We still get around...

It's been awhile since we've updated the list of wedding and event venues we have worked at in the Baltimore/DC area and I figured it was time to give it a refresher. We've added over a dozen new venues in the local vicinity, as well as several new states and countries in the destination category. But that's a story for another time.

Lots of brides ask us if we've been to their venue. Well, we've worked at about 65 locally, not including the events we've done at clients' homes or farms, or the events held in other areas. If you don't see your mansion or ballroom on this list, not to worry ~ we're always excited to explore a new place! After all, we hadn't worked at all these venues when we started, and now we've been back to some many times!!

And without further delay... the venues:

Arts Club (DC)
Baltimore Museum of Industry
Baltimore Hebrew Congregation
Baltimore Waterfront Marriott
Belvedere Hotel
Black Rock Center for the Arts
Briar Patch Bed & Breakfast (VA)

Carlylse Hotel (DC)
Ceresville Mansion
Centennial Park

Chanteclaire Farm
Chase Court
Chesapeake Bay Beach Club (all rooms)
Chesapeake Bay Beach Resort
Christian Clay Winery (PA)
Clearview at Horn's Point Country Club
Cloisters
Country Club of York (PA)
Elkridge Furnace Inn

Evergreen House
Engineers Club
Founders Inn (VA)
The Gathering Place

Glen Echo Park
Gramercy Mansion
Grey Rock Mansion
Harbor Court Hotel
Hay-Adams Hotel (DC)

Herrington on the Bay
Historic Oakland Mansion
Hunt Valley Golf Club
Hyatt Regency Chesapeake Bay
Inn at Roop's Mill

Josephine Butler Parks Mansion/Merdian Hill Park (DC)

Loews Annapolis Hotel
MICA/Main Building
Matthews 1600
Montpelier Mansion

Mt. Airy Mansion
Mt. De Sales Academy
Nassau Valley Winery (DE)
Naval Academy

National Press Club (DC)

Newton White Mansion
North Point Park/Trolley Station
Officer's Club/Ft. McNair (DC)
Old Stone Mill Inn (PA)

Overhills Mansion
Phoenix Park Hotel (DC)
Pier 5
Piney Run Park

Rolling Road Golf Club

Savage Mill/Mansion

Sheraton/Columbia Town Center

St. Regis Hotel (DC)
Stonewall Golf Club (VA)
Stronghold Mansion/Sugarloaf
Tabard Inn (DC)
Ten Oaks Ballroom
University of Maryland
Watermark Yachts
WISP
Windows on the Bay
World Trade Center/Inner Harbor
Yorktowne Hotel (PA)

Told ya. We get around.

~ Rissa

Romance at The Colony

When we were in Florida recently, we had the pleasure of shooting at a West Palm Beach landmark, The Colony Hotel on Hammon Avenue. It was the epitome of Palm Beach posh ~ extremely elegant, beautiful ~ obviously for those with discriminating taste. Like gorgeous couple Marissa & Rudy, whose wedding portraits were taken there.



Marissa's hair and make-up were done by Ashley, from Up Do's for I Do's. Her jewelry was created by Kim Reyes Wearable Art and her dress was by Beaches, accented with a lavender silk sash. Ashley also made her birdcage veil! Ash, you're so multi-talented! Wow!



Marissa's bouquet of roses and delphiniums was created by the inimitable Carole from A Garden of Earthly Delights.


Groom Rudy was sporting clothes by Calvin Klein. He's also a professional model for Ford Agency! Cool job you have there, Rudy...

The Colony was an incredible backdrop for romantic wedding pictures. The lobby, ballroom, gardens and Presidential Suite were all stunning ~ each area was more incredible than the last! If you are in the Palm Beach area, you must check it out! If you a bride considering a destination wedding, I would highly recommend The Colony for a top-notch experience! They just completed a huge renovation and every aspect of the facility was amazing ~ from the ambiance to the service to the fantastic, manicured gardens!

