FAQ

What should I wear?

While Rapidan Camp was built for the President’s cabinet, it is a rustic place. Much of the ceremony will be outside, although we will have covered areas in the event of rain. The bridal party will be dressed formally—tuxes and tea-length dresses (with full-length dress for the bride). We recommend afternoon formal, but not exceptionally fragile, dress. Anyone in jeans or shorts will be redirected to the nearby Bluegrass Festival. No spiky stiletto heels.

If you will be staying at the reception past 7pm, you may wish to bring a change of clothes for the moon bounce.

Is there indoor plumbing?

Yes! Even during the Great Depression, presidential cabinet members liked to shower. There are five bathrooms at camp which are rustic but have complete plumbing.

What type of vehicles can get to camp?

The final 5 miles of the road to camp are rocky and unpaved. We are working to provide a shuttle for those who do not wish to drive. We specifically discourage low-clearance vehicles—such as sports cars and Volkswagen sedans—from attempting the trip. If you have a high-clearance vehicle like an SUV, pickup truck, or Subaru, you can avoid damaging your vehicle if you motor with care and reasonable speed. Typical vehicles like most sedans require more care. Familiarity with driving on rough roads and a tendency to not panic also make a huge difference.  If you have questions, talk to Tom.

I want to help! What can I do?

We are eager to make the wedding a festive party shared among our friends. Many of our friends will be performing tasks that many couples hire out to professionals. If you are willing and able to help out before, during, or after the wedding, please call Tom or Johanna! This applies doubly for our out-of-town friends we don’t get to see very often! You may be able to make a contribution as simple as driving an SUV for supplies, helping decorate the site, providing something tasty for the reception, or staying at camp Sunday to help with takedown and cleanup. We are grateful for our friends’ involvement! Contact Tom or Johanna for more info.

What’s this about Tom being ill?

In January, Tom’s month-long flu-like symptoms turned worse as he fell acutely ill from a ghastly rare systemic illness called Wegener’s Granulomatosis. He spent 18 very difficult days in 4 hospitals in January and February, undergoing procedures including four MRIs, a lung biopsy, an agonizing nerve conduction study, nasal polypectomy, and a coronary angiogram via cardiac catheterization. Since March, he has been recovering and slowly improving at home. He is undergoing chemotherapy and other difficult medications to get Wegener’s into remission, is under the care of a team of physicians from Georgetown University Hospital, and will still be undergoing daily chemotherapy long past the wedding date.

Tom is still experiencing significant Wegener’s symptoms including partial loss of function of both hands and sometimes-dramatic fatigue. In addition, his immune system is extremely weak. If you have a cold, flu, sore throat, or may be contagious with any other infection, please keep several feet between you and both Tom and Johanna. You are welcome to approach and talk from a distance. If you have a more serious illness like pneumonia or MRSA, you don’t belong at any wedding.

Wegener’s is neither contagious nor inherited, and its causes are unknown. It is an auto-immune vasculitis, in which the body’s defenses attack its own blood vessels in a form of friendly fire. Until the 1970s, Wegener’s patients seldom lived more than a year after diagnosis. Since then, publicly-funded medical research has resulted in therapies that often put it into remission for years. The key for long-term survival for Wegener’s patients is rapid diagnosis; fortunately Tom was diagnosed at Georgetown in less than 2 days. More research is under way into extending remission or identifying a cure. You can read more about Wegener’s from the National Institutes of Health, or from the Vasculitis Foundation.

Do you have a gift registry?

For those of you who wish to give us a gift, we appreciate your generosity! We are registered at Amazon.com. (We have tried to list a wide range of items; if you join with somone else for a combined gift, we will be grateful to all of you!)

Will cell phones work at camp?

No. Despite our attempts to arrange it, there is no known cellphone provider with reliable service within 30 minutes’ drive of camp. We talked with Verizon and the National Park for months to learn even the cost of installing an ordinary land phone line at camp ($21,000). While you are at the wedding site, your co-workers and bill collectors will be unable to contact you.

Can I get another copy of the handy information page included with the invitation?

Sure! Now that the wedding is past please email Tom to request a copy.

Where are you going on your honeymoon?

We haven’t yet planned our honeymoon. Tom’s illness means we have to delay flying and strenuous vacationing for several months after the wedding.

What if I have another question?

Just ask us! Send an email or call us at 301-220-2423. It will be much easier to reach us before May 26 when we begin on-site preparations; use the phone after this date through the wedding.