what I love: a year in weddings!

When the holiday rush dwindles and we near the end of December, I always take some time to reflect on the year past. As an event planner, I have the privilege of seeing a lot of love, a lot of fun, and a whole lot of beautiful weddings over the course of the year, and 2011 was no exception! Invited elevated to a new level this year, and I saw brides happier than ever before. People took notice, too! We were featured on Style Me Pretty, United with Love, Wedding Chicks and we're even in this winter's issue of Washingtonian Bride and Groom magazine!! Could I be prouder? Absolutely not! I'm thrilled with the weddings we helped plan in 2011 and along the way, I met some amazing people (clients and vendors alike). I may not have blogged much (that's my New Year's resolution!), but let's just say I had a good excuse: throwing a heck of a lot of gorgeous weddings! Let's a take a look back at a couple, shall we?

In early Spring, Jessica and Michael wed at the Hotel Palomar in DC.

Photos by Madeline Marshall 

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Then in April, Aaron & Sara tied the knot at Oxon Hill Manor in Fort Washington, MD.

Photos by Meredith Perdue & Graham Terhune

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Summer hit, and Anne and Taylor married at Anne’s parent’s home in Medfield, MA.

Photos by Joel & Rita Wiebner of The Wiebners.

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It was a great year, if I do say so myself! All the way from Massachusetts to Capitol Hill, it was a whirlwind of wonderful weddings, only a handful of which are listed here. I. Cannot. Wait. For. More.

Let's go 2012! What I loved this year was everything and EVERYONE who made it what it is.

Was there a consistent theme throughout 2011 for you? What'd you love?

Style Me Pretty Feature!!

Happy Thanksgiving everyone!

We're so happy to announce that one of our weddings was featured on Style Me Pretty today! We now get to proudly display this! Yay!


Please feel free to check out the feature here! And don't hesitate to comment!

Hope you are getting a chance to give thanks for all that you have. I certainly know that we are!

what I love: Wedding Chicks!

I'm going to be brief this week with what I love. Mainly because we've been busy bees over at Invited getting ready for our big Boston wedding (coming up this weekend)! But I had to let you know about what I love this week, because I'm 100% certain you will too!

photo credit: & Unlimited

Wedding Chicks is a fabulous blog! They have free printables, lots of DIY instructions, and so many real weddings to feast your eyes on! Most importantly, today, they've featured one of OUR weddings! Sara and Aaron were lucky enough to get married on a beautiful spring day overlooking the Potomac. Lots of details went into their day, and Meredith Perdue of & Unlimited was able to capture them all on film! 

photo credit: & Unlimited

Check out their gorgeous feature here, and let me know what you think! Love it too?!

attention!! brand new weekly feature: who I love!

We've got some big changes in store for This, I Love over the next few months, and I'm so anxious about them all that I had to give you one of them a little earlier than the others!

We're starting a brand new feature, y'all: WHO I LOVE!

Every Monday, I'll be introducing you to someone I adore - whether it be a fellow blogger, an invitation designer, an awesome florist, maybe a great interior designer! You can be assured that it will be someone fabulous... and someone that you'll want to know too!

So keep your eyes peeled for the new feature which will be coming to you soon!!!

what I love: carol hannah wedding collection!

I'll admit it: if there's one thing I adore it's a good ol' Southern gal, and Carol Hannah is just that - a Southern gal thrown into the wild fashion world of New York city. What's more? She's rocking it with her whimsical take on all things beautiful!

She designs all types of dresses. So for those of you who aren't brides just yet, she's go something for you too - like this beauty from her Ready to Wear collection:

But for those of you who are looking for the perfect dress for your big day, you must, must, must check out her wedding collection!

I picture this dress on a chic city bride getting married in a ballroom downtown. It's the perfect blend of elegance and whimsy.

Or this one!

Adorable, huh? Couldn't you imagine slipping into that right before your loft wedding downtown?

And for a casual outdoor affair? She gives you this piece of gorgeousness!

All images courtesy of Carol Hannah

There are no words to explain how much I love her work, and I'm pretty sure you'll find something in her collection to fall in love with too!

what I love: fingerprint rings!

