Howerton+Wooten Events Blog. The musings of a Maryland Wedding and Event Planner

Venue Love: LaFerme Restaurant

 

A few weeks ago, I had the privilege of coordinating a commitment ceremony at the LaFerme Restaurant located in Chevy Chase, Maryland.

The restaurant can seat up to 150 people, but it will be incredibly cozy.  The main dining room is lovely, and it needs very little decor. The wrought iron lanterns, the wood detailing, and the large stone fireplace make you feel as if you are in a warm French Country home.

 

If you wanted to hold a wedding ceremony in LaFerme, I recommend placing the bride, groom and the officiant in front of the fireplace.  It provides for a very warm and intimate setting.

The main dining room has a semi-private alcove that would be great for a small bridal shower or rehearsal dinner.  This little area has one long table that seats up to 16 people.

The restaurant has two completely private rooms.  This first one is located on the second floor, and it is called the Attic Room.  The Attic Room seats from 30 to 65 people and overlooks the main dining room.  One important thing to note:  The only way to access this room is by stairs, so it is not ADA accessible. 

The other completely private room is called le Bar.  le Bar seats up to 26 guests in one long table or a combination of small round table.  It can also be used for a small cocktail reception of 30 people. 

Since our event took place in January, we didn't take advantage of their terrace.  But I wanted you to get a sense of the space, so I took a picture anyhow.

 

Here is another picture of the terrace taken by the restaurant's photographer.

 

I would be remiss if I didn't tell you that the food is fabulous! Oh, my, my, my!

I have been back to the restaurant for two very good reasons: 1.) Their staff understands the meaning of good customer service; and 2.) The food is consistently good.

So, if you are on the hunt for a venue that provides you with great food and a warm environment, then strongly consider La Ferme Restaurant.

Love & Soul Always, Kay

(Photos: LaFerme Restaurant and Leo Hein Photography.  The dark and blurry photos are my pitiful attempts at photography)

Venue Love: The Great Room at the Historic Savage Mill

Last November, we had the privilege of being the DOC for a lovely wedding that took place at the Great Room at the Historic Savage Mill (built in 1820) in Savage, Maryland.

Listed on the National Register of Historic Places, the Historic Savage Mill is a 19th century textile mill that has been restored and adapted to become the region’s most unique home design and arts/craft retail center.

The Great Room comes with vaulted ceilings, 14-foot windows, sky lights and a large dance floor.

 

 

Here is the front entrance of the Great Room.

The large windows allow plenty of sunlight and the green trees seen through the windows complement the vast white walls.

     

My favorite aspect of the room is the juxtaposition of the chandeliers and the large exposed vents.

If you decide to hold your ceremony at the Great Room, you could hold it on their deck that overlooks the little Patuxent River.

 

The red wood, bricks and lamp post give a different feel AND similar feel from the great room -- sort of a rustic elegance.  (Please excuse my photos.  It took the pics on a rainy Saturday morning.)

 

One of my favorite aspects of the Historic Savage Mill is its surroundings.  They would make a cool backdrop for engagement and wedding pictures.

I found this old bridge to be quite charming.  Can’t you imagine an engagement photo or a wedding photo taken on the tracks?

Before we took care of the bride and groom that got married at the Great Room, we had no idea where Savage, Maryland was located.  Savage is a historic town located in Howard County, Maryland, about 12 miles south of Baltimore and 20 miles north of Washington, D.C. It is situated close to Laurel and Columbia.

 

The Great Room can accommodate up to 300 wedding guests, and it is reasonably priced.  The rental fee for the Great Room on a Saturday evening is less than $3,000.  To book the room, you should call their caterer, Putting on the Ritz, at (301) 490-1668.

 

One little drawback -- I am not a fan of the fact that it is connected to a home design and arts/craft retail center (it does have the most adorable stores though).  If you can get past that, it's worth checking out.

 

Love & Soul Always, Kay

Venue Love: Art & Soul Restaurant

On my way to meet with a client last week, I decided to stop by the newly redesigned Liaison Capitol HIll.  The work they have done to the hotel is sweet, and I love the two large pictures in the lobby of Martin Luther King and Franklin D. Roosevelt.  Very modern and so "DC."

 

While I was in the hotel, I decided to check out their restaurant, Art & Soul, which is located on the hotel's lobby level.

I must admit that I have always been intrigued by this restaurant because the cuisine is a blend of my two favorites -- southern cooking and Chesapeake Bay fare (not to mention that the owner is a former chef of Oprah's).  I didn't get a chance to check out the food, but I did get a chance to check out the space.  It's so cool!

I love the booth chandeliers!

The restaurants's contemporary and airy decor infuses a lot of wood tones, with modern lighting and great colors -- red, browns, greens, and blues.   

If you are hosting a large rehearsal dinner or a small reception, this would fit perfectly at a capacity of approximately 75 people.

(Allergy Alert: All of the tables have a bowl of nuts on them.  Great way to start off a meal, but something to be mindful of you or any of your guests suffer from peanut or tree nut allergies). 

If you have already dined there, let me know what you think.  I am planning an event at the hotel across the street in February, and I want some ideas about the best things to order when I stop by for dinner!

Love & Soul Always, Kay

Venue Love: Lake Presidential Golf Club

Earlier this month, I got an invitation to an inaugural party at the Lake Presidential Golf Club.  I never heard of this Upper Marlboro, Maryland venue, so I decided to check it out.

