The SoCo Events Blog Has Moved!

Not only have we JUST launched our new SoCo Events website, but our blog can now be found on our website as well!  Please check out our new website and blog HERE!  

xo, The SoCo Events Team

Photo Courtesy of KateSpade.com

EVENT: Rivini Trunk Show at Carine's Bridal

EVENT: Bliss Monique Lhuillier Spring 2013 at Carine's Bridal Atelier

Shop the gorgeous Bliss Monique Lhuillier Spring 2013 Collection at Carine's Bridal Atelier September 27, 28 and 29!  

Book your appointment today by calling 202.965.4696.

Perfect Presentation!

It is no surprise how powerful the art of presentation can be.  This is even more true in the wedding world.  How you present your wedding details gives guests a glimpse into your style and sets the tone for your entire day.  We believe that every decision you make should be an opportunity to infuse style into your wedding and truly "brand" your day!  

Here are a few of our favorite pretty presentations...

This homemade Limoncello looks like something off the shelves of a gourmet  grocery 

Cake in a jar complete with a spoon...these may not last the car ride home!

Simple macaroons look lovely with the detailed packaging

We custom made these welcome packets for our bride.  They were a gorgeous presentation and kept everything neatly in place! 

Another favorite from a past bride.  Cookies look anything but ordinary with a monogram label and beautiful bow!

These "Hangover Helpers" were a huge hit at the after party!  The kit kept in theme and color and came in handy the next morning!




How are you branding your big day??

{Photo Credits: 1-Elizabeth Anne Designs, 2-The Antique Door, 3-Martha Stewart Weddings, 4-Justine Ungaro, 5&6-Isacson Studios}

BRIDAL BEAUTY: Make-up Tips

Preparing for your wedding day can be an incredibly stressful time for many ‘brides to be’.  To help you out, we have created a series called ‘Bridal Beauty’.   ‘Bridal Beauty’ is a series of beauty tips that will help you to alleviate some of the pressure.  We want you to sit back, relax and enjoy the process of prepping for your walk down the aisle.

The team at SoCo Events has held the hands of many brides through the process of creating their bridal beauty regiment and appointments.   We are here to share with you some of our wisdom and best wedding day beauty practices.

This is our third post in this series, ‘Bridal Beauty: Make-up Tips'.  Remember, it is just as important to stay on track with your beauty appointments as you do with your hair appointments as we suggested in our first Bridal Beauty Post.

·       In our first post of this series, I mentioned the importance of booking your wedding day hair stylist early on in the planning process.  You should absolutely do the same when booking your wedding day make-up artist. If you are working with a planner, this is something he/she should book for you right away.  The DC area’s most talented make-up artists book at least a year in advance during busy wedding season.  Therefore, if you get engaged and know who you want to doll you up on your big day, then don’t hesitate to get on their appointment book!
 

·       When booking your appointment with your make-up artist, make sure that you schedule a trial make-up session. I often coordinate my Client’s hair and makeup trial with a purpose.  What I mean by this is I will book the trial on the day of the couple’s engagement shoot or on the day of the bride’s boudoir session – this way the cost of the trial is well worth it!

·       Create a beauty inspiration board! The easiest and most popular place to do this is on PINTEREST.  I tell my Clients to create a beauty inspiration board to prepare for their hair and make-up trial.  Keep a folder of the looks that you like or want to emulate on your wedding day.  This way, you and the artist have a clear idea of what you like going into the appointment.  This is an immensely helpful and effective way to communicate a bride’s beauty style to her wedding day glam squad. You can view our SoCo Events Bridal Beauty Board on Pinterest HERE.

·       It’s all in the lashes! I highly recommend false lashes to most brides.  I DON’T recommend the extremely fake looking lashes that you find on Snookie and J Wow, but incredibly beautiful, real hair, false lashes applied by your make-up artist. It is amazing what a little lash can do to enhance facial features, and most importantly lashes will have a dramatic effect on how you look in pictures – stunning!

·       I try not to tell my brides how to wear their make-up.  That is something that I trust in a great make-up artist to accomplish. However, one piece of advice that I can give you is if you choose to go with a really dramatic eye, opt for a softer lip, and if you go for a more dramatic lip, go a for a little less drama on the eye. Finding balance is key.  Also, keep in mind your wedding season, venue, style, and geographic location when finalizing your make-up and hair look – you want the entire evening to work cohesively.

