It’s that time of year again we are ready to take a look back on all of our weddings over the past year with our 3rd Annual Best of Weddings Series and we need your help!

That’s right, if you’re a 2012 Historic Mankin Mansion Bride or the wedding photographer who shot the wedding, we’d love to showcase your wedding loveliness!

Each wedding will be featured right here on our blog early next year and the top three posts with the most blog and Facebook comments will be selected as finalists.  Each finalist will then receive one more feature and the one with the most Facebook and blog comments by the deadline will be declared the winner!

This year, we are taking it up a notch by having amazing prizes for the wedding that is decided to be the best. The winner will receive a $250 gift certificate to Zeus Gallery while our second place winner will receive a $100 gift certificate to Zeus Gallery.

We are looking for brides, grooms or photographers to send us photos and details from their weddings to feature in the contest. Here is what we need from you:

• 15-20 of your favorite wedding photos. Please note that images must be web ready (no more than 10 MB total) and can include watermarks. Please send the images via zip file on email  (or) send as a folder with your last name on it, via Dropbox.com.
• The Photographer’s name and web site so we may properly credit.
• Permission from your Photographer to showcase the images.
• A paragraph or two (up to 250 words) about your Big Day. Tell us about your favorite details and memories-or anything else you’d like to share about your wedding day.

Submission will be taken now through Friday, December 28 and should be sent to director@historicmankinmansion.com.

We look forward to featuring your wedding!

See you soon,

~Paula & Martin Ramirez

Paula and Martin Ramirez are the proprietors of Historic Mankin Mansion, a wedding resort just minutes from Downtown Richmond. They enjoy new restaurant finds, Virginia wines and discovering fun events and activities throughout the area for their guests.

We are ecstatic to chat a bit today about our recent features in The Lovely Find and Gig Masters!

On The Lovely Find Kristy shared her advice for future brides along with a few gorgeous photos by PW Photography that showcase the green and pink color palette. Check out the full blog HERE!

Gig Masters featured Holly and Phillip’s chic vintage style wedding! The tables were filled with mix matched teapots and cups filled with roses and yummy mini cakes in light pink and baby blue. See the full blog post HERE for all of the lovely details! And yes, Holly is the very same bride who recently won Virginia Living’s Most Beautiful Bride Contest!

We would like to say a big thank you to The Lovely Find and Gig Masters for the wonderful opportunity! As well as thank you to PW Photography and Twilight Images respectively for capturing these beautiful photos.

See you soon,

~Paula & Martin Ramirez

Paula and Martin Ramirez are the proprietors of Historic Mankin Mansion, a wedding resort just minutes from Downtown Richmond. They enjoy new restaurant finds, Virginia wines and discovering fun events and activities throughout the area for their guests.

The first dance for a couple has to be one of our favorite moments when sharing the day with our brides and grooms- you can just feel the love in the air! We enjoy hearing all of the wonderful song choices that the couples make and believe us when we say that we have heard close to them all! Today, we thought it would be fun to share some unique favorites that will no doubt catch your guests by surprise.

We love Etta James’ song “At Last” just as much as the next person so we found something from the 60’s with a blues vibe that your guests will love! Sam Cooke’s song “That’s Where It’s At” is a love song that will make your heart melt.

“Lovesong” by The Cure has been covered by quite a few artists in the past but our favorite rendition has to be Adele’s. Her “Lovesong” has a magical and romantic feel that will certainly set the tone for the evening.

Joshua Radin and Ingrid Michaelson have a lovely song called “Lovely Tonight” that is the perfect indie tune to dance the night away to. This is sure to be a song that most of your guests have not heard before, but will become a favorite!

John Legend has the perfect 21^st century soulful sound that is ideal for a wedding. His song “So High” wins our vote for most swoon worthy song.

And last, but certainly not least, we’d like to give a nod to Virginia with Dave Matthews Band’s song “You & Me.” The song starts out slowly and then picks up a bit near the end, which is perfect if you’d like to invite your guests to join in!

