Reception Venue: Fort Belvoir Officers' Club

Friends of our had their wedding reception at the Fort Belvoir Officer's Club. We missed the wedding unfortunately but they go back often for Sunday Brunch, so we joined them one Sunday and I have to say I was impressed. My husband's a former marine officer but he never really got in to the officers' club thing and I was expecting cheap food and lots of tackiness. Some elements did seem a bit tacky to someone like me who's not military-minded and the food was a little heavy and overseasoned for both my and Mike's tastes (what I could eat of the food--my allergy limited my choices of mass-produced brunch offerings). But the great appeal of this venue is the sweeping views of the Potomac River from the wall of huge windows.

The food was plentiful and the service was excellent. All of the staff was friendly and helpful. Our glasses of water and champagne and cups of coffee were never empty.

In looking over the PDF of their wedding packages, it looks like they are a soup-to-nuts reception venue. If you're not picky and want someone else to plan the reception it looks like this is a good deal. They'll take care of tablecloths, napkins, wedding cake, open bar, centerpieces... and the prices seem reasonable, especially for this area.

There's a catch of course... Someone has to be a member of the military or work for the Defense Department. You'd have to call them for specifics, say if neither you or your fiance are military officers but one of your parents is.

If you're looking for a venue that will impress your guests, especially civilians like me, I would check out the Officers' Club.

(Images from the Fort Belvoir Officers' Club website.)

Featured Bride Ashley- Love is Blooming

As the days wind down, our bride Ashley, is getting closer and closer to her April wedding date. She has now registered and finalized a few of the other smaller aspects of the wedding like picking out Brad's tux, stamps have been ordered and so have the fancy napkins. Ooh la la. Now we talk to Ashley about one of the most beautiful parts of a wedding, the flowers.


Vicky- OK Ashley, again thanks for sharing. You have now visited your florist and chosen your flowers. Who is your florist?

Ashley- Thank you. Yes, the florist is Mary’s Flower Shoppe in Triangle, VA

V- Why did you choose them?

A- When we got engaged it was a no brainer for me. Mary’s is the local flower shop in my area, Mary herself is a lovely woman,along with her whole staff and family are lovely people. They always do beautiful work. They did my sister’s flowers for her wedding 11 years ago, they always do the flowers for the [fire]station’s events and I go there when I want an arrangement.

V- Great- so you really know their work. Is there a theme or colors that you are using?

A- Well, since our colors are blue and silver with some pearl, the flowers were a bit harder to choose, silk and real flowers just don’t come naturally in deep blue so we had to focus on the ivory and accent with blue ribbon and silver hints.

V- What types of flowers did you decide to use?

A- We have a variety of flowers. First, we have a mix of silk and real flowers. My bouquet will have gardenias in it mostly; the rest of the floral arrangements will have roses, white lilies, stephanotis, baby’s breath, etc.

V- I hear baby's breath are making a comeback- in small, tight groups mostly. Gardenias are always beautiful too. Sounds gorgeous. Are you over budget or under? A major part of a wedding budget(25-40%) usually goes to flowers.

A- I wasn’t quiet sure how much we were going to spend on flowers. I knew it would be a hefty price tag. We came in probably higher than I expected but I think they will be worth it. We are saving money as we are not doing flower arrangements at the church. First, my church is beautiful without floral arrangements on the altar (think stone, wood and stained glass). Second, we are getting married only 2 weeks after Easter so the church will still be decorated for Easter.

V- That is a nice bonus not having to decorate the church. I often tell brides not to bother. Some churches want to keep the flowers and it is for such a short period of time why bother? Use tulle, ribbons or something else creative if you must decorate. Will you be doing just reception flowers or more?

A- We have flowers for the reception, the centerpieces, and those are probably the most expensive because of the arrangement I fell in love with and the fact that we need 18 or 19 tables of arrangements.

V- Wow. That is a good number. Are they big? Little? What are the table arrangements like?

