The vendors you select are crucial to a successful wedding. I've been fortunate enough to work with some of the best vendors this industry has to offer and I only recommend vendors I trust. Although they do come highly recommended, please do your research and make sure their style and reviews match your expectations! So, who are my favorite Washington DC wedding vendors?
FYI: check at the bottom or an awesome person who specializes in wrangling your dog (or other animal) if you'd like them to be at your wedding but would rather not deal with the stress!
Unrelated, but also very related: you can see my article about the best wedding venues in DC.
Wedding Planners and Coordinators
Birch Event Design
Julie Park from Birch Event Design is my go-to planner and coordinator. I've worked with Julie more times than I count and it's ridiculous how much more smoothly the day goes when she's there.
Check out her guest post as well!
Capitol Romance
Bree, the owner of Capitol Romance, describes her ideal clients as any (and I mean, ANY) couple that is looking to infuse their own life, loves & personality into their wedding day. We are looking for couples that want to be involved in their wedding planning process, but don’t necessarily know how to execute their vision. They are looking for some help, recommendations, and resources to have a personalized wedding day."
Megan May
Megan's business as a full service planner is young and growing, but she's been in the industry for over three years. I've worked with her and she's always on top of things, going the extra mile to help the couple and the vendors.
You can reach her at meganfmay@gmail.com or 301-237-3821.
Cherry Blossom Events
Alison Golt at Cherry Blossom Events is so good that she submitted and succeed in having one the weddings I photographed published in Martha Stewart. 10/10 highly recommend.
You can contact her and the rest of the Cherry Blossom Events team here, e-mail them at info@cherryblossomwe.com, or give them a call at 202-730-6427.
DJs
I've worked with dozens of different wedding DJs, but these two consistently fill the dance floor.
Evan Reitmeyer / MyDeeJay
Here you can see Evan giving me the "why are you taking my picture?" face. You can contact Evan through MyDeeJay.
DJ Romin / Zandi Entertainment
Romin was too in-the-zone to catch me taking this photo. Or maybe he didn't notice because I was hiding behind a pole and some string lights...
You can reach out to Romin at Zandi Entertainment.
Bands and Live Music
If you prefer live music to a DJ, both Doctor's Orders and NightLife are excellent and perform music from a wide variety of genres. Both groups have performed at multiple weddings and events I've photographed. Bonus points for having excellent style.
Check this out if you're struggling to decide if you want a band or DJ.
Doctor's Orders
Night Life
Makeup Artists
Carla Pressley
Meet Carla, your makeup specialist! I've worked with her many times and she has a very calming effect on everyone (very important for a wedding day). Her past clients include the likes of Project Runway, Macy’s, RuPaul, and Martha Stewart Weddings.
Rachel Lane
Rachel Lane is freelance makeup artist with a focus on bridal and fashion, and she always manages to have awesome hair.
Hair
Shear Society Studio
Heather is a hair artist and has the pedigree to back it. She's trained under Paul Mitchell, Arrojo, Aveda, Ted Gibson, Martin Parsons, and Vidal Sassoon. She also loves dogs, especially rescue dogs, and I've photographed a "Rescue Dogs with Models" shoot with her (which was AMAZING).
Videographer
Are you looking for a videographer as well? Here are some of my favorites!
Ten Twenty Seven Films
Andrew and Omar are wedding videographers who create heartfelt films for couples who care. They're classically trained with a contemporary, award-winning portfolio. Check out their work below.
You can reach out to them via their contact form on Ten Twenty Seven Films.
Bowen Films
From Bowen Films website: "we are a small group of artists with a passion for storytelling, specializing in one of a kind wedding films. Our goal is to bring together our unique skills and creativity to tell beautiful stories about the lives of people like you. Since our beginnings in 1998, we have seen a great increase in our demand, simply because we love what we do. Along the way, we have received industry awards, given educational presentations to industry peers, gained plenty of new friends… the latter of course, is the most rewarding. We have been honored to capture thousands of priceless moments for hundreds of clients. We can’t imagine a more important legacy."
Check out their work below.
NVU Films
From the NVU Films website: "with nVu Films, you deal with a person, not a "company" or "corporaton". Vu Nguyen will get to know you, be laid back and easy to work with, but also SERIOUS with his filming. He is detail oriented and quick to respond to your inquiries via email, text, phone, snail mail, etc. Every film by nVu Films is uniquely crafted by Vu Nguyen. With nVu Films, you know what you are getting. A consistent and passionately individually crafted wedding film. Your wedding is unique, so should your wedding film."
Check out their work below.
Photo Booth
Hot Pink Photo Booth
Hot Pink Photo Booths offers photo booths, video booths, 360 booths, and GIF booths. Check out their site for a modern take on your standard photo booth.
Cap City Booths
Cap City Booths is the premier provider of photo booth rentals in the Washington, DC area. Thy combine amazing photos with awesome props and a wonderful staff to provide couples with an unforgettable experience.
