Did you miss Part One of Beth and Rob’s wedding?  Go see it here!

It is no secret that Glen Echo is probably my favorite wedding venue.  I love everything about it, from the AMAZING Emily Mah Rogers, the venue coordinator, to the GORGEOUS carousel to the wooded areas all around the park, to the fun neon lighting and little touches everywhere, I just love love love it.  However, probably my favorite thing about Glen Echo is that it inspires the most adorable weddings!  I guess it’s because the types of couples that get married there are already awesome?  (See Hallie and Matt and our very own Cristin, who better be blogging her wedding pictures soon, because they are INSANE!!!)  Whatever it is, I see the cutest ideas come out of weddings at Glen Echo.

When Beth and Robert walked down the aisle as husband and wife, I had them get straight into their Zipcar (yes, that was their wedding day transportation — Zipcar!) and head over to Glen Echo, immediately followed by Cassidy and the bridal party.  I always like to make sure that, even if it’s just for a few minutes, my couple has some alone time immediately following the ceremony, plus Beth and Robert wanted to do all of the bridal party photos at Glen Echo — this killed two birds with one stone!

See why I had to break it up into two blog posts?  Cassidy did TOO good a job on the pictures — I couldn’t choose!

There are just so many amazing locations at Glen Echo for pictures — this is in front of the old trolley at the front of the park

Beth took this opportunity to be…Beth

And show off her gorgeous dress…

I’m loving the amazing light Cassidy caught here!

There are also gorgeous wooded areas at Glen Echo to take pictures:

I LOVE this shot of Beth and Rob on the bridge into the park — I’m trying to figure out where Cassidy was standing to take this picture, though?!

The group then headed over to the carousel to take a few more pictures

I don’t know why it seems funny to me that they had to wait in line to ride the carousel, but it does

I love that Beth and Rob shared a horse lion

Then it was off to the reception…with a brief stop at the Cuddle Up

Guests were treated to a DELICIOUS BBQ dinner from Matters of Taste.  Having gone to college in North Carolina, I’m very picky about two things — pulled pork BBQ and sweet tea.  Matters of Taste delivered PERFECTLY on both fronts!  I think I probably had 10 glasses of sweet tea that night!

(Do those lanterns look familiar?  We brought them over from the ceremony!  Good reason to have a wedding planner — to bring things from the ceremony to the reception!)

After Beth and Robert quickly ate their food (something I make sure EVERY bride and groom do at their wedding!) they held a modified tea ceremony.

I like that they did this as guests were eating.  I’m sure it’s not the traditional way — but it allowed them to have private moments with everyone, while others were eating, so there wasn’t too much down time either!

After dinner and the tea ceremony, though, it was on to the dancing!!!

DJ Steve with Jan Davis Entertainment ROCKED the house that night!  This was the first time I had worked with Steve and I hope it won’t be the last.  He was AWESOME!  As an added bonus, he comes from a family of DJ’s, including his gorgeous sister, who came to assist him that night!

I mean, you know it’s a good party when this is your bride on the dance floor!

During a break in dancing, Beth and Rob cut their cake from one of my favorite bakeries (which is DANGEROUSLY within walking distance to my house!), Heidelberg Pastry Shoppe.

I’m not a big cake topper person, but I thought theirs was really cute!

After they cut the cake, it was served along with a “North vs. South” dessert buffet — Whoopie Pies vs. Moon Pies!  (I’m a Whoopie Pie girl, which in Pittsburgh we call Gobs!)

Beth made the cutest signs to put all over the place!  She had them for the dessert buffet, the bathrooms, the bride and groom chairs — SO cute!

Cassidy, yet again, did an amazing job getting detail shots!  The parasols my assistants and I hung before I went off to the reception…

The cards Beth and Rob created explaining the tea ceremony, along with the favors, which they bought in Malaysia

The family photos we strung up with clothes pins and, when I realized Rob had left the clothesline at home, fishing wire from my emergency kit:

The carousel tickets…

And of course the centerpieces.  I LOVED these centerpieces — I’m always looking for non-floral centerpieces for couples who are looking to save money — Beth and Robert are reselling these lanterns to recoup some of the costs, but they could easily be reused in your house or yard

Finally, we had the bubble send off …

And I love this last shot of the newlyweds walking off…to their Zipcar

Congratulations, Beth and Rob!  Thank you SO MUCH for choosing me to be your planner — I had a blast!!!

Hi all!   I know it’s been a while since I first announced my big news, but we’ve been busy with tastings, meetings and contracts so that we can relax over the holidays.  Now I’ll have to catch you up on my plans!

When it came to picking a location, I have to say that it was an easy choice for us.  As a wedding planner, I’m pretty familiar with most of the DC area’s venues, and there are some amazing options.  But our choice was just PERFECT for us.

