If there is one thing about this wedding that rivals the gorgeous couple in beauty, it is the light. The light as she walked down the aisle to marry her love. Don’t get me wrong, the flowers are phenom, the fashion is beyond, the whole soiree, planned & perfected by Roberts & Co. Events, is amazing, but the love these two share – and that gorgeous light, captured by Sam Hurd Photography – is extraordinary. Click here for more!
Click here to see the full image gallery!
We met the old-fashioned DC way – at work. Bryan asked Linette out to lunch and she turned him down because she was in a relationship. More than a year later, we became reacquainted while working on a committee together. Valentine’s Day 2006 came and went, and Bryan cleverly sent an email asking Linette if she “got all the flowers and candy her heart desired.” Linette, recognizing that what he really wanted to know is whether she was still in a relationship, answered, “It was uneventful.” Translation: I’m single.
We knew before our first date that this relationship would be special. Many emails and office conversations after Valentine’s Day, we finally broke the “no dating at work” rules and went on our first date in April 2006. We had such a good time talking that before we realized it, Bryan had walked Linette all the way home. On 1/11/2011, Bryan reenacted that first date and ended it with a proposal in front of the apartment where their first date had ended years earlier. Bryan had set up their camera to record the proposal and tricked Linette into thinking she was taking a picture. As the camera rolled and the snow began to fall, she said yes. We were married 6 years after our first date.
For Bryan, Newton White Mansion was love at first sight. For me, not so much. I thought it was beautiful and picturesque but I took issue with the fact that it is a very popular venue in our area and we really planned for a city wedding. This venue is about 40 minutes outside of DC. Still, we had searched high and low for a venue and I had to accept that this was the best we saw and other than being outside of the city, it was perfect for all of our need and gorgeous! It’s popular for a reason. We moved forward with Newton White and chose hotels in DC for our majority out of town guest list. This combined the best of both worlds for us. A fun weekend in the city for our guests with a suburban wedding getaway to start it off. As the planning continued, the venue’s historic mansion exterior and loft space atrium played a large part in inspiring our wedding style.
We wanted a simple, elegant style that was well thought out but not overdone. We didn’t want an over the top or grand feel. We didn’t want our wedding to feel like a show. We wanted our relationship and the emotions of the day to be the focus. We both love blue, and purple and grey seemed to be the perfect complements because the palette didn’t feel too feminine. The venue played a large role in how everything came together. Our ceremony was outdoors on the patio with the historic mansion as our backdrop. So we went for a vintage, romantic feel for the ceremony. I chose baby’s breath altar arrangements and a dress with lace applique and a cathedral length lace veil. For the reception, we went for a modern, city feel to match the lofty, atrium space. We added white lounge furniture, soft purple lighting, and baby’s breath centerpieces with tall silver vases. I changed my hair into a bun, switched my veil for a hair flower and added a fun necklace for the reception. Bryan chose a suit he loved and all of his accessories. We let everyone in the bridal party choose their own clothes from the bridesmaids to the parents. We wanted the wedding to be beautiful but comfortable. In the end, everything felt cohesive but effortlessly elegant which was exactly what we wanted.
We really wanted our wedding day to be about us and those that were most influential in our lives. We chose to marry on the birthday of Bryan’s late brother, Gene. Bryan walked down the aisle with his mother and I with my parents. Our bridal party was tiny including only my sister, Bryan’s daughter and his best friend. Our guest list was kept to our most cherished loved ones. Our ceremony was intimate and personal. We wanted to make our guests part of our day so we had a ring warming ceremony in which we passed our rings around in a bowl so that the guests could share their wishes and prayers for our marriage. After we shared our first kiss as a married couple, we chose to jump the broom, an African American tradition, to symbolize our new union.
At the reception, I danced with my father to a fast-paced salsa song as a nod to my Hispanic heritage. We had an anniversary dance with all of the married guests in attendance to honor their marriages. Our last song was my late grandmother’s favorite, Bob Marley’s “One Love.” Our guests surrounded us in a circle as we danced to end a perfect beautiful day.
Photography: Sam Hurd Photography / Second Shooter: Ryan Brenizer Photography / Cinematography: Robert Jeremy Mitchell / Flowers: Petal’s Edge / Hair Stylist: Merylin Mitchell / Make-up artist: Jennifer Lee / Event Design: Bride / Coordinator: Tabitha Roberts, Roberts & Co. Events / Venue: Newton White Mansion / Invitations: By Invitation Only / Shoes: Randall by Badgely Mischka / Dress Designer: Lazaro 3762, Church Street Bridal / Bridesmaid Dress Designer: B2 and Bari Jay / Groom’s Fashion: Hugo Boss, Indochino, Magnanni Shoes / Necklace: Semra Ascioglu / Photobooth: Poshbooth / Caterer: Putting on the Ritz / Cake: Fluffy Thoughts Cake / DJ: Devin Alexander for My DeeJay / Officiant: Bill Cochran / Lighting/Lounge Furniture: Da Vinci Floral