I can’t even handle how much fun Olivia and Patrick’s reception looks, thanks to these photos from Rachael Foster Photography! (First, did you catch their ceremony?) They hung a canopy of paper lanterns above, chose vibrant lighting, but that’s not even the best of it! They asked their guests to paint canvases for their new home and they had a fun, prop-filled photo-booth guestbook. It was clear guest had a blast at this big celebration, and I’m kind of jealous I wasn’t in attendance!
From Olivia: We provided blank canvases and paint for our guests during the cocktail hour. The instructions were to paint something for the newlyweds. Our family and friends went to town and created such fun and thoughtful paintings. We can’t wait to hang them up in our new home!
A tent wedding seemed fitting because it gave us a clean backdrop to bring our color palette and style to life. We were inspired by many beautiful tent weddings on United With Love and other wedding blogs.
One detail that we were most excited about were the round paper lanterns that we had hanging from the ceiling of the tent. There were close to 70 lanterns of varying shades of purple and pink. We also had purple uplighting and chandeliers installed to accentuate the lanterns. The result was absolute perfection.
The memory that stands out the most is when Patrick and I were taking photos in the photo booth. Everyone had cleared out of the tent and ready to send us off. It was just the two of us, behind a closed curtain, and we just looked at each other, smiled, kissed and took a series of really goofy photos. It was so special and pure joy.
Our cake toppers were custom and handmade. Everything was spot on from my dress to Patrick’s glasses. Our tuxedo cat Momo was created too, which made us both so happy since he couldn’t attend the wedding.
Olivia’s advice to other DC-area couples:
If you’re thinking of hanging paper lanterns, just do it yourself. Paying a vendor thousands of dollars to do it is just not worth it. It’s easy to do and can be done very quickly with some help from good family and friends. It was one of the best decisions we made. Remember to ask members of your bridal party to remind you to touch up your makeup and hair throughout the night. You’ll be grateful for this once you see your wedding pictures.
The following Washington, DC area wedding vendors contributed to Olivia and Patrick’s wedding:
Ceremony Venue: Ashton United Methodist Church
Reception Venue: Woodlawn Manor
Caterer: Putting on the Ritz
Photographer: Rachael Foster Photography
Wedding Planner: Unforgettably Yours Events
Floral Designer: America’s Beautiful Florist
Ceremony Music: Cleon Beittel
Reception Music: C&J Entertainment
Lighting: Max Powers
Cake: Carey’s Cakes
Stationery: Wedding Paper Divas
Transportation: Nationwide Transportation
Makeup: Blush DC
Wedding Dress: RK Bridal
Veil: David’s Bridal
Bridesmaid Dresses: Jenny Yoo
Groom’s Attire: Men’s Wearhouse
Don’t forget to visit our vendor guide for more fabulous Washington, DC area wedding professionals or our real wedding gallery for more beautiful Washington, DC area weddings!
Photo Credits: Rachael Foster Photography



























































