Mackenzie & Nick’s Offbeat, Intimate Elopement in Washington DC

I love today’s DC wedding feature. Partly because the bride wore a 1950s-inspired pink dress (I am fangirling) and partly because the engagement ring was a black diamond, but mostly I love today’s DC wedding because the couple chose to do exactly what THEY wanted to do when it came to their wedding.

Their original plans were to have the big traditional party down in South Carolina, but a few months before they decided it wasn’t what they really wanted. And instead they opted for a beautiful, intimate elopement by the DC War Memorial in downtown Washington, DC.

The couple shared, “We have been through our share of ups and downs …the adversity in our lives has made us stronger and more appreciative of each other and life in general.”

^and that my friends, is a true love story. A special thanks to Rebekah Hoyt Photography for sharing her images for this feature.

Nick & Mackenzie’s Offbeat & Intimate, Washington DC Elopement Wedding

About Nick and Mackenzie:

We have been together for 3 years now, half of which was a long-distance relationship.  Our relationship has been non-traditional from the start.  Mackenzie was doing an internship in DC when we began our relationship. When she began college, we were 1.5 hours apart.  The first time we lived in the same city while dating was in Washington, DC, when Nick did an internship on Capitol Hill and Mackenzie was working for a neurosurgeon.  We quickly knew that we would live and work in DC one day.  After Nick’s job transferred him to DC in January, we knew that we wanted to get married and start our life together in our favorite city.

We have been through our share of ups and downs, from struggles with Mackenzie’s health and the loss of Nick’s dad and nephew.  The adversity in our lives has made us stronger and more appreciative of each other and life in general.  We are very excited to embark on our new life together in the city we love!

^love Mackenzie’s black diamond engagement ring!

^the bride to be waiting for the metro to her wedding ceremony :)

Our Wedding Details:

Originally, we planned to have a traditional wedding in South Carolina, where we grew up.  A few months before the wedding, we decided it was not what we wanted to do.  We decided to wait a few months and get married in Washington, DC.  In researching our options for our elopement, we learned there are only a few places to have a wedding ceremony on the National Mall.

We chose the DC War Memorial since it is more secluded than the other monuments.  We wanted to get married on a Friday night so there would be less tourists.

Mackenzie wore a short, classic, ballet pink dress and vintage-style t-strap heels.  Ballet pink was a special choice for Mackenzie’s dress, since she was a dancer for over 10 years.  Nick wore a simple black suit with a white shirt, black tie, penny cufflinks.  Mackenzie carried a small bouquet of white tulips wrapped in black ribbon to compliment the black diamond in the center of her engagement ring.

^ Can I tell you how much I love the fact that even though the wedding was so intimate, their detail choices still meant so much to them. The reason behind the pink dress and penny cufflinks?! I just cannot get enough of this.

Click inside for the rest of Mackenzie & Nick’s intimate, Washington DC elopement by Rebekah Hoyt Photography.

Our Friend and Family Involvement:

Our families play a huge part in our lives.  While they were not there for the ceremony, they have been there for us through everything and are our greatest supporters.  Rebekah did a beautiful job of capturing the emotion and joy of our wedding.  All of our family members felt as if they were there because of Rebekah’s amazing ability to capture the special moments of our wedding day!

Mackenzie’s sister and brother-in-law flew up to DC with her to celebrate with us the night before.  Meghan, Mackenzie’s sister, helped her find her wedding attire, did her hair and makeup for the wedding and dropped her off at the metro before the ceremony.

One of the most special ways we integrated our family into our wedding was through our ceremony.  Nick’s dad was a pastor and we used his wedding outline for our ceremony.  Our officiant, Mark Campbell the pastor of Portico Arlington, was so gracious to use the beautiful words Nick’s dad would have said at our wedding.  It was such a special moment we will cherish forever.

Offbeat or Nontraditional Wedding Elements:

Everything about our wedding was non-traditional including Mackenzie’s dress, the time and venue, and the cheering tourists we encountered! (The photos of us dying laughing in the middle of the ceremony are because of the cheering tourists).  All of these elements made our wedding unique and special!