It’s that time of year again – one of DC’s best wedding expos, Say I Do is back in DC on June 2nd at the Hotel Palomar in DC and we are so exciting to not only get to attend this year BUT giveaway two tickets to the event!

For those that don’t know, Say I Do Expo is a fun, interactive and informative wedding experience. It is chock full of Washington DC’s best LGBT-friendly vendors, entertainment, workshops, prizes, and MUCH MORE! All of the amazing wedding businesses that attend are affirming and supportive of marriage equality! (Which, shouldn’t we ALL just be that way…. but I digress).

An in case you don’t win our two-ticket giveaway, proceeds from ticket sales will benefit several LGBT organizations and you can buy them here!

Our ticket giveaway ends in just one week! So enter soon by leaving a comment on this post!

This morning I have a beautiful DC Courthouse Wedding to share with you all, courtesy of Sarah Gormley Photography. Amy & Tom’s intimate DC wedding is simple, but that doesn’t mean it isn’t downright beautiful. I love Amy’s poof-like birdcage veil and Tom is seriously rocking his pink tie, blue plaid jacket, and billyball boutonniere.

So sit back, relax, and prepare for a whole lot of love in today’s DC wedding post!

Amy & Tom’s Intimate, DC Courthouse Wedding

From the bride:

“Neither of us wanted the reason we were getting married to be overshadowed by all the minutiae and expense of a big wedding, so we skipped it and got married at the court house instead. It was exactly the experience we both wanted to have, and we’re grateful to our fabulous photographer, Sarah, for capturing our happiest moments together (so far!) I hope every couple is as satisfied with their wedding as we are!”

loving Amy’s wildflower, springtime bouquet!

Click inside for the rest of Amy & Tom’s beautiful, intimate DC courthouse wedding and some gorgeous portraits by the Jefferson Memorial!

and now a ride to the Jefferson for some beautiful portraits!

Congratulations Amy & Tom. Thank you so much for sharing your beautiful DC courthouse wedding with us! A special thanks again to Sarah Gormley Photography for sharing her beautiful images!

Today’s post will be light as the couple wished to keep their love story & proposal story private. An Endless Pursuit assumed this meant I didn’t want to feature the couple, to which I replied, “no way – a couple’s right to privacy is way more important to me than added content in a blog post”. And I stand by that statement. In the world of wedding blogging, we seem to be getting further and further from the heart of the stories being shared and mostly only about the surface-level exteriors of the way things look.

I could probably rage on about this – but I won’t (not now any way). Instead I will leave you with some beautiful images of a fun, quirky couple that is truly in love!

Thuy & Phillip’s Burke Lake Park Northern Virginia Engagement Session

Vendors:

Photographer: An Endless Pursuit | Engagement Session Location: Burke Lake Park, VA | Submitted via Two Bright Lights

Lone Pine Photography shares:

[Our] styled shoot in Savannah GA was at a 19th century Italianate mansion. We chose Emerald green and gold for the colors for accents and clothing.  We had 10 different higher-end vendors collaborate on this vision for the shoot, and it was powerfully done, just like Gatsby.

I love the mix of modern and vintage in this wedding shoot. The bridal headband, chandeliers, and overflowing florals take us back to the roaring 20s, but the addition of an emerald green reception dress, and glittering gold details add that splash of modern that gives it something unique!

Hope you all have a great weekend!!

A Modern, Green & Gold Great Gatsby Inspired Wedding Styled Shoot

Vendors:

Photographer:  Lone Pine Photography| Equipment Rentals: Amazing Event Rentals| Dress Store: BleuBelle Bridal | Bakery: Brown Sugar Custom Cakes | Floral Designer: EightTreeStreet | DIY or Handmade Goods Designer: French Knot Studios | Event Designer: Harvey Designs | Event Planner: Larger Than Life Events and Design | Makeup Artist: Simone Simmons | Tuxedo and Mens Attire: Simons Formal Wear | Personal Stylist: Taliyba Reinberry | Invitation Designer: Wiregrass Weddings | Submitted via Two Bright Lights

Click inside for the rest of the beautiful gold & emerald green details from a Great Gatsby inspired wedding!

