Don't Mind Me...

Don't mind me...just doing BIG things over here. Accomplishing some 2019 goals and growing my greatness in order to better serve. My special event experience and etiquette training go hand in hand.  More details coming soon! Or ASK ME here. 

Creatively Yours,

MW

On Time Etiquette...5 Steps To Setting The Table

Photography by Steve & Jane
Ambiance Real Weddings Arlington,VA

This week a friend shared photos from a wedding she recently attended. The cake was beautiful, the bride looked happy but I couldn't take my eyes off of the reception tables. All I kept thinking was, WHO set these tables?

They were as wrong as wrong can be and I can't seem to get over it. I thought to myself, as we head into Thanksgiving, maybe I take for granted having been taught to set a proper table. It dawned on me that I also chose a profession that allows me to practice setting the table over and over again. So instead of continuing to stew in disbelief, that the knife is on the left, maybe I should share my tips/tricks for teaching it.

Here is a trick for a basic table setting that I like to share when I am ask to do mini etiquette courses with a Girl Scout/Brownie troops. It is simple enough to remember yet easy enough to apply. It is unlikely to change any time soon, unless virtual dining becomes a thing and we no longer need silverware or plates.

I encourage you to apply it and commit it to memory. Teach it to one other person (young or old) for extra credit. You clearly never know when you'll be ask to set a table for someone's wedding or other important event. All you need to remember is FORKS.

F - is for the fork. Which should go down first on the left on the seat.

O - represents the "O" shape of a dinner plate but the method does apply to all plate shapes.

R - is for the placement of the cup/glass, to the upper right of the dinner plate. Drink Right.

K - the knife is next, placed on the right hand side of the dinner plate. Teeth facing the plate.

S - is for spoon, as you have probably guested. It goes next to the knife when the meal calls for it.

Now go forth...set...and come back for show and tell. Volunteer to set the table for family and/or friends this week, or teach someone else. Either way, post a pic and show off your handy work. I'm already ready to be SO proud of you.


ENJOY!

3 Reasons You Hate Wedding Planning

I overhear stories all the time of people loathing the wedding planning process. Overhear? Oh yes, you never know who is at the table beside you at Starbucks or shopping the aisle with you at Hobby Lobby. I will be the first to admit it, wedding planning isn't for everyone. Some people really just don't care about the nit picky details of it all.

Whether financial reasons or because you really didn't think you would need help, you've championed the cause to plan your own wedding! Only to find out that you don't enjoy spending all of your free time researching, waiting for vendors to call back, or second guessing whether or not you're getting a good deal. It can be flat out exhausting; if you don't have a solid plan.

While the internet is full of checklists and to-do's at your disposal; it doesn't mean a thing if you aren't doing these three tips #ambianceadores. Here are our top 3 reasons, why you hate wedding planning.

L + C having some fun with us!
Robert Holley Photography

1. You aren't asking for help. I definitely promote limiting the amount of people involved with the intimate details of your wedding. Although some will be honored you ask for their assistance, they can often overstep and think they have more say than your stress levels can handle. On the other hand, you have to use your trusted support group, starting with your finance. If you are really overwhelmed or stuck in a rut, ask a professional for a consultation to assist you with a specific task(s). It could make all the difference in saving your sanity. As the old saying goes, sometimes you have not because you ask not.

2. You aren't planning in downtime. Seriously, you can take a break. No one plans 24/7, myself included. You know your schedule, take a night off, a weekend, hell, take a whole week. Calculated and scheduled downtime is critical to balancing your wedding/life balance. Working towards a little time off can also be the best drive for you to accomplish wedding goals and reward yourself with...well...anything other than wedding plans. Consider making a plan for No Wedding Wednesdays at home or one weekend a month. I am certain the people around you will also appreciate it. And you are likely to feel less anxious and come back to your plans rejuvenated and with fresh eyes and ideas.

