The couple was also very interested in any green elements to incorporate into their wedding. The grooms family grew the grass for the DIY centerpieces and as favors, they gave reusable bags with their wedding date on them.

They also wanted to think outside the box just a bit. We set up the ceremony in the middle of the grove with guests surrounding them instead of the traditional set up. In liu of a guestbook, Emily bought lots of Washington DC postcards that guests wrote on which will be mailed to them at a later date.

Ben & Emily, it was fantastic working with you both and congrats!! And a huge THANKS to Moshe Zusman Photography for these fabulous images!

Vendors:

Wedding Planner: Cherry Blossom Weddings & Events

Ceremony & Reception: Meadowlark

Photographer: Genevieve Leiper Photography

Florist: Da Vinci’s

Caterer: Windows

Ceremony Music: Classical Guitarist, Michael Kolmstetter

DJ: Jaime Easson

Hair: Hair by Diane

Makeup: Susey Caceda

Transportation: LSA

Alissa and Alex wanted to be married as close to home as possible and that's exactly what they did. They live in Roslyn but Iwo Jima which is also very close to Top of the Town, a venue that has spectacular views of DC. Just next to Iwo Jima is a park called Netherlands Carillion and they obtained a permit to conduct their wedding ceremony overlooking DC. They hired DC Rentals to bring in chairs for the guests and we decorated the site with just a few purple bows and petals.

Alex and Alissa wanted to do pictures before the wedding ceremony and met up for their first moment at Malcolm X park in Washington DC. After pictures, Alex, Alissa, their families and the bridal party made is back to the park where clouds were rolling in. They were lucky enough for the rain to hold off (for most of the night actually) and the ceremony went off without a hitch. Bailek's provided the guitarist for a more modern sound and Alissa's sister sang while the bride and her father walked down the aisle. 

Guests then made it up the hill to Top of the Town where Matters of Taste provided a hearty meal of different cuisines that Alissa and Alex requested such as Indian and Italian. Tables were decorated with purple infused glass vases Alissa found on sale at pottery barn for under $20 each. They were accented with white votive candles and menu cards on painted table easels from IKEA.

I was recently at the Hillsborough Winery out in the Purcellville Virginia and it just happens to be a great place for a wedding. I chatted a bit with the owner Bora Baki for some information. The first thing to note is they are building a large extension to the current dining area as well as a large back patio. I can't recall when it will be done but I am sure it should be completed by March 2007 (I recall he has weddings booked for April 2007). 

So why a wedding at Hillsborough? Well the views are spectacular and you really feel like you are far from any fast-paced city. The second is that they do weddings well. They are a family run business that take great pride in their property and wines. They only work with one caterer that does a great job and they will go above and beyond to create the wedding of your dreams. You can have an outdoor ceremony, a tented dinner, dancing inside — however you want. The bottom line is they have a great reputation for weddings for a reason. Give them a call or just go on a casual Saturday afternoon for a glass of wine (my favorite is Opal, a classic white) and check out the property. It's stunning.

 I hope you don't mind the family photos!

 http://www.hillsboroughwine.com/weddingTour.htm 

MK2 Photography
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You can create your own custom runner at The Original Runner Company. They do monograms, solid colrs, patterns and more. Here are some more examples that I love.