Vendor of the Month: Sanctuary Cosmetic Center

September’s  Vendor of the Month is Sanctuary Cosmetic Center in Tysons Corner, Virginia. They offer such a wide range of skin treatments and procedures all handled by amazing experts. We have loved getting to know the entire staff there and are so happy to share their services with you! Check out our Q&A with the team below to learn more about Sanctuary and all they offer.

Q: What sets Sanctuary apart from other cosmetic centers and what services do you offer?

A: Dr. Soheila Rostami is a double board-certified oculo-facial plastic surgeon with nearly 20 years of experience turning back the clock on aging.  At Sanctuary Cosmetic Center, our highly trained staff is here to help enhance your inner and outer beauty by making you feel and look your best.  We are dedicated to providing you extraordinary care in a luxurious, friendly, relaxed and professional environment. We offer the following services:

-Facial and Body Cosmetic Surgery

-Botox

-Dermal Fillers

-Laser Skin Resurfacing

-Skin Tightening

-Fat Reduction

-Laser Hair Removal

-Chemical Peels

-Microneedling with PRP

-Permanent Makeup

-Healthy Lifestyle Coaching

-Executive Coaching

-Professional Makeup

Q: What advice would you give someone who is considering skin rejuvenation?

A: Consult with a medical or skin care professional to learn about your options and find out what the best one is for you.  Learn about your skin and find out if you would be the ideal candidate for skin rejuvenation. At home maintenance with use of products are essential for pre and post treatment to help with efficacy and healing.

Q: Do you offer complimentary consultations, what does a typical consultation entail?

A: Our consultations are 100% free. We like for our patients to feel completely comfortable and have all of their questions answered before they commit to anything. Our typical consultations would consist of the patient meeting with Linda, our Patient Consultant, about their specific concerns. Linda would give the patient different options to meet their needs and pricing and then the patient would speak with the doctor or our Master Aesthetician, Amanda about the actual procedure.

Q:Do you offer bridal packages for brides who book with you prior to their wedding?

A: Yes, we do offer bridal packages. We consult with our bride-to-be and design a custom bridal package that suits her needs.

 Q: What advice would you give a bride in particular when considering skin rejuvenation? 

A: It’s best to start your pre-wedding skin care treatments quite some time in advance so you can get the most optimal results and also allow your skin some time to heal. It also depends on what kind of condition your skin is in. If you have a lot of damage and need more aggressive treatments, you may want to start your treatments as far out as 1 year to 1 year and a half.  Use of medical grade products at home are also crucial for maintenance and can really help prevent those pesky breakouts you get around that time of the month! It is always best to consult with a skin care professional to help guide you in the best direction.

Vendor of the Month: The Tailored Man

For our August Vendor of the Month we chose The Tailored Man in McLean, Virginia. As we described earlier this month, this boutique creates bespoke menswear for their clients and also provides amazing alterations services as well. We wanted to ask Sanjay Daswani of The Tailored Man a few more questions about the boutique and the custom process.

Q: Could you tell our readers a little bit about The Tailored Man?

A: The Tailored Man is a family owned & operated business that believes our clients are our most valuable asset.  Our objective is to diligently scope, create & craft to perfection custom suits & shirts to fit our clients unique needs. We provide each client with uncompromising attention.  Our Customer satisfaction is paramount to our operation.

Q: What are the most common questions prospective clients ask?

A: Price is one of the biggest misconceptions people have about custom suits / shirts. People often think that custom suiting is only for men that can afford to spend a significant amount of money. At The Tailored Man we can offer you a better value for your money than some of the high end stores and brands.

Secondly, people think off the rack fit can suffice. But seasonal trends need not be the best fit for all body types. Rather than be compromised with mass produced proportions, a client can avail the perfection of a custom fit for a stand out look they can carry with style and comfort.

Thirdly, illusion of time saved. Styles are always changing; clients get consumed from store to store trying to find what’s new & what fits. They finally end up with pieces which never work out all the time. Working with custom clothiers will help reduce the time wasted running around & update your look and make you look more trendy.

Q: Typically, what is the lead time for a custom suit?

