Here's to my anniversary

Today is my wedding anniversary.

It’s been a crazy year with lots of highs and lots of lows and I couldn’t have gotten through the hard and enjoyed the good without him.

So here’s to him. Here’s to my rock. Here’s to my favorite thing. Here’s to the best home chef I know. Here’s to the arms that make me feel safe. Here’s to the man who serenaded me on our wedding day and got the entire crowd to sing with him. Here’s to my adventurer. Here's to my laughter. Here's to watching in awe and ecstasy on your wedding day as your guy crushes his 80's dance moves to Poison. Here's to the man who made October 23rd my most favorite day. Here’s to my husband.

Happy anniversary from your Katie May

Happy Plannerversary!

The Plannery is officially one year old today! I want to thank the DC area wedding industry for being so bafflingly rad. When I moved here from Brooklyn I had no sense of the DC wedding community, how long it would take me to make connections and get new clients, whether this venture would even work. But I was immediately blown away by how friendly the wedding vendors were (and continue to be). I honestly never thought that within the short span of a year I'd actually FEEL like I was a part of a greater (and awesome) community - so thank you, thank you!

I want to thank the DC area engaged folks for (whew!) proving me right in wanting a wedding planner and coordinator who is down-to-earth and has a sense of humor. I took a big risk in my marketing - but at the end of the day felt it was best to truly be me and I hoped potential clients would see and understand that. It's been so wonderful to get such positive feedback on my website and my services. And I'm so glad I didn't scare too many people away with the fact that I get sh*t done!

I want to thank Maryland for passing their marriage equality laws shortly after I moved here. Having both DC and Maryland support same-sex marriage meant a lot to me personally and professionally - and it means I get to work with fantastic clients who are super-psyched about getting married (and don't take that privilege for granted). Now get your sh*t together, VA.

I want to thank my friends, family, and especially my husband, for being so garsh-darned supportive. Running bios, web design, pricing, and marketing ideas by you all helped make this happen. And I'm incredibly lucky to have a husband who wanted me to really give it my all - really do this 100% to see what was possible and see how The Plannery could grow (not to mention, he came up with the name so he wins).

Long story short, THANK YOU.

The Plannery still has tons of ways it needs to and can grow and expand. I'm really only getting started. But I'm proud of this first year and how far my little Plannery has come. Looking forward to many more years!

Charlotte and Dave's Glen Echo Park Wedding, MD

Charlotte and Dave got married at Glen Echo Park on one of the hottest days the DC area had this July. A day so hot we moved their first dance up by an hour so Charlotte could change out of her dress earlier than expected to cool off! We made sure plenty of water was on-hand, the fans were blowing, and the thunderstorm threatening to hit us miraculously never did (but made for an awesome lightning show!).

I worked with them as a Month-Of Coordinator - Charlotte’s family had experienced some tough times recently and she wanted someone there the day-of to help lessen the stress and make it run smoothly so she and all the family and friends could truly enjoy the day. It was such a pleasure working with them - and seeing all their fantastic (and colorful) elements come together for a joyous day was just plain awesome.

Charlotte and Dave really embraced their venue. Colorful lanterns were hung in the Bumper Car Pavilion, streamers and balloons were attached near the ceremony site, and her florist, Laura Francis from Floral Presentations, was amazing. They created whimsical ceremony decor (their baby’s breath maypoles are SO cute) and creative and playful reception arrangements -including a super-tasty cotton-candy inspired arrangement!

This couple and their families deserved this joyous, fun celebration - and it was an honor to be a part of it.

Charlotte and Dave's wedding vendors:

Event Coordination - Katie Wannen, The Plannery

Venue - Glen Echo Park, Glen Echo, MD

Caterer - Windows Catering

Florist - Laura Francis, Floral Presentations

Photography - Amy Free

SubCulture NYC Opening Celebration

This past weekend I traveled quite a bit in the span of a few days. First, I headed up to CT to attend the engagement party my parents were throwing for my brother (and no, I’m not planning the wedding - I want to party, not work!).

Afterwards I headed to NYC to help two very old, dear friends with the official opening party for their great new space, SubCulture.