What first dance songs are you considering for you big day? Feel free to share in the comments!

See you soon,

~Paula & Martin Ramirez

Paula and Martin Ramirez are the proprietors of Historic Mankin Mansion, a wedding resort just minutes from Downtown Richmond. They enjoy new restaurant finds, Virginia wines and discovering fun events and activities throughout the area for their guests.

Photo Credit: dmfoto

Wedding color combinations are endless and brides are finding inspiration everywhere and anywhere!  Now that we’ve shared some of our favorite patterns for the season, we thought it was high time we showed you what color combos are catching our eyes this season as well.

Pantone is the authority on the color of the year and typically, the colors they select trend quickly! They have recently announced their predictions with the Fashion Color Report for Spring 2013 so if you’re looking to stay ahead of the wedding planning curve, we suggest you check it out.  With ten colors featured, there are endless combinations and there is sure to be a little something for everyone. We are particular fond of Poppy Red, Nectarine, Lemon Zest and Linen. These would be perfect for an outdoor spring affair!

Photo Credit: Pantone

Neon has been all the rage in fashion and we are dying to see it come into weddings! We love it so much in fact that we created our own color palette for it. The chartreuse and hot pink would be perfect accents on neutral background of stark white and a metallic grey. This is perfection for a summer wedding!

With fall in full swing, we have also been eyeing autumn weddings, and quite frankly, we are in love! But what we love even more is a color palette that surprises us for the season. The mustard yellow and rich brown are a little expected for fall but with the touch of aquamarine, it is an exciting change! Accented with the grey and nude, it will tie everything together.

Photo Credit: The Perfect Palette Pinterest

What color palettes are catching your interest these days? Feel free to share in the comments!

See you soon,

~Paula & Martin Ramirez

Paula and Martin Ramirez are the proprietors of Historic Mankin Mansion, wedding resort just minutes from Downtown Richmond. They enjoy new restaurant finds, Virginia wines and discovering fun events and activities throughout the area for their guests.

Patterns are always popular for weddings. During the past several years, we have seen stripes give a nautical vibe and polka dots used for a classic look.  Chevron seems to be taking center stage these days, adding a little bit of whimsy. We have been scouring Pinterest and have found a few that have caught our eye that we thought we would share with you!

Trefoil

This pattern is both classic and chic and with the endless color combinations, it is a perfect addition to any wedding. The print comes in a variety of sizes and styles and we think it just might be the next big thing!

Herringbone

Herringbone is similar to chevron with a little bit more of sophistication. Herringbone is all over the home décor scene, which means it is just a matter of time before it makes it into the wedding world.

Fret

Fret can be a multitude of different prints but we were fond of this knotted diamond version. It is the perfect print that can blend in and stand out depending on how and where you use it. We suggest donning your invites and save the dates with it!

Ikat/Tribal

The ikat or tribal print is perfect for an outdoorsy couple having a fun fete. With multiple color combinations and geometric shapes making up the print, it is a whimsical addition to table décor or paper goods!

Camellia Floral

We are kind of obsessed with this camellia floral print! It gives us all sorts of inspiration for a late spring or summer wedding. Even the colors are perfection! This floral would look gorgeous for chair sashes and even on some fun monogrammed koozies as favors!

So what patterns are catching your eye this season? Feel free to let share in the comments!

See you soon,

~Paula & Martin Ramirez

Paula and Martin Ramirez are the proprietors of Historic Mankin Mansion, a wedding resort and bed and breakfast just minutes from Downtown Richmond. They enjoy new restaurant finds, Virginia wines and discovering fun events and activities throughout the area for their guests.

We are feeling really lucky here at the Mansion these days and our brides are too!

Last week we announced that one of our very own Historic Mankin Mansion couple Sara and David won Richmond Wedding’s Best Proposal Story! This week we are happy to announce that Holly won The Most Beautiful Bride Contest by Virginia Living!

Holly and Phillip got married at the Mansion earlier this year and we loved sharing in their wedding day.

