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Ross & Caitlin’s Anderson House Wedding [Washington, DC]

As fitting for a wedding, the bride describes it best:

I would describe our wedding as classic – with a twist. While we opted out of “classics” like a cake cutting, bouquet and garter toss (they only pause the party) but we were all about classic dresses, tuxes, an old-time venue and oldies music to cut a rug to! We wanted our colors to be timeless, classic and crisp. We also wanted our venue to withstand the test of time and a museum was the perfect way to do that. While we had looked at other larger museum venues the Anderson House provided the grandiose look while still being intimate enough for the relatively small 110 person wedding we wanted.Both of our families love to celebrate and that means great food, great music, a great place to meet up and — most importantly — all of your best people surrounding you! Ross and I have never been without support and love from our friends and family so we viewed this wedding as an opportunity to thank the most important people in our lives for what we knew would be the best day ever. It started with welcome gifts of champagne, wine and our fave snacks, continued with a few wedding necessities (ceremony…) and then on to cocktail hour, dinner and dancing and completing the evening with more food, drinks, and music at the Fairfax.The night Ross asked me to marry him he also surprised me with our best friends and family and disguised it as a surprise birthday party for me so we could share the news together. I wanted to re-live that special night — this time with a bit more style — and we both felt like we accomplished this. What made the day extra special and memorable was the outpouring of love – the perfectly executed party was just a plus.

Venue: The Society of the Cincinnati at Anderson House
Bridesmaid Dresses: BHLDN
Bridesmaid Dresses: Gabriella New York
Caterer and linens/design: Windows
Flowers: Devers Design Group
Makeup artist & hair stylist: Bridal Beauty Associates
Tuxes: groom – j.crew and groomsmen: The Black Tux
Shoes: Badgley Mischka
Bridal shop: Gabriella New York / dress: Romona Keveza
Invitations: Arsh Raziuddin
Band: Amaretto Band
Officiant: Kathy Gracenin
Hotel: Fairfax at Embassy Row
Anything that was DYI: hand-me-downs, Costco, and Etsy
Photographers: Kami Swingle, Aaron Forrester

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Adam & Megan’s Ft. Meyer Officers’ Club Wedding

Dress: Alfred Angelo
Dress Tailor: Swank Tailors
Flowers: Wilson Florist of Rosslyn
Makeup: Updos for I Dos (Mindy)
Hair: Updos for I Dos (Caitlyn)
Dessert: Heidelberg Bakery
Shoes: David’s Bridal
DJ: Darnell Nunez
Transportation: Sarakel Transportation
Ceremony: Sheraton Pentagon City
Reception: Ft. Meyer Officers’ Club

From the bride…

Coming from western New York and northeastern Ohio, Adam and Megan grew up accustomed to four real seasons, something Virginia lacks. Both missed the cold and snowy winters, so they planned a winter wedding. Even though it didn’t snow, their decorations were reminiscent of winter, right down to the snowflakes in the centerpieces and in Megan’s hair. The day went smoother than anyone could have asked for, and was the most fun and, as their custom napkins said, the best day ever!  The ceremony was full of family and friends, and the dance floor was never empty at the reception. Adam and Megan don’t like cake, so they had a table of cheesecake and brownies instead. Their favorite DIY project was the table numbers that weren’t actually table numbers at all- instead they were frames that included photos and descriptions of Adam and Megan’s favorite places and things, such as Busch Gardens and their trip to Myrtle Beach.

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A big thanks to Shelby for shooting this wedding with me!

