Steampunk Style

Now, that you have tied the knot, you are officially married. Now what?

We have just the check-list for you!

1. Remember to clean and store your gown.
Take care of your dress. This will keep the gown in perfect condition for many years to come, maintaining its color, fabric and beauty over time. Consult with your wedding planner or bridal salon for recommendations on a reliable and experienced. A local favorite is Parkway Cleaners .

2. Home Rules
Living with your spouse is one of the biggest adjustments you’ll have to make, so it’s important to discuss the rules of your household as early as possible.  Set expectations!

3. Write reviews for your vendors.
A wedding truly takes a village to make it go off without a hitch. Do the people that worked extremely hard for you a favor. Write a review on them/ask them if they are on any outlets and the best way to review them.

4. Get your finances in order.
It is good to go into the marriage knowing how you plan to share financial responsibilities. Now that you are married, make a plan! What funds will go into your savings?

5. Send your thank you notes.
Thank your guests.

6. Order your wedding photos.
The photos of your wedding day will live on forever, so you should definitely take the time to pick the ones you love and order prints sooner rather than later.

Brooke and Andrew were best friends throughout college. It took a year of being friends to start dating. After just over 4 years of dating Brooke began asking Andy if marriage was on his mind. He always answered in a very round-about way trying to avoid the topic. They had planned for a while a trip to St. Lucia (after 5 years they somehow never took a trip just the two of them!). Andy had already bought a ring and carried it with him all the way. Brooke was convinced they wouldn’t get engaged on the trip because she knew Andy would be far too nervous to carry a ring overseas (sans insurance!). It took him about 3 hours after arriving to propose on their hotel balcony over the water. She, clearly, said yes – and Andy was at ease the rest of the trip!

What is your favorite memory from your wedding? We both said the same thing!

Brooke: Our first dance! We had SO much fun doing it. We took dance classes before but once we were out there, we just had fun. It was so special.

Andy: Our first dance – Brooke and I took dance lessons because we (I) was bad in the past – when we started dancing it all came so naturally and it looked like no one was around us

“I would advise brides and grooms who are planning their wedding right now to not be afraid to show some of you and your spouse in your wedding details! If you get a moment – look at the venue and how everything looks before everyone shows up. My husband and I did a first look and walked around to look at all the details before the ceremony. It was so moving to see how gorgeous it all turned out! That moment together was beyond special.”

Photographer: Lisa Blume Photography | Venue: Sundara, Boones Mill, VA | Cake: Wildfloer | Invitation Suite: Minted | Catering: Blue Ridge Catering | Florist: Creative Ocassions | DJ: Alan Dever | Ceremony Musicians: Roanoke Symphony String Quartet | Bridal Gown Designer: Allure Bridal Designer | Bridesmaid dresses: Ann Taylor | Ceremony Musicians: Roanoke Symphony String Quartet | Chalk Board Art: Jilian Coury of Sundara |Bride’s Shoes: Kate Spade

Credits

• Lisa Blume Photography

Thanks for being the best blogger friends ever! As you might of heard, I am off getting hitched in the beautiful country of Portugal! Which means, we are taking a week off from blogging her at District Weddings, thanks for being so understanding. When we get back, we have tons planned…just wait!

In the meantime, our favorite kisses that have been posted this year on District Weddings!

Photo 1 & 2 via Kate Headley Photography

Photo: Abby Jiu Photography

Photo: Jennifer Domenick of Love Life Images

Photo: Astrid Photography

Photo: Lisa Blume Photography

Both Kelly and David are active duty military (Bride: Air Force | Groom: Army), so David wore his uniform for the wedding. Kelly retired from the Air Force shortly after the wedding after twenty years of service.

The diamond from Kelly’s engagement ring is the same diamond worn by David’s grandmother & mother for their engagements & marriages. As a surprise to the groom, Kelly planned a groom’s cake with a University of Kansas theme, and made the wedding cake topper, which is two Jayhawks dressed as a bride and groom. This wedding was very intimate and family-oriented with only about 60 guests in attendance. But that didn’t stop them from having a fun-filled reception; their cake smash photos are some of our favorites!

Credits

• Love Life Images

Today, we wanted to send our love to the amazing trendsetters of the Occasions Caterers team on their amazing accomplishments the past 30 years! We are so happy to say that you are one of our fabulous district favorites. You all have been creating remarkable events all over the DMV area and not one is the same, each event gets special attention and its on flare. From your innovative stations to your delicious bites. We applaud you on the attitude, ideas, ingredients and presentation.

Credits

• Abby Jiu Photography