This is one for all those couples out there who know they want something different for their big day but just aren't sure where to start. I was lucky enough to be tipped off to these beauties by one of my most recent clients. They got them for their ceremony, and so for you, I have something so special and unique - I bet you didn't even know it existed: fingerprint rings! That's right. These are 100% custom rings with your (and your hubby-to-be) fingerprints on, or in, them. You truly can't get much more personalized than that!

photo credit: fabuluster

How awesome are these?! And the variations available are seemingly endless!

photo credit: fabuluster

I can't think of a better way to literally have a piece of your significant other with you from now until forever.

photo credit: fabuluster

What's better? The rings are so clean and chic to boot!

So it's true! What I love this week are fingerprint rings! Do you love 'em too?

what I love: ombre!

There are so many things to love about ombre that I don't even know where to begin. For those of you who are unfamiliar with what ombre is, the simplest definition is a shaded effect of color which can be applied to nearly anything. Many people immediately think of ombre fabric. Like this dress features: 

 But the fact of the matter is ombre can be applied to so very many different things! And when you're talking ombre at weddings, you're talking beautiful. Just take a gander at the various ombre items available at our beck and call!

One of my favorite applications of ombre is on a wedding cake. The best purveyor of ombre wedding cakes - hands down? Maggie Austin. And for all of you local DC brides, you're in luck cause her homebase is right here in the District!

photo credit: Maggie Austin Cake

 I know you just fell in love; no need to lie to yourself.

Looking for a gorgeous ombre shift dress, are you? I have the perfect one thanks to Alice and Olivia.

photo credit: a blond and a brunette

And for those of you who are looking for just a pop of ombre, you can't get much better than these gorgeous and (incredibly) unique earrings!

That's leather fringe dip-dyed in a fabulous purple. I know, I know. You just fell in love again.

You didn't think I was going to leave out the original wedding ombre, courtesy of Gwen Stefani. What a gorgeous rebel she is.

Finally, I did in fact leave the best for last - a little wedding DIY ombre project that is oh so simple and, more importantly, oh so undeniably beautiful.

photo credit: Once Wed

What are those? Ombre napkins you see! That's right. You can't get more chic than that. What's better? they're ridiculously inexpensive to pull off. Check out all the instructions over here at Once Wed!

There's no denying that what I love this week is absolutely ombre. You don't have to say a word. I know you love it too!

what I love: cupcake fondue!

After celebrating Valentine's Day with a whole lot of fondue action, I kind of fell in love with the stuff. Plus, I love all things miniature. So imagine my absolute delight in finding this recipe for cupcake fondue thanks to the owner of Bake It Pretty, Amanda Krueger!

I think it would be perfect for a bridal shower, a birthday party, or even as a midnight snack at a wedding! How much fun would that be? I mean, just look at the amazingness that is CUPCAKE FONDUE!

photo credit: Pint Size Social

Since I know you're dying for it, here's the recipe!

Cupcake Fondue
You will need:
3 cups powdered sugar
1/3 cup liquid (orange juice, fruit juice, milk, or water)
2 tablespoons light corn syrup
Miniature-size cupcakes in the flavor of your choice, cooled and unfrosted
Assorted sprinkles, chopped nuts, and other toppings

1. Make a batch of your favorite mini cupcakes – homemade or from a mix. Make them nice and small so you don’t feel guilty about enjoying 2 or 3 of them. If you use paper liners for baking, remove them after the cupcakes have cooled. Pound cake or any other firm cake works well for skewering, but any cake will do. I used a simple yellow box-mix cake. Allow to cool completely before dipping.

photo credit: Pint Size Social

2.  Make the fondue: Whisk together powdered sugar, orange juice, and corn syrup.  Adjust the consistency with a drop of liquid or a dash more powdered sugar until you get have a smooth, thick glaze.  I used orange juice for the liquid portion to give it a citrus flavor and cheese-like yellow fondue color.  You could also use grape juice for a pastel purple, or milk/water and add your own coloring.

photo credit: Pint Size Social

3.  Pour frosting into the fondue pot.  There’s really no need to heat the mixture, but you can keep a small tea light or very low flame underneath just for looks!  Display sprinkles and toppings in small ramekins or portion cups and arrange around the fondue pot.  Skewer cupcakes in the side and dip the top half into the fondue, then flip the cupcake over and the frosting will drip nicely down the sides.  Sprinkle liberally with your favorite toppings.

photo credit: Pint Size Social

You may need to give the fondue a quick stir every now and then to keep it smooth if you aren’t actively dipping... This would be a great addition to a party desert table, or for a special treat on a rainy day.  Enjoy!

So I have no doubt that what I love this week is cupcake fondue, but what do you say - you love it too?!

