What services do you offer for weddings and other events?

MarcParc provides full-service valet parking and transportation services for over 1,500 events per year.  We are dedicated towards building relationships by providing the level of personalized and detailed service that is our core operating principle.   MarcParc is the recipient of the 2011 ISES Capital Award for Support Services and 2-time Washingtonian Bride and Groom Magazine “Best Wedding Vendor”.

Do you have any advice for couples when trying to decide how much transportation to provide for their guests?

Transportation is often the key to ensure smooth logistics for your special day.  It is always easier to remove vehicles, than to have to add additional vehicles at the last minute.  If you are unsure as to how many out of town guests will be taking shuttles from local hotels, our recommendation is to plan for the larger shuttles and you can always scale back as you get closer to the big day.

How far in advance is best to book transportation arrangements and valet?

Certain times of year (prom season in the Spring and gala season in the Fall) see limos, sedans and limo bus availability fill up very quickly.  We recommend booking 6 – 9 months in advance for transportation needs and 3 – 6 months in advance for valet needs.

Photo Credits: Ira Wexler Photography

Built in 1918 the space was, as the name suggests, a torpedo manufacturing factory, and it retains much of its original character today. The exposed pipes, mushroom shaped columns and smokestack give the space a unique, industrial character, while the new industrial style railings, light fixtures and brightly painted studio doors give the space a more modern feel.

With artwork created by over 160 artists spread throughout the venue, the Art Center creates a beautiful canvas for a reception.

The building includes a two story atrium with a wrap around balcony, overlooking the main hall. Additionally, an outdoor deck area as well as bricked terraces that can be tented allow for a beautiful outdoor space along the Potomac River.  With the ability to accommodate both parties large and small, the Torpedo Factory is easily transformed to fit a range of visions.

The Torpedo Factory Art Center offers a preferred caterer list and works exclusively with John Farr Lighting Design for lighting. Additionally, sound and tents used at the venue often come through Rent-All Center.

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A few months ago I wrote about the trouble I had finding the perfect bridesmaids dress.  Many dresses later, an off the rack BCBG dress was the winner.  After finding the dress, I decided on a bouquet of light and dark pink tulips for the ladies.  I thought the pink would really pop off the navy blue.

With the bouquets and dresses in place I was able to think about completing their look with shoes and jewelry.

One of my bridesmaids found the great shoes below, so jewelry was the only item left.

I had decided early on I wanted to get the jewelry for my bridesmaids as a gift.  On a recent trip to Nordstrom I spotted some great Kendra Scott earrings but the colors were not quite right.  A quick visit to her web site and I scored big.  On Kendra Scott’s web site you can actually custom create the jewelry by first selecting gold or silver and then the gem colors.

I have included two screen shots of the earrings and bracelet I created for my ladies.  If you are stumped in finding jewelry for your bridesmaids or yourself I encourage you to check out the web site and try your hand and creating a custom design.

Mukta and James wanted their guests to have a wonderful time at a wedding that reflected the two of them as individuals and as a couple. Menu planning was of the utmost importance to the couple, given James’ Midwest roots and Mukta’s Indian heritage. Their stationed dinner offered steak and potatoes, sushi, Indian “street food” and a vegetarian salad station. The famous Georgetown Cupcake provided the post-dinner sweets – yum!

Mukta and James paid homage to Mukta’s culture with their color palette as well as the use of an elephant motif – ooo I love!

The fabulous vendor team:

Photography: Amie Otto Photography

Wedding Planner: Janice Carnevale of Bellwether Events

Venue: Hotel Monaco

Officiant: Ed Ingebretsen

Cupcakes: Georgetown Cupcake

Florals: Growing Wild Floral Design

Hair:  Tiffany Roop of TDR Artistry

Make Up: Wendy Rae

Videography: Blue Sky Films

Photobooth: Reliable Photobooths

Rentals: DaVinci’s Florist

DJ and Lighting: DJ Angie D

Well, if you are as in awe as I am, then you are in luck because Love Couture Bridal is hosting a trunk show this weekend!

If you need a little more eye candy to get through this dreary day, then here are even more lovely Sareh Nouri designs to enjoy…

Photography: Moshe Zusman; Make Up: Makeup By Nour Kazoun for Madeupart; Hair: Bridal Hair by Remona

Goodstone Inn & Restaurant offers picturesque vistas of the 265-acre rolling estate grounds, with the Blue Ridge Mountains in the distance. Goodstone can accommodate different styles of wedding events – from an intimate dining experience in the Carriage House to an elaborate outdoor reception under the stars. The pool, adjacent pool gardens and ivy façade of the old mansion are historic sites for outdoor bridal events.

