A Vibrant, Alice In Wonderland Themed Wedding at the Gramercy Mansion in Stevenson, Maryland

Kelly Lockner (37 and a marketing specialist) and Richard Mosmiller’s (29 and a firefighter) was anything but average. The fun loving planned a festive Alice in Wonderland-theme affair that totally blew guests away. “I love the stories and movies and thought it would make a really fun wedding theme,” says Kelly. “It took Rick some time to warm up to the idea, but he came around eventually…We kept the theme a secret from our guests and it was a great surprise for them to take a trip down the rabbit hole to a mad tea party.”

While the reception was all about the unexpected, the couple took a more classic route for the ceremony. The day unfolded in the Gramercy Mansion gardens, where Kelly and Richard exchanged vows and performed unique traditions like Celtic knot tying, a sand ceremony and a celebratory wine toast. The festivities continued inside the mansion, where the couple took their guests on a fantastical trip into their own interpretation of Wonderland.

With the help of Eventi by Diana Venditto, Kelly and Richard transformed the Tudor-style mansion in a whimsical, vibrant scene with a mix of eye-catching color, vibrant patterns and softer details like pastels and lace. “We enjoy unique and slightly off-beat things and we are both young at heart, so we wanted our wedding to reflect our fun, big-kid sides,” says Kelly.

The reception decor had a subtle duplicity, playing off both the Disney and Tim Burton interpretations of the story. The ceiling was awash with giant paper flowers from Thailand in brilliant jewel tones, while the reception tables felt tea-party-ready with dainty floral dishware, elegant floral centerpieces and antique lace linens. Table numbers were displayed on oversized playing cards and chairs were mismatched for a distinctively eclectic feel. Signature cocktails were named after key characters in the story and the couple even incorporated a tented vignette with a hookah, giant playing cards and neon mushrooms.

The decor in and of itself was enough to keep guests entertained for hours, but the couple kicked things up a notch with food stations, a lively DJ and a photo booth with an eight-foot, hand-painted mural of Alice in Wonderland. A tip for the taking from Kelly and Richard: “We definitely recommend hiring a wedding planner. It allowed us to relax a little and enjoy the process of planning our wedding. Also, enjoy your reception! Don't worry so much about making the rounds to greet and thank everyone because there isn't enough time to get to everybody. Eat the food, drink the drinks, dance and have fun! Your guests aren't likely to be offended if you get caught up in enjoying your wedding and forget to say hi.”