Serendipity Events

Temporary Blogging problems - I'm back!

noreply@blogger.com (Kim) — Sun, 10 Aug 2008 06:04:00 +0000

Hi Guys ~

Sorry I have been MIA. I was having trouble with my Blog Host - Blogger.com. I am finally back in business, and have a flurry of posts that will come your way tomorrow ;-)

~kim

We've been selected for the Washingtonian again ;-)

noreply@blogger.com (Kim) — Fri, 18 Apr 2008 14:50:00 +0000

Well, I forgot to mention in January that we were selected as one of the best wedding planners in Washington DC again. Isn't that AMAZING!!?!?!? .... I am so humbled and honored that clients and peers in the industry like us - they really like us! ... We are so honored, and believe that we've done a good job of treating our clients really well. When you treat your clients like friends, everything always turns out better!

There are a lot of other vendors listed whom we adore. We congratulate everyone who made the list. But, as an FYI - there are still some FABULUOUS wedding vendors who didn't get selected for the Washingtonian list. That doesn't mean they aren't great.

So, thank you to all who love us - we love you right back ;-)

~kim

Updated photos - Julie & Jim 11.03.07

noreply@blogger.com (Kim) — Tue, 19 Feb 2008 19:42:00 +0000

I got an email from the fantasatic photographer Bill Crandall with some of his favorite photos from Julie and Jim's wedding from 11.03.07 at the Mayflower Hotel. If you scroll down a bit in this blog, you can read about that wedding. When you look at Bill, you wouldn't think he was a photographer. In fact, he kinda looks like an actor to me! ... You know, very handsome - but not pretentious at all ;-) ... I've only worked with him a couple of times, but each time was so smooth and it was such a pleasure. In this business, vendors can get pretty territorial when it comes to weddings. We may all be on the same team, but sometimes some vendors want you to know who's in charge. And I have said this many times - most Coordinators are a wonderful asset to your team. Our job is to make sure your day moves along smoothly and joyously - WITHOUT GETTING IN THE WAY!!!! I give your vendors the information and tools they need to be successful - I don't try to do their jobs. I don't know how to shoot photos, how to shoot video, how to bake a cake, etc; Therefore, I don't try to tell them how to do their jobs!! I think that's why I get along so well with all of the fellow wedding vendors I work with. I make sure they know I am a part of their team, and I will make sure they have whatever they need to be successful.

Ahhh, but I have digressed and completely gone off track!!! The whole point of that diatribe was that I gave Bill the information he needed, then simply got out of the way and watched while he worked his magic - even when noone knew he was doing it. People who are outstanding at what they do usually don't have to shout it from the mountaintops - their work speaks for itself. Look at the amazing work done by Bill Crandall at Julie and Jim's wedding.

(all of the photos were taken by Bill Crandall)

A Wrap up of 2007 (Even if it is already 2008 ;-)

noreply@blogger.com (Kim) — Tue, 15 Jan 2008 21:09:00 +0000

Hi guys ~

I KNOW, I KNOW... It looks like I completely dropped off the face of the Earth. Well, to tell you the truth, I have a kid! ... Now, that's not an excuse or anything. In fact, there are extremely accomplished people who juggle family, professional and social without breaking a sweat. Then on the other hand, there's me!!!! When I'm not working with my Brides, I get so caught up with spending time with Isabella. And unfortunately, all of those "other things" that I usually do have been swept to the side! ... Well, I only have a couple of resolutions for 2008 (in additition to the standard "lose 15 pounds") - If I don't blog after every wedding, I will at least blog once a month, to catch you guys up on what's going on over here at Serendipity!!! Below is a run down of the 2007 weddings I didn't blog about. Some don't have pictures, but I will be sure to post those when the photographers send them my way ;-)

*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~

Melanie & Jason – August 18th, 2007
Melanie and Jason were both entrenched in advanced programs at Harvard University when I met them. Yes, I said Harvard! Jason was getting an MBA from Harvard Business School, while Melanie was in her last year as a Law Student at Harvard. These are two smart cookies! … They came to me in March of 2006, looking for a Coordinator to help them plan a Washington DC wedding while they were away at school. I jumped at the chance to work on this wedding.

We immediately ran into problems finding a Reception site, because they had a HUGE guest list. We visited TONS of sites in DC proper, but none fit size wise or price wise. So, Jason ingeniously found out the Westin was building a new hotel in Annapolis, and he worked out a great deal with them. The only catch was we wouldn’t be able to do any kind of walkthroughs/tastings/changes until a month before the wedding – because that’s when the hotel was opening. Talk about a little stressful! But, we went ahead with blind faith, and the Westin came through like pros. The space turned out AMAZINGLY well. It was so beautiful. The food was also impeccable. I have to give kudos to Cathy, the Catering Manager at the Westin Annapolis ~ She is a complete pro, and it was a pleasure working with her.

Melanie looked especially beautiful. Although, this was another stressful point of the wedding. I scheduled trials around her schedule, since she wouldn’t be in town that often. Two trials with a hairstylist did not make Melanie very happy. She trusted me enough to suggest another stylist 2 DAYS BEFORE THE WEDDING!!! Talk about pressure!!!!! … They treated her so well, and made Melanie looked STUNNING. I am talking about Camille and Diane over at Cole Stevens Salon and Day Spa (Greenbelt, MD). Just look at the photos. She looked so beautiful – these pictures will still be timeless 20 years from now. And that dress – wow – that dress was GORGEOUS!!! … And it looked stunning on her frame. Oh, and Jason cleaned up pretty well on his big day too!

Derek Romanoff provided DJ services – and he was great as usual. I’ve raved about Derek before, but I will rave about him here again. At the last minute, Melanie and Jason decided that they wanted a family friend to give the blessing over the food. I told Derek about the last minute change. I also mentioned that he was a State Representative from his local area. Derek jumped on his wireless connection, read his bio, and gave him an introduction befitting a politician. Everyone was surprised and delighted, and it seemed as if Derek had this information in his hand weeks before the wedding! .. Derek embraces technology in his DJ’ing services, and I just love his ingenuity. He just rocks!

Linda Wallace – the AMAZING photographer out of NC – provided the photography services. I love working with Linda. She is so laid back, and produces stunning photography. I just love working with her, because she’s so flexible. She lives in NC, but does about half of her weddings in the DC area. Melanie and Jason were demanding, but it was all worth it. They had a clear vision of the way they wanted, and I think they achieved that. It was also amazing to see things unfold and see how happy they were on their wedding day ;-)

Angela & Jamison – September 15th, 2007
I met Angela for Lunch one day, and we hit it off immediately. She had seen a review in the Knot, of one of our previous weddings. It was nice that she came in appreciating our work. But, when I met her, I immediately knew I wanted to work with her! … Angela has such an amazing personality, and it’s easy to be her friend!

Angela’s wedding took place at the Mansion at Strathmore in Bethesda, MD. It is a gorgeous mansion, and a wonderful place to have a wedding if you have less than 120 people. The Ceremony took place in the Music room and the guests then moved to the garden for Cocktails. During the Cocktail hour, we got all of Angela’s guests together for a group photo. It turned out amazingly well! Dinner was held in the various rooms of the mansion. Angela did something a little different for her head table. She asked us to set up one long rectangular table that would seat 22 people. It turned out beautifully. Angela had a lilac/deep purple/platinum color scheme. When you have purples and silvers, it can look a little childish/12 year old-ish if your not careful. With the help of the wonderful folks at Party Rental Ltd, Angela picked amazing linens and rentals that made her entire wedding looked sophisticated and “oh so sheik!”

The guests danced the night away to great tunes and even greater company. Kathy Blanchard and her sister Missy took the photos at the wedding. I LOVE LOVE LOVE Kathy and Missy. Kathy and Missy were selected (again!) as one of the best photography teams by the Washingtonian Magazine; I’ll post pictures soon so you can see why.

I adored Angela, and I hope she and Jamison will be truly happy together. I think that won’t be a problem for them ;-)

Sara & Benny – September 22nd, 2007
Sara and Benny are one of those couples you just want to be around. Just plain and simple. They party hard, play hard and live life in a way that you envy. I met them for dinner a few months before the wedding, and realized that they are such down to earth people! These are the type of people that you just want to have a beer with while hanging out at a tailgate party or something!
The couple hosted their party at Woodend Mansion in Chevy Chase. It was a beautiful background and we were lucky to have GORGEOUS weather! … Spot Floral provided beautiful flowers, in addition to all of the linens and other rentals. Occasions catering provided the wonderful meal.

The Ceremony took place in the Grove, and was led by Calhoun “Callie” Perkins, a family friend. She did an absolutely phenomenal job. I may have mentioned before, that I don’t always listen to the Ceremony. There are so many things that need to be done to get ready for the next phase of the wedding, and I am busy with those things. But, I asked my assistants to take care of those things and I simply sat down and listened to what she said. It was amazing. Very spiritual and very moving.

We had a wonderful cocktail ceremony on the grounds, which led to the reception under the tent. It was a wonderful dinner. The guests then danced the night away to the sounds of the band Nation. They ROCKED!! .. The guests didn’t want to get off of the floor! .. It was so great to see the guests – and the couple – have such a great time.

