Spotlight on Splash: Consultant Martha Wiles

What do you enjoy most when working with a bridal couple?
Every couple has something different that I like the most. Brides and Grooms are a pleasure to meet and get to know and that is what I enjoy each and every time. But each bride and each groom always bring me creative ideas or dreams that I have the delight in helping become a reality for their wedding.

From where do you draw your inspiration? 

My inspiration comes from decades of event and wedding experience and all the amazing sights and sounds I have had the privilege of seeing and hearing. It is always exciting to have in my mind the exact same thing a bride or groom wants and the knowledge to make it happen for them.

What advice do you have for brides and grooms who are in the throes of planning their wedding?
The most obvious way for a bride and groom to have their wedding experience all they want it want to be is to have a professional bridal consultant working for them to plan, prepare, produce and protect their theme, their budget, and their dream.

Bridal News: "How to Plan the Perfect Wedding" at Soliloquy Bridal Couture

We are pleased to announce that A Splash of Elegance owner, Victoria Wagner will be speaking on "How to Plan the Perfect Wedding" on Monday, November 15 at 7:00pm.  The Bridal Forum will be taking place at the newly opened Soliloquy Bridal Couture located in Herndon, Virginia.  This is a free event you don't want to miss!  For more information please visit http://www.soliloquybridal.com/#!events.

2011 Ceremony and Reception Trends

• More couples are choosing the same location to have their ceremony and reception, up almost 10% over 2010
• Couples are choosing more unique locations for their wedding ceremonies ~ a courthouse, private residence, or wedding chapel
• More couples are holding their wedding reception at a private residence or restaurant
• Food stations are more in demand than ever before
• While other dessert options are popping up, wedding cake is still most popular at 83% demand
• Photo booths are the "in" rental
• The couple is contributing more to ceremony and reception costs
• Couples are looking for their venue closer to their wedding date
• Couples are also inviting less guests ~ 144 compared to 152 in the 2010 study
• Couples are getting married closer to home

Happy Planning,

Victoria Wagner

President/CEO

A Splash of Elegance Event Planning, Inc.

Vendor Spotlight: All About Honeymoons

This week we had a chance to chat with Dana Franklin from All About Honeymoons & Destination Weddings.  For more information on her business please visit www.danaf.allabouthoneymoons.com.


Tell me about your business.
All About Honeymoons and Destination Weddings of Northern VA is a full service travel agency specializing in romance travel for brides and grooms!  We have been in business for over 4 years serving the DC area.  Our services are complimentary and our goal is a custom-designed romantic travel experience for their "once in a lifetime" trip!  Our commitment is to capture their vision, give attention to detail and provide personal travel consulting services.

What do you enjoy most when working with a bridal couple?
Getting to know a little about them, and then helping them obtain the honeymoon or destination wedding trip they have dreamed about!  It's so fun to help make their special occasion so memorable!

From where do you draw your inspiration?
I guess my love of people, travel and desire to help people.  God made an incredible world and I love helping couples discover it!

What advice do you have for brides and grooms who are in the throes of planning their wedding?
Several things:
• Start early and talk to others who have recently gotten married - learn from others mistakes or "I wish I would have..."
• Use professional wedding vendors that are experts in their areas - this will make your life so much easier
• Ask your wedding vendors to recommend other vendors
• Look for ways to make you wedding and honeymoon unique to you

Thanks Dana!

A Splash of Elegance and Remarriage Works Live on BlogTalkRadio!

We are so please to announce that A Splash of Elegance consultant Martha Wiles, Remarriage Works founder Paula Bisacre and National Stepfamily Day founder, Christy Borgeld will be airing a live talk show straight from The Association of Bridal Consultants annual meeting, Be Charmed, Be Dazzled airing Monday, November 7, 2011 at 8:00pm.  They will be discussing planning for a second wedding and marriage, and taking your questions live.  For more information please visit BlogTalkRadio.

Bridal News: Airlie Bridal Show

We hope to see you at the Airlie Fall Bridal Show!  Stop by our booth and say hello!

Bridal News: Soliloquy Bridal Couture Grand Opening

We are so excited for the grand opening of Soliloquy Bridal Couture, opening Saturday, October 22 in Herndon, Virginia!  They will be open from 9:00 am to 5:00 pm, email opening@soliloquybridal.com to reserve a personal tour of their salon.  For more information on the special day they have planned please visit their website at http://www.soliloquybridal.com/#!events.

Save the Date! 2012 Remarriage Showcase

Save the date for the 2012 Remarriage Conferences!

January 28, 2012 - Morgan Run Resort & Club (Rancho Santa Fe, CA)
January 29, 2012 - Coto de Caza Golf & Racquet Club (Coto de Caza, CA)
March 10, 2012 - River Creek Club (Leesburg, VA)

For more information or to register please visit http://remarriageshowcase.com/index.html

Enjoy this clip of the 2011 conference:

Vendor Spotlight: I Do Photography

This week we had a chance to talk with Susan and Randy Wyant of I Do Photography.  For more information on their business please visit their website http://www.idophoto.com/.  Thanks Susan and Randy!