A- Actually they are big. They are a two level arrangements with a sliver pillar type thing in the middle. I was originally leaning towards low lying arrangements but the reception facility coordinator said that with the tall ceilings of the reception room, tall arrangements make a bigger statement. They certainly have a “wow” factor. When the florist brought out the centerpiece container I’m using my eyes got really big and it was a done deal. They are so cool. I’m so excited.

V- What inspired you? Did you see something in a magazine or online?

A- I was having such a hard time completely visualizing the flowers for the wedding. I loved so many aspects of all these different arrangements I saw in magazines and online that it was really hard to say what I was seeing in my head. We spent two hours with the florist picking out everything. If money was no object I’m sure we would have gotten much more extravagant but I wanted to not lose my head (or the shirt off our backs) when it came to flowers. All in all, I’m very happy with what we decided on.

V- That's great! As always I can't wait to see it. I'm sure it will all be beautiful. Thanks for talking with us.


UPDATE: Ashley has completed week one of the FT 10-week challenge. She is on track and meeting her goals too. She has already noticed a difference in her arms which are looking more toned. People have also commented on how her face looks thinner. That is all great motivation to keep going and get even more results! Keep up the good work Ashley!

Vicky has also maintained her goals making it to the gym twice for her 1.5 hour weight class and doing two days of cardio. She has also eliminated a lot of bad foods and upped the amount of vegetables and fruit she is consuming.

The First Dance

When I got married six years ago the subject of the first dance was no longer just about the song. Gone were the days of shuffling around in a slow but repetitive circle as your guests painfully smiled on through some endlessly sappy song. Six years ago it was enough if the bride and groom went the extra mile and took some dance lessons. Then guests could watch a nervous couple take some tentative waltzing steps and then slowly gain speed and agility as the sappy song played out.

That even kept the crowd interested as long as the song wasn't something from the latest Disney film. These days it is a whole different ball game. Today, couples are choosing to surprise their guests with a choreographed show. Costumes are sometimes used as well as lights and often the slow waltzing song is quickly eliminated by some catchy beat or an old favorite that is sure to get the crowd going. When did this happen? I'm still not quite sure but the invention of You Tube has brought to light an increasing trend. The NEW and IMPROVED First Dance.

Here are a few of my favorites garnered from You Tube. I picked them for their originality or sheer fun factor. I might also point out that the whole Thriller thing as well as Dirty Dancing/No One Puts Baby in the Corner routine is now well-played out. So if you are looking to go this route then choose something that speaks to the crowd and you can really master.




I like this first one because even though it's slow you can tell the groom was totally behind this and it's his thing. Plus he got others involved which I think is a whole lot of fun for the rest of the crowd and creates a great memory for everyone.



This is my favorite by far. It's not hokey or typical even. The couple looks like they are really having a blast too. You can almost picture them cracking up at home as they practiced the whole scene.



Ok, so it is from Dirty Dancing, but it's done really well and I think that is truly what counts. It has the costumes, gets the crowd going, and incorporates others. If you are going to do something like this then practice, practice, practice and really wow the crowd. You are doing this for entertainment so by all means do so!

Jonathan Edwards Winery- An Ideal Wedding Location

Do you live in New England? Are you currently searching high and low for that perfect place to hold your dream wedding? Have you considered a winery? Specifically, think the Jonathan Edwards Winery in picturesque Connecticut.

Nestled in the tiny town of North Stonington and located on a 48-acre hilltop, the Jonathan Edwards winery is truly romantic respite. From the stone patio to the English style gardens your wedding is sure to look and feel beautiful. I visited this spot recently and my first thought was, “Oh! How perfect would a wedding be here?” Sure enough a soon to be betrothed couple was planning theirs while seated at a quiet table overlooking the vineyard.



The winery holds weddings from May through October and offers up white enclosed tents for the event. This place would make an absolutely magical and incredibly festive fall wedding spot! It made me almost want to plan a whole new one just for me. There are gorgeous indoor rooms for events with wide windows, that rustic feel complete with blonde wood and a cozy fireplace. All perfect for cocktail hour and quiet affairs. You can even use the tasting room if needed! This winery is superb and accommodating and it specializes in adding truly unique touches to your day. Book quickly though, I overheard one of the tour guides saying they are quickly booking all of 2008 already.

