Country House Wedding Trend

It looks like this year’s big celebrity wedding trend is shaping up to be having the big day at a country house. While Keira Knightley and James Righton opted for a house in France, and Shenae Grimes and Josh Beech chose England, it’s possible to have the same experience right here in Virginia.

A country house, like the Black Horse Inn, gives you a sense of seclusion and privacy for your wedding day. You and your guests are given your own world for the day, with none of the outside concerns to bother you.

It can also give you a real sense of luxury. You get to take over a big house, use its rooms, and enjoy the feeling of times past and a lifestyle you might not be used to, particularly if you live in a city!

If you want to start planning your own country house wedding, get in touch to find out what the Black Horse Inn has to offer!

Vow Renewals a Popular Choice

If you’re already married, the wedding season can make you nostalgic for your own big day. If it makes you want to plan another wedding, don’t think divorce, think vow renewal!

Vow renewal ceremonies have been around for ages, but have been growing in popularity over the past few years. Many celebrities are having vow renewals, with Matt Damon and Luciana Barroso choosing a destination ceremony. This week Mariah Carey and Nick Cannon celebrated their fifth anniversary with a vow renewal ceremony at Disneyland.

Part of why the ceremonies have become so popular is that they’re a great chance to get together with your friends and family. They’re also a way for you to celebrate your marriage in a way that your kids can be a part of.

While vow renewals were once saved for larger milestone anniversaries, they’re now being seen earlier, with fifth anniversaries being especially popular.

If you’re thinking about holding a vow renewal, you’ll want to choose as wonderful a venue as possible. To find out all of what the Black Horse Inn has to  offer, give us a call today!

Ways To Create Your Wedding Table Plan

It can be like a military planning exercise – you and your fiancé hunched over a table, shifting little flags around a map, deciding who will sit where at your reception. Creating your seating plan can be much easier if you decide on a organizing principle at the start.

• Matched tables can ensure that your guests are seated with people they know. This would mean putting all of your co-workers at one table, your college friends at another, and so on.
• Mixed tables are great for encouraging mingling. For this type of seating, you’ll need to consider personality types and interests to ensure that everything runs smoothly.
• Family tables can be an easy way of seating your guests if most of your guests are coming as family groups.
• A kids’ table can be great if there are enough children of roughly the same age. However, small children should be seated with their parents, and older children might resent being with little kids.

However you decide to seat your guests, working with an experienced venue like the Black Horse Inn can make organizing your reception much easier. Find out more of what we offer by giving us a call!

How To Handle Divorced Parents On YOUR Wedding Day

After months of planning your wedding is finally here.  The venue (at the Black Horse Inn of course) (smile) is beautifully decorated and everyone is dressed and ready to walk down the aisle..then walks in your Mom and her new husband who lock eyes with your Dad.  It’s the moment you’ve dreaded since you told your divorced parents about your engagement.  Now starts the arguing.  Is that your worse nightmare?  It is for the characters in the new blockbuster, “The Big Wedding” starring Robert DeNiro, Katherine Heigl, and Diane Keaton.

The Big Wedding starring Robert DeNiro and Diane Keaton

How do you handle parents at your wedding who are divorced and can’t stand to be in the same room together?  Where do you sit them? Who stands by whom during family photos?   How are the traditional family dances held?  These are questions that always go through a newly engaged persons mind who has divorced parents.

Since we’ve dealt with these issues here at the Black Horse Inn, we thought that it would be appropo to discuss the solutions to this ever rising problem:

• Discuss photos in advance – When everyone is on the same page and know what to expect when it comes to family photos then the shoot should run smoothly.  Request that each person act like an adult and to remember that this is your moment and not to ruin it for you.  If they love you, they’ll respect you too.

• Discuss well in advance who is on your guest list - The longer period of time your parents have to adjust to the people they’ll see at your wedding the better.  They will have time to figure out what kind thing they’ll say and do when confronted with someone they otherwise don’t care for.