As a note, I LOVED Sara and Benny’s guests. I got to take pictures with several of her guests. Not because I’m a superstar Coordinator (which I believe in my own head – haha!), but because they were UConn basketball fans. I am not sure if I’ve talked about this in the blog. I played basketball for UConn in the mid 90’s. We won the National Championship in 1995 – we were a perfect 35-0. For those of you basketball geeks, I was on the team with Rebecca Lobo. Anyhoo, some of her guests were huge fans, and knew I played. I got to take a few pictures with them and talk ad-nauseam about UConn!! … I have had UConn fans at 5 or so of the 120 weddings I’ve done. It’s ALWAYS great when we have fans – GO HUSKIES ;-) …. Oh, and er, um, Go Sara & Benny ;-)

Lindsay & Matt – October 6th, 2007
Lindsay and Matt are both lawyers here in Washington DC. I would call them very conservative – to say the least ;-) … They met each other while attending Law School at George Washington University. They are great for each other – great balance of two personalities.

Lindsay and Matt’s wedding took place at the wonderful Ronald Reagan Building in the Pavilion Room. If you have never seen this room, you are doing yourself a disservice! It is a gorgeous space to have a wedding. It was an unusually warm day. In fact, it was hot while the bridal party took pictures around the city! … But, along with the great weather, came a great wedding.

The Christian/Jewish Interfaith Ceremony was a wonderful representation of both faiths. The Chuppah was draped with soft flowing white fabric, and it set the tone for a romantic evening. The folks at the Ronald Reagan Building did an amazing job of flipping the space for the Reception. Courtney, an amazing Coordinator over at the RR Building, led them in making sure the things went off without a hitch. The uplighting also made the space beautiful, warm and inviting.

Lindsay was a little apprehensive about the big Hora! But, much to her pleasure, she was not dropped on the floor! … Once that was over, Derek Romanoff provided DJ services, and he didn’t let anyone down. Derek is an AMAZING DJ, and I am always so happy to work with him!

The “icing on the cake” wasn’t even on a cake at all! The couple really personalized their wedding by NOT having a wedding cake! Instead, they had a candy buffet, which was an absolute hit with the guests! Lindsay has always had a sweet tooth, and wanted a variety of candies she liked at her wedding, instead of cake. Well, it was a great decision that all of the guests appreciated.

Lindsay wanted a warm, welcoming wedding and she delivered on that. I am so honored to have worked with them both ;-)

Julie & Jim – November 3rd, 2007
Julie & Jim are both lawyers here in Washington. On the surface, they appear very conservative. When I met with them at their house, Jim was very pleasant to me, but couldn’t wait to get back to his flat panel LCD TV!! … I think it was a Samsung ~ I’m not sure ~ I just know it was NICE!!.. I wish I could’ve stayed to watch it with them ;-)

One of my previous brides, Stephanie (read the blog entry about Stephanie and Josh from April 2006) referred Julie to me. I am always so happy when former clients refer Serendipity to their family and friends. It’s the biggest compliment I can receive! As an added treat, Stephanie was one of Julie’s Bridesmaids!

Julie dressed in a very simple (and stunning) lace wedding dress with a gorgeous traditional Mantilla veil. She looked absolutely stunning in her simplicity. She reminded me of a Bride that may have walked down the aisle in old world Europe. The dress and veil beautifully complimented her gorgeous brunette hair.

Julie & Jim married at St. Matthew’s Cathedral in Washington. If you have never seen this Church, you MUST visit at least once. It reminded me of Churches I saw when I visited Florence, Venice and Milan, Italy during college. It is one of the most ornate and beautiful Catholic Churches I have ever visited. Msgr. Jameson delivered a wonderful Homily, directed squarely at the couple. It was very timely and engaging. We then enjoyed a full Catholic Mass.

Once the Ceremony was over, the guests walked 2 blocks to the Mayflower Hotel for the Reception. This is an absolutely GORGEOUS hotel. Usually, once you get to a hotel, all of the ballrooms look the same. But not at the Mayflower ~ It was really beautiful. I had the pleasure of working with Kathryn Majeed-Ali at the Mayflower – she is an absolute pro at what she does! She made things so easy for us!

I also FINALLY got to work again with one of the best DJ’s in this area – Chris Laich. He’s such a great person (and great family man with 3 kids) ~ not to mention an awesome DJ! He’s listed as one of the best in almost EVERY publication there is, and yet there is not one pretentious bone in his body ;-)

The flowers were done by Barbara Von Elm of Growing Wild. As usual, she did a wonderful job! Finally, Bill Crandall shot the wedding photos. They are stunning. I have asked for a few to post to the blog. Until I get them, you can check out a few of his favorites (mine too ;-) here.

This was Serendipity’s last wedding of the season. It was a pleasure to end on such a wonderful high note. With the Holidays over, it’s time to start gearing up for this 2008 season. I know it will be a fabulous one ;-)

~kim

What took me so long to tell you about Jennifer & Chris?!?!?

noreply@blogger.com (Kim) — Sun, 02 Sep 2007 01:05:00 +0000

Hi guys ~

Yeah, mommy hood has really caused me to suck at updating my blog. I tell you, this has been on my To Do list for 2 months. I keep telling myself ~ "I'll get around to it" .... then another week slips by! I guess I just spend any free moment with Isabella. Everyone says that you should enjoy your kid while they are still young. What they really mean is enjoy them before they become mobile ~ once they start crawling then walking, your life will turn into a constant chorus of "get back here"... "get away from that" ... "get down from there".... yada, yada, yada!

But, I digress! This post is about my wonderful couple Jennifer and Chris who were married on June 30th, 2007 at Fort McNair in Washington, DC. Jennifer and Chris are one of the most laid back couples I've ever had the privilege to work with. They are a super laid back couple; However, they are BOTH so beautiful, they could be models! But the cool thing is, they NEVER acted like they were better than anyone. No bridezilla or groomzilla moments with them. They simply love each other, and wanted their guests to have a wonderful day to share with them. Oh, and I forgot to mention that the entire bridal party was amazingly beautiful as well. For someone who just had a kid and is still trying to work off 10 pounds of baby weight, I was a little self conscious standing next to all of those beautiful people!!!!!!!!

They had their Ceremony on the lawn at Fort McNair. For those of you who haven't been on the campus at Fort McNair, I tell you, you're missing out on a great venue; They have some of the BEST REAL ESTATE IN WASHINGTON, DC!!! ... We were right on the banks of the Potomac River and the weather was gorgeous!!

We then moved inside for the reception in the lovely Crystal Ballroom. It was set up beautifully. If you can believe this, the Groom and the Bride's Aunt T did the Reception flowers. They were really beautiful ~ Chris has a great eye for decor! But I already knew this ~ I had a meeting with the couple at their house a few months back ~ what a WONDERFUL PLACE!!!!!!

The guests were partying all night. I was told by my assistants that they wanted to pay the DJ to keep the party going at the end of the night! Whenever guests DON'T want to go home, you've had a successful reception ;-)

Some of the vendors that worked this wonderful wedding:

My girls from Petal's Edge did the Ceremony and Personal flowers, and of course they looked stunning. I really love them, and Rebecca led this wedding. She constructed a beautiful arch onsite and I tell you, it was stunning!
Deb Lindsey was the amazing photographer that shot the wedding. I haven't seen all of the pictures, but she did send me a link to the slide show for the wedding. All I can say is AMAZING!!! Take a look here: http://www.deblindsey.com/slideshows/Doyleslideshow
DJ Jerome Cooper kept the guests on the floor all night long ~ I told you before, they didn't want to leave! That means this DJ rocked!!!!!
The staff at Fort McNair was really amazing, as usual. I do have to point out a few people who really made the wedding run flawlessly; The Catering Director Vanessa Mozee, the Banquet Captain Jaunita and Waiter Bobby are really so good at what they do, and it was an honor to work with them

Okay, I think I have rambled enough! This couple was so wonderful, and I am glad we had a chance to run in the same circle for a short amount of time ;-)

~kim

Lots 'o stuff to talk about ;-)

noreply@blogger.com (Kim) — Tue, 24 Apr 2007 03:33:00 +0000

Oh, did I mention we were selected by the Washingtonian Mag??

Wow, I totally forgot to post about this in January. Well, I was 8 months pregnant, so I think you’ll forgive me!!! Apparently someone likes us – we were selected as one of the best wedding planners in the DC area by the Washingtonian Magazine. I was FLOORED!!! I’ve been in business since 2003, and have done over 100 weddings. I still didn’t think I had enough clout to get into the Washingtonian, but apparently someone thinks I’m halfway decent….. ;-)

Well, enough kidding – I’m actually humbled and honored to be selected by such a prestigious magazine. There are some AMAZING planners (and other vendors) listed in the Washingtonian. I am honored to be listed along side them. If you want to see the 2007 Best of Weddings Guide online, you can click here.

My baby's in pictures!

