http://encountersevents.com/ Encounters Events Blog en-us Tue, 07 Feb 2012 14:28:40 -0600 Tue, 07 Feb 2012 14:28:40 -0600 http://encountersevents.com/blog.php In the midst of planning Rachel and Russell's wedding, we received a call from a mother who was looking for assistance planning her daughter's wedding reception. Her daughter Abby was living in London and would be married there in July, however she wanted to host a post wedding reception at her home in Ellicott City. Whoa - two brides in one month that we would not meet until the week of their receptions! Initially, Abby's mother wanted to host the reception at the Elkridge Furnace Inn, but Abby had her heart set on her parent's backyard. She thought a home wedding would be more cost effective. However, with a potential guest count of 150 this most likely would not be the case. First off, we had to get tenting proposals from a couple of recommended companies. Both Abbey and Nick are huge music and theatre buffs. So music was very important to them. Sue selected Damon Forman's Blue Funk Band for the entertainment. After Loane Brothers won the tenting bid, we were off to plan the other logistical details of a beautiful garden reception. The bride's mother Sue loves yellow and blue which is the color scheme of her home. Sue hoped we could incorporate these colors into Abby's wedding scape. Naturally the colors worked out perfectly! Carla a designer with "Fleur de Lis" florist paid a visit to Sue's home and came up with some wonderful decorative ideas. The house and tent would have summer blooms in Sue's colors. Then we picked out some beautiful linen's in various shades of blue. Since the Elkridge Furnace Inn was the first choice for Abby's reception venue, we thought they should be considered as a potential caterer. After an amazing food tasting at the Furnace Inn, a tapas-style stations menu was created. Sue flew to England the first week of July to spend a week with Abby before her big day in London. Shortly after the London wedding, Sue was back at home in Maryland to ensure all was ready for Abby and Nick's second act. Finally the week of the big reception was here and so were the newlyweds. After a few quick meetings with us, their photographer Rich Riggins and band leader Damon - we were ready for a party! It was a rather warm end of July day with lots of calories spent during setup. Lounge furniture, tables, chairs, bars and flowers for both the house and tent had to be placed. Guests began to arrive at 5 o'clock just as the sun was moving further west.  And as the music began and cocktails were served, Abby entered the tent with her Dad to start the dancing. Guests enjoyed a mix of foods including; Southwestern inspired Chicken with Black Bean Relish on Polenta Cakes, Maryland Crab Cakeswith Sugar Snap Peas,Filet tips with Potatoes Dauphinoise and assorted Pates. For a bit of the whimsical and to accompany the wedding cake, we had the Highland Creamery serve Ice Cream and Sorbet. On a warm summer evening this was a most welcome treat. At 10 o'clock, after the last song played, Abby quickly changed into a shorter white dress. She and Nick dashed through their Sparkler exit into their limo and were whisked off to the Airport. Next stop Bali for the Honeymoon, then off to their new home in Hong Kong.  Fri, 09 Dec 2011 00:00:00 -0600 http://encountersevents.com/blog.php?thread_id=47 http://encountersevents.com/blog.php Last fall we received an email from a bride requesting assistance with her July wedding at Historic Oakland. We soon learned she was living outside of the county, so we made arrangements for a telephone chat a few days later. Rachel was stationed in Germany with the US Army and Russell her fiancé was stationed in North Carolina.  We would plan this wedding without ever meeting the bride until the week of her wedding! Rachel was born in India but raised by an American family in the United States. For her wedding, she wanted to incorporate some of her Indian heritage along with American traditions. Rachel's favorite colors are red and purple. Her traditional Wedding Lehenga would be red and gold. A few months before the wedding, Russell was also transferred to Germany. Before Russell left the States, he traveled to Maryland for cake and menu tastings. Then it was back to email correspondence for the remainder of the planning. We would also periodically chat on the phone. Photos and descriptions of wedding cakes, flowers, invitations and other elements were sent back and forth. Linen swatches and paper samples were sent via mail. Finally at the end of June, Rachel returned to the States to prepare for her big celebration. We scheduled a quick wedding day review between her visits with family and friends. The final outcome of our long distance planning was a nice fusion of two cultures. Floral Impressions created beautiful red and white arrangements with a touch of purple. Table linens alternated between an elegant gold embroidered ivory taffeta and a gold embroidered red sheer. The menu was a mix of American foods catered by The Elkridge Furnace Inn and Indian dishes prepared by House of India. The cake was beautifully decorated with a dark red  Henna design. Deejay Michael Valenti played mostly American classics, but also weaved some Bollywood tunes into his dance sets. Rachel's July wedding day was a beautiful summer evening. At promptly 6:30, Rachel's father walked her down the aisle towards Russell who was dressed in a traditional Sherwani suit. They were married in a traditional Christian ceremony performed by the Pastor of Rachel's family church. After their whirlwind nuptial visit, it was back to Germany where both Rachel and Russell continue to serve our country. Thank you, Rachel and Russell. Wed, 07 Dec 2011 00:00:00 -0600 http://encountersevents.com/blog.php?thread_id=46 http://encountersevents.com/blog.php Occasionally we'll get a call from a bride or her mother requesting "Day of" wedding coordination. Some wedding planners title their various levels of service with a nickname. We like leave it simple and less misleading - Full or Partial Planning. These Brides just want to be sure everything they planned is taken care of so they don't have to worry about anything on their wedding day. Typically when we consult with a bride who has "Day of" in mind, they soon find out the process is more involved than originally thought. So along with ceremony coordination and reception management, we are hired to assist with tying up unexpected lose ends. This past spring we met Stephanie and her mother and they were looking for a Day of Coordinator. Stephanie's mother lives in Colorado and could only travel to Maryland once to help Stephanie with her planning. Additionally, Stephanie had just started a new job that was keeping her pretty busy. Stephanie's mother retained our services during her single trip to Maryland. With our assistance, this visit included a menu tasting, cake tasting, and florist selection. We reviewed Stephanie's contracts and made sure everything was in order. Stephanie's reception would take place in a tent and her color scheme was red and black. One of our suggestions was to rent black linens with red napkins. Stephanie loved the black & red satin cloths! And deciding to tie red napkins with a black ribbon would look perfect.  Lastly we met with Stephanie, her fiancée Avram and Richard from Kings Contrivance Restaurant to work out the wedding day logistics. Then we put together the wedding weekend time line and confirmed this with all the vendors. On a gorgeous late summer afternoon, Stephanie and Avram were married under a beautiful Chuppah decorated by Tina of Wicked Willow. Soon afterwards, cocktails were served and dancing began followed by dinner.  As with all special days, the evening just flew by and soon the Sheraton Hotel shuttles arrived to pick up guests for their trip back to the hotel. After a quick get together the next morning, guests started to depart to the airports for their return flights home. Thu, 01 Dec 2011 00:00:00 -0600 http://encountersevents.com/blog.php?thread_id=45 http://encountersevents.com/blog.php Priscilla and Esteban from "Sister Sister". Jason Lee Photography Tue, 29 Nov 2011 00:00:00 -0600 http://encountersevents.com/blog.php?thread_id=44 http://encountersevents.com/blog.php Jessica and Mike from "Sister Sister". Roman Grinev Photographers Mon, 28 Nov 2011 00:00:00 -0600 http://encountersevents.com/blog.php?thread_id=43 http://encountersevents.com/blog.php Several times we've had the honor and privilege to plan weddings of siblings. The most interesting thing is how very different these events tend to be. And how much fun it is to plan a second event for the same family. In 2004 we meet with Claudia and Bill Claudia had a vision; her wedding would be inspired by the movie "Father of the Bride", with a tented reception at Bill's grandmother's house. The same music would be played at her church ceremony. Claudia loved the music from FOB. She had the same music playing at her reception too! This was her dream. So we watched the movie again to see how we could incorporate similar elements. So in late September, Claudia walked down the aisle at the University of Maryland Memorial Chapel. After the ceremony, guests enjoyed cocktails and hors d'oeuvres on the estate grounds while a pianist played in the background. Dinner was served under the tent, followed by dancing to the big band sounds of Blue Moon. Two years later we received a call from Claudia's mother asking for a consultation with her daughter Priscilla. Priscilla wanted her wedding to be a reflection of her culture. Priscilla and her family are originally from Chile and her fiancé Esteban is from Bolivia. Like her sister Claudia, Priscilla envisioned an outdoor garden wedding. But Priscilla's wedding would take place in August with traditional South American food and music.  We visited several venues with Priscilla until she fell in love with Mount Airy Mansion where Pineapple Alley is the exclusive caterer. Pineapple Alley was up to the challenge of creating traditional Chilean and Peruvian cuisine based on old family recipes.  "Corvina a la Chorrillana" - Chilean Sea Bass with a spicy Onion and Tomato Sauce was served over rice. Beef and Corn casserole "Pastel de Choclo" was prepared in individual casserole dishes. Priscilla and Esteban's families said the dishes were perfectly executed and delicious. Guests dined on three non-conventional long tables. Entertainment included the Mystic Warriors who provided traditional Andean music. Instruments included Pan Pipes and Andean Ancient Flutes. This was very different from her sister's wedding. Not long after Priscilla's wedding we met Jennifer and Álvaro who were looking to host a simple church ceremony and hotel reception. The twist was that they were hoping to be married the Saturday after Thanksgiving. They also wanted to incorporate some elements of their individual cultures. Jennifer was born in the USA but her family is originally from Holland. Alvaro was born in Peru, so the invitations were printed in both English and Spanish. Jennifer and Alvaro wanted a deejay that was familiar with Latin music. With this in mind, we recommended Santana of Santana Entertainment – and they loved her! The Hotel Ballroom they reserved did not have much personality. So to help create a more dramatic look, we brought in specialty lighting from Perkins Productions and added upgraded chairs and linens. Since we were approaching the season, two Christmas trees were set up and decorated with favors for each guest. Favors of Dutch Clogs and traditional Peruvian ornaments were a representation of Jennifer and Álvaro's backgrounds. Five years later we received a call from Jennifer's younger sister Jessica asking if we could help plan her wedding. Jessica wanted to get married in late summer. She found a venue just outside Frederick that she and her fiancé Mike fell in love with. They envisioned their ceremony overlooking the venue lake with cocktails on the grounds and dinner and dancing under an open sided tent. Something really important to Jessica was the idea that her father would make centerpiece containers out of a birch tree grown in her late grandfather's garden.This was a great idea with an outdoor setting, so we presented it to Carla at Ory's Floral. Carla came up with 2 different floral designs, one "long and low" and the other vertical. Arrangements were filled with summer blooms in shades of pink and orange. Another garden theme element that Jessica & Mike added were tulip bulb favors which was a definite nod to their backgrounds. Every spring the tulips shall bloom just as their love. In 2007, we meet Aidanora (Aida for short) who was helping her sister Marjorie plan her wedding. Aida was dating Matt – we helped Matt's sister plan her wedding back in 2001. Marjorie was a busy lawyer who was going to be married at St Mary's in Annapolis. However she needed a venue in to host her wedding in December.  