Wedding season is around the corner and what better place to say "I do" than in Loudoun. Check out the showcase on March 13 at West Belmont Place at The National where the extraordinary community of wedding professionals and venues in Loudoun come together to show what they have to offer to your wedding experience.
It’s not only the wedding day that Loudoun caters to. From bachelor parties and bridal showers to rehearsal dinners and thank-you gifts, Loudoun has something for every stage of a courtship
Engagements
There’s nothing more romantic than a proposal at a vineyard with a view. Pop the question in the tumbling vines of Stone Tower Winery atop the spectacular Hogback Mountain, then celebrate with a glass of 2020 Cabernet Sauvignon in the elegant-style Harvest Barn. For an even more intimate proposal, Three Creeks Winery tucked away on a winding road has a rustic barn tasting room on the banks of a small creek. For a picture-perfect engagement, use the beautiful white mansion at Morven Park as your backdrop. Purely Picnics can create an insta-worthy picnic setup on the park’s extensive lawn where you can pop the question over charcuterie and bubbles.
Bachelor Parties
There’s plenty of adrenaline action for friends coming to town. Kick off the day before your big day at Autobahn Speedway in Sterling where you can race your mates to the finish line in Italian-style electric go-karts. Nearby, practice your draw at Ultimate Archery in an intense, though friendly, game against your best buds. From there, visit The Ballpark Loudoun. This interactive facility uses cutting-edge technology that tracks speed and elevation off the bat to calculate where your ball would go in any Major League stadium. If weather permits, check out Pev’s Paintball in Aldie, which features inflatable obstacles, towers, rock fields and other hurdles across multiple playing fields.
Bridal Showers
Pamper your friends at one of Loudoun’s superb spas like King Spa-modeled after the traditional Jjim-Jil Bang spas of South Korea. There, get access to state-of-the-art steam rooms, saunas, thermal baths, mud rooms and a vast rooftop swimming pool complex replete with waterfalls, showers and hot tubs. For a different approach to relaxation, OMFloat in Ashburn specializes in using water to assist with sleep and relaxation – this practice is called Therapeutic Flotation Therapy. Another great option for an afternoon with friends is a tea tasting through Dominion Tea in Purcellville followed by some retail therapy at local boutiques like Nostalgia or Twigs.
Rehearsal Dinners
Restaurants for those all-important, pre-wedding dinners run the gamut from fine dining to low key. In the heart of historic downtown Leesburg sits Shoes Cup & Cork where you have free range to customize your own experience. Forklift provides a similar experience where the modern, industrial-style space can transform to fit your event needs. On the sloping hills of Bluemont lies Bear Chase Brewing Company where guests can enjoy dinner and local craft beer along with a view. Farm-to-table favorite Clyde’s Willow Creek Farm offers a plethora of fine dining spaces including a large, brightly lit flagstone terrace, providing that perfect hint of elegance.
Wedding and Thank-You Gifts
Forget the big box stores – Loudoun is perfect for quirky local gifts and accessories. Purchase wine, beer, whisky, bread, cheese, jams, handcrafted goods – sheep’s wool gloves, hats, scarves – from a myriad of wineries, breweries, farm stores and farmers markets, all part of the #TakeLoudounHome initiative to inspire and promote local artists and artisans. Loudoun’s historic downtowns meanwhile are retail destinations too, with a slate of chic stores and trendy boutiques selling fashionable home décor and upscale urban gifts and accessories. Don’t miss Middleburg’s Washington Street and Leesburg’s King Street, the county’s two leading retail thoroughfares.