~ Rissa

Green-er

We attend a lot of events and one thing that is incredibly striking is the amount of waste involved. Weddings and parties create a lot of trash and are not usually very environmentally friendly. Experts say that the average wedding can create 14.5 lbs. of carbon ~ as much as the average American creates in an entire year. So that said, I'd think that anything, even one thing, you can do to be less wasteful would make a difference.

I know, I know ~ it's already overwhelming to plan a wedding, nevermind also trying to make your wedding eco-friendly.  But you don't have to be a dirty hippie to have a greener wedding. Seriously! It can still be chic, upscale and downright gorgeous ~ while having less impact on the Earth.

We've seen lots of great ideas at real weddings as well in magazines and at wedding shows. Last spring one our brides used potted magnolias as her table centerpieces, and folks were able to take them home and enjoy them. Several of our brides last year decided against favors and instead used that part of their budget to make a donation to local charities.

Here are some more great, greener ideas...

* Look for reusable items as decor. Potted plants and flowers are one idea. You could try stylish glass cylinders of  live goldfish as centerpieces, or artfully arranged fruit. All of which can be given away to guests.

* Rent as much as you can ~ things like linens, vases, chairs, tables, plates/glasses/silverware. It can be reused and you won't be stuck with 25 matching vases to store in the attic.

* Instead of traditional paraffin candles, use beeswax or soy candles. They are readily available everywhere now, even Target and Kohl's!

* Use recycled paper for all your invitations, place cards, menus, announcements and other stationary. Consider an online RSVP through your wedding website to cut back on paper. Many designers also offer stationary printed with soy and veggie based inks, which are as bright and clear as any traditional ink.

* Search for florists that source their flowers locally and organically. And if you go with more traditional centerpieces, either give them away to guests or have a friend take them as donations to local nursing homes or hospitals, so folks can continue to enjoy them.

* Make a donation to charity instead of giving favors to your guests.

* Ask your caterer if they offer any organic food, or could source your ingredients locally. Inquire if your caterer and bartender if they can recycle food/drink containers. Finally, see if the caterer will box up leftovers from the reception to give away to family & friends instead of the food ending up in the trash. Waste not, want not. 

* Go with local or organic wines, liquors and beers for your bar. Maryland has many well-known vineyards and breweries  - and even an organic winery - Black Ankle Vineyards!

* Consider a dress made from organic silk. Canadian designer Adele Weschler offers an entire eco-couture line.

* Release butterflies, throw dried herbs or use live doves instead of sparklers for your send-off.

* Instead of going with the usual registries at Macy's or Bed Bath & Beyond, try an antique shop like Retropolitan in Ellicott City, or a store with eco-chic options, like Nest in Clarksville or bluehouse with locations in Inner Harbor East and Towson.

We are also lucky enough to work with several other vendors  who are committed to making events greener.  Carole at A Garden of Earthly Delights is very serious about eco-friendly weddings.  Paul at Dionysus' Kitchen was one of the first in the catering biz to offer local and organic options in menus. Michael at ZBest Limos can tell you about their new hybrid SUV limo options. Ellen at LoCoFlo offers only Maryland-grown flowers.

Another great green vendor is event planner Lori Hill.  Lori specializes in planning greener events and has shared some of her wonderful tips for brides: 

* Invitations ~

Print on 100% post consumer recycled paper that is non-chlorine bleached. Encourage guests to recycle their invitations. Use paper with embedded seeds so that guests can plant the invites and enjoy the flowers that grow from them. Use a reply postcard (no envelope) and forego the inner envelopes. Use corks from wine bottles as escort card holders. Instead of escort cards, stamp guests' names on stones.

* Transportation & Venue ~

Transport guests with hybrids or bio-diesel vehicles. Choose a destination that requires minimal travel. Encourage guests to use mass transit & provide information, passes and maps in guest packages. Choose a venue that requires few added decor items such as a botanical garden,  a farm or a seaside resort. Hold the ceremony and reception at one place to minimize driving.

