Lisa and Wren's Riverside on the Potomac, Leesburg VA Wedding

Photo by Eric Einstein Photography

Lisa and Wren got married on a beautiful June day this past year, at the magical Riverside on the Potomac in Leesburg, VA. One of our favorite venues, the weather definitely worked for them and resulted in a stunning day!

The couple had a ton of performing artists friends (as Lisa herself is also in the performing arts), which resulted in personal, musical touches throughout the day including friends playing for the ceremony (and leading a recessional parade of sorts that felt New Orleans-esque), and as you’ll see - an EPIC first dance!

Personal touches continued with the florals being DIY’d, a relative conducting the ceremony, and many other close family and friends having been assigned very specific roles to include people near and dear to them as much as possible. 

Last, but certainly not least, Lisa’s brother was photographer! We adore the photos that follow - be sure to check them out and start getting excited for summer with these images by Eric Einstein Photography. Although he’s based in Denver, he travels all the time - so definitely check out his amazing work.

Coordinator: Tarra with The Plannery

Venue: Riverside on the Potomac

Catering/Rentals: Brittany Flohr, Simply Fresh

DJ/Uplighting: Mark Maskell, Restless Promotions

Photography: Eric Einstein Photography and Video

Hair/Makeup: Ana B, MAB Artistry

Rachel and Michael // Riverside on the Potomac Wedding, Leesburg, VA // VA wedding coordinator

Rachel and Michael had a beautiful wedding at Riverside on the Potomac this past November. I must admit, I was a bit nervous at their hopes for an outdoor wedding in November - but they got lucky and we had stunning 60 degree weather that afternoon! Although the cold definitely creeped in once the sun went down, all the dancing, food and merriment kept everyone good and toasty. They started the day with a casual tisch/bedeken followed by the signing of the ketubah. A beautiful ceremony was down by the water - and Rachel hand-made their chuppah! Cocktails were back up in the stables, with dinner, dancing (and ingenious jump roping!) in the barn. We were accompanied throughout the day by the excellent band, Golem. And the evening ended with a stunning view of the super moon! Big thanks to Charlie at Charles Archambault Photography for the photos, and congrats again to Rachel and Michael!

Rachel and Michael's Vendors:

Coordinator: Katie Wannen, The Plannery

Venue: Riverside on the Potomac

Caterer: Kosher Kitchen

Photographer: Charles Archambault Photography

Videographer: On Line Suburban Video

Band: Golem

Florist: Affordable Arrangements

Hair/Make-up: Creative Images

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Angelina and Ron // The Lodge at Little Seneca Creek, Boyds, MD Wedding // MD wedding coordinator

Editor's Note: Angelina used to work at my husband's office. I heard she'd gotten engaged but I always hate it when people feel pressured to hire me because they know me - so I kept my distance :) But I was super-thrilled when she reached out (though disappointed I was no longer free!) - but Tarra took it on and had a wonderful time. Congrats again to you both! Now some more insight from Tarra:

Where do I start with Angelina and Ron?! They are the most witty, fresh ass couple I’ve ever met [insert corny Rongelina joke here, only not quite as funny in light of their divorce].    I really enjoyed our check-in emails and meeting with them.  There were many points in the night that I felt like I was attending rather than working a wedding - they really treated me like a friend.  My only regret with working with Angelina and Ron is that I didn’t get to meet their painfully adorable bulldog, Oliver! 

The October weather was phenomenal. The Lodge at Little Seneca Creek was picture-perfect and the staff were incredible to work with. Add in Main Event Catering, Olivia Jacobs Photography, and DJ D-Mac & Associates and you know I was part of a wedding dream team.  Both Angelina and Ron’s families and friends were also incredibly sweet and kind.

There were many enjoyable details about this wedding that were so true to Angelina and Ron.  One of our favorites at The Plannery was the beautiful calligraphy invitation that we received in the mail with an overly cool Janis Joplin postage stamp. First thought, "Omg how did Angelina know that I LOVE JANIS JOPLIN?!" Second thought, "Our clients are so freaking awesome for 'inviting' us to the wedding!"  Third thought, "I totally wish I could write that lovely and neatly" (the calligraphy was by The Wave Writer fyi). Come to find out, we weren’t the only honorary invitees.  Angelina and Ron went ahead and sent their gorgeous wedding invitation to the POTUS and First Lady, Barack and Michele Obama!

Another stunning (and very true-to-themselves) detail were the centerpieces – garland, and succulents in stone planters.  Angelina is allergic to flowers, so there wasn’t a single flower in sight at their reception (though she braved it by holding a bouquet for a few photos and during the ceremony). And when I say she held a bouquet it was literally for all over 20 seconds at a time!  Her gracious bridesmaids took over the bouquet during any down times.   

