Real Wedding: Helen and Dawit say "I Do!"

Favored Bride Helen and groom Dawit tied the knot last month in true elegance. The couple exchanged vows at the Vincent de Paul Church in Washington DC. The church's gorgeous painted ceilings created a warm and romantic ambiance. The wedding ceremony was followed by a candle lit reception at the George Washington Masonic National Memorial in Alexandria Virginia.The couple had a stunning mint and gold cake was baked by Swiss Bakery. The couple added a personal touch to the decor by having custom cocktail napkins made by Wedding Paper Divas The rest of the night was filled with music, dancing and love. The Favored team would like to once again congratulate the newlyweds on their union!   

Real Wedding: Sean + Jenae's Liriodendr​on Mansion Wedding

Sean Kingston Holcomb-Jones married the love of his life Jenae' Elizabeth Manns on July 5, 2013 at the Liriodendron Mansion located in Bel Air, Maryland. The vision of the wedding was to maintain Jenae and Sean's authentic identity of creativity, be classic, and ensure their guest didn't just witness a wedding, but had a meaningful experience. Meet the couple and see more pictures of their big day after the break.

The first thing Jenae' set her sights on was spiral seating. She felt that circles feel much warmer than rigid rows, so when it came to seating, the spiral did the trick of wrapping Sean and Jenae' in a circle of Love of their family and friends. As an added bonus, it ensured that everyone got a good clear view of the wedding party as they came down the aisle.

Jenae has never been a flowery kind of girl so she decided not to carry a flowers. Instead she decided to decorate her arm with a larger than life bouquet of flowers going up the arm. On the wedding day everyone loved it!! The look was superb!

Adding to the creative theme, after the ceremony, fun lawn games like Tumble Tower (life sized Jenga), corn hole, and photo stands were available for the guest to enjoy during cocktail hour.

Instead of a traditional first dance song, Sean and Jenae' chose to dance to Neyo's Sexy Love, which was and always will be the couples song.

To offset some of the more costly wedding expenses, Andrea Small of Asburn, Va, who is a close friend of the Bride, served as the weddings creative designer and did all the wedding decor as DIY projects.

The outdoor/indoor wedding went off without a hitch and a great time was had by all. "Sean and I have never been a public-public couple so we really wanted our wedding to reflect who we were as people. My advice to any couples planning is to stay true to your authentic self -- break all the rules -- enlist the help of friends to cut cost -- and have lots of FUN!!" - Jenae

Vendors:

• Photographer: Eyewonder photography
• Caterer: Dean & Brown
• Venue: Liriodendron Mansion
• Brides Hair & Make Up: Bridal Beauty Associates, LLC.
• Flowers: Purchased from the wholesale nursery in DC and from Wegmans.
• Music and Sound: Lil Mic
• Wedding Dress: Simone Carvalli Couture

Real {Baltimore​} Wedding: Savannah and Dion John's Four Season Shindig

Savannah and Dion's July wedding was an elegant non-tradional summer affair. What was supposed to be a scenic outdoor wedding, ended up being an indoor shindig at the Four Seasons at the last minute. Check out the pictures below to see how this couple pulled off their dream day.

The balimore couple's reception featured cocktails, heavy hor d'oeuvres and small plates so that their 70 guests could mix and mingle without being restricted to a seated dinner.

Savannah is a do-it-yourself bride, So her bouquet and decor was designed and made by the bride herself. 

The wedding colors were white and yellow with purple accents. The couple used white hydrangeas and lemons for the floral arrangements.

Cake by Cake Panache of Ashburn, VA-  www.cakepanache.com

Dion is wearing a tuxedo by Hilfiger and Savannah's dress is from David's Bridal.

Vendors:

Photographer: Michele Murray of Michele Murray Photography (New York, NY)- www.michelemurrayphoto.com

Cake by Cake Panache of Ashburn, VA-  www.cakepanache.com

Real {Washington​, D.C.} Wedding: Tamara & Anthony's Fairytale in the City!