 VS.  

·       CONFIDENCE IS KEY! My last bit of beauty advice is to remember to smile big, laugh often, and dance your booty off.  When all is said and done and the final lash is placed – all you need to do is have a blast, enjoy every moment, and walk with confidence and class.

Good luck to all the beautiful brides to be! 

EVENT: Liancarlo Trunk Show at Carine's Bridal Atelier!

Carine's Bridal Atelier

EVENT: Carine's Bridal Atelier Sample Sale

We had to post this gorgeous picture! We are swooning over the selection!  

Spend this evening with Carine's Bridal Atelier to view designer gowns at their Sample Sale!  

Details HERE

EVENT: Sample Sale at Carine's Bridal Atelier!

Carine's Bridal Atelier

POPSICLES...The New Cupcake?

In the event industry, certain confections have their very own ‘15 minutes of fame’.  We, at SoCo Events, lovingly refer to them as “Stylish Sweets”.  As Heidi Klum says on Project Runway, "...one day you're in.  And the next day, you're out."

However, over the past few years, one of these “Stylish Sweets”, better known as the cupcake, has remained in the spotlight.  This sugary obsession has beaten all odds.  Boutiques donning multiple flavors have popped up everywhere.  One of our hometown favorites, Georgetown Cupcake, has a television show on TLC called DCCupcake.  It was recently reported that Sprinkles Cupcakes will be available 24/7 to the Washington, DC community as early as August 2012 with their famous cupcake ATM.   This cupcake machine is expected to dispense over 1,000 cupcakes a day!

Sprinkles Cupcakes ATM: Photo Courtesy of Phoenix New Times

As much as our sweet tooth LOVES this trend, it was no surprise to us when we started to see a new sugary treat strutting it’s stuff around Pinterest and with shops popping up all over the east coast such as popbar in NYC.  We are thrilled to see where this Gourmet Popsicle and 'Poptail' trend goes.  We will be more than happy to taste test along the way!   

popbar NYC which specializes in gelato, sorbet, and yogurt pops.  The Gianduia bar features
 dark chocolate-dipped, hazelnut-topped gelato, Pistachio Drizzle and Vanilla Splash.
This shop also lets you customize your pop, from the stick up!

Watermelon Mojito Poptail - Photo (and recipe) courtesy of endlisssimmer.com

Red Velvet Dark and Stormy Popsicle - Photo (and recipe) courtesy of endlisssimmer.com

Samoa Popsicle - Photo (and recipe) courtesy of mybakingaddiction.com

Lemonade Stand Popsicles - Photo (and recipe) courtesy of somewheresplendid.com

Mango Orange Yogurt Popsicle - Photo (and recipe) courtesy of 6bittersweets.com

Real Weddings: The Meridian House - Washington, DC

If there were a wedding that defined the word “love”, it would be the marriage of Kara Frank and Brendan Williams-Kief.  The love that Kara and Brendan have for each other is evident from the moment you meet them.  They are lighthearted, carefree and such a joy to be around.  The love that they have for each other, as well as their friends and their family, is contagious. 

Kara and Brendan met in college.  There is no doubt that these two were always the life of the party. This couple knows how to have a great time!  To top it off, they have some serious dance skills!  Kara and Brendan didn’t leave the dance floor all night.  There were multiple VERY impressive “dance off” moments throughout the evening.  It was some of the best dancing that I have ever seen at a wedding.   

Kara and Brendan not only owned the dance floor, but they owned my heart that evening.  In lieu of favors, the couple made a donation to Alex’s Lemonade Stand, which raises money to help fight children’s cancer. 

The Ceremony in Linden Grove at The Meridian House

The Wedding Party

First Dance

The Dance Floor

The Send Off!

Click HERE to view the full gallery.

SoCo Events was hired as a “Month of Planner” to assist the bride and groom with the details and execution of their dream day.   Kara and Brendan had decided upon an ‘Elegant Garden Evening’ theme with a gorgeous color selection of navy blue and blush pink.  Their venue, The Meridian House, was perfect.  The Ceremony was held in the Linden Grove beneath a canopy of trees with hanging lanterns.  The sounds of the string quartet set the mood for a beautifully romantic evening.  The ‘first dance’ was to the song “Just Like Heaven” by the Cure.  Brendan was singing to Kara as they swayed under the beautiful chandelier with all of the guests surrounding them. 

