For Gloria and Joseph’s reception they kept the natural, organic feel of their outdoor wedding ceremony but took it to a whole new level! Engraved rocks doubled as place cards and favors and moss spread beautifully across all aspects of their decor. From the table numbers to the bride and groom chair markers, to the centerpieces themselves. The vibrant blue linens really gets me, but so does their non-traditional crepe cake and the surprise performance by the groom himself!

From Gloria: In general: for the decor we stuck with a more natural romantic look than extravagant flower ballroom look because that’s who we were. Our budget also helped inspire us. We used items that could dual task, such as our name rocks (rather than name cards) that were also the guests’ gifts.

To help create a joyful atmosphere, our head table wasn’t secluded but part of the circle but still a masterpiece.

We handpicked all the music played at our wedding. My husband performed a surprise special song for me during the reception. We did crepes instead of cake, since we both like crepes more than cake.

Gloria’s advice to other DC-area couples:

Hire a wedding planner. They actually help you save, not only because of connections they have to vendors but there are items you didn’t realize you don’t have to purchase as much. Such as, even though my wedding was 100 people, we only ordered 45 wedding programs rather than 100. And 45 was well enough for our guests. So right there we saved 50% of our budget on paper stuff that could go to our decor. The wedding planner also knows areas in the contract that can be negotiated and included to accommodate your vision. Finding a venue that reflects the theme and style of your wedding helps because you don’t need to do as much to transform the place into that theme and style.

The following Washington, DC area wedding vendors contributed to Gloria and Joseph’s wedding:

Venue: Airlie Center
Wedding Planning + Design: My Simple Details
Floral Designer: Petals & Hedges
Photographer: Julie Renee Photography
Chairs + Linens: Capital Party Rentals
DJ: Jeff Mercer
Makeup: Kimberly Steele
Dress: Katherine’s Bridal Boutique

Don’t forget to visit our vendor guide for more fabulous Washington, DC area wedding professionals or our real wedding gallery for more beautiful Washington, DC area weddings!

Photo Credits: Julie Renee Photography