Howerton+Wooten Events Blog. The musings of a Maryland Wedding and Event Planner

Friday Night Movies on the Potomac. A Great Option for a DC Rehearsal Dinner

Last fall, I provided a list of some fun rehearsal dinner options.  One of my favorite rehearsal dinner ideas is definitely the movie in the park.

If you live in the Washington DC area, you will be thrilled to hear that the National Harbor offers a fun option for an outdoor movie.

The National Harbor's Date Night Fridays provides attendees with a blockbuster movie that begins at sunset.  Here are the Friday evening movie options for the rest of the summer.

Friday, June 24 – Dreamgirls

Friday, July 8 – Ghost of Girlfriends Past

Friday, July 15 – The Back-Up Plan

Friday, July 22 – The Switch

Friday, July 29 – He’s Just Not That Into You

Friday, August 5 – Field of Dreams

Friday, August 12 – Friday Night Lights

Friday, August 19 – Cutting Edge

Friday, August 26 – A League of Their Own

Friday, September 2 – Sea Biscuit

Friday, September 9 – The Social Network

Friday, September 16 – The Blind Side

Friday, September 23 - Inception

Friday, September 30 – Titanic

 

If you decide to attend one of the movies above, you should definitely bring your own lawn chair.  And, you will be happy to know that admission is free.

Since coolers aren't welcome, fun individual dinners (think bento box) would provide an awesome, personal touch for your rehearsal dinner guests!

Love and Soul Always, Kay

Favorite Wedding Moments of 2010

The Howerton+Wooten Events team is about to embark upon our 2011 Wedding Season!

Before we begin our 2011 wedding season, we would like to pay a little homage to our 2010 wedding season by sharing some of our favorite moments captured by our couples' awesome wedding photographers. 

 
For most children, watching a wedding is like watching paint dry. (Photo: Love Life Images)

 

I love this tender moment between this bride and her father.  There are a ton of people in the room, but you wouldn't know it by the look in their eyes. (A. Britton Photography) 

At Nigerian weddings, the parents, wedding party and bride and groom are literally danced into the wedding reception.  This entrance was so fun.  I must confess that I wanted to dance in with them!  (Photo: Tunji Sarumi Photography)

 

 

Andy and Naomi's first dance song was "Lucky" by Jason Mraz and Colbie Caillat.  Andy sang the entire song to Naomi while they danced.  I think Andy is awesome!  (Photo: Sandi Foraci Photography)

 

 

This was a lively little group, so I am amazed that Tunji was able to capture such a remarkable moment.  I love this picture!  (Photo: Tunji Sarumi Photography) 

 
Exactly one minute prior to the start of this wedding, the wind started to blow and the skies opened up.  In a flash, this wedding was moved inside.  I will always love Meredith for her amazing spirit throughout our quick move.  (Photo: JA Laub Photography) 

 

I'm a mom, so I cannot help it.  I love pictures of ring bearers and flower girls.  And, there is something so precious about this ring bearer and flower girl standing next to this Marine.  (Tony Richards Wedding Photography)

 

So, tell me.  What was your best wedding moment of last year's wedding season?

Love and Soul Always, Kay 

Wedding Day Love for Patricia and Josh

Last October, we had the honor of taking care of Patricia and Josh's wedding.  This was a wedding that I was truly looking forward to in 2010.

Allison at A. Britton Photography really did an amazing job capturing Patricia and Josh's wedding day.  I must tell you that everything about Allison and Christopher is simply great.

 

This awesome bouquet was created by The Enchanted Florist.  Melissa definitely knows her stuff!

 

I really like this picture of Patricia and Josh laughing.  It was so nice to see them having a good time on their wedding day.

 

Their wedding was held at the Universalist National Memorial Church in Washington, DC.  Their ceremony was warm, welcoming and very intimate.

 

 

Here is one of the special moments captured during their wedding ceremony. Allison Britton sure knows how to capture those special moments.

 

Patricia and Josh's wedding guests had the pleasure of experiencing Patricia's love for trees.  Here is a picture of their wedding program.  This tree was also pictured on their wedding invitation, menu cards and their escort cards.

 

I love the little tree stumps used to hold their escort cards.  I believe they found the mini tree stumps on Etsy.  We used them to hold their menu cards and table numbers too.

 

 

They even managed to include trees on their wedding cake.  Isn't the cake topper just too darn cute?

 

The cocktail reception was a blast!  The catering was provided by Main Event Caterers, and everything tasted so incredibly good.

