Rachel Smith was an absolute joy to work with for both our engagement photos and wedding photos. Although she is based in Maryland, we took our engagement photos in DC and our wedding was a ways out in Virginia, so she is willing to travel to you. I can�t express enough about how professional, charismatic, and easy to work with she was. She was on time and willing to try all the different types of shots I suggested.
Our engagement photos are absolutely fabulous. We had our photos taken around the National Mall near the Reflection Pool, Lincoln, WWI, and WWII Memorials. The late change in the leaves of November this past year made the backdrop to all of our photos amazing. Although we only had an hour to work with her, I think she may have taken around 400 or more photos. She not only captured us but also the beauty of nature surrounding us. I will continue to enjoy these photos for years to come.
Although we have not received all of our wedding photos back yet, the slideshow she provided us and the few photos she sent me for newspaper announcements are fantastic. My husband and I are both down-to-earth realists, but she managed to capture the enchantment of our wedding. I am astonished at how gorgeous the photos are, and am so glad we chose Rachel to be our photographer. We will definitely use her again for future important life events.
After meeting with two other florists who pushed me to spend too much or were unresponsive, the staff at Tysons Flower Affair were wonderful to find. This shop is a small family-owned business. The husband, wife, and mother who run the store are very nice. Although the mother does not speak much English, she is a great flower designer. She has great suggestions and ideas, and the wife is more than willing to assist in translation. They are also so friendly that I felt very comfortable expressing my true feelings and ideas.
I met with the mother and wife for an introductory meeting. I told the ladies I was looking for a specific color of flower and the look I was trying to achieve. I also provided vases I had already bought for the center pieces. They both had many suggestions for everything I needed flowers for, including center pieces, ceremony arrangements, bouquets, and corsages. Anytime I did not like something, they were more than willing to make another suggestion. I enjoyed my visit so much, and the price was unbelievable reasonable compared to the other places that I booked them right away.
They were wonderful in trying to help me achieve the perfect center pieces and find the exact color I was looking for. I returned on several occasions to look at sample flowers they ordered for me. They did this until I was happy with the one I chose, and they did not add on any additional charges.
Any time I had a question or suggestion, I emailed it to them, and within a day, they always replied and were very helpful in putting my idea into action or letting me know if it would not work.
They also made the perfect flower pieces for my hair, and because I was so busy the day of the wedding and my hotel was close to their shop, they even delivered my hair flowers that morning to the hotel so I wouldn�t have to go get them myself. This was an unexpected and much appreciated service they provided me.
The day of the wedding, they delivered the flowers themselves and set up the centerpieces perfectly. I would have to say I was genuinely impressed and am very happy with my decision to use them as my florist. I will definitely suggest them to friends and return to them for special occasion flowers in the future.
The cake at this bakery tastes great and is definitely affordable. We visited another bakery first, and they wanted twice the price for a cake that didn�t taste nearly as good. The staff at the bakery were helpful and willing to decorate my cake with the design I had envisioned. The cake was delivered and beautiful on our wedding day. We also ordered a grooms cake in the shape of a beer mug. It was hilarious, and everyone got a good laugh out of it. I would definitely recommend this bakery to others.
The service we received at Charleston Alexander was superb. We were greeted and helped right away, and the staff went out of their way to explain everything to us about diamonds. They also showed us a number of diamonds and many rings until we found the perfect ones. I've been back to have my rings cleaned quite frequently. I go every time I have plans to leave town or am going to see someone special. They always quickly clean it for me and inspect it for my warranty. The extended warranty is definitely worth it. I have even been able to have my rings resized for free because it's included in the cost. This was great because I lost 25 pounds before the wedding, and I was scared I was going to lose my engagement ring. Also, the rings are very high quality and exquisite. I get compliments all the time. Once again, everyone there goes out of their way to be friendly and helpful. I definitely enjoy doing business with them more than any other jewelry I've visited in the DC area.