After visiting a number of sites, Marjorie selected the Governor Calvert House which is also in Annapolis. She was going with a winter theme of white and silver. Along with music, flowers were a priority to Marjorie, so we worked with Christine from Fleur de Lis to create her floral designs. She had beautiful tall arrangements in silver vases. Perkins Productions provided pin spot lighting that really accentuated her centerpieces. For music, Marjorie heard about a deejay that was familiar with the Latin sound and spoke Spanish. She wanted to ensure that her family from Nicaragua would be able to understand what was happening. Fast-forward to last year when Matt proposed to Aida.  And of course we were thrilled that they wanted us to assist with their special day. Aida had a very different and less formal look in mind than her sister Marjorie's wedding. Aida's colors were champagne, bronze and gold. The only priorities she had in common with her sister were the same church, food and music. Because Aida's ceremony started in the early afternoon, we had room to play around with the time. Aida selected Podickory Point Yacht & Beach Club for her reception - a great waterfront venue just before the Bay Bridge in Annapolis. Her vision was to have cocktails on the grounds and clubhouse deck, dinner under a tent and dancing back inside the clubhouse. All of the linens we selected from Gala Cloths were in Champagne, Gold and Bronze hues. Chandeliers were hung from the ceiling of Aida's tent matching the theme throughout her invitations, programs and place cards. Aida is a Yoga instructor, so for a little bit of the whimsical, her guest tables were named after "Yoga" positions that she and Matt posed for. Because Matt likes Hockey, the cake topper was sculpted as a Hockey player groom with his bride in a Yoga position. Unfortunately the day was cool and dreary for early Fall, so the grounds and Club House deck were not used as much as we had hoped for. After an hour of cocktails, we energized the party with introductions and an hour-long of dance set in the Club House. Then everyone was invited under a heated tent for dinner. Once dinner was over, Aida changed out of her beautiful Essence of Australia gown into her mother's renewal of vows dress. The second set of dancing began with the traditional Father/Daughter dance, followed by the Mother/Son dance. Aida, Matt and the rest of their family and friends reveled the rest of the evening. Mon, 21 Nov 2011 00:00:00 -0600 http://encountersevents.com/blog.php?thread_id=42 http://encountersevents.com/blog.php After a very meaningful ceremony, the bridal party and guests gathered just beyond a foot bridge leading from the ceremony area. The Marines were lined up between guests and the bridge with their swords in hand. As the new Mr. and Mrs. strolled across the bridge, swords were raised for them to walk under until they reached Master Sergeant Eyler, who lowered his sword to block their path. A kiss from the newlyweds raised the sword and Samantha got a slap on her rear and a "Welcome to the Corps". Now it was time for cocktails and hors d'oeuvres with a Martini bar serving up signature specialties like the James Bond classic Vesper. The cocktail hour flew by, and before long it was time for dinner and dancing. An old nautical bell was rung by the Oaks staff, signaling it was time to move inside for dinner. Samantha's sister created a photo book of Samantha and Brandon's dating years. Guests were asked to write messages in the book which also included engagement photos. In lieu of favors, Brandon and Samantha chose to make a charitable donation in the name of their wedding guests. Their contribution was to the Wounded Warrior Project, which holds special meaning to them. The Bridal Party danced their way through introductions which were made by Chris Temple of C&J Entertainment. After the First Dance to "Faraway", toasts were made by the Honor Attendants, and a delicious meal was served.  After dinner, Samantha's dad welcomed his guests and invited his daughter onto the dance floor. They performed not one, but three choreographed dances to three different songs that Chris had mixed together! Then it was my turn to dance with my son. Once this was over, the dance floor filled up and stayed packed until it was time to cut the cake. The wedding cake was designed and baked with seashells and waves by Debi's Cake Studio. Guests had a choice of Tiramisu, White Chocolate Raspberry or Chocolate with Chocolate Mousse.  Along with cake, Scottish Highland Creamery scooped out 6 different flavors of homemade ice cream. Some of the wonderful flavors included Coconut Coco Snack, Snickers and Coffee Chocolate Chip. So good! At some point, all great parties have to end.  As the last dance "Faithfully" segwayed into "Don't stop the music", we asked guests to step outside for the big send-off. We handed out sparklers to form a tunnel for Samantha and Brandon to exit through.  They were off to their Wedding Cottage with a little sparkle. My hope has always been that the weddings we help plan become cherished family memories. This one I will definitely treasure forever. Tue, 08 Nov 2011 00:00:00 -0600 http://encountersevents.com/blog.php?thread_id=41 http://encountersevents.com/blog.php Saturday May 21st started bright and early with the sun beaming into our windows and our 9 year old ready for more fishing at 6am. Breakfast service started at from 8:30 am and everyone, but the bride who was in seclusion in the Bridal cottage, came to eat. Hair and make-up sessions began at 9am. Peyton and I got to work; starting with lighting set-up by Perkins Productions and tying the pink chair sashes. Sand dollar placecards with beautiful hand calligraphy were placed in sand crates found on Esty.  The day was now flying by! Alyssia from Fleur de Lis arrived to decorate the arch and set up the centerpieces. The bridal bouquet was amazing.with soft pink peonies and white & pink roses that were perfect for our princess bride. The bridesmaids who wore black cocktail length dresses carried soft and hot pink bouquets of roses. After a second shower, it was time to help Samantha into her dress and tie up the corset. Photographer Rich Riggins was busy at work early, capturing details of Samantha's dress and emotions of the day. A party of 5 bridesmaids, a bride's man, 6 groomsmen, Maid of Honor, Best Man and Marine Honor Guard made for lots of pre-ceremony group portraits. At 5:45 the bridal party gathered for the 6:00 waterfront ceremony officiated by Rev William Teyssier. Musicians from Concord Ensemble promptly stared playing the ceremony music at 6 o'clock.  I told Brandon earlier that Samantha looked so beautiful she would take his breath away and of course I got the standard "she's always beautiful" response. When Samantha walked down the aisle on her father's arm, you could see that she truly took his breath away.  Fri, 28 Oct 2011 00:00:00 -0500 http://encountersevents.com/blog.php?thread_id=40 http://encountersevents.com/blog.php Pumpkins are not just for scary faces. Carve a name, date or any other keyword or symbol that's relevant to your event. Pair your pumpkins with other natural elements like gourds, artichokes, leaves, mums and cranberries. Be sure to add candles or lanterns to enhance your pumpkin décor. Besides orange, pumpkins grow in white, green, blue and red hues. If you cannot find the color fruit you want, try spray painting them to match your theme. Pumpkins are a simple and inexpensive way to incorporate the fall season into any event. Wed, 26 Oct 2011 00:00:00 -0500 http://encountersevents.com/blog.php?thread_id=39 http://encountersevents.com/blog.php Friday May 20th started out to be an overcast day as we crossed the Bay Bridge. Rehearsal dinner arrangements had been made with the Town Dock Restaurant in St Michael's overlooking the Bay. This was our first stop so that we could drop off the Grooms Cake.  Brandon has been a huge Simpsons fan since he was a boy. So Debi from "Debi's Cake Studio" designed a cake with Homer Simpson sitting in his chair drinking Duff Beer. When we arrived at the venue, Brandon was playing shuffle board and Samantha was with two of her girlfriends in a canoe. Our youngest son was pretty excited about the canoes. So off he went to find his other brother for some fishing. Meanwhile, Peyton and I got busy unloading the special items we had ordered for the wedding. Around 6 o'clock we all gathered for the rehearsal overlooking the water. By now the sun was peeking through and we were able to see some blue sky. As with most rehearsals there was a lot of goofing around until the Marine within Brandon came out and issued a command to stop. Soon as Samantha was comfortable with the ceremony flow everyone took off for cocktails and dinner. Town Dock had a great space set aside for us with a wonderful buffet of Brandon and Samantha's favorite dishes. After dinner, toasts were made along with "roasts" of first impressions. Instead of hanging out in downtown St. Michaels, surprisingly everyone returned to The Oaks after dinner. Friends picked up some beer and spent the next few hours chatting on the waterfront under a star filled sky. Tue, 25 Oct 2011 00:00:00 -0500 http://encountersevents.com/blog.php?thread_id=38 http://encountersevents.com/blog.php Samantha's dream was a spring wedding overlooking the water. Brandon's was the rooftop of a Baltimore hotel overlooking the harborwhat?! May of course is a huge wedding month, but we gave it a shot for 2011. There were a few options; first I took them to the rooftop at The Maryland Science Center. But it was not quite right. The Museum of Industry did not float their boat either. So of to the Pier V hotel we went. Although they loved the view from the Pier V Harbor Club, it was too small for their anticipated guest count of 175. Next trip was Annapolis, to the Merrill Lynch Center at the Chesapeake Bay Foundation. Then it was over to the Eastern Shore to see Silver Swan in Stevensville and The Oaks in St. Michaels. The fall weather that day in St. Michaels was cool, rainy and dreary. But Brandon and Samantha fell in love with The Oaks, and so did Sam's mother. Excellent, now they just needed to pick a date! We wanted a Saturday in late May, but not on Memorial Day Weekend. Too much Bay Bridge traffic! So Saturday May 21st was selected. Done - venue and date. Now we could leisurely plan the rest. Now of course I had to recommend several of my favorite vendors, who always provide outstanding service. Trust me; I did not want to work on the day of my son's wedding! And our trusted professionals worked out perfectly. The Oaks is a Bed & Breakfast and a special event venue. Reserving The Oaks requires overnight room commitments. Also included is a wonderful Breakfast Buffet, shuffle board, putting green, swimming pool, canoes and fishing. Plenty of activities for family and bridal party. Weather wise, May in Maryland started out as a pretty scary month. LOTS of rain, thunderstorms and even a tornado warning or two. This was causing Samantha some anxiety, but fortunately The Oaks has a couple of plan B options that allow water view ceremonies with protection from the elements.  