 

 

 

First things first, the venue is barely a couple of years old, and it is located in a 1,200 acre planned community called BeechTree.  I mention that because it gives you the heads up that everything is in pretty good shape.

 

There is ample parking, plenty of windows, and bathrooms that are set up to provide a bridal dressing room when needed.

 

 

 

Okay, my "picture-taking" skills are not the best, so don't judge this venue by my photographs.  If you were interested in having your wedding ceremony here, this lawn is the venue's recommended area for wedding ceremonies.

 

 

 

The reception room can seat approximately 85 people at banquet tables.

 

 

 

This brick patio is perfect for a cocktail reception.  While I was there, the venue was setting up a tent for the inaugural party that I mentioned earlier -- And given the DC weather at the time, I am sure that there was going to be plenty of heaters.  Brrr!

 

 

The golf club's award-winning golf course is the backdrop, so the views are going to be pretty good!  I checked out the venue in January, so I didn’t have the opportunity to see it with the trees in full bloom. 

 

This golf club has only been open for one wedding season, so they are still building their clientele. -- So what does that mean?  Right now, they aren't charging any facility fees.  I am not sure how long this is going to last, but that's a pretty good deal -- especially if you are looking to place more wedding dollars on another wedding item!

 

It's definitely worth checking out.

 

Love & Soul Always, Kay

 

Wedding Venue Love!

On Monday morning, we are giving a little love to some of the wedding venues in the Washington DC metropolitan area.

This is a picture from one of our favorite 2008 venues, Chesapeake Bay Beach Club.  It's a beautiful venue and it is located just on the other side of the Bay Bridge.

Check back next week for more venue options. If you are anxious to see venue options today, check out the revisited venue lists at Wish Special Events or Event Accomplished.

Love & Soul Always, Kay

  

(Photo Chesapeake Bay Beach Club: James Roy Fine Art Photography)

Wedding Day Love For Alicia and Ben (Part II)

 

 

Alicia wanted a wedding that was vibrant, fun and hip.  She also wanted to make sure that each wedding guest felt like a VIP.  As a result, their wedding day had so many special touches.

 

 

 

To say that it was hot on their wedding day would be a huge understatement.  It was smoking!

 

When the guests arrived for the wedding, they were greeted with ice cold water bottles and fuchsia Pandan fans.  As you can imagine, the water and the fans were very much appreciated by many!

 

The guests were served orange, lemon and berry sorbet during the cocktail hour.   I hate that I don't have a picture of that to share with you!  They were cute little balls served in martini glasses!  I guess everyone was enjoying it so much that no one remembered to take a picture!

 

 

To add to the wedding's beach feel, the guests were encouraged to sign the Adirondack chair guestbook (a fun idea that we found on Kelly McWilliams' Wedding Tidbits blog).  We used some of the local sand to surround the chair and the escort cards.

 

I loved their wedding colors!  When I heard about the orange, fuchsia and lemon color palette, I knew that we were going to have a blast planning this wedding.

And I was right.  Alicia and Ben were always so positive and upbeat, and they were always open to every idea that we offered.

It was definitely a fun day for everyone involved.

 

Love & Soul Always, Kay

(Photos: James Roy Fine Art Photography)

The photo of the chair was taken by my summer intern Tatiyana Howerton!

Wedding Day Love for Alicia and Ben (Part I)

 

Alicia and Ben were such a fun couple to work with -- They had a soulful, genuine quality that made them seem incredibly authentic in all of their wedding planning.

 

 

 

Alicia's gown was a sexy Winnie Couture.  It definitely had the "wow" factor!

The entire time that I helped Alicia plan her wedding, I kept thinking, "this young lady is definitely going to be a gorgeous bride."  I was right.

 

It wasn't just her looks that struck me.  It was her beautiful spirit.

The groomsmen wore linen blazers, hot pink polos and jeans – very "Kanye West."  It was a look that was just right for their unique style and fun personalities.  Not everyone could have pulled that look off, but they did it with ease.

 

The weather was extremely warm, so I am sure that the bridesmaids appreciated their halter dresses.  The color was hot, but the material was light and airy.

 

The detail shots are coming tomorrow!

 

Love & Soul Always, Kay

 

 

 

(Photos: James Roy Fine Art Photography)

Rob Holley Photography Giveaway

Laura at Wish Special Events just announced that they are partnering with Rob Holley Photography to offer a free photo shoot to one of their readers!

Rob recently moved to the DC area from Los Angeles, and he brought his gorgeous photography talents with him.  Check out his fab photos.

Side note: I recently met Rob for coffee earlier this month, and I must tell you that he has the most wonderful spirit!  Any bride would be lucky to have him capture the special moments of her wedding day.

Wish Special Events is taking entries on their blog (so don't leave your comments here!) from now until 5pm on Wednesday, January 28th.  They intend to announce the winner on Sunday, February 1st, so check out the Wish Special Events blog for all of the details.

Love & Soul Always, Kay

Best In Bridal Event in NYC

Our Prayers Are With You Mr. President

 

Our prayers are with you today (and every day) Mr. President.

 

We embrace you with optimism, hope and extreme happiness.

 

Godspeed as you begin this amazing journey!  We know that you will do us proud.

 

Love & Soul Always, Kay

 

 

 

(Photo Credit: Unknown)