With Grace Kelly as an inspiration, it should come as no shocker that this Washington D.C. museum wedding is the picture of classic elegance. A timeless color palette of whites, creams, golds and silvers set the National Museum Of Women in the Arts aglow, setting the stage for these high school sweethearts’ big day nine years in the making. See every special moment captured by The Youngrens in The Vault!
From The Bride…We first met in high school. While it may not have been love at first sight (Sam can thank his mullet for that), we grew to become best friends and by the last semester of our senior year, began dating. We were a long-distance couple during college, frequently visiting each other in Chicago and North Carolina, and after graduation, settled back in our hometown of DC.
After dating 9 years, it was not too much of a surprise that Sam would propose; it was just a question of when and how. I was at the beach in Delaware with my family for the week. After arranging the details with my family, Sam drove up midweek and surprised me on the beach as my family walked back from dinner at their favorite BBQ joint. When Sam got down on one knee to propose, there may or may not have been some barbeque sauce still left on my cheek (and ring finger)!
Since we are DC natives, we knew we wanted to get married downtown at a venue that captured the culture and character of the city. Sam’s mother and I had both discussed how beautiful the National Museum of Women in the Arts would be for a wedding venue, and, according to Sam, that made it a done deal.
We envisioned a timeless elegance for the look of the wedding, which is why the colors of the wedding were very neutral- different shades of whites and creams with golds and silvers. I wanted a classic look (with Grace Kelly as an inspiration) but with a modern twist, so I chose a very light blush wedding gown. The museum was so beautiful in and of itself, we wanted the flowers and decor to accentuate that beauty, not distract from it.
Incorporating family and our two religious traditions into our ceremony was very important to us. The ceremony was co-officiated by our cousin alongside our family friend and reverend. We were married under a chuppah that Sam’s mom hand-sewed to include silkscreened photos of our parents, grandparents, and great-grandparents on their wedding days. After the cocktail hour in the museum galleries, guests were seated at dinner tables named after our favorite restaurants that had been influential in our 9+ years as a couple (and yes, the head table was “Five Guys” – scene of our first date).
One of our most vivid and happy memories from the day is when, after spending some time taking pictures outside in the August sun following the first look, the bridesmaids dashed over, bringing us some much needed fuel in the form of a McDonald’s burger and Coke.
One of my favorite moments was dancing with my Dad for the father-daughter dance. We took a few dance lessons before the big day, though it felt like I had spent my whole life dancing with my Dad in preparation for this special moment. I loved dancing with all my family, and couldn’t believe it when my grandmother joined us out on the dance floor, just before midnight, for a rousing version of Shout!
Sam’s favorite memory was the spirited ten-minute hora (a traditional Jewish celebratory dance). It has been so great to look back at the pictures and see all of our guests, many who did not know each other before that day, mixed together and hand in hand dancing with us on the museum floor.
Photography: The Youngrens | Cinematography: Shutter And Sound | Event Design: Ashlee Virginia Events | Floral Design: Edge Flowers | Wedding Dress: Austin Scarlett | Stationery: The Dandelion Patch | Bride's Shoes: Louboutin | Catering: Well Dunn Catering | Makeup: Blend Makeup Artistry | Lighting: John Farr Lighting Design | Band: DC Synergy | Venue: National Museum Of Women In The Arts | Bridal Boutique: Robinson's Bridal