Mon, 24 Oct 2011 00:00:00 -0500 http://encountersevents.com/blog.php?thread_id=37 http://encountersevents.com/blog.php Every now and then we get to plan a Family event. Two years ago it was my niece's wedding, but this year we celebrated my son's big day. When Brandon and Samantha first met, they were both working as Pool Managers at different locations. Their first meeting did not go very well at all.  Brandon, who is in the USMC Reserves, was deployed to Iraq in 2004, so he did not see Samantha until the following year. Their paths crossed again at an aquatics refresher course. Brandon thought she was pretty cute but did not recall their first encounter. But Samantha had not forgotten and just rolled her eyes at him. Eventually she came around and they began dating. Both were in college, so their time together was valuable. They had to endure college life in different states and a very long separation when Brandon received a second deployment to Iraq in 2008. This was the true test of their love. Within a week of Brandon's return home, they not only found but moved into an apartment. Apparently this was a very good thing, because one afternoon I received a call from Brandon that he had just put down a deposit on an engagement ring.  Within a couple of months, after seeking approval from Samantha's father, it was time to pop the question. The deed was done on a special date night.  Both love the water and all things Maryland. With this in mind; Brandon made reservations at McCormick and Schmidt, a nice restaurant located on Baltimore's Inner Harbor. After Samantha said yes, the wait staff presented them with complimentary champagne and a personalized menu. Let the planning begin Thu, 20 Oct 2011 00:00:00 -0500 http://encountersevents.com/blog.php?thread_id=36 http://encountersevents.com/blog.php Hopefully most of us know about the email scam letters that occasionally pop up in our inboxes. Some of these schemes are industry specific like wedding planning. Wedding scam emails basically all tell the same story: Engaged couple is out of the country. Wedding is in a few months. Needs a planner to arrange everything in their absence. Requests a planner reserve vendor services on behalf of couple. The basic scenario is the sender will want to work out a payment arrangement via cashier's check. Naturally a fraudulent cashier's check. The amount forwarded to the planner will be greater than the amount due. The end game is the sender expects the planner to send a check for the overpayment. Then the cashiers check clears before the bank discovers it's a fraud. Scammer has the refunded money while the planner is left holding the bank tab. Booking legitimate out of town clients is not unusual for us. And most of these clients initially contact us through email. However we can spot email scam letters a mile away because the verbiage is unlike anything we typically receive from a potential client. Lately the content of these emails have been a bit more creative, but still questionable. A new wedding scam email comes in every few weeks or so. We will post them as they come in so everyone is aware of what's going around the industry. Here's the latest with a big red flag signature. Bride & Groom 2.really?! Hi I am Richard Roland and my fiancé's name is Sarah Woods .. I am a pilot while my wife is a us army and currently on a peace keeping mission ... we are making an arrangement towards our upcoming wedding and we need a wedding planner to help us with our wedding planning .. we invited 35-40 guest and our wedding date is 25th of march 2011 .. we need to know if you are available for this date. We will be looking forward to hear back from you soon .. Sincerely, Bride & Groom 2   Thu, 31 Mar 2011 00:00:00 -0500 http://encountersevents.com/blog.php?thread_id=35 http://encountersevents.com/blog.php Wish Upon a Wedding is a nonprofit organization that provides weddings and vow renewals to couples facing terminal illness or other serious life-altering circumstances. Founded last year, the majority of WUW wishes have been granted to couples where one has been terminal. Most couples neither have the financial resources or time and energy to plan a wedding. So WUW finds vendors who will help them have their magical day. Towards the end of the year WUW started considering military weddings. The newly formed WUW DC chapter granted a wish around Thanksgiving to Meredith and Jake. They were hoping to be married in January shortly before Jake's first deployment to Afghanistan. Jake is a Lance Corporal in the Marine Corps. Since I have a son who is also a Marine and has been deployed twice, the Military holds a very special place in my heart. When I saw the posting from Wish Upon a Wedding about Meredith and Jake, I did not hesitate to respond to their planner request. Meredith had also been in the Marine Corps as a Naval Academy graduate. Being an Alumni, Meredith really hoped to be married at the USNA Chapel in Annapolis. Luckily they had an opening in January. Likewise, a Pastor from the church where Meredith and Jake met was able to officiate their ceremony. A team from WUW was in search "granters" who would donate their services. Historic Inns of Maryland was very gracious in offering the use of their Duke of Gloucester room and provide the food and beverage. This was a perfect venue for Meredith and Jake. LilyPad Weddings graphic design studio donated their services to create their beautiful wedding stationary with a snowflake motif. Next up was MyDeejay who provided music for the reception. Danielle Cover of Danielle Cover Photography photographed the wedding. Dave Williams of Dave's Videography volunteered to record it and Nate from Selmat Design offered to donate the florals. Wish Granters were coming together. Things had to move quickly because the Holiday's were coming up and Jake would be arriving in Virginia for Christmas. Additionally during this time, both Meredith and Jake were scheduled to attend a Prayer conference in Kansas. I contacted Debi from Debi's Cake Studio to see if she would be a wish granter. She agreed and created a beautiful wedding cake. WUW was contacted by Tara of Your Elegant Portrait who volunteered to do a pastel drawing of Meredith and Jake. And Julianne Smith "The Garter Girl" donated a garter of Meredith's choice. A few days before Christmas Kim Giammaria of Beauty Mark said she would love to do Meredith's make-up. Now the only things we were missing were a hair stylist, wedding ring for Jake and ceremony music. Shortly after Christmas we met with Michelle of Historic Inns to plan the reception logistics. We also reviewed the custom menu created by their Chef. Returning to the office, there was a confirmation from Silver Immersions of Catonsville that one of their stylists would help Meredith look beautiful.  Ray Bialek of Bialek's Music said he would provide a guitarist to play the Prelude music for the ceremony. And a few days later, Nelson Coleman Jewelers contacted WUW with a wedding ring donation for Jake. Now we were ready for a wedding! So on Friday afternoon, Meredith and Jake along with their families and bridal party gathered for their rehearsal at the USNA Chapel in Annapolis. And the next day at noon, they all came together again to witness the exchange of marriage vows. Jake is now back at Twenty-Nine Palms training for his upcoming deployment. We wish him well and hope he safely returns home to Meredith. Mon, 14 Mar 2011 00:00:00 -0500 http://encountersevents.com/blog.php?thread_id=34 http://encountersevents.com/blog.php What to do when roughly half your guests enjoy a culinary adventure and the rest are mostly meat and potatoes? With guest friendliness being a number one priority, this was the dilemma Katie and Patrick had for their wedding meal. Add the fact they had their hearts set on a big "cocktail style" party, building the perfect menu would be no easy task. So after a little tweaking and modern inspiration, Katie and Patrick decided on several dishes with classic appeal. Their eclectic menu was spread out over six different stations, each paired with the appropriate wine and culinary staff. Needless to say the menu turned out to be a huge hit!  And very reasonable at less than $130 per person! Antipasto Display: blanched Asparagus, Sesame Chicken with Red Thai dipping sauce   Passed Hors d'oeuvres: Beef Tenderloin on a Grilled Crouton with a Horseradish sauce   Torilla Chip topped with Chicken roasted Red Pepper and Guacamole   Tartlette Shells with Shrimp fresh Tomato, Lemon & Parsley   Spanikopita   Dinner Stations: Grilled Marinated Chicken with Black Bean Relish Rice Ball on Fried Tortilla Walnut Sauvignon Blanc   Seared Tuna on bed of Jicama and Mango Salad over Field Greens Brancott Sauvignon Blanc   Blackened Salmon on Lemon Parmesan Mini Risotto Cake w/Lemon Caper Mayo Chiara Pinot Grigio   Mini Crab Cakes on Crouton with Chipotle Remoulade Fried Oysters on Stone Wheat Thin Sugar Snap Peas Martin Codax Albarino   Beef Filet Tips w/Béarnaise Potatoes Dauphinoise Galette Green Beans Bercy Labour Roi Pinot Noir   Pate with Red Onion Marmalade and Cornichons Blue Cheese & Apple Tart Meslcun Greens Topped with Blue Cheese Toasted Pecans and Champagne Vinaigrette Fresh Baked Artisan Breads Martin Codax Tempranillo         Wed, 02 Mar 2011 00:00:00 -0600 http://encountersevents.com/blog.php?thread_id=33 http://encountersevents.com/blog.php Whether you choose to have a formal seated multi-course meal, or have your guests indulge in themed stations, the dessert course deserves equal attention. A beautiful tasty wedding cake or cupcake will most certainly fulfill any sweet craving your guests may have. But many couples want to offer their guests a little something extra. And while lots of weddings have dessert options besides wedding cake, it's the non-traditional fun elements couples crave. Over the last couple of years we have come across a number of fun dessert ideas. Most popular have been candy bars as a way to satisfy the sweet tooth. Brides have fun selecting assorted candies that match their wedding colors. They also enjoy picking out a variety of glass containers to make the candy even more charming. Great cost effective containers can be found at Michaels, IKEA and Hobby Lobby. It's so much fun to see the inner child come out of adult guests as they fill their baggies with treats. A more elegant take on the candy buffet are Chocolate Bars (big hit!). These can include a wide selection of truffles, chocolate bark, chocolate marshmallows, chocolate covered dried fruits and fresh strawberries. We love chocolate treats from Parfections! Professional Chocolatier and Parfections owner Kim Rigby offers complimentary tastings from her huge selection of over three dozen truffle flavors. Parfections lets couples choose from over a dozen different flavored truffles. Decadence their guests will go wild over! Another popular idea for the traditional dessert table is to incorporate miniature versions of childhood favorites. Mini homemade pies like apple, cherry and blueberry the size of a quarter complete with lattice top crust. Milk shooters with small choc chip cookies and assorted mini cheesecakes are big hits too! At a more formal wedding, why not go over the top and offer your guests bananas foster or cherries jubilee as special treat. These two elegant desserts have been around for decades but never lose that sweet vintage appeal. And for the mostly semi-formal and relaxed, a good old fashioned ice cream bar is a must. The Scottish Highland Creamery can come to your reception with 6 different ice cream flavors and an assortment of toppings. They even have a "Drunken" Bar with 6 alcohol infused ice creams. So whatever the sweet indulgence may be, cake, candy, chocolate or ice cream, there is a great way to add this ending to your sweet beginning. Mon, 21 Feb 2011 00:00:00 -0600 http://encountersevents.com/blog.php?thread_id=32 http://encountersevents.com/blog.php Last fall we met with Kate and Sajid when Kate's mother Laura began planning their October wedding.  