• Avoid allowing boycots or threats to ruin your day - Sometimes family members (and friends) will tell you that they won’t come to your wedding if “so and so” is going to be there.  Kindly tell them, “I’m sorry to hear that but they will be there.  If you choose not to come I understand.”  Don’t let their immaturity effect who you invite.  Most of the time these threats aren’t followed through but you’ll be happy that you stood your ground.

• Tell vendors about potential drama - When your vendors know what may go down in amongst your guests they’ll be ready to address a situation if it arises.  For example, if your photographer knows who shouldn’t stand by whom then they’ll make sure to keep them far away from each other during a shot.  And if you’re DJ knows that your parents are divorced and can’t stand to be in the same room together then they won’t ask them to dance.

If this is you, take heed that we have seen it all and can help make sure this day is perfect for you.  We have little tricks of the trade up our sleeves so give us a call and let’s talk about your wedding.

Its nearly summertime – are you planning a Summer wedding?

Summertime its everyone’s favourite time of the year. The time when the sun shines the brightest, when the wind is warm and people are generally at their smiliest. What a great time to plan a wedding. What can you do to better prepare for a summer wedding?

Here are three tips to help improve a Summer Wedding

• Why not offer complimentary items – like fans, umberellas or sunglasses – which will help improve your friends and families experiences of the day.
• Have you thought about making the dinner/drinks lighter in lieu of the weather? Why not plan for summer dishes – mouses, light main courses and light deserts which will better help you and your guests enjoyment of the day.
• Air conditioning – sound obvious but nearly 22% of people planning a Summer wedding fail to take into account the importance of a good air conditioning system in the site’s venue.

So, if you take these three tips into consideration you too can plan the perfect summer wedding.

Courtney and Pierce’s Black Horse Inn Wedding

Last weekend we had the joy of hosting the beautiful wedding of a great family. Courtney and Pierce were joined by their 95 guests on a gorgeous day here in Warrenton as they said their “I do’s.”

Courtney and Pierce’s wedding celebrations started on Friday with a hunt country tea. Their guests were treated to sherry, port, and hors d’oeuvres before the wedding rehearsal and rehearsal dinner.

The morning of the wedding the bridesmaids and groomsmen had separate breakfast sessions before everyone started getting ready. As guests arrived, the day was already shaping up beautifully.

The afternoon ceremony was simply gorgeous! It was followed by a cocktail hour, after which the bride and groom made their grand entrance. With children an important part of their family, Courtney and Pierce also planned ahead and had them involved the ceremony, then looked after by a babysitter in the Hunt Box through the reception!

Courtney and Pierce kept the party going until 11, and all the guests had a wonderful time! The wedding weekend ended the next morning with an Easter Sunday Sunrise Service.

If you’re inspired by Courtney and Pierce’s gorgeous wedding and want to have your own Black Horse Inn wedding, get in touch with us!

Exciting Opportunity for Brides at the Black Horse Inn

We have some exciting news for brides! “Randy to the Rescue” and “Say Yes to the Dress” are casting Black Horse Inn brides.

Some wedding gowns need a train. Others require a semi-truck. Last season, millions of viewers fell in love with Randy’s bridal style
and practical advice for brides-to-be. He’s back at it again, and is NOW CASTING BlacK Horse Inn brides for Season 2 of the runaway summer-hit, TLC’s Randy to Rescue!

Have you watched Randy turn bridal dreams to realities and would love to walk down the aisle with the help of New York City’s premiere bridal expert? If your wedding budget or schedule just doesn’t allow a trip to the Big Apple, never fear! It’s Randy to the Rescue!

TLC’s Say Yes to the Dress fashion expert (and resident “FOB” – friend-of-the-bride), Randy, is heading off the floor of Kleinfeld and behind the wheel of a big rig to bring handpicked designer gowns to our brides.

