To hold a wedding mere steps from The White House, one must have an element of grandeur, a hint of chic, and a bit of glamour. Lucky for us, this fantastic couple processes all of these qualities in spades, so we are in for a fabulous Washington D.C. treat. The fantastic design team at Pineapple Productions sent this stately affair our way, and it most definitely lives up to the grandiose locale. Captured by Kate Headley, this wedding has enough gorgeous eye candy to last all day, so make sure to click here for the full image gallery!
From Pineapple Productions … Susan and Ashley met while in law school at Vanderbilt University, and after spending time in New York, moved to Washington – Ashley’s hometown – just in time to start planning their wedding. When I first met with Susan, she described wanting a quintessential Washington wedding, but one that incorporated touches of Southern charm as a nod to her own Southern roots.
The ceremony was held at historic St. John’s Church, located on Lafayette Square just steps away from The White House. Since St. John’s establishment in 1815, every U.S. President has attended church services there. In fact, St. John’s is popularly known as the “Church of Presidents.”
After the ceremony, Susan and Ashley led their guests on a bagpipe procession through Lafayette Park, past the White House and onto the reception venue — the Metropolitan Club. The Metropolitan Club is another historic DC landmark, one that has welcomed nearly every President since Abraham Lincoln as well as many international dignitaries.
Susan and Ashley did a fabulous job making the club their own for the night. As guests arrived for the cocktail hour, flutes of classic Kir Royale were passed on silver trays alongside mason jar tumblers of Bardstown Sling bourbon punch. We utilized a distinctly Southern color palette of magnolia green, buttercream yellow and white for the cocktail hour. Tables were dressed in buttery yellow linens and accented with a variety of distressed verdi gris containers containing magnolia leaves, buttercream garden roses and soft yellow lisianthus.
After the cocktail hour guests were invited upstairs for dinner and dancing. Dinner was served at a variety of stations including macaroni and cheese with decadent toppings like creme fraiche, truffled mushrooms, caramelized onions and bacon. The talk of the night though was the fish and chips station, custom created by the club, serving crispy rockfish and lobster tail along with fries in classic newspaper cones.
We utilized a mix of linens for the reception tables. Some were covered in pale dove grey Irish linen. Others were covered in heavier grey striped and subtly grey polka-dotted linens for a more formal look. Flowers were all in an eclectic mix of antiqued silver containers — julep cups, compotes, trophy cups and revere bowls. We filled the silver containers with lush arrangements of taupe, lavender, beige, pale blush, and dusty grey flowers including garden roses, double tulips, ranunculus, dahlias, eucalyptus berries and dusty miller. The look was both timeless and distinctive.
Big Ray and the Kool Kats – a fabulous band out of Charlottesville, Virginia – provided the music for the evening. Guests danced the night away to Sinatra standards, Motown and even a little country music to keep the Nashvillians happy. At the end of the night, guests departed with boxes of homemade chocolate chip cookies courtesy of Tate’s Bake Shop. For a special send off, everyone gathered outside and lit sparklers in the city streets as Susan and Ashley made their way through the crowd and onto the Hay-Adams Hotel for an after party gathering.
Ceremony Venue: St. John’s Church, Lafayette Square / Reception Venue: The Metropolitan Club / Event Planner: Allison Jackson, Pineapple Productions / Caterer: The Metropolitan Club / Photographer: Kate Headley / Floral Design: Jack Lucky / Rentals: DC Rental / Bagpiper: Francis Wallace / Band: Big Ray and the Kool Kats via East Coast Entertainment / Invitations: Crane & Company / Calligraphy/Signage: Arney Walker Calligraphy / Wedding Cake: The Metropolitan Club / Guest Amenities: Charm & Salt / Chocolate Chip Cookie Favors: Tate’s Bake Shop / Wedding Gown: Monique Lhuillier / Bridesmaids Dresses: Simple Silhouettes / Hair: Cevat Topcu / Make Up: Leah McKay