Want something different for your Valentine’s Day?  Just let us know what you want to send or receive!!  We take care of everything from plants and roses to fun jars with candy or gum for your sweetheart!  Make your order by this Friday and get $10 off!!!  Call or email us today:

inquiries@eleganceandsimplicity.com

301.656.5560

Photo credits:

1st Row – Documentary Associates and The Observatory 

2nd Row – Documentary Associates

3rd Row – Us!

There is usually no shortage of kissing at weddings – but these are some of our favorite kiss photos over the past few years!

Enjoy!

Photos (left to right, top to bottom): Kathy Blanchard at Rust Manor, Jennifer Hughes at the Engineer’s Club in Baltimore , Documentary Associates at Decatur House and Lafayette Square, Mary Kate KcKenna at Thorpewood, Love Life Images at the Ourisman Family Home, K. Thompson Photography at Brookside Gardens

For those of you who have been wondering – Katie had her baby girl on December 14th!  And yesterday was Katie’s bday!

Happy Birthday to Katie and we welcome Elena Marina Vasquez to the Elegance & Simplicity team!

(photo by Documentary Associates)

We are so excited about the war ending in Iraq and we are hoping that a lot of service men and women are finally coming home and ready to tie the knot in our nation’s capital!  We have been offering a military discount since day one!  So – if you or your fiance is in the military – do not hesitate to let us know so we can extend our discounts to you so we can do our part in giving thanks for your service!

(photo by Documentary Associates)

A few of our favorite drinks from over the years…

Ginger lime mojitos from Design Cuisine with our straw escort card tags in Stewarts Soda Bottles – Photos by Kathy Blanchard

Wonderful Cocktail concoctions from Farmers & Fishers from our article in Eco-Beautiful Weddings – Photos by The Obsvervatory

Cucumber water station from Main Event Caterers (photo by K. Thompson Photography) with sodas from our Green Wedding Giveaway (Photo by Documentary Associates + The Observatory)

]]> http://www.eleganceandsimplicity.com/blog/wedding-planning/wedding-drink-style/feed/ 0 http://www.eleganceandsimplicity.com/blog/wedding-planning/orange-wedding-style/ http://www.eleganceandsimplicity.com/blog/wedding-planning/orange-wedding-style/#comments Mon, 05 Dec 2011 13:30:07 +0000 Katie Martin http://www.eleganceandsimplicity.com/blog/?p=6192  

Gorgeous fun wedding cake from The Knot with orange drink stirrers from Bab’s Etsy Shop

Our own gloriosa lily bouquet with our in-house lanterns (photo by Roman Grinev)

Fabyan Orange Gown via Wedding Inspirasi with beautiful earrings from Rachelle’s Jewelry Box

Orange Brocade Kitten Heels from BHLDN with our menus and orchids (photo from Documentary Associates)

A few of our favorite things for Holiday Wedding Style…

Our green cymbidium bridal bouquet (photo by Documentary Associates) with Green Bunting Pennant from BHLDN

Green and Red cake via Perfect Wedding Day with Green Wedding Dress via Flickr

One of our favorite holiday bouquets we have done with holly berries, roses and rosemary (photo by Amy Deputy) with our green cymbidium cake topper (photo by Roman Grinev)

Our green hypericum berry lapel with green shoes via The Knot

Credits – Top to bottom, Left to Right

Margaret & Patrick’s Wedding with fun pumpkin “love you” by Kathy Blanchard and one of our signature candy bars at Woodend

Mini Pumpkin Soup via Elizabeth Anne Designs with one of our favorite bouquets we made for Ashlee & Tom’s Wedding (my brother and sister-in-law) at Decatur House – photo by Documentary Associates

Cotton Bur Wreath via Etsy with an escort card display we did at GW River Farm

]]> http://www.eleganceandsimplicity.com/blog/wedding-planning/harvest-wedding-style/feed/ 1 http://www.eleganceandsimplicity.com/blog/wedding-planning/black-and-white-wedding-style/ http://www.eleganceandsimplicity.com/blog/wedding-planning/black-and-white-wedding-style/#comments Sun, 02 Oct 2011 12:30:15 +0000 Katie Martin http://www.eleganceandsimplicity.com/blog/?p=5826