Well, today I went to the home of Sandi Foraci (Sandi Foraci Photography) for photos of my little Isabella! We had SO much fun! It wasn’t a traditional photo shoot; First, we went to her neighbor’s house to shoot some pictures on their bench. I asked if the neighbors minded Sandi trekking into their yard – she said no; in fact they come out occasionally and join her photo shoots!

Next, Sandi took me on a tour of her gorgeous house. It’s a great rambler that she and her husband have remodeled. It goes to show you don’t have to have the biggest house on the block to have the best house on the block. Her house felt comfortable and warm, just like her. It doesn’t hurt that it looked like it could’ve been on the cover of Pottery Barn or Restoration Hardware! It was that gorgeous ;-)

But, I digress! …… after the tour of the house, we didn’t get into stiff, rigid poses. Nope… Sandi decided to lay Bella right on her bed. She then started snapping away. The photo shoot epitomized Sandi’s personality – warm, welcoming and open! She welcomed us into her home like we were family. As a result, she got some great photos. She graciously shared a few with me so I could show you guys!

I am a firm believer in using the vendors that I recommend. Thomas Graves (Thomas Graves Photography) shot my family in 2004. Greg Gibson (Greg Gibson Photography) shot my maternity photos. And now Sandi has taken the first “official” pictures of my baby! I work with so many great photographers. I think I’ll ask the Regeti’s (Regeti’s Photography) to shoot something for me in the near future! So, if you’re looking for a good photographer, I have first hand knowledge that these folks are GREAT!!!!!

~kim

Tricia & Jon – 04.14.07

Our first wedding of the season was a beautiful Jewish wedding at Newton White Mansion in Mitchellville, MD. Tricia and Jon are a great couple with GREAT friends and family. Tricia decided on a hot pink and lime color scheme – and as Paris Hilton would say “That’s hot!” Unfortunately, that didn't apply to the weather. We couldn’t have the Ceremony outside as planned. It was a cold and rainy 50 degrees outside. But, Danielle Couick from Catering by Windows turned the Mansion’s Atrium into a BEAUTIFUL Ceremony Site. After the Ceremony, the guests enjoyed Cocktails while the Atrium was again transformed – this time into a gorgeous Reception area. The rain couldn’t put a damper on this wedding!

Tricia looked RADIANT in her strapless gown. Sandi Foraci and Marilynn Spindler (Sandi Foraci Photography) were the photographers for the day. I know the pictures are going to be out of this world! Tricia and Jon are truly wonderful people – it was an honor to work with them!

I also have to say I was SO happy to work with Danielle from Windows again. Danielle really knows how to throw a party. The staff, food, rentals and linens were all fabulous. I also LOVED working with Evan from MyDeejay again. Evan is one of the best DJ’s I have ever worked with. And, wouldn’t you know, he’s a nice guy too ;-)

~kim

Carrie & Joe – 04.21.07

We had our second wedding of the season with Carrie and Joe. I tell you, they are one of the most relaxed couple that we’ve worked! The weather was the complete opposite of the weekend before – it was 75 degrees and sunny! Anyone who lives in the DC area can attest to the awful cold weather we’ve had for the last month. We couldn’t WAIT for this wonderful weather this past weekend. Carrie and Joe were married at St. Peter’s Catholic Church. It’s a very beautiful Church on Capitol Hill. While I loved the Church, the Priest – Fr. O’Sullivan was a bit, shall I say, brusque…… Despite that, Carrie and Joe had a wonderful traditional full Catholic Mass.

After the Ceremony, the Bridal Party headed over to the Capitol grounds for pictures. They then headed to the Reception site – Ft. McNair Officer’s Club. The club is undergoing a facelift, and unfortunately there is scaffolding around the entire outside of the building. But, the Bridal party made the most of it – including take pictures sitting on (and jumping off) the scaffolding!

I wanted to give a shout out to a couple of their vendors – Brian Trace from BLM Entertainment. He had the crowd up and dancing the whole night. He was *really* great to work with! He doesn’t have a website, but feel free to email me if you’d like his information. Also, I finally got the pleasure to work with Amy and Srinu from Regeti’s Photography. Their work is more on the artistic side, and it’s actually quite stunning. They have posted some pictures of Carrie and Joe’s wedding –they look AWESOME!!! You can check out their blog ----- Regeti’s Blog. I really enjoyed working with them, and can’t wait to do it again ;-)

~kim

I know it's been a while, but I'm a momma now ;-)

noreply@blogger.com (Kim) — Mon, 09 Apr 2007 19:11:00 +0000

Hi all!

Gosh, it's been FOREVER since I last blogged! I do have a good excuse --- I had a baby girl on Valentine's Day! Yes, Isabella was born on 02.14.07 at 8:20pm. Now, we'll never have another romantic Valentine's Day again! Well, maybe in 17 years or so - HaHa! ... Nope, we're doomed to Dora, Cinderella or some other character coming into our home for birthday parties every Valentine's Day! Please indulge me ----- I have to show one picture of the kid ... er, umm .. Isabella ;-)

So, she's the reason I have been MIA! I have been trying to get used to being a mom ;-) I do adore her, though, and I love motherhood. We're having professional pictures taken next week by one of my favorite wedding photographers. I will post a few to show off their work when I get the pictures back. I will show you proof that I actually *use* the vendors that I recommend to my clients ;-)

Anyhoo, I just wanted to say I am back! I am still on maternity leave.... Although I have two weddings this month..... Hmm, then that means I'm not on leave then, right?!?!?! ... Nah, these weddings were booked before I got pregnant;-) ... So, I am still honoring those contracts. Actually, it's not a chore, because I love both couples that I'll be working for this month. But, after that, I will not work another wedding until the end of June.

I hope to do some "Spring Cleaning" of sorts. I plan to update the photos in the photo gallery. I will add some testimonials. I will also add a picture of myself in the About Us section - so people browsing can put a face with the name! I will also start interviewing for late 2007 and 2008 clients. I have been laying low, and have a *very* light 2007 schedule. I didn't want to be away from Isabella for too long!

So, sorry for being gone so long. I do have a lot to blog about though (including being selected as one of the best wedding planners by Washingtonian magazine!), so you'll be seeing posts about once a week from now on.

Ta Ta for now ;-)

~kim

Wrap-up of the 2006 Season!

noreply@blogger.com (Kim) — Mon, 25 Dec 2006 20:48:00 +0000

Hi Guys ~

Well, I am so sorry that I dropped off the face of the earth for a few months – literally! Most of you don’t know – but I am preggers! Yep – 31 weeks now! It’s actually been a rough pregnancy; this bugger made me quite sick in the first trimester. And, it took me a long time to gain any weight – I actually lost about 15 pounds. Under normal circumstances, that would be a great diet ;-) …. But, when you’re pregnant, that’s not so good. In the best interest of the baby, I had to give up my weddings after November 5th because of some other complications. That was *very* hard, because I adore all of my clients, and I was really upset that I couldn’t personally be there for a few of them. But, the baby will be here in early February; I will be SO happy to see the baby’s face! My husband and I decided not to find out the sex, so we will just have to wait and see ;-)

I am on maternity leave through May. I have two weddings in April, but I won’t take on any new clients who have a wedding before the summer. I know you're thinking - then how are you on maternity leave until May?! ... Well, these clients were booked before the baby was in the picture, and I'll be able to work on those 2 events in the early Spring. But, I do want to make sure mommy and baby have enough time to bond – then I’ll get back to work in full gear! Some of you may or may not have heard that I had to give up some of my 2007 weddings because of a potential surgery I have to have after the baby arrives. I want to let everyone know that my doctor and I have talked, discussed, researched, and have come up with an alternative approach. So, I will not have to take off most of 2007 as some thought. I’m SO happy! I had to give up some weddings, and I wish them nothing but success with the Coordinators they decided to go with. I will keep some remaining weddings, and look forward to servicing those clients.

I know this was a lot of personal information, but I want to make sure the rumors are cleared up and everyone knows that I AM FINE!!!! I look forward to the baby making its entrance into the world, and getting back to my clients!!!

Now, I want to mention the last few weddings I did in 2006. I didn’t give them their just due with blog entries after their wedding.

Stacey & Brian – September 30th, 2006

Stacey and Brian are such a great, laid back couple. When I say laid back, I mean laid back. When you first look at them, they look like that couple who loves tailgating, baseball caps turned backwards, and a mean game of flag football! I’m not sure if they actually play that game, but they remind me of a couple playing that game on the cover of Abercrombie & Fitch!

They had a lovely wedding in Old Town, and then hosted a great party at the Hilton Old Town in Alexandria. I had the privilege of working with Marilynn Spindler from Sandi Foraci Photography. I tell you – I LOVED her! I also worked with Jaime Mizell from Bialek’s for the first time. Jaime (Jay-mee) is a woman, and is one of the best DJ’s I’ve seen. She kicks butt!!!

Stacey and Brian had a theme song – “September” by Earth, Wind and Fire. Jaime played it twice, and everyone was up for it both times. I remember Stacey and Brian were thinking of ending the party after 4 hours; well, her guests were partying so much, we extended the party for another 30 minutes! And even that wasn’t long enough!

