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By Ashley Simpson Sponsored by Hylton Performing Arts Center Many would say that you’re the star of your own show on your wedding day. And, the Hylton Performing Arts Center – an opera house and theater venue in Manassas – gives this idea a whole new meaning for local brides. The Hylton Center opened in 2010, and the first wedding took place the very next year. “We’ve been doing weddings almost since the beginning,” said Susan Landess, Sales and Community Relations Manager of the Hylton Performing Arts Center. “The Hylton Center began reaching out to the wedding market as a way to enhance our community outreach when not being used for performances.” Hylton Center performers include the Northern Virginia Ballet, Larry Gatlin & The Gatlin Brothers Band, the Manassas Ballet Theater, the Metropolitan Jazz Orchestra, and even the National Symphony …

By Erin Pittman Sponsored by Pampered Chef One of the most popular rooms to stock from a bridal registry is the kitchen. Who doesn’t want new stoneware, appliances and gadgets for entertaining in a new home? What if you could do so in a more creative and fun way? Anna Tjoumas, local Pampered Chef consultant, offers creative twists on the traditional bridal registries and showers. With typical registries, couples go to the store and register. With Pampered Chef, they get more. “Couples create their registries, have a shower and receive all the host benefits including free and discounted items, plus monthly specials,” said Anna. Pampered Chef Bridal Showers At the shower, guests shop from a couple’s Pampered Chef registry and can purchase items for themselves, too. There’s no need for guests to shop ahead, as they can complete their shopping …

By Marianne Weaver Sponsored by Johnson’s Florist and Garden Centers Johnson’s Florist and Garden Centers, with locations in Kensington and Olney, Maryland, has established itself as the go-to for floral arrangements, plants and garden products. But that was not the vision when the business was founded 87 years ago. “In 1932, in the midst of the Depression, Raymond T. Johnson Sr. opened a small grocery store at Wisconsin and Van Ness Streets in Washington, D.C.,” said Thomas Johnson, Johnson’s Florist and Garden Centers Director of Store Operations. “In the spring of 1933, an individual who lived on Van Ness Street and raised geraniums as a hobby offered him a few geranium plants to sell on consignment. And the plant business was born.” After World War II, the grocery department suffered from the competition of the new, larger supermarkets. The floral …

Planning your wedding involves so many moving parts. You need a venue, a dress, a tuxedo, flowers, a cake and music. And that’s just scratching the surface of the vendors you will want to make your big day the best it can be. What if you could shop for all those vendors under one roof in one fun event? This promises to be the best bridal show in Washington D.C. you have ever attended! Wedding Salon will be at The Liaison Capitol Hill in Washington D.C. on September 16, 2019, from 4 to 8 p.m. This show combines top national wedding vendors with the best local industry pros. Who Will Be at The Wedding Salon? If you’re planning a destination wedding, you’re in luck. You will meet reps from Aruba Tourism Authority, Jamaica Tourist Board, O’ahu Visitors Bureau, Conrad Cartagena, …

By Amy Taylor Sponsored by Cakes by Happy Eatery The wedding cake has been the star of the reception for years. Now it’s time for cake to share the stage with some supporting actors on the dessert table. Victoria and Emily Wu of Cakes by Happy Eatery have seen wedding trends ebb and flow for years. Lately they’ve seen more orders for full dessert tables to accompany the traditional, decadent wedding cake. “A bountiful dessert table is visually memorable and unforgettable,” said Victoria Wu, General Manager of Cakes by Happy Eatery. “Creative looks and flavors mesmerize the guests, while reflecting the wedding couples’ personality.” Here are some sweet ideas to inspire your wedding dessert table! Choose a few or have them all. The more desserts, the merrier! Chocolate fountain with dippers – If you’re having an elegant celebration, what better …