Our Executive Chef will customize the wedding dining experience as desired. All meals are prepared with the finest and freshest ingredients sourced from the Goodstone Farm itself, or through local providers.

Photography: Joseph Allen Photography (including all photos to follow)

Both ceremonies and receptions are held at the spectacular Northern Virginia estate. All weddings of over 50 guests are held outdoors and are tented in case of inclement weather. With a guest list of up to 250, the plush, woodsy gardens make an elegant statement. A poolside reception accommodates up to 150 guests. For a more intimate wedding up to 50, bridal party and guests will enjoy the finest in catering by Executive Chef William Walden in the renowned Goodstone Restaurant.

A wedding at Goodstone Inn & Restaurant features Southern hospitality and gracious service in the surroundings of a spectacular Virginia country estate.

Our strongly recommended wedding coordinator is Paula Kiley, who has relationships with many vendors that have operated dozens of weddings at Goodstone Inn & Restaurant.

On Monday, February 6th, Elan Artists brings top bands in our area, including two of my favorites, the Source and Raggs and The All Stars, to a showcase at the Willard.

In the meantime, I caught up with my friends at Elan to ask a little bit about the bands and working with them…

How do you describe the Source and Raggs & The All Star’s individual sounds? To what type of couple would you recommend each?

The Source is a refined, high energy variety dance band with DC’s creme de la creme musicians.  Playing music from Gershwin to Gaga.  With diverse vocalists they cover every genre with incredibly unique level of capturing the original sound and feel.

Raggs has a classic 1940′s Sinatra orchestra feel and look playing your favorite Jazz, Swing dance music from Ella, Louie, Big Band and more. What separates them from other “Jazz” bands is there ability to also cross over and play variety music as well from Soul and Motown to Funk, Disco, Contemporary hits and more. They recently played a magical dance party for the Clinton Party.

How far out to you recommend that a couple book a band for their wedding?

Minimum of 6 to 12 months.  Our groups are boutique and specialized – so people often book further in advance.

Leading up to a wedding, how do your bands and Elan work with a couple to plan the logistics behind the big day? What types of things does a couple need to consider when planning the music for their wedding reception?

Personal customization is key.  We work with clients to learn music that is totally specific to their tastes so the overall feel directly connect with their personalities.

The couple incorporated her family’s Caribbean culture by having a steel pan player during the ceremony and cocktail hour.  The favors were boxed pieces of “black cake”, a traditional home-made rum cake in Guyana, South America.  Here is a whole bunch of pretty to get your week started!

The fabulous vendor team:

Venue: The Mandarin Oriental, Washington, DC

Planner: Leslie Manning Events

Cake: Maggie Austin Cake

Photographer:  Andrew Morrell Photography

How did you get your start in floral design?

I grew up surrounded by flowers, as I am a third generation floral designer. I was raised working in my grandmothers, and eventually my mother’s flower shop. Having worked with flowers my whole life, I can’t imagine doing anything else.

Photo Credit: Eric Oberg

Where do you draw inspiration from?

My sources of inspiration vary widely. Not only do I look at emerging designs within the industry, but I also get ideas from a variety of different magazines. I like to see what trend are out there, and how they might influence my floral design.

Photo Credit: Eric Oberg

What advice do you have for brides who do not have much knowledge about flowers and are not sure what they want?

My best advice for brides who are unsure of what they are looking for is to look through magazines and blogs to draw inspiration.  Once you have a color or a style in mind, it is easy for us to help tease out your vision and make it a reality.  As with all wedding décor, it is important for brides to choose flowers that they love, and not just what is trendy.

Photo Credit: Edge; Eric Oberg

What are your favorite seasonal spring flowers?

My favorite seasonal spring flower is a sweet pea.

Photo Credit: Edge

For more information about Edge Flowers please visit their website here.

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I have to confess I am a shoeaholic, so it should come as no surprise to those who know me that I have spent numerous hours online viewing potential wedding day shoes.

For some brides, shoes are one of the last items they think of, almost as an after thought.  Not for me.  I think the shoes are a key part of your overall wedding look and there are so many decision, color or no color, heel or wedge, strappy or peep toe…I could go on and on.

Instead of going on and on, I have compiled my favorite finds ranging from the more traditional pink and ivory BHLDN pairs to the preppy and colorful Kate Spade and J. Crew pairs.  I’ve saved mine to share at a later date as part of my overall look.  In the meantime I hope these spark some inspiration for you.

Credit: BHLDN

Credit: Kate Spade; Kate Spade; J. Crew