Oh, and I would be remiss if I didn’t mention how SEXY Stacey looked in her wedding dress. Although it wasn’t a pure sheath, she reminded me of Carolyn Bassett when she married JFK Jr. She just looked so curvy – she’s a hot mama….. Her theme should have been "I'm bringing sexy back :-)"

Stacey and Brian – thanks so much for the pleasure of working with you. You guys were really awesome!

Jodi & Tom – October 21st, 2006

Jodi and Tom are a cute couple – Jodi is a school teacher in the Fairfax County Public School system, and she epitomizes "teacher" – she has such a calm demeanor. Nothing seemed to bother her, and she had the patience of a saint. And the poor thing she was at school several nights before the wedding creating lesson plans, and making sure the substitute teacher had everything they needed to take care of her class. During a time when all of her thoughts she be on her wedding – Jodi was still thinking of her students.

Jodi and Tom had a wonderful ceremony in Alexandria, and then went over to Fort Belvoir for a party that I never thought would be a cool as it was! Now, don’t get me wrong - Tom and Jodi picked great food and had a great bar. But, Jodi is a DANCING MAMA! She can GET DOWN!! And so can all of her friends! I *never* realized she could dance that well! She was not the same teacher I had been dealing with the months leading up to that wedding. And, Derek Romanoff from Bialek’s was the DJ. You guys may recall we worked together in June at the Derge-Massey wedding. He is in my top 3 of DJ’s. And he knew how to read Jodi and Tom’s crowd, and had them up THE WHOLE TIME!!!!!

Jodi and Tom – you guys are perfect for each other; your personalities complement each other perfectly. Thanks for the opportunity to see Jodi “shake her thang” on the dance floor!

Susan & Todd – November 4th, 2006

Well, lemme just say that this was the “QUINTESSENTIAL WASHINGTON DC WEDDING.” Everything about this wedding was cool. They had their ceremony in upper Northwest. We then moved back downtown to Hotel Monaco for the Cocktail style reception. In addition to Todd working on the Hill, they live 3 blocks from the Capitol. I’m sure they’ve been to their share of stuffy black tie affairs. Well, Todd and Susan were determined to buck that trend. They treated their guests to a amazing cocktail style reception; there was cool lounge furniture, a WELL stocked bar, great food stations, and a band to keep guests dancing all night. Some people may think you don’t eat that much at a cocktail style reception; well, that wasn’t the case at this wedding! There was a sushi station, Mediterranean station and comfort food station that was NEVER empty! The staff at Hotel Monaco did a great job of keeping those stations stocked. Susan and Todd mingled with their guests, and made everyone feel comfortable.

I got to work with one of my favorite photographers – Sandi Foraci!!! I have a girl crush on her – LOL!!!!!! She is just so bubbly and down to earth, and I love working with her! She makes things so easy – she doesn’t miss a shot! Well, maybe there have been one or two shots over her career that she’s missed – but I’ve never seen it ;-) ……

My husband was in the neighborhood, and dropped by for a few to meet the couple and see how fantastic this wedding was! I couldn’t stop talking about it in the weeks leading up to their big day!!! …. My husband rarely comes to my events (He came to one in 2005), but I told him if he was going to be in the area, he *had* to come see this fabulous wedding ;-)

Oh, I almost forgot to mention one of the best things about the wedding – my girls at Petal’s Edge did the flowers!! My girl crush on them is a little deeper than the one on Sandi – LOL!!! But, they did the most AWESOME flower arrangement in a 5 ft martini glass. YES – a 5ft martini glass. It was so cool. When I get a picture from Sandi, I’ll post if for you guys ;-)

Thanks Susan and Todd – you are SO cool, and you had one of the most refreshing weddings I’ve had in a long time!

I will blog this week, in between the Christmas and New Year's Holidays. I have some more great news ;-) I hope you all have a wonderful and joyous holiday. It's rainy out there on this Christmas afternoon; PLEASE be careful, and I can't wait to share the new year with you all!

~kim

Stacey & Brian - A great Old Town Wedding

noreply@blogger.com (Kim) — Mon, 02 Oct 2006 15:17:00 +0000

So, I'm getting better... this post will go up only be a few days after the wedding actually happened. Much sooner than my Christmas deadline - LOL! Stacey and Brian got married this past Saturday in Old Town.

The Ceremony took place at St. Mary's Catholic Church in Old Town. I am always impressed by Ceremonies of all faiths, but I especially enjoy Catholic ceremonies. I am Catholic, and I get to participate in Communion when we have
]

A Regal wedding at the Omni Shoreham Hotel in Washington DC

noreply@blogger.com (Kim) — Thu, 28 Sep 2006 03:45:00 +0000

Nneka (Ah-neeka) & Henriot (Ahn-ree-oh) threw a fabulous party on September 3rd at the Omni Shoreham Hotel. We ended up having a great wedding, although the rain *really* threatened to put a damper on the party. If you are local, you may recall that the several days leading up to the Labor Day weekend were filled with rain. The rain just poured, and poured..... and poured. I was *SO* nervous about our wedding would be rained out. Even worse, we were having our Ceremony outside, and I was nervous that the ground would be so wet, we'd have to move things indoors anyway, since it would simply be a mud pile outside. Our rehearsal was at 5:00pm on Saturday. After 3 straight days, we saw the sun *finally* come out! We still weren't out of the woods yet, as it was still threatening to rain again on Sunday.

Sunday started out cloudy, but with no rain. I actually didn't hear from Nneka all morning. It's always GREAT when I don't hear from my brides early - that means they are actually calm ;-) I went over to the hotel about 1:30pm. I arrived in time to see my favorite florists - Petal's Edge. Have I ever said how much I love them? Well, just in case, I'll say it again - I LOVE THEIR FLOWERS :-) They created beautiful arrangements in the bride's red and gold color scheme. Nneka was relaxed and calm, as she and her bridesmaids were getting dressed. I checked in on the progress of the setup in the Reception and Lounge areas. Things were going fabulously. That was until it was 15 minutes before the Ceremony, and the Bride still wasn't in her gown!!! I see this happen ALL the time. The schedule can be going so well, and people so relaxed, and then it all of a sudden hits the ladies that they must get dressed, because we're having a wedding! Nneka's dress was stunning, but it was a little difficult to get on. There was a zipper issue. Now, Nneka has a gorgeous figure, and probably weighs all of 130 pounds, even though she's about 5'9". It definitely wasn't an issue with her! The zipper was simply stuck on the track, and wouldn’t go up more than 3/4 of the way. We ended up camouflaging it, so we could get her down the aisle. We started 20 minutes late. I HATE starting late, although sometimes you can't help it.

We ended up having our fabulous outdoor Ceremony. The Ceremony was officiated by Reverend Wesley Peyton. Reverend Peyton is very good, and also a very engaging guy. I really enjoyed working with him. Sandi Foraci was the photographer. Ahh, Sandi is so sweet, and cute and funny - ANSD GOOD!!! I just love her, and I wish we worked together more. She makes her clients feel so relaxed. I am sure that she will get some fabulous photos. I will bug her for some, and post them as soon as I get them ;-)

For the Reception, we moved into the Diplomat Ballroom. It was decorated so wonderfully. We had John Farr provide the uplighting and gobo (monogram projected on the dance floor) - they were both great. And Elizabeth over at Upper Crust Wedding Cake company provided the cake.

If you're looking for a wedding venue, consider the Omni. The staff is amazing - very attentive to their clients. The food was also to die for. Believe me, I don't normally say that, but the food was *really* good. You also can't beat the outdoor Gazebo location for Ceremonies. Exactly what you'd expect for a romantic wedding.

Once the party started, it was a great party! Henriot is Haitian, so we did have a lot of Haitian music interspersed with the hip-hop and Old School. I have to say, it was very cool. And, Nneka said something very funny to me when the party was over. She said “NO, it went too fast! I don’t want this day to end!!!” I just love it when brides say that. It means that all of their hard work paid off, and they are blissfully happy. I love blissfully happy :-)

We have a wedding this weekend - Stacey & Brian are marrying on September 30th in Old Town Alexandria. It should be very fun. Hopefully I'll blog about it before Christmas - LOL ;-)

~kim

Monica & George!!!!!

noreply@blogger.com (Kim) — Sat, 02 Sep 2006 01:49:00 +0000

Okay, before I begin, I posted an entry about another wedding this evening too. Make sure you scroll down and read it too, or click here. The wedding is about my August 5th, Brandi and Brian.

Okay, on to our last wedding. The wedding of Monica and George. I would characterize this wedding as "My Big Fat Catholic Philippino Wedding" - yeah, hilarious, right?!? Monica's family is Philippino - in fact, many of her family flew in from the Philippines for the wedding.

Monica hired us back in January - she was HILARIOUS from the first moment my sister and I met with her at the Galleria Starbucks. At the time, she was in her last semester of law school. She is a self-admitted slacker and sometimes a bundle of nerves. But, I felt like I *had* to work for her. She's the type that will just make you laugh - whether she's talking about herself or something completely random!