A: Usually, it takes about six weeks for a custom suit or tuxedo, but it can vary depending on the item and fabrics selected.

Q: Are alterations included in the custom process?

A: Yes, alterations are included in the process, even though the suits are measured for the man, pieces will always need a few tweaks once the client actually has it on his body. We also offer complimentary alterations for up to 15 months, if a client needs their piece to be taken in or let out a bit. In addition to that, we offer alterations on outside pieces for a separate cost.

Q: What makes The Tailored Man different?

A: Our selection of fabric brands at various price points gives us a better advantage than many custom clothiers. Our service & attention to detail to our clients’ needs sets us apart. Our location in a prime area is also key. Being next to all the Luxury brands gives us a competitive edge where clients can compare prices & walk right out to us for any custom work. The overall growth of the surrounding area keeps giving us easier access to numerous clients.

Q: What advice would you give someone who is considering buying a custom suit?

A: Consider what your need is for the suit, the flexibility of wearing it for multiple occasions or dictated by a specific occasion to narrow in on the styles and color palette. The most important part about a suit is the fit. Look out & ask yourself how the jacket feels & fits at your shoulders and chest, and the length is appropriate. What type of customization would you like starting from lapel style & widths, vents at the back of the jacket and slack style. Think of options you would like on your suits such as and not limited to working button holes on sleeves and fancy lining.

Will you be game to have something made that is different from what you normally go for and step out of your comfort zone. Try different patterns of suits and shirts while considering what will suit your body type and personality.

Vendor of the Month: Greenworks Florist

Our Vendor of the Month for July is Greenworks! They are so wonderful at what they do, flowers truly become artwork in their hands. We wanted to showcase some of the fabulous work they have done over the years and also get their top five tips when is comes to planning and choosing your wedding flowers. Here’s what they had to say…

1. Do some research before you meet with the florist. Think about what you like and do not like, what style you are looking for, and bring pictures of what you see online or in magazines.

2. Ask what flowers are in season. This helps especially with cost control. Consider the color(s) you want rather than a specific flower.

3. Know your budget. Don’t forget to account for a delivery charge and tax. Typically, the cost of one plate of food should be about what you spend on your centerpiece.

4. Splurge on your bouquet if you can! It will be in your photographs and possibly preserved. Make it special.

5. Trust your floral designer and their team. They want to make your wedding beautiful!

Photo: Jessica Schmidt

Photo: Terra Dawn

Photo: K. Thompson

Photo: Abby Jiu

Photo: K. Thompson

Photo: K. Thompson

Vendor of the Month: MBK Photography

In this month’s newsletter we featured MBK Photography and we have always loved working with Michael! Recently, we collaborated on an inspirational shoot at the historic Anderson House. The mood for the shoot was centered around vintage glamour inspired by the grandeur and romance of the Anderson House. The first gown pictured, with long sleeves, is by Berta Bridal. The second gown is a strapless mermaid style by Inbal Dror… enjoy!

Photos: MBK Photography

Make-Up: Dina of Dinechka Make-up

Hair: Marcela Urioste of By Marcela Make-up

Flowers: Edge Flowers

 

 

As a special bonus, Bowen Films created this amazing video as well!

https://vimeo.com/120613008 

Vendor of the Month: Dandelion Patch

As promised in our newsletter this month, we sat down with Heidi Kallett of the Dandelion Patch to get some invitation tips. Heidi also shared her perspective on current paper trends and invitation etiquette. After being in the industry for so many years and opening two successful storefronts between Vienna and Georgetown, we were so excited to have Heidi share some of her expertise with us!

Q: What do you love most about your job and what made you decide to open Dandelion Patch?

A: I love so many things about being in this creative, personal, and beautiful event world! But honestly, I mostly love that through our custom invitations we are permanently part of our client’s milestone events: babies, mitzvahs, weddings, birthdays and retirements. We really see the entire life-cycle of our loyal customers.

Q: With so many paper options and designs how do you help couples figure out which invitation design is best for them?