Once again, Randy will bring his favorite dresses, his unsurpassed wedding knowledge, and his signature “head-to-hem” styling approach to find the perfect brides for the series.

If you want to know more about taking part in this at the Black Horse inn, get in touch with us today!

Spring 2013 Wedding Trends

Spring is here, and so are the new season of wedding trends. Spring 2013 is shaping up to be a season of classic styles, creative color choices, and animal touches.

• Spring 2013 is going to be a season of grown-up romance. This simplified twist on the vintage styles that have been the top trend of the past year is a great choice for couples who want a relaxed feel without losing a sense of class.
• The top color trends for the season are going to be twists on pastels. Rather than opting for the usual soft tones, brides are combining bright colors like yellow, green, and pink with muted shades like grey. Another popular choice is to go for an ombre palette, with the gradient look that can range from pale to jewel-toned.
• Another great choice for spring wedding is the addition of bird-themed touches. These are perfect spring touches, with everything from bird cages to silhouette styles taking a big part in decor.

If you’re looking for the perfect venue for your Northern Virginia wedding, get in touch with us today!

Real Wedding: Sherry and Tim

Last summer, we had the joy of hosting Sherry and Tim’s wedding here at the Black Horse Inn. We caught up with Sherry to find out more about the couple and their wedding day.

How did you meet? 

We both worked for Concurrent Technologies Corporation at the time.  I had a strict policy of not dating anyone I work with and Tim was very persistent!

When did you get engaged? 

We were having a candlelit dinner on the beach in Ocho Rios, Jamaica, on December 25, 2010, when Tim popped the question.  He completely took me by surprise.  I never expected him to ask, since we had just bought our first home together.

What is your best advice to other couples for planning a wedding? 

First, never argue with your clothes on.  Second, if you are with the right person, everything will literally fall into place.

Tim and I worked as a team in planning our entire wedding.  Do not let others try and tell you how your wedding should be, it is YOUR DAY, so plan it your way!  We planned it our way and in my eyes, it was the most beautiful wedding in the world!

What did you most enjoy about your own wedding? 

The whole day was absolutely perfect!  Everything ran so smoothly and I do not believe we had one hang-up at all.

 

If anything stands out, it would be the scenery of the Black Horse.  Our photographer was able to capture such beauty in our pictures that it leaves you breathless just looking at them.

Where did you go on honeymoon? 

We went to Waikiki, Hawaii, another surprise by the groom.  He kept our destination a secret for over a year!  He did not tell a soul either!

His secret was blown away at the airport though, when the man taking our luggage asked if he got us good seats for the flight to Honolulu and then followed it up with Aloha!  Secret destination blown at this point!

Keep scrolling to see more of Tim and Sherry’s beautiful wedding day. To find out more about the Black Horse Inn, or to book your own Black Horse Inn wedding, get in touch today.

Northern Virginia Wedding Budgets Rise

Northern Virginia wedding budgets have gone up, according to the Real Weddings Study. The survey of over 17,500 brides across the country was conducted by TheKnot.com and WeddingChannel.com. It looked at wedding budgets, styles, and other information to get an overall picture of what real weddings are like.

The study also noted the most expensive spots to get married. Along with Washington, DC, and suburban Maryland, our own Northern Virginia came in as the 14th most expensive place to get married in the US. The average cost of a wedding in our region is $33,118, in comparison to the national average of $28,427.

Of course, the costs do vary, and there are plenty of ways to make your Northern Virginia wedding budget stretch. Having your ceremony and reception in one location, such as here at the Black Horse Inn, can help you save money. It can also offer your guests a luxurious place to stay during your wedding.

Working with other Fauquier County wedding vendors, the Black Horse Inn can create the wedding of your dreams. To find out about some of the vendors we work with on a regular basis, check out the Hunt Country Celebrations blog. If you want to get started on planning your Northern Virginia wedding, call us or check out our fantastic wedding specials!