Five Things I Loved About the Royal Wedding Ceremony

History was made today when Prince William, Duke of Cambridge married Miss Kate Middleton who became the Duchess of Cambridge around 11:00am this morning. Below are my top five favorite items about their ceremony:

5. The Ceremony Music:  The Westminster Abbey Choir and Chapel Royal Choir along with the London Chamber Orchestra, and a fanfare team of the Central Band of the Royal Air Force provided the music for the ceremony that was selected by the Bride & Groom. The musical selections were a perfect fit for the mood of the much anticiapted Royal Wedding.

4. The Guests’ Attire: Although all eyes were on the Bride and Groom, it was hard not to notice the ornate outfits of some of their guests. The most noticeable accessories would be the customary gravity-defying hats typically worn for Royal Weddings. Princess Beatrice, 22, and 21-year-old Princess Eugenie, daughters of Prince Andrew, Duke of York, and Sarah, Duchess of York, made a fashion statement with their choice of unique hats. Below are a few of my favorites worn by the Princess' & Victoria Beckham.

3. The Bouquet: Kate chose to carry a modest bouquet made of lily-of-the-valley. According to the royal press release, "The bouquet is a shield-shaped wired bouquet of myrtle, lily-of-the-valley, sweet William and hyacinth. The bouquet was designed by Shane Connolly and draws on the traditions of flowers of significance for the Royal Family, the Middleton family and on the Language of Flowers." Simple, but classic.

2. Bridal Party: Although I love big grand family affairs, I am a fan of smaller more intimate bridal parties. Princess Catherine & Prince William opted to have their siblings (Prince Harry & Pippa Middelton) as their Best Man and Maid of Honor. Having a smaller bridal party cuts down on confusion and costs. If you are struggling with the decision on who to include on your wedding day, my advice is to keep it simple. You will thank me after your wedding!

1. The Dress: It's Sarah Burton! After months of speculation and rumors, it was revealed that Sarah Burton, The Alexander McQueen designer is the woman behind Kate Middleton's wedding dress. I love, love, love the timeless, elegant, and crisp gown that Kate chose. In this day and age, you don’t see long sleeved laced gowns; however the new Duchess of Cambridge undoubtedly made a fashion statement.

Tell us, did you watch the royal wedding? What were your thoughts?

Congratulations Prince William & Princess Catherine!

 

*Photos courtesy of the Associated Press

Real Weddings: Kathy & David

Veronica and I had the pleasure of coordinating the month of details for one of the sweetest couples ever; Kathy & David. I first met with the MOB to go over the logistics of Kathy & David’s big day, as the couple lived out of state. After spending some time with the MOB and hashing out the details, I knew it was a match made in wedding planning heaven. A few months closer to Kathy & David’s wedding, I got the pleasure of meeting Kathy, who was just as sweet as her dear mother. Kathy & David’s ceremony took place at the chapel of my alma mater, GMU. Their wedding day was flawless in every sense of the word. Their team of vendors were a pleasure to work with, and the guests had a great time. It is always a pleasure to see the bride, groom, family and friends having the time of their lives.

Making it their own: Kathy & David chose to have individual cakes as their centerpieces. This was a great hit among guests. The guests enjoyed taking home something sweet at the end of the night.

Another unique idea the bride and groom had were Mad Lib cards. The guests filled out Mad Lib cards during cocktail hour. Kathy & David now have a guest book filled with hilarious cards from their family and friends.

 Veronica hard at work pinning the Ring bearer's boutonnière.

 Married!

 I bet these family members are happy that Kathy & David hired Exceeding Expectations :)

Our All-Star Line Up:

Ceremony Venue: St. Robert Bellarmine Chapel

Reception Venue: Heritage Hunt Golf & Country Club

Cake Baker: Unique Bakery

Photographers: The Happy Couple-Joe & Katye Brier

Photo booth: The Happy Couple- Our photogs provided a photo booth that the guests went crazy over!

Florist: Maryam Flowers

Transportation: Chariots for Hire

Favors: Fisher's Popcorn (In honor of the couple's new last name=Fisher)
All photos courtesy of The Happy Couple

Real Weddings: Anh Thy & Nghi

This past weekend we were honored to work with Anh Thy & Nghi on their wedding ceremony and reception. Their 65 person ceremony took place at the historic Woodlawn Plantation in Alexandria, Virginia. I can not say enough about the helpful and welcoming staff at Woodlawn. They were always willing to assist whenever we needed anything. The couple hosted a traditional Vietnamese ceremony, followed by a traditional American ceremony on the lawn of the plantation. Maryam Flowers provided the gorgeous ceremony and reception flowers for the couple. The orchid and crystal backdrop that she created looked absolutely gorgeous during the ceremony. After the ceremony the couple greeted 300 guests at the Waterford in Springfield. The venue was a perfect fit for Anh Thy and Nghi. The Waterford staff did a great job taking care of our Bride, Groom and their guests. The guests danced the night away with a live band (Red Sun) and really had a great time. We really enjoyed working with Anh Thy & Nghi, and wish them all of the best on their new journey together. A few non-pro pictures below: Woodlawn Plantation before ceremony setup: Ceremony chairs and arrangements set Beautiful backdrop created by Maryam of Maryam Flowers Ceremony underway Room for cocktail hour set and ready for our guests Placecard and favor table Centerpiece decorated with butterflies and pink rocks.

Candle centerpieces with butterflies. (The centerpieces looked amazing when we dimmed the lights).

The pink and white candy bar was a huge hit among the guests.