what I love: cake toppers

I have a treat for you! This Wednesday, I've invited Invited's lead day-of coordinator, Annie Oudom, here to share what she loves this week! So, Annie, take it away!

Happy, happy, Wednesday everyone! 

I have a few friends that are getting married this year, and they all know how much I live and breathe weddings. One of the infamous questions they always ask is: "What should I do for a cake topper?" My answer to any wedding question is: "The possibilities are endless! But what is it that YOU love?"

There have been so many unique wedding cake toppers that I have seen in my day! Some I question... but nearly all of them I absolutely love. Not only are they unique but I adore the fact that they represent the bride and groom. Whether it's traditional or something a bit wacky, it should really highlight you - as the bride, and your fiance - as the groom. After all, this day is all about the both of you, right?!

We have come a long way since these classic cake toppers:

Although classic is nice and traditional, and nice and... err... ok a bit on the boring side for my liking, I can definitely appreciate them! I've spent a lot of time on Pinterest, either searching for ideas for my own (future!) wedding, or helping out friends decide on what would best suit them for their cake 

Here are some of my favorites:

Cake toppers that resemble the bride and groom

How incredibly cute is this?? I love the fact that the toppers have details of the bride and groom down to a T.

Just flowers
I absolutely love this. The cake looks so dainty and so pretty that I don't even want to eat it! Using flowers as a topper adds a great touch to the cake because it isn't too overpowering.

Monogrammed cake toppers
I also do like using monograms for cake toppers. I'm sure you have seen monograms with the bride and grooms initials of their first name with their last name initial in the center. Or, like the picture above, just using the initial of the last name. What I also love about this particular monogram topper is the bling. I do love my bling. There are just some things I can't deny.

Hello Kitty!
This cake topper speaks for itself. Everyone needs some Hello Kitty in their life, right?!

So loves, what are some unique ideas you have for cake toppers?

what I love: 2013 - Big Things!

Hello lovelies, and happy 2013! (I know I'm SUPER late to the bandwagon on that whole happy new year thing, but please forgive me! We've been busy.)

Speaking of busy, we've marked some major milestones in the last few months here at Invited! To begin, we've officially opened our LA office, and Pavaune (that's me!) gets to spearhead that office. I'm a California native, so it's kind of like a little homecoming. Needless to say, I'm thrilled! Our LA clients seem to be pretty ecstatic too!

So I'm pretty sure you're wondering... who's running the DC office?!  That's the even more exciting news! Ruby Dichirico joined the Invited team last year, and she's heading the DC office. She's absolutely unbelievable. With more than 100 weddings under her belt, all of you DMV brides will absolutely be in the best hands!

photo credit: Leo Druker Photography

What's more?! Annie Oudom, who's been with Invited as one of our fabulous assistants for about 2 years now, has been promoted. She is now a day-of coordinator! After 2 years of experiencing all the ups and downs that DC weddings could throw at her, she's ready to take on wedding days as the head honcho!

photo credit: Leo Druker Photography

Finally, we were lucky enough to have Leo Druker photograph us for all-new company head shots. It was an incredibly fun time shooting with him, and now we can speak firsthand as to how at ease he makes his clients feel! I'm beyond thrilled by the shots that came of it, so thank you Leo!

photo credit: Leo Druker Photography

Needless to say, we have some very big things in store for 2013 - from coast to coast!

what I love: brunch weddings

I am back in the mix of things after last week's wisdom teeth emergency and today's what I love feature is just as fun as last week's frozen yogurt trend... brunch weddings!

As a wedding planner, I get asked constantly for cost-saving tips, and one I like to suggest that couples often forget to consider is brunch weddings!

Photo credit: Stefan Sisters

I love brunch weddings because breakfast food is so diverse! From Belgian waffles to eggs benedict there's something to satisfy everyone's morning appetites! There are also a number of ways to get creative with breakfast foods! Check out this bacon, displayed perfectly for a rustic, laid-back event:

Photo credit: Elizabeth Anne Designs via Jennifer on Pinterest

Keep in mind, bacon in a jar, like a lot of other ideas on some of the most fabulous wedding blogs is too far "out there" for some, and I like to encourage brides to not get too carried away with ideas they garner from styled wedding shoots (as they often don't reflect real weddings), but you can be creative! Like with this doughnut cake for example!

Photo credit: Bronze Budget Bride via Pinterest

A traditional wedding cake can cost an upwards of $500, but Krispy Kreme donughts are as inexpensive as $9 per dozen! That's a huge cost savings, if you ask me!

May I also suggest heading to some of DC's bottomless brunch spots to get the creative juices flowing? Yes, please!! You know how we love our brunches here in the District!
Here's a quick list of my personal faves:

Includes Unlimited Mimosa
Saturdays

Masa 14 - an Asian flare

Beacon - big, bright, and beautiful

The Getaway - in Columbia Heights

Scion - patio seating available (Spring is upon us! Let's get outside!)

Sundays

Ping Pong - til 4:00 pm
W Hotel  - rooftop seating available!
Ardeo - til 3:00 pm with unlimited champagne, not just mimosas!
Smith Commons H Street - also with a rooftop patio

Vinoteca - bottomless kir royale, bellinis, and mimosas

Not Unlimited Mimosa, but Great Food

Birch & Barley - til 5:00 pm

Founding Farmers - yum!

Belga Café - small, but classy
Blue Duck Tavern - has a brand new patio!

Firefly - gluten-free menu available

Now, of course, brunch doesn't automatically equal an inexpensive wedding! For any restaurant with a delicious brunch menu and a private function space, I'd certainly recommend calling and pricing out a full wedding reception and seeing how they can work with you and your budget. Nonetheless, I think it's so very important to realize that there are definitely a lot of local choices for this type of reception!