The final enjoyable l detail I will mention is the wardrobe change into Traditional Korean clothing.  It was so special to see Angelina and Ron adorned in such brilliant and meaningful garb. Angelina’s parents and sister also wore Korean clothing at one point, and they were able to get some very beautiful family portraits taken. How special is that!? Congrats again Angelina and Ron!

Venue: The Lodge at Little Seneca Creek (Montgomery County Parks) 

Coordinator: Tarra Morgan, The Plannery 

Photography: Olivia Jacob Photography 

Bride and Bridal Party Bouquets: UrbanStems (with some sprucing up by Maiya Dacey, a bridesmaid)

Bride Hair and Makeup: blo blow dry bar, in Gaithersburg, MD

Caterer: Main Event Caterers

DJ and Lighting: DJ Neville C, from DJ D-Mac & Associates 

Officiant: A.C. Warden, from Capital Ceremonies 

PhotoBooth: BoothLove

Bride's Gown: Maggie Sottero, from For My Wedding in Cliffside Park, NJ 

Bride and Bridal Party Getting Ready Robes: The Paisley Box

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Rebecca and Dave // Woodend Sanctuary, MD Wedding // MD wedding coordinator

As some of you may have seen via Instagram, our beloved Tarra recently had a bit of a medical scare. Thankfully, she is healthy and well now, but this wedding came right in the midst of some of her health issues. We like to keep it real here, so more details below from Tarra on this magical yet difficult wedding - and yet another example of how wonderful our clients are (and how dedicated our incredible Tarra is)! Big thanks as always to Sarah Gormley for the stunning photos. She is one of my most favorite photogs and humans!

Rebecca and Dave, what can I say? They were simply too much fun. Another ideal kick-ass couple that The Plannery was fortunate enough to work with. Rebecca flat out oozes kindness and is the ultimate kindred spirit.  Dave is the epitome of calm and cool.  They are an unflappable force to be reckoned with.    

Their wedding at Woodend Sanctuary was so special - Dave and his family built the chuppah themselves. Their ceremony, led by a family friend, was very comical - and they danced together halfway through the 7 circles! Add in the beautiful photos by Sarah Gormley and you get some real life magic.

Many of our couples are laid-back, which WE LOVE, but these guys definitely take the cake - and this took some weight off my shoulders, which I ended up needing that day. To know me is to know that I would never put my own needs on the table on someone else’s wedding day unless it was super serious! Doesn’t matter if I am starvin’ like Marvin or have a raging headache.  It turns out I had something pretty serious going on with my leg during their wedding. I powered through of course, but did actually find myself in the hospital the very next day!  I tell this story for two reasons. First, to let everyone know that my unexpected surgery went well and I am totally fine now!! Doing 100% better and feeling very fortunate that the issue was found and treated.  The second reason, is to point out how incredible it is to work with such compassionate people every day.   As a planner/coordinator, I get to work closely with so many couples and in that, you develop a very special and meaningful relationship - albeit short-lived at times.

On Rebecca and Dave’s amazing wedding day at the gorgeous Woodend Sanctuary, I got to experience so much joy with them even though I was in some serious pain.  On their very own wedding day, thanks to our special relationship, I took comfort in knowing that their joy was my joy and my pain was their pain.  And honestly, that is pretty damn awesome.

Venue: Woodend Sanctuary

Coordinator: Tarra Morgan, The Plannery

Photography: Sarah Gormley Photography

DJ: DJ Evan Reitmeyer

Florist: Sill Life

Hair: Scissors and Comb

Make-up: J H Makeup Artistry

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Julia and Phil // The Inn at West Settlement Wedding, Roxbury, NY // New York Wedding Planner

This wedding was incredibly special to me. I know Julia and Phil from my college days in NYC. Julia and I performed together, both dance and musical theatre, and Phil was our tech guru, making us look and sound our best. They got in touch with me all these years later asking if I’d help them find their venue and solidify their budget, as well as do month-of coordination. Julia and Phil wanted a full-on wedding weekend in the country, so we scoured the NYC region looking for great barns that could offer multiple venues for various events throughout the weekend.

They settled on the Inn at West Settlement in Roxbury, NY. I helped coordinate their rehearsal dinner and firepit hang the night before their wedding, their entire wedding day, and their morning-after brunch. It was an exhausting but exhilarating and wonderful weekend. I have to mention that despite all my hard work, none of it would have happened without their awesome family and friends who really pitched in to make this a community event. Plus, Julia and Phil are both my ex-theatre type-A dream clients and were organized beyond belief!

The weather cooperated and the whole weekend was fantastic. Julia and Phil started with a beautiful outdoor ceremony that included live music, some relatives as their officiants, readings from friends, and a handfasting. Their cocktail hour then extended into some wonderful Irish dancing out on the lawn with fabulous live music from a fiddle and pipe player. Family style dinner in the barn followed, along with toasts and a potluck pie station. And then there was the dancing. They hired a stellar band out of Brooklyn, The Blue Vipers, who KILLED it. Julia is a dancer. A legit, working artist - so she and Phil had a lovely choreographed first dance, followed by a crowd that couldn’t keep off the dance floor. The caterer and staff were based out of the downstairs level of the barn and I’m telling you, the stomping and hooting coming from the ceiling above made me think the barn might collapse!

