Team Carnevale is the Challenge Winner!

Team Carnevale, led by Event Planner Janice Carnevale of Bellwether Events, took the prize at the first annual Not-So-Big Wedding Challenge for their Autumn-inspired wedding reception. The team beat out nine other teams of vendors for the grand prize.

Team members included: Gerry Rogers of Petal's Edge, Leslie Grimes of Corcoran Caterers, Stephanie Ascari of Cleverly Candid Photography and Marc Wilner of Washington Talent Agency.

Team Carnevale Wedding Tab
Total: $15,000 (for 65 guests)
$133 per person over 65

The Details:

Venue Rental (Lodge at Little Seneca Creek, Friday night, 8 hours): $2100
Catering/Beverage/Rentals: $7,800
Photography: $2,000
Flowers: $1,300
Music: $900
Wedding Planner: $900

Congratulations Team Carnevale!

Things To Do & See - Sunday, November 8

• Montgomery Parks Event Centers on Parade (Salomon Room)
Talk with Parks representatives and find out more about Brookside Gardens, Rockwood Manor, Seneca Lodge, and Woodlawn Manor.

• NSBW Challenge Teams Present: Elegant Weddings for $15K or Less!
(Rapidan Room and Brooke Hall)
Ten teams have taken the challenge to create an elegant wedding for $15K or less. Meet the teams, check out their displays and ideas, and if you see a “Wedding Tab” that wrks for you, sign up on the spot!

• St. Anthony’s Bridal Boutique (Great Falls Room)
Beautiful dresses for $150 or less! Check out their model brides throughout the day, and head downstairs to try a couple on for size. Your gown may be there waiting for you!
All proceeds go to St. Anthony’s Bridal Center to help them provide gowns and other items for brides who need them.

• Discover Rockwood Manor Potomac, MD
Take some time to explore the grounds and facilities at Rockwood, including the Bridal Suite in Carolyn Cottage (Room 1, just off the Rapidan Room), the lovely stone patio and woods just outside Brooke Hall, the gazebo and front lawn, and more.

• Take a Break (Caughey Room)
Enjoy a complimentary cup of coffee or tea or some lemonade, and relax for a bit.

Schedule of Events - Sunday, November 8

12:30-1:15pm
• Wedding Wisdom Presentation: “Top 5 Secrets to an Economical & Elegant Wedding”
with American Academy of Wedding Professionals founder and author Deborah McCoy

1:15pm
• Not-So-Big Wedding Challenge Team Winner Announced
• Door Prizes Awarded

1:30-2:30pm
• Wedding Wisdom Presentation: “The Art of the Small Wedding”
A panel discussion moderated by Ellen McCarthy of The Washington Post, with budget-savvy brides Jessica Bishop (author of “The Budget-Savvy Bride” blog), Kathleen Friesen, Nole Garey (author of the blog “Oh So Beautiful Paper”), and Liza Kelley.

2:30pm
• The Brides (and Grooms) cut the Not-So-Big Wedding cake!

2:45-3:30pm
• Wedding Wisdom Presentation: “How to Have the Wedding Your Mother Never Dreamed of...” with author Lynn Young

3:30pm
• More Door Prizes Awarded
• Grand Prize Winner of the NSBW Raffle Announced

Team Goodluck: The Perfect Wedding Package

Team Leader:
Marquita Goodluck, Wedding Planner
A Goodluck Event
301-438-1137
Info@AGoodluckEvent.com
AGoodluckEvent.com

Harry Jackson, Photographer
HJackson Images
202-607-8070
HJackson_Images@excite.com
HJacksonImages.excitewebpages.com

Nha Vo, Florist
Mimi’s Flora, Inc.
301-346-5920
NVo98@yahoo.com

Walt Dunick, DJ
DJ Dunick
443-562-0010
Walt@DJDunick.com
DJDunick.com

Troy MacDonald, Caterer
Sole D’Italia Restaurant
301-598-6660
SoleDItaliaMD.com

Team Zello - The Intercounty Wedding Connection

Team Leader:

Kim Zello, Caterer
Stone Soup Catering
301-515-6998
ChefZello@aol.com
Stone-Soup-Catering.com

Adam Feit, DJ
Jamology, Inc.
240-626-7316
JamologyInc.com
AMFeit@JamologyInc.com

Sarah Michonski, Photographer
Eden’s Cove Photography
301-704-2715
EdensCovePhotography.net
http://www.edenscovephotography.net/