3. You don't have a finish line. I tell my clients all the time, we have to start with a finish. Contrary to popular belief, wedding day is not your finish line. I repeat, do not fall into wedding day. You will want to plan to finish 1-2 weeks early. If you have a few last minute tasks to complete or decisions to make, no big deal. But when you don't plan to cut yourself off, watch your final to-do list grow and grow. At a minimum, I advise planning to enjoy the last 3-4 days of weeding week. You want to feel refreshed and ready to great guests arriving a day or two early to spend time. I guarantee, if you feel like a chicken with its head cut off, you look like it too.

Simply put, don't be "that" bride. Don't be the bride that can't enjoy your plans because you have NO chance of actually finishing the impossible to-do list filled with tasks that either don't really matter to you or don't make or break your wedding day experience.

Christmas Carats

I could troll the internet watching proposals over and over...regular  people. celebrities; it doesn't really matter. There is something so wonderful about the tornado of emotions, expressions, and reactions, that just make me feel good. I love watching joy in the making.

Ambiance and...the internet are all a buzz with the most adorable engagement moments celebrities are eager to share with their fans and followers.

The former America's Next Top Model and Actress, Eva Marcille is getting hitched to Lawyer/Advocate, Mike Sterling. Eva shared joy via IG on Christmas Day with a simple caption, "Is said YES!!!!  #ambianceadores how raw and authentic a share this is, no filters, no staging, no stylist, just pure love. Congratulations Eva Diva!

Another favorite moment comes from IG: InsideWeddings with a super emotional proposal video from the Big Bang Theory's Katie Cuoco. The actress will wed professional equestrian Karl Cook. This will be an encore wedding for Cuoco but a first time down the aisle for Cook. In the video, Cuoco (overcome with emotion) announces ""we're engaged in the video clip before being reminded, she hasn't said yes yet. It is the great example of  how powerful and emotional love is for us all. Want to see the waterworks? CLICK HERE!

Under a tunnel of Christmas lights, the "Dear Future Husband" artist, Meghan Trainor said yes to the former Spy Kid actor, Daryl Sabara. Witness her tearful yes, then stay tuned to see her hug family and friends nearby, all set to the tune of Trainors' song, Hopeless Romantic. It's just beautiful.

Love is as authentic as it gets. Wishing these ladies a lifetime of Happiness!



#evamarcille  #katiecuoco #meghantrainer #celebrityengagements #celebrity weddings #experienceambiance #northernvirginiaweddings #weddingplanner

Merry & Married

Merry Time Holiday Card
5 x 7 card, Foil Stamp Flat Print

I really get excited thinking about how many of our #alwaysambiance couples are celebrating their first holiday seasons as married couples. It is a really special and exciting time for newlyweds. Creating new traditions, decorating first homes, hosting family/friends for the first time, it truly is the most wonderful time of the year.

A couple's first holiday card shouldn't be any less special. Your seasons greetings are a great way to reflect on and refresh the memory of a very special time you celebrated this year...your wedding day.

It is also a great excuse to share more fabulous photos from your special day.  Use a traditional wedding portrait or shoot for something that shows how good Forever After is treating you, either way, it's not too late to personalize your holiday wishes from the new Mr & Mrs.

Feast your eyes on our Newlywed Designs HERE.

Or get more inspiration from our selection of Holiday Cards HERE. 

#ambianceinvites you to learn more. The Be Merry Holiday Card is a 5 x 7 flat card with a foil stamped flat print. Price includes your choice of colored envelopes and can be ready to ship in 3-5 working days.

For more questions, post a comment below.

Are You Thinking Outside of the Bun? Taco Bells Are Ringing!

Tiny or Micro Weddings are the hot new trend. I will not lie…I’m even making plans to get in on this ultimate intimate wedding experience in 2018.  A tiny wedding is typically a super small wedding experience. Think elevated courthouse. Micro weddings are all about adventure and intimacy. It’s the ultimate balancing act between embracing ones authenticity while mixing in a few traditional wedding elements….but only the pieces you really love. Like the dress, bouquet, and cake.