Tell me about your business.
We are wedding and portrait photographers and we love people!  Our photographs capture the moments of each couple's very special day. The albums we create are the first family heirloom for the bride and groom. We are a team of photographers so we can be in two places at once. The brides like that I can be with the 'girls' and provide the extra set of eyes to make sure they look fabulous. Or help calm them just before they go down the aisle.  Our goal is provide excellent service, images and products that will preserve the moments of their wedding forever!

What do you enjoy most when working with a bridal couple?
Being a part of a wedding is an honor for us. Capturing the special glances and hugs as well as the big moments are so much fun. It is so exciting for us to see their expressions when they see their images for the first time - it just extends the love of the wedding day. Weddings are always happy times - what is there not to love?

From where do you draw your inspiration?
Each wedding is unique - each couple is unique. So we try to make their images reflect their personalities. We do an engagement session and that helps us to get to know them and their style. Viewing other artists also helps us keep a pulse on what is out there. But we retain our own style for what we do.

What advice do you have for brides and grooms who are in the throes of planning their wedding?
One of our grooms said it best when he asked, "if I do this, will I be married at the end of the day?". Just remember to keep that in mind - no matter what you are planning or how things are going, the goal is to be married at the end of the day! It is not just about the day, but the commitment to each other. And we highly recommend it - we just celebrated our 31st anniversary!

Etsy Find of the Week: Striped Straws

I recently attended the wedding of a friend in Chicago and she had a fun "pop" bar where guests could mix their own sodas.  I loved the striped straws she had so I knew to find them I had to look no further than Etsy.  

Here are the straws from her wedding in her colors, coral and gray:

And here are a few shops that sell these festive straws on Etsy:

Windrosie

Hello Pretty Studio

Dime Store Buddy

I think they are a fun way to incorporate your wedding colors in a festive and whimsical way!

Happy Planning!

Julie Daniel, Splash Consultant

Lauren and Stephen Sneak Peek

Here are a few of our non-professsional photos we snapped at Lauren and Stephen's wedding.  It was a beautiful day and we were so lucky that the rain passed us by!  Congrats Lauren and Stephen!

Lead Planner:  Martha Wiles

Venue: Piedmont Club, Haymarket, Virginia

Invitation Ordering Guidelines

Congrats you're engaged!  Now what?  Once you have your wedding date set and the venue nailed down, it's time to start thinking about your invitations.  

Order your invitations at least 6 weeks before your intended mailing date, and mail your invitations 10-12 weeks before your wedding date.  Send out save the dates as soon as you have your wedding date nailed down, unless it is closer than 12 weeks before the wedding, in which case you should skip the save the dates and just send invitations.  

For all your wedding and event invitation and stationery needs, contact us to make an appointment to browse our collection.  We carry all the major paper lines including Carlson Craft, Birchcraft, Envelopments and Chloe B.

Happy Planning!

Julie Daniel, Splash Consultant

Vendor Spotlight: Bridal Artistry

This week we had a chance to talk with Barbara Hill of Bridal Artistry.  For more information on Bridal Artistry, please visit www.bridalartistryDC.com.  Thanks Barbara!

BRIDAL ARTISTRY is the DC area’s premier, multi-ethnic team of professional makeup artists and hairstylists. We come on-site as your own pro “beauty team” for the big day. Friendly, professional, excellent = our goal. We seek to work within each bride’s comfort zone to make the gorgeous look they dreamed happen for them. We have learned over our 10 years of growing in this business that if a bride feels “comfortable” in her look ~ she feels beautiful!

I shared a hotel elevator last month with a young man who was obviously a groomsman for another wedding that day. He asked, “What do you do with all that stuff?” Rather than state (what I thought was) the obvious, I replied: “We are female confidence builders!” That is what we love ~ seeing a woman’s attitude and self image improve as she sees how beautiful she really can be. At times it is nothing short of amazing to see the transformation, and it never gets routine. Serving the bride’s friends and family is great fun, too. As one 84 year old grandma wrote me later: “Your excellent job gave me the confidence to relax and have a wonderful time…”

SO WE MAKE BRIDES’ DREAMS COME TRUE, help women - of all ages – feel confident, and meet such interesting and wonderful people !

ADVICE FOR BRIDES: In today’s tough economy, it is especially tempting to think you will skip the professional makeup and even hairstyling. Remember, how you look in those photos lasts for a lifetime. So for a relatively small expense (in the total wedding budget), don’t skip looking polished and amazing the whole day long!

DIY BRIDES who love to do your own makeup: Check out photos taken of you with your friends. Do you like the way you look in pictures? Some products don’t photograph well, although they look great in person (i.e, mineral makeup). Also, you will be photographed from all angles, and small details will make a big difference in photos. Consider carefully…

Barbara Hill, owner & professional makeup artist

www.bridalartistryDC.com

Check us out on Facebook (Bridal Artistry DC)