Onto one of the most fun meetings in wedding planning – meeting with your DJ! We met with the amazing Christopher Temple of C&J Entertainment to talk about music selections for the big day. C&J Entertainment has been in the market for over 30 years. The company was founded by Chris’s father, Jim Temple. They’re headquartered in Odenton, MD, which makes them centrally located to serve Baltimore, Annapolis, Washington D.C, and Northern VA. C&J is well respected as a fair, reputable, and talented Entertainment Agency. Don’t just take my word for it — check out their reviews online at weddingwire.com and you’ll see they have over 200 reviews and a five star rating!

Chris Temple has serviced hundreds, if not thousands of events, and has a great working knowledge of what works and does not. He is an expert in all things music and clued the couple into some great new trends. C&J is also an expert on logistics – we are having the ceremony in one location, cocktails in another, and the reception in a third! It was not a worry for Chris, who instantly scribbled down the notes and ensured we’ll have music at all three sites and it will be no problem. It’s such a pleasure to work with a knowledgeable, friendly expert!

Our meeting began with Chris talking the couple through the details of the day, starting with the ceremony. Chris suggested the Vitamin String Quartet. This is a group that plays contemporary scores with classic quartet instruments. What a great idea for the ceremony processional! It was so helpful to meet in Chris’ office so he could play us songs in real time as we were talking about them, and also build on the couple’s suggestions and ideas. We were able to listen to many options and made a few selections.

Chris then walked us through some of the reception moments we would need to choose songs for, such as introductions of the bridal party, the couple’s first dance, parent dances and even cake cutting! Cori and Chris loved Chris Temple’s suggestions and were so happy to be in “the right hands” musically for the big day! They really felt that Chris Temple “got” them as a couple, and they are excited to see him on the big day.

We walked away with a lot of musical homework between now and October but we know we are in the most amazing hands. Stay tuned to hear what we decided for the wedding music and also to see our upcoming sample table, photobooth, and more!

From the planning frontline,

RS

Cori and Chris’s design priorities consist of a simple, natural, rustic fall season look with a soft, romantic, & elegant feel. Our goal is for everything to have a comfortable, natural feel mixed with elegance and personal touches. That’s a lot to accomplish – good thing we have an AMAZING rental company to help bring each and every one of those design priorities to life with the perfect rentals.

This past Monday, I stole Cori away from settling in their new house in Annapolis to meet with Grand Rental Events, our star vendor providing anything rental-related for the wedding.

Grand Rentals is located in Odenton, MD and is only a short drive from Annapolis. I love Grand Rentals because they consistently deliver at each and every event. I can trust with Grand Rental that what you order is what you get on the event date, or they will come out and make it right. I am also always impressed with the condition of their inventory. Everything is carefully maintained and it shows.

Grand Rentals has been in business for over 30 years and has become a well-known name in the Annapolis market over the last 10 years. I have had the pleasure of working hand-in-hand with Steve, the co-owner, on numerous tents, heating, and power situations. When I need a job done right, Steve is definitively on my list to call and get it done, at a fair price.

The other favorite thing of mine about Grand Rentals is their amazing Event & Sales Manager, Kathy Saulino. I’ve known Kathy over the years as she worked in different positions and I was so happy to see her at Grand Rentals. She’s helping to build an amazing clientele and a reputation of success – I know you would enjoy her as much as all of us at Wedding Savvy do… go see her so she can help you craft a stunning event.

Cori and I met with Kathy at their Odenton showroom so we could do just that – create an amazing look! Meeting in the showroom allows us to mix and match linens & chairs around acutal banquet tables. Kathy has over 20 years of experience in event planning, management, and sales and marketing, so she was a huge asset to have around. We were also very fortunate to have Kathy Dennin-Meagher of My Flower box Events to help consult on colors based on the floral proposal (check out our blog in August to learn more about myflowerboxevents.com and the amazing sample table they’ll create for us!) Chris was unable to join us for this meeting – work kept him busy – but between us three ladies and linen swatches, he was probably happy to miss out on all of the gabbing!