Wedding at The Atrium at Meadowlark. Vienna, Virginia

Josh & Allison’s Meadowlark Botanical Gardens Wedding [Vienna, VA]

Venue: The Atrium at Meadowlark Botanical Gardens
Flowers: Karin’s Florist
Dress: Hannelore’s Bridal Boutique
Make-Up and Hair: Jordan K. Winn & Co
Cake: Fluffy Thoughts Bakery
Invitations: Ribbons & Bluebirds Fine Stationary
Shoes: Nina
Groom and Groomsmens suits: Men’s Warehouse
DJ: Josh Rhett from MyDeejay
Transportation: Shuttles were provided by the Sheraton at Tysons Corner
Wedding Coordinator: Jessic Maskell, JEM Events

A description of the day from the bride & groom…

When planning our wedding, we struggled a bit with selecting the right date. We got engaged on December 24, 2013 and originally had thought about doing a Spring/Summer wedding. However, we didn’t feel like we had enough time to get things together for mid-2014 and the later Summer dates would be tough with Allison’s sister’s college soccer schedule. Seeing as she was the Maid of Honor, she was a fairly important piece to the puzzle. We settled in on November as the month that worked best with all things considered.

With a Winter wedding we assumed we would lose a lot of the aesthetic, outdoor elements we were hoping for with a Spring or Summer wedding. However, when we visited the The Atrium at Meadowlark Botanical Gardens, we knew we would be able to get an indoor wedding with an outdoor feel, and a pretty awesome light show in the background to go with it. We absolutely loved the venue we selected. Fortunately they had November 14 available and the date was locked in as our wedding date.

For the ceremony, we didn’t go heavy with the flowers because we didn’t want to take away from all the other elements of our venue. We elected to go with steel blue as the predominant color for our wedding as we felt it went well with our Winter wedding, but also didn’t detract from the scenery in our venue, and was a color we both have always loved. Our cake, which turned out exactly the way we wanted, had an awesome touch of gradating from blue at the base to white at the top to match our color selection. The bridesmaid dresses, provided by J Crew captured the color perfectly and our bridesmaids made them look great. Our groomsmen rocked gray Vera Wang tuxedos with a tie to match the steel blue color. We loved how the attire turned out for our wedding party.

We wanted to add an element of do-it-yourself to the wedding so our table numbers and name cards were entirely do-it-yourself. Soccer is a huge part of our lives, as well as many of our guests, so we elected to go with an English Premier League theme here. Each table was assigned an English Premier League team and number and the name cards had that corresponding logo printed on them. They turned out exactly the way we wanted and it was a great laugh to sit some of our friends at tables of a team they weren’t particularly fond of and hear their reaction!

Our officiant was a good friend of mine (the groom) and added a great personal touch to the ceremony. He made a couple jokes here and there and coupled with writing our own vows we accomplished our goals of making the ceremony heartfelt, meaningful, personal, and unique.

With just over 100 guests we wanted to make sure we had ample time to truly enjoy the evening with them after the ceremony. Having our ceremony and reception at the same place made the transition much simpler and allowed us to maximize our time with our guests. Our wedding planner, Jessica Maskell, did a fantastic job of helping to keep us on schedule and the food provided to us by Great Blue Heron Catering received ample compliments, from the hors d’oeuvres to the perfectly cooked steak, fish, and chicken main dishes. Our artistically built cake by Fluffy Thoughts was a great way to finish off the meal with two different combinations, one of red velvet with cookies and cream filling and one called “candy bar crunch” which can only be described as “awesome.”

Some of our fondest memories from the evening include getting ready with our bridesmaids and groomsmen (with a pre-festivities drink/shot!) at the Sheraton in Tysons, our ride over to the venue with our shuttle bus driver doing his best Jeff Gordon impersonation on the roads, our first look, taking photos outdoors before the ceremony as well as later in the evening during the light show (despite the chilly temperature!), and above all else, simply enjoying the day/evening with people that mean so much to us, while showing off some dance moves on the dance floor.

The evening was a moment we will never forget and we are thankful we have a ton of amazing pictures to remember it by. The fact we were able to capture the feel of an outdoor wedding at an indoor venue helped even more to make our wedding day everything we could’ve asked for.