Our “black and white” bouquet with Picasso and Eggplant toned mini calla lilies, deep purple ranunculus with fern curl accents – Photo by Documentary Associates

Black and White Cake Inspiration via Wedding Place

Our pretty corsage and lapel flowers with lisianthus and phaleanopsis orchids

Our Luscious Verde Black and White Invitations

French Maid Garter from The Garter Girl

Lelah Shoes by Badgley Mischka from Zappos

Black and White Linens from Table Manners

Black and White Tags for your candy bar via Etsy

Here are the fun details from Tina and Chris’ wedding this summer!  Tina started the day at the Mandarin Oriental.  Right after getting ready, Tom from Documentary Associates took some stunning photos in her suite!

We made her beautiful bridal bouquet with green cymbidium orchids, scabiosa pods, seeded eucalyptus, white lisianthus, green hypericum berries, succulents, emerald green roses, lily grass with a few feather accents.

Chris + Tina – pronounced man and wife at Top of the Town!!!

Tina and Chris opted for a fun travel theme for their wedding.  Starting with programs shaped like passports and escort cards like airline tickets!  They also asked the guests to pin on a map where they have been.  The tall centerpieces were created with submerged cymbidium orchids and manzanita branches with hanging votives and orchids attached to them.  The beautiful cake was designed by Cakes by Linda.

Congrats to Chris and Tina – we are so happy we could be a part of your day!!!

Photography by Documentary Associates

I am so excited to be posting about this wedding this week!  My good friend Chris Campbell tied the knot this summer!  He is the Director of Operations for the Women’s Basketball team over at University of Maryland – My Alma Mater!! We have been friends for over 13 years!

Feathers seem to be a theme for us this year – lots of brides have been into them…and Tina (his bride) was no exception!  Stay tuned tomorrow for more details created by the bride and our team!

Photography by Documentary Associates

Sorry we missed last week’s Style Post!! So we thought we would come back with something sweet!  While cupcakes and all sorts of dessert bars are the rage right now…we will always be in love with the “traditional” wedding cake.  We love cake!  Above is a way to incorporate your love of tradition with the cupcake aspect!  The cake was based on the design of the couple’s invitations and baked to perfection by Cakes by Design.  The bride added her own whimsy with the fun cupcake stand and cupcake decor inserts! To see more from this wedding at the Engineer’s Club in Baltimore - click here. (Photos by Jennifer Hughes)

We love the interesting design of the cake plate here to the left for a wedding we did at Brookside Gardens and the beautiful green garden design by Cakes by Linda for a wedding we did at Top of the Town (more from that wedding tomorrow and Wednesday).  (Photography by K. Thompson + Documentary Associates)

We will always love this cute bird cake topper from Mary Kate’s wedding at Thorpewood and this beautiful and intricate design from Cakes by Design at the Decatur House. (Bird photo by us, Pink cake by Documentary Associates and The Obsvervatory)

Fall colors are pretty much always associated (but should never be limited to) with different tones of gold, orange, red and yellow…so we are starting our wedding style blog series with just that!

Above is just a sampling of what we have done for previous fall brides.

 Details – Top to bottom, left to right:

Gorgeous wreath at Woodend Sanctuary with various fall shades of roses (photo by Katie)

Classic bridal bouquet with mini calla lilies and roses (photo by Documentary Associates)

Burst of orange gloriosa lilies with variegated lily grass (photo by Katie)

Mini calla lilies with chocolate cosmos (photo by Katie)

Cymbidium and mokara orchids, roses and ranunculus (photo by Documentary Associates)

Stay tuned every Monday for our Wedding Style Blog Series…

]]> http://www.eleganceandsimplicity.com/blog/wedding-planning/perfectly-fall-wedding-style/feed/ 0 http://www.eleganceandsimplicity.com/blog/announcements/wedding-style-and-venues/ http://www.eleganceandsimplicity.com/blog/announcements/wedding-style-and-venues/#comments Fri, 09 Sep 2011 12:30:43 +0000 Katie Martin http://www.eleganceandsimplicity.com/blog/?p=5709

Having amazing style for your wedding day is one of the top priorities on your list – that is what we are here for!  Whether it is having an amazing ice blue dress like the one above or having the perfect shoes like the ones below…

You need to start with the right planning advice and the right venue.

