“It has been crucial to our relationship to have love that surrounds us each and every day. “
A few months ago I met with Virginia & Sarah from the DC MEET Market and they mentioned that their June market would be Pride focused since it was going to occur during the Pride Parade. I was PUMPED and immediately though, “how cool would it be to have a couple get married at the market … during Pride?!?!?!?!”. So I immediately called up my girl, Maggie Winters Photography and luckily she loved the idea just as much as I did.
What followed was months of crazy planning – website building, branding, marketing planning, and the execution of our giveaway to one lucky couple that could renew their vows at the market, during Pride! We called it #PopUpRomance (one half Capitol Romance and one half Pop!Wed Co). I never dreamed how amazing this would actually turn out.
#PopUpRomance Recap ~ Nicole & Rose’s Vow Renewal During Pride Weekend in Washington DC
Vendors:
Photography: Pop Wed Co | Coordination: Capitol Romance | Venue: DC MEET Market | Cake: Fresh Bakes | Flowers: Eight Tree Street
I can’t have imagined a better couple to win our vow renewal giveaway. Rose & Nicole have been married for 4 years and entered our giveaway so that they could reaffirm their messages and feelings of love with everyone around them. Their story is insanely heartfelt. So much so, that I wanted to share it again here.
This was Nicole’s entry into our contest:
My wife & high school sweetheart, Rose, and I will be celebrating our 5 year wedding anniversary next March. This will mark the day that we rushed off to the courthouse in DC, only a few short weeks after same-sex marriage was legalized there. In fact, when we first heard the news about DC, Rose started talking marriage right away.
I always envisioned something more romantic, so I started plotting while she kept pushing the subject and I would evade her questions. All the while, she was thinking I was getting cold feet about taking the plunge, but I was actually planning a proposal. On Valentine’s Day weekend, right before a huge snowstorm, I ran out and bought a ring and then invited our close friends over and asked her to marry me during a game of Catchphrase. It was really important for us to have them there because we have struggled within our community for acceptance and we are very lucky to be in a great place now. A few weeks later, we made it official!
Messages of LOVE come in all shapes, sizes, and AGES!:
Rose inspires me each and every day. Together, we make each other better people and I like to think we have helped to teach others about love and equality.
Click inside for SO MUCH MORE of #PopUpRomance!!!
Recognize these two?! We actually featured their AMAZING wedding on our blog a while back! HOW COOL IS THAT?!
The coolest, most rad SPRINKLES CAKE ever!
The KICKASS #PopUpRomance team:
Our wedding was so important to us because it enabled us to bring together all of the people that have shown us support over the years. We have experienced homophobia in many forms in the 11 years that we have been together. Rose came out in high school when we first started dating. It has been crucial to our relationship to have the love that surrounds us each and every day. My family, sadly, chose not to participate in either of our wedding days. We did almost everything on our own and on a small budget – many of our extended relatives and friends stepping up – making a cake, giving me something “borrowed,” and even officiating! To be able to show our gratitude once more for these people with a party while reaffirming our love would be a true blessing – not to mention another excuse to wear my dress! ;)
^ AMAZING!!!
Nicole gave me the idea to throw sprinkles, so I couldn’t resist – I just HAD to make these little sprinkles packages for their friends/family to throw at the end of their vow renewal.
AND THEN WE FREAKIN’ MARCHED IN THE PRIDE PARADE!!! People were SO so excited to read Rose & Nicole’s signs. I love their reactions:
What a freakin’ day. Not one I will forget ANY time soon. Thank you Pop Wed Co! for joining me on this crazy adventure. Thank you DC MEET Market for hosting us AND with the art installation. Thank you Nicole & Rose, for sharing your courage, your strength, your happiness, your friends & family and YOUR LOVE with us.
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3 comments
Not a day WE will forget anytime soon either, Bree! I know I keep gushing about this day, but I really cannot help myself. I am infamous for planning and stressing about events, so when I was able to give up total control and just show up that day for the vow renewal, it was a big deal. And it was EVERYTHING I could have wished for and more! The board of love messages was probably the most amazing touch – so creative! And then of course, my absolutely favorite surprise were the rainbow sprinkles! That pic will be going in a frame for sure ;) I just want you to know how much it meant not only to Rose and I, but also to our family and to the entire LGBT community for you and your team to contribute something like this. THANK YOU <3 <3 <3
<3 I don't AT ALL mind re-living this day either!! I am so happy you and Rose entered and we found you. You guys were absolutely perfect (and your family too) for our vision and the day was just SO freakin' amazing. So THANK YOU guys too!