SubCulture is a subterranean music and arts venue - a place to bring eclectic yet accessible music and creative arts performances to the people of NYC. On top of that, I might add, this amazing space is available for rent - ie: someone needs to do a wedding here, stat, and let me plan it. Or a birthday party. Or an anniversary party. Just party here and let me help, ok? Seriously, though, if you're in the NYC area you need to check this place out - they have awesome performances lined up and it's a guaranteed fun evening.

This venue is actually quite similar to where I held my own wedding (a local music venue). It’s awesome for several reasons:

1. They put a lot of thought into the decor and design. It's industrial chic and you don’t have to do much to the space, just work with what they’ve already done. Even the bathrooms are cool (seriously, I swear). For example, check out this awesome installation as you walk down the stairs to the space - so hip:

2. Built-in bar, built-in amazing audio equipment, built-in lighting = easy and rad. Enough said. You don't need multiple vendors, the space has a lot of items covered for you.

3. The space is versatile and creative. You can have fun and get creative with your floorplan and set-up.

I had a great time helping their opening celebration take place. Big congrats again to the Kaplan brothers for making it happen - proud and honored to be a part of it. Now move to DC and open one here, please.

Sandhya and Steve's Alexandria, VA Wedding at Torpedo Factory

Sandhya and Steve were basically my first clients upon moving to DC and launching The Plannery. So I’m not gonna lie, I have a soft spot for these two. Sandhya was one of those brides that was convinced she was a bridezilla and was in fact my dream client: super smart, super savvy, super fun, super sweet and deeply in love (I’m a romantic, what can I say?). She and Steve were so much fun to work with - from tastings to photographer meetings to walk throughs to the day-of. Plus it didn't hurt that they lived near my neighborhood and frequented my favorite Mexican restaurant - so obviously they had great taste.

They got married in one of my favorite venues, The Torpedo Factory. The Torpedo Factory is in my hood (whassup Alexandria!!) and is modern, funky, non-traditional, and very fun. As you shall see. The day was captured by the ever-awesome Leo Druker.

Sandhya is half-Indian so while she didn’t do an official (epic) Indian wedding, she did want to incorporate elements into her ceremony and the reception and I thought she did a beautiful job. She wore the white sari her mother wore on her wedding day, and her uncle did a traditional blessing as part of the ceremony (those garlands… THOSE GARLANDS. sigh). And can we just say that my new favorite way to end a ceremony is with a high-five?? BEST.

After the ceremony they did some beautiful portraits in Old Town and by the waterfront.

Then Sandhya changed into her RAD reception dress (let’s hear it for non-white dresses, ladies!), and sat down for a great meal. After the speeches, her sister played a song for them on her violin - so lovely!

They kicked off their dancing with a ridiculously awesome first dance to Fly Me To The Moon.

Dancing and partying ensued thanks to Evan from MyDeejay.

And the night ended as only the most amazing wedding can end: with an impromptu push-up contest.

Sandhya and Steve's vendors:

Event Planning: Katie Wannen, The Plannery

Venue: The Torpedo Factory

Photographer: Leo Druker

Caterer: Main Event

Music: Evan from MyDeejay

I'm an animal when it comes to wedding planning

I'm off on a long weekend vacay with some family. But thought I'd share some fun and fabulous photos Sarah of Val & Sarah took recently. Val & Sarah (aka the most kick-ass photography duo the world has ever seen) are uber talented. As another coordinator recently said (and I wholeheartedly agreed), you basically want them to follow you around and document your entire life.

Enjoy!

Linn and Dave's DIY Outdoor Wedding, Patterson Park Baltimore

Linn and Dave got married in Patterson Park, Baltimore this summer. I worked with them as their Month-Of Coordinator to help their beautiful outdoor celebration go off as planned. I have to say, I adored this wedding. It was a perfect example of an easy, breezy, budget-friendly celebration. They worked with the parks department to rent one of the park pavilions - got married  under a tree in the park, with a reception catered by Blacksauce Kitchen and beautiful (seriously... BEAUTIFUL) photography by Debi Parker.