 

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Wedding at The Atrium at Meadowlark. Vienna, Virginia Wedding at The Atrium at Meadowlark. Vienna, Virginia

Wedding at The Atrium at Meadowlark. Vienna, Virginia Wedding at The Atrium at Meadowlark. Vienna, Virginia

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Wedding at The Atrium at Meadowlark. Vienna, Virginia

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Wedding at The Atrium at Meadowlark. Vienna, Virginia

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Wedding at The Atrium at Meadowlark. Vienna, Virginia Wedding at The Atrium at Meadowlark. Vienna, Virginia Wedding at The Atrium at Meadowlark. Vienna, Virginia Wedding at The Atrium at Meadowlark. Vienna, Virginia Wedding at The Atrium at Meadowlark. Vienna, Virginia Wedding at The Atrium at Meadowlark. Vienna, Virginia Wedding at The Atrium at Meadowlark. Vienna, Virginia

A big thanks to Shelby for shooting this wedding with me!

Brandon & Crystal's Rustic Rose River Farm Wedding

Brandon & Crystal’s Rose River Farm Wedding // Syria, VA

Flowers: DIY, Potomac Floral Wholesale
Food: Q Barbeque
Cakes: Whole Foods and WPA Bakery
Dress: Brides Against Breast Cancer, Amsale
Bride’s Shoes: Seychelles
Groom’s Shoes: Alden
Suit: J. Crew
Tie: The Hillside
DJ: Thomas Dean, Lost Woods Print
Ceremony Musician: Matt Leech
Bartender: Brandon Peck, The Roosevelt
Paper Goods: DIY, printing by Minuteman Press
Make-Up: Millicent Smith
Hair: Erin Stickler, Main Street Hair Studio
Rentals: Gibson Rentals
Site: Rose River Farm
Koozies: DIY, printing by Personalized Drinkware
Fly Rods: Sage
Beer: Drift, by 3 Brothers Brewing

The bride always describes her day best…

“When planning our wedding we were hoping for an event that was laid back but beautiful, because of that we couldn’t think of a better place to get married than in the mountains of the Shenandoah Valley, where we had spent many days and nights throughout our lives and our relationship. We didn’t have a huge budget, so many of the details of our day were DIY or second hand. I hand pieces. The baskets, used throughout the reception, were made by my Mom, and the arbor under which we married was made by Brandon’s Dad. The suitcase for the cards belonged to my Great Grandmother, the necklace I wore once belonged to my Grandma Bowman, and the blue ring belonged to my Grandma Sessler, I was thankful to have a token from each of them so they could be a part of our wedding in spirit. When dress shopping I stumbled upon the charity Brides Against Breast Cancer, a charity that collects donated designer dresses, sells them and uses the funds to offer support and free services to people affected by breast cancer. I had already considered getting a secondhand dress and this seemed like the perfect way to get a dress and give back. I couldn’t be more pleased with my decision. Also secondhand where the white vases and cake stands, all bought at thrift stores over the course of a year. Our beer canoe was borrowed from Brandon’s parents, and lovingly filled to the brim by our brothers. As I think is clear in the photos, we are passionate about beer. Into the canoe we threw in a couple of cheap beers, but it was predominately filled by “Drift” our absolute favorite beer at the moment. It’s a session ale brewed in my hometown, and we couldn’t get enough of it. Many of our friends also brought rare beers that they had collected to share with us, turning our reception into a beer share with friends and family. It was amazing. Looking back, we would not have been able to pull off our wedding without the tireless work and love from our friends and family who set up chairs, hung lights, went on beer runs and performed many other selfless acts.”