Most little girls what to be a princess when they grow up, but few actually get to become one. Meet Tamara who made her Cinderella dreams come true on her wedding day with her very own Prince Charming, Anthony. Mr. and Mrs. Austin exchanged vows on August 14, 2010 in Washington, DC at St. Augustine Church followed by a reception at Top of the Town. See pictures of their "Fairytale in the City" theme wedding below.

The bride opted for a non-tradtional bouquet. The pink/purple center of the flower matches the linen and bridesmaid's dresses perfectly.

The bride is seen here with her two flower girls, who waved steamers during the ceremony instead of throwing petals.

 

The bride carried out her Fairytale theme with a Cinderella inspired dress. The bridesmaids wore two different style Diane Von Furstenberg's dresses.

 

The reception location, Top of the Town, had a full view of the city which was a perfect backdrop for the royal wedding cake.

Vendors:

Ceremony Venue: St. Augustine Church

Reception Venue: Top of the Town

Florist: DIY

Bridesmaid Dresses: Diane Von Furstenberg

Cake: Emily Friedman

Caterer: R&R Catering

Photographer: Kenneth Staab

Real {North Carolina} Wedding: Brooke & James #Foreverberry Fairytale

They say in college you will meet the people you will be friends with for the rest of your life and if you are lucky, you will meet the love of your life. Brooke and James almost missed each other at North Carolina A&T State University in Greensboro, North Carolina but fate brought them together in Miami, Florida while Brooke was on vacation. This beautiful couple got engaged on Brooke's birthday, November 15, 2012 and were married a little under a year later on June 23, 2013. Brooke's favorite quote is "Love is in the details" and she focused on just that to create the Wedding of her dreams. Check out the #Foreverberry Fairytale below.

The couple chose Kiwi and Grey as their color palette. I never would've thought of using kiwi green, but I love how the two colors came together!

The bride is already a natural beauty, so the subtle neutral makeup only enhanced her gorgeous face and what girl doesn't love a sparkly pair of shoes? Instead of opting for a full sequin shoe, find a shoe with just a sequin heel for a subtle touch.

The bridesmaids were glamorous and sparkly wearing long, curve-fitting gowns and lots of bling also, each of the bridesmaids bouquets were different. The flower girls wore custom tutu gowns and instead of tossing flower petals, carried a DIY sign that announced, Here Comes the Bride!

The groomsmen wore traditional, sleek tuxes and converse sneakers with patterned socks. James had a custom pair of converse designed especially for the day with their social media tag #foreverberry embroidered into the shoe.

It was very important to the couple that both families had an amazing time at the cocktail reception, so they set it up like a lounge so everyone could mix and mingle, have drinks, eat and ultimately dance the afternoon away!

 

When asked about her wedding day, Brooke said simply, "[it] was truly amazing".

For more details and to get to know the couple better, take a look at their highlight video. Make sure you have a box of tissues handy! lol

Brooke and James Highlight Video from HoneyDew Films on Vimeo.

For the couple's full love story and more details about their wedding, click on the picture below to see their wedding website:

Vendors: 

Tuxedos - Men's Warehouse 

Venue, Caterer - Proximity Hotel http://www.proximityhotel.com/

Florist - Brenda McLamb http://www.proximityhotel.com/

Cake - Doris Tilley

Favors - Delicious Bite Cookies www.dbcookies.com

Band - No Straight Answer http://nostraightanswer.com/

Music/ DJ - DJ J-Flex- http://www.102jamz.com/pages/8454558.php

Day of Coordinator- Array of Events http://arrayofevents.net/

Videographer- Honeydew Films http://honeydewfilms.com/

Photographer- Julie Livingston-Carter http://www.julielivingstonphotography.com/ 843.817.3974

Real {Las Vegas} Wedding: RaAnaa and Edward's Sunset Soiree

RaAnaa and Edward got married at the beautiful Bears Best Golf Course in Las Vegas May, 31, 2013. This was our first time working with Bears Best and hopefully not our last because it is such a stunning location with an amazing staff!

We began the day with RaAnaa at the Element by Westin where her and her lovely bridesmaids were getting ready. Her makeup was done by the talented Brandon Montoya of Makeup Forever and hair by Alexxus Watley. RaAnaa's dress was a perfect fit and made the mother of the flower girl look amazing!