Kate is American but lived in England for a few years and Sajid was born in India but was raised in Maryland. There were a few things they knew from the start; they wanted their wedding to be a reflection of both cultures and the color scheme would be white and green. This was going to be fun! Kate works as a morning news producer with super crazy hours; so much of the planning was done with her mother who completely understood what was important to Kate. Initially Kate had hoped to have a tented reception in her parent's backyard. However the property was in a partial flood zone so the plan changed. Instead, Kate chose Kentlands Mansion in Gaithersburg as her venue.   Kate and Sajid incorporated many things that were important to them. Bridesmaids wore beautiful celadon Sari's, while Kate wore a traditional American white gown. Their cocktail hour menu was fun American Bistro prepared by Ridgewells. Included were tiny hamburger sliders with matchstick fries, tomato soup shooters with garlic cheese puffs, mini caesar salad in rosemary tart shells and much more. Dinner was traditional Indian fare prepared by Rasika of Washington DC and serviced by Ridgewells. Dessert was classic American, with bite sized fruit pies, cheese cake bits, and milk shooters with chocolate chip cookies. The entire menu had a bit of flavor from both cultures. The ceremony had a very unique characteristic; Kate is Christian and Sajid Muslim, however they decided to have a Rabbi marry them! It was one of the most beautiful ceremonies that I have ever witnessed (and I have seen hundreds). In lieu of traditional readings, they choose to have love letters written by Kate's grandfather to her grandmother incorporated into their service. It was heartfelt, romantic and beautiful. Blackboards were another unique element that Kate and Sajid decided to incorporate into their wedding. In the past, Kate's maternal grandparents had used small chalk boards with their initials to write each other notes. So Kate and Sajid decided to use chalk boards on each of their food stations to let everyone know what was being served. Guests were also encouraged to write messages on small chalkboards and hold them up as "speech bubbles" for a photo-op.  Kate's plan was to take these pictures and make her own memory book. Guests had a blast thinking up fun things to write! Kate and Sajid borrowed the idea of Kate's grandparents chalk board initials and carried their own monograms throughout the wedding. There were hand stitched initials on pillows that Kate's mother made for the ottomans. Monikers adorned small eggs that topped their wedding cake, as well as on some carved pumpkins, and their doggie treat favors. Kate and Sajid are very passionate supporters of doggie rescues and the ASPCA. In lieu of favors, they made a donation to the ASPCA and offered guests a small favor bag of doggie treats. Kate and Sajid's family and friends travelled near and far, for this reason Kate's dad made a directional sign with mileage to the various destinations they traveled from. One bridesmaid came from Melbourne Australia, Aunts and Uncles travelled from India and Germany, other guests came from the west coast. Since the wedding date fell in the middle of our gorgeous fall season, both the inside and outside of Kentlands Mansion was decorated in a fall theme. Bales of hay topped with huge fall mums, were at the end of the ceremony aisle. Chairs held cones of biodegradable confetti for guests to toss at the end of the ceremony. Candles and pumpkins of all sizes decorated the window sills, mantles and tables. The reception was "cocktail style", so conventional seating was limited. In addition to cocktail tables, ottomans and benches were brought in to make Kentlands homier. Pictures of Kate and Sajid growing up and dating were placed throughout the Mansion. The foyer piano held photographs of their parents and grandparents weddings. From the start of the day (Kate met her bridesmaids for a morning of pampering) until the end of evening. It was a day filled with love and treasured memories.   Thu, 03 Feb 2011 00:00:00 -0600 http://encountersevents.com/blog.php?thread_id=31 http://encountersevents.com/blog.php We met with Ali and Rob early this past summer. They dated for over 10 years and have been planning their wedding for some time. But because they were both super busy with work, things stalled. Ali and Rob live a fun filled life in downtown Baltimore and they wanted their wedding to reflect this. Ali and Rob selected the Maryland Science Center as the location to host their wedding. The look of the wedding was key to Ali. She wanted something fun, modern and different, and the Science Center definitely fit the bill. The Science Center has an exclusive contract with Aramark to manage and cater their private events. Rob, an executive with Aramark, was excited to have his company and staff service his wedding. Ali drew her inspiration and color palate from a picture in a magazine. With this in mind she decided that her bridal party would each wear a different color from pale pink to deep burgundy. Needless to say, they all looked fabulous! Christine the owner of Fleur de Lis florist is so creative; I knew that she would be the perfect fit to create the unique look for Ali's florals. Ali and Rob's wedding was planned at three very unique areas of the Science Center. The ceremony was outdoors on the promenade with the alter situated between two large metal sculptures overlooking the Harbor. Dinner was inside the Science Center lobby with a huge Dinosaur overseeing the meal service. And finally, dancing and dessert was on the rooftop overlooking Baltimore's Inner Harbor. Each area was designed to have its own look. For the ceremony, Perkins Productions hung huge white fabric swags between the metal sculptures. Fleur de Lis attached cascading florals to the base of the sculptures. And trees were rented from Plant Farm to give the area a softer look and a little privacy. Cocktail tables, bars and hors d'oeuvres were set up just outside of the main entrance so that guests could immediately enjoy themselves after the ceremony. The lobby was set with traditional round tables draped in beautiful linens showcasing both high and low floral arrangements. Uplighting by Perkins added a beautiful glow. Lastly the "L" shaped roof top tent was transformed to look like a South Beach night club. Perkins installed a white floor over the entire area, hung pink, burgundy and green lanterns along with votive candles from the ceiling. Modular lounge seating was installed by Afr including illuminated cubed and scalloped side tables. Add Baltimore's city lights as the background landscape and music from C&J entertainment (mixed by Chris himself), the energy was amazing! Ali and Rob's family and friends partied all night long! And when their guests needed an energy boost, they headed for the dessert table which was filled with tempting sweets and wedding cake. Yes, Science can be fun! Mon, 17 Jan 2011 00:00:00 -0600 http://encountersevents.com/blog.php?thread_id=30 http://encountersevents.com/blog.php   Here is image uploaded via IE8         Wed, 05 Jan 2011 00:00:00 -0600 http://encountersevents.com/blog.php?thread_id=29 http://encountersevents.com/blog.php Last fall we received a call from Andrea, one of the sweetest girls we have ever worked with. Andrea was wondering if we could help plan her wedding in the Philadelphia area for Labor Day weekend 2010. She remembered us from way back in 2000' when we helped plan her brother's wedding! Well of course we wanted to work with her and her fiancé Andre! But we had to be honest with them; we are not that familiar with the area and would have to make several trips for vendor research. Being a part of NACE helped us tap into the Philadelphia area's industry network. Best of all, some of our local vendors were more than happy to travel up for the day. Andrea's first inclination was to host her reception in a very Grand Ballroom type venue with crystal chandeliers and high ceilings. But as we researched venues, Andrea saw a few other options that would fit her budget and benefit all the out of town guests. Andrea changed her mind and chose the beautiful Holly Hedge Estate in New Hope PA for the site of her wedding. It was the perfect place for her and Andre. Andre is from Philadelphia and had recently relocated to Germantown, so he had a few contacts in Pennsylvania that he hoped would contribute to his wedding. So after several trips up to New Hope (which sits along the Delaware River), we found all the vendors that would make Andrea's vision become reality. Andrea's colors were kelly green and navy blue. As we were talking flowers and décor, Andrea realized that she wanted to incorporate peacock feathers into her wedding. They were perfect since they had both of her colors in them. Andrea's invitations were created by Classic Calligraphy and each pocket invitation was sealed with a peacock feather. Peacock feathers were in Andrea's bouquet as well as floral arrangements; even her broom for the (jumping of the broom) ceremony had some feathers. September finally brought us a break from the summer heat and Andrea and Andre's wedding day was picture perfect. After spending the morning at a nearby spa, it was time for the girls to get dressed and begin photos. At 3pm, guests began arriving from Maryland, Michigan and Philadelphia to witness Andrea and Andre exchange their wedding vows. After the ceremony, guests gathered in the courtyard for hors d'oeuvres and refreshments. Then into the Ballroom they went for dinner and dancing. Guests enjoyed a delicious Holly Hedge prepared meal and dancing to the music of Blue Funk and Deejay William. At the end of the night, Andrea and Andre headed to the Honeymoon Cottage. Some of the guests went to their rooms at Holly Hedge while others boarded a shuttle destined for their hotel in Philadelphia. And others just made their way back home. Fri, 10 Dec 2010 00:00:00 -0600 http://encountersevents.com/blog.php?thread_id=28 http://encountersevents.com/blog.php October is one of the most popular months to be married in our area. Not much rain, pleasant temperatures and the leaves are changing to wonderful shades of gold, red and orange. A great color palate! We were happy to help several October couples plan and coordinate their weddings. Beth Ann and Travis at the great 1840's Ballroom, Ali