Sunday, August 23, 2009

Calling all Newlyweds!

As some of you may know, I am a board member of the Association of Wedding Professionals and we are currently seeking newlywed couples to participate in our Bridal Focus panel. The panel will be Tuesday, October 27, 2009 at the Embassy Suites Old Town Alexandria. You should plan to arrive no later than 6:00 pm.

Qualifying couples will have been married between September 2008 and August 2009 and have had their weddings in the DC, MD or VA areas. Parties should have had at least 60 guests in attendance or more.

If you are interested in applying, please visit the web-site and click the link on the right hand side of the main page for the Bridal Focus Forum Registration. Complete your form and return to me via fax, e-mail or drop it off.

Selected couples will be treated to dinner and also receive a $75 gift card! I hope to see you there!

If you have any questions about what is involved in this discussion, please give me a call or send me an e-mail. Mostly, we are looking to ask pre-determined questions regarding what factors influenced your decisions at the time of booking and now that your wedding is over, how you evaluated your choices.

Friday, August 21, 2009

Some nearby photo op locations - the path across the street

Last Friday, the sales office decided to take a little field trip and photograph the path and various photo op locations we encountered. This first photo shows the view of the hotel from the entrance of the path.





This next photo shows how lush and green and the overhanging trees and brush are.




These next photos were taken in a grassy clearing about halfway along the path.





And finally, these last three photos were taken in the courtyard of the Alion building next door to us. As you can see, it is nicely landscaped.

Tuesday, August 18, 2009

Radiance and smiles: July 11, 2009, Lauren and Chris

The weather was perfect for the July 11th wedding for Lauren and Chris. The ceremony was Truro Church. Here are a few shots of Lauren getting ready beforehand.





































































Then the ladies made their way to the ceremony. Here are some photos of the outside and the inside of the church.











After the ceremony, Lauren and Chris took a ride in the limo over to the campus of George Mason University for a photo shoot before coming to the hotel to join the reception.

























Inside the ballroom, everything was decorated in shades of pale green and pink.




































The gue
sts dined on a buffet including London Broil with Port Wine Sauce and Grilled Onions, Mahi Mahi with Tropical Fruit Salsa and Chicken with Lemon Basil Sauce! Afterwards, they enjoyed wedding cake and grooms cake created by Wanda's Cakes. Yum!








As you can see, this couple really had a blast at their own wedding!































After tossing her bouquet, the guests bid a fond farewell to Lauren and Chris with a sparkler
send-off in the garden.













































Best wishes to Lauren and Chris for a long and happy marriage!

Professi
onal photos provided by Anne Lord Photography.

Wednesday, August 5, 2009

A Late Summer Contest - can you be a winner?



















This is a fun summer contest that anyone can win. The prize is a T-Shirt and Button donated by Weddzilla.com. Here is Kelly modeling them for you. Weddzilla.com is a wedding planning tool for brides and vendors that is currently undergoing a make-over so stay tuned for more news. In the meantime, check out their fun blog!



















For now, here are the rules to win this contest:

1. Comment on any weddingsbycatherine post during the month of August.


2. Each postable comment will enter you in the contest so please keep it clean. The more comments you make, the more chances to win.


3. Winners will be chosen in a randomized drawing and awarded their prizes in early September.



If you are a vendor who would like to contribute any items for a future contest, please let me know!



Thank you, have fun and good luck!