If it's Friday, it's Spa Day!

Happy Friday! Has it been a long work week? Well it’s Feminine Friday at A Splash of Elegance, and ladies, today’s blog post is all about you! One of our Consultants, Martha, is having a spa day today and tomorrow. Yes, that’s right, Martha will pamper you with coffee & goodies in the morning and then with tea and cookies in the afternoon while you enjoy moments of totally relaxing bliss. Contact Martha at Martha@asplashofelegance.com to let her know you’re coming ~ Friday or Saturday from 10-12 or 2-4. Go ahead, relax ~ it’s the weekend!

xo,

Victoria

We value the event and the day, but we treasure the lifelong relationship with our clients.

Thrifty Thursday ~ $$ and Sense

Good morning! It's Thrifty Thursday at A Splash of Elegance, and today I'm going to pass along a tip for you to save you money as you plan your wedding.

In our current economy, it's all about saving money ~ I'm sure you would agree! And, DIY has become the term for a lot of brides, and that means, Do It Yourself. DIY can be fun, but it can also be a headache for the bride who is just too busy and doesn't have the support to pull it off.

One of the best ways to save money is to hire a wedding planner ~ yes, that's right, a wedding planner should never be considered an expense! Instead, the wedding planner should be hired early enough in the bride's planning process to save her money on all her vendors. Wedding planners have spent a lot of time cultivating relationships with vendors, who through association, will give their brides nice discounts for their services.

So, save $$ and sense ~ hire a wedding planner today!

xo,

Victoria

We value the event and the day, but we treasure the lifelong relationship with our clients.

Twogetherness Tuesday ~ Wedded Bliss

Happy Tuesday, everyone ~ it's Twogetherness Tuesday here at A Splash of Elegance. Let's chat about what happens after the wedding. The fanfare is over, the proofs have been purchased and it's just the two of you (ok, and maybe the dog) ... ah, wedded bliss!

Make sure you maitain that sense of wedded bliss by maintaining your identity and your life. Trust me, it will keep your marriage fresh for many years. Keep your his and her friends, and have your "our" friends, too ~ the more, the merrier! And, remember your families, too. No one will ever love you more than your own family, so keep them in the loop, too.

Keep it fresh, keep it new ... yes, it takes work, but trust me again, it's so worth it!

Be happy together,

xo,

Victoria

We value the event and the day, but we treasure the lifelong relationship with our clients.

Creating Really Good Memories

Happy Monday, Everyone! Today is Memory Monday at A Splash of Elegance ~ we're going to talk about what makes a good memory ... I think of laughter, fun, times shared with friends and loved ones, great food & drink, and pictures to capture the good times.

This thought is very relevent to weddings because every bridal couple wants to create those treasured memories ~ so, make sure you plan to have fun! Yes, planning with a professional wedding planner will help you relax on your big day and just enjoy the day. No bride or groom wants to spend their wedding day shepherding guests and vendors, so make sure you hire someone to do that for you. And, here's a little extra tidbit ... if venue has a "wedding coordinator," that person works for the venue, not for the bridal couple. As always, the devil is in the details ~ make sure your treasured memories are protected ... and you'll smile for years to come!

xo,

Victoria

We value the event and the day, but we treasure the lifelong relationship with our clients.

Movie Critique ~ Julie & Julia

Just returned from the first showing of Julie and Julia ~ what an adorable movie! I know it is Friday afternoon, but having allowed myself a tidbit of free time, I'm glad I did. There was enough love and even a wedding in it that I didn't feel a twinge of guilt!

The movie is delightfully slow, as everything French should be ~ Meryl Streep is definitely the star of the show, as one would expect her to be playing the great Julia Child. I'll never disregard butter again, despite what the cardiologist says! Ohhhhhhh, yum! I dare say that if one watches the movie, there are several take away messages for women, all of them positive.

I left the theater and couldn't wait to get home (baguette in hand, butter thawing), put on my pearls, pour a glass of lovely French wine and blog ~

xo,

Victoria

We value the event and the day, but we treasure the lifelong relationship with our clients.

