Photo by Rodney Bailey.

“Washingtonian Bride & Groom: Unveiled,” our inaugural bridal showcase, took place this past Sunday at the Park Hyatt Washington, and this editor is still recovering. Is there such a thing as a fabulousness hangover? No doubt our event’s keynote speaker, Hollywood wedding planner Mindy Weiss, keeps a special potion in her (very large) Goyard totebag for such occasions. The wedding showcase was held in the hotel’s ballrooms, which were transformed into a meeting space where the sold-out crowd networked among many of Washington’s best wedding vendors. For such a cold, blustery afternoon, the mood inside the beautifully decorated ballrooms was festive and warm. Free Champagne and an enormous gourmet buffet (courtesy of Blue Duck Tavern executive chef Brian McBride) will do that, of course.

>> See more photos of the event by Rodney Bailey

There were many highlights of the afternoon. Mindy Weiss’s delightful presentation and audience Q&A yielded some great tips for making your wedding red-carpet worthy. She threw out a couple of insightful A-list trends, such as using navy in place of black for the decor, throwing an after-party postreception, and changing into a short white wedding dress after your photos have been taken.

And speaking of picture taking, there was a lot of it during the stunning Monique Lhuillier bridal-gown fashion show, sponsored by Carine’s Bridal Atelier, the terrific boutique in Georgetown. Dozens of looks made their way down the catwalk, including one “bride” who played a violin to a Middle Eastern-sounding lounge track. Fun!

To view a video of the event, produced by Blue Sky Films, see below.

Jill Hudson Neal
Editor in Chief, Washingtonian Bride & Groom

Video by Blue Sky Films