Every holiday season, we get you ready for your planning by a series of blog posts about the best and brightest venues to start your planning with.  We will tell you about some great new spaces and talk about the mainstays here in the DC (and why they are so wonderful).

So stay tuned as we bring you all the information you need for style and venues and planning advice – especially for the newly engaged who just need to know where to start!

Happy Planning!

(Photography credits – Top to bottom, left to right: Heather Z Photography, K. Thompson Photography, Documentary Associates, Roman Grinev Photography)

Today is the last installment for Mari and Josh – I just love these fun portraits and interesting photos that happened throughout the day!

Such a funny photo from the Ketubah signing at the synagogue.

Hilarious random photo!!!

Cute photo just after the cake cutting!

Best wishes to Mari and Josh and a huge thanks to Tom at Documentary Associates for these fantastic images!!!

We are so excited to bring to you a series of blog posts from one of our favorite couples (Mari + Josh) from this past June.  Tinica and Chrishaun headed up this fantastic event that started at the 6th & I Historic Synagogue in Chinatown.

One of our favorite elements of our decor for the couple was that one of the little guys in the ceremony dropped greenery and then the little girls dropped petals afterwards…just had a really pretty effect for the entrance!

We were able to use the standard chuppah provided by 6th & I and attached a pretty garland of greenery and peonies along with a gorgeous heirloom quality quilt made by the mother of the bride as a wedding gift!  Wait to see how we reused it for the reception in our next post!

Such a gorgeous Ketubah!!!

Stay tuned tomorrow for more floral and planning details at the reception.  Then we will do a 3rd and final post with some really fun portraits and silly photos that Tom took!!!

(Photos from Documentary Associates)

As we enter Labor Day Weekend, many are filled with thoughts of “This is the last weekend to wear white”!  But oh the joys of being a bride and wearing and using white whenever you want! I started off with these gorgeous shoes today as there is a beautiful wedding featuring them on the Eco-Beautfiul Weddings Blog today! Just click on the shoes to see more.

Below are a few of our favorite white wedding yummies for you to dream about this weekend!

Photo credits/captions of what we did in each photo – Left to Right, Top to Bottom

Elegance & Simplicity, White Delphinium at Thorpewood

Documentary Associates, White Chuppah at Woodend Sanctuary

Elegance and Simplicity,White delphinium and White phaleanopsis orchid lapel flowers at Halcyon House

Cappy Hotchkiss Photography, Garden Rose, white phaleanopsis, lisianthus, phalaeanopsis and peony bouquet at Halcyon House

K. Thompson Photography, Manzanita branches with roses and clear hanging votives at Brookside Gardens

Have a wonderful holiday weekend!!

Here is a quick sneak peek from Mari + Josh’s wedding back from June!

More details coming to you next week as we take a much needed break this weekend in NYC!

(photography by Documentary Associates)

We have been so excited to show you these photos from a wedding we did in early July with Amber Karson Events!

The bride had the most amazing carnival theme that had a wonderful red and blue color scheme.  To go along with the carnival theme we added candy to all of the centerpieces either in jars or with candy apples complete with color coordinated ribbon.  The candy bar was complete with all sorts of nostalgic candy and more caramel coated apples!  We got the apples custom ordered from the Dutch Farmers Market in Laurel.  I even watched them hand dip them!

The candy bar was complete with cute banners from the client!

There are so many other fun elements from the wedding – which should be spotted on another blog or magazine shortly!!

