A Fantasy Wedding 2011 Vendor: Shenandoah Carriage Company

A Splash of Elegance is pleased to announce that the Shenandoah Carriage Company is a vendor for A Fantasy Wedding 2011!  Mindi and Philip will be transported through Reston Town Center in one of their genuine horse drawn carriages- what a treat for their special day!

For more information on A Fantasy Wedding 2011 please visit http://www.facebook.com/afantasywedding2011 or http://www.asplashofelegance.com/.

A Fantasy Wedding 2011 Vendor: Appalachian Spring

A Splash of Elegance is pleased to announce the participation of Appalachian Spring's Reston store in Fantasy Wedding 2011.  This store has become such a part of the Reston community that it has been awarded, among other things, the coveted "Best of Reston" award.  Appalachian Spring began in the Georgetown section of Washington, DC in 1968 with the goal of bringing to the local community a collection of products that were new and uniquely different, of the highest quality available and designed to be both beautiful and useful in everyday life.  They went to the artists and craftspeople that lived and worked in the Appalachian states of the United States, a region stretching from Maine to Alabama.  When you visit their stores you will be amazed at the selection of unique gifts exquisitely crafted in America.  Check them out at one of their five locations - you will not be disappointed!

For more information on A Fantasy Wedding 2011 visit http://www.asplashofelegance.com/ or http://www.facebook.com/afantasywedding2011.

Piedmont Club Open House

If you are in the market for a venue for a wedding or event we recommend you stop by the Piedmont Club for their open house this Friday night!  It is an absolutely beautiful venue with gorgeous views of the rolling hills of their 18-hole golf course.  Splash consultants Julie Daniel and Deb Merriner will be there- stop by the A Splash of Elegance booth and say hi!

Piedmont Club
14675 Piedmont Vista Drive, Haymarket, VA 20169

Friday, April 29th
6:00 to 9:00 pm

Featuring an Open Beer & Wine Bar, Complimentary Hors d'oeuvres, DJ, dancing, lighting, and some fabulous vendors with some even fabulous raffle prizes.

For more information about this event, contact Michelle Choi, Private Events Director at michele.choi@ourclub.com.

Check out pictures of recent weddings and event at Piedmont Club on their blog at: http://piedmontclubprivateevents.blogspot.com/.  

A Fantasy Wedding 2011 Vendor: Reston Town Center

A Splash of Elegance is pleased to announce that the pavilion at Reston Town Center will serve as the venue for Mindi and Philip's fantasy wedding!  What a gorgeous venue for a wedding; we know Ron Jones will be able to snap some amazing shots of Mindi and Philip with the beautiful arches of the pavilion and fountain of the town center in the background!

For more information on A Fantasy Wedding 2011 please visit www.asplashofelegance.com or www.facebook.com/afantasywedding 2011.

Towner Jones Photography

A Splash of Elegance is pleased to endorse the talented duo Rob and Rose Jones of Towner Jones Photography.  Rob and Rose blend a combination of photojournalistic style and traditional wedding photography to bring brides and grooms beautiful, unique photos that will last a lifetime.  Every couple deserves amazing wedding photos, and with Towner Jones Photography, you will not only get stunning photos but a wonderful husband and wife team who will be 100% invested in your big day.  We highly recommend and endorse Towner Jones Photography for all of our Splash couples and clients for their big day or next event.  For more information on Towner Jones Photography please visit http://townerjones.com/.

A Fantasy Wedding 2011 Vendor: PassionFish Restaurant

AA Splash of Elegance is pleased to announce that PassionFish Restaurant is one of this year's sponsors of A Fantasy Wedding 2011.  PassionFish recently hosted the meet and greet with our winning bride Mindi and all of the amazing vendors that will be contributing to her special day.  Their specialty is fresh, seasonal seafood local waterways.  It was such a treat for the entire Splash team, Mindi and all of the Fantasy Wedding vendors to taste their delicious cuisine!  Please visit www.passionfishreston.com/ to view their full menu.

For more information on A Fantasy Wedding 2011, please visit www.facebook.com/afantasywedding2011 or www.asplashofelegance.com. 