and Rob at the fabulous Maryland Science Center, Jessica and Terry at Naylor Vineyards and Kate and Sajid at Kentland Mansion. Each wedding was very different, from the afternoon ceremony in the 1840's Courtyard to the elegant evening ceremony outside the Science Center overlooking Baltimore's Inner Harbor. Jessica and Terry had a casual but elegant vineyard barbeque and Kate and Sajid incorporated love letters between Kate's grandparents into their ceremony. For each of them we had perfect weather. Even if it's in a house of worship, everyone who plans their wedding would like the weather to be good, no rain, snow or sleet please. But if you are planning an outdoor ceremony as each of these couples did, it is imperative that you also have a "plan B". Now that our outdoor ceremonies are finished for this year, I do not need to check the weather forecast daily to see if it will rain. Come next spring however, AccuWeather will once again be checked on a daily basis. Thu, 02 Dec 2010 00:00:00 -0600 http://encountersevents.com/blog.php?thread_id=27 http://encountersevents.com/blog.php The day after Kevin and Amanda's wedding was Carla and Richard's wedding day. It was still a very hot day (as most days of the summer of 2010 were), but it seemed a bit more tolerable. Richard is a Botanist. So when we were thinking of potential venues, the Howard County Conservancy came to mind. It has beautiful gardens and a modern venue called the Gudelsky Center. Carla and Richard thought it was perfect for what they had in mind. The ceremony was unique and similar to Angie and Manny's wedding where the honor attendants represented different elements and cardinal directions of our planet. North Earth, West Water, South Air and East Fire. Carla's family hails from Jamaica and she really wanted to honor her culture by treating guests to her childhood cuisine. Chef Dan from the Elkridge Furnace Inn did a wonderful job with Carla's Oxtail Stew with Pigeon Peas and Rice recipe.  After the meal, dancing began! Guests enjoyed a variety of music from Latin Salsa and Caribbean Reggae to American Hip Hop. But before it was time to go home, guests were treated to a wonderful and delicious wedding cake created by the Cake Studio. Different tiers had different flavors; Mango with White Chocolate Mousse, Lemon Coconut and the last tier was filled with Carmel Mousse. To keep with Carla and Richard's ceremony theme, the cake was decorated with elements of Air, Fire, Water and Earth. Wed, 01 Dec 2010 00:00:00 -0600 http://encountersevents.com/blog.php?thread_id=26 http://encountersevents.com/blog.php Planning a wedding ceremony at the Naval Academy involves a lot of coordination with the Chapel. Only 10 cars are issued passes and allowed on base. Each vehicle has to be registered at least one week prior. Busses are encouraged; however bus numbers and driver's information must be submitted. If you wish to have photos taken in the "Superintendents Garden's", this too needs to be submitted for approval. Same procedures need to be followed with most of the other USNC grounds and halls. Music also needs to be coordinated with the Chapel. And most importantly, the ceremony must start on time. July 24th turned out to be a pretty day, but very hot, maybe the hottest day of the summer. In addition to programs and unity candles, I brought along a cooler filled with ice and bottled water for the wedding party. Photographer Rich Riggins was at the Hotel getting preparation shots of Amanda. He then hopped on a shuttle with Kevin and the groomsmen to begin the wedding party photography. The ceremony started punctually at 3 o'clock. The original plan was to have guests walk around the USNC grounds while the bridal party was having pictures taken. Because it was so hot, no one wanted to walk around outside. Instead I asked the bus drivers to take the guests on a chauffeured tour of the Academy and Annapolis. I also told the drivers to plan on arriving at the reception at 5pm. Once the shuttles arrived at the reception, it was time to "party"! But again due to the heat, guests decided to have cocktails inside the house and forgo the beautiful gardens. Guests were ushered into a very well air conditioned tent. Deejay Santana got everyone pumped up by playing the ESPN Zone's College Football Anthem. Elkridge Furnace Inn did a wonderful job preparing a Maryland favorite of Filet Mignon paired with Crab Cakes. Once fed, guests got on their feet and danced the night away, only to take a break and enjoy wedding cake and ice cream. Amanda and Kevin shipped in their favorite "Graeter's Ice Cream" from Cincinnati. Perfect way to end a hot summer's night! Tue, 30 Nov 2010 00:00:00 -0600 http://encountersevents.com/blog.php?thread_id=25 http://encountersevents.com/blog.php We received a call in February from a couple who were hoping to be married in July at the Naval Academy Chapel. Amanda and Kevin live in Cincinnati and were planning a trip to Maryland to meet with the Chapel coordinator and a few Wedding Planners. Amanda and Kevin arrived in early February for a whirlwind pre-planning weekend. They left Cincinnati on a Saturday morning, with Kevin's first task being to formally ask Amanda to marry him. That's right; Amanda was starting to plan her wedding without the prior technicality of an official engagement. So on the flight to Maryland (while the hostess was serving juice and coffee), Kevin got down on one knee and proposed to Amanda with a beautiful diamond ring. Next it was on to the hotel to meet with us and follow up on several other appointments. Before their departure on Sunday, Amanda and Kevin asked to meet with us again – this is when they decided to have Encounters plan their day. Kevin and his father were both graduates of the Naval Academy so he really wanted his celebration to be in Annapolis. Kevin originally thought one of the downtown Annapolis Hotels would be fine for the party. However, we could tell that the Hotel was not the "perfect" venue for Amanda. We asked, "if the reception were to be held in Ohio, what kind of venue would they choose? Amanda liked the idea of a Historic home with beautiful gardens. So with that in mind, we thought the Elkridge Furnace Inn would be the ideal spot for her. She loved the pictures on the Elkridge website! A few weeks later, Amanda flew back to Maryland for a day of planning with her mom. We filled the day with a visit to the Elkridge Furnace Inn followed by photography and floral meetings. Then it was time for Amanda to get back on a plane to Ohio. We only had one more weekend visit with Amanda and Kevin before their wedding. This visit included a menu & cake tasting, deejay meeting and linen selections. Mon, 29 Nov 2010 00:00:00 -0600 http://encountersevents.com/blog.php?thread_id=24 http://encountersevents.com/blog.php We plan lots of weddings, but we also produce other events too, Groundbreaking Ceremonies, Fundraisers, Corporate Galas, Product Launch, Holiday Parties, Birthday Parties, and Company Picnics. Whatever the reason to host an event, Encounters is here to help. Finding the right venue is always a key factor that will ensure your event is well attended. Event sites need to be easily accessible and parking should be hosted or affordable. Another consideration is to be sure the message that you want to convey is easily recognized. This past summer we put together an annual picnic for one of our regular corporate clients. Generally this is hosted at a venue that has lots of outdoor grounds. But because their winter party had to be postponed twice due to the 2009 snowstorms, this year's picnic was held at the Gaylord Hotel. This was the site of their canceled winter event which had a requirement that the Gaylord hold this group to their contractual obligation. So we used part of the Gaylord's massive exhibit hall, which led outside to a great view of the Potomac. The venue worked out extremely well because of our exceptionally hot summer.  To give the (unfinished) exhibit hall a fun look, we had Fabrications drape the columns in primary colors. This also helped to conceal most the exposed electrical panels and piping. We had huge inflatables indoors for the children with water slides and other activities outdoors on the patio. Buffets for the expected 1,200 guests were inside along with most of the seating. We also provided outdoor seating for those guests who enjoy the warm temperatures and wanted to take in the view. Everyone enjoyed the entire picnic experience, from the young to the "young at heart". There was a lavish picnic inspired menu with ice cream bars, cotton candy and popcorn machines, plenty of games and Caribbean sounds from the Mellowtones. Ending the day was an early evening fireworks display which the Gaylord puts on each Saturday night over the summer. Company employees and their families all left on a high note; children with their carnival game prizes, adults with their bingo winnings and management with appreciative employees. Fri, 26 Nov 2010 00:00:00 -0600 http://encountersevents.com/blog.php?thread_id=23 http://encountersevents.com/blog.php One of our biggest hot buttons is a photographer who does not understand the big picture (pun intended) of capturing the needs and and wants of their clients. When we first started Encounters eleven years ago, many photographers subscribed to a very dated and inept approach to shooting weddings and events. Retaining negatives for future sale, little or no candid shots and consuming much of the clients "party time" with predetermined portraiture was common practice. We are very selective when recommending photographers to our clients. Wedding couples of course have strong opinions as to how and what should be captured.  Most want some portraiture and lots of candid shots. It is super important that couples have a very strong comfort level with their photographer. Couples should be able to relax and enjoy themselves for hours unaware their photographer is close by. Last weekend I visited the beautiful United States Naval Academy Chapel in Annapolis to familiarize myself with how their wedding ceremonies flow. I wanted to be prepared for one of our upcoming client ceremonies. I have coordinated many wedding receptions where the ceremony took place at the Naval Academy, but I needed to be refreshed. So on Saturday afternoon I met with Claire the Chapel Coordinator and we went through all the do's and don'ts of the Chapel. Because the chapel has so many requests from Naval Academy graduates, weddings are done with military precision and always start on time. No flower arrangements are allowed to be brought in, only bouquets and boutonnieres. After going through all the paper work and touring the Chapel, Claire invited me to watch the scheduled 2:00 wedding. At exactly 1:45, the organ music began and the grandparents were seated. At 1:50, the mothers were seated and the groom came out with is attendants. At 1:57, the bridesmaids entered and walked down the very long aisle to be seated on the altar. At precisely 2:00, the bride was escorted down the aisle by her father and exactly 2:30 the recessional began. Perfect! After the ceremony, the bride and groom were ushered into a small room about 20 feet from the end of the aisle. The bridal party recessed out of the Chapel and one of the (two) photographers was taking photos of them walking up. In the meantime the bride and groom were standing in the open doorway of the vestibule having a few minutes alone; smelling her bouquet and taking in the experience. This was such an emotional time for them. I could not believe these photographers never thought to document this significant moment! One