Congrats to Sarah and Joe!

Photography by Documentary Associates

Today we wanted to show you a sneak peek for tomorrow’s larger post on a whimsical wedding we did at Glen Echo!  The flowers and candy bar are too much for one post!

Stay tuned!

(Photo by Documentary Associates)

We are excited to showcase a few photos from Julia and Taylor’s wedding from June.  Above, Julia walks her way to the ceremony at the Netherlands Carillon lawn (near the Iwo Jima Memorial).

You may recall  the post we did earlier on their floral designs, but here is Julia and her proud father!  We had such a wonderful time planning this wedding as Julia’s mother is a very good friend of my mother!

One of the reasons we love weddings at the Netherlands Carillon is the amazing view!  We made this trellis and adorned it with pretty garland, delphinium and lisianthus accents.

Here we have the escort card table arrangement complete with apples and belles of Ireland.  Then the pretty blue centerpieces we made with hydrangea, peonies and delphinium.

Want more?  See more of Julia and Taylor’s wedding at Documentary Associates newly updated website!!!! Just click on any of the photos to get to their blog post!

Congrats to Julia and Taylor!!!

I love Back to School themes and here are a few ideas from a few weddings we have done to get your creative wedding juices flowing – no matter what color your wedding is!

Image Credits (Top to Bottom , Left to Right)

Kathy Blanchard at Rust Manor in Leesburg

Love Life Images at Dumbarton House in Georgetown

Ralph Alswang at the Ronald Reagan Building in DC

Documentary Associates at the Ronald Reagan Building

Ralph Alswang at the Ronald Reagan Building

Mary Kate McKenna at Shepherd’s Hey Farm in Comus, MD

Was just looking through some older photos from brides over the years and came across some of my favorite wedding dress details.  Folks – don’t give up on buying vintage or worn-once gowns – look at what you can find!

Above left was from a bride where we did  the wedding in Anguilla.  Her Melissa Sweet dress is simply timeless and fun!

Above right is a gown from Amsale from a wedding we did at Woodend Sanctuary.  Just the beautiful hand-sewn detail of reused materials for the flower makes me happy!

Bottom left is a gown from Lazaro (which the bride met in person at Kleinfeld’s in New York) was just an absolutely stunning dress!  The details were magnificent at her beautiful wedding at the Ronald Reagan Building!

Finally, the bottom right gown is from Vera Wang at a wedding we did at the Decatur House.  Simple and lovely with flower and button detailing!

All photos were taken by Documentary Associates!

Here we have something for the fall bride or groom with this cute escort card display complete with oranges, mini pumpkins, bamboo and little bit of gerbera daisy accents!

Another very popular design from a wedding we did several years ago.  Our cute little mum box display with limes!

A fun and funky escort card display with submerged pears, artichokes and limes.   Beautiful peach French tulips and calla lilies burst from the tops of the vases.

Another one of our favorite escort card displays with various hues of pink gerbera daisies and pink hydrangea with a fun vase filled with blueberries!

I will end with something simple for the weekend!  A super summery arrangement with Antique Dutch hydrangea with pink peonies with yellow apples submerged in the vase.

Have a wonderful weekend and we will see you next week!

(Photo credits – Photos #1 & 5 by Katie Martin (me) and photos 2-4 by Documentary Associates)

We were thrilled to be a part of Jane’s (our in-house calligrapher) wedding in March!  Of course, she did her own calligraphy!  There are also some other wonderful things about her wedding day at Ceresville Mansion!

Her beautiful Mon Cheri gown was found on consignment and it fit her perfectly with no modifications!

She also had such a pretty color scheme with these jewel toned tulips from New York and calla lilies from Holland for her bridesmaids.

We also did simple submerged orchids as centerpieces.

We loved her simple and beautiful cake from a local bakery in Frederick.  We did a simple cake topper for her.

With everything being local – she really did an amazing job at keeping her wedding as eco-friendly as possible!

Congrats Jane!  We love you!