Now, don’t get me wrong. This wedding was a serious labor of love for these two, their friends, and their family. It was a hot day in June, and they thoughtfully supplied personalized water bottles to all the guests as their favors. They provided their own lace linens, DIYed beautiful bunting, and created lovely floral arrangements themselves. They lugged a generator to the park (which stopped unexpectedly in the middle of the party - thanks to a log provided by the caterer from their wood oven, we propped the generator back into position and it worked like a charm the rest of the evening). They provided their own kegs of beer, chalkboard menus, and stunning placemats (designed by Bmore Papercuts).

This is the kind of work you need to be prepared for when DIYing a wedding. For example, one’s day-of coordinator might have to run around cleaning up knocked-over flower arrangements before the guests arrive because the wind was too strong. And she might have to re-clip all of the arrangements to a lower height so they stay put the rest of the night. Hypothetically, of course.

But.

It’s worth it. Cause with all that hard work, come amazing moments like these:

A gorgeous ceremony

A tasty, family-style meal

An evening of drinking, dancing, and laughing with family and friends

And beautiful flower arrangements one would (hopefully!) never notice had been cut 2 inches shorter than originally intended.

Worth. It.

And p.s. Reason you should have a day-of coordinator? She'll have the parks permit on hand when the cops roll in

Shira and Graeme's VisArts Rockville, MD wedding

Shira and Graeme got married at VisArts in Rockville, MD this past June. I worked with them as a Month-Of Coordinator which was interesting because they both live in London. We communicated mainly via phone and email, and I finally got to meet this fab couple the day of the rehearsal!

VisArts is a wonderful venue - gotta say that off the bat. It’s a super fun, modern option that still has a fairly traditional ballroom-style room (with a built in dance floor to boot) that maintains its chic edge. Cocktails are held in the Artists’ Concourse and the Gallery can remain open during cocktail hour for guests to view some awesome artwork (though drinks are not allowed).

Shira and Grame did their first look in the gallery at VisArts which I thought was a beautiful backdrop - but frankly, how can you even notice the artwork when there’s such exuberance and love on this guy’s face?? That’s a man in love.

They did some beautiful portraits around Rockville (all photos shot by the always talented and always awesome to work with Amber Wilkie), and then headed to the synagogue for their ketubah signing.

Shira’s father is a Rabbi and he performed their ceremony at the beautiful B’nai Israel Congregation.

And that herbal chuppah. The chuppah, as well as the centerpiece herbs (we’ll get to that shortly), were provided by Willow Oaks Farms. That synagogue smelled AMAZING, people. Use the herbs if you’re into it - your sense of smell is the one most connected to memory so how great would it be to smell rosemary (or mint, or thyme, or whatever herb you love) for the rest of your life and think of your wedding day?

After cocktails, Shira and Graeme’s reception was beautiful, simple, with a touch of rustic. Their tables were so warm and inviting, and their centerpieces were herbs designed for guests to take them home (I may or may not have one of the leftovers on my back porch).

And then... the dancing began. Guys. This was the hora to end all horas. It was about 30 minutes of incredible movement, joy, dance, silliness, and love. Basically, the best.

And they served lamb as their main course. Apparently this was somewhat controversial, but I adored the choice and am officially recommending more couples serve lamb at their weddings. Do it. Tasty, amazing and why not stretch your guests' palates a bit?

The evening ended with a little more dancing, some final blessings, hugs, and beautifully fragrant favors clutched in the hands of some very happy guests.

Shira and Graeme's wedding vendors:

Event Coordination: Katie Wannen, The Plannery

Ceremony Venue: B'nai Israel Congregation

Reception Venue: VisArts

Photographer: Amber Wilkie

Florist: Willow Oak Farms

Caterer: Glorious Kosher

Music: Cherry Blossom Music Associates

Lighting: Precon Events

Becky & Melanie's DIY Arlington VA Wedding

Photos from the weddings I’ve worked on this year are slowly coming in and I’m so excited to share them with you!

