top ten things to do

we are really looking forward to seeing everyone in a few weeks! 

so today, i thought it would be nice to share with you some fantastic dc activities. there's so much to do in this city that it can be hard to choose, but bob and i have worked together to come up with a list of some can't-miss activities.

so here goes: in no particular order, ten very awesome and mostly free things to do while you're here.

1. the monuments. whether you just check out some or manage to make the trek to see them all, if you've never been to dc or seen the monuments before, check them out! there's the lincoln, jefferson, washington momument, world war II memorial, vietnam memorial and more! 

insider tip: go at dawn or dusk. they're spectacular in the sunrise and moonlight. plus it won't be as hot or crowded!

2. the national gallery of art + sculpture garden.  this is an awesome FREE and air conditioned museum. there are new exhibits up all the time, and i've never left disappointed. when you're finished looking at the art, hop on over to the sculpture garden for a quick bite to eat. the sculptures are definitely something worth seeing.

insider tip: if you're in town friday afternoon, check out the free jazz in the garden series that takes place at the sculpture garden. bring a picnic blanket and spread out and enjoy the tunes!

3.  m street in georgetown. if shopping is what you're after, head this way. there's an endless amount of shops, cafes, and boutiques to check out. parking can be a bit of a challenge in the summer, but you should be able to find something. 

insider tip: skip the line at georgetown cupcake and head over to baked & wired instead. better cupcakes, no waiting.

4. nationals park. our hometown nationals will be taking on the evil yankees during the weekend. if you're looking for something fun and laid back to do on friday or sunday, head on over and check out the game and our beautiful stadium. you can buy tickets here.


insider tip: the line at shake shack is always long. but it's worth it if you really love a good burger. also, don't forget to check out the bullpen before and/or after the game ends. there's always something fun going on in there!

5. the portrait gallery. another free museum that has rotating exhibits and plentiful air conditioning. this is right in the heart of chinatown, so there's plenty of places to eat if you want to grab a bite after you're done soaking up the culture.

insider tip: don't miss the kogod courtyard. it's one of the most beautiful spaces in the city.

6. eastern market! we know you're coming here on saturday, but if you're still around on sunday morning, it's a great place to walk through. farmers, artists, and local vendors are located outside and there's fresh pasta and even more produce inside.

insider tip: don't forget to check out the parking lot across the street from the farmers tables. there's tons more to see in there!

7. the botanic gardens.  situated just in front of the u.s. capitol building, the botanic gardens are beautiful. if you're into natural surroundings, check this place out.


insider tip: admission is free so even if you just hop in here for some relief from the heat, it won't cost you a dime.

8. the newseum. this is one of the few museums in dc that has an admission but it's worth it. if you're a journalism nerd or history buff, this is an excellent museum.


insider tip: every morning, the newseum staff changes the front-page newspaper display out front to reflect the nation's most current news. see if you can find your local paper represented! 

9. the smithsonian museums. if you've been to dc before, you've probably been to a smithsonian. but they're still here. still free. still full of cool stuff.


insider tip: getting hungry while walking from museum to museum? stop in the cafeteria in the national museum of the american indian for the best food on the mall.

10. segway tour! if you don't feel like walking at all, but still want to take in everything dc has to show you, a segway tour is for you. i've done this twice now, and it was a blast.


insider tip: none. just have fun!

have questions about something that's not mentioned here? shoot us an email at ansmiley@gmail.com or bobby.sumner@gmail.com.

what to expect on june 16th

hello esteemed invited guest.

it's the soon-to-be groom checking in and flexing my once-strong blogging muscle to let you know what to expect once we finally reach the third weekend in june and get these nuptials underway. by now you have (hopefully!) received your invitation. in this post, i'll lay out what you can expect to happen june 16th.

 plan to arrive at eastern market in time for our 6PM ceremony (translation: arrive earlier). dress is cocktail attire; us groomsmen will be in suits and ties, and the ladies will be in cocktail/evening dresses. there is limited street parking near the north hall, but it's a take-what-you-can-get situation. if you don't mind spending a few minutes looking for a parking space and would like to drive, please do. but if you are planning on staying in the city (like at our beautiful reserved hotel), you can take a 15-20 minute cab ride($10-15) or the metro rail to eastern market station ($1.85). seating will be set up inside the north hall for our ceremony, which will run a scant 15 minutes or so.

(yet another shot of the building)

once our ceremony is completed, during that seemingly endless time where the bridal party and other associates are taking pics outside, we will kick off a cocktail hour in north hall(all drinks are free, by the way). 


during cocktail hour, have one of our signature cocktails while tasting some of the many passed hors d'oeuvres. eat as much as you'd like; our caterer will be passing these 'heavy' hors d'oeuvres all night in lieu of a sit-down dinner. 

after the bridal party is done with their photos, we'll do a few quick toasts and the first dance. 


and that's it. we'll open up the ceremony space for you to continue to enjoy the delicious locally sourced passed foods and the abundant free drinks. and even though there's no formal dinner, we'll have assigned seats during the toasts just so you know where to sit. don't worry. we sat you by someone cool. 


up next? it's time to wild-out on the dance floor, which will hopefully definitely be jamming with revelers. a dessert table with several selections will also be on display at this time. feel free to try everything!

we'll be partying most of the night (till about 11PM), but we understand if you aren't the type to dance the night away. feel free to come and go as you please. we just love that you decided to come and see us dedicate our lives to each other. 

as a failed disc jockey, it was imperative that i virtually 'deejayed' the party via a playlist of mp3s. we have scoured the internet for what has amounted to six hours of music, and we are in the process of whittling it down to something coherent for you all to get down to (nothing too obscure, i promise!). but that doesn't mean we aren't still looking for music options: if you have a song that you are dying to dance to with us, post its title or a youtube link in the comments, and we will be sure to include it on the playlist if it's funky enough (translation: no death metal).

i can't wait to see all of you, and i can't wait to finally marry my best friend in your presence. if you have any other questions about the ceremony or if you have any special requests for the event, don't hesitate to shoot me an email (bobby.sumner@gmail.com). 


47 days to go!

coming soon

by now, you should have received the save the dates in the mail.

just a quick update on the invitations: they are with our printer now and should start coming in the mail to you very soon.

we have included a custom map with the invitations so you can easily see points of interest in relation to the hotel and venue.

yay!

as always, questions about the wedding can be directed to either of us: ansmiley@gmail.com or bobby.sumner@gmail.com

almost two months until we get to see everyone.

oh yes.