All images and directions thanks to, Pint Size Social who had the fabulous interview with Amanda featured on their site.

what I love: The Love Shop!

It doesn't get much more apropos than that, ya'll. It's true. I can not resist The Love Shop, and if you haven't heard of it yet I guarantee you'll soon find yourself feeling the same way!

Creator, JJ St James, does an unbelievable job of capturing all that is beautiful about modern love. In her own words, her shop is her "attempt at giving a little love to you and the world." Want proof? Check it.

photo credit: the love shop

photo credit: the love shop

photo credit: the love shop

I'll be entirely honest. 90% of her shop is in my Favorites list. I'm not ashamed. I'm in love. What do you say? You love it too?

what I love: WeddingWire!

I'm sure that most of you brides out there have discovered the wonder that is WeddingWire already. There's really nothing like it out there. A site that compiles all wedding vendors and reviews in one place, plus offers a great organization system for brides through the whole planning process!

Well, great news! We've been lucky enough to have been selected as one of the recipients of WeddingWire's Bride's Choice Award for 2011. This means that we're in the top 5% of all wedding planners nationwide, and we're thrilled!


So it's absolutely definitely been decided that what I love this week is WeddingWire! If you're a bride, I have no doubt you love it too!

what I love: Letterpress Light!

So some of you may be in the letterpress loop already, but for those of you who aren't I've got a definite treat for you! What I love this week is Letterpress Light!

Letterpress Light ain't no normal letterpress y'all! It is a custom process that was created by the owner, Heather Noss, and she did a marvelous job! It's an incredibly unique process that, in their own words, "...enhances the rich texture of regular letterpress printing, resulting in a 50% deeper press.  It adds more expansive & vivid color options, as well as design flexibility not possible with regular letterpress printing."

The color is gorgeous and vibrant, and the pressing is deeper than what you'll ever get with normal, old letterpress! I just can't get enough of their work. Check out a couple of their beautiful wedding invitations!

photo credit: Letterpress Light

Or this beauty...

photo credit: Letterpress Light

 Finally, see how vibrant the color is?! This is nothing like old letterpress! It's absolutely gorgeous and fresh!

photo credit: Letterpress Light

So I'm certain that what I love this week is Letterpress Light! What do you say, brides, do you love them too? If so, get in touch with them soon to get your custom invites!

what I love: Baltimore!

I have some VERY exciting news, and I do not throw around all-cap words very lightly! Invited is expanding to Baltimore! So - you guessed it - I love Baltimore this week!

Baltimore brides have long been seeking a great planning company that is reliable, organized, and (most importantly) fun! We're finally here to answer the call!

Amiee Winchester will be heading up our Baltimore office, and she brings with her, significant experience coordinating conventions, meetings and weddings throughout the Baltimore and Washington areas, as well as an absolute love for planning. Plus, she was a Baltimore bride herself, so she truly knows the ins-and-outs of the Baltimore wedding industry. 

photo credit: Borrowed Blue

She's ready to lead the way for all those Charm City brides! She is incredibly excited to be running the Baltimore office, and she cannot wait to begin working with all those clients seeking the best of the best!

To set up an appointment today or inquire about Invited : Baltimore’s services please email Amiee at amiee@invitedeventdesign.com 

So it's official! Charm City is what I love this week! I'm sure all you Baltimore brides would agree! 

what I love: resolutions!

I may be a tad late on the New Year's resolution bandwagon, but at least I'm getting on! What I love this week are resolutions, and those can be made at any time on any day of any month! However with the start of the new year, it sure does seem a convenient time to make them now doesn't it?

Resolutions are those ever-important promises that you make to yourself in attempts to become a better person, a better friend, a better fiancee, a better partner - just plain better.

So I've decided to make my list and officially post it here for all to see!
Here goes:
1. Get my home organized!  
    Focusing SO much on Invited, and sadly, our house has felt the brunt of that negligence!
    Time to get it together! 
2. Go to the gym - no really.
    GO. TO. THE. GYM. And workout while I'm there too.
3. Travel to (at least) one foreign location that I've never been to.
    Thinking Guatemala...
4. Take time to relax!

Plus these things too!

image credit: Be healthy, Be well

So there it is for all to see! Feel free to hold me accountable for what I love this week! What are your resolutions for the new year? Do you love 'em?!

random love: happy new year!!

Happy new year everyone! Wishing you all an amazing and prosperous 2011 with friends, family and loved ones!