Getting Hitched in DC

If you live, or are getting married, in the Washington, DC area then you must make an appointment at Hitched. This hip and helpful salon carries a wide range wedding gowns to fit every style and budget.

In addition to gowns by Oscar de La Renta, Kenneth Pool, Ulla-Maija, Judd Waddell and Elizabeth Fillmore, Hitched carries several bridesmaid dress lines, including Amsale, Simple Silhouettes and Thread.

You can also find your wedding invitations, bridal accessories - veils, Spanx, jewelry - and vendor referral advice to help you locate the best vendors in the area for your wedding.

Monogrammed Cuffs

When selecting gifts for the bridesmaids and groomsmen, you want to pick something that, unlike the bridesmaid dress, they will be able to use again. Choosing a personalized item shows that you put a lot of thought into the gift.

Red Envelope offers a wide selection of bridal party gifts, including many which can be monogrammed. The initial cufflinks pictured here are perfect for groomsmen. They can be worn not only at your wedding, but at any occasion where he will be wearing a French-cuff shirt.

Signed, sealed, deliver.

Once you finalize the invitation design, visit usps.com to view your stamp options. You are not required by law to buy the Wedding stamps. There are nature and location stamps, images and stamps honoring men and women in American history. Think about your wedding palette and theme, and choose a complementary stamp.

But don’t order them just yet –save that for two months before the big day.


Test mail an invitation to ensure you’re using the proper postage. Do not buy all the postage you will need until you have confirmed the cost of each envelope. Stamps are not returnable, and though overtime you will probably use them, it’s an unnecessary added expense in a time of penny-pinching.

Bite Size Sweets

One Girl Cookies bakes a variety of delicious sweet treats - classic and chocolate cookies, biscotti and brownies. I'm partial to the bite size brownies.

In addition to personalizing your wedding favor by selecting your favorite flavors, One Girl Cookies offers great packaging options so your favors can coordinate with the wedding palette and style. Sleeves, pictured above, and boxes can be customized with decorative paper, colorful ribbon, tags and even family photos.

One Girl Cookies is based in Brooklyn so if you live in the tri-state area you should swing by the shop and taste test every flavor. If you don't live nearby, they can ship sweets nationwide.

Smarty Pants!

Remember that as you are getting your hair and make-up done the morning of the wedding, your photographer will be running around snapping pictures of you and your 'maids. I know you want to look just as good in those pictures as the ones he'll take later, when you're in your gown and a tiara is placed on you perfectly coiffed head.

Smarty Pants owner, and recent bride, Jennifer Titton has the perfect thing - a sweat suit embroidered with "Soon to be Mrs. ... " or your monogram or anything else you can think of on the back. You can also have a set made for your honeymoon with "Just Married" embroidered on the jacket or bottoms. With several colors to choose from, your Smarty Pants suit can match the palette of the wedding.

Wedding Tip - Remember to wear a zippered or button-down top while you're getting ready. You don't want to have to pull a tee shirt over your head and ruin your hair and make-up, nor do you want to have to find a scissor and have your shirt cut off of you.

Personalized Coasters

Many couples will order napkins through their caterer with their names and wedding date printed on them. But before you sign off on the printer's proof think about other words or images you could have printed instead:

-A line from your first dance song
-A romantic quote or poem
-An icon or image you are using on your wedding stationery

But what about other details and personal touches? My Own Labels has an amazing selection of coasters, as well as hang tags, stickers and CD labels you can personalize any way you want.

There are a variety of coaster templates you can choose from, or you can design your own template and have it printed on everything from favor tags to stickers to bookplates and more.

Little Boy Shoes

When planning a wedding we always forget that there are men involved too. The groom, best man, father of the bride. But what about the little men who often steal the show with their partners in cuteness, the flower girl?

When selecting the perfect outfit for your ring bearer remember that he will need comfortable shoes. Like everyone else in the bridal party he has to walk down the aisle too.

Robeez has the most adorable line of shoes for boys and girls, from infants to toddler. These black penny loafers with intricate stitched detailing mimics the classic men's shoe, and is also available in brown.

Robeez has a wide selection of casual and formal shoes for you and moms to choose from. Their soft sole all leather shoes and booties will allow the littlest member of the wedding to wear them till he grows out of them.

With this Ring

Once that beautiful diamond ring has been placed on your finger you never want to take it off. But wearing your ring while washing dishes is not a good idea.

Rubbermaid has designed the Enhanced Ring Holder to ensure that your ring won't get mispaced or fall down the drain.

Just place the suction base on the counter, slip your rock on the post, and the magnetic cap will keep your ring safe and clean while you finish your chores.