For more information on planning your day at Jonathan Edwards Winery contact Erica at Erica@jedwardswinery.com or call (860) 535-0202.

Recap--Cake and Dancing

Our photos still aren't ready for public viewing. So, more text here. Briefly, after dinner, people did some toasts and Mike got up and thanked everyone for coming. Then cake time! It was very low-key. We didn't play a song, there was no smashing of the cake in each others' faces (I hate that so much.). We had a flourless chocolate cake that we decorated with some flowers. We also served glasses of milk with the cake. We cut the cake, gave each other a bite, then poured goblets of milk and "cheered" each other. It made for some cute photos.

A few minutes later, when we noticed people were finished with their cake and starting to get antsy, we put on the dance playlist. (We did all ipod playlists with one friend in charge of queueing them up.) With no special announcements, Mike and I went onto the dancefloor, our friend started the first song on the list, and we danced. Our first song was Bruce Springsteen's "Thunder Road." We had told some people that we didn't want to dance the whole song by ourselves, so when it started to rock out in the middle, my maid of honor got a bunch of guests out on the floor to join us. And then we just put the playlist on shuffle and let people rock on for the rest of the night!

I had worked hard on our dance playlist and was very happy with everyone's reaction and the amount of dancing that went on. It's not full of particularly weddingy/romantic songs. Just really good party songs. Some highlights:

Take On Me, a-ha
Dancing Queen, ABBA
Mamma Mia, ABBA
Private Idaho, The B-52's
Here, There and Everywhere, The Beatles
Stayin' Alive, Bee Gees
You & Me & The Bottle Makes 3 Tonight, Big Bad Voodoo Daddy
Heart of Glass, Blondie
Just Like Heaven, The Cure
Young Americans, David Bowie
You're Nobody 'Til Somebody Loves You, Dean Martin
Crocodile Rock, Elton John
Oh L'Amour, Erasure
Chains Of Love, Erasure
Slow Ride, Foghat
Sweet Child O' Mine, Guns N' Roses
Don't You Want Me, The Human League
Love Will Tear Us Apart, Joy Division
Groove Me, King Floyd
Bizarre Love Triangle, New Order
If You Leave, OMD
Walkin' After Midnight, Patsy Cline
Always on My Mind, Pet Shop Boys
In Your Eyes, Peter Gabriel
Such Great Heights, The Postal Service
Don't You (Forget About Me), Simple Minds
Ball and Chain, Social Distortion
Hell, Squirrel Nut Zippers
My Best Friend, Weezer

Featured Bride Ashley Dishes About Her Reception

April 5th marked one year to go before their wedding for Ashley and Brad. Ashley emailed me to say, "Wow! It is so exciting. I’m told it will go by so quickly, we shall see!" She also informed me that they have found a reception site. Quite possibly one of the hardest and most important parts of wedding planning. Go Ashley!

Vicky: You have found a place! That is great news! Tell us about it.

Ashley: The reception site is located at the Old Hickory Golf Club. In many ways it is your typical club. It is a beautiful site, very deceiving I found. The rooms for the reception are very open and airy. The bar area is surrounded with deep rich wood with several “Trophy” animals on the wall, very "manly”. The actual reception room is bright and elegant. The doors between the reception area and the bar are supposed to be kept open that day due to the possible number of guests so it will make the room feel bigger. The area opens out onto a veranda so there are large windows to help the sun come in and brighten the room. I think it is funny that the ladies rest room is upstairs and the gentlemen’s restroom is downstairs.

V: It sounds beautiful! I can't wait to see it. (I'm a bridesmaid!) What really made you choose this particular place over the others you viewed?

A: I could say location, location, location, but that wouldn’t be entirely true. Sure the fact that it is located still within a reasonable location (only about a 20-30 minute drive through town from the church) is a big plus, but the food that we sampled at their bridal open house last month, and the fact they could accommodate our possible numbers, the options they gave us, and how nice they were was a huge factor.

