Washington DC is one of the top wedding destinations in the country, with both locals and out of town couples looking to get married here in our nations capital! The first few decisions that you make during your planning journey do have the biggest impact on your big day. Here are a few pointers to get you started on your journey.

1. Consider the entire Washington DC metro for your wedding. There are lots of places to get married in Washington DC, but you have more options when you open your search to Maryland and Virginia. There are lots of eclectic venues just over the border (and still near one of our 3 local airports) that make for beautiful, scenic and stylist choices for your wedding. When having initial discussions with your fiancee, decide if you want to stay in Washington DC, or if you’re open to expanding to the greater DC metro area. 
2. Create a realistic budget for your guest count. We’re just gonna rip the bandaid off here. Planning a wedding in 2025 or 2026 does not cost what it cost back in 1999. Especially if you want something luxurious – which to us means personalized, unique and high end. The less common your ask is, chances are the more it costs. For weddings of 80-150 guests, you should estimate around $900-$1500 per guest. For weddings of 200+ guests, this may be closer to $600-$1000 per guest. 
3. Start as early as you can. We’ve planned some gorgeous and amazing weddings in under 3 months. However, if you have specific venues, vendors or dates in mind, you want to start as early as you can to secure them. We definitely recommend 18 months (or more) if you have a specific date in mind, a specific venue or a specific planner (hopefully us) or photographer in mind. You want to lock in your date first because remember, the DC metro is a top wedding location in the USA.
4. Avoid the “cookie cutter” trap. Avoid selecting your vendors based strictly on the recommended vendor list provided by your venue or just going with they layouts and plans that they “usually do.” If you’re reading this article, its because you want to create a unique experience for yourself and your guests which means trying something new. Venues generally run the same play for everyone when you leave it up to them to lead your wedding day, so you want to ensure you have someone in your corner who’s focused on crafting something unique and special for you. Point #5 will get more into this.
5. Work with an experienced wedding planner who understands your style and needs. The best thing that you could do at this stage of planning is to hire a full service wedding planner (again, book us!) The least “luxurious” thing that you could do during this process is to stress yourself out trying to figure out all the things yourself. Instead, hire a planner who gets you, your needs, culture and who’s focused on advising you and your vendors to bring what you want to life. We know LOTS of vendors in every category from hair and makeup to venues to attire and decor and more, and can pair you with the right team to turn wedding into a true experiential masterpiece. We plan magazine worthy weddings year after year and are SO excited to make yours our next one!