The Hilton McLean, Tyson's Corner

I had a lovely site visit yesterday with Kendra Johnson, Catering Manager at The Hilton McLean. Although I've been to the hotel for functions before, Kendra gave me the backstage tour! Their newly designed ballroom boasts subtle tones of blue and brown, and the beautiful atrium is the perfect spot for a ceremony or cocktail hour. As Hilton has moved their corporate headquarters next to the hotel, the McLean Hilton is now their flagship property ... and there are some exciting changes on the horizon! Stay tuned, this lovely hotel is going to become even lovelier!

Wish Upon a Wedding

My good friend, Shelby Tuck-Horton, is the Maryland/DC Coodinator for this new non-profit organization.  It is my pleasure to assist her in getting word out to everyone ~
 
WISH UPON A WEDDING:

• Was founded in San Francisco, CA, in January of 2010, by a group of wedding and business entrepreneurs.

• Is America’s FIRST nonprofit wedding wish granting organization, producing weddings and civil union ceremonies at destinations across the United States for individuals facing terminal illness, regardless of sexual orientation.

• Boasts twenty chapters nationwide, headed by some of the industry’s most renowned leaders.

• Presidents:
• Sasha Souza, National
• Kevin Covey, LA/Orange County
• Stella Inserra, New York
• Ivy Robinson, The Carolinas
• Eliana Baucicault, Atlanta
• Mary Alice Sublett, Tennessee
• Heather Hamilton Sims, Houston
• Shelby Tuck Horton, DC
• Elisa Delgardio, Orlando
• Ali Phillips, Chicago
• Daniela Fagét, Seattle
• Other chapters opening soon: Colorado, Arizona, Portland, Miami, St. Louis, Ohio and Nevada.

• To qualify for Wishes, applicants must be unmarried legal citizens of the United States, over the age of 18, who have been diagnosed with less than three years to live.

• Simply apply online to request one of three wedding types: URGENT (Up to 10 guests, in hospital or at bedside); BOUTIQUE (up to 25 guests, in home town of applicant); ROMANTIC (Up to 50 guests, at any WUW destination)

• Wish Granters needed in all locations. Please apply online today to start helping us make Wedding Wishes come true.

Holiday Entertaining Tips

Welcome to the holidays!  Many of us turn our thoughts to entertaining during the holidays, while others shrug at the notion ~ I used to strive to be the Martha Stewart hostess to the point of exhaustion, but as the years have passed, I've learned that I would much rather be with my guests and enjoy their company than be a slave to cookie trays.

So, that being said, I encourage all of you to open your doors to others and invite them in, even for a cup of tea or a glass of wine.  We live in such a fast paced society. the gift of time is the best gift you can give anyone.

Tip #1 is to remember to breathe ~ yes, don't let yourself get in a panic over someone coming to your home.  You enjoy going to their home, don't you?  No one is there to notice the dust balls!

Tip #2 is to remember that these are your friends ~ they care about you, and it would be nice to share with them.

Tip #3 is to know the fastest route to the closest grocery store.  Don't think that everything has to be homemade.  Anymore I think that the grocers do almost as good a job as I would anyway ... so enjoy the freedom.

Tip #4 is to find one or two things that you really enjoy serving and try to keep them on hand or in the freezer to pull out at the opportune time that the doorbell is about to ring.  Bottles of wine keep well, as do ice cream balls rolled in pecans ~ put one in a fancy bowl or glass and pour chocolate sauce over it and voila!

Tip #5 is to remember that the holidays are about giving ~ slow down the pace and enjoy the journey!

Merry Christmas and Happy Hanukkah,

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

DC Wedding Workbook is Now Available!

Today's the day ~ we've been waiting all month to see the premiere issue of the DC Wedding Workbook.  Why?  Well, A Splash of Elegance is one of the featured vendors, so get your copy today and check it out!  There are only four vendors per category, so we're pretty excited that we got a shot at this premiere publication. 