First up are Becky and Mel, two fabulous ladies who are not only total sweethearts, but DIY goddesses. Seriously. I’ve never met a craftier bunch (as you’ll see from the photos, below). These wonderful women contacted me in January wondering if it was possible to plan a wedding in 4 months, and a DIY one at that. As you know, there aren’t many rules in my planning book, so I of course said that anything was possible.

Becky and Mel got married and had their post-ceremony reception at St. George’s Episcopal Church in Arlington, VA. All you thrifty brides and grooms out there should know that St. George's has a meeting hall that they rent out even to those not performing their ceremony in their church. It’s a great deal and a great space as long as you’re willing to give it a little TLC (which Becky and Mel were - with a little help from yours truly).

The wedding day was captured beautifully by Crystal at Lily B Photography (And did I mention this was the first wedding she’s ever done? She was a friend of the brides and a member of the church and while a super-talented photographer had not yet done a wedding. I thought she did an amazing job).

First of all, you have to love Becky and Mel because they had fabulous green shoes. That just needs to be mentioned straight away.

They got dressed (with a minor wardrobe malfunction which I was able to remedy) and then headed off to pre-ceremony portraits.

Followed by the ceremony in St. George’s beautiful sanctuary

Earlier in the day, and during the ceremony, I, along with some hired servers and awesome friends of the brides, were putting the reception together. This was a big job. Becky and Mel were the ultimate DIYers in that not only did they do all their own decor (down to the most amazing details), they self-catered their brunch reception as well.

There was a bloody mary bar. A waffle bar. A candy bar.

Basically - a ton of great food, awesome details, and a big ton o’ fun.

And did I mention the photobooth?

There was a photobooth

There was also Becky’s father who talked me into the photobooth with him

All in all, a really wonderful start to my wedding season, and a great day! And the best part about DIYing your wedding? You get to keep all the leftover booze.

Becky and Melanie's vendor team:

Venue: St. George's Episcopal Church

Photographer: Crystal Hardin, Lily B Photography

Photo booth: SillyShotz

Rentals: DC Rentals

Event Coordinator: Katie Wannen, The Plannery

Queen Mary 2 recap (non-traditional wedding venue, anyone?)

I’m baaaaack. And I didn’t sink OR sing the Titanic theme song (though another crazy woman at karaoke did).

Let me back up. My Dad used to travel a lot for work. A lot. He recently retired and a couple years ago went on the Queen Mary 2’s transatlantic crossing. He loved it. So he wanted to do it again and make it a family trip. My husband and I love to travel and while we never would have thought to do a transatlantic crossing on our own, we jumped at the chance to join him and the rest of our family.

It has a reputation (which is somewhat valid) for being a boat full of old people. And let’s face it, generally only old people can afford to take that much time off just to hop across the pond. But in the summer months, there are a few more youngins and the whole experience was actually super rad and far exceeded my expectations. It’s also worth mentioning I think this would be an awesome honeymoon (in the warmer months), as well as a swanky and unique venue for a wedding. Just sayin'.

First of all, as my Dad said “it’s a very civilized way to travel.” And it so is. The boarding of the boat was a breeze - a BREEZE - compared to air travel. It was so easy and lovely and basically 15 minutes after boarding we were already in a bar on board having a beer. Plus, the service and accommodations were outstanding - this is not your normal cruise. This is a crossing.

What I enjoyed the most was that it was a really lovely way to unplug and enjoy some peace (hello, you’re in the middle of the ocean) while at the same time the boat had a ton of fun activities so you never got bored. We did some ballroom dance lessons, lectures, a champagne tasting, afternoon tea every day, karaoke, pub quizzes, got a massage, and danced our butts off every night. But we also just walked or read on the deck, enjoying the air, the sea, and the quiet. Plus, I was there with a big group of family and it was wonderful to spend time with them.

Once we landed, my husband and I spent a few days in London...

and then I headed home for a wedding!

I’m so excited to be back. I've been getting some beautiful photos of the weddings I've worked on this year which I can't wait to share with you! And things are really picking up speed here - I’m busy busy busy and loving every minute of it.

But when I need a moment of peace I’ll just close my eyes and be back on that amazing Atlantic ocean once again...