We had looked at a few other places, and only one was close, but it would require people to travel on a Saturday afternoon on I-95 or route 1, all the way up to Springfield (roughly 20 miles away) which is a nightmare just waiting to happen (if you have travels in the DC area on a Saturday you know what I’m talking about).

V: Good point! That area is a total mess on Saturdays now. I loathe it. Now that you have the place and the specific room do you have any ideas on decorating? Themes? Colors we know a bit about already. Share!


A: The reception is going to be elegant, but still fun. I was originally thinking of saving money by doing a buffet dinner, but my dad made the command decision that we were having a sit down dinner. I’m so excited about that! The menu is still TBD but we have narrowed it down to a few appetizers; scallops wrapped in bacon, 5 spice Asian beef skewers, and a stationary veggie display and the guests will get to choose from the Salmon, that is already been chosen, or a Chicken, still have to choose that one. Sides will most likely be mixed vegetables and the garlic mashed potatoes. Yum! Of course they serve bread and such with the meal. We are having light open bar for 4 hours and coffee and I’m assuming tea will be served towards the end of the night after the bar is closed. It looks like we will be having a few kids come so there is a special menu for them of grand and glorious chicken fingers. Then of course CAKE! Um, cake!

V: Wow! You really are nailing things down fast. That's great to hear! The menu was such a hard issue for me during my wedding. I must have looked over the choices for weeks, driving everyone around me mad in the process. Anything else you wish to share about the reception at this point?


A: We are looking at renting some table cloths in a deep blue color so that white of the plates and silver of the silverware really stand out. I plan to use flowers to decorate the tables, but I haven’t figured that out yet. I’m so picky about floral arrangements that I’m sure the florist is going to think I’m a pain. The tables are rounds and can hold 8-10 people. I would like a centerpiece that sits high enough that it makes a statement but also allows for the guests to talk to each other and not have to dodge the centerpiece. I’m thinking a mixture of blue and white flowers with silver accents. Mom wants candles, but we shall see. I don’t want just cheesy votives. If I do candles they will be elegant.

We are still working on a DJ, but I’m hoping the DJ will be able to read the crowd and can match the music to the crowd, which in turn will keep everyone happy and dancing. I love to dance so I plan on doing a lot of dancing. I already plan to wear braces under my dress for the reception so I can dance and my knees don’t give out too early.

V: You have thought so far ahead. It's great! I think you'll find little worry about once the event draws closer. It all sounds really lovely. What does Brad, your fiance, think of the place?


A: Its funny. Brad actually was really pulling for this place. We stopped by one day just to take a peek and we took a mini-tour. When we left there, he kept saying we needed to have our reception there. He is even happier because he gets a few rounds of golf for free.

V: Too funny! The golf course there really is quite nice. So after all this chatting how are you feeling with exactly one year to go until the big day?


A: At one year out I’m excited, but not overwhelmed. We still have lots of time left so I’m taking time to accomplish my tasks. The Photographer and DJ are the next big things to look into, so that should be interesting.

V: Thanks for sharing Ashley! We'll check in with you again soon!

Have questions for Ashley or Stephanie are other featured bride? Email us at Flamingtulle at gmail dot com.

Finding a Caterer

Finding a caterer was a task I was dreading. Last summer when we first moved to this area and decided this was where we wanted to have the wedding, it seemed like it was going to be impossible to find recommendations. We just didn't know the area and didn't know too many people here, let alone people who'd had weddings here. Just to find a venue, we got one of those Here Comes the Guide magazines and figured out not only what looked nice in our area, but what we could afford. But the notes for our venue said we had to use one of their caterers. I thought of this as a curse, assuming they'd have one or two regular caterers with lousy food that we'd be stuck with. And good food is one of the things we want at our wedding. We'd been to too many catered events with dry chicken, those snowflake dinner rolls, and salad drowned in vinigrette to cover up less-than-fresh veggies.