Nancy Chinnock, Cake Designer
Custom Cake Design
301-216-1100
CustomCakeDesign.com
CCDCakes@aol.com

Judy Taylor, Florist
The Flower Valley
301-929-1791
FlowerValley@verizon.net

Team Mnkande - Le Team

Team Leader:

Joyce Mnkande, Event Planner
Events2Remember, Inc.
301-317-4411
Info@Events-2Remember.com
Events-2Remember.com

Kora Polydore, Caterer
Immaculate Cuisine
410-491-7205
Catering@ImmaculateCuisine.com
ImmaculateCuisine.com

Ken Rochon, DJ
Absolute Entertainment
410-761-1212
Ken@AbsoluteEntertainment.com
AbsoluteEntertainment.com

Julie Upchurch, Florist
Little House of Flowers
410-923-3170
GetFlowers@verizon.net
LittleHouseofFlowers.net

Alexander Morozov, Photographer
Photography by Alexander
410-833-0543
Info@PhotographybyAlexander.com
PhotographybyAlexander.com

Team Carnevale

CHALLENGE WINNER!
Team Leader:
Janice Carnevale, Event Planner
Bellwether Events
703-851-9622
Janice@BellwetherEvents.com
BellwetherEvents.com

Gerry Rogers, Florist
Petal’s Edge
703-518-8488
Info@PetalsEdge.com
PetalsEdge.com

Leslie Grimes, Caterer
Corcoran Caterers
301-588-9200
CorcoranCaterers.com

Stephanie Ascari, Photojournalist
Cleverly Candid Photography
703-855-9565
Stephanie@CleverlyCandid.com
CleverlyCandid.com

Marc Wilner, DJ
Washington Talent Agency
301-762-1800
Info@WashingtonTalent.com
WashingtonTalent.com

Team Jackson - Priceless

Team Leaders:

Dariya Jackson & Andrea Taylor, Event Coordinators
Imagine It! Event Planning and Design Company
301-646-2367 or 301-908-7232
D.Jackson@IIEventPlanning.com
ATaylor@IIEventPlanning.com
IIEventPlanning.com

Tali Mindek, Photographer & Videographer
Art by Tali
410-446-3589
Tali@ArtbyTali.com
ArtbyTali.com

Kevin Burke, DJ
2 hype entertainment
KSmooth2Hype@verizon.net

Cristina Curcio, Caterer
MK Catering
301-277-8494
Events@MKCatering.com
MKCatering.com

Team Martini

Team Leaders:

Sharia Barksdale & Adrian Walker,
Wedding Planners
Socialite Event Management, LLC
202-420-1802
TheScoop@SocialiteEvents.com
SocialiteEvents.com

Jean Vasconcellos, Floral Designer
Flowers by Jean
703-931-1894
SeeJeanV@gmail.com

Ruth Hackney, Baker
A Taste of Class Upscale Desserts
202-528-1615
CakeBake5916@aol.com

Pepe Gomez, Photographer
Pixel Me Studios
202-468-8806
Pepe@PixelMe.net
PixelMe.net

Team Centineo

Team Leader:

Susan Centineo, Photographer
Studio C Photography Imaging
240-446-6085
StudioCPhotos@yahoo.com
Studio-C-Photography.com

Ory Webster & Steve Jeweler, Florists
Ory Florals
301-865-8860
Ory@OryFlorals.com
OryFlorals.com

Cindy Jacobs, Caterer
Cinful Cuisine
410-808-6100
CinfulCuisine@aol.com
Visit us on Facebook!

Matt & Nicole Shew, DJs
Shew-sical Entertainment Services
888-743-9742
MatthewShew@msn.com
Shew-sical.com

Loretta Stinchfield
Premier Party Rentals
301-685-6379
Loretta@Premier-Party-Rentals.com
Premier-Party-Rentals.com

Team Carretero - Rock Creek

Team Leader:

Luis Carretero, Caterer
Rock Creek Catering Company
301-650-0073
Info@RockCreekCatering.com
RockCreekCatering.com

William Ralph, Photographer
Laminak Images
301-731-1387
William.Ralph@LaminakImages.com
LaminakImages.com

Da Vinci’s Florist
301-588-8900
DaVinciFlorist@aol.com
DaVinciFlorist.us

Party Central Artists
301-330-6999
Info@PartyCentralRocks.com
PartyCentralRocks.com

