Eline and Brandon's Carnegie Institute of Science, Washington DC Wedding

Photo by Duhon Photography

I've been straight-up terrible about blogging lately but both Tarra and I now have spirited, fun babies instead of headache, exhaustion inducing newborns so we're both doing our best to get back to it! Plus, we're finally getting in some of the gorgeous photos from the weddings we've been working on lately. So here's Tarra to take it away about Eline and Brandon's awesome Carnegie Institute wedding!

What can I say? The Plannery loves Carnegie! There is something about that rotunda that makes for the most quaint, timeless, and remarkable ceremony - and sick dance floor!  Eline's mother recognized how cool the rotunda was too and gifted her daughter and new son-in law a handmade quilt depicting the rotunda floor. In addition to the quilt there were a few other small details that made this wedding special. There was that really awesome engraved pocket watch (that I actually wish was for me because I've always wanted one!). There was also the first look between Eline and her father as well as Brandon and his mother - so stinking sweet.  More and more this is becoming my favorite little moment next to the father/daughter dance which I am a huge sucker for mainly because I have major regret for not doing one with my loving dad. And then there was the stroopwafels, that's right stroopwafels given as wedding favors. A Netherlands delight! And finally there was the fabulous evening weather that we had that allowed the infamous rotunda doors to be open while everyone partied the night away. 

Eline and Brandon made this wedding so effortless to coordinate with their organization, transparency, and happy go lucky demeanor.  Big shout out to Duhon Photography for his creativity in making cool people and a cool venue even cooler than ever! 

Eline and Brandon's Vendors:

Coordination: Tarra Morgan, The Plannery

Venue: Carnegie Institution of Science

Caterer: Spilled Milk

Photographer: Duhon Photography

DJ: Bialek's Music

Hair/Make-up: Modern Bridal Studio

Florist: UV Flowers

There are some things you just can't plan...

2017 is turning out to be quite an odd year for The Plannery. It's actually a wonderful lesson in what you can and can't plan. Tarra and I are, if I do say so myself, great planners and coordinators. We'll organize the heck out of your wedding. But sometimes in life, there are things that - try as you might - you just can't plan perfectly. And so it's with great excitement that I share that BOTH Tarra and I are expecting babies this Fall!

Tarra is due in mid October, and I am due in early November. While I'm super thrilled for everyone involved (especially Tarra and her wife cause this is their first - and that is just so darned special), it does mean The Plannery is taking a bit of an unplanned sabbatical this fall! We've had to transfer some of our wedding jobs over to other coordinators in the area (and thank goodness for the wonderful community of DC wedding vendors, you guys), and it means that much like the year I had my first baby, I'll be cutting back a bit on the amount of work and the number of jobs I take on. In addition to the new baby, Tarra is taking on another adventure and moving to the Baltimore area this summer (so reach out to us, you Baltimore couples!).

We'll be ready and eager to get back to work in 2018 for all you in the DMV area - so please don't hesitate to contact us about 2018 weddings!

Big congrats again to Tarra and her wife - and wish me luck as I attempt to wrangle a headstrong toddler and a newborn baby :)

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Ann and Stephen // Clarendon Ballroom, Arlington, VA Wedding // VA Wedding Planner

Ann and Stephen were partial planning clients of mine - I helped them nail down their major vendors, and then returned later in the process to assist with month-of coordination. They were also some of the early test clients for our design services with Kim, and we'll be doing a separate post on that later to highlight how her mood board was brought to life!

Ann and Stephen got married at Clarendon Ballroom, yet another venue I somehow hadn't yet worked with - and was so excited to finally get to do so. They did some first-look photos with one of my favorite photogs, Shandi Wallace, prior to the ceremony (and Ann SLAYED in that lace dress, y'all. Seriously). After their ketubah signing they had their ceremony in the ballroom, and then due to the unfortunately fairly cold and windy day, the cocktail reception in the bar and lobby (rather than the rooftop) while we flipped the ballroom for the reception. The Clarendon staff was awesome to work with, and included some delicious food and a gorgeous wedding cake! Their DJ, Greg Sanchez, rocked the dance floor and their guests were really ready to party! It was a great night celebrating a wonderful couple and working with some fab vendors. Congrats again to Ann and Stephen!

