novi nuptials

october 10, 2009 was a cold, rainy day, but the weather perked up just in time for a beautiful october 11 wedding, full of rich, fall colors and a delighted wedding couple.

we added a lot of personal touches to mindy and shawn's wedding.  since the couple is really into the outdoors, we used a lot of earthy elements, from a moss and river rock escort card table, to wooden bowls that held wispy willow branches and decadent assortments of fall flowers.  mindy's veil incorporated pieces of her mother's veil, the chuppah was hand-made by the bride's godmother, and the groom's father became ordained and performed the ceremony. 

mindy and shawn even had mini bride and groom cake toppers made to match their outfits, including shawn's green tie.

before the ceremony, the couple braved the cold outdoors for some fabulous photos reflecting the beautful michigan foliage, and even posed for a few art deco shots in the restaurant's wine room!

the two danced the night away with family and friends, and guests got to take home souvenir photo-booth photos!

venue: crowne plaza novi, michigan

catering: matt prentice

photography: kate elliott photography

who puts the "zen" in "citizen"?

these sassy geriatrics do! 

december 5 marked the second IONA Senior Services-sponsored performance of http://www.youngatheartchorus.com/ - a senior band and chorus that will knock your socks off.  cold, blizzardy weather could not keep the crowds away from this one-night only performance at the warner theatre.  even the littlest fans got to meet the celebs, and loved every minute of it!

photos courtesy of sadrea muhammad

hot jazz for a cool night

big band jazz was in full swing at rose hill manor on october 23, in celebration of loudoun volunteer caregivers' fundraising gala.  about 100 guests enjoyed dancing, cocktails, and hors d'oeuvres at the mansion, while bidding on fun silent auction items.

babycakes!

what's not to love about these adorable baby shower cupcakes...

...to go with this fun mimosa bar?!

rsvp is weddingwire rated!

WeddingWire, the nation’s leading wedding technology company, has just announced that rsvp event planning and management is officially WeddingWire Rated 2009! WeddingWire created the annual Rated program to honor wedding professionals like rsvp event planning and management, for their excellence and to help brides and grooms easily find the right wedding professionals to match their needs.

“We are excited to unveil WeddingWire Rated 2009, now in its third year. With hundreds of thousands of reviews, WeddingWire has made it easy for engaged couples to find the nation’s very best wedding professionals,” according to Sonny Ganguly, WeddingWire’s Chief Marketing Officer. “WeddingWire Rated is an excellent way for businesses to showcase their continued success in the wedding industry.”

rsvp event planning and management currently has three reviews with a top rating of 5.0, making it eligible to hold the Rated title on the WeddingWire Network. Each review has been written by a former client and includes detailed ratings and insightful descriptions of their experiences with our services. These reviews not only enhance our credibility, but also help differentiate our business within the WeddingWire Network.

rsvp event planning and management would like to thank our past brides and grooms for taking the time to review our services on WeddingWire.

If you are a past client of rsvp event planning and management and have yet to provide us with your feedback, please visit reviews.weddingwire.com and review our services today.

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calling all grooms: should you get your bride a wedding present?

your future mother-in-law may be making hints at this, and you are probably wondering why you’re being thrown another curveball during the wedding planning process. but, yes, it’s fairly traditional for the bride and groom to exchange wedding gifts. you have probably seen this on tv or in a movie—before the wedding, the bride and groom each has someone deliver their gift to the other person—or, being a guy, maybe you have not seen this! some couples decide to exchange gifts at another time, like the day before the wedding, for example. a lot of couples choose to forego this tradition, having just spent a lot of money on the wedding itself. there is no hard and fast rule here, so feel free to be creative.

what should you get the bride? gifts for the bride usually consist of jewelry, and if you want to be very traditional you can get her diamond earrings or a pearl necklace. but this isn’t 1929 anymore, so some grooms throw tradition to the wayside and choose something more affordable and/or appropriate for the bride, like a first edition of her favorite book or private dance lessons. some choose to get something really meaningful like an embroidered handkerchief or simply a beautiful bouquet of roses and a heartfelt hand-written note, or generally just something the groom knows the bride would really enjoy and appreciate. if all else fails, what about something she can do on the honeymoon, or something you can do together, like scuba lessons, or an extravagant dinner. or better yet, a spa day, so she can unwind from the stress of all that wedding planning!

destination albuquerque: rebekah & sean say i do

after a brief rain delay (this is really good luck in new mexico, which only receives 10 inches of rain per year), rays of sun peeked through the clouds, just as rebekah and sean said their vows before their family and friends (and peacocks) at the gorgeous los poblanos inn and cultural center. after the nuptials, guests gathered in the garden for lemon-lavender martinis, before sitting at long dining tables decorated with monotone floral arrangements in blues and purples and fresh lavender, for a feast under the stars of organic beef and salmon. as an added touch, the tables were dotted with photos of the bride and groom growing up - these foddered conversation among the guests, and got some good laughs.

after dinner, the bride and groom scooped ice cream from taos cow...

...and guests left good wishes for the bride and groom.the party continued late into the evening while everyone danced the night away to cover songs performed by vanilla pop - they put on quite a show, complete with costumes and pencil-thin mustaches!

venue: los poblanos inn and cultural center

catering: los poblanos inn and cultural center

photography: insight foto

flowers: sonrisa blooms

entertainment: vanilla pop

ice cream: taos cow