Recently we visited Oxon Hill Manor in Maryland.  Just across the bridge from Old Town Alexandria, Oxon Hill has become a popular wedding venue since reopening in 2007.  It had been undergoing a renovation and unfortunately caught fire while work was being done.  Now it’s completely overhauled and GORGEOUS!  Check out this beautiful wedding venue.

At the entrance there is a stately driveway and a large circle, ideal for a classic car or limousine to pull up:

Just inside the front door is this foyer space.  I like the black and white tiled floors and the tapestries on the wall.  This is a perfect spot for a guest book and escort cards or even an indoor cocktail hour:

Just past the foyer, you can look down the hallway.  Oxon Hill has several wooden furniture pieces that fit the style of the house:

Here’s the Dining Room with parquet floors and beautiful woodwork.  This room can fit approximately 50-60 seated guests:

On the other side of the house, the Drawing Room is great for dinners.  It can seat another 50-60 guests:

Up the spiral staircase is a bridal room that’s perfect for a bride and her bridesmaids to get ready:

Here’s the bridal room with lots of natural sunlight and seating:

The bridal room even has it’s own restroom!  I think this bathroom is larger than the one I have at home:

One of the bigger appeals of Oxon Hill is the amazingly manicured gardens.  This lawn overlooks a rectangular pond with fountains and is a great spot for ceremonies:

Looking to the right you see another on of their gardens.  In the distance you can see the Potomac River:

If you’re looking for a wedding venues then please consider Oxon Hill!  I think you’ll love it at first site like I did.

A few weeks ago we were invited to join Splendid Fare Catering at one of their open tastings.  They hold these events every few months and display their work at a different venue each time.  I had never been to the Carnegie Institute before so I was delighted to finally see the space.  Here are some photos I took at the event:

The impressive Carnegie Institute.  The building was completed in 1909 and just screams “DC”:

At the top of the steps you enter through these MASSIVE bronze doors:

Once inside you are greeted by the gorgeous Rotunda:

Just to your right there are two smiling faces!  These are some of the ladies from Splendid Fare.  Brittany is on the right and I feel terrible but I can’t remember who the gal on the right is.  I do remember they were both super-friendly:

Directly above there is a glass skylight and a beautifully detailed domed ceiling:

Off to the right we have a beautiful spiral staircase.  I am working with a bride who plans to use this for her processional.  Perfect!

Splendid Fare displayed a handful of tabletop designs.  All were centered around a pink and purple theme but were quite different from one another:

If you were to move straight through the Rotunda from the front door, you’d arrive in The Ballroom.  This is the largest space in the building and can seat up to 175 guests.  Here’s the view from the Rotunda:

It’s much larger when you look at it across the entire length.  Here’s how Splendid Fare set up for the tasting:

There was SO MUCH FOOD at this tasting.  I wish I had enough time to take photos of it all!  I did get to sample quite a few of the menu items and they were all fantastic.  Here’s a quick photo of a Mediterranean-themed table. It featured hummus, sun-dried tomato tapenade, roasted eggplant dip, grilled asparagus spears, honey mint couscous salad, artichocke cheesecake, and herb-crusted baby lamb chops with tzatziki sauce:

And the hummus/tapenade display closer up:

Other food included Basil Parmesan Popcorn in Mini Cones, Seared Diver Scallops, Roast Duck Crepes, Jerk Chicken on Plantain Chips, Mini Potato Samosas, Mini Hamburgers, Chesapeake Crab Cakes, Pad Thai Noodles with Chicken, Gingered Beef Satay with peanut sauce, Coconut Chicken Skewers with honey curry dip, Virginia baked ham biscuits with pepper jelly, Chicken Roulade stuffed with Cornbread, Roasted Garlic Smashed Potatoes, and Fried Green Tomatoes with herbed creme fraiche.  Hungry yet??

All the flowers at the event were provided by Petal’s Edge Floral Design.  Gerry and Rebecca did a wonderful job incorporating the pink, purple, and brown theme.  Here are a handful of their creations:

Here’s our little table set up with brochures and some accolades:

We weren’t the only vendors!  Obviously the ladies from Petal’s Edge were there.  PJ from Prime Transportation brought her beautiful new 1941 Cadillac sedan to show off.  Jennifer and Mary from Love Life Images wandered the crowd and took professional photos.  Here’s some cakes on display from The Swiss Bakery:

Did you know they make cookies too?  I thought these were adorable and perfect for favors:

Entertainment was provided by DJ Brennan Sullivan from Bialek’s Music:

Headed back through the Rotunda, there is an extra room that can be rented for events.  The Board Room can also easily be closed off if you don’t need or want it for your wedding.  I think it’s a perfect place to display desserts and that’s exactly what Splendid Fare did.

I wish I took more photos of the room itself but I was entranced by the spread of sugar before me.  Capitol Chocolate Fountains provided this beauty:

Mini bittersweet chocolate mousses and berry shortcakes:

Mini German chocolate cupcakes:

Truffles & fruit:

Mini mixed berry shortcakes:

Mini red velvet cupcakes:

Mini ginger and mocha creme brulees:

Even the coffee was delectable.  Here’s a small sampling of the ‘enhancements’ offered:

I had a wonderful time at this tasting and can’t thank Sandra, Brittany, and the rest of the folks at Splendid Fare enough.  They put on a wonderful show!  Just imagine how well they’d do for your wedding.

I also really loved seeing the Carnegie Institute because it’s a wonderful venue in a wonderful location.  It’s at 15th & P Streets NW and is really convenient to a lot of local churches and hotels…ideal for a wedding venue.  The historic feel is rather timeless and it’s got that quintessential ‘DC’ look.  I think the best part is the reasonable pricing….all three of these large rooms can be rented together for under $5k.  That’s unheard of for any other rental space of similar size smack dab in the middle of the city.  I love it!

Amy & Alex are planning their spring 2009 wedding at Historic Long Branch.  Since I had never been there, we all took a visit to the estate to meet the on-site events coordinator and figure out the logistics of the day.

Long Branch holds it’s place in Virginia history.  The land was surveyed by a young George Washington and the property’s neighbors included notable figures such as Lord Culpeper, Lord Fairfax, and Robert “King” Carter.  Here is a map of where the estate is located.  It’s approximately 30 minutes west of Middleburg and 20 minutes east of Winchester:

The building we see today was built in the very early 1800s.  It changed hands over the years and finally was purchased in 1986 and restored by Harry Z. Isaacs, a Baltimore textile executive.  Before his death in 1990 he created a private foundation to maintain and manage the property.

From the driveway you actually arrive at the back of the house.  Around the right is where the brick patio is for large tents.  The ‘front’ door of the house is actually around the backside.  Here’s the side facing the parking area and main driveway:

See where that Ryder truck is?  Just behind it is the brick patio perfect for tenting.  Event Rentals was just setting up this huge tent when we were visiting.  They can seat about 250 guests out here under a tent or more if you want to put the tent on grass:

Check out the gorgeous Virginia vistas!  Rolling meadows make for amazing portrait backgrounds:

On the other side we actually see the front!  Isn’t it gorgeous?

I love the front door.  A wedding ceremony here on the steps would be just beautiful:

The interior of the house is decorated with period pieces and is really beautiful.  It reminds me of Mt. Vernon or Gunston Hall, if you’ve ever toured those estates.  My favorite feature is this spiral staircase:

If you’re considering a wedding in Virginia’s ‘Hunt Country,’ Historic Long Branch is a perfect fit.  Check out their website for more information or go see it for yourself!