photographer standing behind me was looking right at them, but not once did she raise her camera to capture these priceless images. THIS WAS THE MONEY SHOT! All of our recommended photographers would have broken away from their "recessional shots" and captured the couple reflecting on their new status as husband and wife timing is everything. Mon, 22 Nov 2010 00:00:00 -0600 http://encountersevents.com/blog.php?thread_id=22 http://encountersevents.com/blog.php I love to look at water, cool pools, lazy rivers, lakes and the mighty ocean. Water is just beautiful to watch. During mid June we had the honor of coordinating Heather and Grant's wedding at her Uncle's beautiful home overlooking the Magothy River. Heather and Grant grew up in the Atlanta area however Heather's family originates from Maryland. So Heather decided to fulfill her dream of a Maryland wedding at her Uncle's house. With all outdoor weddings, I keep a vigilant watch on the weather forecast for updates on what to expect. The forecast called for sunshine with a bit of humidity but no rain. Great!! As guests arrived they were greeted with Ice cold Water and Lemonade with warm welcoming music from the Mellowtones. The ceremony music began at six o'clock. Heather and Grant had opted not to have a bridal party, only Grant's nephew who had the honor of being a ring bearer. And fitting of a Maryland waterfront wedding, rings were carried in a conch shell. Once the ceremony was over, guests enjoyed light hors d'oeuvres and refreshments including a wonderful Margarita mixture based on a recipe from Heathers Mom. Lounge seating, tiki torches and silver lanterns set the mood on one side of the lawn, while the other was tented for dinner and dancing. Guests enjoyed a wonderful grill station with tenderloin, lamb chops and salmon grilled to order. Delicious Pasta with Shrimp, Caesar Salad and Asparagus were accompaniments. After everyone had plenty to eat, it was time to dance! Deejay Carl Bashiers did a super job keeping everyone up on their feet and moving. After the last dance at 11pm, it was time for guests to say goodnight to Heather and Grant. Everyone held sparklers and lined the walkway leading to the dock. Heather and Grant made their way down the sparkling arch and boarded her Uncle's boat for a wonderful getaway. They spent their first night as husband and wife at the Annapolis Marriott and then it was off to Greece. Thu, 18 Nov 2010 00:00:00 -0600 http://encountersevents.com/blog.php?thread_id=21 http://encountersevents.com/blog.php Thinking back to Memorial Day Weekend, we had been working with Katie and Patrick to plan a wonderful celebration of their love. Katie and Patrick are a very metropolitan couple who met each other in Washington DC. They also love the outdoors! After visiting several venues in the Baltimore area, they feel in love with the Elkridge Furnace Inn. Their wedding weekend started with a rehearsal picnic at Rockburn Park which was catered by "MD Hogg" who brought his big smoker. Along with the standard picnic foods and salads there was also a whole hog! Guests had a blast eating and playing. On Sunday the atmosphere was much different. At exactly six o'clock, the string quartet began playing Trumpet Tune while Katie was escorted down the aisle by her father. Katie and Patrick exchanged vows they had written to one another. After the ceremony, guests enjoyed cocktails on the grounds and throughout the Manor Houseuntil it was time to get the party started. The band Round Midnight immediately had guests dancing which continued throughout the night. Katie and Patrick asked for an upbeat party - and they got it! From the "cocktail" style seating with iridescent orange and apple green linens to the tapas style menu, their guests had a blast! Unfortunately this celebration had to end. So along with their guests, Katie and Patrick hopped on board a school bus and were shuttled back to their hotel. Then it was off on their Northern California honeymoon where they planned to hike for ten days. Mon, 15 Nov 2010 00:00:00 -0600 http://encountersevents.com/blog.php?thread_id=20 http://encountersevents.com/blog.php On occasion we get to be a "guest" as we were at Angie and Manny's Faerie Festival wedding. Angie is one of our son's best friends and they even share the same birthday. Angie is a true free spirit and the Faerie Festival was the perfect place for her Wedding. Angie wore a traditional wedding dress and Manny wore a traditional tuxedo. She was escorted down the grassy hillside by both her parents and a Faerie riding a unicorn. The ceremony included several close friends who represented the four elements, earth, fire, water and air. After a very spiritual ceremony, guests followed the bride and groom to a small tented area where Angie and Manny cut their cake, tossed the bouquet and garter. Afterwards, guests were invited to a picnic lunch and wedding cupcakes, then off to stroll the festival grounds and mingle with the Faeries. Fri, 12 Nov 2010 00:00:00 -0600 http://encountersevents.com/blog.php?thread_id=19 http://encountersevents.com/blog.php When we first met with Krystal and Zach, Krystal told us she grew up in South Carolina and really liked the old antebellum style homes. With that in mind, we thought that Mount Airy Mansion in Upper Marlboro would be the perfect place for her and she loved it! Krystal really loves flowers and we met with several florists before she chose to work with Christine of Fleur de Lis. Christine created beautiful bouquets for the ladies, floral wands for the flower girls and fabulous arrangements for the tables. All incorporated some of Krystal's favorite colors of hot pink, purple and yellow. Going along with her floral garden theme, Krystal choose to display her guests seating assignments on wooden flowers set on dowels in a bed of wheat grass. Krystal and Zach first met in medical school on the beautiful island of St Maarten and wanted to add a little Caribbean flavor to their menu. Pineapple Alley Catering came up with a stations menu that included Caribbean, Southern and of course Maryland foods. After a beautiful outdoor ceremony, (which included their English Bulldog Mosley as ring bearer) guests enjoyed cocktails on the grounds. Catering Staff butlered hors d'oeuvres and Krystal and Zach's signature drinks of Firefly's and non-alcoholic Daiquiris. After dinner and dancing, guests were treated to a decadent chocolate bar from Parfections. They indulged on a variety of Chocolate truffles, bark and fruits dipped in dark and white chocolate. To end the night, guests were invited to fill up goody bags with assorted yellow, pink and purple candies from Krystal and Zach's Candy Bar. Thu, 11 Nov 2010 00:00:00 -0600 http://encountersevents.com/blog.php?thread_id=18 http://encountersevents.com/blog.php Even though it's a pretty rainy month, May has always been very popular for weddings. Our May Brides were very lucky this year since they all had great weather for their weddings. We had several weddings in May that we planned and coordinated – and one we attended as guests. All were very different and unique to each couple. Mary and Bruce are a couple that loves the outdoors. They first met when Mary joined a cycling club which Bruce was a member. Because of their strong connection to the outdoors, and Mary's family background in the floral industry, their venue had to be ideal. The beautiful Gudelsky Center at the Howard County Conservancy was perfect! Mary and her bridesmaids had five of the most adorable flower girls ever! After a meaningful ceremony at First Lutheran Church in Ellicott City, all the guests headed out for a short drive to the Conservancy. Cocktails and hors d'oeuvres were served outside in the gardens. Along with family members, Mary and Bruce and spent a few minutes reflecting in the Conservancy's Honor Garden - an area where they were able to dedicate a few plants in honor of her parents who passed away. After cocktails, guests came inside to enjoy a wonderful buffet prepared by My Thyme Catering and danced into the evening. For their honeymoon, Mary and Bruce spent a week in North Carolina's Great Smokies cycling. Wed, 09 Jun 2010 00:00:00 -0500 http://encountersevents.com/blog.php?thread_id=17 http://encountersevents.com/blog.php March 20th, the first day of Spring, a new season and new beginning. Daffodils and Forsythia bushes are blooming bright yellow flowers. And soon Tulips will be bursting in great color profusion. Spring has sprung and love is in the air.   The first day of Spring is the date that Jennifer and Victor choose as the start of their new life together. And oh what a beautiful first day of spring it was! After all the snow Maryland had in February, Jennifer and Victor had a beautiful warm and sunny day.   Jennifer is a girly girl who loves pink! With that in mind, pink was the color of the day. Her bridesmaids wore beautiful hot pink dresses and carried bouquets of white calla lilies with hot pink orchids. Jennifer's bouquet was hot and soft pink orchids.   The day started bright and early with hair and makeup at her parents' house. Once helped into her beautiful Maggie Sottero gown, Jason Lee began with photographs. Then it was time to climb into her waiting Limousine and off to church to be married. Because of Jennifer's Puerto Rican background we also included the Monedas Ceremony (trece monedas de oro). Thirteen gold coins were blessed and given to Jennifer; she then gave them to Victor. The coins signify that Victor will support her and she will share his wealth. These coins will then become part of their family heirloom.   After the ceremony, Jennifer and Victor exited the church and got into their limousine as guests gathered outside and popped confetti. Off they went to meet up with their bridal party and families for photo's - then on to their reception at the Sheraton Columbia. Because of the great weather, guests were able to enjoy a Martini bar Ice Luge and other cocktails on the patio overlooking Lake Kittamiquandi.   Guests were ushered into the Ballroom and found their seats at tables named after Victor's favorite Computer game – World of War Craft, which his buddies got a big kick out of! After dinner the deejay went into dance mode and the floor quickly filled up. Jennifer changed out of her big heavy wedding dress into a short sexy white number she could dance in.   While guests were busy having fun on the dance floor, we began setting up Jennifer's very pink candy buffet. Over a dozen different pink candies were available for guests to fill their candy bags with. Yummy sweet treats included; pink M&M's, pink and white marshmallow hearts, hot pink rock candy sticks, white and pink lollypops, Pink Hershey kisses, Dove chocolates, pink Good & Plenty, Strawberry Malt balls and much much more.   Eventually the evening had to end. After Jennifer and Victor's last dance to Journeys "Don't stop Believing", guests bid them good night and wished them fun on their Honeymoon Cruise. Bon Voyage!     