It’s about 2 hours (including ceremony and after-pictures) and only includes a maximum of 15-20 people. Many include an officiant and a photographer in an incredible and/or very personal (often) alternative location.

{I'm already working on my list of incredible “little known” locales for DC and Northern Virginia.}

I cannot wait to get my creative hands all over one, pulling together my favorite and most talented vendor friends to cater to the private and quirky couples of the District. For as relatively new as tiny weddings are to the masses, Taco Bell is hashtag winning with their first Vegas wedding. That’s right, a wedding…at Taco Bell.

Taco Bell has managed to take the cake with its new Vegas Cantina. It all started with their “For the Love of Tacos” contest, an all-expense paid wedding winner and these awesome photos. Now they offer a wedding package starting at $600.

*On a side note, this is also proof of why you invest in a good photographer; they can make anything look breathtaking.

Taco Bell

Cake anyone? Cinnabon Delight. Why, yes, it is true to the Taco Bell brand as well.  

Taco Bell

Oh you thought there wouldn't be a something blue too? No Bell wedding could be complete without twisted freezes for two. Talk about a signature drink!

Cheers to the happy couple, married 6.26.17!

Taco Bell

Would you, could you, have a tiny wedding? Where would it be? Post a comment below. 

Wedding Day Sneak Peek: Cross Over To Cronauer

This past weekend was EVERYTHING it was supposed to be; beautiful weather, a stylish groom, a gorgeous bride, and literally, a circle of love around them. Virginia really is for lovers!

An intimate indoor ceremony, followed by a tented evening of dinner and dancing, on a perfectly tempered Virginia night is the magic memories are made of.  The love and light that showed up for this couple is one for the books. The plan, pops of pink that really allow the clean beauty of greenery to shine. I'd say mission accomplished.

Fabulous is bound to happen when your artist bridesmaids bring their own chalk!

And of course, a stolen moment to absorb it all.

The only hiccup of the evening is where it pays to have the Ambiance team in your corner. The escort cards were mistakenly printed without the guest dinner selection on them. Meaning, the wait staff doesn't know who ordered what. My team and I simply stepped in with the master list, and although it took some extra time, directed the waitstaff to each individual guest at every table.

I say it all the time, in all of your planning, there will still be instances you simply couldn't have planned for. This was a potential fire, that was snuffed out before it had a chance to start. The couple nor their parents ever had to leave their seats to handle the matter, all because of their decision to have, at minimum, a Day Of Coordinator.

One of my favorite moments...well people...The Father of the Bride. He owned his emotions and it was so raw and beautiful. It's the stuff you can't plan, fabricate, or capture again. On Wedding Day, our goal is to allow everyone to just be in the moment. During their father/daughter dance, he danced with  A so lovingly, held her so close, seeming to be taking in every breath of his little girl, now a married woman. I tear up just writing about it. It was beyond special.

The last detail, I'll share is probably one of the most authentic moments of the evening, literally, a circle of love. This moment was not planned, it just happened. Guests joined arm in arm, looking at lifetime of love in the making. Goosebumps, I tell ya, goosebumps.

I mean seriously, could there be any better way to end the evening?  The Cross over to Cronauer was such a successful, beautiful journey of emotion and joy. I am so lucky to have played a small part in the joining of two really cool families, in what I am sure to be, a long lasting love story for A + R. Now do you see how Forever After never gets old?

There are three other really special moments I won't dare to mention just yet. These are all photos I was able to snap during the day on my phone. I can not wait to see the finished professionally captured story laid out by one Stephanie Dee. Which means, amazing is still to come.


Our Amazing Dream Team:
Day Of Coordinator: Ambiance Special Events
Venue/Catering: Inn At Vint Hill
Photographer: Stephanie Dee Photography
Florists: Flower Gallery 
Cake: Gateau Distinction Cakes
Music: Dominion Wedding Entertainment
Transportation: Camelot Cars


#northernvirginiaweddings #virginiaweddings #virginiabrides #misstomrs