Wedding season is around the corner and what better place to say "I do" than in Loudoun. Check out the showcase on March 10 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 leading to your wedding day.
Engagements
An open location is ideal for a proposal moment and Loudoun has no shortage of open landscapes serving as picturesque backdrops. As Loudoun’s wine region celebrates its 40th anniversary, make your proposal romantic at one of our vineyards with a view. The rolling vines at Stone Tower Winery in Leesburg are perfect for making a grand statement. For a more intimate moment, Old Farm Winery at Hartland is 35 acres of preserved 18th-century farmland located in the historic village of Aldie. For couples who love history, the beautiful white mansion at Morven Park is perfect. Purely Picnics can create an insta-worthy picnic on the park’s extensive lawn where you can pop the question over charcuterie and bubbles. Oatlands Historic House and Gardens also works with Purely Picnics and the preserved gardens offer multiple settings and hidden spots for the big moment. There is a fee for professional photography on the grounds; read more about the policy here.
Bachelor Parties
There’s plenty to do with friends who are coming to town to celebrate your big day. Check out one of the new additions to the LoCo Ale Trail, Honor Brewing. Located in Sterling, Honor Brewing not only makes great beer, but also dedicates some in honor of those who have served in the U.S. military. For experienced drinkers, Flying Ace Distillery & Brewery serves distilled spirits and cocktails featuring its award-winning Bourbon Whisky. If weather permits, take your friends on an adventure at Pev’s Paintball in Aldie, which features inflatable obstacles, towers, rock fields and other hurdles acting as trenches. Another outside recreation facility in Aldie is the Hal and Berni Hanson Regional Park, which has 257 acres of courts for leisure play ranging from soccer and pickleball to batting cages.
Bridal Showers
Pamper your party at one of Loudoun’s superb spas like King Spa-modeled after the traditional Jjim-Jil Bang spas of South Korea. Access the 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 with just a small entry fee. 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 superb fine dining to casual and low key. Loudoun touches almost every corner of the dine-in world with farm-to-table favorites like Clyde’s Willow Creek Farm with a large, brightly lit flagstone terrace, providing that perfect hint of elegance. More casually, One Loudoun in Ashburn hosts multiple food restaurants all within walking distance. Some not-to-miss include the friendly neighborhood pubs like Lost Fox and City Tap Kitchen and Craft, where you can book designated space and customize your food and drink packages.
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.