Anyhoo, she asked us to pick up 45 days out (we usually pick up 30 days out for Day of Coordination), because during July, she would be knee-deep in studying for the bar. Well, she wasn't lying! I met with Monica and George before the bar - but let's just say she only gave me about 30% of the info I needed! But, it was okay, I started cobbling together her timelines from the sparse packet of info she gave me, as well as emails she sent me. And, I got right on top of her other vendors. I must say though, she picked good vendors, and it was actually a pleasant experience working with them.

Even though she's a self-admitted slacker, she really pulled together a great wedding. The Ceremony was at Saint Patrick's Catholic Church in downtown DC. It is a STUNNING Church. If you've never been there, you should really visit. Monica and George had a full Catholic Mass. If you've never been to a full Catholic wedding, it's not the quick wedding that you'd see on TV. There are 1st and 2nd Readings, in addition to the Gospel reading and Homily (words to the Congregation) by the Priest. Then the Rite of Marriage commences - it may or may not be capped with a kiss. What then follows is the rest of the traditional Catholic Mass - the Rite of Communion. That will take another 25 minutes. In total, the wedding will usually last about 1 hour, sometimes 1 hour and 15 minutes. That's a lot different than the 15 or 20 minute services that some people have. But it was beautiful and moving. I was glad to witness it.

After the Ceremony, we had a TON of pictures. I mean lotso pictures. Did I say it was a lot of pictures?!?? ... I was exhausted! After that, we put the guests on the Shuttle buses provided by the couple. Except there were a few more people who wanted to get on the bus than originally anticipated. So, I ended up driving a few of the guests to the reception at Fort McNair!

The Reception at Fort McNair was great. If you're never been there before, it's a great historic building right on the Potomac River. I tell you, the government has the best real estate! It is said that the building and a few others are haunted by Mary Suratts (the mother of John Wilkes Booth, President Lincoln's Assassin). Apparently, she was hanged in the galley that once stood where the base tennis courts are presently situated. Those courts are right next door to the Officer's Club. Is it true? I dunno; I've been there for afternoon and evening weddings - I've never seen anything - but that doesn't mean I don't get escorts to my car when it's late at night ;-)

Anyhoo, Monica and George provided a wonderful buffet lunch for their guests. And the DJ, Brennan Sullivan from Bialek's, did a good job with the music. I even got out on the dance floor for the "Cha Cha Slide!!" One of the flower girls begged me - I couldn't say no to a little girl!

When I get more pictures from Deb Lindsey, I'll let you know. But, she did manage to send me one. Deb is the Sports photo editor for the Washington Post. This is my first time working with her, and she was amazing! I have already referred her to another set of clients! She got hired by them yesterday ;-)

Monica and George were a great couple to work for. They definitely kept the day in perspective; they had great weather and it turned out to be a wonderful wedding! Thanks Monica for hiring me! You really are a cool chick, and I absolutely LOVED you!

Okay, sorry for being such a slacker on the posts. I've been swamped lately. And all I've wanted to do is sleep. I have a wedding on Sunday. I PROMISE I'll post about it by Wednesday ;-)

Ta Ta for now ;-)

~kim

A Vintage Wedding in Middleburg

noreply@blogger.com (Kim) — Sun, 13 Aug 2006 23:45:00 +0000

Hi all!

Well, we were off the *whole* month of July. I had these big grandiose plans to do so many different things! Well, I did a few, but the whole month FLEW by!!

We took a last minute wedding at the end of June. Brandi was marrying on August 5th, and was currently in the midst of studying for comps for her Master's degree. Brandi is a classmate / friend of our April 29th Bride - Jackie. I had planned to be off until August 19th, but I couldn't refuse any friend of Jackie's :-) ... And, I'm glad I didn't - Brandi was AMAZING! And her wedding couldn't have turned out any better.

The weather was lovely - perfect for a vintage wedding. The Ceremony took place in the very small, quaint Middleburg United Methodist Church. It's one of those Churches that seats about 100 people. The Photographers were Richard Jones and Ray Vanover. They are based out of Kentucky, the Bride's home.

The Reception site was at the Middleburg Community Center. And I know what you're thinking - Community Center? Well, this wasn't your mamma's Community Center ;-) ... There were no basketballs or kids running around. This building looked like it was built in the 1800's - the architecture was simple and beautiful. There were dark expresso hardwood floors, Chandeliers and beautiful sconces.

I must tell you, I LOVED Brandi and Brian. They are such warm and open people. Not to mention cute too! Their kids are going to be gorgeous! Brandi just kept asking was everything fine, and did I need anything. I mean, it's her *big* day, and she's asking about me. How cool is that?!

Brandi also had a vintage theme laced throughout the wedding. She went with the whole "antique" Middleburg feel. She used a vintage font on all of the stationary; Both Brian & Brandi's mom both displayed their actual wedding gowns on dress forms at the Reception, in addition to pictures of them wearing the dresses; And one of the best touches - All of the centerpieces were in vintage hat boxes. John Duffy over at YellowDoor provided the flowers - and of course they were stunning!

Here are a couple of pictures of the wonderful day:

Oh, and here's a picture of me -> I'm always clutching my phone and that gameday book - the Holy Grail!!!

Okay, that's it for now :-)

~kim

WUSA-9's A Team

noreply@blogger.com (Kim) — Fri, 28 Jul 2006 15:46:00 +0000

Well, we've been nominated for some "apparently" prestigious list of best businesses in DC. Serendipity Special Events has been nominated for Channel 9's "A Team" as one of the top wedding planners in the DC area.

HeeHee.... I just think it's funny.... I never know who really runs these lists, and should I fret if we're not one of the A Team? I thought that was Mr. T's territory?!?!?

HaHa!... Anyway, I digress. We would love it if you voted for us. From all 7 of your emails addresses :-) ..... Click the image below and you'll be transported to the site - then click that little button that says VOTE!

We think it's just cool to have our name out there.... somewhere.... anywhere..... :-)

Mollie & Clay; Wow, what a really great couple ;-)

noreply@blogger.com (Kim) — Mon, 03 Jul 2006 00:21:00 +0000

So, we were back at the Westin Grand last night. The Westin Grand's Promenade does not look like your average hotel, and it is a wonderful venue to have a wedding.

I met with Mollie and her parent's about a year ago, and Mollie hired me for Day of Coordination. I didn't meet Clay until our 30 day meeting. I think they "look" perfect together. Mollie is tall, with jet black hair and the most beautiful face. She's a stunner, actually. Clay reminds me of one of those guys from the beach, who just surfs all day. He's got one of those haircuts that has his hair in his face just a bit, and he's the most relaxed guy you'd ever want to meet. Just really cool to me. They are the epitome of laid back, relaxed & welcoming. They make everyone around them comfortable and they allow people to "just be." They are so unpretentious - it's quite refreshing actually. I just LOVED them. You want me to show you how cool Mollie is? Look at this picture taken by their *awesome* photographer Glenn Barnett.

Isn't this great! Mollie loves to have a great time! This picture was taken when the Bridal Party went for pictures at the Lincoln Memorial. Doesn't she look gorgeous in her Vera Wang dress??? I'll post pics when Glenn sends me some more. Glenn is really a fabulous photographer, and I can't wait to see the full set of pictures. I peeked over his shoulder a couple of times last night, and I saw some great pics.

So the Ceremony and Reception were both at the Westin Grand. Last week, our couple dealt with torrential downpours. Mollie & Clay couldn't have asked for a better day. It was simply perfect. Not too hot, and no rain!!! The Ceremony took place in the Courtyard, and it created a bit of a vacuum, so it actually wasn't too hot at all. The Ceremony featured an interfaith Christian/Jewish Service. It was really meaningful and special.

Once the Ceremony was over, the Cocktails began. Mollie and Clay presented a Sushi bar for their guests. It was so popular though, it was gone in 15 minutes! The Reception featured a 5 course meal - appetizer course, salad course, intermezzo, Main course and dessert! And, there was still cake! The guests were able to enjoy the courtyard all night, and boy did they take advantage of it!

The DJ was the great Kirk Rubley from Kirkabee DJ's. I do love him, and he sure does know how to throw a great party. There was a bit of a lull for about 20 minutes (most of the guests made a dash to the bar :-). After that, the floor was packed the entire night. I heard some of my favorite songs last night:

Living on a prayer - Bon Jovi
Pour Some Sugar on Me - Def Leppard
And some Kelly Clarkson for good measure ;-) (yeah, I like Kelly Clarkson)

Oh, and know I get to say my favorite phrase:

I.HEART.PETAL'S.EDGE!!!!!

Gerry and Rebecca over at Petal's Edge provided the flowers. Mollie's color scheme was a light pink / hot pink combo. It was really very pretty - her bouquet comprised of orchids, peonies and roses. It was really amazing. Each bridesmaid’s bouquets consisted of one flower from Mollie's bouquet. So, one bouquet was made up of only peonies, another made of only orchids. It was really cool! The color scheme continued in the girls dresses - beautiful A line dresses from Aria, all in a different style.