Ann and Stephen's Vendors:

Wedding Planner and Coordinator: Katie Wannen, The Plannery

Venue, Food and Cake: Clarendon Ballroom

Florist: Blooming Spaces

DJ: Greg Sanchez

Photographer: Shandi Wallace

Officiant: Annie Bornstein

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R & E // Arena Stage, Washington DC Wedding // DC wedding planner

R & E got married this past summer at Arena Stage, a venue I'd been dying to work in for a while now. They're a private couple so we won't be showing any photos of their faces or their guests' faces - but I still had to blog about this one cause it was so special, so much fun, and Jess Latos Photography took some stunning pics! E is Ethiopian, and R is Jewish. They wanted to plan their wedding fairly quickly, so we jumped right in! They incorporated various traditions throughout their day. My favorite was the Ethiopian cuisine  - and the wet naps that were on every table that said "Marriage is Messy"! R was also pregnant - and therefore a glowing, stunning bride. We made it through the hora without any dropping or falling incidents which was my major fear (!), so I considered the evening to be a big success!

This was one of the most beautiful weddings I've done that seamlessly incorporated different traditions - experiencing these cultures merging and celebrating together was really touching and, frankly, brought me to tears at times during the night. So enjoy what photos I'm able to share (and big thanks to Jess Latos Photography for the beautiful images) and join me in wishing R & E a huge congrats on their marriage! I'm also happy to report their new little baby joined their family this fall and is happy and healthy! Congrats again to R & E - much love to you both!

R&E's Vendors:

Planner - Katie Wannen, The Plannery

Venue - Arena Stage

Caterer - RSVP and Dama Catering

Photographer - Jess Latos Photography

DJ - KC Higgins

Flowers - Whole Foods

Cake - Fluffy Thoughts

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Announcing - Event Design with The Plannery!

Event design is coming to The Plannery!

Many of you know that ever since the beginning, I have always viewed myself as a logistics-only person. While I do think I have a fairly good eye, and I've obviously learned a lot over my years of planning weddings about what works well and what doesn't, I have never studied design. I often get the question from potential clients as to whether I also do event design. And that answer, for a long time, was "no." Not considering myself anything close to an expert in the area of design, I've never felt comfortable calling myself an event designer. But I was disappointed that I couldn't provide those services to my clients.

And then Kim came along. I actually coordinated Kim's wedding. She was awesome to work with, and did some amazing DIY design pieces for her own wedding (see here). She reached out to me post-wedding to express her interest in partnering with The Plannery. She, unlike me, is an actual designer. As in, she holds a B.A. in Media Arts and Design and is a full time graphic designer - she therefore has a killer eye and is great at creating cohesive visual plans for event design.

As many of my current clients know, we've been testing out the relationship and the process this past year. Slowly rolling it out to see what works and what doesn't, and whether clients were even interested!

And so I'm thrilled to finally announce that The Plannery will officially be offering some great add-on packages to our current services to those interested in event design assistance. Many of my clients are very hands-on, but find they want resources and assistance to narrow down decisions. We're taking that same approach for event design and I'm really excited to offer my clients these new design options! More info is on our website now, and we'll be doing a series of blog posts this week to tell you more, including hearing from Kim herself and more details on the services!

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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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Aileen and Tyrone // Lyon Park Community Center Wedding // VA wedding coordinator

Tarra's back with yet another kick-ass wedding - and this one has a bride in a blue dress which basically makes my whole day, week and month! It also has to be noted that looking through these photos, the smiles on Aileen and Tyrone's faces are absolutely infectious. I found myself grinning from ear to ear at practically every photo. What an amazingly beautiful, happy couple! Take it away, Tarra!

Aileen and Tyrone are a perfect example of why I love working in the wedding industry - and they are also yet another example of how we as planners become so personal and so close with our clients.   A professional relationship sure, but oftentimes with a friendship/family flare.  I felt like Aileen and I went wayyyyyy back.  I felt like I was part of Tyrone’s family. And I felt like I’ve known their daughter Maya since birth.  In fact, this awesome familial connection lead me to recommend the incredible DJ Premonition, who played at my very own wedding.  I just knew he would be a great match and would rock the place!