Tue, 30 Mar 2010 00:00:00 -0500 http://encountersevents.com/blog.php?thread_id=16 http://encountersevents.com/blog.php Baltimore, Maryland – January 19, 2010 - WeddingWire, the nation's leading wedding technology company, just announced Encounters, Inc has been selected to receive the 2010 Bride's Choice Awards™ for Wedding Planning! The annual Bride's Choice Awards™ recognizes and celebrates excellence in quality and service within the wedding industry, as determined by recent reviews and extensive surveys from over 500,000 newlyweds. Encounters, Inc is among the top five percent of all vendors in the WeddingWire community, which includes over 100,000 wedding professionals across the US and Canada. Awards were given to winners across 19 different service categories, from wedding venues to wedding photographers. "We are excited to recognize and honor the success of the top wedding professionals within the WeddingWire Community" said Timothy Chi, WeddingWire's Chief Executive Officer. "The annual Bride's Choice Awards™ program has given us the unique opportunity to highlight the best wedding professionals in each region as reviewed by brides and grooms who have utilized their services in the past year." We are happy to announce that Encounters, Inc is among the very best Wedding Planners within the WeddingWire Network, which includes WeddingWire and Martha Stewart Weddings. We would like to thank our past newlyweds for nominating us for the 2010 Bride's Choice Awards™. For more information, please visit our WeddingWire Storefront. About WeddingWire, Inc. WeddingWire is the only online wedding planning resource designed to empower both engaged couples and wedding vendors. WeddingWire enables engaged couples to search, compare and book over 100,000 reviewed wedding vendors nationwide, from wedding photographers to wedding cakes. WeddingWire also offers an online community and a suite of cutting-edge planning tools, including wedding websites and wedding checklists, all at no charge. For wedding vendors, WeddingWire provides free online management tools creating the only market opportunity that gives businesses control over their clients, reviews, leads and performance. In addition, WeddingWire has partnered with Martha Stewart Living Omnimedia, Inc. (NYSE: MSO) to provide its network of local vendors and online wedding-planning tools in the Weddings section of http://www.marthastewartweddings.com/. For additional information, please visit http://www.weddingwire.com/.   Thu, 21 Jan 2010 00:00:00 -0600 http://encountersevents.com/blog.php?thread_id=15 http://encountersevents.com/blog.php   After 6 months of long distance planning, Deanna and Eric's wedding day was finally here. Everyone gathered at Savage Manor for the rehearsal, and then it was off to one of Deanna's Favorite restaurants"Aida's" for the pre-celebration dinner. Deanna was a bit anxious because the weather forecast was calling for snow. We really did not want a repeat of the massive Maryland snowstorm just three weeks before. Friday morning dawned and snow had fallen overnight. But it was only a couple of inches so everything looked bright white and sparkling clean. Just enough so driving would not be a problem. Hair and makeup for the bridal party started at 10:00 in the morning. I checked in with them at 1:00 pm and everyone looked greatwe were on time! Next stop; pick up Deanna's gown from the seamstress. Then it was time to change clothes, pack up the candles, menus, emergency kit and head out to Savage Manor. Deanna arrived right on time, followed by Anne Sachs of Artful Weddingsand the photography began. Documenting the wedding and emotions of their guests was very important to Deanna and Eric. So immediately after the ceremony, we gathered the bridal party and guests for a group portrait. Then it was outside for some intimate photos of Deanna and Eric in the snow. With a nod to the Military Traditions of both their families, the wedding cake was cut with a prized Marine Corps sword belonging to Deanna's Father. Once their guests had a taste of delicious wedding cake from the Cake Studio, they were ready to dance the night away. Wed, 20 Jan 2010 00:00:00 -0600 http://encountersevents.com/blog.php?thread_id=14 http://encountersevents.com/blog.php Lots of couples get engaged on New Years Eve. What better way to end a year and start a New Year!   New Years Eve is also a fabulous time to get married. You will be surrounded by family and friends as you commit your lives to each other. Then everyone is ready for a great party and the countdown to midnight! You can have so much fun with the décor of your New Years Eve celebration. Pair your favorite colors with silver or gold and you have a great look. If you are getting married in a city like Baltimore, Washington, DC or Philadelphia, consider hosting your wedding at a waterfront venue.  These areas generally offer a (free!) fireworks show at midnight. Baltimore venues like the Waterfront Marriott, Pier V, Science Center, The Harbor Court Inter Continental and Museum of Industry, all have a super view of the harbor and fireworks. Ringing in the New Year as husband and wife will give your guests two great reasons to celebrate!   Fri, 01 Jan 2010 00:00:00 -0600 http://encountersevents.com/blog.php?thread_id=13 http://encountersevents.com/blog.php Want to take a chance and have your guests reserve their rooms individually at a better rate?  The problem with this is you run the risk of another unexpected group reserving all of your local hotel rooms. Without a contracted block of rooms, hotels cannot guarantee availability when your guests eventually decide to book.  We have seen this happen on a few occasions where a city or county wide group booked up everything within a 50 mile radius.   There are advantages to reserving a block of rooms such as the ability to access rooming lists and make accommodation requests. Keeping track of your guests also allows you to issue gift bags and event information more efficiently. Calling around looking for attendees outside a room block can be challenging. Hotels are generally secure with guest information and will not offer it up very easily, if at all.   Best thing to do is check out the online rates offered by the major hotel room discounters. Use these rates as a negotiating point while reserving your rooms. Your negotiated group rate may be a few dollars more than the online discounters. But you will have peace of mind knowing the hotel will keep your rooms on hold when another group comes knocking. See: Conflicting Group Hotel Rates - Part I Mon, 07 Dec 2009 00:00:00 -0600 http://encountersevents.com/blog.php?thread_id=12 http://encountersevents.com/blog.php   So you reserved a block of rooms for the out-of-towners attending your upcoming event. A little time goes by and one of your guests contacts you to say they got a better rate at the same hotel. Naturally upset, you contact the hotel to find out what the deal isor lack of.   Thinking the hotel pulled a fast one; the rate probably did not come from them. Chances are your guest received the lower rate from an online company like Hotels.com, Cheap Hotels and Travelocity. These online discount companies are licensed to sell rooms for profit. In turn, the hotels get advertizing exposure.   Second and third party online rates are generally exclusive to individual or transient guests. So don't expect to get group blocks from these companies. For the exception of slow periods, most hotels only allocate 3-5 rooms for discounted online sales.   Your guest may mention they got the rate directly from the Hotel web site. In this case, a hotel management company is probably hosting the site on behalf of your selected hotel. The management company may be using the same online marketing tools as conventional hotel rate discounters.   Fri, 04 Dec 2009 00:00:00 -0600 http://encountersevents.com/blog.php?thread_id=11 http://encountersevents.com/blog.php It is a common request that fathers want to say a few words at their daughter's wedding. And dads are always asking us what they should say. After witnessing many-a-toast, here are a few of our guidelines. Do not feel you have to include them all.   1) Welcome your guests, and thank long distance family and friends for traveling. 2) Tell a favorite little story about your daughter at a young age. 3) Mention proud achievements and fulfilled dreams, culminating into the woman your daughter has become. 3) Welcome groom into the family, i.e. "did not lose a daughter, but gained a son" sort of thing. 4) Give the groom some tips/notes (in a humorous way). 5) Mention the joining of two families. 6) Express the hopes and expectations, you have for your daughter's future in marriage.   9) Remember this is a wedding, not a "roast". DO NOT tell long drawn out embarrassing and comedic stories filled with jokes, insults and criticism. This is more appropriate for the rehearsal dinner. 7) Most importantly, keep your speech short - preferably 5-8 minutes max. Guests tend to get antsy and bored with long toasts. Tue, 24 Nov 2009 00:00:00 -0600 http://encountersevents.com/blog.php?thread_id=10 http://encountersevents.com/blog.php Ahnothing like departing your wedding in a two-tone 1952 Bentley at the gaze of all your guests. Or waving to the crowd from a 57' Chevy convertible during your groundbreaking parade. These classic cars are rare, expensive and serious head turners. Riding in one of these babies screams romance, power and privilege.   Because so few are in good condition, vintage cars can be pricey to rent. Costs can range from $450-$700 for 3-4 hours of use. Like most older model vehicles, classic cars are notoriously unreliable and need constant care and maintenance. We have heard a few stories about wedding couples who reserved a specific vehicle, only to find out it broke down and something different showed up.   Due to possible mechanical problems and accidents, transportation companies will be hard pressed to guarantee your selected vehicle. When choosing a classic car, ask if the undercarriage is original or new. For better reliability, some transportation companies will swap the old chassis for a newer Ford or Chevy. Just be sure they will provide you with a reasonable replacement based on your preferred color, make and model. Always a good thing to check out the fleet in person. Thu, 05 Nov 2009 00:00:00 -0600 http://encountersevents.com/blog.php?thread_id=9 http://encountersevents.com/blog.php In this weak economy, it only seems fitting that we address the many inquiries for weddings under $10,000. Many of these requests are for 100-200 guests. Hosting a wedding at these numbers can be a bit of a challenge, especially in the Maryland/Wash DC/Virginia area. For a nice quality wedding under 10k (besides the local church hall or VFW), 200 is a stretch but 100 guests may be possible. Since the majority of your budget will be spent on venue and catering, this is where you should focus your immediate attention. Keep in mind some sacrifices will have to be made in terms of menu, day, date and even time of day. Hosting a Saturday evening wedding during the springtime or fall still commands top dollar. However many venues and caterers are feeling the economic pinch and are offering better-than-usual deals during "off peak" times. You should start looking at caterers who have their own exclusive venues. They want the catering business and generally have the power to control any additional rental fees. You will also have a better chance of negotiating with one company. Caterers want to fill as many empty slots as possible, so be sure to ask about off-peak packages. Mid to late summer and winter dates are where you will find your best deals. Friday and Sunday even better. Select a lunchtime wedding and you should really save big! Wed, 28 Oct 2009 00:00:00 -0500 http://encountersevents.com/blog.php?thread_id=8 http://encountersevents.com/blog.php Friday morning started with a hair and makeup consult from the talented Ana Kenny. Deanna experimented with different versions of the popular "half-up half-down" requiring a follow up appointment with Ana in January.   Next stop: dress fitting. Deanna thought she would wear a ballet type slipper for the wedding, however the intricate design on the bottom her dress allowed for little hemming. So Deanna decided to look for shoes with a ¼ inch heel to match the claret in her dress.   