Kate & Kyle’s Fall Wedding at Toolbox Studios in Washington, DC

I had such high hopes for the upcoming long weekend – getting out to a farm to pick apples and pumpkins, checking out a new park in the neighborhood – but it seems the weather has taken a turn :( I’m crossing my fingers that the forecast clears up so we can do at least one of these activities. In the meantime, we’ve got Kyle & Kate’s lush fall wedding, at Toolbox Studios – a hidden gem in the heart of Dupont.

Our theme was understated and relaxed. We wanted a simple, neutral theme, and we leaned heavily on our vendors to give input into how to make that happen. I am notoriously bad at anything DIY/arts & crafts. Thankfully our venue is an art studio, so a lot of the decor came built into the space, and the rest we kept simple with neutral flowers/greenery.

We knew we didn’t want a large wedding party, so we only had my sister and Kyle’s brother stand up as the maid of honor and best man, and they chose their own outfits. I wore Vans blue suede high tops–you couldn’t see my shoes anyway under my dress, and I knew it would be a long day and didn’t want to deal with hurting feet. I also wore my late grandma’s pearl necklace and earrings, which my sister also wore for her wedding in May.

My favorite piece of our wedding decor was the flower arch we were married under. Our florals were neutral with splashes of peach/autumn colors, and we had greenery runners on the tables as well. The florals made our entire dinner setting come together–I can’t recommend Bee Inspired enough.

We also didn’t want to incorporate certain “traditional” elements that we didn’t attach to, like a first dance or having the bride be the center of attention–we wanted to make sure the day was about both of us equally. We were both really nervous to be in front of everyone we know at the ceremony, so walking down the aisle together calmed us both down, and reminded us what the day was really about.

We also had my cousin marry us, which made the ceremony very personal, since he lives in DC and has hung out with us as a couple for the past 5 years. We walked down the aisle to an instrumental version of “She’s Always a Woman” by Billy Joel, which was the first concert we went to together.

We’re not big fans of cake, so we had Captain Cookie park outside for dessert. They were a huge hit!

To couples that are currently planning their wedding, it is as stressful as you make it. I also recommend a short engagement (ours was 8 months) so you can’t spend too much time caught up in the planning.