(Photos by Documentary Associates)

We finally got to see all the images from Jane’s (our calligrapher) wedding!  Stay tuned tomorrow for more details and the eco-friendly story!

Dreaming about your wedding day but worried how to keep it stylish, fresh and eco-friendly at the same time?  This 4th Installment for Earth Day Week is about how to keep the flowers and the details green!  That is what we specialize in.  Eco-friendly flowers and details is what makes your wedding yours.  If you are like most couples, hundreds (if not thousands) of them have gotten married at your venue before – so the only way to make it special is with floral designs and personal touches.

Working with a logistical team and local farmers, distributors and nature itself, we design an overall design scheme for you to help fit your style!  From flowers that are grown in the US, Canada, New Zealand and Holland (the last two have some of the toughest fair trade and wage laws in the world and Holland practically invented the cut flower trade).  Using a combination of carbon offsetting, commercial flights (as opposed to Fedex or UPS) and sheer information and research – we are able to provide you with the best possible options.  Our inventory boasts thousands of pieces of glassware from small to large.  We don’t charge a “rental” fee for them like most florists do – we just simply pick up our stuff at the end of the night.  With most weddings – we will take any leftover flowers to a nursing home (complimentary).  If not – we also compost!  Our in-house paper and glass lantern inventory is extensive and in every color imaginable.  And…if we don’t have it in stock – we will get it for you!  We have even used leftover beading from Christmas tree decor for a bridesmaid’s bouquet!  We love to upcycle and reinvent weddings.

In conjunction with our flower department and lighting, we have all sorts of decor and favor options available for you.  We have LED lights for our paper lanterns, in-house glassware (like mason jars for serving lemonade on a sunny wedding afternoon).  We also have over 500 pieces of vintage and modern glassware just for candy and food bars.  If your venue or caterer only has trays – we have trays, footed candy bowls, 3-tiered petit four/cupcake plates and more.  We have our own carpentry team in house to custom design mandaps, chuppahs, arches, trellis’, chalkboards, directional signs and more.

We help take your dreams and ideas and make them a reality with the extensive collection of items we have in our inventory to the extensive reach of vendors that we work with in the DC area.  We have an extensive information database gathered from around the world with our magazine team of writers, photographers, interns, researchers and photo editors (Eco-Beautiful Weddings).  There is simply no other event design firm in the DC/Baltimore area that has as much experience, inventory and knowledge about going green as our team here at Elegance & Simplicity, Inc.!  Go green for your wedding today – email us inquiries @ eleganceandsimplicity.com!

(Photo Credits from Top to Bottom – 1st Bouquet – The Observatory, 2nd bouquet – Marta Locklear, Beaded Bouquet – Documentary Associates, Praying Mantis – Amy Deputy, Triple Centerpiece – Documentary Associates, Hanging votives – Marta Locklear, Blue/Green Lanterns, Candy Bar, Lemonade Stand and Cake photos – Documentary Associates (cake by Cakes by Design), Paris Photo – K Thompson, Blue/green votives + Trellis with paper lanterns – Jennifer Hughes, Escort “card” Chalkboard (with calligraphy from Meant to Be Calligraphy – K Thompson)

_________________________

We are gearing up for the Eco-Beautiful Spring Mini Mag!  Stay tuned tomorrow as it is filled with green contents that you will need to jump on!

For our 3rd installment of Earth Day Week – I am focusing on eco-friendly photographers in the DC area.  It goes without saying that I highly recommend my brother and his wife from Documentary Associates.  Their weddings have been featured in the Washingtonian‘s Bride and Groom Magazine, The Knot, Essence.com for their work on the Green Wedding Consortium’s Earth Day Wedding Last Year at Decatur House, Eco-Beautiful Weddings, in the Eco Issue of Bride and Bloom Magazine,  Flower Magazine and more!  Their commitment to the environment includes being carbon neutral with Carbonfund, doing various non-profit organization photography, driving a hybrid, donating to various eco causes and more.  We work with them often and they are located right in the office with us in Bethesda!  (Yes that is a photo of me on my wedding day in the Dominican Republic!)

