Our Simple and Elegant Black and White Wedding

We had the honor of being the planners for a beautiful "Black & White" Damask themed wedding on Saturday, October 17th, that was held at the Omni Hotel in downtown Richmond. The mood for the 11am ceremony was set by a VCU string quartet that played classical music as guests arrived and throughout the entire ceremony. The room was decorated with a beautiful black wrought iron arbor draped in white tulle with roses and ivy; two white Greek columns topped with a beautiful mix of white flowers (KW Flowers); and a rose petal lined aisle. The cocktail hour was held immediately following the ceremony, where an elegant black and white serpentine table with a fruit and cheese display, crab dip, and cashew chicken spring rolls with peanut sauce was set up. The bride and groom chose a special "peach tea" (they both reside in Georgia) to compliment the food.

The doors to the reception opened at 12:30 pm and the bride and groom offered their 125 guests a choice of Beef Au Poivre with Cognac Pepper Cream Sauce or Pacific Rim Salmon with a Lemon Thyme Sauce. The couple carried out their black & white theme by decorating their guests’ tables with white table linen, black napkins, black damask votives, black and white escort cards, and a damask table marker. The centerpieces, designed by KW Flowers, were an oversized brandy snifter filled with a large white floating hydrangea. The chairs were dressed with white chair covers, accented with a sophisticated black bow. Following dinner, the happy couple cut their three- tiered white buttercream cake with black fondant ribbons, prepared by Bakers Kitchen. The cake-cutting was followed by toasts, bouquet toss, garter toss, and dancing. The DJ, Donnell Robinson of Chi Dr. Productions kept the bride and groom on the dance floor all afternoon!

The reception ended at 4 pm and the bride and groom were whisked away for a "couple's only" photo shoot with their photographer, Daniel Min of Daniel Min Photography, on the beautiful cobblestones located right around the corner from the hotel. All and all it was an absolutely beautiful day. Simply elegant!

Many thanks to Cowles Wall and the amazing staff at the Omni Hotel Downtown!

Pics coming soon...

Convertible Bridesmaid Dresses

Convertible dresses are all the rage! I just finished watching an episode of WE TV’s hit show My Fair Wedding with David Tutera and he took the bridesmaids to the Two Birds dress shop in New York, to get their new dresses. Everyone is getting into this trend because it is easy, creative, and it gives your bridesmaids a dress they can wear over and over and over again.

I actually came across the idea of a convertible dress while strolling through the mall in Charlottesville one afternoon. There was a kiosk that had really pretty dresses on display. I went over to speak to the lady at the register and was amazed when she told me that it was actually one dress, made out of two pieces of fabric that you could wear almost 100 ways!
Later that week, I was flipping through a popular wedding magazine and saw an ad for what I again thought was a line of dresses that looked similar, but were not the same dress. I was floored when I saw that it was a convertible dress by Two Birds.

I immediately went to the website to look at the prices and colors available. Two Birds has a wide range of colors and ways to wrap the dresses with a style to fit each and every body type. They offer tea length ($270)and floor length ($290) dresses. There are other versions, such as the twist by Dessy and the one I found to have the largest choice in colors, Butter by Nadia. They have an amazing selection of styles, colors and fabrics. But, with all of these styles running $200+, they may cost more than what bridesmaids can afford.

On a further search, I found that Victoria's Secret has a more affordable dress coming in at around $110. If that price is still too much. Another option for the more crafty bride is a DIY convertible bridesmaids dress that you could give to the girls as their gifts. There is a simple guide making this dress at rostitchery.com that almost any bride can make in an hour or two.

In the Richmond area, you can soon find convertible bridesmaids dresses at Tiffany’s Bridal.

Happy dress hunting!

Ruby and the Lovely Ladies of R&P

Hope you had a great week! Enjoy...

The Boathouse at Rocketts Landing

We hope that you had a productive week and a restful weekend! The Rubies & Pearls team has been working double time to make sure our upcoming wedding goes off without a hitch. This is crunch time and we are so excited.

A few weeks ago we had the opportunity to visit a beautiful new restaurant and event venue, The Boathouse at Rocketts Landing, located on the banks of the James River. Let us take you on a little tour.

The restaurant occupies the first floor of the newly renovated power plant, which once provided electricity to Richmond's trolley cars.

While we were on sight we had the opportunity to taste the amazing food. We were served a spinach salad with orange peppers and olives, followed by stuffed chicken marsala with red potatoes and vegetables. To top off the delicious meal we were served a shot of cheesecake with chocolate mousse and fresh berries. The service was delightful and the scenery was breathtaking.

On the third floor, The Harbourmaster Suite is available for private events of 20 to 30 guests. With floor-to-ceiling windows and incredible views of the James River and the Richmond city skyline, The Harbourmaster Suite is perfect for a small rehearsal dinner or birthday gathering.

From there, you can take a glass elevator, or a flight of beautifully sculpted stairs down to the riverside tent pavillion, a beautiful space overlooking the James that can be used for weddings, receptions, or other events.

If you are looking for a rustic space for you upcoming wedding, rehearsal dinner, or other event, or maybe just a fresh new restaurant for a night out on the town we highly recommend The Boathouse at Rocketts Landing!

The Lovely Ladies of R&P