 

The mariachis truly set the tone for a lively cocktail reception.  Patricia and Josh searched high and low for talented Mariachis, and everyone thought they made an excellent choice.  After the Mariachis' performance, Evan Reitmeyer at MyDeejay rocked the house!

 
 

Their wedding reception took place at the Carnegie Institution of Washington.  There were three different centerpiece options in the dining room.  This is one of the centerpieces created by the Enchanted Florist.

 

The couple made their grand entrance into Carnegie Institution of Washington during the cocktail reception.  Then, they headed directly into their first dance.  Making a grand entrance into the cocktail reception is easy when your cocktail reception is located in the Carnegie's rotunda.

 

Thank you so much to Patricia and Josh for the opportunity to take care of you on your special day!  We truly considered it to be an honor!

Love and Soul Always, Kay

 

(Photo: A. Britton Photography)

Featured on the MyDeejay blog!

My team and I have had the pleasure of working with a lot of talented deejays, and we are so grateful for that.

One of our favorites is the team at MyDeejay.com.

We worked with Evan last October, and he was a true pleasure.  He was always so patient and professional with our couple -- And, I must tell you that he has ONE of the BEST VOICES in town.

Last week, my interview with MyDeejay was featured on their blog!

Please check it out, and find out what inspires this wedding planner!  Let me know what you think.

Thank you so much Evan!  We truly consider this feature to be an honor!

Love and Soul Always, Kay

 

Romance is Near

With Valentine's Day quickly approaching, I thought I'd share a list I found.  It's a list of the most romantic cities in the U.S.

For those of you in the Washington DC metro area, you will be very happy to see that romance is just a "metro stop" away!

The top 20 most romantic cities in the U.S. are:

1. Alexandria, Virginia
2. Miami, Florida
3. Cambridge, Massachusetts
4. Ann Arbor, Michigan
5. Berkeley, California
6. Gainesville, Florida
7. Arlington, Virginia
8. Salt Lake City, Utah
9. Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania
10. Orlando, Florida
11. Washington, D.C.
12. Bellevue, Washington
13. Seattle, Washington
14. Richmond, Virginia
15. Cincinnati, Ohio
16. Knoxville, Tennessee
17. Columbia, Missouri
18. Tallahassee, Florida
19. Columbia, South Carolina
20. Atlanta, Georgia

Enjoy!

Love and Soul Always, Kay

 

 

(Photo: Getty Images)

Wedding Day Love for Kate and Ben

I am excited to share a little wedding day love for Kate and Ben.  Kate is a fellow meeting planner with a heart of gold.  There were so many times when we chatted on the phone, and I simply thought we were kindred spirits.

 

Kate and Ben married last year on Saturday, September 11th.  It was one of those days where the weather was absolutely perfect.  I woke up that morning thinking, "this is going to be an excellent wedding day!"

It was such a nice day that Kate and her wedding party decided to walk to the church from the Mayflower Hotel. 

Their wedding ceremony took place in the St. Matthews Cathedral located in downtown Washington, DC.   

I must tell you that I attend mass in this church at least once every year, but I never noticed all of its glorious beauty until I saw a wedding take place in it. 

Here is the cathedral's amazing organ.  

Have you ever attended a wedding where everyone was simply gorgeous?!?  That was this wedding.  Here is a picture of Kate, her mom and her grandmom.  The best part -- They were just as pretty on the inside. 

And, aren't they completely precious? 

Their reception took place at the Top of the Town. 

This is a view of DC from Top of the Town.  This view of Washington, DC is my favorite part of this wedding reception venue. 

Their centerpieces, created by Da Vinci's Florist, and the linen truly transformed the look of the Top of the Town's dining room.  All of the wedding day paper was created by the talented Christina Barbour at paperzest. 
 
 

Can't you tell that pink is one of Kate's favorite colors?  And, she likes sweets too . . . 

 
 
The mini wedding cupcakes, created by Georgetown Cupcakes, were on a very large pink cupcake stand.  And, they were sooo good.  Especially those little coconut cupcakes.  Wow! 
Even the escort cards were pink candy bars. 

Kate and Ben's wedding guests had a ton of fun!  They laughed and danced all night!  And, that kind of fun made the wedding reception perfect.

 

At the end of the night, we were blessed with fireworks from the Nationals game nearby.  But, they happened just at the right time -- for a minute, I thought we planned them!  Thank you so much Kate and Ben!  We truly enjoyed taking care of you on your wedding day! 