Another eco-friendly favorite photography firm of ours is The Observatory.  Owner Andrea Jacobson uses public transportation and Zipcar when she needs a car!  Growing up on the west coast, she grew up with reusing and recycling since she was a baby!  She took an enormous amount of photography for our first few issues of Eco-Beautiful Weddings – including our 1st issue’s cover shoot!  Their weddings have been featured in the Washingtonian Bride and Groom, Brides Magazine, The Knot and countless blogs.   You can see more about the above wedding photo at the Meridian House by clicking through to this link on United With Love.

One of the most talented photographers in the DC area is Nicole Wolf of Sota Dzine.  She is also really (what I call) a part-time missionary + full time photographer!  She has taken several trips (and will be going back) to Haiti to help build homes for those affected by the terrible earthquake last year.  Her heart is so big that she has raised over $15,000 to build homes on facebook alone (CLICK HERE TO DONATE)! I am helping her with a fundraiser for her Up From Under Project in November of this year (stay tuned).  I don’t know if I could even list where Sota Dzine has been featured here – it would make this post too long.  The photo from above is from a shoot we did together for Photo District News.  Her weddings and photography have been featured literally all over the world and locally in magazines like the Washingtonian, DC Magazine, The Knot along with international ad campaigns and commercial photography (they even photographed Lisa Loeb’s wedding)!  Their whole team is talented and they have big hearts!

Friend and fantastic photographerJennifer Hughes is sweet as she can be and talented beyond compare.  Heralded in both the greater Washington, DC and Baltimore areas – Jennifer is simply one of the best photographers around.  She has earned her reputation through fantastic wedding and commercial photography.  The above wedding photo (and wedding) was featured in the most recent issue of Baltimore Bride.  Click here to see more!  Jennifer also took the photos from our cover editorial from the Winter 2011 Issue of Eco-Beautiful Weddings as well!

a little bit of whimsy photography is another fave of ours that photographed the cover editorial from our Spring 2010 issue of Eco-Beautiful Weddings here locally.  She captures emotions so well at weddings and just has such an eye for detail.  She gives back to the community in so many ways and has recently become a vegetarian.

Balance Photography – One of the founders of the local green wedding showcase + Green America Member and so much more!  This husband and wife team also does some amazing boudoir work!

I have recently fallen in love with photographer Marta Locklear!  She recently did the amazing new cover editorial shoot for the Spring 2011 Issue of Eco-Beautfiul Weddings and she is a genius at using natural light.  She is an eco-gal!  She has her own vegetable garden and wants to start raising her own chickens too!!

Holland Photo Arts loves the environment and gives 5% of their total revenue to various organizations that help make the world a better place!  This husband and wife team is based on Charlottesville – so they are perfect for weddings in the Northern and Southern VA regions.

K Thompson Photography is another one of our favorite local green photographers.  She is a member of the Green Wedding Consortium and supports many eco-related organizations.

Kristi Odom won my heart as a bride that got married in Africa with very few guests and even took her own wedding photography!  She encourages people to see the world and experience new cultures.  She is also a member of the green wedding consortium and donates a portion of her proceeds to various organizations.  Her weddings have been featured in Eco-Beautiful Weddings, United With Love, Wedding Vow, Newnan Coweta, Wedding Event Style and more.

There are more photographers out there doing amazing things – just be sure to ask them when you meet with them.

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Green Idea of the Day and Contests for today – Already been married and need to sell your dress? – List your Gown on BravoBride.com this week and they will plant a tree with the Nature Conservancy!

Still Looking for your Dress?  Find one, pre-owned and become a Princess for a Day at the same time!  Smartbride has gotten together with an amazing bunch of wedding gurus and companies to give a bunch of wedding stuff away now until the royal wedding day next week!  All from eco-friendly vendors.  Great to shop for your gown too!

