Capitol Wedding: Doug & Erica’s Winter Wedding at DAR in Washington, DC

This morning’s DC wedding feature looks pretty traditional at first, but after reading the couple’s wedding story and looking a bit more at the details and choices the couple made, I thought it would be a good feature for Capitol Romance.

I really loved their love story – they met online and for Erica, Doug was the first (and only!) guy she ever met with via Match.com !! An engagement at Roosevelt Island came soon after and then the wedding planning began. Doug & Erica chose one of DC’s grandest venues, the DAR Constitution Hall, however, with an intimate guest list and many personalized details, the wedding day was completely their own.

I think my favorite detail from their wedding though, was their choice to walk down the aisle together! Erica explained:

 We felt that was a better representation of our commitment in marriage – a choice that we were making together as partners and equals.

Thanks to True Story Studios for submitting their images for this beautiful DC winter wedding feature.

Doug & Erica’s Purple, Winter Wedding at DAR Constitution Hall in Washington, DC

Vendors:

Photographer: True Story Studios | Hair & Make-up: Roche Salon | Transportation: Chariots for Hire | Florist: Devers Design | Ceremony Location & Officiant: Holy Trinity Catholic Church | Reception Venue: DAR Constitution Hall (O’Byrne Gallery and Pennsylvania Foyer) | Musician (Guitarist): Michael Kolmstetter | Caterer, Cake & Baked Goods: DesignCuisine | Band: Six Stylez | Submitted via Two Bright Lights

How they met:

Doug and I are a match.com success story; maybe a bit of an anomaly (he was my first and only match.com date). Through emails and short messages, we quickly found common ground in our Buffalo roots and love for travel. He was the first guy that I had to meet. Our first date was over pizza and microbrews on a sunny September afternoon. A chance beginning that grew into something far beyond anything I could have ever dreamed.

The Proposal Story:

Doug made plans for us to go hiking somewhere along Skyline Drive at the end of a weekend getaway to run the Charlottesville 10 miler. Despite it being March in Virginia, we woke up to snow and an overcast sky. Not that easily deterred, we were disappointed to find Skyline Drive closed due to poor visibility. We regrouped over a flight of wine deciding to head home and check out one of DC’s lesser known highlights – Roosevelt Island. In the time it took for us to make the drive back, the sun emerged. It was on a leisurely walk around the island that he asked me to marry him.

Doug & Erica chose to keep their wedding intimate and involved family where they could:

My mom and Doug’s dad served as Eucharistic Ministers in our ceremony and Doug’s former Army Commander and his wife brought the gifts to the alter.

Overall, keeping our guest list small really allowed us to interact with everyone and kept the feel of our wedding very personal and intimate.

Love the bridesmaids rocking these fur shrugs!

Though their wedding ceremony followed a traditional Catholic service, I loved this nontraditional element that they added: Doug & Erica walked down the aisle together!

Doug and I entered the church and walked down the aisle together. We felt that was a better representation of our commitment in marriage – a choice that we were making together as partners and equals. This ended up being really powerful. It also gave Doug and I a few quiet moments alone together outside the church before the ceremony. It was time that became even more appreciated once the momentum of the day really took hold.

Click inside for the rest of Erica & Doug’s beautiful, winter wedding at DAR Constitution Hall in Washington DC. Including beautiful winter wedding centerpieces!

Overall, our wedding was pieced together one decision at a time. There was no great vision that we were working towards and, at times, it was hard to imagine how it would all come together in the end.

Our focus was always on seeing it as an opportunity to celebrate with our family and closest friends. The food menu and entertainment were top priorities from the beginning.

We choose to host our reception at DAR both because it offers a gorgeous, classic backdrop with a DC feel and it is also an organization in which Doug’s family is actively involved. At our cocktail hour guests had the option to tour the museum and library.

Love the long banquet tables for the reception:

Simple centerpieces over a patterned table linen = easy, affordable, yet beautiful wedding reception design!

Erica & her mom handmade the escort cards from a tutorial online – check out one here!

The pears that were incorporated in the table settings. That was a DIY project that I worked on with my mom in the days before the wedding. We gilded one pear for each guest and added names for seating at the reception.

We loved every moment of the entire wedding. All of it. Luckily, our photographers were exceptional and captured so many beautiful images that will preserve all of those memorable moments.

Congratulations Erica & Doug! Thank you so much for sharing all the details of your winter DC wedding with us! A special thanks again to True Stories Photography & Two Bright Lights for making this Washington, DC wedding feature possible!