Hollin Hall hosted a Royal Wedding Reception for the Mount Vernon/Lee Chamber of Commerce last night. Guests enjoyed "wedding cake" cupcakes from Occasionally Cake, floral arrangements by Sun Flower Florist and a chance to win a "Princess for a Day" giftbasket featuring a Mary Kay glamour makeover and certificates from Mary Kay, Yvonne's "Dr. Fish Pedicure," and a Mt. Vernon Athletic Club massage.  Steven Halperson/Tisara Photography, Steve Hunt and Rene Abella offered photographic head shots.  Kevin Peck, KP Creative PR, designed the reception.

A Love Story - Karla and Billy

Karla and Billy met on a Spring day in 2008 at an outdoor food festival in Arlington, VA called the Taste of Arlington. They were introduced by mutual friends and spent the day walking around the festival sampling specialties from area restaurants and getting to know each other. Karla and Billy were immediately smitten with each other, but were too shy that day to exchange contact information. About three weeks later, on a beautiful summer evening, they saw each at the Georgetown waterfront. At that time, they were sure to exchange contact information and have been a couple ever since. They live in Arlington and are looking forward to their wedding on June 11, 2011 at Historic Hollin Hall.

Karla and Bill in the Fall

Beth & Adam and Looking for Rabbi White

Trying to help a couple who will be married at Hollin Hall this fall, I contacted Beth and Adam looking for contact information on Rabbi Harold White who performed their interfaith ceremony at Hollin last Spring.   Rabbi White recently retired as chaplain at Georgetown University and we haven't found a number for him yet.  Anyone out there have one?  We were successful though in getting a wonderful photo of Beth & Adam leaving Hollin Hall after their ceremony.

A Love Story - Sarah & Andrew

Sarah and Andrew are planning a Halloween-theme wedding

(courtesy photo)

Sarah writes:

Andrew and I actually went to the same high school and parked are cars in the same neighborhood next to the school but never had any classes together or even met one another. The even funnier thing is his best friend from then to current was a friend of mine since middle school, we both graduated high school in 2000, we still did not meet until 2006. Andrew made a big impression on me at our mutual friend's birthday party. We had met one time previous to this but I was in a relationship with someone else at the time. After the relationship ended with the guy I was dating, I decided to contact Andrew and asked him if he would like to go out to dinner with me and our mutual friend and that's where things all began and here we are today.

We both are very excited about our non traditional wedding that is planned for October 29th, 2011. We are planning a Halloween theme. This idea actually came to us at a friend's wedding. We had attended several weddings previously and thought they were all very nice, but thought it we be very cool to do something completely different from anything we had attended. We both love Halloween, especially myself. The plan is to have the guests attend in costume or appropriate evening wedding attire of their choice. We hope most will attend in costume. As for now the costume plan is for the wedding party and bride and groom, is zombies. but not dirty and ratty clothed. We will be dressed in clothing from the 1880's to 1890 (this was the bustle period in ladies clothing). I love making costumes for Halloween and I am actually making my own original wedding dress out of original period clothing patterns.

A Love Story - Amanda & Rahul

Rahul and Amanda, Fall 2010 (courtesy photo)



More than meets the eye . . . .

Back in September 2007, Alice, our mutual friend and soon to be my maid-of-honor, brought me to one of Rahul’s infamous parties. I instantly liked Rahul and found him charming, handsome and successful. However, I concluded that he would be a consummate bachelor, so we remained friendly acquaintances.  Years and relationships later, we rediscovered one another when our paths crossed again. We started spending more time together as friends, sharing in our common love for things like sci-fi and action movies, Transformers, roller coasters and weekend adventures. I slowly realized that I admired the way his intelligence and humor complemented his fun spirit and surprising depth. So I took a bold chance on the hope that he could feel the same way about me . . . and that he may not be the quintessential bachelor I initially assumed he was. 

Thank God I took that chance! Our friendship transitioned to romance in the spring of 2009 and has blossomed quickly since then. I moved in with him in May, and he surprised me with a proposal this past September. We’re planning a Hindu ceremony and reception at Hollin Hall on Saturday, June 18. Hollin Hall was the first wedding venue we visited, and ultimately, the one we knew was right for us . . . as it is also more than meets the eye!

A Love Story - Megan and Sean

Meagan and Sean on the Ice

(Courtesy Photo)

Sean and Megan met while working together at a small school for students with disabilities in Springfield, VA. They became friends, chatting before and after work. As they got to know each other more, they found they had a lot in common and felt very comfortable together. As their friendship became closer, Megan realized that Sean was the one for her, and said yes when he asked her on their first date, driving along Skyline Drive in Shenandoah National Park. Three years later, he took her to the same location and proposed during a beautiful Fall sunset. They are planning to be married at Hollin Hall thus summer. Sean, a native of Northern Virginia, and Megan, who relocated to the area from Ohio in 2006, both continue to work with students with special needs in the area. They are looking forward to celebrating their love with family and friends on the beautiful grounds of Hollin Hall.

Megan and Sean will be married on July 30, 2011

Honeymoon Hints

Adventures in Paradise is a member of the Bliss Collection, a group of Northern Virginia's finest wedding professionals.  Hollin Hall joined the Bliss Collection this year. 

Valerie Romano Novak
Adventures in Paradise, LLC
Specializing in honeymoons and destination weddings.
Phone: 703-867-7245
www.adventuresinparadise.travel
valerie@thetravelgoddess.net

Expert Advice

When should we start planning our honeymoon?

It’s best to make your honeymoon reservations soon after you select the date for your wedding.  That will ensure that you’ll get the room you want at the resort you choose. The best rooms usually sell out first, and if your honeymoon is during high season, it may be very difficult to get reasonably priced plane tickets.  If you plan your honeymoon in the early stages, you won’t have to worry about it when you are working on all the final details for the wedding.

How do we work with a travel consultant to help us plan our honeymoon or destination wedding?

First, ask friends for recommendations.  When you meet with the consultant, make sure she/he is an expert in the area that you plan to travel to.  Be prepared to answer questions about what type of hotel you like, what you would like to do while you’re there (are you looking for something active, or do you want to spend most of your time relaxing).  Be prepared to give a realistic idea of your budget.  The consultant cannot make appropriate suggestion if you say your budget is $10,000 when you really only plan to spend $6,000.

How much lead time do we need to plan a destination wedding?

At least one year.  More if you are going to have a large number of guests.  Not only does the planning take a lot of time, your guests will need enough notice so they can request time off from work.  If you are inviting children, there are school schedules to be considered as well.