Hilton Garden Inn Fairfax hosts Association of Wedding Professionals

On Tuesday, May 26, 2009, the Hilton Garden Inn Fairfax was proud to host the Association of Wedding Professionals for their monthly meeting. I was a little disappointed that damp, chilly weather kept us from enjoying cocktails and hors d' oeuvres outside but the spirit inside was enthusiastic nonetheless. Here are a few photos provided by photographer Ron Jones.

Chef Ed Martinez provided an assortment of hors d' oeuvres including Mini Lamb "Lollies" with mint dipping sauce, Mini Quesadillas wiht Avocado Cream, and Lump Crab Bruschetta. Yum! Banquet Manager Julio Lemus created a special cocktail for the event - Strawberry Puree mixed with Dry Champagne. Sometimes the most simple is the most elegant!

Inside the ballroom, there was a profusion of spring color. The beautiful linens were provided courtesy of Donna Felter with Gala Cloths by Dulaney. The lovely centerpieces, provided by Melissa of Sylvain's Florist featured self illuminating bases. Myrna Grossman of For all Occasions provided the candle favors. Thank you to everyone for your contributions to this successful event!

Our presenter for the evening was Dr. Maggie Daniels, a wedding planner, published author and professor at George Mason University. She provided fantastic information on recent survey findings regarding which criteria engaged couples use to identify their wedding venue. Additionally, she included the detailed process on how surveys should be created to ensure maximum participation and the most accurate results. On top of all of that, she brought some gifts for the attendees - favors that she had created herself. Thank you Dr. Daniels for sharing your insights with our group!

After the presentation, the group was delighted by a fabulous menu created by chef Ed Martinez including a Micro Greens Salad with Cherry Tomatoes and Fresh Mozzarella with Balsamic Viniagrette.

The main course was a duet of Filet Mignon with Port Wine Demi Glaze paired with Mahi Mahi topped with Citrus Thyme Butter. This sumptuous entree was accompanied by Scalloped Potatoes and Tourney Vegetables.

For dessert, we enjoyed a Chocolate Raspberry Dome and Starbucks Coffee. Everyone seemed to really enjoy themselves!

To read more on this event, visit Ron Jones account and see additional photos at Ron's Blog.

Updates just in time for spring!

As we gear up for a busy spring wedding season, I wanted to introduce everyone to some recent changes!

1. Expanding connections: I've been actively pursuing talent in all areas of the weddings profession and have been participating in several organizations.

• The Association of Wedding Professionals - this is a great group of experienced wedding professionals in all areas of service including wedding planners, venues, DJs, photographers, florists, publications, officiants and more. Not only have I become a member of this organization, I've agreed to serve on the board as the Chapter Secretary. Check us out at http://www.weddingprofessionals.org/. In addition to all of this, we will be hosting the monthly meeting on May 26th. If you are interested in learning more about this great organization, please feel free to contact me or our Membership Chair, Myrna Grossman at mg@fao-events.com.
• Womens Wedding Network - wow. This group is only 2 months old but already it is proving to be a powerhouse of truly gifted wedding professionals. Our first month's speaker was Myrna Grossman of For All Occassions http://www.fao-events.com/. Last month it was Sonny Ganguly from http://www.weddingwire.com/. I am looking forward to attending again in April!
• This past Monday, I participated in a vendor panel with the DC Chapter of the American Disc Jockey Association to discuss ways in which venues, planners, caterers and other vendors can work together with DJs to enhance the event experience. Check them out at http://www.adja.org/chapters/washdc/. It was great to work cooperatively with a group of DJs who care passionately about making weddings great and I look forward to working with each one of you at a wedding here in the future!

2. I've been trying to find ways to share information with my clients using different mediums. I am now on twitter, facebook and linked in. If you look to the side panel, you will see several clickable links to make joining with me even easier!

3. Updated vendor connections are now available on the blog. In order to make locating a great vendor even easier, I've listed some vendors that I've worked with in the past on the side panel. I'll be adding to it as soon as I confirm web-sites and obtain vendor permission. I hope this makes choosing your line-up of professionals even easier!

If you think of any ideas that would help to make this site easier to use or more informative, please share that information with me! Thanks for reading and have a great weekend!

Women in Weddings February 10, 2009

In the spirit of cooperation, networking and just plain fun, I joined 74 other talented and dynamic ladies for the first Women in Weddings luncheon on Tuesday. Here you can see Jennifer Bodnar and Jeanna Hilton greeting us at the registration desk. Thank you for putting together such a great event!

Myrna Grossman of For All Occasions, www.fao-events.com was our speaker and gave an outstanding performance. Not only that, the food was delicious. Best of all, I got reconnect with old friends and meet a whole bunch of new ones!

All photos courtesy of Allison Britton, www.abrittonphotography.com.

Check out her blog for more details from this amazing event at www.abrittonphotography.com/blog.