Rachel and Greg
Like a princess in a tower, waiting for her love to arrive, Rachel Collado stood at Hotel Monaco window, in a soft halo of light. The quintessential vision of a Blush Events bride.
Working with bride and groom, Rachel and Gregory Collado, had all the signs of a fairytale – we had a great love story, a few surprising twists on event day and a kingdom of friends who cheered wildly as our beloved main characters tied the knot. This event had all the romance and magical nuances that I adore putting together for couples.
Let’s talk details!
If you find yourself with family scattered across the country, you can follow the lead of Rachel and Gregory. They chose Washington, D.C. for their nuptials as it has always been a hub for them and their family.
Blush Events works with local couples and couples who live remotely. While the Collados lived in Florida, we worked with them through phone calls, online previews and texting to create the wedding of their dreams.
Whether you are a local Richmond, Virginia wedding or a couple out of state looking to make Washington DC your wedding backdrop, we meet you right where you are at. And for Rachel and Gregory that meant finding the perfect location to represent their love story’s roots.
This charming couple met and fell in love in Brooklyn, New York and it was important to them to have the subtle and romantic minimalist simplicity that their NY courtship had.
Enter my virtual rolodex of connections! I was so excited to send Rachel and Gregory the link to Loft 600 F. I knew I hit paydirt with meeting their expectations when Rachel mentioned how the brick reminded her of the Brooklyn brownstones in their neighborhood. (A secret thrill happens when our team nails down a couples location according to their personality and preferences!)
Each wedding with Blush Events is unique and as your wedding planner + producer we work with all sorts of variations to ceremony and wedding day order. Rachel and Gregory chose to do their wedding photos before the ceremony with an amazing photographer, L. Hewitt photography.
Choosing the hotel location went along with Rachel and Gregory’s desire to keep things simple. Not only did the hotel have a staircase that made for enchanting photos, but the hotel was situated across the street to the Smithsonian Museum.
Streamlining this event to go with the couples desire for a strong emphasis on less stress and simplicity went off without a hitch. But every wedding has a bit of a hitch, right?! Right after the photos ended, a moment happened that I’m sure will be part of the Collado wedding day story that is handed down from generation to generation…It’s a moment most brides fear but Rachel handled it with poise and grace. Our team switched into high gear as we handled an issue that is more common than you think…a ripped dress!
The stunning design of Hayley Paige fell prey to a wedding mishap and Rachel was worried that the dress that represented her so well wouldn’t be the same.
Within moments, we had team members and family members working on salvaging the situation. It was a rainbow of activity as the bridesmaids, team and family came to help Rachel.
A highlight that I will carry with me was how caring Rachel’s brother was as he took her mind off wedding dress worries. Telling stories that had us all in stitches while we were stitching up Rachel’s dress was a special moment to be a part of as an event team.
Being privy to these saving-the-day moments are equally important to us as the joy of planning and implementing a stunning event that leaves guests satisfied and the couple sighing that “it’s perfect.”
Once Rachel’s dress returned to perfection, the ceremony begin with a sigh of relief and secret smiles as all of Rachel’s “dress team” knew something the other guests didn’t.
As we entered into the ceremony, the smiles and laughter continued as a dear friend of the bride and groom, Omar officiated for the wedding.
The trick in creating a minimalist wedding that speaks for itself is to let the venue do the work for you. We worked with the bride and groom to get the right details in place in order to transform the location into a place that truly reflected Rachel and Gregory’s values.
One value that Rachel and Gregory have that was clear to all the guests was the value of celebration. With an eclectic blend of music, this couple had the dance floor filled with friends and family grooving the night away. And this story’s princess was, of course, the belle of the ball!
A toast: To Rachel and Gregory, may your life together continue to be a celebration of your enduring love story, marked with all the things that make you unique: simplicity, teamwork and a romantic friendship that is willing to travel the distance.
Love, your friends at Blush Events
Photography- L Hewitt Photography
Catering- Eco Caterers
Venue- The Loft 600F
Florals- J Morris Flowers
Hair & makeup- Avenue 42
Dress- Hayley Paige
Bridal Salon- White Magnolia Bridal
Donuts- 202 Donuts
Music- The Masters Of The Ceremony
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