Inspired by the Nation’s Capital and its prettiest blooms, styled by the lovelies at Ritzy Bee Events, topped off with the prettiest paper products from Ceci New York and all captured by the beyond talented Caroline Tran – this wedding is just heaven! Perfectly pretty wedding heaven. It’s the type of soiree I could stare at all day, and we won’t judge you one little bit if you do just that in the full gallery of gorgeous images!
From the Bride… The inspiration for our wedding was very easy, especially living in the nation’s capital. I had always wanted to get married in DC during the spring with the cherry blossoms in full bloom, and luckily, my groom obliged. Gregg even approved of the wedding colors, pink and gray, because they offered a balance of feminine and masculine. Unfortunately Mother Nature doesn’t cater to all brides and we experienced early blooms, but our wedding paper suite by Ceci New York beautifully showcased the city with a map wrapping the invitation and hand-drawn cherry blossoms. Gregg and I have been together for a long time, so even before he proposed, we knew we wanted to throw a party for our family and friends to celebrate the start of our marriage. We love to entertain for any occasion, and the wedding would not be an exception. We cannot take credit for the food, which was deliciously prepared by the chef at the Mandarin Oriental, but we did pore over the menu options to determine our dinner menu. For cocktail hour we offered “his and hers” signature cocktails. Gregg concocted “the Senator,” (a nickname he acquired from his friends long ago, even before he moved to DC) a vodka Tom Collins with raspberry puree, and I served up “the Senator’s Wife,” which is champagne topped with St-Germain and lemon. We had an incredible deejay who paid attention to every detail of our wedding and reception, even finding traditional Korean music for the wedding tea ceremony we hosted at the end of the reception. Unfortunately the dance floor did not get too crowded because everyone was in line for the photo booth! Gregg and I loved seeing the photo booth shots after the honeymoon, especially the wacky poses from some of our more reserved guests. One of my favorite memories from the wedding was taking photos at the Jefferson Memorial with our family and wedding party. It was so much fun to be dressed up and posing amid all the tourists. I love seeing in the background of our wedding photos the paddleboaters in the Tidal Basin and the beautiful Washington landscape. We were so nervous for the wedding day, but being around all the tourists helped to calm us down so we could enjoy every moment. My advice for future brides includes making sure you and your groom have, at the very least, a few minutes alone. I would also recommend a month-of- or day-of-wedding coordinator, even if you decide not to have a full time coordinator. I was lucky to be able to enlist the help of Ritzy Bee Events, who were able to recommend the best vendors in the area and provided very thoughtful and lovely details for the ceremony and reception. Having the piece of mind that someone was on top of every detail really ensured Gregg and I could enjoy our wedding with our family and friends. Wedding Photography: Caroline Tran / Wedding Venue + Catering: Mandarin Oriental, Washington DC in Washington, DC / Wedding Planning: Ritzy Bee Events / Floral Design: Sidra Forman / Wedding Stationery: Ceci New York / Wedding Cake: Maggie Austin Cake / Lighting: Swank Audio Visuals / Entertainment: MyDeejay + The Crystal Strings / Rentals: Party Rental Ltd. + AFR Furniture Rental / Wedding Dress + Veil: Amsale via Hitched Salon / Bridesmaids’ Dresses: Amsale