This was followed by an elegant candle-lit dinner in the dining room and library with heartfelt toasts from the bride’s parents, maid of honor and best man.  The evening concluded with the newleyweds being sent off through a cheering crowd and sparklers to be whisked away in a vintage Bentley to their honeymoon destination of Portugal.

Wedding Date: September 17, 2011

Number of Guests: 150

Ceremony Venue: Linden Grove at The Meridian House / Reception Venue: The Meridian House / Photographer: Amy Raab Photography / Caterer and Wedding Cake: WindowsCatering / 
Invitations: The Written Word / Ceremony Music:  Ceremony Strings Quartet / Cocktail & Reception Music: Evan Reitmeyer – My Deejay / Florist: DaVinci’s Florist / Hair & Makeup: Bella Bethesda Hair Salon / Transportation: RegalLimousine / Wedding Gown: Monique Lhuillier Bliss Collection from Carine’sBridal with vintage style crystal belt

Making a Splash!

We are recovering today from an amazing wedding weekend and want to thank our beautiful couple Marybeth and James for letting us be a part of your special day.  

It has been a great year of planning with you, and it was so wonderful to see all our

hard work pay off!

Special thanks to Celeste at Charlie Palmer, DaVinci Florist and the uber-talented Jennifer Lust for her photographic genius.  More from this wedding to follow, but I leave you with the image below.  

I think it sums up how fun and daring these newlyweds are!

Starting TODAY, Weddings Have a New Address!

Starting today at 11am EST, weddings have landed at One King's Lane!  

Stroll on over to the lane for one day of fabulous wedding deals on everything from invitations and gifts to decor and honeymoon must haves!  We are super excited to see what one of our local invitation favorites, Haute Papier, has in store!

Haute Papier is tres romantic!

These serving pieces would make for a great sweet station!

What bride would not want to receive these lovely gifts?!?

My bags would always be packed if they looked like these!

Let me know what wedding deals you scored!

{Photo Credits: All photos One King's Lane}

EVENT: Junko Yoshioka Trunk Show

Junko Yoshioka Trunk Show

May 17 – May 19, 2012

at

Carine’s Bridal Atelier

By appointment only.  Please call to inquire about the special incentive.   

202. 956,4696.

BRIDAL BEAUTY: Hair Tips

Preparing for your wedding day can be an incredibly stressful time for many ‘brides to be’.  To help you out, we have created a series called ‘Bridal Beauty’.   ‘Bridal Beauty’ is a series of beauty tips that will help you to alleviate some of the pressure that comes with planning a wedding.  We want you to sit back, relax and enjoy the process of prepping for your walk down the aisle.

The team at SoCo Events has held the hands of many brides through the process of creating their bridal beauty regiment and appointments.   We are here to share with you some of our best wedding day beauty practices. 

We are going to begin this series with ‘Bridal Beauty: Hair Tips’.  Taking proper care of your hair and scheduling maintenance leading up to your wedding day will make all the difference in a perfect hairstyle the day of your wedding.  It is just as important to stay on track with your beauty appointments as you do with the planning leading up to your wedding day.

The most important thing to remember: TIMING IS EVERYTHING! 

·       Trim your tresses!  Schedule a trim about 2 to 3 weeks out from your wedding day – this will allow for that awkward “just cut look” to subside and your hair will look fresh and healthy. Also, be sure you do not do anything drastic  - meaning a completely different hairstyle or color right before your wedding…you do not want to be stuck with a look that you hate on your big day.

 

·       Color, color, color!  Schedule any color or highlight appointments for approximately 10 days out – so your color is fresh and you have no roots to be found! Again, just stick to a color you know and love – this is not the time to see if Katy Perry’s latest electric blue color works on you.

·       Schedule your Stylist!  Be sure to find and book a hair stylist you are excited about working with to create your bridal look. Sought after stylists in the DC Metro area book up fast!  This is something you or your planner should book early in the planning process to ensure you get your first choice. Regardless of how great your stylist is, make sure you do a bridal hair trial.  This will give you the opportunity to discuss what styles might work best with your face shape, your gown and the overall look you want to achieve on your wedding day. There is nothing worse than having no idea what you want to do with your hair a few hours before you walk down the aisle. 

SoCo Events has great relationships with several fabulous stylists all over the East Coast.  If you would like a recommendation, please do not hesitate to email us and ask! info (at) socoevents (dot) com