Irene & Ryan’s Multicultural Torpedo Factory Wedding in Alexandria, VA

Greetings from 30,000 feet as I attempt to prep & pre-publish AS MANY BLOG POSTS AS POSSIBLE on yet another trip to Denver, CO. Another work trip, yet this one is much faster & grueling. Yay! Things are insane (as usual) but I can no longer ignore (not ignore, more like hyperventilate and feel SO MUCH GUILT ABOUT) the unending emails in my inbox about when their posts will be published. I am sorry guys. I truly am – I am drowning trying to keep up with all things CapRo + 2 kids + my marriage + my day job + life and sadly the blog is the thing being dropped.

I can’t blame my life though for all of it, because also my priorities have also been wack – spending WAY too much time wasting my life away on Twitter, filled with the grief and sadness of our country & the current news cycle. I need to set limits for myself & I am going to start this week when I get back from Denver. No more than 30 minutes at home on my phone & WAY LESS in front of the kids. The news & Twitter will still be there when I check back & I’ll be able to better use my time to do things like donate, share resources, and BLOG AWESOME WEDDINGS & COUPLES LIKE THIS.

So without further ado, here’s one HECK of a gorgeous Virginia wedding, at the always awesome, Torpedo Factory. Check it out!

Irene and Ryan, both DC area natives, met at a mutual friend’s housewarming in Atlanta in 2014. Within two weeks, sparks flew when the two met up in DC for a college rivalry football game. Following a proposal in the Japanese Zen Garden at the Hillwood Estate Museum, Irene and Ryan’s wedding was a first for many of their guests. The ceremony, held at Washington Street United Methodist Church, celebrated the couple’s backgrounds by blending in a local Baptist-based singer and traditions deep-rooted in South Indian churches. Irene wore a traditional Indian bridal sari and walked alongside her wheelchair-bound father. Ryan and his brother, the best man, wore bespoke bow-ties. The fabric for the bow-ties was from his mother’s own dress for the wedding. After exchanging heartfelt vows, the bride and groom concluded the nuptials by draping floral garlands around each other’s neck, an Indian symbol for eternal love and respect.

Following the ceremony, guests were shuttled to the Torpedo Factory Art Center for dinner and dancing. Main Event Catering took on the challenge of representing the couple in everything from drinks to dessert. Cocktails included signature specials, The Hokie and The Hurricane, as nods to the couples’ alma maters. Guests dined on selections reflecting Irene’s Indian heritage and Ryan’s Barbadian background. For dessert, the couple chose to buck a traditional wedding cake in favor of a gorgeous Duck Donuts spread.

The couple enjoyed “Rick-rolling” guests with a choreographed dance to Rick Astley’s, “Never Gonna Give You Up”. During the father/daughter dance, guests’ eyes welled up as Irene swayed around her father’s wheelchair to Rod Stewart’s, “Have I Told You Lately”. The best surprise, however, was yet to come. The groom and his mother danced to “Happy” by Pharrell, big hat and all! As the groom and his mother’s dance came to an end, Ryan tossed the hat to Lionz of Zion, a breakdancing crew native to DC. With their high energy routine, Lionz of Zion got the room up and dancing in no time. After a night of celebrating with family and friends, Irene and Ryan departed to Greece for a relaxing honeymoon.