To create a new account with a different email,click here
Welcome to the WeddingWire Community!
Congratulations!
Your WeddingWire account was created successfully and you have been signed in.
A confirmation email has been sent to you. You will need to confirm your account in order to sign back in to your WeddingWire account.
Check your spam folder if you do not see the confirmation email in your inbox. If you have not received an email within 1 hour please email us at support@weddingwire.com.
We hosted a wedding reception for approximately 150 guests in the Old Ebbitt's Atrium. The space is a great alternative if you're looking for something a bit different from the standard hotel ballroom and the location really can't be beat. I was blown away by how beautiful the space looked when we walked in for the reception. We used one of the Ebbitt's reception menu packages and I have to admit, the price per guest for what you receive is outstanding. I felt we received great value for our money. Our guests raved about the food and the service from the waitstaff and bartenders. The team at the Ebbitt was also very accommodating of some of my special reception requests and met with me on several occassions to finalize these details, which I appreciated.
That said, I think there are a few things to keep in mind before signing on the dotted line. The restaurant underwent a change in their senior event coordinator last summer and there still seem to be some growing pains and a lack of communication between the Ebbitt's event team. While both of the restaurant's event coordinators went out of their way to work with me, I found myself having to do more follow up than I had anticipated because they just didn't seem to be talking to each other. We had paid to use the Ebbitt's private entrance to the Atrium and I was surprised to learn that when a bus of my guests arrived at the restaurant about 10 minutes before our reception was scheduled to begin, they found the private doors locked and a member of the waitstaff just beginning to post signage for the reception outside. I realize we were a bit early, but I had communicated to the Ebbitt's event manager that I expected to have these details ready in advance. I also learned that the event staff began removing the tables and chairs from the Atrium within minutes after our 11 pm end time. Several guests returned to what was left of their tables (including the mother of the bride) only to find that their personal belongings had been removed as well. This was definitely not the impression I wanted my guests ending their evening with! We also learned that sound can be a major issue in the Atrium space. This is not something that the Ebbitt can control or change, but you will want to make sure your DJ or band brings enough speakers to fully cover your event area.
Despite these drawbacks, our overall experience at the Ebbitt was great and I have so many happy memories from our evening. I would just advise that you be ready to really stay on top things (or be ready to hire someone to stay on top of things for you) so that you and your guests can have as enjoyable an evening as possible. And don't forget to order the fried oysters!
We couldn't be more thrilled with Jennifer Domenick and Love Life Images. She is truly gifted and has an incredible eye, which results in photos that are extraordinary. We purchased the excuisite wedding package which included an engagment session, 9 hours of time with Jennifer and a second shooter on the day of, as well as the snapshot studio (a white screen and mounted camera). While the package isn't inexpensive, I believe you get what you pay for and our images were worth every penny. I was initially a little reluctant to have the snapshot studio, but in the end, I am so glad we did. It's way more fun than the traditional and boring table shots.
Jennifer and Joe, our photographers, were wonderful to work with. They were fun, flexible, creative and easily managed organizing photos with our families and bridal party prior to the ceremony. My husband and I wanted a photojournalistic style rather than just the more traditional posed photos. Jennifer and Joe were able to fully capture the emotions of our day, yet were totally unobtrusive. They are just such pros. We received a link to our digital images on Pictage about two weeks after our wedding and are really enjoying sharing them with family and friends. We can't wait to see our album. If photography is one of your most important wedding investments, you can't go wrong with Love Life Images.
I first contacted and booked Barbara Von Elm and Growing Wild Florals based on the glowing reviews I had read of her work on WeddingWire. And she definitely did not dissapoint. Babara is nothing short of a floral goddess! I had very specific ideas of the flowers and look I wanted for our big day. Barbara was totally willing to work with what I had in mind, but took the whole concept to the next level thanks to her expertise and experience. Barbara has a genuine passion for what she does and that comes through in your first meeting with her. Throughout the months that we worked together, I felt like she was genuinely as excited about our day as we were. Barbara's pricing is very competitive. We worked up a floral budget very early on and Barbara kept to the figure we had agreed upon. She was very clear with me on the cost of particular flowers and that helped us arrive a floral mix that worked, but didn't break the bank. In fact she even created an extra arrangment for our reception free of charge since she had flowers left over from our centerpieces. Who does that in Washington, DC?