After a short discussion, Kathy from Grand Rentals went in the back and pulled out the perfect linens for the event. We decided on a white begaline for the head table with a beautiful burlap runner and a stunning ivory krinkle crush for all the guest tables. Yes, you heard us right – white, ivory, and burlap! I’m a huge fan of mixing white and ivory, and adding in some texture makes it very 2012. This year is all about depth, color, and texture. What a great year to get married!

Kathy Dennin-Meagher brought along a sample of the white candelabras we’ll be using on the head table for us to simply play a bit with. It’s so hard to visualize an entire room of beauty based on just one table but Cori is the perfect bride and really trusts in her amazing vendors. Everyone is excited to give it their all for this well-deserving duo.

Cori (and you!) won’t have to wait too long to see a complete mock up of a guest table. Stay tuned for a later blog that will feature one of our ever-talented florists, My Flower Box Events. They, along with Marina Rowley of Contessa flowers will be providing flowers for the event and it is sure to be amazing!

If you haven’t already, please check out the Adirondack for your fall 2012 or 2013 wedding. As the area’s newest facility, dates are filling up quickly, so be sure to get your inquiries in!

- Raquel Shutt, Wedding Savvy

Meet Cori

Cori grew up in Altoona, PA and is a graduate of Mount Aloysius College. She always knew she wanted to help people and make a difference in the world so in 2008 she continued her education in Radiation Therapy. After long hours at the hospital & endless nights in the books Cori received her degree and is a Radiation Therapist at Anne Arundel Medical Center. In her spare time she loves to bake, hang out with friends, travel, fly around the bay with Chris, and spend time with her niece, Riley.
 
Meet Chris

As we all know, Chris’s passion is to fly. He currently works at the Bay Bridge airport as a flight mechanic. Chris is originally from Duncansville, PA and is a graduate of Penn State. After the events of 9/11 Chris decided to enlist as an infantryman. While stationed at Fort Riley, Kansas, Chris received orders for his unit to be deployed in support of operation Iraqi Freedom during the surge in Baghdad for 15 months. During deployment Chris’s vehicle was struck by an IED. Then less than 5 weeks later a rocket struck the shower he was in. Chris still insisted on returning with his unit he came with. The events from the deployment convinced Chris he had done his duty for his country and that he was still alive for a reason. He did not know that reason until Christmas of 2008 when…
 
Love at first sight

While Chris was stationed in Fort Riley, he came across Cori’s picture from mutual friends. Cori’s matron of honor, Erin, told Cori that there was this really good looking friend who was asking about Cori. Cori didn’t seem to care at first UNTIL she came across Chris’s picture. Big bulging biceps, a nice smile, a degree, and a man in uniform? How could she pass that up?

They began chatting online, email after email & then finally… Chris was coming home to Pennsylvania for leave. This was their chance to finally meet in person. It was December 26, 2008 where they met with mutual friends. Cori describes the night: “It felt like everyone else disappeared and it was just Chris and I that night, we talked, laughed, and knew that we had something special, and we did.”

A month later Chris left active duty and returned home. He drove 16 hours straight, only stopping for gas and occasional snacks, just so he could return home to Cori. In 2009 the couple moved to Annapolis, MD. They love to travel, hang out with their friends, spend time with their two Siamese cats, fly, cook, bake, watch movies, weekend getaways, the list goes on and on. Most importantly they love spending time with each other.

“We’re best friends,” Chris says.

Winning this wedding has been a fairy tale for them & they can not wait to share their special day with you all!

It was a quiet Monday afternoon when we met in the Bistro when the Chef graciously welcomed us into his arena. Cori, Chris, and Chris’s Parents, Margie and Mike, were all ready to taste some amazing food. The best part about hosting your wedding at the Bistro is the opportunity to meet with the amazing chef and try some fantastic food and have to make the hard decision of what is the best option for you and your guests. I did not envy Cori & Chris having to make these very hard decisions because, really – everything was great. Good luck, C&C!!

