Kelly & Joe - A Love Story

Kelly and Joe pose for a wedding portrait on the slate terrace.

Kelly and Joe were married in the walled boxwood garden at Hollin Hall on October 9, 2010. They rated their experience a 5 out of 5 saying “We think everything went amazingly well.”

                                    

Kelly and Joe both attended American University's Washington Semester program in the Spring of 2005. Joe lived in the room next door to a student from the College of Wooster named Jen. Kelly also came to the program from the college of Wooster. Jen introduced Kelly to Joe, who was immediately drawn to her monochromatic blue fleece. They started dating a few weeks later. About 2 weeks into the relationship, Kelly told him she saw herself marrying him in the future. She says she "just knew."



Kathleen & Ed - A Love Story

Kathleen and Ed are planning to be married at Hollin Hall on October 8, 2011

Photo courtesy of the couple

Ed and Kathleen actually met over 10 years ago during high school, although they attended different schools. A mutual friend had introduced them because Kathleen didn’t have a date for an upcoming dance. So, Ed, the polite gentleman that he is, stepped in so that she wouldn’t have to go alone. They really hit it off, but being as how things are always complicated in high school, they decided it would be best to go their separate ways, even though, unbeknownst to either of them, they were both really interested in each other.

Some years passed, they went on through their lives in college and their careers.  After some time (and a break-up), Kathleen was on MySpace one day and thought about Ed.  Randomly, he had popped into her mind, so she decided to look him up. Somehow, out of all the people named “Ed” on MySpace, he was one of the first listings to show up in the search. So, she decided to contact him, assuming he probably wouldn’t remember who she was since it had been a long time since they had since each other.

Luckily for them, Ed wrote back and did in fact remember her and they agreed to meet up and watch a preseason Redskins football game at a local bar. So, from Alexandria, Kathleen drove out to Ashburn and, after getting lost on the way, met with Ed. They talked the whole night, caught up on where their lives had taken them, and had an all around great time. I don’t think at the time either of them was expecting much; just catching up with a friend. But, they hit it off so well that this time around they weren’t going to let this opportunity pass them by, even if they now lived about 40 miles apart.

After a year of dating, Kathleen and Ed moved in together, and Kathleen brought her dog, Gigi, as well, who adores Ed.  And after four years of dating, Ed and Kathleen began to talk about marriage. Then, at the end of October 2010, Ed and Kathleen went to Shenandoah National Park to enjoy one of the last beautiful days of the year before winter.  Ed, Kathleen, and Gigi hiked to the highest point of the park, where Ed proposed, and Kathleen, said, “Of course!”

A Walk In The Park - Selen & Jason

Selen and Jason were married at Hollin Hall on July 26, 2008

I recently found Selen and Jason on a walk through Huntley Meadows Park, my favorite "sacred space" along with the grounds of Hollin Hall at Mount Vernon Unitarian Church, and asked them to send a photo and a paragraph about their experience with us.  This is what Selen wrote:

“We had a very special time in our wedding ceremony in Hollin Hall. Ms. Nina Tisara was the main reason for everything to work out as smoothly as it did. The atmosphere of Hollin Hall's grounds and beautifully manicured 7 feet tall hedge plant natural 'room' that is found on their ground and romantic setting of the white fences and the windmill at the background is just perfect for the wedding reception. My husband and I had a very relaxed and happy wedding reception in beautiful Hollin Hall.”

I particularly like the phrase "natural room" to describe the walled boxwood garden.  Thank you, Selen!



A Love Story - Nancy and Alex

Nancy and Alex celebrated their marriage on November 6, 2010. Here's the story of how they met and their experience at Hollin Hall.

“Alex and I met for the very first time in first grade. We had the same teacher. I still have a video of us at our first grade recital. He moved away soon after, but we met again through a mutual friend in high school. We became good friends and remained so for another five years before we began to date. Seven years after that, we were meeting with Nina at Hollin House to see if that would be a good place to get married. And it was! Nina was great from the very first meeting. We left that meeting very excited and thought she was extremely sweet, knowledgeable about what would work and what wouldn't work, and offered valuable suggestions. The entire process was pleasant to the end. We changed our mind a lot, from everything to moving the wedding inside and to changing the chairs the day before the wedding. Nina was extremely accommodating and never did she skip a beat. We had a wonderful experience, and we thank Nina and Hollin House for making our wedding vision come to be.”

Alex and Nancy are all smiles moments after their ceremony.

Photo by Nina Tisara/Hollin Hall

Anne & Andy; Expert Tips on Selecting Your Photographer

Anne and Andy were married in the Walled Boxwood Garden

on October 16th.  Photo by Steven Halperson/Tisara Photography

Asked to rate their experience on a scale of 1 to 5 (5 being the best), they rated Hollin Hall a "5", saying simply "Everything was smooth and easy for us ... Many of our guests commented on how lovely the space at MVUC is!"

Expert advice from David Madison Photography

    What are some things to look for when choosing a Professional Photographer for your wedding?

Aside from style and artistic ability, search out a full time photographer that gels with your personality.    Full time because you want them fully invested in your wedding, bringing with them the experience and professional approach that produces the highest quality photographs. Personality because the photographer’s presence will be with you and your guests all day long and will be expressed in the end product. These are some of the ingredients that ensure great photography on your wedding day!

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