If YOU were invited to a DC wedding...

[Gypsy]

And you were coming from OOT (NJ or CA or TX) would you expect it to be in DC itself or would just outside be fine too?

I''ve stuck to venues inside DC because ALL of our guests... ALL OF THEM.. (and FI and I) will be coming in from OOT. And I figured that as a result it polite and considerate to have the wedding itself in DC-- where sight seeing and activities are within easy reach. MANY of our guests (80% probably) have never been to DC before... so that was a consideration as well.

However... there are some really nice mansions outside of DC that I may be able to afford... which would allow me to have the location type I want without paying an 8,000 or 12,000 venue fee (just the venue, no food or anything in that).

 

[robbie3982]

I think as long as it''s w/in a half an hour that would still be fine for site seeing. I went to my cousin''s bat mitzvah in maryland and the whole family still made it out to site see in DC.

Besides, there''s the fact that everyone is coming out to see you get married, not tour Washington, so I think you should have it where YOU want.

 

[jcrow]

if i were a guest that hasn''t been to dc or any areas around, it wouldn''t matter where the wedding would be because it''s a new venture for me. all of it''s new to my eyes. i wouldn''t be saying, darn i wish it were in dc. i would say, wow, i''m thrilled to be going to xx place, we are going to have such a great time.

also, if the savings are THAT much and the place is as beautiful if not BETTER, i''d say make the move to outside of dc.

it''s your wedding. the guests will come to you, regardless if it''s in or out of dc.

 

[Gypsy]

Date: 9/7/2006 9:28:50 PM
Author: jcrow
if i were a guest that hasn''t been to dc or any areas around, it wouldn''t matter where the wedding would be because it''s a new venture for me. all of it''s new to my eyes. i wouldn''t be saying, darn i wish it were in dc. i would say, wow, i''m thrilled to be going to xx place, we are going to have such a great time.


also, if the savings are THAT much and the place is as beautiful if not BETTER, i''d say make the move to outside of dc.


it''s your wedding. the guests will come to you, regardless if it''s in or out of dc.

That''s a nice way of looking at it. I hadn''t thought of it that way. Okay... between this and the moving the wedding to October I may be able to get a venue that I like more architecturally and so forth.

 

[decodelighted]

I think of it like this ... if the "destination" of a wedding was NYC, but the ceremony was in Brooklyn. Why not? If people are going to stay for the weekend .. the OTHER day they can do the sightseeing etc. They can still STAY wherever they want ... the might decide to also stay outside the city for cheaper hotel rates anyway!

I guess I''m just used to "going to DC" but staying with my sister or brother in Alexandria. They''re right over the bridge so it''s a quick cab ride from the train station even.

 

[bobacha]

My best friend used to live in Silver Springs, Maryland (closer to Baltimore)
and my fiance''s brother lives in Falls Church, Virginia
I visited both of them at the same time several times and I always tell others that "I went to DC" ..

So if it''s still within 30-40 minutes, it''s no big deal.

 

[Munchkin]

Our situation is vaguely similar. We are having our reception in Boston, but the ceremony in the church I grew up in, which is 30 minutes away. The VAST majority of our guests are OOT. With the understanding that most people will want to stay in Boston, and will likely sight-see the next day, we are offering transportation for any guests who want it. (provided they let us know by a deadline!) The trolleys will take them out of Boston to the church and back in for the reception. Perhaps you could charter a bus to transport guests from DC to the wedding. Otherwise, they will all have to rent cars, which is not something one typically needs to do when they visit DC. (Fantastic cab zone system and subway!)

I would not be bothered attending a wedding 30 minutes away, but I would plan to stay in DC. Therefore I would be eternally grateful to a couple that arranged transportation for the guests.

 

[decodelighted]

Hey Gypsy ..

I found pix online of a wedding @ The River House in Alexandria. Mostly outside in this case.

ETA: you've probably already seen this list ... but just in case ...

 

[Gypsy]

I sent an inquiry Ebree it looks lovely. Hopefully my wedding is small enough to fit inside. Thanks for finding that photo link!

 

[E B]

I agree with everyone else. If I was invited to a wedding out of town, it''d be an adventure no matter where it was! I think it''d be a cute idea to offer "into the city" travel information (train information, etc.) in your invitations (or in your wedding programs) just in case your guests are interested.

 

[Gypsy]

What do you think of this place?

http://www.sesma.org/event_sites/athenaeum.html

Affordable. $2000 rental fee. Although that doesn''t include tables and chairs or linens... but I can get the caterer to deal with that, I hope. Still. That stuff might cost too much in addition to the rental fee. Good possibility though, I have to admit.

 

[ChargerGrrl]

Gypsy: I''m clear across the country (los angeles), and I would be totally fine with traveling to the east coast for a wedding that was located a bit outside the metro area. Then again, I''m pretty travel-savvy and can get around easily!

As someone else pointed out, your nearest and dearest will go to all ends of the country to join in on the celebration!

 

[Gypsy]

Charger... yeah, all my family is travel savvy too-- thanks for reminding me. FI''s family isn''t terribly travel savvy but would be driving down for the most part so they''ll have cars... I think I was worried for nothing.

 

[monarch64]

In answer to your question, Gypsy, I don''t think it would bother me at all that the actual ceremony or reception didn''t take place exactly inside the city. In fact, I might be a bit happier with a suburb, knowing that I could get into the city pretty quickly and sight-see if I wanted to, but still take advantage of the lower-priced hotel rates outside the city itself. We got married in a near suburb of Chicago 3 years ago, and I didn''t hear of any complaints that people couldn''t sight-see or that the hotel rates were high, if that makes any sense. One of my bridesmaids actually brought a couple of her friends along (they drove in from OOT) and the three of them spent the Saturday afternoon (our wedding was on a Sunday) downtown sight-seeing...then they spent the night at a Courtyard by Marriott which was probably $100 cheaper than a room in the city that night. Just my .02!

 

[whatmeworry]

That''s a great possibility Gypsy. Old Town Alexandria is a cool place for tourists to visit too. Alexandria is a short drive or Metro ride from the District.

 

[indecisive]

I don''t think there would be anything wrong with having the wedding just outside of DC. If you are near a metro stop and show them how to get there it would be easy for them to go into DC and see the sites. Plus there is plenty to do just outside of DC if I do say so myself

P.S. I think we are going to River Farm today or tomorrow if there is anything you want to know about it.

 

[indecisive]

Date: 9/8/2006 12:22:45 AM
Author: Gypsy
Charger... yeah, all my family is travel savvy too-- thanks for reminding me. FI''s family isn''t terribly travel savvy but would be driving down for the most part so they''ll have cars... I think I was worried for nothing.

If half of the guests are driving down it would be a lot easier to have it out of the city. Making a wrong turn and ending up lost in south east wouldn''t be the best wedding weekend memory.

 

[lovelylulu]

gypsy: do it where you want

and i echo someone else in saying that your guests will enjoy seeing old town, plusDC proper is still a metro ride away.

 

[Odilia]

Personally, if it were my own wedding, I''d pick the venue I like, and not worry about it being in D.C. And if I were the guest from OOT, I''d rather go to a wedding that had a neat venue like a mansion, and that the bride was happy with, than something not as nice just because it was in D.C.

I got married in the Philadelphia area, but our reception site was out in Chester County, in the Brandywine Valley, which was a bit of drive from the church, but to this day I still get comments from the guests about how pretty it was out there, which if I''d picked a location in Phila., for example, probably wouldn''t get those. Plus, because it was more affordable, I could invite more guests.