Brandon & Crystal's Rustic Rose River Farm Wedding
Brandon & Crystal's Rustic Rose River Farm Wedding
Brandon & Crystal's Rustic Rose River Farm Wedding Brandon & Crystal's Rustic Rose River Farm Wedding
Brandon & Crystal's Rustic Rose River Farm Wedding
Brandon & Crystal's Rustic Rose River Farm Wedding
Brandon & Crystal's Rustic Rose River Farm WeddingBrandon & Crystal's Rustic Rose River Farm Wedding
Brandon & Crystal's Rustic Rose River Farm Wedding
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Brandon & Crystal's Rustic Rose River Farm WeddingBrandon & Crystal's Rustic Rose River Farm WeddingBrandon & Crystal's Rustic Rose River Farm WeddingBrandon & Crystal's Rustic Rose River Farm WeddingBrandon & Crystal's Rustic Rose River Farm Wedding
Brandon & Crystal's Rustic Rose River Farm WeddingBrandon & Crystal's Rustic Rose River Farm WeddingBrandon & Crystal's Rustic Rose River Farm WeddingBrandon & Crystal's Rustic Rose River Farm WeddingBrandon & Crystal's Rustic Rose River Farm WeddingBrandon & Crystal's Rustic Rose River Farm WeddingBrandon & Crystal's Rustic Rose River Farm WeddingBrandon & Crystal's Rustic Rose River Farm WeddingBrandon & Crystal's Rustic Rose River Farm WeddingBrandon & Crystal's Rustic Rose River Farm WeddingBrandon & Crystal's Rustic Rose River Farm WeddingBrandon & Crystal's Rustic Rose River Farm WeddingBrandon & Crystal's Rustic Rose River Farm WeddingBrandon & Crystal's Rustic Rose River Farm WeddingBrandon & Crystal's Rustic Rose River Farm WeddingBrandon & Crystal's Rustic Rose River Farm WeddingBrandon & Crystal's Rustic Rose River Farm WeddingBrandon & Crystal's Rustic Rose River Farm WeddingBrandon & Crystal's Rustic Rose River Farm WeddingBrandon & Crystal's Rustic Rose River Farm WeddingBrandon & Crystal's Rustic Rose River Farm WeddingBrandon & Crystal's Rustic Rose River Farm WeddingBrandon & Crystal's Rustic Rose River Farm Wedding
Brandon & Crystal's Rustic Rose River Farm Wedding
Brandon & Crystal's Rustic Rose River Farm Wedding
Brandon & Crystal's Rustic Rose River Farm Wedding
Brandon & Crystal's Rustic Rose River Farm Wedding
Brandon & Crystal's Rustic Rose River Farm Wedding
Brandon & Crystal's Rustic Rose River Farm Wedding
Brandon & Crystal's Rustic Rose River Farm WeddingBrandon & Crystal's Rustic Rose River Farm Wedding Brandon & Crystal's Rustic Rose River Farm Wedding Brandon & Crystal's Rustic Rose River Farm Wedding Brandon & Crystal's Rustic Rose River Farm Wedding
Brandon & Crystal's Rustic Rose River Farm Wedding
Brandon & Crystal's Rustic Rose River Farm Wedding Brandon & Crystal's Rustic Rose River Farm Wedding Brandon & Crystal's Rustic Rose River Farm Wedding Brandon & Crystal's Rustic Rose River Farm Wedding
Brandon & Crystal's Rustic Rose River Farm Wedding Brandon & Crystal's Rustic Rose River Farm Wedding
Brandon & Crystal's Rustic Rose River Farm Wedding

A big thanks to Jenny for second shooting this wedding with me!

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Katie & Patrick’s Belle Haven Country Club Wedding

Venue: Belle Haven Country Club
Florist: James Cox
Cupcakes: Lulu Bayliss
DJ: Sean Johnson of MyDeejay
Shuttle: H&H Transportation
Hair: Jamie Bishop of Haute.202 and Carrie Butler of StyleDC
Makeup: Maura Fales
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nvitations: MagnetStreet
Dress: Kleinfelds Bridal, Paloma Blanca,
Shoes: Adrianna Pappell
Groom’s Suit: Custom made by Nita Fashions
Bridemaids: Bill Levkoff
Groomsmen: Jos A. Banks

A description of the day from the Bride & Groom

Katie and Patrick’s engagement started with the typical question and answer and then, a ticket.  In October 2013, under the guise of a picnic in Central Park, Patrick asked Katie to marry him, she said yes, and they popped champagne to celebrate. While they were enjoying the champagne, the Park Rangers came by and wrote a ticket for public consumption of alcohol.  After paying the fine, Katie and Patrick started planning their wedding.