*Decor ~

Use local, seasonal and/or organically grown  flowers that minimize damage to ecosystems, conserve biodiversity, and eliminate cross-country shipping. Choose centerpieces and decorations such as living and/or flowering plants that can be reused.

* Food & Beverage ~

Work with caters who can provide locally & organically grown food, wine & liquor. Opt for vegetarian or vegan meal options. Provide filtered water served in glasses instead of bottled water. Ask the caterer to compost unusable leftovers or ship them to a local farm. Donate leftovers to a local shelter.

*Wardrobe ~

Consider vintage dresses for the bride and bridesmaid. Purchase vintage rings, or ones made from 100% recycled, reclaimed, responsible gold.

*Gifts ~

Provide guests with handmade gifts, such as pottery. In lieu of gifts for yourself, ask for donations to a favorite charity.

See... a greener wedding doesn't mean granola. All this should get you started and headed in the right direction. Happy planning & stay green !

~ Rissa

We Get Around...

Really, it's true. We get to work all over the place, which is totally fun. And folks always want to know where we've been working, especially our brides.

So here it is! To all my brides ~ those who are looking and wondering where we have done weddings, if we've shot at your venue, if we have done a venue like yours... I am going to sit down right now and make a list. I'll even make it alphabetical. Before I go on tho... a word.

We can shoot anywhere. We have degrees in photojournalism. We have been trained and are practiced at walking into any situation and making beautiful pictures. We have worked on beaches and boats, in ballrooms, hotels and parks. Really, there aren't many kinds of wedding venues we haven't shot at. If you are getting married at a place not on this list... well, we didn't start with these all on our list. And we love working at new places! It's really fun to explore new architecture & surroundings.

These are the venues local to Baltimore we've photographed weddings or large events at. Or at least the ones I can think of off hand (there are some hotels I can picture in my mind, but can't recall the exact place...). It doesn't include private residences (duh) or venues out of daily-driving range. This also isn't churches or temples ~ that would take me even longer to list.So... here goes!

Arts Club (DC)
Baltimore Museum of Industry
Baltimore Hebrew Congregation
Baltimore Waterfront Marriott
Belvedere Hotel
Black Rock Center for the Arts
Briar Patch Bed & Breakfast (VA)
Ceresville Mansion
Centennial Park
Chase Court
Chesapeake Bay Beach Club (all rooms)
Chesapeake Bay Beach Resort
Christian Clay Winery (PA)
Clearview at Horn's Point Country Club
Cloisters
Country Club of York (PA)
Elkridge Furnace Inn
Engineers Club
Founders Inn (VA)
Glen Echo Park
Gramercy Mansion
Grey Rock Mansion
Harbor Court Hotel
Hay-Adams Hotel(DC)
Historic Oakland Mansion
Hunt Valley Golf Club
Hyatt Regency Chesapeake Bay
Inn at Roop's Mill

Loews Annapolis Hotel
MICA/Main Building
Matthews 1600
Montpelier Mansion

Mt. Airy Mansion
Mt. De Sales Academy
Nassau Valley Winery (DE)
Naval Academy
North Point Park/Trolley Station
Officer's Club/Ft. McNair (DC)
Overhills Mansion
Phoenix Park Hotel
Pier 5
Piney Run Park
Savage Mill/Mansion
Stonewall Golf Club (VA)
Stronghold Mansion/Sugarloaf
Tabard Inn (DC)
Ten Oaks Ballroom
University of Maryland
Watermark Yachts
WISP
Windows on the Bay
World Trade Center/Inner Harbor
Yorktowne Hotel (PA)


That's all I can think of offhand. Hopefully this is a helpful list but if you don't see what you're looking for, call! We will be glad to check out your cool new venue, and of course ~ this list will grow and change each time we do a wedding at another place!

~ Rissa