The couple chose the Inn at Fredericksburg Square for their venue and included a classic color palette of pale pink, ivory, slate grey, and black. I think my favorite detail of this wedding though was what Jennie shared about their choice for flowers. I got teary reading this:

All of the flowers were wrapped with chiffon lace detailing from my grandmother’s wedding dress that she had designed herself. It was really important to have a part of my grandmother with us since she wasn’t able to meet John. I know she would have loved him.

Just beautiful. A special thanks to Ampersand Photography for submitting this beautiful Virginia wedding.

Jennie & John’s Classic, Intimate Fredericksburg Virginia Wedding

Vendors:

Photographer:  Ampersand Photography | Hair Stylist: Barbarella Hair Design | Transportation: Marriage, Carriage and More, LLC. | Venue: Inn at Fredericksburg Square | Submitted via Two Bright Lights

John and I met via e-harmony in March of 2011. That June, I bought a fixer upper house in historic downtown Fredericksburg and we spent the summer renovating the entire house. We spent endless nights putting up drywall, fixing electrical outlets, pealing wallpaper, painting walls, etc… We used that time to really get to know each other and to share what we both wanted in a relationship.  Buy the end of the summer, we were happily engaged with a  ready to move in house. Most people think 5 months into a relationship is too soon to get engaged (I had thought that too!) but when you know, you know. It was a pretty easy choice to make.

^Is it me, or could this easily be the premise for a Rom Com?! Spending a summer renovating a house together? I want to do this!

Overall we wanted a wedding that was sophisticated, elegant, a little traditional, and expressive of who we were as a couple. We chose the Inn at Fredericksburg Square for many reasons, but mainly because of its “wow” factor. The first time we stepped into the building we were amazed by the beauty and elegance of the interior. Its’ location in historic downtown Fredericksburg was also ideal. 

We chose a soft pink, ivory, slate gray, and black because of the juxtaposition between the delicate pink and ivory with the edgier slate gray and classic black. 

The flowers were a special touch in that we added olive leaves which symbolize glory, peace and abundance.  On a more personal level, the leaves represented an important life experience I had while studying art in Paros, Greece. All of the flowers were wrapped with chiffon lace detailing from my grandmother’s wedding dress that she had designed herself. It was really important to have a part of my grandmother with us since she wasn’t able to meet John. I know she would have loved him.

My mother was a BIG help in making sure everything ran on schedule with the wedding planning and my Aunt Anne Thomas was our minister during our ceremony. We are always going on adventures together, so it meant a lot that she could marry John and I and kick start our life’s adventure together.

From JEM Events:

Combining two of my favorite things, brunch and weddings, this simple brunch inspiration right at home allows you to host your loved ones in a beautiful but relaxed environment. Fresh boxwood greenery atop mercury glass candle pillars (from Pottery Barn!) were dotted with freesia and ranunculus (from Trader Joe’s) to make for a simple yet stunning centerpiece. The warm smell of the rosemary and fresh baked bread at each place setting immediately welcomes guests, and the rosemary champagne cocktail certainly doesn’t hurt either!

We’ve also included a fun DIY custom drink tutorial featured in the shoot! Check it out:

DIY Wedding Brunch Inspiration & Custom Drink Tutorial

Vendors

Venue: Private Residence | Event Design: JEM Events | Paper Goods & Photography: Ribbons & Bluebirds | Greenery: Buttercups Floral

 More from the event designer about the beautiful, hand water colored wedding invitation suite:

We didn’t want to be too fussy about the details and just wanted to make it feel special but still intimate and comfortable at the same time, celebrating all things food and family.  Jenn (Ribbons & Bluebirds) hand watercolored the laurel wreath monogram, because she is super talented like that.

Click inside for the rest of this beautiful DIY wedding brunch display – including that DIY custom cocktail tutorial!

And now the details on this delicious summer, brunch appropriate custom wedding cocktail:

Custom Cocktail How-To: Rosemary Lemonade Sparkler

• 2 ounces rosemary simple syrup (instructions below)
• Juice of 2 fresh lemons
• Dry champagne or prosecco
• Sprig of rosemary, to garnish

1. Divide the the rosemary syrup and lemon juice between 2 champagne flutes. Stir. Fill the rest of the way with champagne and garnish with a fresh sprig of rosemary.

