It was very important for the Bride and Groom to keep things simple, and as eco-friendly as possible.

Take a look at these fabulous pictures by Brendan Bush at Brendan Bush Photography.  I think these wonderful images will speak for themselves.

It was a very beautiful and meaningful day.  The couple incorporated beautifully their family into the entire event.  The sister of the Groom drew willow trees which was incorporated into their recycled invitations.   The couple got married beneath two willow trees.  In lieu of a unity candle, during the ceremony, the bride took a cutting from the Willow tree and they planted the cutting in a large urn.  They later planted the cutting in their yard.

The flowers that they had were absolutely gorgeous and designed by Randy Woods at Wicked Willow LLC.  You can see their work in a number of my blog postings and they are so fabulous.

For favors, we placed bamboo fans on each chair – so the guests could use them during the ceremony.  The simple programs were printed on recycled paper and placed beneath the fans.

“Easy – easy – easy” is what the couple wanted – and “easy – easy – easy” is what they got!

Easy, beautiful, magnificent and memorable

Happy planning!

Professionals are out there for a reason.  Home weddings are a different animal.  There is a lot of variability when planning a wedding at home.   When you first begin considering a home wedding – it’s so important to get a impartial person out to your home to give you a realistic view of the possibilities, implications and costs.

Here is the information you should seek from this person…

1. Will the space work for what you want.  He or she will lay out some potential possibilities.  If the space doesn’t work – he or she will give you some viable options that you may like.  Like wise, he or she will be able to tell you – this isn’t going to work for what you want.
2. Costs – what are the extra costs associated with home weddings that you may not have thought of.  The experienced planner will be able to give you an accurate estimate of what it’s going to cost – based on the guest count and  the style and theme of the wedding.  They will be able to give you a small range and be able to tell you how they came up with that number. You must be careful of the low baller – the planner that will quote a price you like to get your business.  Be very wary.  Before you invite someone to your property, make sure that they have done a number of home weddings.
3. Extra services – Many things need to be considered – and the planner should be able to tell you about additional services that you may need.

Have your wedding at home is basically creating a venue from scratch.  Call an experienced planner – you will not regret it.

Happy planning!

Blah.

Yuck.

I don’t mind having fun at a home wedding in the hot burning sun, but when I’m relaxing in my house – I want air.

As a result, I was just a bit pissy yesterday, and not just because I didn’t have air.  I lost one day of sharing one of my fab weddings.

It’s a conspiracy.  Any excuse to loose power.  It rains – we loose power.  It’s windy – we loose power.  It’s stormy – we loose power.  The wind blows the wrong way…. – we loose power.

Not to be a complainer – but they’ve got it down to a science.

So, in effort to make some good come out of a unfortunate and uncomfortable situation – I’m going to share with you – a wedding – where it didn’t matter if they lost power.

Yes, the miraculous invention of the battery powered generator.  I wish I had one yesterday!

Enjoy!

Thanks to Thomas Graves for the fabulous service and photographs.

Happy planning!

Based on phone calls, it seems that many couple’s are under the gross misconception that to save money, one has a home wedding.

Home weddings are an entirely different animal.  Just because you do not have to rent a venue, doesn’t mean you will save money having a home wedding.  On the contrary, you will most likely spend more.

First, let’s think about what you are renting when you pay the rental fee.

• A structure – a very important part to have a wedding.  Not all venues have structures (for instance if you have a tented wedding in a field), but go with me on this.
• A bathroom – a very important component.
• A floor – Helpful but not necessary (will explain later)
• The necessary pieces – table, chairs, silver, glass, Linens.  Really depends upon the venue.  If you are doing careful comparison, make sure you add these pieces in.  They add up.
• Layout – Annoying but true, established venues have seen many different types of weddings and have experience with different layouts, egresses, etc.
• Transportation and parking – You need to get your guests to your home – and have somewhere to park their cars.

Let’s look at some costs.  Just as a note, costs depend a lot upon what you choose, so I will do quote some averages.

