Nova News
THROWBACK THURSDAY—NOVA PARKS--I DO
Throughout the sixty years of its existence, NOVA Parks (Northern Virginia Regional Park Authority) has acquired some of the most beautiful parkland and historical sites in the Northern Virginia region. Significant settings like this lend themselves to significant occasions like weddings. While we do not know the date of the first wedding in a NOVA Parks facility, we do know that by the 1990s weddings in our parks were growing and has continued to grow ever since.
The 1990s saw the construction of the beautiful Atrium at Meadowlark Botanical Gardens. At that time there was already a reception room at Algonkian Regional Park. Throwing back to the early 1990s reveals that Algonkian Regional Park was the site of a fashion show. It was specifically a bridal show that showcased models wearing all kinds of dresses and it also promoted the idea of using regional parks for ceremonies.
Since the time of that special event, NOVA Parks has seen a boom in both weddings and wedding receptions held at regional parks - and rightly so. NOVA Parks prides itself on meticulously maintaining our many parks and event spaces. Around 2007, NOVA Parks created Great Blue Heron Catering to serve our event sites with premium event catering. Also in 2007, a major renovation at Algonkian Regional Park created the Woodlands--a beautiful event site. In 2009 NOVA Parks took on the Rust Sanctuary in Leesburg. Major investments in that site made it into the remarkable event venue it is today. In 2018, the latest venue, the River View at Occoquan Regional Park was built. It boasts one of the largest and most beautiful sites in the Northern Virginia region.
Some choose the smaller sites like Carlyle House Historic Park or Mt. Zion Historic Church for a memorable experience steeped in history.
Collectively, NOVA Parks now hosts over 500 reception events a year at a wide variety of beautiful and memorable sites.
The history of NOVA Parks is one that is defined by many things, and service to the surrounding communities is a huge part of that definition. The park authority is proud to have been able to serve those who trusted them on one of the most important days of their lives and looks forward to all who wish to do the same in the future.
