Looking to add a pop of V-Day hue to your wedding ensemble? Try these ruby stunners from Tiny Jewel Box. Photograph courtesy of Tiny Jewel Box

Tonight through February 16
Soliloquy Bridal Couture in Herndon is hosting a fashion show and reception tonight at 7 PM. Wedding dresses from the likes of Sassi Holford (a British designer whose collection will be featured at the salon until the 16th), Heidi Elnora, Cocoe Voci, and Sarah Seven will be shown, and canapés from Purple Onion Catering will be provided. RSVP by e-mailing febshow@soliloquybridal.com, or make an appointment to try on a Sassi Holford gown by calling 571-449-2580.

Today through Saturday, February 11
Fashionistas, take note: The Bridal Salon at Saks Jandel is hosting a trunk show of Oscar de la Renta wedding dresses (yes, the Oscar de la Renta who created wedding gowns for Jenna Bush, Katherine Heigl, and even Carrie Bradshaw). Call 301-652-2250 to schedule an appointment.

Today through Saturday, February 11
Monique Lhuillier’s wedding dresses (Reese Witherspoon wore one on her wedding day) will be featured at a trunk show at Carine’s Bridal Atelier in Georgetown. Call 202-965-4696 to schedule your appointment, and click here to view the new collection.

Friday, February 10, and Saturday, February 11
Amsale wedding dresses combine classic silhouettes and modern details to all-around gorgeous effect. Hitched in Georgetown is hosting a trunk show of the designer’s new collection at its salon. Call 202-333-6162 to schedule your appointment.

Friday, February 10, and Saturday, February 11
Looking for a special bauble for your wedding day—or for Valentine’s Day? Tiny Jewel Box in DC is hosting a Valentine’s Day shopping event featuring exclusive designs from Penny Preville and new pieces from Fragments Design Lab, as well as Tag Heuer watches. To get into the V-Day spirit, sweet treats will be on offer, too! Visit Tiny Jewel Box’s website for more information.

Maura and Patrick made sure to pose with their two golden retrievers, Rumpelstiltskin (held by Patrick) and Riley, after the ceremony. All photographs by Deb Lindsey Photography.

Maura and Patrick both grew up in Alexandria, and attended grade school together. But they didn’t actually meet until a friend brought Maura to Patrick’s 30th birthday party.

“I bought the birthday boy a shot of Patrón—even though I hate tequila—and we’ve been together ever since,” recalls Maura.

After a Christmas Eve 2010 proposal, the couple planned their wedding for August 20, 2011, at St. Mary’s Catholic Church, where both the bride and the groom attended grade school, with a reception following at the Belle Haven Country Club in Alexandria.

“We really wanted to have a hometown wedding where everything was close by,” says Maura. “The ballroom at Belle Haven is gorgeous and five minutes from our house. And when we found out they would let the guys play golf on Friday, our search for the perfect venue was over.”

The couple wanted a wedding that was “pretty and elegant, but above all, fun.” They chose a bright color scheme of royal blue, kelly green, and white.

Kristine and Kelvin, pre-proposal. All photographs by Ashley Grace of Little Bird Media

We’ve said it before, we’ll say it again: There’s nothing sweeter than a proposal caught on camera. And here’s another super-cute one to brighten your day.

Kristine, who lives in Fredericksburg, had mentioned to her photographer friend Ashley Grace of Little Bird Media that she’d like some photos taken.

“My mom had been asking for some updated photos to put up around the house, since the last time I had my picture taken was my senior year of high school,” says Kristine. “In September, Ashley brought up the idea again.”

After a bit of back and forth, they were able to settle on a Saturday shoot in downtown Fredericksburg. As Ashley snapped away, Kristine’s boyfriend of nearly three years, Kelvin, stopped by to watch.

“Every time Ashley would fiddle with her camera and change settings, Kelvin would come over to talk, kiss, hug, or just tease me like he always does, and then Ashley would start taking pictures of it,” says Kristine.

