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!

Nearly three weeks ago, Kelly & Jason tied the knot!  Kelly booked Wish for our Partial Planning services so we spent a lot of time working on the wedding together over the past year.  It’s always so fun to see ideas turned into reality on the wedding day!

Hollin Hall was chosen for the wedding for a couple of reasons.  First, this place has character!  The house sits on the property of the Mt. Vernon Unitarian Church and has been well-maintained over the years.  It definitely has some historic charm.  Second, there are beautiful manicured boxwood gardens behind the church.  There’s one particular section of the gardens that’s perfect for outdoor wedding ceremonies and features a pretty white garden gate.  Third, it’s affordable!  The property can be rented for MUCH less than many of the other wedding venues in the area (Collingwood Library, River Farm, and Mt. Vernon’s restaurant).

Unfortunately we’ve had a rainy start to wedding season in DC.  The forecast has been “scattered thunderstorms” for about a month now.  Nearly every Saturday has included a passing storm and it’s been tricky for those weddings with outdoor ceremonies.  In Kelly & Jason’s case, the rain threw off a few things.  Luckily we were still able to use the tent for the reception but the ceremony had to be moved inside at the last minute.  The chairs, ribbons, and floral pieces were all set before the first few drops started falling.  Then the skies opened up and it poured.  Kelly was a little crushed when we made the decision but I thought it turned out beautifully anyway.  Rev. Wesley Peyton performed an intimate ceremony and there wasn’t a dry eye in the house.  Pillar candles on the mantle made the Fireplace Room at Hollin Hall glow.  It was so romantic:

Just after the ceremony, the weather broke and we were able to use the outdoor Wisteria Porch for cocktails.  Unfortunately I didn’t get a photo but you’d love this spot!  Behind the house there is a brick porch with an arbor completely covered in Wisteria vines.  Twinkling Christmas lights were woven in between the beams.  The flowers were blooming and fragrant….guests loved the spot and kept coming back there through the night.

Meanwhile, the reception tent is looking good on the front lawn of Hollin Hall.  The tent itself is from Rent-All Center in Alexandria.  The chairs came from our friends at Party Rental, Ltd.  Splendid Fare Catering did a wonderful job setting things up:

Our bride Kelly made these pretty table numbers out of unique greeting cards!  The back side of each made a fun conversation piece for the guests.  The beautiful floral centerpieces are from Barbara at Growing Wild Floral Co.:

I also liked these escort cards.  Kelly and Jason cut slits in a ton of wine corks for this unique display:

Guests enjoying their dinner under the tent:

This is an awful photograph but it shows a pretty detail.    We used pillar candles in the grass to line the walkway from the house to the tent:

Instead of a traditional tiered wedding cake, this couple wanted multiple flavors of cake from the Heidelberg Pastry Shoppe in Arlington.  I don’t remember all the flavors but they were DELICIOUS!  Kelly’s mom found all the cake stands (some vintage from their family) and the table looked beautiful.  You can also see the altar flowers being recycled next to the table (this is where the ceremony took place) and the bridesmaids bouquets decorating the spots in between the cakes.  Kelly’s bridal bouquet is in the center:

I’ll share professional photos from Heather Z Photography when I have them!  Working with Heather is always a pleasure and she has such an artistic eye.  Special kudos also goes to Matt Grason for his fabulous jazz ensemble.

Congratulations, Kelly & Jason!  I hope you guys were thrilled with every second of your wedding day.  I look forward to keeping up with you as you continue on life’s journey.

Jen & Adam are one of my favorite couples.  These guys definitely fit into the ‘offbeat’ category while still mixing in a relative amount of tradition.  They chose a late afternoon in April to tie the knot at the Carnegie Institution in Washington, DC.

I regret that I didn’t have a chance to get more photographs but hopefully their talented photographer, Matt Mendelsohn, will loan me a few professional images that I can share.  For now, you’ll have to make do with whatever I got with my BlackBerry and point-and-shoot.

Jen & Adam exchange vows in a Jewish ceremony in the Rotunda at the Carnegie Institute.  We had 140 guests to CRAM into the space and somehow everyone got a chair!  It was pleasantly ‘cozy’ but the short ceremony was so touching that I don’t think anyone minded the tight quarters.

This is one of the few Jewish weddings where we’ve seen the chuppah be carried by close friends instead of being stationary the whole time.  I liked the simplicity and the symbolism of it being a non-permanent structure:

While the ceremony took place, we finished up the details in the reception room next door.  Since we decided to recycle the chairs from the ceremony to the reception, this room looks a bit naked before the chairs are in place.  Petal’s Edge did a gorgeous job with the green and white centerpieces, as usual:

Splendid Fare Catering was on top of their game and it was a pleasure working with them.  The bride and some of her family are celiac which means they can’t eat gluten.  Well, if you don’t know anyone with celiac disease, try thinking of ALL the things that are off-limits!  This caterer came up with a great menu for Jen & Adam so all their guests could eat everything without asking about the ingredients.

Just like the chairs, the Rotunda was recycled!  We used the space twice during the night.  Here’s the ceremony spot converted into a dance floor:

King Soul isn’t really a wedding band but they kept people dancing the whole night.  The band leader looks eerily like Steve Martin and they were really high-energy.  They were certainly a perfect fit for this rockin’ couple:

Will you believe that a personal friend of the newlyweds made this wedding cake?  They covered the sides in lady finger cookies and tied it all up with a sweet green ribbon.  Rose heads poked out of the top.  What’s more, the entire top layer was gluten-free so the bride and her family could eat it!

To top things off, Splendid Fare rented a cotton candy machine and passed pink and blue cotton candy before the last dance was played!  All the guests were shocked and giddy — when’s the last time you went to a wedding that had cotton candy?  It was the first time I’d seen it and I’m hoping I have another couple who wants to do this too!  Here’s the father of the groom enjoying his treat:

Congratulations again, Jen & Adam!  I hope you had a GREAT time in St. Lucia and really loved being a part of your wedding.  Thanks for choosing Wish!

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!