Florist
Rocking Bird Flower Co.
I think Meredith says it all: "Once upon a time, I thought I'd start a girl band and call it The Rocking Birds. That never really happened, so I started a flower company instead. We specialize in free-form natural arrangements, and weddings and special events are our jam. We love making Washington, DC just a little bit wilder."
Check out her beautiful arrangements below and the Rocking Bird Flower Co.
Rentals
Need a tent? A fancy couch? Some awesome decor? Check out these two vendors.
Something Vintage
"At Something Vintage, we create and spread joy with our trend-setting pieces, wherever we install them. We will make your event SHINE with rentals that scream unabashed style and bad-assery."
Goodshuffle
"Goodshuffle is a marketplace that brings together renters and rental companies. We help anyone from a Do It Yourself renter to a professional event planner find and book the items they need for their upcoming event from local rental companies. We work with some of the best rentals companies to bring their inventory online and help you rent what you need in a fast and simple process."
Officiant
Rev. Kiana Hebron / Ceremony Officiants
It's almost amusing how many times I've worked with Kiana. Sometimes, I known in advance. Sometimes I show up and she just happens to be there. I haven't determined whether or not she's stalking me...
She actually has a B.S. in Biology and worked for the Baltimore City Public School system before becoming an officiant. She's also a proud member of the LGBT community ("believing whole-heartedly that love is love"), has a deeply rooted sense of spirituality, and honors all religious and secular backgrounds.
I highly recommend her : )
Catering
Both Get Plated and Well Dunn are based in the Washington DC area and provide an unexpectedly varied range of food. I love when either of them cater weddings I photograph because then I get to enjoy their delicious creations. Reminder: always feed your vendors the good stuff. Cold ham sandwiches are a big no-no : )
Get Plated
Well Dunn Catering
Timber Pizza Co.
Everyone loves pizza and this is a great way to turn your normal wedding catering upside down. Timber Pizza Co. arrives with a wood-fired oven on wheels and bakes all their pizza on-site. As you can imagine, it smells great. They also offer gluten free crust!
Cake / Dessert
Cakes by Gene
cakes by gene began with the need for a cheeseburger shaped cake for his husband’s 30th birthday. After that, he began to show up at friends’ birthday parties with fun and delicious cakes and other baked goods. For several years, he sold to friends, or friends of friends. Ultimately, he left his full-time job, and is now focused solely on bringing beautiful and fun (and great tasting!) cakes to the DMV area. Sometimes, those cakes have rainbows and unicorns. I suggest you request those specifically.
Also, big update as of March 2021! He is one of the stars of the Food Network's "Easter Basket Challenge"! You can read more in-depth article about him in this Metro Weekly piece.
Buttercream Bakeshop
As Buttercream Bakeshop's pastry chef Tiffany MacIsaac (along with partner Alexandra Mudry-Till) say, "we believe in bringing your most creative ideas to life. With sugar. And flour. And butter. And lots of it."
That's really all you need for an excellent and delicious cake, right?
District Doughnuts
They spell it "doughnuts" which I suppose is the "correct" spelling. But I prefer "donuts." I prefer donuts on display, tiered in layout, and hanging on tiny pegs on large custom-made walls. Donuts are awesome, and District Doughnuts makes the best ones around.
Calligraphy / Invitations
Calligraphette & Co.
Nika designs wedding stationery (which is sometimes on HANDMADE PAPER). That's dedication. She's also been known to make place cards on oyster shells (especially important if you're having your wedding near the Chesapeake Bay).
Other Services
Paw Inclusive Pet Sitting
Katie Lingan at Paw Inclusive offers this awesome service if you'd like to have your adorable pet(s) at your wedding, but would rather not have to deal with them the entire time.
You can reach her at hello@pawinclusiveva.com or call her at (301) 706-5380 for more info.
Here's what she has to say:
"Are you getting married, but can’t imagine spending your big day without your fur child? Do you dream of having amazing engagement/ wedding photos where your dog is actually looking at the camera? After working for 7 years in the wedding industry, our owner Katie is experienced and excited to provide a service that enables you to have your pup (or cat) join along in your festivities. We’ll happily transport them to your wedding, event, or photoshoot, assist with any photos, and provide quality care and companionship while you’re busy celebrating!"
Here's a photo of my dog Jadzia because she's adorable.
Let me know if you'd like more info on working with the best wedding vendor team ever : )
My mission is to capture bold, modern, and distinctive photos for unconventional couples. I want to make you look epic, awesome, amazing, beautiful, and dapper – all the things you like and none of the things you don’t. Most importantly, I want to capture what makes you you.
If this sounds like you and your partner, I’d love to hear more about your dream wedding! Please reach out to me regarding availably and pricing. You can also e-mail me at chris@chrisferenzi.com.