Team Isaacson - Simple Elegance

Team Leader:

Adam Isaacson, Caterer
La Prima Catering
301-220-1001
Info@LaPrimaEvents.com
LaPrimaCatering.com

Mark J. Burch, Musician
Everything Entertainment
240-351-5434
EverythingEntertain@yahoo.com
EverythingEntertain.com

John Biggs, Photographer
Bigg Studios
240-449-8668
John@BiggStudios.com
BiggStudios.com

Scott Stevanus, Florist
C. Scott Design
202-262-2407
301-341-2516 ?
Scott@CScottDesign.com
CScottDesign.com

Cliff Matheson, Videographer
Matheson Communications, Inc.
301-652-5754
Reporter@erols.com
MathesonVideo.com

Team Johnson - The Bridal Box

Team Leader:

R. LaMont Johnson “Punch,” DJ
The Punch Production
301-860-0109
PunchDJ@verizon.net
PunchDJ.com

Eric K. Pickens, Executive Chef
Classic Cuisine Catering
301-333-8500
ErickP1@ix.netcom.com
ClassicCuisineCatering.biz

Twila Moorman Hunt, Wedding Planner
TNT Designs Events
240-381-3247
Twila@TNTDesignsEvents.com
TNTDesignsEvents.com

Anton Dickerson, Photographer
Images Studio
301-499-6779
ImagesStudio@verizon.net
ImagesStudio.com

Terry Godfrey, Florist
Joyous Creations Floral Design
301-332-9338
Terry@Joyous-Creations.com
JoyousCreationsFloralDesign.com

Four Brides and A Budget

These four blushing, budget-savvy brides will share their experiences and advice
at the panel discussion “The Art of the Small Wedding,” in the Hoover Room at 1:30pm.

Jessica Bishop is a graphic designer and wedding blogger who began her
award-winning blog “The Budget Savvy Bride” shortly after becoming
engaged in April 2008. She and her husband had to pay for the wedding
themselves, so they combined their creative and artistic talents and pulled off
a beautiful, unique, budget-savvy affair for around $10,000! Jessica currently
runs her own design business, JessLehry Designs, where she creates anything
from corporate logos to custom wedding invitations. She also keeps “The
Budget Savvy Bride” current with new cost-saving projects, updates from her
newlywed life, and a different budget-savvy wedding feature each week.

Kathleen Friesen was born to military parents in Texas. A month later, they whisked her off to New England, moved around for several years, and finally settled in Virginia. Kathleen went off to Wheaton College in Illinois—but didn’t meet her husband, a fellow Wheaton alumnus, until she returned to Virginia after graduation. After 18 months of dating and a picnic engagement at the National Cathedral, they planned their October 3, 2009 wedding in 5.25 months. Her post-wedding pasttimes are working as a software engineer, getting her masters in computer science, and discovering married life in a tiny apartment with too many kitchen appliances.

Nole Garey is the founder and editor of “Oh So Beautiful Paper,” a daily wedding, stationery, and design blog born out of Nole’s love for all things paper–from identity and business collateral to wedding invitations and paper artwork. Since its creation in September 2008, the blog has become a popular read for magazine editors, wedding and design professionals, and brides around the world. A resident of Washington, DC, Nole and her husband Andrew were married at Woodlawn Manor in Sandy Spring, Maryland in May 2008. Nole and Andrew planned a vintage-inspired outdoor garden wedding for 50 of their closest family and friends for less than $15,000. Their wedding has been featured on a variety of blogs and websites, including “Style Me Pretty,” “Once Wed,” “Elizabeth Anne Designs,” and “Project Wedding.”

Liza Kelley (nee Kindl) and Brian Kelley were married on September 5, 2009 at Brookside Gardens in Wheaton, Maryland. Liza is 24 and was born in western Pennsylvania. She works for the Shakespeare Theatre Company in Washington, and met Brian, 30, employed by the Washington National Opera, at Ohio University in Athens, in 2003. They moved to Maryland in 2007 and live in Silver Spring.

Ellen McCarthy to moderate panel "The Art of the Small Wedding"

Ellen McCarthy has been a staff writer at The Washington Post for more than nine years. She’s written about business, entertainment and the arts. In May she helped launch “OnLove,” a Style section page devoted to the coverage of weddings, love and relationships. Ellen is moderating the panel discussion “The Art of the Small Wedding” (real brides sharing practical advice!) at 1:30p.m. in the Hoover Room.