We create experiences for our clients and their guests. We have often said that “we create events where weddings just so happen to take place.” When Kelly was referred to us from another planner I was so excited to see what she had cooked up. Kelly is an event specialist with The Smithsonian Museums in Washington DC. Her fiancé, Ryan, works in the corporate world, but he was previously an entertainment bartender. These are definitely creative, party people.
They do live an alternative lifestyle. She once told me that her house is decorated for Halloween year-round. They also throw one of DC’s premier Halloween parties at their house and it is always written up in the Washington Post. When she told me she has reserved the Congressional Cemetery as her venue I was curious and excited. This would definitely be a first for me.
This is not a traditional couple. Kelly actually proposed to him!! She asked him to marry her in an observatory in Manhattan. She had a ring custom designed out of meteorite and dinosaur bone. I mean what!!?? How cool. Later that year at their annual Halloween party Ryan re-proposed to her and that will now forever be a special date in their lives.
Kelly and Ryan headed down to New Orleans, one of my favorite US cities, for their actual wedding ceremony. They officially tied the knot on April Fools Day in the Pharmacy Museum of New Orleans. It was an intimate ceremony with only the couple, the officiant, the photographer, and a museum host as the witness.
Back in DC, Kelly and her decorator definitely pulled out all of the stops for this event. They ordered 100 pounds of Spanish moss to lay on the longest family-style table ever. This table went on for days. In addition to the moss, they had animal skulls, potion bottles, spooky books, and bleeding candles. At the end of the table for the bride and groom were throne chairs taken out of the chapel. They really wanted to entertain their guests and show everyone a good time. Reminiscent of a New Orleans party and a second line they had entertainers lining the walkway that their guests had to walk down to get to the reception. There was a drum band, a stilt walker, juggler, fire dancers, an Edgar Allen Poe impersonator, a violinist, a roaming poet, and two girls walking around with blacklight pens writing on the guests.
This was definitely a first for our team, having never executed a wedding in a cemetery, however it turned out great and everyone had an amazing time.
Photos: Tony Hitchcock
This wedding was published in The Washington Post you can see that here.
If you would like to see this wedding in action, check out the video.
As always, I would love to chat.
