United with Love - Fresh Inspiration For Washington DC-Area Weddings

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

Today’s Maryland wedding from Rachael Foster Photography starts off with a classic, chic ceremony and ends with a fun and flirty reception (you’ll have to wait until later for that)! Olivia and Patrick had a simple all-white church ceremony with a few punchy pops of purple. I love Olivia’s ceremony dress, and her quick change into a sleek, floral-adorned reception dress too! Ready to hit the dance floor, coming up in just a bit!

From Olivia: We wanted our wedding to be classic and romantic with a few rustic chic touches.

I loved the moment when I first saw Patrick as I walked down the aisle.

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

I need your help to make this blog even better! I want to hear from you, your thoughts, your wants, your everything when it comes to planning a wedding in the Washington, DC area! No, I can’t make it more affordable! But, I can make the planning process go more smoothly by giving you lots of real wedding inspiration and locally helpful advice from the top professionals in the the DC area. So, lay it on me and let me know what you want (or don’t want!) to see on the blog! If you are a general reader such as a bride or a wedding lover, here is the general reader survey. If you are a wedding vendor, please take this separate vendor survey.

Photo Credit: Audra Wrisley Photography from Jenni and Razor’s wedding

Thank you so much for reading United With Love each day and everything you do to make this blog awesome! I can’t wait to hear from you! Remember: here is the general reader survey and here is the vendor survey.

We’re back with part two of Jaina and James’ sweet and romantic wedding from Tara Welch Photography (Check out their wedding ceremony, too!), and it all starts with a big ol’ balloon! Then they joined their guests in a pretty in pink reception with simple, eclectic table decor and pops of that delicate color. And when a reception ends with a fully stocked dessert bar, you know it was a success!

From Jaina: I splurged on my dress- I got a Romona Keveza dress at Hannelore’s in Olde Town Alexandria- I loved the style and lace, and it felt amazing on!

We saved by having the wedding reception at a hotel with the food, cake and linens included. Doing this was not my first choice, but nearly all of our guests were from out of town, and it was very important to me to keep my guests happy, especially since they’d all be traveling from 230 to 7500 miles away. I wanted them to be able to meet on the terrace outside after the reception and simply take the elevator upstairs at the end of the night.

We had a few cultural influences from our backgrounds- we had a Chinese card box for guests to slip red envelopes in, and we gave away painted maracas when the salsa music began.

Jaina’s advice to other DC-area couples:

Brides, plan your wedding so that you are free to spa and get ready with your bridesmaids, etc so that you are relaxed and stress-free.

The following Washington, DC area wedding vendors contributed to Jaina and James’ wedding:

Ceremony Venue: Universalist National Memorial Church
Reception Venue: Le Meridien Arlignton
Photographer: Tara Welch Photography
DJ: The Pros
Transportation: Sunny’s Worldwide Chauffeured Transportation
Wedding Dress: Hannelore’s
Bride’s Shoes: Badgley Mischka
Veil: January Rose

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: Tara Welch Photography

We’re welcoming you back this fine Monday with a romantic and timeless Washington DC wedding ceremony from Tara Welch Photography. I’m a bit obsessed with the muted color palette that Jaina and James chose, and the sweet modern touches, like succulents in rose-filled bouquets, and those invitations! Believe it or not, the bride and her mom and ‘maids DIY-ed the flowers! Take a look and come back later this morning for their sweet and romantic reception in Arlington,VA!

From Jaina: I wanted something sophisticated, timeless and elegant and came up with a nude palette of pale pink, champagne and grey.

I designed my wedding invitations and programs myself and am very happy with how they turned out! I wanted the save the dates and invitations to represent us since they’re the first impression guests have of your wedding.

I was determined to do my own flowers. It takes a lot of time, so it’s not a decision I’d recommend for a bride. I’m so lucky that my mother and bridesmaids were eager to help!

We tied the knot on the altar- literally. My husband made me practice with him countless times before the wedding, but when it came time to tie the knot in front of everyone, I did it perfectly and he just couldn’t do it right. He tried about five or six times before getting it right, with everyone laughing, which definitely lightened up the mood of the emotional ceremony.

The following Washington, DC area wedding vendors contributed to Jaina and James’ wedding:

Ceremony Venue: Universalist National Memorial Church
Reception Venue: Le Meridien Arlington
Photographer: Tara Welch Photography
DJ: The Pros
Transportation: Sunny’s Worldwide Chauffeured Transportation
Wedding Dress: Hannelore’s
Bride’s Shoes: Badgley Mischka
Veil: January Rose

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: Tara Welch Photography