Rosemary simple syrup

• 1 cup sugar
• 1 cup water
• 4 sprigs of fresh rosemary

1. In a saucepan, combine the sugar, water, and rosemary. Bring to a boil, stirring occasionally to dissolve the sugar. Boil for one minute, then remove from the heat.
2. Allow to infuse for half hour, then strain into a jar, removing the rosemary. Cool completely, then chill before using.

A special thanks again to JEM Events for sharing this beautiful DIY wedding brunch inspiration styled shoot. I am now starving, so thanks ;)

One Summer Day shared that their wedding was chock-full of gorgeous vintage and DIY touches that all drew organically from elements of the Eastern Shore, both, in terms of visual details, as well as sustainability and local economy.

Lots of fun DIY, handmade details and a ton of involvement from family and friends made this beautiful MD wedding reception possible!

Kate & Ben’s Handmade, DIY & Local Maryland Wedding Reception

Vendors:

Photographer: One Summer Day | Bride’s Dress: BHLDN | Groom’s suit and sneakers:  J. Crew and New Balance | Band: Flashback | Caterer: Highfield Bakery | Florist: DIY | Venue: Groom’s Uncle’s Home | Rentals: Eastern Shore Tent and Events | Lighting and dance floor: Borrowed from neighbor | Linens: Vintage from Ebay | Tablescapes: DIY, Vintage Oil Lamps & Postcards | Oysters: Marinetics Choptank Sweets | Chalk artwork: Grooms’s cousin, an art student | Parasols: Oriental Trading Co. | Wayfinding Signs: DIYed by Bride | Submitted via Two Bright Lights

 Details from the couple:

Our reception was separated from our wedding by a week and several states–we got married in Maine with 17 people, but still wanted to celebrate in Maryland with our folks and friends. I wanted to be sure it had the relaxed feel of our wedding itself, and most of that was achieved by taking time with the details I really cared about, but letting go of an ideal of perfection.

Ben and I are both proud Marylanders, and as I work at the Chesapeake Bay Maritime Museum, it was really important to us that it reflect our local roots in a lot of those details- a chalkboard with “marriage made in Maryland” welcoming guests, Maryland flags behind the band, postcards like the ones in my museum’s collections for the tables, a family farm on the Tred Avon River.

I also wanted it to feel timeless, so ditching the tent and going for a good old under-the-stars barbecue seemed like a way to make it fun, easy, and less formal, but still special. We were VERY lucky that it didn’t rain, and it made dancing under the clear night sky that much more incredible.

Click inside for the rest of the beautiful images from this handmade Maryland wedding, including more information on their small budget & DIY details!

Ben and I consciously tried to spend our budget with vendors we knew personally, and it really made the final result so much more meaningful. My friend Mark, whom I’ve known since grade school, turned his bakery into a catering business for the night and prepared our comfort-food menu of barbecue, pies, cornbread, coleslaw, and potato salad. He also supplied cheeses and bread from his own bakery.

The oysters were also local and sustainable, and shucked by a Tradition Bearer and friend, Douglas “Turkle” North, from my museum.

The flowers were DIYed from the farmer’s market in glass bottles (which Ben brought home from a shoreline restoration that had been a 19th century dump). All the women in the family arranged them together- which was a wonderful way to take time to slow down and connect before the craziness of the party.

I did reach out for photography, which was really important in terms of documenting the day in a way that highlighted the feel, the special moments between guests, and the details that most of the time go by in a blur. I found One Summer Day , and Tara and Danny were great in helping to curate my vision for the pictures and make it real.

Tablescapes were also DIYed. They were all vintage oil lamps and postcards from the 29th century resort beaches of the Chesapeake!

Our band was one I had danced to many, many times (vetted, if you will), and by the end of the night, the lead singer, another family friend, was taking requests by downloading lyrics and chords on his iPhone and rocking out.