A big thank you to everyone who participated voting for all of our Mansion brides as well as to our friends at Twilight Images for sharing this lovely image with us!

And of course- congratulations Holly!

See you soon,

~Paula & Martin Ramirez

Paula and Martin Ramirez are the proprietors of Historic Mankin Mansion, a wedding resort and bed and breakfast just minutes from Downtown Richmond. They enjoy new restaurant finds, Virginia wines and discovering fun events and activities throughout the area for their guests.

We are obviously obsessed with Pinterest just as everyone else is and we can’t seem to stop finding inspiration! This week we wanted to share with you our favorite DIY favors.

We love when favors pull double duty and these luggage tags do just that. You can buy luggage tags in bulk online then all you have to do is use a design program or Microsoft Word to add the names of your guest, along with their table number and for an added touch, a chic logo along with the date.

Mini potted herbs are a great way to add décor to your tables and thank your guests for celebrating your special day. Herbs can be purchased at your local nursery, and since your buying in bulk you might be able to snag a deal. Lots of adorable container options are out there from jars to planting pots, and you can make them your own by painting them like these below.

We love coffee here at the Mansion and this favor was right up our alley. If you and your groom are coffee lovers too we suggest beautiful coffee favors. You can use any coffee that you like from your favorite local (Rostov’s Coffee & Tea is one of our personal favorites) or even your beloved grocery store brand. Place in an adorable container and your guests will be thankful to have the boost of caffeine after a long night of celebrating.

We all know after leaving a wedding we are in search of a late night snack. Why not supply your guests with the snack that they need? You can use brown lunch bags dressed up with some pattern and tags and fill the inside with goodies. We suggest something salty along with something sweet. Maybe pretzels, kettle cooked chips, local chocolate or anything that is you and your groom’s favorite treats! Wrap them in some patterned paper, tie with twine and label the treats! We suggest leaving them were guests will exit so they can grab and go on their way out.

How are you using Pinterest to inspire your wedding? Follow us on Pinterest to see everything that inspires us.

See you soon,

~Paula & Martin Ramirez

Paula and Martin Ramirez are the proprietors of Historic Mankin Mansion, a wedding resort and bed and breakfast just minutes from Downtown Richmond. They enjoy new restaurant finds, Virginia wines and discovering fun events and activities throughout the area for their guests.

Richmond Weddings has just announced their Best Proposal Contest and we would love to see one of our brides take the crown (naturally! ).

Richmond Weddings is looking for the best proposal story including anything from you the bride proposing to your groom, a very public proposal that went awry or anything in between! The winner will receive over $2,500 worth of amazing prizes, including a two-hour photo shoot at the Mansion. To see the full details check out Richmond Weddings today. The deadline is fast approaching (September 19!)- so don’t delay!

Enter the contest here and we wish you the best of luck!

See you soon,

~Paula & Martin Ramirez

Paula and Martin Ramirez are the proprietors of Historic Mankin Mansion, a wedding resort and bed and breakfast just minutes from Downtown Richmond. They enjoy new restaurant finds, Virginia wines and discovering fun events and activities throughout the area for their guests.

Photo Credit: Lovely Leaf Studio

You might remember our recent article in Richmond Weddings Magazine on how we love Pinterest and what a wonderful tool it is for brides to find inspiration. Today, we’re putting our money where our mouth is as we share our recent finds from Pinterest for up and coming trends!

• We love the idea of a DIY chalkboard background for photos. Use Polaroid cameras so that your guests can take their photos home as keepsakes from your Big Day.
• Additionally, Kraft paper can make the perfect placemat-  you can even add a little touch of a personalization by writing out each guest’s name so that they can find their seat.

• Sometimes guests are too busy having fun at your wedding to stop and enjoy your delicious wedding cake, and we have the solution for you. Have the caterer place the extra pieces of cake in to go containers and forks that can be placed at the exit for guests to grab and enjoy later!