From the bouquets, to the arrangement at the church, to our reception florals, and everything in between, I was left speechless and amazed at Barbara's work. I really couldn't have asked for more.
I can't say enough good things about Lara Stuckey and Fluffy Thoughts! Lara created a triple tiered, chocolate ganache wedding cake filled with nutella for us that I still have dreams about. The cake was that good. And it looked absolutely beautiful -- exactly what I was looking for. In fact, Lara drew me a sketch of the cake after our first meeting and even that has become a treasured memento. She's truly talented.
Our tasting with Lara was in her home, which was a really nice change of pace from some of the other businesses we tried. The atmosphere was relaxed and Lara really took her time with us to find out what we liked and to help us create the cake of our dreams. Lara's pricing is on par with what you'd expect in the DC area, but the quality of her work is such that she could easily charge more. I also provided Lara with a monogram that I hoped she could work into the cake design in some way. She was able to replicate it perfectly. The top of our wedding cake is sitting in our freezer, but the chances of it making it to our first anniversary are slim. I think we'll just enjoy the cake now and ask Lara to create another one of her masterpieces next year!
I was extremely pleased with our overall experience with the team from Fleet Transportation. We ordered a 55 passenger coach bus bus, a smaller mini bus and one sedan through Fleet. Stephen Reddington was so great to work with and made the entire process as easy as possible. He responded to any questions we had promptly and was in touch with us the day before the wedding just to reconfirm all of our important details. On the day of, all of our transportation arrived on time and took our guests to/from the wedding and reception venues without any delays. Our drivers knew the city well and even made sure to take the more scenic route to the church so that our guests could enjoy the city. While this was not an issue for us, I don't believe that Fleet allows you to enjoy alcholic beverages inside of their vehicles, which may be a snag if you're looking to have a glass of bubbly on the way to your ceremony or reception. It's certainly worth checking with the company about this rule though.
Review Date: 02/21/2009 Services Used: Beauty & Health
5.0 out of 5.0
Quality of Service:
(5.0/5.0)
Responsiveness:
(5.0/5.0)
Professionalism:
(5.0/5.0)
Value For Cost:
(5.0/5.0)
Flexibility:
(5.0/5.0)
Jan is nothing short of a makeup miracle worker. Her talent, professionalism and personality make her so much fun to work with. I had seen Jan in action several months earlier at a friend's wedding and knew without a doubt she was the artist I'd choose for my own day. Jan provided makeup artistry for my mother, mother in-law and myself on the big day and we were all just thrilled with our look. I was going for a bit of 1960's feel with my dress, hair and makeup, but did not want to look like I was going to a costume party (or worse yet, Amy Winehouse!). Jan completely understood what I was going for an translated what I wanted into a look that was fresh, contemporary and very me. I am still receiving comments about how great my makeup looked. I call Jan a miracle worker because she was able to take troubled skin like mine and transform it into something amazing without making me feel or look like I was wearing 10 lbs. of makeup. She really knows her stuff.
By the end of the morning, my bridal suite was filled with bridesmaids, family, photographers, etc. and despite all of the commotion, Jan remained calm, cool and collected - in fact, she probably helped bring my own stress level down a few notches through her demeanor. I really can't say enough about Jan and her work. She's fabulous!
Review Date: 02/21/2009 Services Used: Beauty & Health
5.0 out of 5.0
Quality of Service:
(5.0/5.0)
Responsiveness:
(5.0/5.0)
Professionalism:
(5.0/5.0)
Value For Cost:
(5.0/5.0)
Flexibility:
(5.0/5.0)
KC is a total pro and it's a pleasure to sing her praises. KC styled my mother's hair, my own hair and that of my mother in law's for the big day and end results were teriffic. The styles lasted well into the evening and even held up through quite a bit of dancing. I had told KC that was going for a 1960's feel with my own hair and she was able to turn that request into an updo that was elegant, fresh and fun. I also gave KC a few photos of the style I was going for and she was able to replicate the look easily. KC's professionalism and responsiveness were impressive. She arrived on-time the day, got right to work , and even remained calm and cool as the number of people in my bridal suite began to approach a small circus. I can't recommend KC and her work highly enough.
This Item is Inappropriate
