What if getting married could be as easy as your decision to say yes? What if you could guarantee an upscale, stylish, personalized, enjoyable, Vogue feature-worthy affair that pleases every friend and family member as well as yourself and your betrothed? If you work with Cristina Calvert, you can actually achieve that fantasy wedding experience and spare yourself the stress that so often accompanies wedding prep.
Calvert, a Maryland native whose own wedding was featured in Town & Country magazine, knows what she’s doing; the kind, competent, creative entrepreneur launched her Potomac-based event design and wedding planning company in 2012 and has been producing seamless soirees for Potomac residents and beyond ever since.
Calvert and her team diligently work with couples through every step of the wedding planning process, from selecting a venue to full wedding weekend management. She typically meets with couples right after their engagement and before a venue has been chosen. “This allows us to suggest the best venue for the ideal setting and experience they want to provide to their guests,” Calvert says. “Whether it be a beautiful tented wedding in the backyard or an exquisite destination, the venue will be the backdrop to the entire wedding weekend.” She’s worked on events at locations ranging from Italian castles to Potomac family homes.
A Cristina Calvert event is quite the opposite of a formulaic wedding—it’s a personalized feast for the senses that guests remember with awe long after the day (or weekend!) is wrapped. This is because Calvert taps into all the senses when creating the wedding weekend, considering everything from what the guests will eat, see, smell, touch, and hear.
“We work closely with the culinary team to create a customized menu that reflects the couple's favorite foods and drinks; we bring to life designs through flowers and custom-built items to show the couple's sense of style; we encourage signature scents to be placed around the venue so guests associate the lovely scent with the incredible memories from the weekend; we curate beautiful textiles used throughout the reception to provide a residential and welcoming atmosphere; and we source the very best live entertainment to surprise and delight your guests throughout the evening,” Calvert explains.
Her weddings are both memorable and timeless with details that are elegant, not overpowering. The details are nods to things that truly represent the couple. For example, “a couple that loves to travel together and has been to Morocco and India… we might use those really exciting spices that are found in those countries into the foods that we serve during the cocktail hour.” To get to know her clients, she asks them questions like: Where are your favorite places you've traveled to? What is your favorite date night spot? Your favorite surprise moment? The answers factor into building the design of the wedding weekend.
And the weekend is emphasized because weddings, especially after the pandemic, are often celebrations that last several days with a number of events like a welcome cocktail reception, after-wedding brunch, outing to a sporting event or cultural institution, and so on. Regardless of the types of events the clients would like to include, Calvert makes sure the entire weekend is cohesive in its design. She also ensures the couple gets plenty of time with VIP guests. Calvert provides a curated guest experience from “the moment they touch down until the moment they depart.” She prioritizes thoughtful, guest-focused details — something as simple as providing snacks on a long bus ride to a venue can be a powerful gesture.
Calvert and her team can also advise on questions of wedding etiquette, wedding customs, or planning bridal showers and luncheons, essentially guiding clients through the entire engaged-to-married process so nothing falls through the cracks. Even post-nuptials, Calvert, whose favorite part of the job is her special connection with her clients, embodies true commitment. She stays in touch and has been known to plan other milestone events for couples over the years, like celebrating their first home together or the birth of a child. But first: the exquisite wedding of their dreams.
