he Best Laid Plans 
etails, etails
The Place
Mexican Cultural Institute -- contact: Ms. Cyretta Chaput 202-728-1628.
MCI
is located at 16th and Fuller Streets, NW. It's a wonderful four story building
that
was once the Mexican Embassy. We had our ceremony and reception there.
Charges are a bit steep -- based on the number of guests you have.
Personally, I think it was well worth the money.
On one end of the
main
floor is a French baroque room (this is where we had the ceremony) with
a
stage on one end, and a big fireplace on the opposite end (our altar).
There are two big adjoining ballrooms connected by French doors, and on
the
far end of the floor is a gorgeous mosaic tiled atrium (perfect for
photography).
The first floor of the building is a gallery. My
wedding
coincided with a big Diego Rivera exhibit which was open during the
wedding
reception. There are plenty of interesting rooms to explore on the
third
and fourth floors, including a big library.
The Music
Peaches O'Dell (aka Ms. Jennifer Harper)
I'm a big fan of swing music, and
my
whole wedding had a sort of 1930's/1940s feel to it. Peaches is
wonderful!
She plays with an 8 piece orchestra, and conducts/sings. She regularly
performs at places like the River Club, and Black Cat. Her regular gig
includes costume changes, bubble machines, etc. She'll tailor her
performance to whatever you want. I was having trouble finding her
number,
but I did find her fax: 202-269-3419 (this actually might be her phone
number as well).
The Food
Wickey's Caterers -- contact: Mr. Wickey Helmick 1-800-WICKEY1.
Wickey's
is
out of York, PA, but they work in the District regularly. They were
amazing. I found out about them through the Mexican Cultural Institute
(they were on the top of their list). Also, Tony Kornheiser did a
small
piece on them last year after they showed up for their event with him during the blizzard of '96. That impressed my father
to no
end! Wickey will come down and do a tasting at your home.
The Flowers
Amaryllis Florists -- these guys are located in the Woodley Sheraton
Hotel.
They did my bouquets for a very reasonable amount. (202)328-8285. My
landlord
actually did most of the floral design for the tables etc. He doesn't
normally do weddings, and was generous enough to do it for me at cost.
He
recommended Amaryllis to me, and works with them regularly.
The Photos
Helen Santoro Photography. She
lives in Annandale, VA.
She did a very nice job at my older sister's
wedding a few years back. Works with a square format Hassleblad
camera. I
had her shoot primarily black and white, but my mother wanted some
color.
With the Hassleblad she was able to remove the magazine and take each
pose
in black and white and then color. I believe she's listed, but if you
can't find her, let me know.
The Dresses
Claire Dratch -- I bought my wedding dress at Claire Dratch in
Bethesda.
I
would urge you to find your dress as soon as possible. I went through
about 6 fittings with them. I should warn you -- most of these bridal
outfits make their money in alterations. My dress was very fitted, so
I
didn't really have an option, but it's no fun being poked and prodded!
They will also pressure you, telling you that you have to order the
dress
immediately (this seems to bear no relation to the actual wedding date
--
it could be six days, or six months away and they'll tell you the same
thing!) In your case however, I think you probably should act quickly.
Nordstrom's/Bridesmaid dresses -- I went with Nicole Miller dresses from
Nordstrom's Special Occasion section. Depending on how many bridesmaids
you
have, and where they are geographically, coordinating this can be
tricky.
Again, I suggest finding something as soon as possible. I bought my
bridesmaids pearl chokers to wear on the wedding day as their
bridesmaid
gifts.
Well, I think that just about covers it.
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