Bridal News

Continental Event Center in Manassas has some great Summer dates open on their calendar. Book one and save a cool grand ($1000) on your venue rental - July 6th, 13th and 20th.

Located on Liberia Avenue near the Prince William Parkway, Continental Event Center features two lovely rooms that can accommodate both your ceremony and reception. Built with weddings in mind, Continental offers a great list of preferred caterers to customize your event. There’s plenty of free parking and nearby accommodations for your out of town guests.

To learn more about Continental and to schedule your appointment, call Jim Hester at 571.208.1208 and visit www.thecontinentalcenter.com.

On the golf course

Known as the “hidden jewel of Reston”, Hidden Creek Country Club offers a spacious deck for outdoor ceremonies, a covered patio for cocktail hour and a banquet room that features a fireplace and built-in dance floor. If you’re looking for country club elegance for your wedding reception, Hidden Creek still has a few choice dates left on the 2013 calendar. Book one of the following for great savings: April 4 & 20; May 18, 24 & 26; June 6 & 15; August 3, 10, 24 & 31.

Hidden Creek is located at 1711 Clubhouse Road. To learn more about the great deals on these hot dates and to schedule your tour & consultation, call Sharon Becker at 703.437.5222, ext. 106 or email catering@hiddencreekcc.com. And be sure to visit www.hiddencreekcc.com.

It’s a full weekend of bridal events, from Old Town Alexandria to the beautiful Shenandoah Valley.

If you’re in the Haymarket/Gainesville area on Friday, 2/22, stop by Piedmont Club’s “bridal happy hour” from 6-9pm. Private Events Director Katie Simmons and her staff will be offering complimentary beer & wine as well as delicious nibbles while you learn more about country club wedding receptions. Local wedding pros will also be on hand. For more details, call 703.753.5922.

On Saturday, 2/23, you’ll have two events in the Alexandria/South Fairfax area. From 11am to 2pm, the folks at the Officers’ Club at Fort Belvoir are holding a bridal fair. Tickets are $7 at the door. And the Hotel Monaco on King Street in Old Town is hosting an open house. To RSVP contact allison.manning@kimptonhotels.com.

To complete the weekend, Harbour View on the banks of the Occoquan River in Woodbridge is hosting its annual “bridal fun day” on Sunday, 2/24, from noon to 4pm. You’ll enjoy tasty treats from R&R Catering, see great fashions from LaBella Bridal Boutique, and get great makeup tips from Statements on the Water. To pre-register for this event - and be eligible to win a special door prize - logon to www.harbourviewevents.com/bridalfunday.

Thinking Shenandoah Valley wedding? Then come out on Sunday, 2/24, to the “I Do Bridal Showcase” at Bowling Green Country Club in Front Royal from 11am to 2pm. Tour the club, meet valley wedding pros and enjoy a fashion show from Bella Bridal & Formal Wear of Winchester. To register online, visit www.idobridalshowcase.com.

To keep up on the latest bridal events, be sure to check out our Calendar of Events page on www.bridesandweddings.com.

Bridal open house, that is … February’s calendar offers a full slate of opportunities to preview local wedding venues, sample some delicious goodies and meet with local wedding pros. Mark your calendar for these events:

Feb. 9: Mother/Engaged Daughter Tea, Historic Rosemont Manor, Berryville. Enjoy a delightful tea and tour of this gorgeous estate. 703.TRY.LOVE.

Feb. 17: Stonewall Golf Bridal Fair, Gainesville. 11am-3pm. Preview the club’s ballroom, learn about country club weddings and meet local vendors. Admission is free and brunch is available in the grill room. 703.753.6156.

Feb. 22: Piedmont Club Open House, Haymarket. Enjoy a bridal “happy hour” from 6-9pm. Complimentary food & drinks to enjoy while you mix & mingle with local wedding pros. 703.753.5922 ext. 226.

Feb. 23: Hotel Monaco Bridal Open House, Old Town Alexandria, 11am-3pm. See the elegantly decorated Paris Ballroom and enjoy tasty treats from Chef Brian McPherson of Jackson 20. RSVP to allison.manning@kimptonhotels.com.

Feb. 24: Harbour View Fun Day, Woodbridge, 12pm-4pm. This flexible space, with it’s open air covered patio and wraparound balcony, offers an incredible view of the Occoquan River. 703.910.4273.

Feb. 27: Wedding Wednesday, hosted by The Wedding Group, Warrenton. This consortium of upscale wedding professionals includes Photography by Marirosa, Gateau Cakes, Enlightened Styles, Ann Leslie Designs and Staccato Stationery. To RSVP, click on the Events tab at www.the-weddinggroup.com.

To keep up with all the great wedding events in Northern Virginia, visit our Calendar at www.bridesandweddings.com and “like” us on Facebook.

Bethany Wright, Events Director for Chrysis Entertainment, submitted this post to me recently. Chrysis was the Official Entertainment Sponsor of the Washington Bridal Showcase held earlier this month at the DC Convention Center.

Our events team had the pleasure of meeting with hundreds of brides at Bridal Showcase. Whether they were brand new or more experienced, some had trouble envisioning their wedding day and putting it into words when I asked the question, “What’s your vision?”

This is quite understandable - many engaged couples come to a bridal show to get weddings ideas, as well as to find vendors. Your wedding day should reflect your unique voice. I’ve often heard, “I want to do this, but that’s not how it’s done.”  So what!

I overheard one bride say that she wanted her mother at the head table, to which her mother protested that she didn’t belong there. She does belong if it makes the bride happy! The last thing any bride wants is to have regrets on a most memorable milestone in her life - one in which she had the most control. While traditions are good to uphold in many cases, there are those than can be tweaked and crafted to make your wedding day perfect, like the rising trend of “Men of Honor.”