Natalie, the Social Catering Manager over at the Westin Grand really did a great job. I have to send a special thanks to Chris, the Banquet Captain. Chris was a tremendous help to us when we were at the Westin in April. That help continued last night at Mollie & Clay's wedding. He was so amazing behind the scenes, making sure everything was perfect. He really knows how to do his job amazingly well, and he respects us enough that we work in perfect harmony.

I just want to say thank you to Mollie and Clay. Mollie gave me the biggest, tightest hug at the end of the Wedding night. She said that she was so glad to have me be apart of their wedding, and I did a great job. I actually started to blush. My staff and I did work hard, but it was easy to do that for Mollie! She just inspires you to go above and beyond. And Clay was so appreciative as well.

Thank you Mollie for interviewing us
Thank you Mr. & Mrs. Ifshin (Mollie’s parent’s) for hosting a wonderful party
Thank you Clay for being so cool to me
Thank you Mr. & Mrs. Winters for helping to make the wedding amazing

Well, I'm off for a month! No more weddings in July. I am going to do the following this month:

Hang out in Atlantic City with my husband for a long weekend
Travel to North Carolina for my family's 32nd Annual family reunion
Have dinner with at least 6 of my former couples/parent's from 2006
Clean my house
Hang some photos I've had in frames for months
Get someone to build a banquette for my kitchen
Work on tasks for many of my 2007 partial clients
SLEEP!!!!!!

I can't wait to sleep! That should be the first thing on my TO DO list!! The first half of the wedding season has been good to us. I'm looking forward to having this break, then pushing full steam ahead for the second half of the wedding season. We slow down a bit, with only 2 weddings each month through December. We are in some really cool places, and I can't wait to talk about those couples.

ta ta for now ;-)

~kim

Highlight Video for Mareesa & Marlon

noreply@blogger.com (Kim) — Fri, 30 Jun 2006 14:28:00 +0000

Wow - I talked a lot about Mareesa & Marlon who married last August at Meridian House. If you go through the archives, you'll see the old posts ;-)

Well, Mareesa sent me a link to her highlight video that was done by Blue Sky Films. I *love* Blue Sky Films, and I always tell people they are worth the money ;-) ... Well, when you see this highlight video, I think you'll agree!

They look SO great!!!

~kim

Mareesa & Marlon's Highlight Video

Two weekends, two weddings in Baltimore

noreply@blogger.com (Kim) — Wed, 28 Jun 2006 01:28:00 +0000

I know, I know, I suck. I *promised* to update the blog on Mondays after the wedding. And then there's NO update after the June 10th wedding. Sorry guys.... Life is busy.... what can I say?!?! .... I have had *so* much going on with Serendipity from an administrative point of view - consultation with new clients, trying to hire an assistant (which I still need), work for my partial clients, etc… So, the point is – I haven’t been sitting around eating bon-bons! I’ve been busy!

So, there’s an update on Serendipity’s schedule: We just got hired for August 5th. So, after our wedding this weekend (July 1st), we’ll be back in action on August 5th :-)

Okay, so let’s talk about these weddings!

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

The Gramercy Mansion is a Bed and Breakfast housed in a Tudor style Mansion in the green Spring Valley area outside of Baltimore. It really is an interesting place. A very lovely old place. It’s filled with a lot of brick-a-brack, though – Paintings, busts, lifelike children made of clay (no, I’m not joking), stuffed wild game, vintage dolls, and just about anything else you can name. And while it gives it character, a vendor mentioned that she thought the place reminded her of the movie The Shining! I’ve never seen the movie, but she explained the plot to me. She said she stayed at the Gramercy once, and when it was dark, she thought all those stuffed birds and children made of clay were coming to kill her! LOL! I thought it was hilarious! But, let’s just say I’ll only go to the Gramercy when there are lights on……..

We had the Nigerian influenced wedding of Sophia and Craig on June 10th. Sophia and Craig have been dating long distance for quite a while – she was in Graduate School in Pennsylvania, while Craig lived in Baltimore. After they spend the summer together, schooling will separate them again this upcoming semester!

Sophia combined Fuchsia and Orange for a really vibrant color combination. You might think that would be too loud, but it was actually very nice. They also had an awesome DJ – Jerome Cooper of CooperTunes. He’s based out of the DC area like me, but he made the special trip to Baltimore because I asked him to!

This past Saturday, we were back for Melissa Shauna and Brian’s wedding. They actually were a referral from one of our other couples – Bonnie & Mike from August of 2005 (who we love by the way!). Melissa Shauna & Brian hired us in January of 2005. Yes, a full 17 months before the wedding! You sometimes fear that when you get hired so far out from the event, so many things can change/happen. The couple lived in Rockville, and then decided to move to West Virginia! After that, our status meetings took place on the phone, not in person ;-)

As many of you may be experiencing first hand, we have been having torrential downpours. We had to nix doing the Ceremony outside, so we decided to do the Ceremony under the covered Terrace. The Terrace is very nice, except rain was coming in sideways under the tent, and getting some guests soaked! We moved most guests in a bit, and it seemed to work out. In some cultures, rain is considered good luck. If that’s the case, Melissa Shauna and Brian will have luck for the next 75 years!!!

We had a great time during our Baltimore tour! We don’t have any more in that area this year, but it was fun while it lasted ;-)

~kim

Greg Gibson has posted some of Jennie & Tyler's pictures!!!

noreply@blogger.com (Kim) — Tue, 06 Jun 2006 20:02:00 +0000

Hey, so I just talked about Jennie & Tyler yesterday. Well, er, I posted at 1am this morning.... See the post right below this one :-) .... And Greg emailed me today to say he updated the blog. You GOTTA go look: Greg Gibson's Blog.

His work is just amazing. Aren't Jennie & Tyler just the cutest couple???!?.... Damn, Greg is good ;-)

~kim

Our Supermodel Couple got married :-)

noreply@blogger.com (Kim) — Tue, 06 Jun 2006 04:23:00 +0000

Well, I think Jennie & Tyler would blush at the fact that I call them the "Supermodel Couple." I hate to put them inside such a shallow box; they are one of the most gracious, happy, easy going couples that I have had the pleasure to meet in a long time. But, I must admit, they could be on someone's magazine cover! They are so down to earth, though, and they take those kinds of compliments in stride. If you're not sure which couple I'm referring to, I blogged about them last November: Read about Jennie & Tyler

I have always felt like there are people that you just make connections with. It's not a bad or good thing that it doesn't happen with all people. I like to think I'm a really outgoing, easy to get along with kinda person - and people like to be around me (as I said, I like to *think* that's the case - LOL :-) But, I must say, Angel and I really clicked with Jennie. She's the kind of person that would invite you over to her home, and make you a home cooked meal, with an apple pie to top it off! Well, I'm not sure how good of a cook she is, but I'd eat any meal at Jennie's home! Because Tyler and Jennie have a FABU townhouse in Alexandria. I mentioned that Deb & Marc (May 20th) had a wonderful townhouse in Arlington. Well, Jennie & Tyler have a great one in Alexandria. It's so big, so pretty - and they have a flat screen TV in their kitchen! My husband and I have the same one in our kitchen! I thought it was great! When I went for our 30-day status meeting, Tyler was on the phone fuming with DirecTV, because the Nationals game wasn't on - for some reason he was having trouble with getting MASN! It was funny; He was very nice to me, but he didn't have time for wedding stuff - he needed to get his MASN!! ..... But Jennie was the ever-gracious host, and I appreciated that. They even let me pull into their driveway :-) .... Now, anyone reading this with a home will appreciate this - you *never* like people to pull into your driveway without asking - that's just plain rude! But, Jennie graciously offered it, and I immediately accepted!

Anyhoo, onto the wedding! Saturday started off cloudy, and I thought that it would rain during the day. Angel and I worked out at 6am, and there were sprinkles the whole time. Even though Jennie & Tyler’s wedding was at the National Museum of Women in the Arts, I was hoping it wouldn’t rain on our parade. As the day went on though, the sun definitely replaced the clouds. The Ceremony started at 6pm. I called her Matron of Honor, Skye, at 4:00pm – because I haven’t heard from them all day! Usually, I’ll hear from the bridal party, because something will go wrong! Just read the post about our first wedding this season ;-). But, I hadn’t heard a peep from them! You know what that meant?!!??! Everything was actually going smoothly! I was so excited, I was actually able to enjoy my Saturday before the wedding! That rarely happens, but Jennie has a great aura about her – she’s so easy going, and I just knew things would be fine.

I got to the museum about 4:15pm, and Ridgewells was already setting up. They were so great. I give free vendor recommendations every once I a while – For a great Caterer, you need to contact Meghan over at Ridgewells. She knows how to throw a party! She’s such a great girl, and she was so nice to Serendipity. She viewed us a member of the team, not someone beneath her (which has been known to happen ;-) …. She was so nice and so wonderful, and I will be taking her to lunch soon! She is someone I would love to hang out with as a friend! And, she’s getting married this August, so she knows what couples are going through. She was so attentive to Jennie & Tyler, and I know they were happy with the decision to go with Ridgewells.

