Images: Roman Grinev Photography via Two Bright Lights
Well hello there Romancers. It’s been a WEEKEND but at long last, I return to work today and will therefore (hopefully) be a bit better about blogging on schedule with the little one being cared for during the day by someone other than me! I hope you guys all had a fabulous long weekend. We were up in NJ visiting my parents, NYC visiting (and picking up) Andy from a work gig, and then Philly for my niece’s FIRST birthday! We also got news that our house was featured on Houzz yesterday (check it out)! For today we have a beautiful Springtime DC wedding that had a secret garden/enchanted forest theme. Check it out and have a GREAT week. We have a SUPER RAD giveaway launching tomorrow, so be sure to come back for that!
 I was torn between a wedding theme of secret garden/enchanted forest, so I kind of went with both! In either case I love the idea of something that’s been somewhat neglected, and due to that neglect has become something beautiful and magical. The stone vases for the center pieces felt to me like secret garden and the birch chuppah with twigs and babies breath added the enchanted forest element.
We didn’t have a wedding planner, but we were both very involved with the wedding planning, but probably not as much as my Mom! We were so lucky that she took it on herself to find a venue and go through caterers ad so much more. We also had a lot of help from Mike’s mom and my Aunt. But with so many cooks in the kitchen it became really important to stay organized. We used lots of planning charts to keep track of who was doing what and when.
It’s also nice to incorporate DIY touches whenever you can. Mike’s mother is very crafty so she and I worked together to make all of the day of stationary – the programs, the menu and the escort cards. It’s also really nice to include personal elements – for example, our chuppah cover was my late grandmother’s old table cloth. Also it’s important to compromise – for example, our Wedding Cocktail the Kentucky royal contains both whiskey, Mike’s favorite alcoholic beverage, with sparkling wine, which is my favorite alcoholic beverage.
—> CLICK INSIDE FOR THE REST OF THIS ROMANTIC MERIDIAN HOUSE DC WEDDING <–_
 I definitely used Pinterest quite a bit to find inspiration and organize ideas. I have separate boards for hair, cake, make-up, flowers and food. Wedding Wire is also a great way to find local vendors.
Coming up with all of the ideas was really fun, more so then executing them! I like planning things out like what we would use for centerpieces, and researching different types of flowers (which was all new to me).
 The whole day was wonderful! I was very nervous beforehand. One of my favorite moments was when my sister-in-law carried over my 2 year old flower girl into my dressing room. She pointed over to me and said “Look Mommy, it’s a princess!” The ceremony was lovely, if a bet surreal. I was so happy that we were able to have it outside since it had been threatening rain all day. The whole time I stayed grounded by looking into Mike’s eyes. I think my favorite part though was the best man/maid of honor speeches. They were so funny and warm and lovely and heartfelt.
Vendors —> Photographer:  Roman Grinev Photography | Cake Designer: Alexandria Pastry Shop | Hair Stylist: Alina Karaman | Tuxedo and Mens Attire: Bonobos | Musicians: Greenspring Flute and Guitar Duo | Floral Designer: Lilac Lane Designs | Caterer: Main Event Catering | Reception Venue: Meridian House | Band: The Blue Tips Rhythm Revue | Dress Designer: The Tailory | Submitted via Two Bright Lights
