Yes. Rainbows forever. See also: lighthearted and carefree. All definitions apply. Come have fun and celebrate with us!
Some of you met them as Katy. Some of you met them as Wren/Ren. All of you are talking about the same person. Think of it like this: "Katy" is a nickname for "Katherine." And "(W)ren" is a nickname for "Katy Rennenkampf." Anyhow, Wren/Ren is preferred, so try to stick with Wren/Ren. Remember this is a human muppet you're talking about; lead with love and it will all be fine.
Kids are VERY welcome to our morning ceremony and lunch mini-reception. We don't care if your kid cries during the ceremony. We'll be crying, too. We don't see your kids as an interruption, we see them as part of our community. For our evening dance party in Baltimore, all ages are welcome but please be aware it will not be tailored for young kids.
A "cookie table" is a tradition that started in Pittsburgh during the Great Depression. We love the community spirit of a cookie table and are excited to bring it to our wedding! This is how we'll be offering desserts after lunch. Jess and Paige will be reaching out during the summer to inquire if you want to contribute to our cookie table / dessert table. This is totally optional!
For our morning ceremony at The Other Barn in Columbia, MD, there is ample parking. The Other Barn is in a community shopping center with lots of free parking. For our evening dance party at The Mobtown Ballroom in Baltimore, MD, guests will need to find street parking. We prefer parking on Maryland Ave (southbound, one-way), Charles St (northbound, one-way), or on 21st, 22nd, 23rd nearby. Be sure to read signage about parking restrictions; some spots are paid at paystations. And you may want to practice your parallel parking if you're a bit rusty! :)
Weather permitting, our ceremony at The Other Barn in Columbia will be outside in their courtyard. The "snacky hour" will allow guests to wander between spaces, and the lunch will take place indoors in the loft. The evening dance party in Baltimore, MD is entirely indoors.
After the ceremony at The Other Barn in Columbia, we'll have some snackies and light beverages for folks to enjoy while we do some group photos in the courtyard. During that time, guests can wander between spaces (courtyard, downstairs rooms, upstairs loft), and then we'll all transition up to the loft for lunch. Lunch will also include toasts, some bridal party dances, and fun music that everyone can bop around to. There is then a several-hour break before the evening dance party begins at the Mobtown Ballroom in Baltimore. We will be using that time to nap and eat some dinner. We highly encourage napping. But if you're looking for a museum, hike, or other things to do with your down time, see our "Things to Do" tab.
Our lunchtime offerings will include vegetarian, vegan, and gluten-free options for both mains and side dishes. There shouldn't be nuts in any of the mains or sides, and we will ask folks to label dietary info for desserts as well. If you have another dietary need or restriction, please include that information when you RSVP.
We will be serving limited alcohol at all events, alongside non-alcoholic options. For our morning ceremony and lunch reception in Columbia, you can expect wine, beer, bubbly, and lots of non-alcoholic options. This is all included with our catering / this is open bar. Please remember to tip! For our evening dance party in Baltimore, you can expect a limited cocktail menu, plus wine, beers, bubbly, mocktails, and non-alcoholic options. Shane and Wren are paying for an initial bar tab; after that runs out, it turns into a cash bar. At every event, please remember to tip folks and be safe - call for a rideshare and/or organize your designated driver ahead of time if you're planning to drink! <3
For our morning ceremony in Columbia, the ceremony itself is on ground-level. There is a lift available for guests to access the loft for lunch. For our evening dance party in Baltimore, there is a step up from the street to the Main Entrance. For folks who need a wheelchair-accessible entry, we will look into ramp options for you!
Pick an outfit that brings you joy and gives you space/comfort to move and groove! Shane and Wren will be wearing suits and looking fancy, but you don't need to wear a whole suit. Dress up enough that it feels like you're going somewhere special to you. Dress comfortably enough that you'll be able to boogie, give big hugs, and eat seconds. More specific ideas: pants + shirt + fun tie, pants + shirt + fun jacket with no tie, pants + shirt + vest, pants + shirt, pants + vest, jumpsuit, dress, cool suspenders, fancy fringed chaps, silly hat, etc. It's a gay cookout. Be silly. Have fun. Bonus points for rainbows or glitter. If you're coming to both our morning ceremony and our evening dance party, you can wear the same thing to both (we certainly will) or you can wear two different outfits. We honestly won't notice either way.
Please plan to arrive to the ceremony venue before 11:00am, so we can get 200 people seated and start our ceremony! For the evening dance party, arrival time is much more flexible.
If you're coming to both our morning ceremony and our evening dance party, then you have a choice to make: stay in Columbia to be closer to the ceremony, or stay in Baltimore to be closer to the dance party. If you're flying in, then either way you'll be about 20 minutes from BWI airport. If you're taking a train, staying in Baltimore is easier. Me personally (Wren), I'd rather stay in Baltimore so that I have a shorter trip back to my bed after the dance party. And then I'd spend Sunday morning getting breakfast at the farmer's market or walking around one of Baltimore's beautiful parks before I headed back home. See our "Travel" tab for more info about possible hotels/accommodations. See our "Things to Do" tab for more info about some of our favorite things to do/see in Columbia and Baltimore.
No, we are not organizing shuttles or transportation between events.
Unfortunately, we have a strict guest list to stay on budget. We will only be able to accommodate those listed on your wedding invitation / in your RSVP.
Please RSVP by July 10. You can RSVP on this website! Please see the "RSVP" section.
Yes! Please see the "Registry" tab of our website. Our registry might seem weird -- we are very fortunate and already have most of the day-to-day items we need and use. But we do have some bigger/more expensive items set up as "group gifts," and encourage folks to team up on those!
"... I actually don't like dancing." ".... I have another obligation and I can only come to one." etc. It is totally OK to come to only part of this wedding, whether that be the ceremony or the dance party. We want everyone to have a good time at our wedding, and we invite you to choose your own adventure. We are not offended by anyone who can't come to any part of our wedding. We know life is busy, travel may be difficult or expensive, driving at night is unpleasant, etc. etc. We love you and we're glad to have you in our community whenever we get to see you!! (But DO please fill out your RSVP so we can have accurate head counts for each part of the day.)
We are extremely excited and grateful to be working with so many incredible vendors that are connected to us through our Baltimore community. We highly recommend them! Venues: The Other Barn in Columbia, MD & The Mobtown Ballroom in Baltimore, MD. Catering: Pit Boys BBQ Desserts: You!! Our incredible family and friends Photography: Devon Rowland Photography DJ: Ridiculous Entertainment Flowers and arrangements: Cydonia Farm Shane's Suit: Christina Pham with Hall Madden Wren's Suit: custom-made by cl aka voiddog.biz "First Dance" Lessons: Dean Garrish at Cancun Cantina Pottery (vases, platters, etc.): made by Wren!