It was an incredible night- worth all of the planning, absolutely. I wouldn’t change a thing!

Congratulations Ben & Kate!! Thank you for sharing your amazing, beautiful handmade & local Maryland wedding reception with us! A special thanks again to One Summer Day for sharing the images!

The signs were handpainted by Just Write Studios and can easily be hung to the back of chairs or other places you might image. The colors are teal and coral against a charcoal grey background. The signs measure approximately 9.5” by 7.5” and are super light!

Lots of images here courtesy of Mollie Tobias Photography:

Enter the rafflecopter giveaway here:
a Rafflecopter giveaway

Now, being that I love to do things differently, I didn’t want to do a colonial/traditional type setup – instead I wanted to do a modern take on this old love story, using brighter, bolder colors and mixing modern details with antique furnishings.

We were thrilled to have this shoot featured on two awesome blogs, Wedding Wire Blog & Love Photographs Beautifully! Check out our favorites form the shoot, below.

A Modern John & Abigail Adams Love Story Wedding Styled Shoot

Vendors:

Photography: Mollie Tobias Photography | Coordination & Design: Capitol Romance | Florals & Styling: Studio DBI | Vintage Rentals: Something Vintage Rentals | Grooms Attire & Styling: Outspoken Groom | Bride’s Dress: Punk Rock Bride via Soliloquy Bridal | Hair Stylist: Bridal Beauty Associates | Makeup Artist: The Makeup Chic | Cake & Desserts: Market Salamander | Invitation Suite & Calligraphy: Just Write Studios | Venue: Headquarters DC

Jenny with Just Write Studios went above and beyond with the invitation suite – check out these details. She looked up the address of where Abigail Adams lived before marrying John AND found Abigail Adams stamps online!

Stunning florals by Studio DBI – the perfect mix of modern and vintage.

Our bride, Hilary actually DIYed the paper flowers from a book of love letters!

We used modern florals and a striking color palette of mint, gold, bright blue, and coral. We mixed the vintage rentals with a modern, industrial venue, and we had a more modern groom to a slightly vintage bride (though her fabulous dress was ALL modern).

Mollie actually DIYed the mugs too!

We did a simple little sweetheart table for the tablescape – tea and desserts for two!

Click inside for the rest of the images from our Modern John & Abigail Adams, Love Story Inspired Wedding Shoot!

Jenny also made these awesome hand painted signs – WHICH we will actually be giving away on the blog tomorrow morning! So stay tuned for one lucky readers chance to have these awesome signs. (Which I will be sad to see them go, since they are currently adorning my office and I love them)

Hilary is totally rocking Punk Rock Bride’s dress~!

And Paul is equally rocking his sick blue suit, styled and provided by the Outspoken Groom

We fell in love with Dawn’s, Something Vintage Rentals, ivory and gold chair above and knew we HAD to drag it out into the alley by our venue for some portraits ^

Market Salamander kicked it with their desserts (some gluten free) and incorporating our modern theme and color scheme into the cake:

A special thanks again to ALL the fabulous vendors that collaborated on this Modern wedding shoot. As always, the shoot was a total labor of love and I was thrilled with how it all came together. What a fun day with some really lovely results! And thanks to Hilary & Paul – our models and inspiration for the shoot!

We are wasting no time getting this week started. Today’s Wedding Music That Doesn’t Suck, alternative wedding song suggestion, is nothing short of toe-tapping, seat dancing, awesomeness.

Let’s not mention the fact that we have a giveaway starting today AND some more goodness from our most recent styled shoot collaboration. It’s going to be a good day. Even if it is Monday.

There is a ton to love about this song, “Chloe” by Grouplove. The opening electric guitar riff, the catchy drum beat, and the easy to sing along lyrics. There is not much weddingness in this song, so I’d say keep it to your cocktail hour playlist, or maybe if you are doing the reception ipod DJ thing, it’d be a great addition for the dancing part of the evening.

I mean, I am dancing at my desk, right now, simultaneously as I type this. So yeah, I think people will dance to it at your wedding.

Happy Monday Romancers. Check back later for our Modern John & Abigail Adams Love Story styled shoot AND a new giveaway!