Continuing our Earth Day week on how to keep your wedding eco-friendly – we move on to the next part of your planning process – THE CATERER!  Why is this so important?  You will spend approximately 50-60% of your wedding budget on food + rentals – so you want to make sure you are putting your dollars in the right place.  Our favorite and one of the best caterers in the United States is Design Cuisine.  Above are glassware from their sister company DC Rental.   Design Cuisine is now Green Restaurant Certified and prides itself on sustainable practices and using local resources as often as possible. (Photo by Kathy Blanchard)

Another nationally known caterer that claims DC as their own is Main Event Caterers.  In 2010, they were named Caterer of the Year by Catering Magazine!  They have their own in-house water filtration system with reusable glass bottles.  Their incredible chef prides himself on using locally sourced food as well.  They are 100% Wind-Powered and Carbon Neutral through Terrapass.  They have a comprehensive Recycling, Reusing and Composting Program and strive to educate their clients about how to stay green for their weddings. (photo by K. Thompson Photography)

Occasions Catering was the first caterer in the country to become Green Restaurant Certified!  One of the first to compost and have been a supporter of local farmers years before it was thought to be “green”.  They even make their own jams and preserves in-house!  Truly one of the greenest caterers in town!

Gail’s Vegetarian Catering has been around for years as the DC area’s greenest vegetarian caterer.  Obviously going vegetarian for your wedding is the greenest option.  They are approved by Green America and create amazing menus with flair.  A note – their business is up for sale – the hope is that whoever purchases Gail’s will have the same philosophy and will continue with the same style.  Since it is has been on sale for a while – we are more than sure that Gail is looking for the best person to take it over!

Our final favorite pick for Green Catering is Catering by Windows, another local favorite that is Green Restaurant Certified.  Certainly one of the largest event caterers in the area – they even recycle kitchen oils and food by-products.

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Earth Day Week Green Giveaway for today are free movie tickets to see the pre-screening of Something Borrowed from Stephanie Ward over at Punk Rock Bride - local eco-friendly wedding gown designer!  LEAVE A NOTE BELOW ON HOW YOU PLAN TO GREEN YOUR WEDDING TO WIN THE TICKETS!

Today – we start the week of where you normally start your wedding planning process – THE VENUE!

Looking for an eco-friendly wedding venue can be difficult in the DC area or very easy – depending on what you are looking for. Since the majority of the beautiful mansions in the DC area are historic – you are typically paying to rent a facility that is also used for outreach programs to the local community or for the upkeep of the museum it may hold.  For example – Dumbarton House and Decatur House both are historical landmarks in Washington, DC and both have museums that they run.  Both are beautiful locations with different aspects. (Above is a photo at Dumbarton House taken by Documentary Associates).

We love doing weddings at the Ronald Reagan Building as the chef is dedicated to sourcing environmentally friendly and locally sourced food.  In fact, he took Blue Fin Tuna off the menu as he signed a petition to conserve this dwindling family of fish.

Another wonderful location for an eco-friendly wedding is the Chesapeake Bay Foundation in Annapolis.  You can have your ceremony on their beach with the reception inside their LEED certified building.  Even comes with a tent for the outdoor patio for dancing!  Lots of wonderful locations to take photos and part of your proceeds go to help keep the bay clean!

The Arts Club of Washington is another one of our favorites!  (I got married there!)  A non-profit that also does catering in-house.  It supports the local arts community – an acutely dwindling breed of organizations that has stayed strong in James Monroe’s old residence!  This building is also a National Historic Property. (photo by Deb Lindsey)

The National Museum of Women in the Arts is a beautiful venue for your wedding.  A portion of the rental fee is tax-deductible.

The Corcoran Gallery of Art is another location that is on the National Registry of Historic Properties and houses one of the best art colleges in the DC area.

Constitution Hall’s Library and O’Byrne Gallery and Portico is a perfect Washington, DC setting. Run by the Daughters of American Revolution – their non-profit is service oriented and educational.  A non-profit along with being on the National Registry of Historic Properties.