First and foremost, I can’t wait to point out how talented Quintin West, the Head Chef at the Bistro is. Not only is he a fantastic fisherman (a favorite pastime of his), he is the backbone of this amazing restaurant. He carefully crafts each and every dish to create something unique and absolutely amazing for every event. I personally had the pleasure of planning an event in April and got to taste the banquet food – hands down one of the best in the area! You can imagine, being a wedding planner for over 10 years, I have eaten it all. I can honestly say that the Bistro food is a cut above the rest. You must book your event here to dazzle your guests’ taste buds really, it’s something to talk about.

We started with a sampling of some fabulous appetizers. We tried The Bistro’s famous Crab Dip, the Southwest Egg Rolls, the Shrimp Potstickers, and finally the Cherry Tomatoes Stuffed with Crab Salad. The portion sizes were amazing and everyone loved every bite! The salads were just as appetizing and we decided on the custom house salad. Then, it was entree time! Watch out, because these portions were out of this world and the taste was even better. It was a hard choice, but the couple decided to offer the Chicken Chesapeake or Steak Au Poivre to guests. I wish I was a guest a this wedding because not only are they an amazing couple, but the food is going to be out of this world.

I can’t forget to point out that the service during our tasting was phenomenal. Restaurant Supervisor Jen Kavenaugh was our server and is also an integral part of the Bistro Event Execution Team. She was pleasant, knowledgeable, and efficient. It is always great to get a glimpse of the wonderful staff you’ll be working with on your wedding day, and Jen is a great representation of what the Bistro has to offer.

Our meeting wrapped up a short hour and a half later with all our menu choices decided. Cori and Chris are over the moon with the opportunity to have a free wedding and even more overjoyed they get the amazing Quintin West as a part of the package!

Stay tuned as we select Linens and Flowers on our next blog entry. How will we make our theme come together? You’ll have to stay tuned to see!

xxoo

Raquel Shutt, Wedding Savvy, Inc.

When searching for the perfect wedding dress company I wanted to seek out not only beautiful designs, but amazing customer service. Bridals by Elena in Severna Park was the perfect match. Elena is an amazing designer with many, many years of experience who spent years at another local shop before taking the leap of faith to open her own business in Severna Park. It has flourished since and developed the reputation as one of the area’s best!

Bridals By Elena is run by Elena and her wonderful and talented daughter, Katia. They take pride in scheduling appointments with Brides to help them find the perfect dress. Cori was no exception! Upon entering the store, Katia stole Cori away from family and friends to learn more about her and her personal desires. Before we knew it, Katia was plucking dresses of the rack and filling the dressing room with perfect options for Cori to try on.

Bridals by Elena carries all the top designers and carries both the current and classic styles brides look for. The talented staff make the experience painless, enjoyable, and a memory to savor as a part of the wedding process. All to often we hear about wedding dress searches that end in frustration, that is certainly never the case with Bridals by Elena. If you are looking for a personal experience, centered on you and your desires, and offers current style married with a classic look, this is the place for you.

I was personally amazed by Katia’s ability to draw out Cori’s preferences in just 10 minutes. That is what you want from a great bridal store: someone who listens to you, interprets your needs, and ultimately turns it into the perfect dress.

In the end, we did find THE perfect dress! Cori looked simply stunning and all of us attending knew it was the one. And the price was so sweet! It’s so rewarding to find a stunning dress, all while not breaking the bank. When planning a wedding, sometimes this could be an oxymoron!

What dress did we pick? Well we can’t share that but we can share some of the near misses for your viewing pleasure. ALL of them look GREAT on our beautiful Cori, but I promise that that winner is simply…perfect.

Stay tuned to learn more about what’s next for Cori and Chris. Invitations, photography, dresses…wedding planning is easy when you have a talented planner at the helm

As always, don’t forget to contact the Bistro for information about YOUR Adirondack Room wedding. It will be stunning, perfect, and a night to remember. You can e-mail Raquel Shutt for more information about the Bistro and the newest reception facility in the Annapolis and Edgewater area!

