Envelopments

A Splash of Elegance is exited to announce that we are now an authorized dealer of Envelopments Stationery!  Take a moment to check out envelopments.com to get a glimpse of the variety of paper products they carry.  Make an appointment to come browse through our Envelopments design library, as merely looking at a website cannot do justice to the hundreds of combinations you can make with their products.  From a beach wedding to a 5-course dinner at the Ritz, Envelopments has the style and color to compliment your wedding or event.  There is nothing that can compare to holding the paper in your hand, so call us today to make an appointment to check out the Envelopments line!

Bridal Silhouette

I received a phone call from a friend several years ago whose daughter wanted to wear my friend's wedding gown but it needed to be redesigned and fitted to her body measurements. In redesigning a wedding gown, my first concern is the condition of the gown and then the vision of the bride for her dream wedding dress. I listen to the bride, draw sketches, sew samples and then get started. I not only bring my many years of designing and tailoring clothes for men, women and children to the workroom, but also my knowledge of fabrics and restoration. When I delivered this brides gown, she handed me her mother's head piece and veil as my next project, and my business, Bridal Silhouette, was born! I loved every minute of the process, handling the beautiful, vintage fabric and lace and gently working with the bride to create her vision and seeing it come to life.

In addition to designing and re-tailoring wedding gowns and veils, I also create Ring Bearer pillows out of vintage handkerchiefs and recreate vintage wedding gowns into christening gowns, baby bonnets and Christmas tree skirts for heirloom gifts.

I'm a representative for Kristina Eaton custom veils and I also rent a full line of tuxedo's and accessories for the groom. I'm a one stop shop!!

Please visit my website; www.bridalsilhouette.com, for more information and pictures.

Lynn Nelson

The Gracious Stepparent’s Ten Commandments

Martha Woodham in her book, Wedding Etiquette for Divorced Families offers some good advice regarding the stepparents’ roles in wedding planning/execution. Recognizing that there can be some rather “ sticky” situations that a bride and groom may have to contend with, she advises talking to parents and stepparents beforehand and letting them know your expectations are for them to put aside any animosities for the wedding and events surrounding it. The following “ ten commandments” written by her may come in handy for this purpose.

The Gracious Stepparent’s Ten Commandments
Or
How to Earn the Undying Loyalty of Your Family

1. Insist that you and your spouse contribute financially to the wedding, especially if he is the father of the bride.

2. Do not expect any control over the wedding planning.

3. Do not pout when your lovingly-given advice is ignored. In fact, don’ t give any unless asked!

4. Do offer your assistance to the bride and her mother in running errands or handling mundane talks.

5. Do not fret when your spouse is asked to pose for family photographs that include his or her ex.

6. Do not insist on standing in the receiving line, even if you should.

7. Do not insist that your children be part of the wedding ceremony, even when they should be.

8. Do host a party of the couple, but do not upstage festivities hosted by the father or mother.

9. Do not insist that your name be on the invitations, even when it should be.

10. Do not try to upstage the parents in any way by dressing or acting to draw attention to yourself .

There are a lot of logistics when blending two families, but not to worry, we are always here for our brides to help them through the etiquette of blending families on their wedding day. Just give us a call!


Happy Planning,

Deb Merriner

Splash Consultant

Skin Care With A Perfection Guarantee

There are not many things that a professional wedding planner can guarantee a bride for her wedding day. We cannot control the weather, late vendors or unruly guests, (we do however know how to handle these disappointments) but there is one thing we do guarantee, our favorite skin care line from Arbonne International.

One of our favorite brides met with us just weeks before her college graduation and her wedding. Both events had created a little bit of stress for her and her eczema was in full bloom. Immediately, we knew what to do: Get the Arbonne Baby Care! After a shower with the hair and body wash, some slathering with the petroleum free baby oil and applying the herbal diaper rash cream to the more troubled spots, our bride was 99% better the next day. We can't give Arbonne all the credit, a little Tender, Loving, Care (TLC) from her wedding planners was calming to her fragile nerves!

We trust Arbonne with our skin and hair and believe in the Arbonne difference of Pure, Safe, Beneficial! 100% money back guarantee if you are not completely satisfied after using the product 30 days. 100% vegan; botanically based; pH balanced; dermatology recommended; absolutely no artificial fragrances or dyes; never any animal products or by products; never, ever, ever tested on animals; and completely free of mineral oil! All packaging is made from recycled material. Formulated in Switzerland. Manufactured in the USA.