The Warne Lounge at the Cosmos Club is one of the most unique and ornate rooms in all of Washington, DC.  It is about to undergo renovations, but if you are planning your wedding for 2012 and know a member at the club – call them immediately!  Totally one of the most unique and interesting venues and so few brides know about it.  Know anyone in the sciences?  They might know a member there!  We have a wedding there in May – stay tuned for those photos! (Also on the National Registry of Historic Properties).

Not into a fancy old building?  Why not something super new and LEED certified?  The Nationals Park offers a variety of fantastic and modern rooms to choose from to host your wedding.  Even if you are not a baseball fan – would you not love to have this fantastic bar at your wedding?  Their caterers use local resources and the view of the baseball field is not too shabby! (Photo by Amie Otto Photography)

Halycon House is another favorite among brides also found on the National Registry of Historical Properties.  Fair warning here that the property has been on the market for a while and none of us really know what will happen once the the building gets sold.

You’ve seen all the engagement shoots (like this one from Documentary Associates) around the Tidal Basin.  Why not have your actual ceremony there?  On the West Lawn of The Thomas Jefferson Memorial – you can have your wedding!  All you need is a permit.  You get a limited time frame to have it – so it can’t be anything super elaborate.  But where else would you ever have this opportunity to get married next to Thomas Jefferson??? It’s “free” as you pay taxes for it!

The Mayflower Hotel is one of the oldest and most ornate hotels in Washington DC. Also on the National Registry for Historic Properties, the venue is great for all of your out of town guests.  Even better still, you can do both your ceremony and reception in one building and your guests just have to go upstairs afterwards – no buses or shuttles needed!

The absolutely stunningly gorgeous Meridian House is run by the non-profit Washington International Center dedicated to strengthening international understanding through exchange of people, ideas and culture. (Photo by The Observatory)

The National Cathedral is one of the most ornate and glorious churches in Washington, DC  (also on the Registry)!  It’s incredible architecture mixed with its rich history really gives a great sense of grandeur.  (NOTE - The cathedral will perform weddings only when one of the following criteria is met: 1. The bride, groom, or immediate family has made, over a period of time, a noteworthy contribution as a donor or volunteer to the life and ministry of the cathedral; 2. The bride or groom is an alumnus of one of the cathedral schools (Beauvoir, National Cathedral School for Girls, or Saint Albans School for Boys) or is the child under 30 years of age of an alumnus; 3. The bride, groom, or immediate family member is a member of the staff of the cathedral for at least two years at the time of application.)

Josephine Butler Parks Center is possibly one of the most underrated wedding venues in DC Proper.  The Washington Parks and People runs the facility which is all about protecting parks, greening community projects in DC and community outreach in general.  A beautiful space at a reasonable rate.

Woodend Sanctuary has to be one of my favorite places to do weddings.  Nestled in Chevy Chase just of the beltway – it is the home of the Audubon Society and many educational and children’s camp opportunities for the community.  With an amazing grove and mansion with an attached tent – one of the best deals in the DC area as well. (Photo by Heather Z)

The Sewall-Belmont House is actually one of the 4 items in Congress’ “Save America’s Treasures” Program (along with the Declaration of Independence, The Constitution and the Star Spangled Banner).  Again – underrated but a much loved property right on Capitol Hill has a wonderful yard with a tent out back.  This building was the headquarters for the National Woman’s Party where Alice Paul forged forth the woman’s suffrage movement.

This is by no means a definitive list of venues – but a great place to start for you.  There are tons of venues all over Virginia and in MD that I have not covered here (warranting another blog post in the future).

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EARTH DAY CONTESTS TO BE AWARE OF TODAY:

Going to San Francisco this weekend (or want to plan a last minute getaway for the two of you)?  Then get to the Green Glam Go Facebook Page to learn how to win an Earth Day Weekend Getaway in San Francisco by clicking here and “Liking” Green Glam Go on Facebook!

Also – on the Eco-Beautiful Weddings Blog – we have a metal water bottle up for grabs – Click here to learn how to win!

Stay Tuned for more eco DC goodies all week!