Posted by Raquel Shutt of Wedding Savvy

It was a dark and stormy late March afternoon but the weather broke at the perfect moment and we have the photos to prove it. Cori and Chris wanted a fun vintage theme that incorporated one of Chris’s passions — aviation! The shoot was scheduled at Chris’s place of employment, the Bay Bridge Airport. Chris arranged for some cool planes to be on set and Cori took care of getting some great props to make the day just perfect. A big thank you to The Paper Trousseau and 2Hands Studios for hooking our couple up!

Hamilton Photography shot the heck out of these two and really brought their vision to life. The photos from Cori and Chris’s Engagement shoot definitely live up to the mantra of Hamilton Photography: “Re-defining the art of wedding photography”.

I interviewed Christina Hamilton, Co-Owner of Hamilton photography to learn more about the shoot, the company, and how they grew into one of the area’s most known and respected photojournalists.

“We were so excited to work with Cori and Chris! When they told us about their theme and idea we were completely excited. We love couples who want to do something out of the box!” This is just another example of Hamilton’s true passion for their craft. They love getting to know you, your desires, and going for it!

Christina & Mark of Hamilton Photography

Christina’s Husband, Mark, is the founder and Co-Owner of Hamilton Photography. From a young age, Mark has always had a passion for photography. His first job was the perfect opportunity to learn more about the craft and at the ripe old age of 16 he took a job at Ritz Camera in Tampa, Florida. Mark loved photography so much, that he transferred to a Ritz Camera store in San Francisco because it was the 2nd biggest photography market and he would have the opportunity to work with some other great pros. It was there that he met his lovely wife, partner, and mother of his children, Christina.

Christina was a high level executive at Black and Decker and had come into Ritz Camera to get her camera fixed. It was there that she met Mark and the rest is history. Christina had a minor in photography and always wanted to pursue it as a career but couldn’t step away from her promising career at Black and Decker. Christina was so good at her job, she was offered a position at Black and Decker’s Corporate Office in Towson, Maryland. So the couple moved to the area to allow for growth in her career and it also presented the perfect opportunity for Mark Hamilton to launch his own photography business.

As the years passed, Mark’s business grew and grew and Christina felt her inner photographer calling her. After traveling all over the world with a top company, Christina left B&D in 2008 to join Mark and has never looked back. Her business skills at B&D helped fine tune the company and her amazing eye added to Mark’s already amazing portfolio. Hamilton Photography is now entering its 12th year of business, has a team of 5 lead photographers, and has been voted one of the best by The Knot Magazine and Weddingwire.com. Hamilton averages just fewer than 100 weddings a year and makes sure each and every one is personal and lives up to their company’s standards.

I was SO excited when Mark and Christina signed onto the Bistro Ultimate Wedding Project. When soliciting photographers for our winning couple and ultimately a referral for all Bistro future clients, I wanted to make sure we got an established professional that really brought a unique and talented approach to wedding photos. Hamilton was my very first thought & want. They definitely do something different, beautiful, and are professionals to boot. I was over the moon that they said “YES” because Hamilton photography truly blends photojournalism, traditional elegance and landscape portraiture to preserve a couple’s day into a timeless expression of love, celebration and family.

Their combination of experience, quality, creativity, equipment and technique makes them a leader in the wedding industry. If you need a photographer and haven’t visited their website yet, go now — you will be inspired by their work. As I mentioned, I trust them enough to ask them to be responsible for our winning couple’s lifelong memories … so I know they’ll do an amazing job with yours Check them out and see for yourself at www.mhamiltonphoto.com.

Up next will be flowers and linens to further develop our vintage, aeronautical inspired, romantic & full fall event! Stay tuned for more AMAZING inspiration for YOUR Bistro Wedding!

On that note, remember to log onto www.bistrosr.com to learn more about the Bistro and its new reception facility, the Adirondack Room. If you’re planning a wedding, check it out. Nothing says “I DO” better than a brand new, gorgeous reception facility!