An appointment was scheduled to meet with the offficiant over lunch. After introductions, I excused myself and left them to discuss the ceremony. The rest of the evening was filled with DYI tasks for Deanna and her bridesmaids.   We started bright and early on Saturday with a floral appointment to discuss bouquets, boutonnières, ceremony arrangements and centerpieces. Then we called it a day so Deanna could get ready to attend a friend's wedding.   Before heading back to Missouri, Deanna had one last set of appointments. These included meeting her photographer Ann Sachs of Artful Weddings and interviewing a Deejay. Deanna accomplished a lot in four days.   Now it was time for Deanna to head back to Missouri and straight off to work. As for us, it was time to review and tweak her contracts and services. Back to phone calls and emails.   See you in January Deanna! Tue, 27 Oct 2009 00:00:00 -0500 http://encountersevents.com/blog.php?thread_id=7 http://encountersevents.com/blog.php Encounters has had a number of brides who do not live locally, but wanted to be married in the Maryland/D.C area. We had clients from England, California, Washington, Texas, and New Yorkjust to name a few.   Some brides want to come back to Maryland because they grew up here and others because this is where they met their husband to be. Much of planning is done by email and phone calls. But when a bride can make a visit to Maryland, we cram month's worth of planning into a few days.   Right now we are working with Deanna who lives in Missouri. Deanna came home earlier this month to plan her January wedding to Eric. This was her only trip home, so she had to meet and contract with all her potential wedding vendors. Of course we had not even met Deanna yet! From the beginning, all communication with Deanna was through email, phone calls and her mother.   First thing on the agenda was to visit the venue that Deanna had contracted based on photos her mother had taken. Deanna was thrilled with Savage Manor! She had a wonderful tour of the venue, and then off to her cake tasting. Deanna had an idea of how she wanted her cake to look, but just needed to taste and pick her flavors.   After the cake tasting, we headed back to Laurel for a menu tasting with Putting on the Ritz. POTR is the exclusive caterer at Savage Manor where Deanna and her mother were greeted warmly, and immediately offered appetizers. After tasting several menu options, Deanna and her mother choose their menu and selected table linens.   That was the end of day one. Mon, 26 Oct 2009 00:00:00 -0500 http://encountersevents.com/blog.php?thread_id=6 http://encountersevents.com/blog.php On those weekends that we do not have a wedding scheduled, Encounters is still busy with wedding planning. There can be floral appointments in the morning, cake tastings at lunch and perhaps a photography appointment in the late afternoon. Some days we are just busy touring venues with our clients to help them find the perfect place for their celebration.   So last weekend, while I was thankful that I did not have to deal with a disappointed bride because of the early nor'easter that hit Maryland - we toured venues with Samantha and Brandon. Key for them is water! They really would like to host their wedding overlooking the Chesapeake Bay or a river leading into it.   Initially we had started looking at a couple of venues in Baltimore like the Museum of Industry, Maryland Science Center and Pier V. Our second expedition included the Phillip Merrill Center at the Chesapeake Bay Foundation in Annapolis, the Silver Swan in Stevensville and Chesapeake Bay Beach Club. Then we headed out to St Michael's and visited The Oaks. Even a cold rainy day could not take away from the beauty of this venue. Brandon, Samantha and her mother all fell in love the place. They knew that this would be a wonderful place to celebrate their love with family and friends.   Now on with the planning Fri, 23 Oct 2009 00:00:00 -0500 http://encountersevents.com/blog.php?thread_id=5 http://encountersevents.com/blog.php Ann Louise and Michael choose beautiful Swan Harbor on the banks of the Susquehanna River to be site of their wedding ceremony and reception. The celebration began on Friday with their rehearsal at the Lighthouse followed by a dinner cruise on the Lantern Queen. It was a perfect night for a scenic boat ride. Saturday dawned gray and drizzly, but while Ann Louise and her ladies were getting their hair and make up done, the rain slowly dissipated and the sun began to peak through.   Ann Louise and Michael are a super fun couple who know how to kick-back and enjoy life. With this in mind, Ann Louise provided lawn games including Baggo and Bocce Ball for her guests to play.   One of Michael's passions (other than Ann Louise) is goose hunting. And Ann Louise wanted to acknowledge this at the wedding. For Michael's boutonnière, Ann Louise asked Teresa of Floral Impressions to use mini cattails - which of course were in her bouquet also! The ceremony aisle was lined with seasonal red and orange mums that Teresa had put in moss lined containers. These mums were recycled as centerpieces on some of the guest tables.   Another nod to Michael's love of goose hunting was a surprise Grooms cake that was a replica of a sleeping goose. Guests commented on how real the feathers looked! Debi from the Cake Studio did a great job on the wedding and grooms cake.   After a long evening of celebration with friends and family, Ann Louise and Michael climbed aboard one of their Shuttles and headed back to Aberdeen. The party continued till the wee hours at the Holiday Inn where everyone eventually headed off to sleep. Thu, 22 Oct 2009 00:00:00 -0500 http://encountersevents.com/blog.php?thread_id=4 http://encountersevents.com/blog.php Finally after all of the planning, Jennifer and Greg arrived from California for their wedding at Jennifer's childhood home in Ellicott City. During the few occasions Jennifer was able to visit Maryland for wedding planning, rain or sleet filled the air. We were a little worried that her dream of being married outdoors in front of her parents beautiful home may need to be altered. But Mother Nature smiled on all of us and gave Jennifer a beautiful late summer day. The festivities began Thursday evening when Greg's family arrived from California with a welcome party at the Sheraton Columbia Town Center Hotel. Continuing the next day, after the rehearsal, everyone climbed on board a shuttle and headed to Baltimore for food, drink and an Orioles game. Unfortunately the Birds lost but that did not dampen the mood. It was during a trip to Paris that Greg surprised Jennifer with her engagement ring. This was the inspiration for their French Cafe wedding theme. Foods prepared by Simply Elegant had a French flavor. Centerpieces created by Christine's team from Fleur de Lis made you feel as if you were dining at a Parisian Bistro. Saturday was a sun filled day with highs in the mid-seventies. Jennifer spent the early afternoon having her hair and makeup done, and then on to some pre-wedding photo's with her bridal party. The reception was scheduled to end at 10:30 pm; however the party was still in full swing! As Michael Valenti kept the dance floor filled with his wonderful mix of music. Jennifer wanted to keep her party goingso we did. After the 3rd last dance, the music finally ended at 12:30 am. As the shuttle driver was ready to chauffeur the last few guests back to their hotel, the bridal party had other ideas. Now it was time for a pool party! One by one most of the groomsmen and a couple of bridesmaids made celebratory leaps into the pool. And in the endJennifer however gracefulalso took the plunge. An unplanned "Trash the Dress". Of course, every fun party needs a signature cocktail. Jennifer and Greg offered their guests French Martini's served from an Ice Luge.   French Martini 2oz. Vodka (Grey Goose) 1oz. Chambord 11 ½ oz. Pineapple Juice   Pour Vodka, liquor and juice into a mixing glass. Add ice, stir to chill and strain into a Martini glass. Enjoy!         Thu, 01 Oct 2009 00:00:00 -0500 http://encountersevents.com/blog.php?thread_id=3 http://encountersevents.com/blog.php Lately the amount of inquiries for charitable events have not diminished much. Given the obvious state of our economy, recipients of these fundraising efforts are struggling and need help more than ever. And to no one's surprise, charitable foundation budgets have been pretty tight lately. What makes planning these events most challenging? Guest counts and expectations remain the sameif not more so. But the fundraising must go on! Our first thought for a successful fundraiser is appealing to the donors. These would be individuals and organizations that frequent social events and expect something special for their support. Not everything needs to be over the top. However a pleasant and stimulating environment with a little creativity can go a long way. The goal is to maintain longtime supporters, gain new friends and make money. To get the most bang for your buck, follow the best deals instead of trying to create them on your own terms. The date in particular is key to this one. Saturday evenings during the peak months of Spring and Fall seem ideal, yet expensive. You will also be competing with other social and personal events. Avoid local, national and religious holidays too. A great attendance means more donations! Weekdays are ideal for charitable events on a budget. Supporters will look forward to breaking away from their busy work schedules to attend a festive event for a good cause. Better yet, many event professionals offer deep discounts for weekdays since the majority of their business is on weekends. Ask a few preferred venues, caterers and other service professionals what their policies are regarding charitable contributions. Mention your organization is flexible and open to all available options during slow periods. This could yield anything from a donation to below average discounts. Compare estimates from your various offers to come up with the most budget friendly date, location and vendor services. As with all fundraisers, incentives for potential vendors will greatly enhance your negotiating opportunities. First and foremost are tax breaks, free advertising, cross promotion and bartering. Sending event professionals a few client referrals is also a welcome gesture. Tap into relationships you have with your benefactors and encourage them to consider your vendor referrals when booking future events. Mon, 07 Sep 2009 00:00:00 -0500 http://encountersevents.com/blog.php?thread_id=2 http://encountersevents.com/blog.php Meet Peyton and Karin Craig owners of Encounters Inc., a Maryland and Washington D.C. based event planning company. Established in 1999, Encounters specializes in planning, consulting and coordination of weddings, corporate and other special events. Encounters has serviced hundreds of weddings and special events for fortune 500 companies, major healthcare institutions and government contractors. Their industry knowledge has been featured by media publications such as Style, Brides, theknot, Baltimore Sun and Washington Post. Recognized for their expertise and client advocacy, Encounters has gained a reputation as a leader in the event planning industry. Peyton and Karin love what they do! They enjoy meeting new people, take pleasure in the happiness of others, are devoted to the success of their efforts and thrive on new ideas and changing needs. More... Tue, 18 Aug 2009 00:00:00 -0500 http://encountersevents.com/blog.php?thread_id=1