But then we saw that the venue's list of preferred caterers had many options. That was a good thing. It was nice to have the guideline without having to open the phonebook and search through hundreds. But it wasn't so many that it would be overwhelming to research. And on the day we first visited the venue, a chef was there setting up for a wedding happening that day and gave me his card. The key to my caterer: When I mentioned my dietary need to this chef -- food has to be gluten-free -- he knew exactly what I was talking about. I had a good feeling about this guy.

Here's the deal on gluten. It's a protein found in wheat and several other grains. Many people have an intolerance and/or allergy to it, and in people like my brother and me it's a genetic disorder called celiacs disease. It seems like wheat is in everything--pizza, pasta, bread, cereal, cookies, cake--anything made with regular flour. Gluten also pops up in sauces, where it's used as a thickener, and in additives in foods you might not think, like yogurt and canned tomato soup. Even when restaurants, caterers, airlines, etc., promise a special gluten-free meal they often get it wrong. Breaded chicken or croutons in the salad are mistakes. And so far, every time I've requested a special meal at a catered event, it's been forgotten or served much later than everyone else's food. I did not want special meals for my brother and me at the wedding. It's my whole special day! I want the same food as everyone else. So that means the whole menu has to be both delicious and gluten-free. And that's why it's so important to me that my chef knows exactly what gluten is and where it occurs.

I still wanted to do some research to make sure I was getting the best deal. I had some brochures and web addresses for most of the caterers on the list. After looking over menus and prices, what those prices included, and the presentation of their websites and brochures (I'm not trusting someone with a lot of typos or vague information), I narrowed down to 4 that I wanted to get specific quotes from. One never emailed me back. One had no idea what I was talking about when I mentioned the gluten. It can sneak into so much food that I couldn't take the chance with them making a mistake. Two knew about the gluten and gave us pretty good quotes--one of those was the chef I had already met.

So then it came down to tasting the food. Our venue holds tastings for their various caterers. One evening we were able to taste one of our two catering choices. Dry chicken and soaked salad greens. Luckily it was not "my" chef. He was unfortunately not there the same night. On the night he was there, I couldn't make it so Mike had to go alone. I was hoping not to be disappointed and I didn't want to start my search all over again. Mike's verdict: The food was fantastic! Mike and I have the same idea for the great food we want served, so I trust him. I still haven't actually tasted it! (I will at their next tasting in a couple weeks.)

Our dream caterer: Serves You Right. We are on our way to delicious food. We sent a deposit as soon as Mike deemed the food delicious. We're working on finalizing the menu now. The quote they gave us was very good for their basic package and they outlined the exact cost for extra food and services; they include things like cake cutting and corkage fees in the basic price, so there are no surprise fees. They use mostly local, organic food, so that's a bonus. They've done entirely gluten-free menus before and I feel comfortable putting my dietary needs in their hands. The bread will be "regular," because superiour gluten-free bread is almost nonexistant and some of the crackers for the cheese will also be "regular." But everything else--veggies, rice, meat, wedding cake--will be gluten-free. I guarrantee that if I didn't tell anyone they wouldn't notice. (Mike's 100% behind the gluten-free menu. We keep our separate breads and cereals, but most of our meals at home are gluten-free. He doesn't want me hassled with a "special meal" on our wedding day either.)

Serves You Right does many events at our venue so know exactly how it should be run. And they are attentive and have answered all my questions in a timely manner. Having great food is one of our highest priorities, and one we were willing to pay for. With Serves You Right, we might be affording the prime rib instead of the chicken breast.

I get the impression that a lot of high-priced catering involves a lot of presentation and dry chicken. Make sure you get recommendations on the professionalism of your caterer and their servers. And get all of their services, and the price for it, in writing. You may have to rent tables, china, or linens yourself, or pay even more for the caterer to provide them. A great deal on food doesn't mean much if your guests have to eat it from paper plates on their laps.

Poking around BlissWeddingMarket.com

The internet is a weird, wacky place. Researching stuff for your wedding (or your wedding blog) will reveal some scary search results. (Do a Google Images search for “wedding” or “bride” and see how many pictures of Russian mail-order brides turn up in the results.)

