New Bride Blogger: MaryAnne’s Venue Search
Today, I am delighted to introduce our new Bride Blogger, MaryAnne. Over the next several months, follow and read as she shapes her wedding around the Capitol theme, considers having karaoke as a wedding activity, finds a creative, delicious and budget friendly caterer…and much, much more! Please give a warm welcome to MaryAnne!
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Greetings! Let me begin by saying it is an honor to be able to write in from time to time as a Bride Blogger as I plan my upcoming wedding. The planning process has been a far more enjoyable challenge than I ever imagined it would be, and I’m looking forward to sharing my favorite parts with you!
As soon as we were engaged, the first factor of which Chris and I were certain with regard to our wedding day is that it would be held in our nation’s capital, which has been my home for over six years, and his for over fourteen. We also knew that the vast majority of our guests would be making the journey from their homes across the country, particularly Texas (my side) and New York (his). Visions of the quintessential “D.C. affair” danced through my head, as did small ways in which we could honor our home states. It was time to select a venue.
At first, we considered predictable factors, including proximity to the Cathedral of Saint Matthew the Apostle, in Dupont Circle, where our ceremony will be held. Selecting our ceremony venue had been the easy part — we were already members at this gorgeous Cathedral — and we wanted the transition from ceremony to reception to be easy, hopefully even walkable, for our guests. Of course, we considered size and season: we plan to host approximately 120 guests on March 12, 2011. Some venues in and around Dupont that call for tents, or whose primary attraction is stunning outdoor space, were crossed off the list. Weather is a concern, and we want to be able to take full advantage of the space we choose.
As we delved more deeply into the venue selection process, we began to consider factors we hadn’t thought of before. For example, it was important to Chris to have dining and dancing in the same room, as some of our older family members may wish to linger at dinner, or remain seated and watch as the dancing begins. It became very important to both of us that our reception venue have some unique history behind it. We’re history buffs ourselves, and hoped that we could find a venue that represented the history and elegance of Washington, D.C.
I was utterly thrilled the moment I saw the Washington Club, located at 15 Dupont Circle, NW. Chris wasn’t with me the day I went to see it, but I just knew it was the perfect place for our wedding, and when he heard my enthusiasm, he immediately jumped on board. Founded in 1891 with an educational and social mission, the Washington Club was the first women’s organization to be incorporated in the District of Columbia. When I saw the balcony in the cocktail ballroom, I could envision our string quartet there. When I saw the piano and stage in the banquet hall, I could see our dinner and dancing musical entertainment take shape. In fact, I could see every moment start to form, and I knew I needed to look no further.
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