•  Calligraphy is the most beautiful way to address your envelopes; with so many options from formal to laid back style, there is a little something for everyone. We also suggest adding several beautiful stamps as well to make it a bit more memorable for the recipient.

• White and black anemones are an unexpected wedding flower but they are popping up all over the place from bouquets to table settings and we say it’s a DO!

•  We love chevron just as much as you but we think lattice print might just be the next big thing!

•  Mini-Champagne with a stripped straw, need we say more!

•  Brides and Grooms are opting to have sprinkles thrown instead of rice or birdseed, it makes for some beautiful photos and it is just so much fun!

•  And the last one speaks for its self! We say it’s your party, and you can party like you want to!

We hope you enjoyed visiting some of the latest trends as much as we did.  Don’t forget to join us on Pinterest for all sorts of swoon worthy wedding inspiration!

See you soon,

~Paula & Martin Ramirez

Paula and Martin Ramirez are the proprietors of Historic Mankin Mansion, a wedding resort and bed and breakfast just minutes from Downtown Richmond. They enjoy new restaurant finds, Virginia wines and discovering fun events and activities throughout the area for their guests.

Today we thought we’d take a break from our Real Weddings to discuss something that comes up quite often with our brides- wedding reception seating!

The reception seating arrangements at your wedding say something about the event – it might be that you are planning a casual and high-energy party, or a formal, sophisticated affair. Spend some time thinking about these different seating styles and how you can best complement your menu and entertainment while accommodating your loved ones on your big day!

Assigned Seating: this is the most formal of the seating styles. Each guest is assigned a specific place at a specific table. It is most useful when there is a plated meal with more than one entrée option as the place cards can be coded to indicate which one each guest chose, and serving staff can be given notes before the event starts to make the event run more efficiently.  Assigned seating also allows hosts to help smooth social interactions by placing guests with mutual interests strategically together (and those with potential conflicts conveniently apart). It is appropriate any time of day, but particularly so at a formal dinner. Another variation on this theme is assigning tables and allowing guests to choose their specific seat. Assigned tables are great for stationed meals or plated meals where service staff doesn’t have to match diners to their selected entrée.

Cocktail Style Seating with Heavy Hors d’oeuvres: Cocktail seating is often informal, fun and dynamic. A common style in traditional southern weddings, guests are not assigned seats and instead are encouraged to mingle. Pub-style tall cocktail tables may be used with or without stools for guests to perch on while enjoying passed or stationed hors d’oeuvres served in small bites. Lower, bistro-style cocktail tables can also compliment this type of reception. The signatures of a cocktail seating event are lots of variety and energy; perfect for a morning or late afternoon event, or later (post-dinner period) get-together. Timing is critical because guests should be clued in by the hour that they may not be served a full meal (although, often there is plenty of food at a cocktail-style reception to satisfy even the hungriest guest).

Open Seating: This style requires the least effort on the part of the hosts and is great for less formal events where the goal is to have a great party with few limits. Enough seating is generally provided for all guests; however, they are permitted to choose their own tables and places. It is a good idea to reserve a handful of tables to accommodate the bridal party, immediate family and newlyweds at an open seating event as they may be tied up with photo or social obligations during seat selection and it is comforting to know that their positions are secure.

Family Style Seating: Family style seating is increasing in popularity can be assigned or open. The term describes a method of service in which guests are presented with heaping plates of food, sometimes including entrees and side dishes, much like they would be at home or at a holiday dinner. Once presented, everyone serves themselves. Family style meals bring groups of friends and family closer together and are perfect for intimate gatherings any time of day.

You have many options when you are considering ways to place your guests. Explore each together with your fiancé and your closest family and decide what best lends itself to your unique event!

See you soon,

~Paula & Martin Ramirez

Paula and Martin Ramirez are the proprietors of Historic Mankin Mansion, a wedding resort and bed and breakfast just minutes from Downtown Richmond. They enjoy new restaurant finds, Virginia wines and discovering fun events and activities throughout the area for their guests.

Photo credit: PW Photography