Clicks for a Great Photographer!

Clicks ~ that's photo language for applause! Happy Friday, everyone! This has been a big week sharing vendors with you, and I want to close out the week with another of our treasured vendors. Once again, it was a networking event (yes, there was food involved!) that brought Stephanie Ascari of Cleverly Candid Photography and I together. Stephanie is an incredible photojournalist, bringing every event and photo the originality it deserves!

When I found out that Stephanie is the mother of three little boys, I felt an instant bond ~ having raised boys myself, I know where she's at in her life, and it's such a sweet time for her! Stephanie's passion for photography is captured in single snapshots, creating a beautiful story one click at a time ~ from engagement photos, to wedding photos to adorable children's photos, a priceless story is created.

As always is the case with great photography, words don't do it justice ~ please view for yourself at www.cleverlycandidphotography.com ~ you'll see why Stephanie is a treasured and preferred vendor for A Splash of Elegance!

xo,

Victoria

We value the event and the day, but we treasure our lifelong relationship with our clients ~ A Splash of Elegance

Make-Up Artist Extraordinaire!

WOW! That was all I could say the day I met Isabella. Actually, I was at a networking luncheon (for some reason networking is consistent with food, but I digress!) and I saw the most beautiful woman across the room, and I instantly thought, wow ~ that woman is either a make-up artist, or she should be because her makeup is remarkable! Well, I worked the room to sidle up next to Isabella, and sure enough, my super sleuth instinct was right, she is a make-up artist ... extraordinaire!

Isabella is originally from Italy, as the lovely lilt of her voice will attest, and her degree is in structural engineering. She laughed when she shared that tidbit, but I said to her, that's exactly what you're doing ~ you're doing structural engineering on the facial palette.

Recently married and new to the DC arena, Isabella brings with her training in NYC in film, theater and modeling, working the big city! After a time in New Orleans, she met the man of her dreams and has settled her business in DC ~ definitely our good fortune!

Please visit Isabella's web site at www.isabellabastien.com ~ A Splash of Elegance is proud to claim her as one of our preferred vendors.

xo,

Victoria

Road Trip to the Fairview Park Marriott

Lindsay, another ASOE Consultant, and I had the pleasure of previewing the newly renovated Marriott Fairview Park Hotel yesterday. This lovely hotel, nestled amidst beautiful groves of trees, is a hidden gem just off the beltway ... literally! So easy to access, this hotel is a wonderful venue for a wedding reception ~ our hostess was Kelly Fordey, the Catering Sales Executive for the Fairview Park Marriott. Kelly's warm personality and her expertise will set any bride at ease! (During our chat, Lindsay and Kelly discovered that they are both Virginia Tech Hokie's, graduating a year apart! Go Hokies!)

The hotel has wonderful floor-to-ceiling glass windows in the ballroom area, allowing natural light to fill the cocktail reception areas ~ outdoor patios are also available, surrounded by lush greenery. Beautiful ballrooms with showcase table lighting (not many hotels have this extra lighting, which is a real perk for this facility) are also available for parties hosting 80 - 300 people. Bridal couples should also consider at least one hospitality suite, especially if there are a lot of out-of-town guests ~ they are a wonderful place for people to gather, and also for the bridal party to do pre-ceremony hair & make-up and dress.

The Fairview Park Marriott has many beautiful photography spots, too, which is an important consideration when choosing a venue. Beautiful landscaping and the salmon river run fountain just made me want to crack open a book and wile away the afternoon!

Thanks, Kelly, for your hospitality ~

xo,

Victoria

It's a Gold Rush!

Yes, that's right, gold is back! After several years of white gold and platinum being the top choice of brides for their engagement and wedding rings, yellow gold is now making a comeback. I've had two new brides in the past couple months who have beautiful yellow gold engagement rings. When I commented on one of them, the bride said that she loves silver because it's fun, but when it came to "real jewelry" that she was going to wear forever, she wanted it to be gold. Wow ~ is there a shift occurring? I'd love to hear your thoughts and what you're seeing in the bridal world.

xo,

Victoria