same-Sex Weddings

I read a disturbing post on Weddingbee yesterday, which gave a small snippet of insight into the difficulties that go along with planning a same-sex wedding. Miss Gingerbread is Weddingbee's first blogger that is marrying another female. I'm really looking forward to hearing more about her experiences with other wedding vendors. Of course I hope they're all positive but I'm afraid it'll be more challenging for her than a heterosexual bride. Even small details like buying a cake topper will be tricky.

I also recently came across photos from Julie & Kaori's wedding on snippet & ink, another fabulous wedding blog. This wedding took place in California and was captured by photographer Leah McCormick:Don't those photos just make you go "awww...."?? These two fabulous ladies actually look more in love than many of the clients we find ourselves working with.

While we haven't had the opportunity to plan a same-sex wedding before, everyone here at Soiree always jumps at the chance to work with unique couples. I can think of a lot of wedding vendors in the local DC area that would love to be involved in a supportive, professional manner. Besides, how can a same-sex celebration differ from any other wedding? Besides the 'grooms cake' having a stupid name (and pointless purpose, I might add...), what else is different?

According to Wikipedia (yes, favorite unreliable resource....), same-sex couples should aim for Massachusetts, Connecticut, Vermont, New Jersey, California, New Hampshire, Maine, Hawaii, DC, Oregon, or Washington to celebrate their nuptials. Of course you'll want to double and triple check with the rules of your local courthouse....the laws seem to change every other week due to this controversial topic. Like LeVar Burton says, "don't take my word for it."

If you've had your heart set on marrying in your home state or another location, why not hit the courthouse elsewhere the week before and have the wedding as planned? We also recommend this maneuver for heterosexual couples who want a non-ordained friend to marry them. There are plenty of officiants who would take part in the ceremony and skip the paperwork side of things.

Political and religious opinions aside, what do you think? Will the wedding community really ever be 'gay-friendly'? Does it rely on the business owners and their own personal beliefs? I hope someday everyone will jump on the bandwagon...

Vendor Spotlight: Armin DeFiesta Photography

Back in January I mentioned Armin DeFiesta, one of the coolest local DC-area wedding photographers. Yesterday I had the honor of sharing a lunch with him and learning more about his company.Armin's website has a ton of great information but I especially love reading his blog. He shares all sorts of photos from engagement shoots, weddings, family sessions, and even fun stories about his own family. There's even some shameless promotion there for Soiree from yesterday's post :)

Here at Soiree we call ourselves 'fresh' because we think we have a new outlook on weddings and some fun, creative ideas. I'd absolutely call Armin 'fresh', too! He has a ton of great ideas and a wonderful outlook on business and life. He definitely has priorities in order and I can see why he's quickly becoming popular in the wedding community. Let me tell you...this guy is on the fast track to stardom! If you're planning a wedding, snatch him up now before he's rich and famous.

I'll leave you with this adorable photo of Armin and his little girl. Alright ladies, all at once....

::::awwwww::::

Silver Boutonnières

Based in Philadelphia, amandaelizabeth creates beautiful jewelry pieces. Check out these amazing silver boutonnières from their bridal collection:While they're not as cheap as a fresh floral bout, they'd be perfect as a special gift for your groom. He can even wear it in 30 years when he walks your little girl down the aisle. Talk about a great family heirloom!

Guestbook as Art

Thanks to Polka Dot Bride, I stumbled across a great new alternative to a guest book. Guests paint a small portion of a canvas and the newlyweds can display the artwork in their home! Here's some photos:There is a penciled sketch on the canvas with a grid overlaid on top. Each guest gets to paint one square:The finished product and the happy couple:Original post & photos by One Love Photo. Thanks for the great idea, guys!

Last Call DC: Dress Sale - Brides Against Breast Cancer

Tomorrow is the final day for the Brides Against Breast Cancer dress sale. This has been an incredible experience for brides to sample dresses from a variety of designers all under one roof. If you still haven't found "The Dress" stop by the Crowne Plaza in Tysons between 10am and 6:30pm.



