Wedding Planning

By Rebecca Barnes, Publisher of Brides & Weddings Signup for Bridal Buzz newsletter  Planning a wedding can be a daunting task, especially if you have never done it before. From budgeting to vendor contracts to venue coordination, there are so many details to manage. If you are feeling overwhelmed or don’t have the time or experience to handle everything on your own, it might be time to consider hiring a wedding planner. Here are the top reasons why: You are overwhelmed by the thought of planning your wedding. You have never planned a major event or party before. Budgeting is not your strong suit. You are not organized. Vendor contracts and fine print confuse you. You are planning from afar. You don’t have a lot of spare time. You are way behind schedule. Or you are planning a very short …

Love is in the air, and it’s time to plan your dream wedding. If you’re a bride-to-be looking for inspiration and expert advice, join us at Love Loudoun: A Wedding Showcase. Presented by Visit Loudoun, Love Loudoun is a one-of-a-kind wedding showcase that brings together the best and brightest in the industry. From wedding planners and florists to caterers and photographers, you’ll find everything you need to make your special day unforgettable. The event will take place at the beautiful The National Conference Center, West Belmont Place 18980 Upper Belmont Place Leesburg, VA 20176, on Sunday, March 12th, 2023. Doors open at 11:00 AM, and the event runs until 3:00 PM. Here’s what you can expect: Meet and mingle with top wedding vendors in the area Get expert advice from seasoned wedding planners Sample delicious food and drink from the best …

Provided by Wedding Experience The Wedding Experience is thrilled to announce the return of in-person shows! Here’s the 2022 Wedding Experience show schedule: January 16 EagleBank Arena • Fairfax January 30 Greater Richmond Convention Center April 10 Dulles Expo Center • Chantilly April 24 Chesapeake Employers Insurance Arena (UMBC Event Center) • Baltimore August 28 Greater Richmond Convention Center September 18 EagleBank Arena • Fairfax November 13 Chesapeake Employers Insurance Arena (UMBC Event Center) • Baltimore weddingexperience.com/

By Amy Falkofske Sponsored by Catering by Uptown Catering by Uptown is not only a caterer, but a full-service wedding planning business. You’ll be in good hands with Catering by Uptown’s team of five wedding planners, whether you’re looking for a small casual wedding or a large elegant wedding. With Catering by Uptown, you also have seven different venues to choose from in Maryland, D.C. and Virginia. Before the Big Day You’ll first meet with a member of the sales team, who will set up a virtual tour at the venue of your choice. They will assist you in writing up a proposal and coming up with a package that meets your needs and your vision for your special day. Once that’s all set, you’ll start to work with the planning team. Catering by Uptown’s planning team is like a …

Story by The Diva Wedding Planner Photos by B & S Photography Shauntavia met Jamie in the 10th grade. He came to her hometown (Hemingway, SC ) with his cousin for a girls and boys basketball camp, he was already out of school just trying to find his way, came down just to help his cousin with the camp. From the Bride:  I was all into basketball and did not even have boys on my mind. So, Jamie approached me and asked me for my number. At first, I was like nope, I don’t want any boyfriend and he was like okay cool. The next day at camp Jamie asked again, and once again I turned him down. Jamie was determined to get my number so, he asked again, and I finally gave it to him on the last day …

Story and photos by Haley Shandro of Shandro Photo When Shanika and Abir met, Abir was working as an intern at the Royal Brisbane Hospital in Brisbane, Australia in the Psychiatry ward, and Shanika had just started her Psychiatry placement as a third-year medical student in the same ward. Their impressions of each other when they first met were quite the opposite of how they actually feel about each other now. However, their senior colleagues felt that they had a ‘natural chemistry’ and that chemistry developed into a relationship a year later, once they got to know each other better outside of work. Abir proposed on Shanika’s birthday weekend. He surprised her by organizing a romantic date night at the Stanford Plaza in Brisbane, which is situated near the Brisbane River and the Botanical Gardens. The evening started off with …

Photos and story by Ariel Moriah Photography Shai and Jacob’s romantic waterfront garden wedding was an absolute dream! Located in the heart of Virginia, these college sweethearts tackled all obstacles of the pandemic and celebrated their love with their closest family and friends! Shai and Jacob Q&A: Q: Let’s start at the beginning. How did you two first meet? A: Jacob and I met at the beginning of our first year at the University of Virginia. We were both attending an event for a Christian fellowship called Cru. Even though we met during the first week of classes, our friendship truly began later that year, and we didn’t start dating until the Spring of our third year. Q: What makes your relationship special? Tell us some things that you both value in your time together. What makes your relationship unique? …

A Wedding Give-Away   Join Brides & Weddings publisher Rebecca Barnes as she speaks with Lisa Gloff of The Rosy Posy Studio and Lisa Havard of L Havard Events about their amazing Wedding Give away! www.dclovegoneviral.com The Rosy Posy Studio www.therosyposy.com 808 722-2301 LHavard Events www.lhavardevents.com 703-408-8874

By: Tania Hossain I never thought there would be a perfect time to talk about elopement weddings. If it weren’t for a certain sadness that is carried around with the thoughts of six feet apart and social distancing, most of 2020 has become elopers dream come true. Having said that, elopement weddings are some of my favorite ones. Having done a few of them, I find that it has very little to do with saving money and more to do with this is how couples decided to start their life of togetherness in marriage. Christian and Mariana’s elopement at the Spanish Steps in Dupont Circle – a Washington DC Wedding followed by honeymoon in Rome, Italy right after. Yes, that’s right. They got married in the early afternoon and caught a flight to Rome that evening! How about that for an elopement …

By: Alyssa Glorioso The wedding that you’ve been carefully planning won’t happen the way you envisioned (and frankly, a few months ago, expected it would).  All you’ve been building toward is being shifted. In an already emotional and stressful process, this is so much more than you bargained for in planning your wedding. And you’re allowed to be upset about that.  But luckily, this is not the end of the story.   I recently heard someone describe this time as one of anxiety but also hope.  And how much do we need hope these days! In this period of “not quite the light at the end of the tunnel” and several weeks in, I think we also need the practical: how do we navigate the process today?  How do we approach decisions and plans from a healthy mindset today?  I called …