• A structure – For a home wedding, you need a tent or two, or 3, depending upon what you are doing.  Even if you don’t want a tent, you need to put one on reserve.  No questions.  $4,000.00
• Bathroom – You cannot ask your guests, who are dressed up to the 9’s, to pee in a Honeybucket.  Yuck.  Sorry guys, but running water is a must.  $1,500.00
• A floor  – depends on the grading of the yard, and personal feelings.  If your yard is flat and not wet, your golden.  However…$8,000.00 for carpet and up to $20,000.00 for a hard wood sub floor.  $12,000.00
• The necessary pieces – Since we opted not to have the sub floor – we are going with wooden folding chairs and some nice linens.  It’s really not smart to do Chiavari’s on grass – no matter how much you like them.  For 150 guests – $3,200.00
• Layout – This doesn’t cost any money, but is as annoying as hell to figure out.  There are so many possibilities.  Call me, and we can figure this out together!
• Transportation and parking – Where are 150 people going to park?  Buses and/or valets are a must – $3,500.00

With my simple list, our home wedding is costing us…

$12,200.00 more (on average).  If you add the flooring in, it will be more.

There are a lot of advantages to having a home wedding (history, freedom of thought and expression, freedom to hire the vendor you want – many many freedoms), but cost is not one of them.  To me, home weddings are worth 3X the extra money, thought and time they take to plan.  They are beautiful, and it’s a special way to share a part of “you” with your guests.

This is a small list.  Don’t get me started with the repairs, the landscaping, pond dredging, bug spraying, etc.

Just some food for thought.

Happy planning!

Enjoy!

Photographs from some of the most wonderful DC photographers

Thomas Graves Photography, Jennifer Hughes Photography, Clint Fong and Giselle Hernandez Fong, Charles Funk

Happy planning!

What makes a great tent company great – and worth the extra $$$$?

1. Customer service – they will come out to your house to speak to you about all the options, to measure, and give advice.

2. They will provide drawings.

3. They will attend the final walk-through to confirm all the last minute details.

4. They will be able to caterer to all of your rentals and flooring needs.

5. They will ensure a knowledgeable person on site not only during set up – but during the length of your event – in the event that something comes up.

All these points are very important and should be considered when you are planning your home wedding.

Home tip – Don’t spring for Chiavari chairs if you are not springing for the subfloor.

Happy planning!

The entertainment portion is extremely important to the success of your event. If your reception is one where music and dancing are central, you will find that this will be the most important decision that you will make. It is clearly apparent when your guests are not being entertained because it becomes awkward if your band or DJ cannot get people on the dance floor. You will soon see that your guests become bored and begin leaving – en mass. Not good. So, I want to address some of the items you need to think about when you are debating between hiring a band or a DJ.

1. You need to think about you and your fiancé’s musical tastes. Are both you and your fiancé similar? Do you like one musical genre over the other, or do you like music from all across the board? Do you like hearing the music in its pure form (from the artist)? If you enjoy the music and are inspired to dance, your guests will follow suit – even if it’s not exactly their taste. It’s amazing how your guests will follow your lead. If you are not on the dance floor, it’s more difficult to motivate them to dance. If you are not motivated y the music, you will not dance.

2. What are the ages of your guests (average) or is your crowd mixed? If they are older, perhaps music from an older era would work better than the new stuff. Younger people might enjoy 90’s music, while an older crowed might not have as much appreciation. Depending upon your crowd, 80’s music might work for everyone.

3. Ethnicity – is our crowed mixed or largely one ethnic group over another? For instance, at a Korean wedding, one might have a higher percentage of Korean guests. Therefore, you might need someone who knows Korean music and is familiar with Korean customs.

4. What is your budget? Do you have an entertainment budget of $1,500.00 or $6,000.00+?

Bands are significantly more expensive than DJ’s. It’s just not the outright fee. It’s more expensive to feed 7 people than it is to feed 1 or 2. Band contracts often require that beer/alcohol be available to band members, which is unheard of for a DJ (make sure you read those contracts closely). In the Washington DC and New England areas, you should expect to pay at least $5,000.00 for a good 5-6 person band. Expect the cost goes up as you add pieces and artist. Additionally, the popularity of the band contributes to the price.

