Edgy & Sparkly DC Wedding: Modern Romance with Glitter & Gold Foil

After a decade of dating and traveling the world together, these two high school sweethearts tied the knot. Lauren and Matt met on the school bus in 10th grade and in May of 2008, Matt showed up at Lauren’s house with a dozen red roses and asked if she would be his girlfriend. They then went off to their respective colleges – Virginia Tech and the University of Virginia – and began seven years of long-distance dating. In 2016, they finally moved in together in Alexandria, Virginia and a year later for their 10th anniversary, they were engaged. 

As fervent feminists, they chose to forego the traditional proposal and proposed to each other in private. During their 10th anniversary trip to Italy, they drove an hour into the Tuscan countryside just outside of Siena and recounted their memories and asked each other for their hand in marriage.

Keeping their forward-thinking, modern relationship at the forefront of our minds, we designed a sleek, and stylish wedding to represent Lauren and Matt. With the sultry dark wood paneling of District Winery, we started with colors that felt impactful and warm that would still fit with the aesthetic of the space – burgundy, black, and blush accented with warm mixed metals of copper and gold. 

Because District Winery has such a linear layout, we designed a symmetrical floor plan that included lush compote arrangements from Darling & Daughters -in keeping with the color scheme- that sat perfectly in line at each table. For their ceremony, we designed a minimal yet effective cross-drape installation with Frost Lighting DC that would accent (and not steal attention from) Lauren and Matt, the real focus. Sheer drapes were chosen to effortlessly filter the sunlight on Lauren and Matt’s faces during their ceremony and black-rimmed hurricane vases with pillar candles added the perfect romantic touch to the soft design. The drape later transformed to be a backdrop for a custom neon sign from Brite Lite Tribe reading “til death” – a phrase as cool as the bride and groom. 

In keeping with the modern wedding design, Lauren chose a Watters gown from Lovely Bride DC in a silvery shade of white with plenty of sparkle and a tulle skirt that swayed gracefully with every movement. To emphasize the deep V in the back of the dress, Styled by Anna Fazio created a modern, textured updo accented by celestial hairpins that added a sparkle to the hair, echoing the sparkle of her wedding dress. To match the color palette of the wedding, Susan Lim Makeup created a soft smokey eye and Lauren wore a deep burgundy lipstick that matched her Maison Valentino velvet jeweled pumps.  

All but one bridesmaid wore long burgundy gowns and one bridesmaid opted for a burgundy romper paired with a necklace that read “feminist,” a gift from Lauren, the bride. Matt opted for a non-traditional charcoal grey suit from The Black Tux paired with a traditional black bow tie which set him apart from his groomsmen who wore black neckties and black shoes. 

For stationery, Emily Baird Design created a burgundy and blush suite accented with black typeface, velvet ribbon, and sealed with a gold, custom wax seal embossed with their wedding monogram. The invitation suite was later styled with Lauren’s custom marquee diamond engagement ring in a custom Mrs. Box, engraved with the wedding monogram. 

To indulge Lauren’s sweet tooth, we incorporated an assortment of desserts from Buttercream Bakeshop – DC’s sweetheart – and a variety of Macarons from Lauren’s all-time favorite bakery, Olivia Macaron. Because no dessert display is complete without a cake, Lauren’s mother surprised her with a custom cake from Pastries by Randolph – the same bakery Lauren’s parents used for their wedding. The cake had a soft blush-colored buttercream exterior complemented by touches of edible gold foil.