This past weekend history was made… the new artist space and Washington DC Wedding venue, REACH Kennedy Center, held its opening festival. The REACH Kennedy Center is the fulfillment of so many visions and dreams… including my own

“I look forward to an America which will reward achievement in the arts as we reward achievement in business or statecraft. I look forward to an America which will steadily raise the standards of artistic accomplishment and which will steadily enlarge cultural opportunities for all of our citizens. And I look forward to an America which commands respect throughout the world not only for its strength but for its civilization as well”.

President John F. Kennedy: Remarks at Amherst College, October 26, 1963

As a student, as an artist, and a dreamer… I imagined myself on the stage at the Kennedy Center.

At 16, I sat in the Kennedy Center and dreamed of being a part of what it stood for… at 21 I won an Irene Ryan Award that put me in contention for a performance at the Kennedy Center American College Theater Festival and my dream was revived, and at 38 my dream has been realized. I am still in a state of awe that I was asked to be one of the first to photograph in this space before it’s public opening.

In college, I competed and won an Irene Ryan Regional award through the Kennedy Center American College Theater Festival for my role as The Witch in Into the Woods.

So when Lexi from Occasions called me and asked if I would shoot the Preview Event for the new Wedding Venue, REACH Kennedy Center it felt like my dreams had come true again.

As an artist dreams are always flowing and changing and becoming. And this was beyond what I had imagined.

I love so very much the mission and vision of REACH at Kennedy Center … It will do so much good, and I am so thankful to have been a small part of launching the Wedding and Event Venue aspect of this gorgeous new place where artists will dream, realize, and fuel the soul of our world.

JFK Quote Source || National Endowment for the Arts

Venue || The Reach @kennedycenter 

Planning & Catering || Occasions Caterers 

Photography – Manda Weaver Photography

Floral Design || Sweet Root Village 

Vintage Rentals || Something Vintage Rentals

Rentals || DC Rental 

Photo Booth || Booth-o-Rama Photobooths 

Marketing Materials || More Vang

HMUA || Vintage Veils 

Gown || Wren Bridal 

Model || Anna Semenov

Film Development  || The FIND Lab 

Lines || La Tavola Linens 

Pottery || White Hearth Pottery