Petal’s Edge did the flowers. Anyone who reads this blog knows about my obsession with Petal’s Edge. I get to write it again:

I. HEART.PETAL’S EDGE!!!!!

Those are my girls – and they came through again! And, I was lucky enough to get a leftover arrangement from Rebecca – it looks SO loverly in my living room. I look so sophisticated for having a wonderful arrangement of peonies in my living room. They don’t know that I have great friends, who just happened to have an extra arrangement!

So, I must tell you, the photographer was Greg Gibson. This was my first time working with him, and it was a BLAST! He was so cool, and so laid back, and I was so happy to work with him. You know, I worked with Bill at Holland Photo Arts a couple of weeks ago. I worked with Matt Mendelsohn a couple of times this year. And, I had the pleasure of working with Thomas Graves last year. The absolutely AMAZING photographers are the most cool, laid back people ever. They are not pretentious, and it’s really cool. It’s funny – the people with the most talent don’t need to act like idiots…. Their work speaks for themselves :-)

Okay, so back to the wedding: OMG, OMG, OMG, OMG – Jennie had one of the most beautiful dresses I have ever seen. It made me want to get married again, so I could wear that dress! I’m not sure of the designer, but I’ll ask her when she gets back from her wedding. She looked stunning in her strapless dress. And Tyler looked so handsome, it was sickening – LOL! No really, he looked good! He did however, lose his bowtie before the wedding. We don’t really know what happened, but Tyler and another Groomsman couldn’t find their bowties. And you know what???? My wonderful partner Angel ran (literally) to Hecht’s – well now Macy’s – to buy new ones! Two of their ushers ended up giving them their bowties, so the ones Angel brought went to those ushers. Angel was so out of breath!!!!! She got two workouts on Saturday, not one! …. Oh, Angel is my sister, in case you didn’t know! And we fight like sisters! We generally have one fight during each wedding. You know – how should the place cards go? Why didn’t we do this? Why didn’t we do that? You see, we’re both perfectionists, and we’re both Aries! We love to be right – but we love working with each other more ;-)

The wedding was perfect – John Farr did the lighting, and the DJ was Derek Romanoff with Bialek’s. I LOVE, LOVE, LOVE him!!! The guests wouldn’t get off the floor! … I did have to guard Jennie & Tyler’s sweetheart table for 15 minutes – they needed to eat!!!!! I know some of their guests probably didn’t like me at that time, but hey – I needed to make sure the couple ate!!!

I was so honored to be hired by Jennie & Tyler. Jennie will forever remain one of my most FAVORITE brides! I have a few, and Jennie’s in that club – ha-ha! I adore her – for her personality, for her spirit, and her generosity. Jennie and her mom (Mama Derge) were so generous and so kind. And, I did love Mama Derge - she was the consumate host - making sure everyone was having a good time ;-)

Jennie was so cute – she threw the bouquet while the theme to Sex & the City was playing! So, a background story – Derek had a Sex & The City CD, and it had the “Theme to Sex & the City” on it. Well, it turns out that it wasn’t the familiar tune we’re used to when you see the show. As a matter of fact, I’m watching Sex & the City on TIVO now ;-) … So anyway, the song on the CD was some kind of remixed version, and just not right. Well, Derek is amazing; He has a wireless broadband card – during the reception, he went to iTunes, and downloaded a version – the RIGHT one!! And when it was time for the bouquet toss, no one was the wiser ;-) Jennie & Tyler had a great reception exit – they had noisemakers, top hats and tiaras – it was like New Year’s Eve! It was a great newlywed exit, and the brainchild of the bride!

Jennie & Tyler threw a great party! I can’t wait until the pictures are ready. I told Greg that I would bug him incessantly until I got a few pics for the blog ;-) ….. I am sure you can tell when I really click with a bride. This is definitely one of those times. She is amazing, and I am glad that I was able to work with her. I can’t wait for parties at her house – I will definitely be there ;-)

~kim

Okay, Okay...... I've finally got pictures for Jackie & Josh!

noreply@blogger.com (Kim) — Sat, 03 Jun 2006 01:11:00 +0000

You know, Jackie's pictures have been available for a couple of weeks now. But, I've just been so busy, I didn't update you guys about them! I know, I'm a slacker ;-)

If you don't know who Jackie or Josh are, you must not read this blog! Scroll down and check out the link to the post about them. In the meantime, enjoy the pictures of one of my most "favoritest" brides :-)

All pictures were taken by the free spirit Hans Ericsson :-)

~kim

Beth & Darryl got married - in the midst of Rolling Thunder!

noreply@blogger.com (Kim) — Sat, 03 Jun 2006 00:54:00 +0000

Beth and Darryl got married this past Sunday - during the Memorial Day Weekend. For anyone who lives in this area, you know that Rolling Thunder descends on Washington DC every Memorial Day for their Convention and their demonstration on the Mall. They come for a noble cause - to remember all of the Veterans who lost their lives for America, and to fight for current Veterans who rely on the Government for financial and Healthcare assistance. And for those of you who don't know, Rolling Thunder is a LARGE group of bikers - I may be wrong on this - I don't think everyone has to be a Veteran, but maybe they do. No matter, when you see the sheer numbers, it's staggering. It's funny because the Church that I attend is on East Capitol Street. The bikers go together to meet downtown the morning of the demonstration, and they pass by our Church! On Rolling Thunder days, we have silent prayer for 20 minutes while the bikes pass!

So, back to my wedding. Beth & Darryl had their wedding at the Historic 6th & I Synagogue. We were there on May 20th as well. You can scroll down to find the other post (about Deb & Marc). It's a really beautiful Synagogue. The photographers were Bill & Marie Piaseci - who are so cool, and were so great to work with! We had a picture session, rehearsal and Ketubah signing, all before the Ceremony began! It was a busy day ;-) After the Ceremony, the couple headed to the Jefferson Memorial for pictures.

The Reception was at the Crystal City Hyatt - the headquarters for Rolling Thunder last weekend. They had taken over the hotel! Well, everywhere except our ballroom! Beth & Darryl are Jewish, so we had all of the traditional things going on, including the Ha Motzi, the Horah and the Mezinkah Dance (which is done when the youngest child marries). Their family and friends were actually very cool. They really knew how to have a good time. Every chance they got, they were up dancing to the tunes of NightSong - a great band, by the way. Beth looked stunning - Kelley at FaceMode did her makeup, and Melanie Medeiros did her hair in a gorgeous Jackie O flip.

Beth & Darryl are great - they have very good senses of humor, and they LOVE the Mets! They were introduced at the Reception to "Meet the Mets"!! I thought that was hilarious! And their cake topper was Mr. & Mrs. Met :-) .... All of the guests enjoyed the party, and so did I. Beth and Darryl capped it off with a Candy Bar - which the guests devoured!

Thanks Beth and Darryl for letting Serendipity be apart of your day! I will post pictures when I get some :-)

~kim

My Schedule..... In case you care..... :-)

noreply@blogger.com (Kim) — Sat, 03 Jun 2006 00:11:00 +0000

Sorry, been busy... I promise I'll try to do wedding recaps on Sundays or Mondays, like normal. I have weddings tomorrow (June 3rd), June 10th, June 24th and July 1st.

Serendipity is OFF from July 2nd - August 18th. We won't pick up again until August 19th. I plan to post about some more personal stuff about me and my life during that time, as well as some random things - like this:

I'm sure many of you have seen this before. But, watch this if you have 6 minutes to waste and want to chuckle ;-)

~kim

Update! Pictures of Deb and Marc!

noreply@blogger.com (Kim) — Fri, 02 Jun 2006 02:43:00 +0000

I wrote about the Ceremony that I coordinated on May 20th - Deb & Marc. Well! Bill over at Holland Photo Arts just updated his blog with a few pictures. All I can say is STUNNING!!!!!

I am so in love with their work. Doesn't Deb look amazing?!!?

http://www.hollandphotoarts.com/blog

~kim

We never talked about Mia & Jason!

noreply@blogger.com (Kim) — Thu, 01 Jun 2006 20:44:00 +0000

I really didn't start blogging until last August - but not consistently until the Fall! And, I didn't get a chance to really talk about all of our couples. Mia was married to Jason last August and was a SO wonderful. Serendipity only does one wedding per weekend, but this was a rare weekend that we did 2 on the same day. Yes - TWO on the same day. We'll never do that again ;-) I led a wedding at Mount Airy Mansion, while my partner Angel led another at Woodend.

Mia emailed Angel and me about something non-related today, and I thought - man, we never talked about how great she was! So, we asked her for pictures, and here we are.... These are Angel's thoughts below ;-)

~kim

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

Their wedding day was great! Both Mia and Jason are consultants with busy travel schedules, so it was great to be able to put their vision into action, even if they sent their vision from 30,000 feet above!

It was a hot summer day at Woodend Sanctuary in Rockville, MD. I made sure I got there extra early to spray down the place and rid it of any bugs that would be sure to ruin the day! As I arrived looking to meet all of Mia's great vendors, her lighting vendor, Blue Ridge Lightforms out of Charlottesville, VA, was already busy stringing her Asian inspired lantern lighting which would later cast such an amazing soft light over the tent and all of her lavender accents. I even dressed in lavender accents!