When it was time to head up to Bears Best for the wedding ceremony the girls all hitched a ride where guests and the groom and his groomsmen patiently waited for the ceremony to begin! It was the perfect way day with not a cloud in sight.

The wedding details were everywhere! Bits of purples, lavenders pinks and blues surrounded the ceremony and reception.

Between the ceremony location, the covered patio for the cocktail hour and the actual reception venue were all customized for RaAnaa and Edward.

Since the couple loves to dance and have a good time the first dance set off the mood for the wedding reception and the DJ had the dance floor moving all night.

They ended the evening with a grand exit with all of their guests lining the walkway ,sparklers in hand and the VW bus waiting to whisk them away. It was such a beautiful day and we are thrilled to have been able to have been chosen as RaAnaa & Edward's wedding coordinators and  good friends for life!

Ceremony and Reception Venue: Bears Best Wedding Coordination: Favored by Yodit Events Photographer: Myron Hensel Photography Hair: Alexxus Watley Makeup: Brandon Montoya of Makeup Forever DJ: Knight Sounds Entertainment Florist: Flowers By Kathy Cake: Cravin Cake Bridal Gown: David's Bridal Bridesmaid's Attire: The Dessy Group Groom's & Groomsmen Attire: Men's Warehouse Transportation: On Demand Sedan & Limousine Stationary: Wedding Paper Divas

Thank you RaAnaa & Edward and congratulations!

  

Real {Ethiopian} Wedding: Solomon & His Bride's Authentic Portland

One of the most impressive aspects of this wedding was the size and supportive nature of the grooms party and brides party. They marched as a collective whole with Solomon as he went to deliver flowers to his bride to be and see her for the first time at this authentic Ethiopian wedding.

Family, friends, and elders gather around the living room awaiting to greet the couple at this Authentic Portland Ethiopian Wedding.

In case you missed breakfast or cant eat from wedding jitters, Ethiopian culture can help you with a goorsha, which I refer to as a handful of food and love. Its customary for the family to feed the groom before he meets his bride.

Its Ethiopian tradition for the couple to walk past everyone after the first look and are welcomed with cheers and well wishes from all guests. In many cases be prepared for singing, clapping, and sometimes the sound of musical instruments like a drum.

When having a "so called" Ethnic Wedding its nice to have authentic symbolic items and wedding favors to showcase and educate wedding guests which are from a different county or have a different ethnic background.

I'm in love with these bright colors and infusing special cultural traditions in weddings. Authentic Ethiopian gift and food baskets, called messobs were presented to the wedding couple before the ceremony. You will find these in most Ethiopian homes which are used as decor, storage, etc.

Its always great seeing how much a family comes together for a wedding. The women are all in the kitchen cooking and the men are running around taking care of vendors like transportation, venue, etc. More and more I see the younger generation seeking professional wedding planners like myself to take the stress away from the family so they can really take part and enjoy the full day or week of wedding festivities. Authentic Ethiopian food was in abundance at this Ethiopian wedding. All prepared by friends and family for the 600+ guests.

That's a lot of cooking! I bet the bride and groom were very thankful.

Photo credit: Evrim Iconz Photography

Real {Ethiopian} Wedding: Yonas & Fasika Sunset Bridal Photoshoot

What a better way to start this snowy week than with a sunny gorgeous wedding photoshoot I came across this weekend! This lovely Ethiopian couple decided to have a photoshoot 2 days before their wedding in Ethiopia. Can I just say the desert backdrop is simply amazing on both the bride & the groom's skin! They are glowing!

I know that might sound strange, but more and more couples are actually going this route inorder to capture amazing photos since the day of the wedding is usually packed with family activities. And if your nervous about having your groom seeing your wedding dress before the wedding you can always schedule the photoshoot after your nuptials to still keep it a surprise for your big day!

When I saw this sunset photo above the city of Addis Ababa in Ethiopia there was something that screamed "Lion King" in every royal sense! I love how this couple chose to embrace their culture and showcase the beauty of the African desert and forest so naturally. Kudos to the photographer and Yonas & Fasika for being such a beautiful couple!

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Photo credit: Nashville Photography Group (Loved these photos!)