A: We believe that an invitation suite is the first glimpse into the details of the big day. Style, colors, texture and more… custom wedding invitations really reflect the personality of the couple. Usually, when couples come to us- they have an entire pinterest board dedicated to everything from florals to dresses! And as we all know- a picture is worth a thousand words. From a carefully curated Pinterest Board and a couple of dedicated hours, we can help a couple determine their style and create a custom and personal reflection of that style.

 Q: What is the best advice you can give when it comes to invitations?

A: After 10 years of being in the business, I still find that many wedding publications and blogs promote incorrect timelines and etiquette. I realize that you can research online while you’re at work or at home in your slippers. However, a reputable stationer can help guide you through the many necessary choices between paper quality, printing methods, product options, design elements, and those pesky etiquette questions. Honestly, a good stationer will save a ton of time and many possible (and costly) mistakes.

Q: What is your favorite paper/invitation trend right now?

A: I can’t get enough of the watercolor ombre trends right now! Muted pastel palettes with shades of similar colors are hot, hot, hot. I think it takes a talented designer and stationer to pull of the ‘matching’ but ‘not matching exactly’ concept that is so very popular right now.

Q: What are some of your favorite invitations you’ve ever designed? (See below for Heidi’s top picks)

Photo: Michelle Lindsay

Photo: Dandelion Patch

Photo: Katie Stoops

Photo: Dandelion Patch

Vendor of the Month: Marigold & Grey

In our April newsletter we featured Marigold & Grey a boutique gift basket company that specializes in the design, preparation, and delivery of custom welcome gifts for weddings and other special events. We also chatted with the owner, Jamie Kutchman, to learn a little bit more about her, her company, and her fabulous baskets!

Q: How did you decide to start Marigold & Grey?

A: It was crunch time, a couple of weeks before my own wedding, when I realized how tricky it is to find unique, one-of-a-kind items for welcome gifts. I wanted thoughtful and locally-inspired items since all of my guests were making the effort to travel in from out of town. After all the time and energy that went into the gifts, I returned from my honeymoon and heard that some of our welcome bags were delivered to the wrong hotel by mistake. Some guests received a gift and others did not…embarrassing! This immediately got me thinking about the need for a boutique welcome gift company! At the same time, I was becoming increasingly more and more unhappy in my corporate career. I was financially successful but inside, I felt stagnant and unfulfilled. So, in April of last year, I resigned from my job (on a conference call, actually!) and in mid-November, I launched the e-commerce website that you see up and running today.

Q: What is the best part about using Marigold & Grey?

A: When brides, grooms and planners use the design-your-own-gift function on the website, in just 5 to 10 minutes and a few clicks here and there, they have a beautiful, well-designed set of welcome gifts ready to welcome their guests to town. If done the traditional way, it can take days and weeks to research ideas, source the items, wait for the items to ship, and then assemble everything. The month or so leading up to a wedding should not be filled with last-minute stressful tasks such as welcome gifts. It should be spent celebrating with friends and family. I love taking some of the stress away!

Q: What is the process you go through with your clients?

A: Clients can work with us one of two ways. The first is to use the e-commerce website to design their own gifts from start to finish. They first choose a packaging option (box, bag or basket) and then add the contents they’d like inside (snacks, beverages, toiletries, keepsakes).

The second way is to take advantage of our Concierge Gift Design Service. Clients provide us with their wedding style, location, gift budget, and color palette and we put together a gift design for them that matches their overall vision.

Q: What is your favorite gift item to add to baskets?

A: Oh, this is a tough one since there are SO many items in the collection that I absolutely love. But if I must choose one, it would have to be the Neighborwoods Cedar Map Coasters of Washington DC! These are high-end, unique, handcrafted, functional and smell amazing.

Q: What is your favorite gift basket you’ve ever done?

A: Hmm. Another tough question! I’d have to say a garden-inspired basket I designed for the Bowties & Bubbly bridal show back in January where each room at the venue had a distinctly different design. The design for this particular room was a garden party with a bubbly bar and tons of greenery. I loved the soft, lush, feminine, organic, luxurious feel of this basket. I’d definitely love to be a wedding guest receiving this as a welcome gift!

Photo credit: Krista A. Jones Photography