Big, big congrats to Jules and Phil and a huge thank you for letting me be a part of your wonderful wedding weekend!

Julia and Phil's Wedding Vendors:

Partial Planning and Coordination: Katie Wannen, The Plannery

Venue: The Inn at West Settlement

Caterer: Grounded Catering

Rentals: Events Unlimited

Photographer: De Nueva Photography

Florals: Lily Bruder

Ceremony and Cocktail Musicians: Cleek Schrey and Stuart Jackson

Reception Band: The Blue Vipers

Hair and Make-up: Karen Neblung Hair Studio

Jackie and Aaron // The Farm at Broad Run wedding, Broad Run, VA // VA wedding planner

Jackie and Aaron came to me initially for venue help, but eventually we also worked together on nailing down their major vendors and month-of coordination. They were awesome. They wanted a very unique wedding and had very specific ideas about what they wanted. Helping that vision come to fruition was really fulfilling and especially seeing in-person how perfectly “them” their wedding was, and how much their friends and family embraced their day.

Jackie and Aaron got married at the Farm at Broad Run on a beautiful, unseasonably warm day in September. Their unique wedding timeline included a pre-ceremony sing-a-long “hang” which they staged in a nearby field. We rented a platform so that they’d be a bit more visable, and the caterer, A La Carte, had a welcome station with prosecco and beverages as well as some snacks. Their rabbi led the session and though I had my doubts, it was a huge hit with their guests.

Guests then proceeded to another field closer to the pavilion and tent where they held their outdoor ceremony. One of their friends serenaded them down the aisle. It was beautiful and magic. Cocktail hour followed in the pavilion - though the nearby field had also been set up with some lawn games, including a full mini-golf course (the only thing Aaron said he HAD to have) and a game of touch football also popped up. I loved that Aaron let himself enjoy the day fully and didn't give a damn about getting his suit dirty (though he did have a change of shirt, for the record).

A lovely buffet meal and some toasts under the beautiful tent followed. They then proceeded to dance their butts off under the pavilion. The dancing included a freaking adorable choreographed first dance, and an epic hora that extended out beyond the pavilion!

Later in the day they had their cake cutting (and some smashing!!), as well as s’mores by the fire.

Big, big shout out has to go out to Mike Bell from MyDeejay who provided sound and music for all aspects of this sprawling wedding. A very tough task due to all the different locations and the fact that it was an outdoor venue.

Wishing Jackie and Aaron a huge congrats - they were such an awesome couple to work with from beginning to end!

Jackie and Aaron's Vendors:

Wedding Planner: Katie Wannen, The Plannery

Venue: The Farm at Broad Run

Caterer: A La Carte

Photographer: Ralph Alswang

Videographer: Craig Schattner

DJ: Mike Bell, MyDeejay

Florist: Oviedo Florist

Mini Golf: Wow Entertainment

Photobooth: Photo In a Box

Susannah and Zach // Hendry House Wedding, Arlington, VA // VA Wedding Coordinator

Susannah and Zach got married this past May on a gorgeous Sunday. They originally had hired me to do Month-of Coordination only, but Susannah's family suffered an unfortunate tragedy prior to her wedding, so they hired me to jump in and take on some of the extra tasks to lighten their load. It was my absolute pleasure and it was wonderful to get to see such joy on their wedding day after tough times.

Susannah and Zach had their ceremony outdoors under a DIY chuppah (which they made themselves - and nailed). After the beautiful ceremony, guests had cocktails outdoors on the Hendry House patio and then moved to the tented reception for dinner and dancing! Some details of their reception I loved included their guest book - they had guests write on blank library cards and file them away in card catalog drawers. They also got a non-traditional wedding cake from Alexandria Pastry Shop which was just gorgeous and perfect for the season. And I have to mention Susannah's dress which was a stunning modern number. I was obsessed with it - had I found it when I'd been dress shopping for my own wedding I probably would have worn it myself! She was so beautiful.

Susannah is a twin, and Zach has two twin brothers! So don't worry if you're seeing double in some of these excellent photos from Olivia Jacob. Enjoy - and congrats again, Susannah and Zach!

Susannah and Zach's vendors:

Wedding Coordination: Katie, The Plannery

Venue: Hendry House

Caterer: Main Event

Photographer: Olivia Jacob

DJ: Anthony, MyDeejay

Cakes: Alexandria Pastry Shop

Flowers: Little Shop of Flowers

Ceremony musicians: Cherry Blossom String Quartet

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