Alicia and Matt's Modern Longview Gallery Washington DC Wedding

Photo by The Oberports

Enjoy this insanely colorful, modern, stylish DC wedding from Rebecca!

Alicia and Matt's modern wedding at Long View Gallery began by throwing tradition out the window right from the start.  The couple knew they didn't want a "traditional" processional, where the bride is the focus.  They felt that, as partners, both were equally important.  As a result they, along with my help (!) designed a ceremony layout with two angled aisles, meeting in the middle, so that the couple could walk in at the same time, meet in the center, and then proceed to the "altar" (in this case a gorgeous hanging greenery arrangement by florist Sidra Forman) together.  

In addition to the ceremony, food was very important to the couple.  Eric Fleischer Catering helped the couple pull together an AMAZING buffet dinner that featured the couple's favorite foods (Steak for the groom, tons of veggies and pastas for the bride) that not only tasted delicious, but was gorgeous as well.  Later in the evening, the couple decided that, rather than a traditional wedding cake, they would do a junk food buffet.  One side was sweet, with Oreos and Candy, and mini tarts and cheesecakes from the Caterer, then on the Savory Side, Eric Fleischer provided mini pizzas, soft pretzels and bags of various flavored popcorns, while the couple provided Goldfish, Doritos and, as a nod to the groom's Lancaster, PA family, Martin's BBQ Potato Chips!

The bride is one of the coolest people I've ever met, and has an AMAZING sense of style.  So it's no surprise that that was reflected both in her outfits for the night as well as the wedding decor.  The bride wore a simple A Line gown from Sarah Seven for the ceremony and dinner, then changed into a Rebecca Schoneveld jumpsuit for the reception, which she told me she felt like a total badass in :)  DC Rental provided crossback chairs, while Something Vintage provided Classic Farm Tables, Vintage Water Glasses, and an AMAZING bar and lounge furniture for the reception and cocktail hours.  All of it was highlighted by lighting from Bruce Pike Productions and greenery throughout.

Alicia and Matt’s Vendors:

Venue: Longview Gallery

Planner: Rebecca O’Donnell, The Plannery

Photographer: The Oberports

Caterer: Eric Fleischer

Florist: Sidra Forman

Rentals: DC Rental and Something Vintage

DJ: Les the DJ

Lighting: Bruce Pike Productions

Nasheed and Chris's Non Traditional Holud

Photo by Ayesha Ahmad

Guys. This couple is so near and dear to my heart. I worked with them last year, doing month-of coordination for both their holud and wedding in May of 2017. They reached out to me a YEAR in advance and I immediately booked them even though I normally don't book that far out. That's because their email mentioned their non traditional backgrounds (he's half Italian catholic/half Jewish, and Nasheed's parents are from Bangladesh and Muslim) in addition to references to Aladdin, The Book of Mormon, lip sync battles, and other insanely wonderful non traditional ideas!

So this obviously has to be a two-part-er. Come back on Thursday for their ridiculous wedding. But now, onto the holud. In addition to the holud being co-ed, their email mentioned that it "may or may not include a lip sync battle, roast of the bride/groom, airing of grievances, feats of strength, and/or white people awkwardly trying to do synchronized dances to Bollywood music in lieu of whatever is actually supposed to happen at those things." YES.

It was all of those things, and so much more. Josephine Butler Parks Center was the venue and it was a huge DIY affair. Big thanks to Nasheed's fantastic friends who created her "stage" decor, as well as to my lovely associate Tarra who assisted the hell out of it (including putting out a small fire with her bare hands. That girl is fierce). 

While there were some traditional elements, such as the henna and delicious food, there were also amazing untraditional moments - like all the performances, including a Circle of Life recreation with a very unwilling Simba, lip sync battles (my all time favorite activity), and much, much more. Enjoy this colorful, hilarious evening captured by Ayesha Ahmad Photography!

Nasheed and Chris's Vendors:

Coordination: Katie Wannen, The Plannery

Venue: Josephine Butler Parks Center

Photography: Ayesha Ahmad

Catering: Ravi Kabob and The Italian Store

Staffing: Wright Staffing Company

Henna: Henna Ink

Why non traditional weddings matter (a.k.a. what zombies can teach us all)

My sister recently participated in a very non-traditional wedding. Before I share the details (which are ridiculously amazing, FYI), I wanted to talk about why I think non-traditional weddings are so important - for everyone. Even those who don’t consider themselves “off-beat.”

Here’s the thing: I think when making major life decisions - marriage, kids, career - it’s important to question. Why do you want to do something in a particular way? What might it look like? What are the other options? And beyond the questions, perspective is key. Understanding where your point of view is coming from, what traditions you’re drawing from, why you envision something a certain way is important.

People who break from tradition make us think. They make us question. Would I ever want a wedding like that? A marriage like that? A job like that? Seeing non-traditional choices reminds us that the choices are there. That choices do exist in this world - a world that often makes us feel like we have none or that things have to be done a certain way. They let us take a step back and realize how many creative, crazy, fun options there are in life.

Long story short, I find weddings like the one my sister participated in to be really refreshing and a helpful way to blow your mind while also establishing your own opinions. You can’t know what you like and what you don’t unless you actually ask the question. Until you consider other possibilities. And hell, this wedding is NOT for everyone. In fact, one might argue this wedding was truly for this couple and this couple only. But it definitely made me think. And more importantly - smile.

So - speaking of things that inspire and make you question - my sister has always done that for me. She’s always pushing herself to try new things - rollerderby, rock climbing, and she recently did some aerial classes. One of her friends from that class asked her if she’d be interested in being a zombie at a wedding. You read that right. A zombie wedding.

Here’s the deal - the bride and groom staged a fairly traditional-looking ceremony. They wore a white dress and a suit, and an officiant began with some traditional (but funny) vows. Halfway through the ceremony, zombies emerged from the sides and started attacking the bride and groom. The bride and groom tore off their costumes (yes, these were tear-away bride and groom wear), to reveal zentai suits and starting battling the zombies. I’m sorry, but that just makes my day.

And that was only the beginning. My sister had this to say about the whole experience: “It was very fun, liberating (I got to look ugly at a wedding!), fun for the guests (many people asked if they could have their pictures taken with us afterwards), and probably the most individualized commitment ceremony ever (aerialist performances, videos of the couple, their favorite band played, and both the bride and the groom wore fabulous evening gowns for the dinner and dancing)” - I told you this was non-traditional!

I don’t have photos of the whole shebang (yet! hope to share some once they're available), but thought I’d leave you with pics of my sister as a kick-ass (and really scary) zombie as well as this final thought: this wedding was pretty extreme - but whether you’re considering zombies, or just considering non traditional centerpieces - remember to entertain the possibilities and ask the questions that will lead you towards a wedding that is truly yours. Sometimes exploring non-traditional paths can lead you towards your own path. That's true for weddings, and for life.