MD Company Solves The DIY Wedding Bar Problem

Chesapeake Bartenders and Events

If you're planning a wedding in Maryland you've probably had this conversation: "We love your bartending services, but we just can't afford $3,000." Courtney Smith, owner of Chesapeake Bartenders and Events, heard that line hundreds of times. After serving 150+ weddings across the DMV, she finally did something about it. She took everything her team does to plan seamless wedding bars and packaged it into a $99 digital guide couples can use themselves. "I got tired of watching couples stress over their wedding bar," Smith says. "They'd find some random calculator online, and I'm thinking, 'That's either way too much or not nearly enough depending on your crowd." The Real Problem: Most couples make the same mistakes: buying wrong quantities, forgetting ice melts faster in summer, not accounting for setup time, choosing glassware that breaks easily. "I've seen couples run out of alcohol at 9 PM because they used a generic calculator," Smith explains. "Or bought $500 worth of liquor they didn't need." What She Built: The DIY Wedding Bar Planning Guide includes interactive calculators that adjust for your actual wedding—time of day, season, guest demographics. It includes a 16-part audio guide and a real wedding case study showing what 155 guests consumed over five hours. The guide answers: - How much does ice melt in July vs November? - Should you buy champagne for toasts? - What's the cost difference between wine bottles and boxes? - How do you set up a bar so guests aren't waiting? Who It's For: Budget-conscious couples, couples whose venues require in-house bartending, or anyone wanting to understand what they're paying for. Smith, who has 20 years of bartending experience and runs three businesses including 1631 Event Venue, says: "Free calculators tell you what to buy. We tell you why, and how to avoid disasters." The guide is available at chesapeakebartenders.com/diy-wedding-bar-planning-guide

Montgomery County

Gaby Arancibia

Washington Metropolitan Area

Bethesda-Chevy Chase

Maryland

 If you're planning a wedding in Maryland you've probably had this conversation: "We love your bartending services, but we just can't afford $3,000...

Arlington Language School Marks 40th Anniversary

ICA Language Services

ICA Language Services (ICA), a family-owned, woman-led small business based in Arlington, is celebrating its 40th anniversary, marking decades of supporting the U.S. military and diplomatic community through language training and testing. Founded in April 1986 as Inlingua Foreign Language Center, a 6-classroom language school, ICA expanded under the leadership of Deidre Doyle, an entrepreneur with a background in organizational management who joined the company the same year. As a military spouse, she had developed a deep understanding of military organizations and culture, helping shape ICA into a trusted provider of language training and testing for military professionals. Doyle became a partner in 1993 and sole owner in 2009, when she changed the name to ICA Language Services. Today, ICA operates a 60+ classroom schoolhouse in Rosslyn and has delivered nearly five million hours of language instruction and more than 30,000 language assessments across 120+ languages. ICA also provides training on military bases throughout the US and abroad. The company is now led by President and CEO Lexie Casey, Doyle’s daughter, who joined ICA in 2009 after a decade in government contracting. Casey became a partner in 2014 and assumed day-to-day leadership in 2015, when Doyle transitioned to Chair of the Board. ICA has employed more than 1,300 individuals from 131 countries, often providing a first job in the United States for language professionals. Certified by the State Council of Higher Education for Virginia, ICA provides proficiency- and performance-based language training and testing services supporting diplomacy, security, and global engagement. For more information, visit www.icalanguages.com.

Arlington County

Clarendon-Courthouse-Rosslyn

Virginia

ICA Language Services (ICA), a family-owned, woman-led small business based in Arlington, is celebrating its 40th anniversary, marking decades of...

Afternoon Tea in Pike & Rose 🫖🥐🥯

Tea Room at Hello Betty

Delight in a curated selection of premium teas, delicate finger sandwiches, freshly baked scones, and artful pastries—each crafted to be savored slowly and shared generously. Whether celebrating a special occasion or simply elevating your afternoon, our tea service is an invitation to pause, sip, and indulge in something beautifully refined.

Delight in a curated selection of premium teas, delicate finger sandwiches, freshly baked scones, and artful pastries—each crafted to be savored...

