Kristen and David's September 2019 was one of our favorites. They booked us for a custom package in which the main focus was on overall event design.

When we started planning their wedding, we first established an overall vision - elegant, timeless, sophisticated, and a little bit modern. The venues (as always) were the first vendors booked. The Cathedral of the Incarnation is absolutely stunning on it's own, and also, like most churches, has restrictions on what you can and can't bring in, so we didn't spend a lot of time focusing on design there. We added some flowers to the altar and that was really all we needed.

The Cordelle, on the other hand, while absolutely beautiful on it's own, offers much more in terms of limitless opportunity. We have worked at The Cordelle a lot, and have taken many different approaches to designing the space based on the priorities of the couple. For this wedding, the decor and ambiance was especially important, so we focused on bringing in elements that would compliment the vision.

First and foremost, the florals. The florals were high on the priority list, and we knew Stella Rose Floral would be the perfect one for the job. We did a mixture of high and low centerpieces for the tables, greenery from the ceiling, organically arranged greenery climbing up the stairwell as well as on the large white wall behind the band, greenery accents on the porch, and accents of floral and greenery pretty much any other place we could put them. I was in love with the way the floral vision came together.

We kept the linens for the tables pretty neutral, and brought things to life more with florals and other decor. We went with the Cafe chair, which I love, linen napkins, and gold flatware. We had a boxwood accented stage from Please Be Seated, a black and white acrylic dance floor, and chandeliers which elevated the space and really helped to make everything come together and complete the vision.

The guest count was a little large for the space, especially when including a stage and dance floor (both of which were important elements for the vision). Because of this, we put some guest seating on the porch and had a lovely cocktail hour in the lawn. The lawn included a rose wall from Please Be Seated, accented with a custom neon sign.

We had a bar on the lawn decorated with greenery and floral, and accented with lamps on each end. Lamps on a bar are one of my favorite design elements - they make everything feel a little cozier. We had several cocktail tables spread over the lawn space where guests could gather, sit down their drinks, and just mingle with one another. The seating chart was artfully crafted by our friend Claire at White Ink Calligraphy.

The food was another huge priority for the couple (the Bride, Kristen, actually has a food blog in DC called District Delicious!), and for this we entrusted South Fork. South Fork is one of our favorites, not only for their excellent service, but the food is absolutely divine every single time. They also source as many ingredients as possible from local farmers, which we love. For cocktail hour, there was a delicious Charcuterie spread as well as a few passed options. For the dinner portion of the evening, they served a plated meal and the guests seemed to thoroughly enjoy every bite!

The reception entertainment was provided by Bizz and the Everyday People, and they were fantastic. The black and white acrylic dance floor was full, and people had a blast for the entirety of the night. They also had artist, Caroline Estelle, paint the reception, which was a big hit and a super fun element to include.

We often find that one of the biggest stressors in the wedding planning process is budget. Here's our advice about that- find a planner who will help you delegate your budget wisely and in ways that will help bring your vision to life. That doesn't always mean you have to spend boatloads and boatloads of money, but you do have to be flexible. There are ways to innovate and make things work - probably not everything, but the things that are important!

Your wedding planning process should be fun and focused on the thing that's more important, which is the fact that you're getting married and your marriage!! It's so easy to get caught up in all the little things, but remember, in the end it is one day, and your marriage is for the rest of your life. Take moments to step back (during the process and on the day of), take a deep breath, and soak it up!

Finally, when you start planning, make a list of your priorities. With our full and partial planning clients, we always ask them how they want the day to feel (ex: warm, inviting, relaxed, delicious, etc). A lot of times the way you want something to feel will give a lot of insight into how you actually want something to look.