From the excellent ABC Arbonne Baby Care for all sensitive skin to our world class NutriminC RE9 Anti Aging Skin Care System, Arbonne International has developed awesome skin care and hair care products that we proudly offer all our brides.

Contact Splash for more information about how to have the best skin - from head to toe - for your wedding day and beyond!

Happy Planning! Martha Wiles, Splash Consultant

Welcoming the Mason Inn

Splash is excited to note the opening of the The Mason Inn Conference Center and Hotel nestled in a wooded setting on the campus of George Mason University. We were privileged to attend the Grand Opening celebrated last month at a gala event showcasing this beautiful venue which promises to be “aesthetically pleasing and conducive for creating lasting memories for not just weddings and special events but for any special occasion.”

This full service hotel and conference center offers 148 beds on seven floors, two ballrooms and a host of other amenities including an unsurpassed dining experience at their Boxwoods restaurant. They’ve made a commitment to using the freshest ingredients, sourced locally and seasonally and their wine list features local Virginia sustainable wines. The center also offers all the amenities of the Mason campus, The Patriot Center, Center for the Arts and The Recreation and Athletic Complex with easily accessible complimentary shuttle service around campus and to and from the Vienna Metro stop. Furthermore, we love the fact that the center is certified LEED (Leadership in Energy and Environmental Design) at the silver level, incorporating sustainable sites, water efficiency, energy and atmosphere, materials and resources, and indoor environmental quality.

Visit them at http://www.acc-masoninnandconferencecenter.com or, better yet, in person at 4352 Mason Pond Drive at the Corner of Ox and Braddock Roads in Fairfax.


Happy Planning-


Deb Merriner, Splash Consultant

River Creek Club Open House

Open House - Attention, all engaged couples and venue seekers -- We wanted to let you know about an open house that is coming up at River Creek Club in Leesburg. River Creek is a beautiful venue for your next wedding or event, and this is the perfect time to preview this gorgeous venue!


River Creek Club Bridal Open House
Sunday, November 7th, 2010
11:00am Tour of the Facility
Cocktails, Hors d'oeuvres and dinner fare immediately following tour.

Enter for a change to win a night for two at The Homestead Resort in Hot Springs, VA!

For more information, contact Aley Montel at alejandra.montel@ourclub.com or 703-779-2022

Capital Decor and Events

 The other week a few of the Splash Consultants had the opportunity to take a tour of Capital Decor and Events in Beltesville, MD.  To be able to tour their showroom was a one-of-a-kind experience, and I am so glad that I had to chance to peak into their world!


Capital Decor and Events specializes in event design - you can approach them with an idea or a theme for an event and they will design it better than you could have ever imagined.  We were able to snap a few photos of their showroom so we wanted to share them with you.

You can create your own banquet seating at your event.  Don't you love this chandelier- who knew you could rent something like this for the night?

 

 These were mock tables set up for an actual wedding- the bride had just been there to give her approval.  The tables were out of this world - pictures could not do them justice.  They were absolutely gorgeous.

 

 

They used a few different tables - my favorite was the squared mirrored one.

 

How cool - clear plastic chiavari chairs!

 Can you guess what these squares are?  Samples of aisle runners!  How beautiful would those be down an aisle?

 

 They have every decor item imaginable for your event.

 

If you - or they can dream it, they can build it in-house.

 

This is the warehouse which holds all their past projects and all of their materials that they use regularly.

These tables are sunken in in the middle so that you can place flowers in them - that way you can talk to the guests across the table without flowers getting in the way!

Stainless steel tables are very trendy right now:

 

Mirrored tables:

 These clear tables are great - they have filled them with floating candles and even fish!

 Can you guess what this is?

 

That would be a tree. 

 

It is hard to tell what these are, but they are every lighting fixture imaginable.  

The possibilities are endless to what they can create - it can almost be overwhelming.  If in addition to the planning and coordination of your wedding or event, you choose to enlist Capital Decor and Events for event design, we will be there with you navigating the many, many options you have to pulling together a beautiful event!

Happy Planning-

Julie Daniel, Splash Consultant