A few months ago, I went to go see a children’s theater production at Glen Echo Park with a friend.   I fell in love with both the park and the carefree feeling I got as I walked around.  What surprised me the most is that I’ve somehow lived in the DC area for seven years before visiting this hidden gem that’s INSIDE the beltway!   My fiancé and I try not to take anything too seriously and love being outdoors.  So when I brought him back to this old art-deco amusement park with a running carousel, he was sold as quickly as I was.   It’s the perfect backdrop for a chic and whimsical wedding with some very personal vintage flair.  We’re confident that our guests will be comfortable just being themselves (no tuxes or sequins required!) and will remember the day long after the last dance.   Some of our longtime blog followers might remember that we did a venue spotlight on Glen Echo Park way back when Wish Special Events was Soiree Special Events!  Here is the sign at the front entrance to the park, which overlooks an old trolley that is parked there, seemingly freezing a moment in time.

Weather permitting, our ceremony will be held outside on a grassy tree-lined grove in the center of the park.  But in the event that it’s raining or too sunny, we will be married underneath this Cuddle Up Pavilion, which is the structure that used to house the Tilt a Whirl! 

Guests will be able to explore the park and take a ride on the carousel in between the ceremony and reception.  I’m not a carousel expert or anything, but I have to say that this carousel is beautifully restored and is sure to make any rider feel as happy as John and I will be on that day.  This gorgeous night shot of the indoor carousel is courtesy of Michelle Lindsay Photography.   

When the fun begins, we will be in the Bumper Car Pavilion… a covered structure with fantastic hard wood floors that used to house the… you guessed it… bumper cars!     That’s a coincidental nod to my fiance’s love of all things with wheels.    He’s more in to the motorcycle, truck and racecar variety… but since we couldn’t (read: wouldn’t) get married at a racetrack, this is a pretty good compromise.  This photo is courtesy of Documentary Associates, who were the photographers that worked with Rebecca on Hailey & Matt’s Glen Echo wedding in July 2009.

This park has a LOT of history to it and the friendly park rangers are more than happy to give tours and share this history with anyone that’s interested.   Here’s a picture of the Bumper Car Pavilion when it housed the Dodgem Scooters:

A few other points about this park that makes it perfect for us:

1.)     At one point, this was considered a branch of the Chautauqua Institution.  The original Chautauqua Institution still exists, is one of my favorite places to visit and served as my home for two summers that I worked at its theater company.   Since I’m hugely into the arts (studied voice in college) and Glen Echo  still serves as a home to many artists, I feel a particular connection to the park.

2.)    The park only allows wine, beer and champagne… no liquor.  While some might see this as a downfall, I embraced it as a budget-friendly way to offer adult beverages all night.  Plus, our quick mental review of our guest list proved that most are beer or wine drinkers anyways.

3.)    We chose August 2010… both because of availability and because we’ll receive off-season rates.   I know what you’re thinking:  an outdoor August wedding in DC?   Are you crazy?  Well, maybe a little bit, but we’re also smart.   We’ve having the wedding later in the day after the sun goes down so it won’t be unbearable.  And if it’s a little warm, guests will dress accordingly and we’ll still celebrate just the same.   Let’s face it:  it doesn’t matter what time of year you choose, if you’re having an outdoor wedding in DC, you’re at the mercy of some of the most unpredictable weather I’ve ever experienced.   So you might as well do it at a lower rate when possible!

That’s all for today.   I’ll be back soon with posts on building a wedding website and our DIY Save the Dates!   I’ll leave you with one more shot from Blink Photography of a couple dancing in the Bumper Car Pavilion.  I L-O-V-E the hard wood floors, the geometric patterns in the ceiling and the natural light shining through!

Be back soon!

O.M.G.  Can I tell you guys how much I love Hallie and Matt?  I freaking LOVE HALLIE AND MATT!!!  I think every single person involved with their wedding, from my assistants to the photographers to the caterers to the guests all at one point mentioned how NICE this couple is!  I mean, there are just not enough words to express how genuine and adorable these two are.

The day started as the adorable duo that runs Atelier Floral Design, Jen and Rachel, stopped by my house to pick up the INSANE white lanterns that were to be hung at Glen Echo.  I say insane because these were the biggest lanterns I’ve ever seen.  In fact, I had to search my house for some rope because the boxes were so big, they didn’t fit in Jen’s SUV — we had to tie them to the roof!

(Guest Photo)

Jen and Rachel got there a few hours before me because there were SO many lanterns to set up!  Luckily, Glen Echo has this cool rolling scaffolding thing…I mean, lucky for the people who would climb on it.  At the end of the night I got about three steps up before realizing that I was afraid of heights.  Thank God for assistants!

Soon after I arrived at Glen Echo, Tom and Ashley from Documentary Associates showed up and started scouting locations, and I just knew their pictures were going to be AMAZING…you’ll see they didn’t let me down!