Since Mia is Japanese, she was very intent on bringing in small and subtle touches of her Japanese culture into the wedding that included not only the lanterns, but the inclusion of the San San Kudo ceremony. San-san-kudo," -- which translates as "three-three-nine times" -- a bride and groom begin by pretending to pour sake into a three-tiered cup, then actually pour sake into the cup and drink it in three steps. This series of action is performed for each of three cups. Three is a happy number symbolizing heaven, earth, and humanity. Nine is said to be the happiest number of all.

After the exchange of the nuptial cups, the newlyweds are considered officially married. Now the party begins! After having a heck of a time trying to bustle her beautiful dress, Mia and Jason were off to take pictures on the lawn. Those went by pretty quickly as the bridal party was pretty small.

Mia and Jason are so laid back that they knew when they saw me coming for them it was time for the traditional evening events! Mia says "uh oh...time to do something!" They were just having so much fun with their guests, they completely forgot about things like cutting the cake! The cake by the way, was fab! A family friend from North Carolina made the cake...I guess homemade is always better! After the toasts and dinner, Mia and Jason hit the dance floor and never left each others' side...the bride and groom were the last people to leave!

I was very lucky to have been able to be apart of their lives even if it was for such a short period of time. Enjoy some of my favorite pictures of this most awesome couple! All of the pictures were captured by Jennifer Domenick

~angel

Jackie & Josh: My Marine Corps Officer & his bride ;-)

noreply@blogger.com (Kim) — Tue, 23 May 2006 17:43:00 +0000

NOTE: Sorry, my blog file got screwy and I had to republish this post. I originally posted it on May 7th, 2006.

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

Okay, sorry I didn't post this last Sunday. I was so tired after the wedding, and then I got swamped with the wedding that just took place last night. So, I have two weddings to talk about today!

Jackie.... Where do I begin???..... Jackie..... We instantly clicked from the first moment that we met at fireflies restaurant in the Del Ray section of Alexandria. I guess you would liken it to love at first sight - you know, if I was a guy or something... LOL! .... But Jackie, we just clicked. After I gave my little spiel, she hired me on the spot. Usually, brides will think about it and get back to me, but not Jackie - she hired me right there before I picked up the check. We were a match made in heaven!

I have to tell you, Jackie was/is one of the most level headed brides I've ever had. That's not to say that my other brides aren't smart cookies; But Jackie always kept the wedding day in perspective. Her husband Josh is a member of the United States Marine Corps. He was in Iraq for a while - I seem to recall that he was in Fallujah.... At any rate, when your husband-to-be is in such a dangerous place doing such a dangerous job, it tends to put a lot of things into perspective.

Jackie was always very excited about the wedding, but she wasn't super crazy. She never asked me if a white limo would clash with her Ivory dress - haha! ..... Sorry to offend anyone that has actually pondered that question....... Jackie is very down to earth, and just very nice. I would love to hang out with her and chill out!

So anyhoo, Jackie had a lot of time to pace herself, and get a lot of DIY projects done. I do believe she made the Invitations; She made the Save the Dates, the Place cards, the menu cards, favor cards, wish tree items, Bridal Party Newsletters, Programs, Rehearsal dinner invites, out of town guest information cards and Table Name Cards!! Can you believe it!!!?!?! .. She had this gorgeous pink and brown color scheme. Stephanie the week before had a chocolate and hot pink color scheme. Jackie's pink was more of a blush color. It was just as pretty.

Jackie hired me for Day of Coordination (which means I pick up one month out), but I helped her with a lot of things before hand. I went to her meeting with the new Catering manager at the Westin, I helped her with Bridal Party and Guest transportation. In addition, I helped her with her linens and other rentals and attended her tasting at the Westin. It was such a pleasure to help her with these extra items. I got to see her several more times before the wedding, and I got to meet her parents before the wedding.

Parent's run the gamut when it comes to weddings. There are some who simply bark orders at me, and there are those who don't say much; Then there are those that cry the whole day or who simply can't believe their children are getting married. Then there are the perfect parents - like Jackie's parents. From the beginning, Glen and Trish were so open and nice to me. I could tell they *really* love their daughter, and wanted her to have a beautiful wedding. Glen in particular was very helpful in getting the transportation flushed out. And, every time I talked to or emailed Glen, he always ended with "your doing such a great job." I can't tell you how much that means to a coordinator. Everyone is usually happy at the end of the wedding, but sometimes our work before the big day can be lost on the wedding party. But her dad always thanked me, and it made me so happy :-) ..... At the rehearsal, Glen had a special toast just for me - to thank me for all of my hard work (the wine was yummy ;-) .... He also mentioned to several guests that I was his hero... Can you believe that?!?!?!? ... He was too sweet. Trish and Glen are GREAT parents!

Okay, so back to this wedding. The flowers were provided by my girls at Petal's Edge. Rebecca led this one, and they really came through with the Cherry blossoms. Jackie's Alter Arrangements and Reception Centerpieces were Cherry Blossoms. For anyone who wants Cherry Blossoms, any florist will tell you it's hit or miss. You are totally at the mercy of the flower gods as to whether they will bloom properly. But, Petal's Edge was fantastic. I adore them. I will continue to write about them EVERY week. Even if I'm not working with them that week.

I.ADORE.PETAL'S.EDGE

or, how about this:

I.HEART.PETAL'S.EDGE

heehee... I sound like a girl with a high school crush... :-) ... They are just the bomb...

The photos were provided by Hans Ericsson. I would actually recommend him to future clients, but he's not taking any more weddings after November! He and his wife have decided to quit their jobs, and live on their 27ft boat for 3-4 years. That's right - NOT 3-4 months, but 3-4 YEARS!!! They will start in the Caribbean for about 6 months, then "see where the wind takes them"...... How awesome is that?!?!? ..... Do you *really* know anyone who's actually followed their dreams like that? I promise I'll post pics when they are available, but unfortunately, he's not in the market after November 2006.

Jackie's wedding day was amazing, though. The weather was perfect. The Church was perfect. The Reception site actually turned out to be very beautiful. The promenade was great. The staff over there really went above and beyond. And the DJ kept the guests on the floor all night.

Josh and his Marine Corps buddies were very cool. They even came to my rescue before the rehearsal. My battery went dead, and they immediately gave me a jump. They were pulling up their car even before I got out of my truck! They just knew I needed help! And, I must say, I'm a sucker for a man in uniform. Josh was SO handsome in his blues.

So, I love this bride. Adored her. Still adore her. Want her to work for me when she returns from her honeymoon. Seriously. I'm not kidding ;-)

~kim

Deb & Marc - I coordinated their Ceremony :-)

noreply@blogger.com (Kim) — Sun, 21 May 2006 17:44:00 +0000

Every so often, I am only asked to coordinate a portion of the Wedding. It's very rare, but it does happen. I was hired by Deb one month ago to coordinate the aspects surrounding their Ceremony. They were married yesterday at the 6th & I Historic Synagogue in downtown DC. If you've never been there, I would make a mental note to visit one day. The Synagogue was restored to its former beauty around 2002 (I may be off by a year). The Synagogue is *beautiful*. Serendipity is lucky to have another wedding at the Synagogue next Sunday.

Deb decided that she needed some help because the Synagogue is smack in the middle of downtown. She's been planning this wedding for more than a year I think, and decided a month ago she needed help with the Ceremony. And, she was right to ask for help! One of the Shuttle buses got stuck in traffic and was 25 minutes late. The Ceremony was to start at 6:15. Our Rabbi arrived at 6:25! She was stuck on the Metro. But, it all came together, and the Ceremony was WONDERFUL!

The photographer was the amazing Bill Holland from Holland Photo Arts. I have always admired Holland from afar, but I was able to finally work with them. Ahhh.. I love their work. And, even though I was only facilitating the Ceremony, Bill was fabulous to me. He was so nice - gosh, not uptight at all. You would think amazing artists would be uptight, but not Bill. Bill runs a blog on his website, so when he posts about the wedding, I'll include a link so you can see some of the pictures.

The Videographer was David from Blue Sky Films. We've worked together before, and he's awesome. Well, Blue Sky is awesome. What can I say?!?... I usually work with them about once a month - I love them.

Oh, and the florist was Philippa Tarrant. We worked together several times last year. I must say, Deb's bouquet was really stunning. A mix of hydrangeas and peonies and bells of Ireland. It was gorgeous.

Even though I didn't have any responsibilities regarding the Reception at the Westin Embassy Row, I did meet the Reception Catering Director, Scott Button. He is so handsome, and so nice. There is a cute picture of him in the most recent addition of I DO magazine.

I do wish that I could've spent more time with Deb & Marc's family. Their parents and friends were so nice to me, and I knew that reception was going to be wonderful!

Marc and Deb are great people. They have a fabulous townhome in Arlington - you know, the kind that makes it into magazines :-) ... They were so nice to me, and I know that they will have a wonderful life together. Good luck Deb and Marc ;-)

~kim