Darlings…I cannot begin to tell you how amazing our engagement party was…I want to relive that night over and over again (though, I don’t think I could…it took me days to recover!!). It was also so special because it was the first time, under one roof, my family & friends met Chris’ family & friends – I’m talking best friends from childhood, high school & college! Celebrating, surrounded by people we love, in a city we love, was the most memorable feeling…I cannot even begin to describe it! I couldn’t have asked for a more fabulous evening and I will remember it forever!!
We decided to get married in Newport, RI at Rosecliff Mansion. I’ve dreamt about getting married at this venue since I was a little girl & I am SO EXCITED my dream is coming true! Since we are getting married in New England, I knew I wanted to throw a big DC bash. I am soooo incredibly proud of my city; in short, I’m obsessed with DC, so I needed her to shine in all her glory!
When I first began to think about our party, all I could think about was – rooftop overlooking the monuments. My favorite monument is the Capitol – I find its architecture absolutely dreamy. I found 101 Constitution Rooftop on Google and fell in love! It was the most gorgeous venue and the views of DC were STUNNING! The property manager, Jean, is also an absolute joy to work with! He made the process so seamless!
Now onto the INCREDIBlY TALENTED, FABULOUS, AMAZING, I COULD GO ON, VENDORS I WORKED WITH!! My loves, seriously…if you are planning an event in DC, you need to contact the phenomenal people I worked with! I will get into each and every one of them but I will start off with Caroline Dutton from Caroline Dutton Events.
Planning/Design: Caroline Dutton Events
The Darlings followed Caroline on her Instagram because she has gorgeous photos and her feed is so fun to get lost in (this is even before I was engaged!). I contacted Caroline about helping plan our engagement party and she said yes! In all honesty, if Caroline was not there, every step of the way, the evening would’ve been a disaster! Let me tell you, there is SO MUCH MORE to planning a large event than I anticipated! Her taste is impeccable, she really takes time to understand your vision, and I simply am obsessed with her! She made the actual night of the party SO FUN & stress-free for me and the planning/coordination a breeze!
Florist – Atelier Ashley Flowers
I mean…you can see from the photos below that Ashley of Atelier Ashley Flowers is INCREDIBLE! I discovered her through a family friend and I couldn’t be happier with how stunning the flowers looked! My vision was lots of greenery and light pink and white florals. Ashley absolutely ‘got’ my idea but took it to another level – the vision in my head was blown away by the arrangements she created! She was excited to try new things and was open to all ideas I had, ie the adorable geometric vases! If you are looking for a florist in the DC area, you must contact Ashley!! She is so sweet and a JOY to work with!
Catering – Charlie Palmer Steak
Multiple people approached me at our engagement party & said the food we served was THE BEST they had EVER had at an event!! Charlie Palmer Steak is known to have amazing food but their catering was just as extraordinary! It was delicious and I wish I could go back in time and eat more! I cannot say enough about how high quality the food was and working with the Charlie Palmer team was awesome! They let me think outside the box and create a unique menu with food Chris and I love! See below for some of the AMAZING hors d’oeurves, mains, & desserts we served. Also, their bar is FAB!
When guests arrived, they were greeted with champs!
Our signature cocktail was a delicious margarita with fresh lime juice!
Yummy arancini appetizer
Gotta have crab cakes in DC
We had a slider bar with pulled pork, filet mignon & fried chicken
Chris and his family love grilled cheese and tomato soup, so I thought it would be a fun surprise!
For dessert, we had assorted mini tarts, cookies, pies, and donuts!
Rentals: Party Rental Ltd.
All of our awesome lounge furniture, glasses, silverware, plates, linens, etc. were rented through Party Rental Ltd. My favorite piece we rented was the mirror bar – it was amazing!! They were easy to work with and they knew their stuff! I was so confused as to how many tables, chairs, etc. to rent and they knew it all! I highly recommend working with them!! See below for photos –
Photography: Photos from the Harty
Our incredible photos were taken by Katie of Photos from the Harty! She was SO sweet and fun to work with! She captured adorable candids from the party and touching moments between Chris and myself & between our family and friends! I’m over the moon about how wonderful her photos came out!! All the photos in this blog post are from Photos from the Harty!
Music/Photobooth: DJ Dan Goldman
No party is complete without a photo booth, am I right or am I right?! DJ Dan Goldman provided the photo booth and music at our event! People had so much fun taking group photos in front of the Capitol and I ordered silly props for people to pose with. The music was great – we had a few moms hittin’ the dancefloor and it was a cocktail party! Dan does lighting as well!!
Vendor Contact Info
Planning from Caroline Dutton Events: Website & Instagram
Florals from Atelier Ashley: Website & Instagram
Catering from Charlie Palmer Steak: Website & Instagram
Photography from Photos by the Harty: Website & Instagram
Rentals from Party Rental Ltd: Website & Instagram
DJ/Photobooth: Website & Instagram
Fun Photos from the Engagement Party
I adore this photo!!!
My dad giving his lovely speech!
My dad gave a welcome speech…my reaction afterward!
Cute sign from Etsy! Comment below if you are looking for something similar, I will send link!
Best friends & Darlings!
Plus, my high school besties finally met my college bffs…as predicted, they all loved each other!
The love of my life!!
My face the entire evening
If you have any questions about planning your own fabulous day or the vendors I worked with, please email thedcdarlings@gmail.com or message us on Instagram!
Where was your dress from? The white one!