 Slideshow: Robynn and Jerome's wedding

Occupations She’s a second-grade teacher; he’s a real estate development project manager Hometowns She’s from Silver Spring; he’s from Takoma Park How They Met In high school at Sidwell Friends First Date Chevy’s Restaurant in Greenbelt Favorite Restaurant Acqua al 2 in Southeast DC Where They Got Engaged In Philadelphia Wedding Cocktail Champagne, cherry juice, St. Germain, and vodka Wedding Flowers Peonies, roses, lisianthus, dusty miller, baptista Favorite Wedding Detail The band was amazing! Wedding Cake Vanilla with peach mousse, and chocolate with chocolate mousse Biggest Surprise of the Wedding Jerome’s father singing “Let’s Get It On” by Marvin Gaye First Dance “U Smile” by Justin Bieber Wedding Theme Classic elegance Four Words That Describe the Wedding Fun, exciting, intimate, memorable Honeymoon Spot St. Lucia Where They Currently Live Washington, DC

This wedding first appeared in the Winter/Spring 2012 issue of Washingtonian Bride & Groom. Click here to reserve your free copy.

The sketch (left) and finished product of Anne Bowen's JFK Rosa gown. All photographs courtesy of Anne Bowen

A few weeks ago, we showed off the new modern and glamorous collection from designer Anne Bowen. The collection, which will be featured this weekend at a trunk show at Chevy Chase Bridal, includes one design with a very special backstory.

The inspiration for the “John F. Kennedy Rosa” gown (sketch and finished product shown above) came from a hybrid tea rose that was named after JFK in 1964. The dress’s layers of raw-edged ombré organza fabric echo the rose’s layers of petals. It feels architectural and contemporary, but would certainly work for a classic DC wedding—especially with the history involved.

We’ve received a lot of questions from maids of honor, bridesmaids, and moms lately about bridal showers: “We don’t want to do just the standard luncheon at someone’s house. How can we make a shower a little more creative and fun?” Well, your friends at Washingtonian Bride & Groom are here to help.

We asked wedding planner Teresa Lee of Rex & Regina to come up with a few ideas for bridal showers that don’t involve making toilet paper wedding dresses in your great-aunt’s living room.

I Knew You When . . . “For this wedding shower, each guest should bring an object, like a newspaper headline, a song, or a clothing item, from the year they met the bride. As the bride opens the ‘artifact,’ the guest can share with the group how [he or she] met the bride,” says Lee.

This is a particularly great idea to liven up showers at a friend or relative’s house or at a restaurant.

Wine Tasting A fun and informative way to spend an afternoon, no flight to Napa required. Lee likes Zola Wine & Kitchen in DC for this type of shower because of its “open kitchen and casual atmosphere,” but many area restaurants would also be able to do a wine tasting party.

“To make the party even more personal, taste a flight of the bride’s favorite varietal,” says Lee.

Arlington couple Jenn and Ryan, who have been together for two years, love going to Gravelly Point in Arlington to watch planes take off and land, and hiking on Theodore Roosevelt Island (on the Potomac, between Arlington and DC), which is where Ryan proposed. So when it came time for their engagement photos, shot by Sarah Culver Photography, the couple decided those two locations would provide the perfect backdrops.

“I’ve seen quite a number of engagement shoots that seem to have no backstory to them,” says Jenn. “I’m a writer, and I care about stories, so while I initially decided we’d take pictures ‘somewhere pretty,’ it kept bothering me that there was nothing personal about the places. But then I remembered Theodore Roosevelt Island, where we got engaged and still hike, and that turned into a memory of us watching the planes take off and land at Gravelly Point. These places had some sort of story behind then, a connection, and I thought it would make the pictures more meaningful—which it did.”

Jenn and Ryan will marry in October 2012 in Winston-Salem, North Carolina, the bride’s hometown. Check out more photos from their engagement session after the jump.