Liz & Patrick’s Classy, Washington DC Wedding at Carnegie Institute for Science

Images: Emily Clack Photography

Yesterday was long. I appreciated the lack of needing to put real clothes on/putting on makeup, but working from home with a toddler is always a CHALLENGE. I was on my laptop from 8am to about 9:45pm last night with a busy day job day, and CapRo things to take care of (and this blog post to write!). We did take a one hour break to enjoy the snow a little though – made a snowman and did some snow angels :) For today we have a super classy DC wedding at one of our favorite venues: Carnegie Science. This place just screams old DC and class, and I love it. Excited to have a few weddings here this year.

Liz & Patrick met in high school, became fast friends and officially started dating during their first year in college. They stayed together despite being at different colleges on opposite sides of the state for 5 years and united in NoVa after graduation. After 9 years of dating and becoming best friends, Patrick proposed to Liz in the romantic setting of the Cayman Islands. They took their time planning their wedding day and chose Carnegie Institute for Science after falling in love with the space and its architecture. Liz looked stunning in her Ines Di Santo gown and Patrick was dashing in a classic, black tuxedo. They started their day with a first look followed by a beautiful ceremony and a fun reception for their guests. Their wedding day was the perfect combination of glamour and good times!

Patrick and I both grew up in the DC Metro area, and we wanted to take full advantage of D.C.’s history and architecture. When we walked into the Carnegie Institute for Science for the first time, we immediately fell in love. The classic architecture, intimate space, and gorgeous rotunda sold us instantly. We both have an eye for modern, minimalist decor so we knew choosing a venue that doesn’t require too much additional decoration would be ideal.  However, being the bride, I wanted to add a touch of glam to the space. I chose a warm gold palate to spice up the venue and give our guests that special event feel.

Full disclosure – neither Patrick and I are creative decorators with an eye for DIY. That’s another reason why we went with Carnegie Science. We knew that decor wasn’t a main focus, so we trusted our vendors to decorate the event with minimal direction. The one touch of DIY I did incorporate was a Instax (Polaroid) guest book. Our guest had the opportunity to take selfies with Instax cameras, leave their picture in the guest book, and write a few words. The results were absolutely hilarious and a great memory for us to keep forever.

The most anticipated moment of my wedding day was our ceremony. I always knew that the ceremony would be the most emotional for Patrick and me. We spent 9 years becoming each other’s best friends, so naturally I knew this would be an emotional moment for us. A huge reason how and why we got to this part in our lives is because of the support from our family and friends. Setting up the rotunda in the round gave us a 360 view of each person who has touched our lives in such a meaningful way. That moment will stick with us for the rest of our lives.

Knowing our venue would not have a lot of additional decor, we really put our trust in our florist. Allan blew us away with the gorgeous arrangements placed across the space. In Carnegie Science, there is a large staircase that my bridal party and I would be ascending from during the processional. I found inspiration from Pinterest to liven up the railing with lush greenery, spilling onto the floor with various sized floating candles. I didn’t want colorful flowers to overwhelm the space or bridesmaids’ bouquets, so Allan stuck to mainly white flowers with a hint of peach and gold.

When I first started looking at dresses, I fell in love with Hayley Paige designs (and I still am). I loved her fun, flirty, slightly bohemian look that would still please my mother’s traditional taste. However, when I tried on the Ines Di Santo gown, I couldn’t get the dress out of my head. I always wanted a dress that was non-traditional and vibrant. This dress definitely delivered by hugging every curve and giving me that “WOW” factor! Patrick, being the CPA that he is, wears a suit nearly every day. So when it came down to picking out a tuxedo, it was a no-brainer to go with one of his favorite suit stores – Suit Supply. He prefers simple, slim, European-fitted suits, so he was pleased to find a tux that would reflect his style best.

We choose to personalize the day with food! My parents are foodies, I’m a foodie, we love to share moments over a fantastic meal.  We went with Spilled Milk because of their unique food displays, and of course delicious meals. Not only did we have the hors d’oeuvres, plated dinner, passed desserts, and a late night snack, but the we opened up the hotel bar with more late night food for our guest to snack on after all those drinks! Overkill? We thought not. Everyone appreciated a full belly after a night of drinking and dancing.

Marriage/Wedding Planning Advice: This is your time to be a little selfish. Make sure every detail you choose is because you love it, not because others have influenced you to go with their opinion. Also, take your time. We chose to wait a year and half to get married so that every detail was exactly what we wanted. It can be extremely stressful planning a wedding, so get as much done up front as you can!

Vendors:

Photographer:  Emily Clack Photography | Floral Designer: Allan Woods Flowers | Museum: Carnegie Institute for Science | Invitation Designer: The Dandelion Patch | Transportation: MJ Valet | Caterer: Spilled Milk catering | Hair & Makeup Artist: JORDAN K WINN & CO | DJ: Bialek’s Music | Event Planner: Simply Breathe Events | Submitted via Two Bright Lights