Descriptive words are a great tool for vendors when it comes to creating your wedding vision. Here are some good examples I heard: Whimsical, fantasy, classic, vintage, Jane Austen, princess, glam, natural, modern, clean, Hollywood, crystal, red roses, fall-inspired, feminine, cute, rustic, beach, outdoor and “green”. These words gave our event team the insight we needed in offering our services. For example, the outdoor bride doesn’t need for me to explain how we can drape and uplight her reception space.

Pinterest is a terrific place to begin crafting your wedding vision. Share your board with your vendors to give them specific examples of what you want to include in your special day.

Thanks for the great advice, Bethany! For more information on Chrysis Entertainment and to share your wedding vision with Bethany, call 202.238.9011 and visit www.chrysis.org.

The first weekend of January is packed with bridal shows and events. Add these to your planning calendar:

Head downtown on January 6th to the Washington Bridal Showcase at the DC Convention Center. Hundreds of vendors and two fashion shows. Tickets are $10; purchase online and enter the code BWNV and save $2. Visit www.bridalshowcase.com.

If you’re contemplating a wedding in the beautiful Shenandoah Valley, you’ll want to hit these two events on January 6:

Historic Rosemont Manor on Route 7 in Berryville is hosting a complimentary Mother/Engaged Daughter tea. Take a tour of the grand historic home and learn about the various options for your wedding. Reservations are required. Call (703) 879-5683.

While you’re out that way, you’ll want to stop by Shenandoah Valley Golf Club in Front Royal for the Winchester Bridal Expo and meet the Valley’s wedding pros. Admission is free and you can register online to win great door prizes, including a wedding gown! Visit www.winchesterbridalexpo.com.

If historic properties are not your style, but you’re looking for a truly unique venue, you’ll want to tour the Hylton Performing Arts Center on January 13th. This bridal open house will feature area caterers and cake designers, so come hungry! For more details, call 703.993.9344 and visit www.hyltoncenter.org.

And if you didn’t get a chance to make it downtown for Bridal Showcase, you’ll want to attend the January 20th show at the George Mason University. This is Washington largest bridal show! Tickets are $10; purchase online and enter the code BWVN and save $2. Visit www.bridalshowcase.com.

To keep up with all the latest events, bridal salon trunk shows and sales, and special savings on reception “hot dates” visit the Calendar of Events on www.bridesandweddings.com.

The holiday season always brings an abundance of engagements. As they say, ’tis the season.

If you ‘re one of the lucky ones and planning a 2013 wedding, you can still get a great Spring date at Piedmont Club, located just off Route 15 in Haymarket. Private Events Director Katie Simmons has a few select March and April dates left- mention this blog post and receive 10% off your reception bill.

To schedule your appointment and tour with Katie, call 703.753.5922, ext. 225. And to see some of the wonderful weddings held at Piedmont, visit http://PiedmontClubPrivateEvents.blogspot.com.

Those Spring and Summer 2013 dates are filling up fast at Northern Virginia wedding venues, but Regency at Dominion Valley still has a few choice ones left in June.

Mention Brides & Weddings when you book your wedding reception at this gorgeous golf club and receive a complimentary room rental!

Located just off Route 15 in Haymarket, Regency at Dominion Valley offers reception space accommodating up to 200 guests. The elegant ballroom features deep cherry wood accents and a verandah that overlooks a lake as well as beautiful golf course views. To complete your event, exchange your vows in their lush and green outdoor amphitheater.

To schedule your tour and consultation, call Private Events Director Jennifer Bodnar at 571.261.3335 and visit www.eventsatregency.com.

Chrysis Entertainment offers a wide variety of DJs and musicians for your wedding day - but did you know that they can handle your lighting and decor needs as well?

Bethany Wright, Events Director for Chrysis Entertainment, recently sent these “before” and “after” photos, showing the difference lighting and draping can make - especially if your event is in a somewhat cavernous space.

Chrysis Entertainment transformed the venue for Event’s DC “Hollywood Nights” Invitational Showcase by providing dramatic exterior and interior lighting and effects, staged decors and draping. The agency also served as Master of Ceremonies and provided entertainment with a live hybrid band playing classic standards, as well as a DJ.

The event was held at The Carnegie Library, located at Mount Vernon Square in DC. It’s a big, beautiful space, but with its soaring columns and marble, it can feel a bit cold and aloof.

“It’s a common problem,” says Bethany. “It’s a grand setting to be sure, perfect for accommodating guests and wedding ceremonies. Granite columns and marble interiors need the right effect to make them warm and personal. We deploy illustrative draping and lighting to realize your vision for the altar in your ceremony.”

Options for lighting and draping a blank canvas of an event space are limitless. “Some may choose to flood the room with their wedding colors,” says Bethany. “Others may opt for the dusk and sparkle of twilight. You can bring the bright of dawn or the glow of sunset in rays behind the bridal party. And soft draping of fabric forms a backdrop that is stunning and intimate.”

Lighting and draping will draw the eye to the main event and perfectly frame the occasion, whatever your vision. Adding an altar treatment to your ceremony will make the difference between a good photo and a splendid image.

To learn more about Chrysis Entertainment, call 202.238.9011 and visit www.chrysis.org.

CurvyGirls Bridal, located at 3903-M Fair Ridge Drive (just off Route 50 near the Fairfax County Parkway), is making room for the 2013 bridal styles. On Sunday, October 7th, you’ll save 50-75% off hundreds of wedding gowns from top couture designers, along with a tremendous selection of evening/cocktail gowns, bridesmaids, flower girls, headpieces and veils.

No appointments are required for this event, so plan to come early for best selection. Hours are noon to 5pm. To learn more about CurvyGirls and this great sale, call 703.539.8777 and visit www.wherethecurvesare.com.