Love and Soul Always, Kay

(Photo: Rodney Bailey Photography)

Co Co Sala

With Valentine's Day quickly approaching, I definitely l have chocolate on the brain.  So, I decided to share some pics from my site visit at Co Co Sala last year.

Like I said, this place is known for its chocolate.  This restaurant is often referred to as a "chocolate boutique."  If you take one look below these glass counters, you will know why the name, "chocolate boutique" is well deserved! 

Another view of the chocolate on display. 

The sugar sculptures located in the niches are fabulous!  They are basically edible pieces of Modern Art!  

This is not the best picture of this area, but I wanted you to see the golden silk curtains.  These curtains can enclose this seating area, and make it a private area large enough for 32 people (seated). 

This restaurant has a lounge area with two bars on each side.  I think the red cube chairs in this seating area are so much fun -- casual and hot.

  

Co Co. Sala has additional function space -- Some of it is perfect for those of you who may want to enjoy their food AND a completely private space.

This is their gallery.  I believe that it can comfortably accommodate 50 people. 
 

They also have a patio garden.  I like the urban look of this space, but I suspect that this area has the potential to be a little loud. 

And, this is the restaurant's rooftop space.  Nice, right?

 

 

Here is the view from the rooftop.  I wish the view was a "teensy bit" better.  But overall, I think this is a very stylish option for a rehearsal dinner or a small wedding reception.

Love and Soul Always, Kay

(Photos: My pitiful attempts at photography) 

Wedding Day Love for Carolyn and John

Today, I am showing some Wedding Day love to one of the loveliest couples I have every met! -- Carolyn and John.

 
Carolyn and John were married at St. Augustine Catholic Church in Washington, DC.  St. Augustine happens to be the first church I attended when I moved to the DC are.  It is definitely one of my favorites.  (I just wish they had better parking!)

  

 

This is probably my favorite ceremony picture.  Can't you just imagine what she was thinking at that moment?

 

Their wedding reception took place at National Geographic Society Museum.  If you know Carolyn and John, then you know that this is the perfect venue for them.

 
 

 

The DJ rocked the wedding reception.  And, you can definitely tell that they had a great time!

 

Stephen Bobb of Love Life Images took some excellent pictures of the wedding party throughout Washington, DC.

I must tell you that I have never noticed these bikes before.  Of course, I see them all of the time now! 

 

 

Some of my favorite wedding pictures were taken in the Dupont Street Metro Station.

 
 

This is such an awesome shot in the metro station.  Don't you just love how the escalator light illuminates the bottom of Carolyn's gown?
 

Thank you so much for allowing us to take care of your wedding day, Carolyn and John.  Your wedding day was awesome -- just like the two of you!  Like I said, Stephen Bobb at Love Life Images is awesome!

Love and Soul Always, Kay

(Photos: Love Life Images)

The Knot Best of Weddings 2011

We are thrilled to share that Howerton+Wooten Events has been chosen as a Best of Weddings 2011 winner by The Knot!

Thank you to all of our amazing couples who spoke on our behalf!  We are honored and humbled by your votes and reviews.

We can't wait to take good care of our weddings in 2011 and 2012!  It's going to be awesome!

Love and Soul Always, Kay

Oxon Hill Manor

Last year, my team and I had the pleasure of taking care of a wedding at the Oxon Hill Manor in Fort Washington, Maryland.

 
The manor sits high on a hill with a really nice view of the Potomac River, the National Harbor and parts of DC.

 
The grounds include formal English gardens, rose bushes surrounding a reflecting pool, and a large brick patio.

 
This entrance into the garden is one of my favorites.

 

 
Here is the lawn.  There are so many places on their grounds for a lovely wedding ceremony.

 This is a picture of the same lawn (just an opposite point of view) with a wedding ceremony taking place.

  This brick patio is a great option for a ceremony, or cocktails or the actual dinner reception.

If you wanted your musicians to play while the guests are enjoying cocktails, you could consider placing them under this portico.

Here is one of the rooms available in the Oxon Hill Manor.  The dark room through the doors is called the Library.

 
 
The pictures above are the third room available.  As you can see from the picture above, couples typically use this third room for dancing. 

The venue's staircase ascends from the first floor hallway.  I think I love the staircase more for architectural pictures though.

Finally, the Oxon Hill Manor has a spacious bridal suite.  It is definitely large enough for your entire bridal party.

Love and Soul Always, Kay

 

(Pictures: Morningstar Photography and some of the Pictures are My Pitiful Attempts at Photography)