Washingtonian Wedding

Wedding Reception Table Setting at The Hay-Adams | Photo: @christinphotography

Weddings are a time to both bring people together and dive into your creativity to design a magical moment that will last forever in your heart. This magic requires a lot of time and planning and I am so glad to have had a wonderful wedding planner and a supportive fiance'. Here are a few tips that helped me realize my fairytale wedding:

1.) Planning Ahead. Interview and hire a wedding planner who specializes in the area you are planning to host the wedding. We hired Charlotte Jarrett , who works all over the country but specializes in the Washington, D.C. area, and her local knowledge was immensely beneficial.

Floral Place Cards by Karen Adams | Photo: @christinphotography

2.) The Tablescape. Select your linens early on in the process. We waited a bit too late for this in our wedding, which resulted in limited options. We ultimately chose a blush pink linen underlay with a traditional, off-white lace overlay. Also, you should consider other elements that impact the overall look of your reception like chairs, chargers, place cards, menus, candles, etc. I gave my planner a lot of push back on renting chairs for the table, because I thought that the venue had nice enough chairs, but when I saw our pretty setting with the older looking ballroom chairs I realized she was right. We rented white chavari chairs with off-white cushions and the table looked much more elegant.

Reception Tablescape | Photo: @christinphotography

3.) Your Floral Budget Will Increase. I cannot state this strongly enough: do not settle for floral arrangements that don't look like exactly like what you were dreaming of even if you must order more florals than originally anticipated to achieve this effect. We spent a great deal of time & expense on our florals because they were a crucial element in creating the dreamy, romantic scene we both envisioned. We settled on a rectangular table with a floral runner. A good place to start is by gathering images that represent what you want your florals to look like and then, separately, list a few of your favorite flowers. Work with a talented florist to combine your inspiration with your list of favorites. Also, make sure that your florist provides a sample of your arrangements for you to approve or tweak prior to your special day. Additionally, consider well in advance what you would like for any parties or the rehearsal dinner.

Bridal bouquet with my something blue | Photo: @christinphotography

Bridesmaids bouquets with blush pink ribbons | Photo: @christinphotography

Rehearsal Dinner Arrangement Photo: Helen Arnold

Bridal Gift from The Hay-Adams | Photo: @christinphotography

4.) The Dress Itself Is An Event. Some women fall in love early on in life with an image of what they want their dress to look like or who will design it; I happen to be one of those women. I used to walk past Vera Wang on Madison Avenue when I was younger and dreamt that one day I would marry the man of my dreams in an ivory ball gown designed by her. As luck had it, I was fortunate enough to have my dream come true, both the man and the dress. I took a family member with me to try on dresses yet fell in love with the very first dress I tried on. I immediately knew it was the one, began to cry, and the search was over. However, this is certainly not the case for most women, as it may take several shopping excursions, months of searching, etc. My advice to those women is to be patient and, as with one's choice of spouse, do not settle. As cheesy as it may sound, you don't find the dress, the dress finds you and, just like love, you really will just "know".

First-Look Photo in Vera Wang Wedding Gown | Photo: @christinphotography

Top of the Hay | Photo: @christinphotography

Whatever dress you choose, make sure that your bridesmaids know how to bustle you.

My bridesmaids did a wonderful job, although it took some time to get it just right.

5.) The Cake Matters. Much like finding the perfect wedding gown, consider a variety of cake designs before selecting one. I highly recommend following a few popular bake shops on instagram or scrolling Pinterest; this is how I found my cake maker. Buttercream Bakeshop made our wedding cake and they are literally sugar geniuses. Don't be afraid to experiment with different flavors for each layer, or even choose a fun flavor, such as cookies n' cream, for a seriously elegant cake. Lastly, don't hesitate to spend a little extra for special detailing. We covered the top tier with fondant flowers and it was worth it.

White Ruffle Cake with Fondant Flowers | Photo: @christinphotography

Cake Cutting | Photo: @christinphotography

6.) Dance, Dance, Dance! We had a very intimate wedding, so we chose a 5 piece band with a classic crooner that catered to a sophisticated crowd that wanted to sway a little bit more than 'get down'. The result was we had a blast! It was romantic and fun to hear some of our favorites from Michael Buble, Frank Sinatra and Bobby Darin performed so well. The entertainment should match the wedding style.

The Band | Photo: Christin Photography

First Dance | Photo: @christinphotography

7.) Personal Flourishes. Choose details that are meaningful to you. We framed photos of us at different stages in our life and scattered them around the mantel in our reception room along with flowers and tea light votives. We also included a pretty guest book that allowed our family & friends to write private messages and leave them in envelopes that were sealed until we opened them on our honeymoon. We also include beautiful oversized white balloons with green garland to add a bit of whimsy to our reception space and my sister-in-law had special monogrammed champagne flutes made for us that were displayed next to our cake. To achieve a similar effect, think of things that really represent you and your partner well.