For those of you DIY brides, register today for our upcoming DIY Wedding Workshop on Sunday, January 10, 2010 from 2:00 p.m. - 5:00 p.m. at Maggiano's in the Tyson's Galleria.  The cost is $50 for one registrant and $99 for three ... so, grab your groom and your mother or your maid of honor or your bridesmaid and come get all the latest in DIY tips for 2010 plus loads of money-saving coupons!

But in the meantime, you can purchase your very own copy of the DC Wedding Workbook at Amazon.com, Barnes & Noble or online at http://www.bridalworkbook.com/. 

Happy planning ~

The Business of Brides

Greetings from Indianapolis, where The Association of Bridal Consultants annual conference, The Business of Brides, has just kicked off!  Wow, what a wonderful day ~ a great breakout session with Stephanie, the editor of the new mag, Get Married!  While it was sad to see Bride Magazine and Elegant Bride magazine fold this past month, Get Married! has a fresh new look for today's bride ~ very bright and edgy, and very into technology ... lots of great new ideas to glean from this presentation.

Then it was off to the NH Hoteles presentation of their all-inclusive resorts in Mexico ... oo la la!  Contact A Splash of Elegance for your destination wedding or vacation travels for the best service to these resorts!

Now it's off to the opening evening's cocktail reception for some great networking with others in the industry ~ so many great conversations today, some great ideas to share with the team and our brides!  More scoop tomorrow, so stay tuned!

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

Pearls of Wisdom

I've just read an article that troubles me, so I wanted to share some pearls of wisdom with all of our dear brides.  Let me preface by saying that it is our job as wedding planners and consultants to make you, our dear brides, look as perfect as you can on one of the most important days of your lives.  Now, having said that, once we give our expertise to you, it is your decision as to whether or not you implement said wisdom.

Apparently there is a new service for brides called e-Gifting, which allows a bride to print off gift registry cards to include in her invitation ensemble and to print off pre-printed thank you notes, among other things.

Please let me be very clear about this ~ while this sounds like a wonderful time-saving thing to do, there are real etiquette issues with using this service.  It is NEVER (sorry, the caps are for emphasis) permissable to add your gift registry with any invitation ... wedding, shower, whatever, it is just not to be done.  Word of mouth is the proper way to let your guests know where you are registered, if they are interested in knowing.  (Remember, you have asked  for their presence, not presents). 

And then we get to the thank you notes, and any of you who knows me can see me reeling on the ceiling fan over this one!  Thank you notes must always (ok, I spared you the caps this time) be handwritten, either by the bride or the groom.  If you write them as soon as a gift arrives, you're not faced with a mountain of thank you's to write when you arrive home from your honeymoon.

There you have it, pearls of wisdom ~

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

Set the Tone ~ Part II

Kate Spade Wedding Ensemble by Crane

Today is part 2 of our discussion on setting the tone for your wedding with save the dates and invitations, and I'm going to advise you on what pieces of the ensemble you will need to consider before you purchase your invitations. Hopefully this will make it easier for you when you discuss invitations with your wedding planner or stationery professional.
These are the possible pieces to consider ~
1. Save the Date - send 9-12 months before the wedding
2. Invitation - remember to order enough for each household and 10% extra
3. Reception Card - if your wedding and reception are in two separate venues
4. Response Card - allows your guests to let you know whether or not they will be coming, and menu choices, if applicable
5. Accommodations Card - if you wish to let your guests know where you have a room block
6. Directions Card - used to provide directions for your guests from the ceremony site to the reception venue
7. Weekend Itinerary - if you have a lot of activities planned for your guests, it is a nice way to let them know what you have planned
8. Sunday Brunch - if you do not wish to send a separate invitation, this is permissible
There you have it, food for thought! If you have questions, just post a comment and I'll be happy to respond.
Happy Planning,
xo, Victoria