Regeti’s Blog »

It was so hot out, but still it was decided that the ceremony would be held outside and we were so happy they did! It was beautiful and stunning all the same. Decor done by the talented Prabha Bambri and day of coordination by Rebecca with Soiree Special Events. Everyone involved were troopers in the heat, Neel seem to have the worst of it as he was fully suited up although you would never have thought it looking at their images. We were honored that Rama and her family chose us to photograph their wedding, it was certainly our pleasure! Rama and Neel decided to do a photo booth for all their guests as wedding favors in which they were able to come to the photo booth and have their photo taken and immediately printed out to take home with them in a little keepsake folder provided by us customized with their name and wedding date on it! How awesome it was, we had a total blast as our Associate husband and wife team Benjamin and Jessica came to run the booth!

We had the pleasure of photographing Jamie Sears, owner of A Simply Chic Event this afternoon. We have had a busy week of coordinators we must admit. More the merrier as we say! We cannot stress how important wedding coordination is to our clients and typically if they don’t already have one booked when they arrive it is the first thing that we highly suggest!

I don’t think that everyone truly gets the purpose of an awesome and talented coordinator although I will try to keep it short I will list a few of the top reasons that we as photographers feel a coordinator is so extremely important to any affair big or small:

(1) They are like having a little pampering in your pocket all day long on the wedding day, seeing to it that everything is running like a well oiled machine. They are there to worry so that you do not. Better known to some as peace of mind.

(2) They help pull everything together when you are planning. Such as menu cards, favors, flowers, lighting, and all the other things that truly need to coordinate with one another to make your affair turn out just the way you envisioned it.

(3) It is pretty much a guarantee that whatever you pay out for their services will come back to you and then some. It is their job to be well connected in the industry and provide you with the most valuable resources for your wedding day saving you both time and money. Who was it that said “Time is Money.” ? LOL…. that could not have been spoken any truer than it was.

We won’t saturate the post with too much, however we could tell stories and stories of why a coordinator may very well wind up being your most powerful and useful wedding asset, but we will save it for another post another day. Back to the beautiful Jamie Sears!

We had the opportunity to work with Sofia who is Claudia Lutman’s daughter. For those of you who are not familiar Claudia Lutman is a local Coordinator here in the DC area as well as Michigan too! She has offices in both states and is always on her toes! While here in DC she rang us up wanting to know if we would photograph little Sofia,of course we had a blast. Warming her up to us was the hardest part, but that did not take very long, she’s a natural!

Maryam and Abu were not our wedding clients as we were booked for their wedding date, however she has been trying to have her portraits done by us for almost 2 years now and finally it has happened! She is definitely persistent and determined to say the least. We had such fun with the two of them as they just ate the camera up during their session. Maryam’s laughter is just so natural as it pours out of her and screams enthusiasm while Abu just gets a kick out of watching her strut her stuff for the camera! Thank goodness the camera loves her the same! Not only did we have a great time, but Maryam, Srinu, and I could have gone on just talking about Hindi films if it had not been for us having to work!

We had the honor of photographing a few of DC’s finest event professionals this afternoon for their head shots as they were pampered by the talented Mr. Carl Ray of the George Spa Salon at the Four Seasons.

First we introduce to you Steele Stevenson along with a tidbit of info about The Willard Hotel for those of you interested:

As stated by “TheHill.com”:

When you catch a glimpse of the hotel from the street, it doesn’t look like it is capable of hosting large events, but inside, there is no shortage of space. According to Stevenson, the hotel has more than 20,000 square feet of “banquet space” set aside specifically for events. The largest of these spaces is the Grand Ballroom, which can hold up to 450 people. There’s also the Crystal Ballroom and a series of smaller rooms known as “The Nest.”

While most weddings are scheduled eight months in advance, The Willard Intercontinental is fully capable of putting together any event on short notice, provided the potential guest is organized. “In this city there are a lot of pop-up events, which are from callers planning an event for the next day,” said Stevenson. “When someone calls in with an event like that, we normally get started right away to accommodate them. We ask they return the contract and the menu details within the hour, but we work with them to make sure everything gets done.”

The Willard Hotel was established in 1847, and has been a staple of the inauguration dinner circuit ever since. Until the hotel closed for 20 years in 1966, The Willard used to host the presidential inauguration speech in the Grand Ballroom.

Second and just as important, Bonnie Schwartz with Bonnie Schwartz & Co., established in 1992, Bonnie Schwartz & Company is a full-service social and corporate event planning company. They create events from inception to positive conclusion, providing guidance in site selection, entertainment, catering, floral design, photography/videography, invitations, transportation, theme development, and more.

Having placed herself on the map with a few prestigous accolades:
2006: Winner, Best Wedding
2006: Winner, Best ISES Team
2002: Nomination, Best Wedding
2001: Nomination, Best Social Event
1999: Nomination, Best Social Event
1998: Winner, Best Event Planned for an Individual
1997: Winner, Best Invitation
1996: Winner, Best Social Event under $30,000
Along with being a former President of ISES as well.

2007 Pick: The Knot 2007 Best of Weddings Pick

Along with being featured in many publications such as The Washingtonian, Engaged! Magazine, American Style, Elegant Bride, Town & Country, and Southern Living.

One thing that impressed us about Bonnie was that what you see is what you get! The comment that we grabbed from her website could not be better stated:

“One of the most frequent questions asked of me is: “Bonnie, will you actually be there on the day of my event?” The answer is always: “Of course, I wouldn’t miss it for the world!” When I’m hired, I become for a short but special time a part of the family. It’s bonding that comes naturally to me, and I’ve been described as a watchful mother, a trusted friend, even a soothing therapist.”

She appears to have that calming manner to her when you talk to her, she is so laid back yet at the same time you can tell she truly knows how to throw a party!

Thirdly and just as important, Aryan Kanter with Event-Scapes, let’s just say her website doesn’t do her justice! Just looking at some of her events is enough to make you wish that you were there!

Event-Scapes is the recipient of the prestigious ISES Award for Best Social Event, 2005 and 2006.
Featured in Grace Ormonde’s Wedding Style Magazine, and listed in Best Wedding Planner. Listed in Washingtonian Magazine as one of the best wedding planners in the area. Aryan’s works speak’s for itself.