Royal Wedding Dresses

I heard someone mention on the news the other day that "If you aren't paying attention to the Royal Wedding, you should be, as it will be influencing weddings for the next twenty years."  Up until then, I had not thought of the massive impact this wedding would have on the wedding industry and brides for years to come.  I certainly have been paying attention, not because of my involvement in the wedding industry, but because I am a red blooded American girl who had a poster of Prince William on her bedroom wall until high school.

One of the most anticipated parts of the Royal Wedding is Kate's dress.  You can bet that knock-off versions of her dress will be hitting the runways and shelves of bridal salons before you know it.  This is not a new phenomenon; Princess Grace and Princess Diana's dresses influenced bridal fashion for a good part of the twentieth century, and still continue to do so.

Recently Lifetime had past contestants on Project Runway submit sketches of their ideas for dresses for Kate.  Which was is your favorite?  Here are a few of ours:

Credit: Mylifetime.com

So what style of dress do you think Kate will wear?  Classic and and timeless or edgy and contemporary?

-Julie Daniel, Splash Consultant

A Fantasy Wedding 2011 Vendor: Karenjane Originals

A Splash of Elegance is pleased to annouce that Karenjane Originals will be providing our lucky winning couple, Mindi and Philip with a fun clay caketopper of a bride and groom to complete their beautiful wedding cake -- contact Karenjane Originals at kjschiro@aol.com to see what cute creation they can make for your wedding cake!

A Fantasy Wedding 2011 Vendor: Brooke Rentals

A Splash of Elegance is pleased to announce that Brooke Rentals will be supplying the decor for this year's fantasy wedding. Ah, the transformation that will take place! Please visit www.brookerental.com to see all the wonderful things you can use to make your event just perfect!

A Fantasy Wedding 2011 Vendor: Music Unlimited

A Splash of Elegance is pleased to announce that Music Unlimited will be providing the DJ services for A Fantasy Wedding 2011!  Mindi and Philip will get to choose their playlist from Music Unlimited's vast array of beautiful wedding music and the couple's favorite songs! Check out www.musicunlimited.com today!

A Fantasy Wedding 2011 Vendor: Graceful Flowers by Patricia

A Splash of Elegance is pleased to announce that Graceful Flowers by Patricia will adorn Mindi and Philip's special day on May 28, 2011.  Ah, we can just envision the beautiful buds that will make up the bridal bouquets, the boutonnieres and oh my, the reception, too!  Visit www.gracefulflowers.net ... you can practically smell the roses!

A Fantasy Wedding 2011 Vendor: Jones Photography

We are excited to announce that Ron Jones of Jones Photography will be the photographer for A Fantasy Wedding 2011!

Ron has been photographing Northern Virginia weddings for over 16 years.  Ron's style "is a balance between the traditionally posed, totally candid and photojournalistic wedding." Every couple deserves to have beautiful photos of their wedding day; with Ron shooting Mindi and Philip's special day we know they will have gorgeous photos of their fantasy wedding!

For more information on Ron Jones and Jones Photography, check out fairfaxweddings.net!

Photo of A Fantasy Wedding 2011 winner Mindi Walker with all the vendors that will be making her and Philip's fantasy wedding a reality.  Photo taken by Ron Jones.  

Virginia Marriage License Laws

Are you getting married in the commonwealth of Virginia?  Here are the marriage license requirements as stated by the Virginia Department of Health.  Contact your local courthouse to apply for a marriage certificate.

Marriage Requirements

Age Requirements and Consent

The minimum age for marriage in the Commonwealth of Virginia is sixteen (16) years for both the bride and groom; however, if either party is under eighteen (18), consent to the marriage must be given by the father, mother or legal guardian. This may be done in person by the parent or legal guardian before the person issuing the license or by written consent properly sworn to before a notary public. Special provisions are made in Virginia law to allow marriage for under age parties when the female is pregnant and for situations in which under age applicants have no parent or legal guardian.

Prohibited Marriages

• A marriage entered into prior to the dissolution of an earlier marriage of one or both parties.
• A marriage between an ancestor and or descendant; or between a brother and a sister; or between an uncle and a niece; or between an aunt and a nephew; whether the relationship is by half or the whole blood or adoption.
• When either of the parties lacks capacity to consent to the marriage because of mental incapacity or infirmity.
• A marriage between persons of the same gender (same sex).
• "Common Law" marriages are not valid if entered into in Virginia or any other jurisdiction, which does not permit them for its residents.