Happy Planning,

xxoo

Raquel Shutt

]]> http://www.bistroultimatewedding.com/2012/05/engagement-photo-shoot-with-cori-and-chris/feed/ 0 http://www.bistroultimatewedding.com/Cori%26Chris_First_Steps http://www.bistroultimatewedding.com/Cori%26Chris_First_Steps#comments Thu, 26 Apr 2012 19:43:55 +0000 The Bistro at South River http://www.bistroultimatewedding.com/?p=724 more »]]>

This past St. Patrick’s Day Cori, Chris, and some of their family and friends gathered together to get the first phase of wedding planning in the books.

The day kicked off with a 9 AM meeting with Tammi Molavi, owner of The Paper Trousseau, to pick a perfect and in-theme Save the Date. Tammi had some amazing ideas about how to incorporate the couple’s tastes and styles into a beautiful piece.

At 10:15 it was time to say goodbye to Tammi and Chris and head to the next stop: Bridals by Elena—the area’s premier bridal salon.

Waiting for us there were Cori’s Maid of Honor, Rosie, Matron of Honor, Erin, bridesmaid, Jessica, and mother-of-the-bride, Kim. All the ladies looked great as usual and were ready to help Cori pick out the perfect dress.

We were greeted by the amazing Katia who interviewed Cori to assess her tastes and style. Within minutes she was pulling some gorgeous gowns off the rack and the process was underway. And it didn’t take long, either: the second dress Cori tried was a home run and nothing else could measure up. Decision made!

Next up for Cori and Chris? Engagement photos by the brilliant folks at Hamilton Photography. Hint: the shoot involves an airplane hangar!

The fun continues all summer, and we can’t wait!

As told by wedding planner extraordinaire Raquel Shutt of Wedding Savvy. Stay tuned here as she and we continue to follow Cori and Chris on their journey!

On behalf of The Bistro at South River and all the sponsors of the 2012 Bistro Ultimate Wedding Giveaway we would like to thank all of our participants. The response to the giveaway was amazing with 19 couples submitting great videos depicting the power and fun of love.

A special thanks to all of our preferred vendors for their continued generosity. All of our runner up couples have been offered the following discounts for their weddings as way for us to say thank you for participating:

• 20% off engagement party reception & $1500 room fee waiver and 20% off wedding reception & $1500 room fee waiver from The Bistro at South River
• 40% off day-of wedding consultation from Wedding Savvy
• 50% off for each bachelor to have a Bachelor Golf Outing at The Golf Club at South River
• 50% off a wedding cake delivery from Fiona’s Cakes
• Complimentary consultation and 15% off a wedding invitation suite from Paper Trousseau
• A complimentary bridal bouquet from Contessa Flowers
• A 15-minute engagement photo session (to be held at The Golf Club at South River) from Hamilton Photography
• $200 off a 4-hour Photo Booth service from Maryland Mojo Photo
• $100 off any package or free cocktail hour music from C&J Entertainment
• 10% percent discount for rentals and a 2 hour bridal consultation from Grand Rental Events

The total discounts have a value of over $5,000!

Stay tuned to the Bistro Ultimate Wedding blog as we follow Cori and Chris on their journey. Along the way we’ll have giveaways and lots of surprises! And, you never know when there might be another Bistro Ultimate Wedding…

We’re holding a special Valentine’s Day event at Westfield Annapolis tomorrow from 12-4 outside of Liljenquist & Beckstead Jewelers. We’ll be announcing the winner there, live, at 1 pm.

Then, at 1:30, we’ll announce it here on the blog as well.

Thanks to everyone for all of your interest and support and be sure to check back tomorrow!

“The Wedding”

And remember: submissions are officially open for the contest. If you’re a fun couple, click here for your chance to win!

The Bistro at South River is looking for the most fun couple we can find. If that’s you, and you can prove it to our panel of judges, you could win an all-inclusive wedding and reception to be held October 26th, 2012 at The Bistro at South River. Don’t miss your chance to tie the knot in style.