The Enhanced Ring Holder is available wherever Rubbermaid products are sold.

Maid to Order

I was just asked to be a bridesmaid. I have been a maid-of-honor and a bridesmaid before, but this is the first time I will have no say over what dress my friend will choose for me and the other 'maids.

So I suggested she visit Bella Bridesmaid, a chain of bridesmaid salons that carry beautiful and stylish gowns. There are seven salons across the country including: Boston, Charleston, Atlanta, Nashville, Houston, San Diego and San Francisco. With bridesmaids living in every state, having the same store to shop in makes the dress search a little easier.

Here are some bridesmaid dress shopping tips. Elissa, I hope you’re reading this:

1 - If your ‘maids are all different shapes and sizes, pick the dress fabric and color, but let each girl pick the silhouette. Some may prefer a higher neckline or a looser fit.

2 - Once you’ve selected your bridesmaid dresses, make sure all deposits are paid and the correct measurements are given with each order. The store may not order any of the dresses until all deposits and measurements are in.

3 - If your ‘maids are choosing their own dress, give them some guidelines as to the shade of color, degree of formality and length. Variety and personal expression are great, visual chaos is less so.

Bella Bridesmaid carries Simple Silhouettes, Melissa Sweet, Jenny Yoo, Kathlin Argiro, Currie Bonner, Charsa, Miracle and Zora, as well as jewelry and shoe lines to compliment the look you choose.

Vere Good

My favorite type of favor is an edible favor.

I came across a new chocolate company, Vere, pronounced very, that has an amazing selection of dark chocolate treats you can pass out as favors at the end of the night.

With their wide selection of chocolates to choose from you may have a hard time deciding between the chocolate wafers with various toppings or the mini brownies enrobed in chocolate, small chocolate bars or truffles. The packaging is incredible and the products are all hand made. If you are concerned about guests with dietary restrictions, they offer a line of vegan and gluten-free sweets.

Remember that before you select the right favor for your wedding you should taste test each item, and include your fiance and family in the fun.

To learn moiré about Vere chocolate, click here.

Shower Her with Gifts

You may notice that every now and then I like to feature a shower or bachlorette party item. Bridal showers are one of my favorite parts of being engaged, but a bride cannot plan her own shower. She can hint at things, but the details are usually decided by her mother, sister and 'maids.

So if your friends are planning a bridal shower, you must checkout invitations by Felix Doolittle, and forward them the link. (By the way, his wedding invitations and thank you notes are fabulous too.)

I love this watercolor image of umbrellas leaning against a door. It is simple and elegant.

An umbrella is a popular motif for a bridal shower. Some hosts rent a "shower umbrella" from party stores, but I tend to advise against that. These white lace party accents tend to look more like gray than white. Look for a new umbrella with a ruffle if you must have one at the party, and make it another shower gift.

Picture Perfect Pumpkins

If you're planning a fall wedding then you're probably thinking of including some autumnal themes into your palette and details.

Orange, gold, deep reds and brown make a perfect palette for an October or November wedding. You may even want to include leaves and a pumpkin to further express the time of year.

Masterpiece Pumpkins can carve any design you like on, that's right, a pumpkin. Monogram, wedding date, even your portrait can be carved and lit up so you and your fiance will truly glow on your wedding day.

And to ensure that the pumpkin is a keepsake that you can always have, order an artificial carvable pumpkin from Funkins and you'll cherish it along with your other wedding memories forever.

Linens and Tables and Chairs!

Whether you're getting married in a ballroom, on an estate or in a private home you need to think about what items will need to rent. Your florist and caterer will tell you what you need - linens, china, silver serving pieces, glassware, flatware, tables, chairs, tents, floors, generators, heaters, lighting, floors.

For this posting we'll focus on linens, china, serving pieces, glassware, flatware, tables and chairs. (Whew)

Don't assume that all of these items will be included with your wedding location. In most cases they will be, but if you are getting married in a loft space or a private home you may have to bring everything in to accommodate your guests.

Enter the rental company. A rental company can offer you numerous options to customize and create the feeling and tone you’ve always imagined.

Take your florist to your wedding location to decide which linen color will work best with the flowers and the room, and ask the caterer to show you china, glassware and flatware options. You may decide you want a different look – more romantic or modern, a solid color or a pattern.

Here is a list of few rental companies from across the country:

Be Our Guest, based in Boston and serving New England
Party Rental, serving the tri-state and Washington, DC areas
R.S.V.P. Soiree Event Rentals, Dallas
Snyder Event Rentals and Staffing, Charleston
La Bella Party Rental, San Francisco