Bands are also less versatile than DJ’s. You have to find the band that best fits you and your guests. They come with playlists, and you must choose songs off the playlist. If you have a special song that’s not on the list, be prepared to pay the band (above and beyond their fee) to learn it. If you want an obscure version of a song played, you might have a hard time. Bands can always play CD’s, and do during their breaks between sets.

Bands have finite time for playing. If you are extending – be prepared for pricey extension fees.

With that said, there is something totally cool about live music. A band really puts people in the partying mood. I have never had an unsuccessful reception when there was a great band. A band lights up the room.

DJ’s are wonderful too. I love a great DJ who knows how to read a crowd! With a DJ, your possibilities are only limited by your imagination – and iTunes. If you have a special song, it can be downloaded. Not to worry about obscure versions of your first dance song. A good DJ will know how to find it!

With a DJ, you can also go across the board with music. You can play a little rap, a little light rock, R&B, and big band – whatever. You are not limited to defined playlists.

DJ’s are less expensive. In this area, a good DJ ranges in price $1,200.00-$2,000.00 – and this is only a fraction of the cost of a band. I would advise you to hire a knowledgeable wedding DJ. Weddings are unique events that require special talent and skill.

DJ’s are not live – and although a good DJ will keep the crowed going, it’s not the same as having a live band. Often times, for my clients who opt for DJ’s but still want live music, I suggest hiring a pianist, chamber players, guitarist, harpist, etc for the ceremony and cocktail hour. This way, you get the best of both worlds and the live ceremony and cocktail hour music is a unique touch.

In my humble opinion, and your pocket book can swing it, the best of all is to have both. The band plays and the DJ plays during the band breaks and after the band ends (if you are extending late into the evening). They work together beautifully!

Happy planning!

The cocktail hour took place in an enormous field. Guest tables were placed on the field as well as by a private pond- giving them a quiet place to reflect and enjoy. A trio of chamber players provided a number of classical selections

We used a mix of square and round tables and tall and short centerpieces. The colors were chocolate and celadon. After going to a whole sale florist, we learned that she love peonies, hydrangea, roses and viburnum. For the cocktail hour, light celadon linens were used. Chocolate satin with natural Chivaris draped the room.

The large tent was placed in one of the fields. Poles draped in fabric and covered with lights provided the most elegant setting for a most terrific evening.

Congratulations Adrienne and Brian

Photography by Thomas Graves

Happy Planning!

2 weddings were in Baltimore and 1 in Kansas City.

A compelation of 3 recent Weddings

I look forward to speaking with you about your upcoming wedding!

Credits
Music – Half Acre by Hem

Photography
A Walters Wedding – Rachel Smith
Kansas City – Paulvphoto
A Home Wedding – Thomas Graves

Initially, we decided to meet over dinner. I knew this wedding was for us, when the couple was sitting at a table next to us for 15 minutes, and we could all hysterically laugh. At that meeting, I learned that they wanted to marry at their good friend’s home in Southern Maryland. They met each other and fell in love while working as postal workers years ago. They were a very close knit couple, and they wanted to plan an extraordinary home wedding but they were on a tight budget. They had definite ideas on how they wanted it to be, but they looked to us and our connections in the area to make it happen.

The colors were pink and green. The beautiful pond on the property was a natural focal point for the early summer outdoor ceremony. An aisle heavily filled with pink and ivory rose petals lead to a decorated arch that stood right near the water’s edge. Our duck and geese friends provided the perfect touch to the most magical and intimate ceremony. The ceremony was highlighted by the bride performing sign to “I Can’t Help Falling in Love with You” to her groom.

While the guests enjoyed cocktails by the side of the house, and the Bride and Groom were taking pictures, we made sure every single detail was attended to under the tent. The place cards were placed in small pewter chairs, providing a unique touch . The tables draped in pink were topped off by florals in pink and green. Large pink hydrangea plants surrounded the tent. Playing cards doubled as table numbers. Everything was very colorful and festive, which is perfect for a summer wedding.
Even though it rained towards the end, it didn’t dampen this great evening. It was the feeling of love and friendship that overflowed during this wonderful event.

Happy planning!