Having attended 30+ weddings since 2008, Katie knew what she liked best about weddings – the party.  With 75% of their guests being from out of town, Old Town Alexandria provided the perfect home base for the celebration.  Hotel Monaco and Carlyle House Historic Park provided the perfect backdrop for wedding pictures by NKSwingle before they tied the knot at Calvary Presbyterian Church and celebrated at Belle Haven Country Club.

Knowing that the wedding was going to go by in a flash Katie and Patrick planned the weekend to maximize time with their family and friends – a special lunch with their parents, a Nationals game, a round of golf, manicures, welcome drinks, an after-party at Irish pub, and a farewell brunch.

To find the perfect dress Katie shopped with family and friends at Kleinfeld’s. After initially leaving empty-handed she returned to “Say Yes to the Dress” after she confirmed she had found the one, a Paloma Blanca dress with a lace bodice and an organza skirt.

Patrick took two friends and bottle of Scotch to the Willard Hotel to get a custom-made suit.  After a few tumblers and more than a few test runs, Patrick chose his suit.  The ties and pocket squares took a bit longer, but after several trips to stores around DC and multiple online orders, they found the right shade of navy and kelly green in a tie found in the back of Katie’s brother’s closet (the colors not so coincidentally were Notre Dame’s, Katie’s, her mom’s and her little brother’s alma mater).  Luckily, Tie Bar still had the ties in stock.

There was one last item for Patrick to get, his clothes for the morning of the wedding.  Several years prior, at a wedding of one of Patrick’s groomsmen, Dave, Patrick went to the groom’s apartment several hours early to help him get ready. Patrick arrived to find Dave clad in an obscure basketball jersey and “jorts.”  Upon seeing Patrick’s quizzical look, Dave replied “It’s tough to take yourself too seriously or get too nervous when you’re wearing a basketball jersey and jorts.”  Patrick vowed that when he got married he would do the same.  After several failed eBay bids, Patrick had his powder blue Larry Bird Indiana State basketball jersey.  During the rehearsal dinner he informed Dave that he had his obscure jersey but he did not have jorts because he didn’t want to cut up either pair of his jeans. The next morning Dave called Patrick from T.J. Maxx for his size. Using scissors purchased from CVS and the jeans supplied by Dave, Patrick’s wedding morning attire was complete.

Katie and Patrick had several personal touches that made their wedding day special.  Katie carried a handkerchief made from her mother’s wedding dress and had an Irish coin in her shoe for good luck that her mother had in her shoe on her wedding day.  Patrick carried a 1924 pocket watch that belonged to his grandfather (which was given to his father on his own wedding day) and had cuff links engraved with their initials, the date of the wedding and the longitude and latitude of where they got engaged and where they got married.  On display at the reception were photos of their deceased grandparents and a Red Sox pennant from the (now closed) bar in NYC where they had their first date, The Hairy Monk.

Katie, being the exact opposite of a DIY bride, loved that Belle Haven Country Club was a beautiful venue that would take care of the details and didn’t require any decorations.  She managed just one “DIY” project which was Patrick’s brain child – wine bottle table numbers from wineries they had visited together in Spain, Virginia, New York, and New Jersey.  Patrick wanted Potbelly sugar cookies as the wedding favor, so they placed an order to be picked up day of the wedding.  Unfortunately the cookies did not come individually wrapped like they do in the store.  That morning Katie’s brother and brother-in-law-to-be placed each cookie into sandwich bags with the personalized stickers (no one told Katie about the snafu).

Instead of DIY projects, Katie and Patrick focused on a very important element of a great wedding, the playlist.  Their much-too-detailed list was the result of listening to every top 40 song from the early 1990s to the present, soliciting wedding playlists from friends, and taking requests from family members.  Luckily, their amazing deejay, Sean Johnson from MyDeejay, expertly navigated the list and kept the dance floor packed.

The whole weekend was a whirlwind but they relished every minute of their time with family and friends.  Patrick’s dad said it best at the end of the weekend, “you wanted a party, and you had a party,” just like Katie envisioned.

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nkswingle_katie-patrick_wedding-719Thanks to Jenny for shooting this weeding with me!


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