Jenn & Dan’s Intimate, Modern & Local DC Wedding at the Tabard Inn

This wedding packs a bunch of my favorite things. An intimate ceremony at the Tabard Inn, a bride in an AWESOME alternative wedding dress (and neon green heels to boot), an offbeat, backyard reception in Mt. Pleasant, and so many rad, local DC wedding vendors! The photographer, Michelle VanTine Photography, sent us this one and opened the submission with, “Any wedding that starts with me walking in to the bride and groom getting ready together and the bride drinking “Raging Bitch” beer and putting on bright green shoes is automatically going to be awesome!” And man, was she right. Check out Jenn & Dan’s awesome, intimate & local Washington DC wedding!

Jenn & Dan’s Intimate, Modern & Local Washington DC Wedding Ceremony & Backyard Reception

Vendors:

Photography: Michelle VanTine Photography | Ceremony Venue: Tabard Inn | Reception/Party Venue: Mt. Pleasant Shabby Chic BnB | Catering: Green Plate Catering | Band: Dry Mill Bluegrass Band | Event Design: Taylor and Hov | Rentals: Something Vintage Rentals | Flowers: Local Color Flowers | Beer: 3 Stars Brewing Company | Cheese: Righteous Cheese | Lighting: Yours Truly Lighting | Submitted via Two Bright Lights

Jenn & Dan had their wedding ceremony at the Tabard Inn but instead of a normal wedding reception to follow, they had a simple, vegetarian dinner with an intimate group of friends & family. Then, they next day, they through a big, backyard party in Mt. Pleasant with a bluegrass band, vintage rentals, and drinks & outdoor games! Love this idea for couples on a budget.

Dan and I are a pretty laid back pair, so we decided early on to have a small wedding. Much easier said than done! But somehow we navigated those waters and ended up with 48 guests at the beautiful and quirky Tabard Inn. The outdoor patio has a fantastic secret garden-esque feel. And best of all, no decorating required!

We wrote our own vows- Dan’s were characteristically goofy and sweet at the same time.  Let’s just say there was lots of laughing/crying all around. The service was followed by cocktail hour and dinner upstairs in the private dining rooms.  We added some personal touches to dinner, including photos of our parents and grandparents on their wedding day for guests to see.  We also made chocolate truffles as favors using my late grandmother’s secret recipe.

The following day, in a desire to include everyone we loved in our celebration, we hosted a laid-back house party in Mt. Pleasant. We found a lovely couple, Leslie and Joe, who agreed to rent out their entire B&B for the event. Their beautiful backyard and spacious wrap-around porch worked perfectly, and some of our friends were even able to stay in the rooms upstairs!

We decorated with wildflowers from LoCoFlo scattered around in old vases and jars. Vintage furniture and string lights gave the backyard a party atmosphere, and our awesome bluegrass band from Virginia, Dry Mill Road, played all night long.  My mother-in-law spent hours making candied nuts (a family favorite) for favors, and my mom and I wrapped them in jars with homemade gift tags.  We had cornhole and great beer and all of our favorite people together in one place. And that’s all we wanted.