::Post imported from our old website::

We’ve been planning weddings for five years and have helped over 250 couples tie the knot! Luckily for you, that means we know the ‘ins and outs’ of nearly every wedding venue in Washington, DC, Northern Virginia, and Maryland (beltway & eastern shore).

For an inside look at some weddings at our favorite venues, take a peek at the links below:

Historic/Garden:
The Carnegie Institute - and here - (Washington, DC)
The Atrium at Meadowlark Botanical Gardens (Vienna, VA)
The Wilson-Farr House (Fairfax, VA)
The Lee-Fendall House (Old Town Alexandria, VA)
Woodend Sanctuary (Chevy Chase, MD)
The Newton White Mansion (Mitchellville, MD)

Hotels/Clubs/Ballrooms:
The Willard Intercontinental (Washington, DC)
The National Press Club (Washington, DC)
The Hay-Adams Hotel (Washington, DC)
Tyson’s Corner Marriott (Tyson’s Corner, VA)
The Sheraton Reston (Reston, VA)

Restaurants:
Sequoia Restaurant (Georgetown, DC)
2941 Restaurant (Falls Church, VA)
Famoso Restaurant & M Cafe (Bethesda, MD)
Old Ebbitt Grill (Washington, DC)

Museums:
The International Spy Museum / Zola (Washington, DC)
The Newseum (Washington, DC)

Eastern Shore/Bay:
The Chesapeake Bay Beach Club (Stevensville, MD)
Queenstown Harbor River House (Queenstown, MD)

Non-traditional:
Glen Echo Park (Glen Echo, MD)
Signature Theater (Shirlington, VA)

Here’s a list of the venues we’ve featured as part of our Real Weddings:

Historic/Garden:
The Decatur House (Washington, DC)
The Carnegie Institute (Washington, DC)
Newton White Mansion - and here - and here - and here - (Mitchellville, MD)
Mount Airy Mansion (Upper Marlboro, MD)
Oxon Hill Manor (Oxon Hill, MD)
Woodend Sanctuary - and here - (Chevy Chase, MD)
The Mansion at Strathmore - and here - (Bethesda, MD)
Brookside Gardens (Wheaton, MD)
Stronghold Mansion (Sugarloaf Mountain, MD)
Collingwood Library - and here - and here - (Alexandria, VA)
River Farm (Alexandria, VA)
Hollin Hall (Alexandria, VA)
Old Town Hall (Fairfax, VA)
The Atrium at Meadowlark Botanical Gardens - and here - and here - and here - (Vienna, VA)
Oatlands Historic House & Gardens (Leesburg, VA)
The Thomas Birkby House - and here - (Leesburg, VA)
Raspberry Plain - and here - (Leesburg, VA)
Rose Hill Manor (Leesburg, VA)
Long Branch Historic House (Millwood, VA)
Whitehall Manor - and here - (Bluemont, VA)

Hotels/Clubs/Ballrooms:
The Fairmont Hotel - and the Colonnade here - (Washington, DC)
The Mandarin Oriental (Washington, DC)
The Omni Shoreham - and here - (Washington, DC)
The St. Regis Hotel (Washington, DC)
The Ronald Reagan Building - and here - (Washington, DC)
The Westin Grand - and here - (Washington, DC)
Hotel Monaco - and here - (Washington, DC)
The Washington Club (Washington, DC)
The National Press Club (Washington, DC)
Fort Myer Officer’s Club (Arlington, VA)
The Army Navy Country Club (Arlington, VA)
The Westin Arlington Gateway (Arlington, VA)
Top of the Town (Arlington, VA)
The Sheraton National (Arlington, VA)
The Hyatt Regency Bethesda (Bethesda, MD)
The Hyatt Fair Lakes (Fair Lakes, VA)
Fairfax Marriott (Fairfax, VA)
Old Hickory Golf Club (Woodbridge, VA)
Hidden Creek Country Club - and here - (Reston, VA)
River Creek Club (Leesburg, VA)
The Hilton Washington Dulles (Dulles, VA)
Foxchase Manor - and here - (Manassas, VA)

Eastern Shore/Bay:
Queenstown Harbor River House (Queenstown, MD)
The Chesapeake Bay Beach Club (Stevensville, MD)
Kent Manor Inn (Stevensville, MD)

Non-traditional:
Glen Echo Park - (Glen Echo, MD)
The Barns at Wolf Trap (Vienna, VA)
The Torpedo Factory (Old Town Alexandria, VA)

Have you already picked your venue? Where will you be tying the knot? Which venues did we miss?

Last spring we posted about Kelly & Jason’s wedding at Hollin Hall in Alexandria, VA. I can’t believe I never shared their professional photographs, shot by Heather Z Photography! Without further ado, here’s the day through Heather’s lens.

Here’s Hollin Hall, looking regal:

On the wedding day, it rained and poured all morning. Kelly had wanted an outdoor ceremony in Hollin Hall’s beautiful boxwood garden but the forecast was looking grim. We were watching the radar and trying to play weatherman, keeping hope out for what looked like could be a break in the clouds. Meanwhile, there was nothing for Kelly to do but get ready:

Barbara at Growing Wild always makes the most stunning arrangements:

Kelly had the sweetest bridesmaids — don’t they look like fun friends?

I especially loved her light blue flats — perfect for their intimate, elegant, yet casual wedding:

The rain did indeed break just before the ceremony but the ground was too muddy to hold a ceremony in the spot we had wanted. So - Kelly opted for Plan B and we moved the ceremony into the main house. Here she is, getting ready to go down the steps and straight down the aisle:

I thought the indoor ceremony was just perfect. We used pillar candles on the mantle and the altar floral arrangements on the floor. Rev. Wesley Peyton performed a touching wedding ceremony like he always does:

And they’re married! This is always my favorite moment at every wedding:

While their guests were enjoying cocktails, Kelly and Jason made use of some clear skies and headed into the garden for some portraits. I’m so glad they were able to get some pictures outside:

Don’t these guys make a handsome pair?

Another cute detail — Jason’s white rananculus boutonniere:

Back inside, the cute escort cards are held up by wine bottle corks:

I love when couples display family photos to share with their guests — I think it helps the two joining families connect:

Outside, the rain was still drizzling but the dinner tent was nice and dry. Check out these gorgeous tables:

We thought long and hard about the color of these chairs. I think the natural wood color really makes the blue pop out, don’t you agree?

I couldn’t resist showing you their wedding cakes! Heidelberg Pastry Shoppe is one of the couple’s favorite spots so it was only fitting to have cakes from there. While Heidelberg does make some amazing traditional wedding cakes, Kelly & Jason wanted to share their favorite flavors with their guests. This way, everyone got a flavor they loved!

Of course the cake aftermath isn’t pretty — but it sure is tasty!

Kelly & Jason — I know you guys have already passed your first anniversary so I hope you had a lovely first year of marriage! I fondly remember your wedding day and hope you both are doing well. Congratulations again!