Washington, D.C. Wedding Blog – Real Weddings, Inspiring Ideas, Planning Tools, & Top Vendors in D.C., Maryland, and Virginia
Broquet 
Fortique
Simply Stunning Collection by Sarah's Stands
Wye River Wedding
Petite Social at Urban Chic
Jodi Miller Photography 
Bride Blogger Update: Paper
National Cathedral Wedding
Watercolor Guest Book
District Weddings Workshop 
Sample Sale at Carine's 
Princess for a Night Dress Drive 
Love Life Images New Look
Bride Blogger Update: The Shower
101 Constitution Wedding
Lettering by Lynne Round Up
EventShareBride Blogger Update: Videography
Four Seasons Romantic Wedding
Sugarplum at the Newseum
Today’s wedding is one of the most beautiful that I can remember seeing in ages – and that says a lot considering how many lovely weddings I get to check out!!
Danielle and Nick’s wedding was a swanky, sultry throwback to the 1940′s. This gorgeous couple had an incredible eye for detail and a wonderfully theatrical sense of style that translated into an absolutely stunning affair.
Today’s wedding is like no other wedding that I have ever seen! The unique and slightly spooky decor makes this the perfect wedding to get in the mood for Halloween this weekend…It’s a total scream!
Planner, Terri Eaves of Bash shares a bit of insight on the wedding inspiration,
“Ally and Josh wanted their wedding to be a reflection of their life together. Fun, untraditional and a party! They love specialty brews, concerts and music. They are also night owls-their ceremony did not start until 8:00pm! Initially, Ally’s ideas scared me! However, once I met Ally and saw the inspiration boards she had created on her Mac, I knew this wedding would be one to remember. The first and only venue that came to mind was Long View Gallery. Ally and Josh love art and an urban space was the only one that would fit the bill. There were a few things that Ally had to have on her wedding day: a short, vintage inspired dress, skulls, Baccara roses, leopard print and aubergine. The mis-matched look wasn’t too hard to pull together at all!
As guests arrived, they entered thru the front of the gallery. High and low cocktail tables with sheer leopard print linens were topped with low arrangements of red flowers. The bar had clear chandeliers hanging overhead, and across from the bar was Four Star Combo, a rockabilly and classic honky tonk band. Guests moved up the ramp towards the back half of the gallery where the ceremony took place. Seating was arranged on three sides and pipe and drape separated the ceremony area from what would later become the dinner area and dance floor.
The wedding party (guys dressed in all black, with red print ties and Converse, ladies in all black with a single Baccara rose), walked down the aisle to Four Star Combo’s version of “All Shook Up”. Ally entered with her father, wearing a Vineyard Collection dress with hint of tulle peaking out underneath, and red patent heels, to “Sexy and 17″. Ally’s mom officiated the ceremony.”
No matter what your neighborhood or profession, if you live in D.C., you most likely know about the famous, fun kickball leagues. Sara and Owen, who were married last year, met during a game of kickball – very fitting for a D.C. couple!
At their wedding in heart of Georgetown at the Halcyon House, Sara explains, “We wanted the overall vibe of the wedding to be fun and different, yet still have a very classic feel to it. We absolutely did not want a typical wedding venue, which made the Halycon House perfect.” The venue allowed them to achieve this dream of “fun yet classic” for their wedding: the downstairs space is a blank canvas, and very modern, providing the couple with ample room to use their imagination and create their ideal setting, while the upstairs space is more traditional.
The variation among rooms of the house let Sara and Owen use a different color scheme and theme in each room. The end result was incredibly unique – full of fun, beautiful, and diverse décor by Amaryllis Florist, Capital Décor and Events, Pam Barefoot and Frost Lighting!
Dinner was served in the spacious lower level of the House, which had been transformed from a typical concrete basement into a classy, elegant dining room. Everything was lit with a red hue – so very romantic.
After dinner, the guests were led upstairs into a completely different environment than where they had just dined – suddenly they were stepping foot into a room with bright colors, fun patterns, and glowing colored lights. Sara and Owen loved seeing the looks of shock and awe on the guests’ faces as they saw the dance area – a total change of scenery from the dining room! They say that the unexpected, wild atmosphere “really let our guests know that it was not time to let loose and have a great time, which is ultimately what we wanted.”
After the ceremony and reception, Sara and Owen sped off to their Bahamas honeymoon in an elegant, vintage Bentley!
The fabulous vendor team:
Ceremony: Trinity Methodist
Venue: Halcyon House
Planner: Atrendy Wedding, Pam Barefoot
Caterer: Main Event Caterers
Photographer: Rodney Bailey
Florist: Amaryllis Florist
Band: Eleven Eleven Band, Jazz Trio
Décor: Capital Décor and Events
Lighting: Frost Lighting
Makeup: Leah McKay
Hair: Sachi Medlicott
Photobooth: M J Alexander
Transportation: Atlantic Valet, Fleet Transportation, Fairfax Limo
I hope that everyone had a safe and happy long weekend! Since we didn’t get to post a Real Wedding yesterday, we are going to share this beautiful celebration with you today. Thanks to the 0h-so-talented photographer Michael Bonfigli for the pictures!
Alex and Aisha’s wedding can be explained in three words: classic, romantic, and sophisticated. Alex, a “true prince charming,” proposed to Aisha in front of her favorite place on earth – Cinderella’s Castle in Disney World… what a wonderful true, fairytale wedding story. The couple continued this theme of glamour, elegance, and romance at the wedding, though from a more grownup angle – classic Hollywood.
Before we get to today’s Real Wedding, I wanted to tell you about the 5th Annual Hitched Dress Drive to benefit Princess for a Night.
Beginning April 1st, and continuing throughout the month, Hitched invites you to stop by the salon to donate your gently worn (and dry cleaned) bridesmaid dresses (in all sizes!) that will go to students in our community. Due to the great expense of prom dresses, these girls might otherwise not be able to afford a dress for this special night.
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Today’s Real Wedding is a fabulous example of a traditional wedding with flair. Mindy and Eric were married at St. Matthew’s Cathedral, followed by a reception at the St. Regis. The bride and groom described their wedding planning experience with Simply Chic Events as “fun and stress-free”, which is apparent in the photographs by Holland Photo Arts of this beautifully executed event.
District Weddings Editors Danielle & Kristin