New Baseball Training Facility at the Rockville Sportsplex 

Player Development Lab of Rockville

Designed for baseball players who want to train like pros, with coaches who’ve developed them. At the Player Development Lab, baseball training is a motivational journey. It’s where aspiration meets reality and progress can be quantified with modern metrics. Through time, effort, and access to well qualified trainers and equipment, members now have a private environment of their own and a staff of the best baseball minds in the area to consult with. Our philosophy is to make training fun, challenging, and rewarding, but equally as important - focused and accessible. Come see what we’re about at the Rockville Sportsplex.

Designed for baseball players who want to train like pros, with coaches who’ve developed them. At the Player Development Lab, baseball training is...

Your Kids Can Have An AWESOME FUN Summer!

Summer At Sandy Spring

Summer At Sandy Spring is a great Summer Day camp offering equal parts fun and uniqueness. For over thirty years, we have provided families with a safe, engaging, and active summer camp experience for children three years old to fourteen. With the sprawling Sandy Spring Friends School campus, we offer summer experiences for your children that will provide lifelong memories and friendships. Your children will have opportunities to explore Adventure Park, swim in our man-made pond, partake in our weekly theme weeks, enjoy daily hot lunches, and so much more! Some of our exciting activities: Adventure Challenge • Archery • Archery Tag • Art Bonanza • Bubble Soccer • Computer Programming • Dance/Poms • Fishing • Flight Science • Karate • Lego Robotics • Outdoor Living Skills • Painting • Paper Maché • Photography • Rock Climbing • STEAMers • Theater • Video Production and much more! Phone number: 301-774-7455 ext.167

Montgomery Village

Summer At Sandy Spring is a great Summer Day camp offering equal parts fun and uniqueness. For over thirty years, we have provided families with a...

TAKE AN ADDITIONAL 10% OFF ALL APPLIANCES

FRIENDS AND FAMILY EVENT

Neighbor News

Kensington

Potomac

Fairfax County

Michael O'Connell

McLean

Wheaton

Takoma Park

District of Columbia

Georgetown

District Of Columbia

Silver Spring

Arlington

Rosslyn

Clarendon

Rockville

In person relationship workshop for committed couples, learn how to apply the award winning Gottman Method to your...

Gottman Seven Principles for Making Marriage Work

Experience an upscale shopping event featuring a curated selection of clothing, jewelry, pottery, and unique Attic Treasures....

Spring Boutique

Direct from the Tony Award-winning revival of “Company,” Nicholas Rodriguez (Arena Stage’s “Oklahoma!” and “Carousel”)...

Nicholas Rodriguez: "Sincerely Sondheim"

Join us for Cake and Coffee and important conversation!We want to hear from you on how the local Democratic Party can represent...

MD District 15 Democratic Caucus Listening Session

Indulge in an evening of bold flavors and timeless spirits.   Join us at Härth, located inside Hilton McLean Tysons Corner, on...

The Dalmore Dinner & Education Experience 

Anne Arundel County

Annapolis

'Space Jellyfish' In Sky | Sleeping Woman...

School Shooter Graffiti | 4 Teens Charged In Killing | Stomach Bug On The Rise | School Employee Recorded Students | Retiring Hens Rehomed

'Space Jellyfish' In Sky | Sleeping Woman Assaulted | Amputee Indicted: MD News

Community Corner

Across Maryland

This MD Community Ranked Among 100 Best Places...

Livability.com recently released its report of the 100 Best Places To Live In The U.S. In 2026. See which MD city made the list. 

This MD Community Ranked Among 100 Best Places To Live

Harford County

Bel Air

Maryland Housing Market Shows Shift Toward Buyers

Buyers may be gaining negotiating power as homes sit longer on the market, according to a new report from Redfin. 

Real Estate

High School Employee Charged With Recording...

A media services technician working at Walter Johnson High School was arrested and charged for filming a girls' changing room, police said.

High School Employee Charged With Recording Girls Inside Changing Room: Police

School Employee Charged For Filming Dressing Room: Police

Crime & Safety

Woman Killed In House Fire That Left 3 Others...

A woman was killed in a house fire in Bethesda that authorities say left three others injured, including two firefighters.

Woman Killed In House Fire That Left 3 Others Injured: Officials

'Pharmageddon' Could Close Pharmacies: What To...

Pharmacists in several states are participating in a “Pharmageddon” protest of working conditions at CVS, Walgreens and other pharmacies.

Nearby Communities

State Edition

National Edition