Does anyone else feel like May is somehow on super speed? I thought May would actually feel slow – less at work, month THREE of Stay at Home orders, and a longer month to boot … but here we are, zooming through and I feel like I’ve never been busier (it’s always relative, right). Let’s start with the positive: this extra-long SPRING weather we are getting in DC is just making everything better. Sweatshirts, no humidity, abundant sunshine. I’m not mad!
And for the not-so-great: I am still missing weddings big time, I am starting to get SUPER antsy at home (mostly missing my family / being able to travel out of DC by car any time soon), and getting a bit bummed about how much of an abnormal summer this will be for the kids. At least we are fortunate to have a backyard where we can play safely, buy a blow-up pool, and order delivery margaritas.
But, I know that we must stay home now, so that we can all have a somewhat normal later. So grab those masks, STAY HOME, and social distance as much as you can Romancers. We can do this, together!
We had a small, intimate wedding with our parents, siblings and my grandparents at the Carlyle House, followed by dinner at The Chart House. We went back and forth about having a big wedding, but couldn’t justify spending so much money on one day, so we opted for a small wedding with our closest family.
The Carlyle House is a beautiful, historic house with a garden so there was no need for decorations. Because it was a fall wedding, our colors happened to be navy and burgundy. I was looking for a budget-friendly, fall-inspired bouquet so I made my own bouquet from a Wegman’s bouquet of sunflowers and eucalyptus!! I arranged my bouquet the way I wanted and wrapped it with burlap ribbon. I also made my husband’s boutonnière with flowers from Wegman’s.
I found my dress through Pinterest! It’s from Lulus.com and it cost around $70 with a coupon. I ordered it, tried it on and I decided it was the one. I didn’t try on dresses for hours or involve my mom or sister in the decision- I just hoped they liked my choice, which they did! I was a bride on a budget who is not into drama! I also found my husband’s outfit inspiration on Pinterest and we found a suit and tie that matched what we were looking for.
The best moment was getting married to my best friend with our closest family surrounding us! It was everything I hoped it would be. I loved being able to get family photos and also have plenty of time to focus on photos of us – we’ve never had professional photos done and Sarah did a phenomenal job capturing our big day!
My advice to couples planning their wedding is, have a small wedding!!! Save your money for a down payment on a house or your honeymoon. It’s totally worth it. We went to Thailand for two weeks with the money we saved by not having a big wedding and it was the best trip ever.
Vendors:
Photographer: Nova Soul Imagery | Venue: Carlyle House Historic Park | Flowers: Wegman’s | Bride’s Dress: Lulu’s