There are over 2000 dresses for you to select from. Take your time, see how you really feel about the dress. I recommend bringing your camera phone so you can send a picture of you in the dress to your mom!



You will find brand new (with tags) as well as donated couture dresses from Vera Wang, Anne Barge, Amsale, and Reem Acra. For those seeking a less designer look, there are "off the rack" dresses from Mon Cheri, Oleg Cassini, Pronovias, Anjolique, and many more.

Today I helped a bride find an Anne Barge dress originally priced at $8000 - sale priced at $1999. No only is this gown in perfect condition, it was donated by the designer. That makes everyone feel good about this cause!

Don't forget to utilize the volunteers :) These ladies are ready to help you find and try on dresses until you find the perfect one.



Thanks to Tony Brown and Jessica Scott at Imijination Photography for the images from the VIP night!

Our First Dance Picks

We love Etta James' version of At Last and Lonestar's Amazed. We do. But honestly, let's get a little creative!

If you don't have a personally meaningful song selected for your first dance, here are a few suggestions:

Ingrid Michaelson's The Way I Am:

Michael Buble's Everything:

Queen's You're My Best Friend:

And finally, Jack Johnson's Do You Remember:

You can find a lot more ideas on WeddingWire if you want more. My hubby and I danced to Edwin McCain's I Could Not Ask for More. What song have you picked for your first dance?

Open House @ Windows Catering

Windows hosted yet another fabulous tasting event. Although Ryan and I just made it for the last few minutes, it's always nice to visit the Windows showroom and see Danielle. Here are some of the beautiful tables they had set up.

Fall theme:
Spring theme, complete with pink & green tulip glassware:
Winter:Summer got messed up by my Blackberry...it actually was very beautiful with black & white linens and yellow flowers that popped. This gives you the idea: The buffet. I love the frosted blue vase and the way they tiered the table:
Special thanks to JOE (Just Outrageous Events) who provided all the beautiful centerpieces!

An Evening at the Fairmont -- The Decor

Check out all these great decor pieces from the Fairmont party!

First, lighting really makes a big statement. The Fairmont followed their green initiative and used LED uplights:Drapes lined the hallway into the Colonnade room. Check out the hanging bling on the left:
These drapes separated the center of the room to create a dessert lounge on the platform: The dessert lounge had great cocktail furniture:
Other areas of the room featured these fun sofas:The bar was a shallow lucite box that held champagne bottles and glass 'bubbles':
This table had a lucite top and several compartments filled with Valentine's Day candies. I especially love the stemless wine glasses:
Capital Decor, Janet Flowers, and Party Rental, Ltd. helped create the decor at the event. What do you think? Are you incorporating any fun decor into your wedding?

An Evening at the Fairmont -- The Food

We recently attended the Fairmont's fourth annual 'Sip and Sample' event, which showcased the beautiful hotel's event space as well as their wonderful cuisine created by Chefs Billod-Morel, Dalling, and Weber. There will be more posts on this event but for now we'll just admire the food.

Starting off with some hors d'oeuvres:
And a salad course:
I love these little salads in martini glasses:
There were full plated entrees for display:And mini plates of each selection to taste:
The center of The Colonnade Room was devoted completely to desserts. Here are the two dessert buffets:This was one of my favorite desserts. A pina colada foam held up a gelatin lemon! See the lemon peels? It looks like like a real lemon inside but it's actually Jello!Creme brulee:Mini baked alaska:Coffee station:This really was a beautiful event! I'm looking forward to sharing the rest of my photos with you later on this week.

Happy St. Patrick's Day!

I'm sure many of you have already filled your Fun Quota for the weekend. If not, please have fun and drink responsibly tonight!

In the true spirit of St. Patrick's day, Guinness is sponsoring a grassroots effort to make March 17th an official holiday. To sign the petition, check out their website.