License Requirements

• Blood Test - There is no blood test requirement for marriage in Virginia.
• Where to obtain license - A license for marriage in Virginia is issued by the clerk or his/her deputy clerk of a circuit court in any county or city in the Commonwealth of Virginia. The ceremony may be performed anywhere in the State. Applicants must, under oath, furnish information required to complete the marriage record. These items are material and the applicant may be subject to prosecution for perjury for violation of the portion of the statutes which requires this information. For divorced persons, there is no statutory waiting period before marriage after the divorce is granted unless remarriage is specifically prohibited by a court. In some cases, clerks may require documentary proof of age or termination of previous marriage. Most of the offices of the clerks of court are closed on Saturdays.
• Time Limitations - The marriage must be performed within sixty (60) days after the license is issued. There is no waiting period required between application and issuance of the license and a couple may be married immediately after the issuance of a license.
• Fees - Any person authorized to celebrate the rites of marriage shall be permitted to charge a fee not to exceed $50, Section 20-27, Code of Virginia, Domestic Relations. This information should be confirmed with the court as we may not always be notified of changes that occur.
• Virginia issued license - The marriage license issued in Virginia is for marriages to be performed in Virginia ONLY.
• Marriages performed outside of Virginia - Marriages performed outside of Virginia are filed in the state or country in which the marriage was performed. You must contact the state or country you were married in to obtain a copy of the marriage record.

Marriage Ceremony

• Who may perform? - A minister of any religious denomination must be authorized by a circuit court to celebrate the rites of matrimony. To obtain such authorization, the minister must produce proof of his ordination and regular communion with the religious society of which he is a reputed member. In addition, the court in each city and county has appointed persons who are eligible to perform civil marriage ceremonies. For marriages between persons belonging to any religious society which has no ordained minister, refer to Section 20-26, Code of Virginia, Domestic Relations.
• Witnesses - There is no statutory requirement that witnesses be present at the marriage ceremony.
• Marriage Record - The minister or other person officiating at the marriage must complete and sign the Marriage Register and the Marriage Return and forward both forms to the clerk of the court who issued the license within five (5) days after the ceremony is performed. The Marriage Return is forwarded by the clerk of the court to the State Division of Vital Records. In addition to the forms to be returned to the clerk, the officiate may also prepared a certificate to be given to the newly married couple. If the minister or person who performs the marriage ceremony does not return the Marriage Register and the Marriage Return to the clerk of the court who issued the license, there will be no record of the marriage in the courts or with the state.

Certified Copies
If a certified copy of the marriage is required, it may be obtained from the office of the clerk of court who issued the license (contact the court for the cost) or from the Virginia Division of Vital Records in Richmond, Virginia, for a fee of $12.00 for each copy. When application is made for a copy of a marriage record from the Division of Vital Records, the following information should be included: full name of groom, full maiden name of bride, date and place of marriage and the name of the circuit court that issued the marriage license.

A Fantasy Wedding 2011 Vendor: Il Fornaio Restaurant

A Splash of Elegance is pleased to announce that Il Fornaio Restaurant at Reston Town Center will be the reception site for Mindi and Philip's fantasy wedding!  Offering a three-course luncheon, this is going to be a fabulous reception!  Please visit them online at www.ilfornaio.com, or better yet, stop in to enjoy their fabulous fare!

For more information on A Fantasty Wedding 2011, please visit www.asplashofelegance.com or www.facebook.com/afantasywedding2011. 

A Fantasy Wedding 2011 Vendor: Potomac River Running

A Splash of Elegance is pleased to announce that Potomac River Running is one of this year's sponsors of A Fantasy Wedding 2011. No, there will not be a runaway bride, but the guests will enjoy their money-saving coupons in their hospitality bags. Please visit www.potomacriverrunning.com for some runaway ideas to boost your workout! For more information on A Fantasy Wedding 2011, please visit www.facebook.com/afantasywedding2011 or www.asplashofelegance.com.