Recently my search brought me to BlissWeddingMarket.com. It’s one of those Scary Wedding Industry sites that wants you to spend lots of money.

It’s not enough to have placecards, they have to be held by this creepy angel. The placement of the bottom of the stand makes me very uncomfortable. And cherubs in general freak me out.

As much as I can’t stand this kind of Scary Wedding Industry website, I have to admit these are cute party tickets. Pricey, though. If you're lucky you're a graphic designer or have a friend who is who could easily whip these up.

Mmmm, what a delicious couple.

Initialed toilet paper. I couldn’t make this stuff up.

The thing is, some of this stuff is actually cute, or at least good inspiration. It's just so over-priced. Even if you have an unlimited budget, why would you spend it on these products? It just doesn't make sense.

Low-Budget Weddings – Location, Location, Location

There are many ways to save money on your wedding. One large part of your budget will be venues--both for the ceremony and the reception.

The first thing to think about might be a no-brainer: Can you have the ceremony and reception at the same place? And if so, can that place be a family member’s home? If you answer “yes” to those questions, then there is your instant low-cost wedding.

But a home wedding might not be what you want, and that’s okay.

Is there any place you have your heart set on? Even if you think it will be out of your budget, go visit that place. It won’t cost you anything to look around and ask some questions. You may find that costs you hadn’t considered may be included in the price of the venue. The price of the church may include the officiant and a musician. The reception hall cost may include catering and centerpieces. Shifting your budget around may make your dream a reality.

Think about public places. National, state, and regional parks are often free or low-cost. Municipal buildings--which can include museums, historical houses, libraries, and theaters--host events and rent their space, often at a discount to local residents. These kinds of places also usually come with some restrictions, so be sure to do some research and read the fine print.

When do you want to have the wedding, and are you willing to be flexible in order to save some money? May through October is the prime wedding season in most areas and venues will charge more during that time. Summer resort towns will charge less for a winter wedding (and winter wonderlands will charge less during the summer). Venues may also charge more over holidays, including those three-day weekends we all love. Also, what day of the week? A Monday wedding may be cheaper than a Friday, Saturday, or Sunday wedding.

We wanted a June wedding, so had to get creative when it came to finding a low-cost location that would hold about 100 people. After a lot of research, we found the Brazilian Room, a historic building in a regional park. Being county residents entitled us to a 20% discount. And we decided on a Monday wedding to save even more money.

It takes some work, but if you are on a limited budget you can still find the perfect location for your wedding. The internet is great for initial research, but eventually you will have to call and visit some places. It's daunting at first, so get your future spouse involved. You don't have to do it all by yourself. You're both trying to save money and have a great wedding.

Some links to get you on your way:
Google Search: "theater rentals, wedding"
National Park Weddings
7 Ways to Save on an Off-Season Wedding

Colors

I was watching “Married Away” on the Style network recently and to make a long story short, the bride picked out hot pink as the main reception color (the groom sat silently, smiling politely), but when the wedding planner got to the hotel banquet hall with one of the special-order hot pink tablecloths, she saw that the color clashed horribly with the wallpaper and carpet in the room. Note: Look at your reception hall before deciding on hot pink tablecloths. (The hotel party planner’s idea to bring it all together—add more pink! And sparkles!)

On the subject of colors, I hate the question, “What are your wedding colors?” It makes me feel like I have to conform to some pre-packaged wedding formula. Yes, my bouquet is dark purple and we’re bringing in lots of greenery… but saying our colors are purple and green just does not convey the image we have of our wedding. I really want to tell people we don’t have colors and leave it at that. There’s so much pressure to say something.


Who says we have to have colors? Yes, there should be some sort of decorative color scheme to pull the room together, especially for a semi-formal to formal wedding. That holds true for just about any party. But how do you avoid the niche industry that has evolved around wedding colors? Bridesmaids’ dresses, napkins, flowers, favors, candles… if you want it all to match, someone out there can be paid enough to make that happen for you.

But how do you find your inspiration color? And how do you plan a party around it without making the whole thing look like a dyed-to-match nightmare?

More to come on this...