What do you think of brunch weddings? It is certainly what I love this week!

Check out more breakfast wedding ideas right here.

what I love: getting brides started!

So you're engaged!! Now what??

Photo credit: Bride Finds

There's probably a million ideas running through your mind: the type of ceremony you want, who should be in your bridal party, your color scheme... the list goes on and on!

You've probably scoured the internet for advice, too, huh? Found Style Me Pretty and The Knot pretty helpful in conjuring MORE ideas! But have you talked to a planner? Better question: have you begun to feel overwhelmed?

You're not alone!! That's why I offer a FREE webinar for newly engaged couples to help them sort through the mess of details, and the best part: it all takes place from the convenience of your home! Here's the low-down:

Who: Just twenty brides - I want you to have my full attention!

What: We'll be discussing the 5 things every couple must know when planning their wedding, followed by a Q&A session! Topics include:

*How to pick a date

*How to set a budget

*How to make the planning process fun and a lot more!

When: 7PM on Wednesday, January 18th, 2012

Where: Online! For more information, visit our registration form. Let us know if you have any questions regarding the event at register@invitedspecialevents.com.

What I love this week is what I love about my job - helping brides get started, get organized, and get planning their big day!

So what are you waiting for? Space is limited! Sign up today!

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: FREE webinars!

So how many of you out there got rings on your fingers sometime in the last couple of weeks - hm? What's that I hear?? A whole lot?! That's right! You're engaged! Congratulations, but now what do you do? Where do you start, and who do you talk to?? Well, I can guarantee you that what I love this week, will hold all the answers because what I love this week is OUR free wedding planning webinar!

We'll be holding the webinar on January 12th at 7 PM for ten lucky couples. It will be an exclusive opportunity to chat with a wedding professional about all those questions you have in the beginning of the planning process, and hopefully get that wedding-planning ball rolling.

For your convenience, you can register below for the event.

Remember - only ten couples get in on this, and it's filling up fast!

what I love: United With Love!

Hopefully by now many of you DC brides have had a chance to become acquainted with the best thing to hit the DC wedding world since... sliced bread? And even if you aren't a DC bride, it wouldn't hurt to know about this fabulous new addition to the wedding blog world - United With Love!

image credit: United With Love

We are lucky enough to be one of the highlighted vendors on there, but you must take a moment to check out ALL the vendors in that, there vendor guide! They are hand-picked, and therefore are truly the best of the best in DC.

How sick are you of seeing these great, beautiful, gorgeous and outstanding pictures of weddings on so many wedding blogs only to find out that the budget of said weddings were upwards of $100,000? Frustrating, isn't it?! United With Love is truly filling a void for all those DC metro (and beyond) brides who want real, local inspiration on a real-person's budget!

image credit: United With Love

Well, ladies - I introduce you to United With Love. I'm 100% certain I love it. What do you think? Feel free to let me know!

what I love: featured weddings!

Hello loves! Well this week's love has been hijacked by another blog, but it's okay! I've given this week's post over freely to Elizabeth Anne Designs (EAD) because they have featured one of my favorite weddings EVER - Melinda and Jason's January gem!

To say I adore this couple is an understatement. They are the absolute bee's knees, and Melinda did a fabulous job as a Wedding Bee (Miss Lamb!) They have been through so much together, and they've continued to be each other's rocks. The love that they share is so very evident in their photos, so I'll share a few for you here! All photographs are courtesy of Sam Hughes Photography. For the rest of the feature you can check them out over on EAD!

So, yes, what I love this week is one of my own! But can you blame me?!?

what I love: bridal shows!

Alright, well I may be a bit biased on this point, but I L. O. V. E. bridal shows. All bridal shows. Big ones. Small ones. Tall ones. Short ones. The list goes on and on! (Or not.) Let me tell you why I love bridal shows this week though. We're in one!!

That's right! You heard it here first! We will be at the Bridal Showcase at the Dulles Expo Center on September 12th, and we are giddy with excitement!

Photo Credit: Bridal Showcase

The brides, the vendors, the love! I can see it all now!

Hot 99.5 will be there! Plus they're giving away a whole wedding!!

Photo Credit: Hot 99.5

Guess what?! We have FREE tickets to the show!

Whether you are just starting your planning, finishing up the details, or anywhere in between, you will find exactly what you are looking for at the Washington Bridal Showcase. Save money and avoid the lines by purchasing tickets for $8 through their web site. Tickets are available at the door for $10, cash only.

Here are the deets!
Sunday, September 12
11am until 5pm
at the
Dulles Expo Center
4368 Chantilly Shopping Ctr., Chantilly, VA

So come visit us out at the Bridal Showcase next Sunday!! It's true! What we love this week!?! Bridal shows!!!

Reminder: first person to e-mail me gets 2 FREE tickets to the show!

why: hire a planner?

Excerpted from Elizabeth Anne Designs

I have to tell you this is one of the best and most concise explanations I've ever seen as to why you need a planner for your wedding day - more than you might know!

"I can’t tell you how many times I have been asked this question! Hiring a planner is the best investment you can make in your wedding.

Whether you hire one for the day of or the whole process, a planner can take the pressure off and make the planning process more fun and less stressful. Or course, if you watch those “reality” shows, you may ask yourself - “are they for real?!” Well, unfortunately, yes they are. Be careful! Just because someone planned their own wedding and is now charging dirt cheap prices for helping you, doesn’t make them a wedding planner. Florists are not wedding planners, the event coordinator at the club or the hotel is not a wedding planner and your Aunt Sally may be more than willing to help out, but she is not equipped to handle emergencies on your wedding day.

You want a planner that is there for YOU- from beginning to end! This is the most important day of your life! Don’t entrust it to just anyone. Ask questions, do your homework and get references."