This wedding took place at a beautifully maintained park community center in the heart of a residential neighborhood in Arlington.   Aileen was full of no fuss, all fun, and great décor ideas including mason jars with twinkle lights and fresh cut flowers.   Bistro lights were strung around the main room to make the space pop.  My favorite part of all was the dessert spread, filled with freshly baked pies and cookies. All of these tasty treats were made with love by Aileen and Tyrone’s friends and family.  Farm to Feast Catering did such an amazing job with arranging the dessert buffet and of course dinner was amazing as well.  Tyrone’s mother contributed some special items to the menu, Jamaican patties and curry goat…YUM!

And of course this blog post would not be complete without a mention of that badass blue lace wedding dress.  Aileen KILLED IT! So fun and so offbeat…speaking of which, her dress may have been stylishly offbeat, but her actual dancing skills were so on point! I totally think Aileen invented the running man (like, seriously).  From jumping the broom to getting down low on the dance floor, I must say I think Aileen and Tyrone and their little Maya, too, had the time of their lives. Congrats again to you all!

Aileen and Tyrone's Vendors:

Coordinator: Tarra Morgan, The Plannery

Catering: Farm to Feast

DJ: DJ Premonition

Photographer: Linda Wang Photography

Flowers: Wollam Gardens Flower Farm

Venue: Lyon Park Community Center

Ceremony Musician: Mason Arts Productions

Officiant: Family Friend

Makeup : DIY

Hair: PR at Partners Shirlington

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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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Katelyn and Matthew // Charlie Palmer Rooftop, Washington, DC Wedding // DC Wedding Planner

Katelyn came to me in November, asking for full service planning for a May wedding! Needless to say, things were a bit of a whirlwind, but we had a great time making it all happen! Katelyn was going for a bit of a boho chic look and The City Florist made it all come to life - and more. Katelyn's father is in the landscaping business and cared a lot about the floral elements - and The City Florist did NOT disappoint! After a delicious meal by Charlie Palmer, the guests danced the night away to Burnt Sienna. The only thing that would have made the day a bit better was if it hadn't rained non-stop! But the guests rolled with it and thanks to the tent at Charlie Palmer we all stayed (mostly) dry. Other things I'm crushing on in this wedding include: the ringbearer's blue hair, the record guestbooks, all the children sleeping in all the places, and Katelyn's hilarious facial expressions :)

Big thanks to Jessica Latos Photography for the beautiful pics - enjoy!

Katelyn and Matthew's Vendors:

Wedding Planner: Katie, The Plannery

Venue and Caterer: Charlie Palmer Steakhouse

Photographer: Jess Latos Photography

Florist: The City Florist

Ceremony Music: Christopher Wyton

Band: Burnt Sienna

Make-up: Nour Kazoun Makeup Artistry

Hair: Sue Volans

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Julia and Joe // Longview Gallery, Washington, DC // DC wedding coordinator

Julia and Joe got married this past March at Longview Gallery - a venue I've been dying to work in, and was so happy I finally had the chance. It unfortunately started raining right as their photos were supposed to start in Blagden Alley - but thankfully The Columbia Room offered up their space and they got some beautiful pre-ceremony shots! Their ceremony was in the front gallery, under a DIY'd arch and officiated by a friend. Well Dunn catered a beautiful reception, and Washington Celebrations kept people on the dance floor, and also did beautiful string lights for the space! But my favorite parts of the wedding were the more personal, fun details, including a video that Joe created of the two of them that was projected on a wall, their District Doughnut dessert, as well as the late night pizza from Pizza D'Oro that was delivered later in the night! Finally, we have to talk about what a hip, stunning couple this is. Julia's dress (and lips!) were so gorgeous and Joe was working it in that suit. Go Kate Shoot shot the beautiful pics you'll see below - enjoy!

Julia and Joe's Vendors:

Coordination: Katie Wannen, The Plannery

Venue: Longview Gallery

Photographer: Go Kate Shoot

Caterer: Well Dunn

Florist: Sill Life Florals

DJ and Lighting: Washington Celebrations

Hair/Make up: District Beauty

Donuts: District Doughnuts

Cake: Paisley Figg

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