How gorgeous is Hallie’s dress?!  Almost as gorgeous as these Christian Louboutin red shoes! In the words of Rachel Zoe, I Die:

Now, when Hallie and Matt told me they were getting married on July 18th, at Glen Echo, in the Bumper Car Pavilion, my immediate thought was “Um…the bumper car pavilion isn’t air conditioned, right?”  No, no it isn’t.  However, someone up there must have realized how truly amazing this couple is, because it was like 72 degrees and AMAZING.  I mean, look at this sky!

It was literally the most perfect day anyone could ask for — in fact, by the time the sun went down, I would dare to say it was actually cool!!  ON JULY 18TH!!!!

Sorry, where was I?  Oh, so, back to the amazing girls at Atelier. Not only do these chicas hang lanterns, but look at their adorable flower arrangements!!!

Hallie wanted lots of different arrangements, and boy did they deliver!  Different shapes and sizes, different vessels…they even had hydrangea in ice cream cones on the cocktail tables!

(Author Photo)

And look at these adorable tea cups, which, if I’m not mistaken, came from Jen’s kitchen!

I loved Matt’s bout, too.

Hallie and Matt wanted a very short, very meaningful ceremony.  And they wanted a great officiant.  Luckily I knew just the gal, having met her at Lindsay and Sam’s awesome wedding last year — Rev. Amanda Tate. Amanda is seriously the NICEST person — and is now registered in Virginia as well as Maryland!  I have referred her to so many of my brides (as well as several of my friends) because she is just so sweet, and makes the ceremony so personal.  Of course, Hallie and Matt added to this by writing their own vows. One of them MAY have been writing her vows that morning, on the balcony of her hotel room…I won’t say who…

(Oh, Facebook, how I love you…)

Speaking of Facebook, I was able to “borrow” quite a few adorable photos from the shutterbug guests at the wedding:

Now, generally, for the stomping of the glass, which is part of the Jewish tradition, couples will either have a special bag or just borrow a linen from the caterer.  Hallie wanted to make it special, so she grabbed a wine bag from their kitchen…and a lightbulb right from their hall closet!  I even saw her unscrew it!  (Tip…glasses these days are pretty hard to break…most people use a lightbulb!)

Speaking of Jewish traditions, Matt and Hallie wanted to do the Hora (Matt’s family is Jewish).  You know, there are some things as a wedding planner that you just have to learn.  One of them is that you need two NON-FOLDING CHAIRS to do the hora!  And preferably a bride whose dress isn’t 100% silk…it tends to be a little slippery!

(Yes, that is a look of terror on Hallie’s face…and she hasn’t even been lifted up yet)

(See what I meant about those giant lanterns?!  Those things were HUGE!)

Before the Hora, though, guests found their way to their seats by the CUTEST escort cards!  Hallie and Matt have a friend who is a graphic designer.  Although I think some of the post cards that were used may have actually been authentic post cards, I believe many of them were created by their friend.  How great to have a friend like that!

I have to insert here that I had absolutely NOTHING to do with the hanging up of these escort cards.  Luckily, I had three amazing assistants with me that day — Felicia, Rene, and Tara — you girls were LIFE SAVERS!  The project was slightly more complicated than I thought it would be, and I am SO grateful to these girls for using some ingenuity to figure out how to make it work!

(Guest Photo)

It wasn’t enough for each guest to have a vintage post card — Hallie and Matt actually went to the trouble of making sure EVERY post card matched where the guest came from!  What a sweet, thoughtful touch!

Another sweet touch was providing tickets for their guests to ride the GORGEOUS carousel at Glen Echo. Check out the beautiful sign…made from my handy dandy Mac

Did Hallie and Matt have a lot of kids at their wedding?  Nope…these carousel rides were for everyone!

(Guest Photo)

(Guest Photo)

After dinner, although they had a small cake to cut, the main focus for the desserts was out in the Cuddle Up.

My favorite caterer, Main Event, not only did an awesome job with dinner, but they had both a cotton candy machine and a sno cone machine going!

Look at the adorable way they displayed the cotton candy!  And let me tell you, it was DELICIOUS!  I felt like I was at the county fair!

(Guest Photo)

Oh, what else have they got there?  ICE CREAM!??!!  Oh, that’s right — Matt somehow tracked down the NICEST guy to bring his ice cream truck out to Glen Echo, music and all!  A.J. was the SWEETEST, and if you need an ice cream truck at your next wedding, birthday party, or, you know, Tuesday, let me know, and I’ll send you his info — you won’t be disappointed!

And now, just because I have to show you just how amazing Tom and Ashley are, here are a few more GORGEOUS shots they took!

As the night came to a close, the guys at Chariots for Hire not only shuttled guests back to the hotel, but also apparently operated a party bus!

(Why, yes, that is our bride and groom, dancing in the aisle of a bus!)

And, just to show you how sweet these crazy kids are, towards the end of the evening, they came to me and said “Rebecca, we have to get a picture with you and your assistant!” — we were happy to have Tom Van Veen of Documentary Associates hop in there too, while his gorgeous wife Ashley took the pic!

Hallie and Matt, thank you SO MUCH for making us part of your day!