Occupations Erin works in communications at the University of Maryland; Brian is a financial analyst for the federal government.
Wedding date June 27, 2015
Number of Attendees 130
Number of Attendants 7
How You Met Erin and Brian first met at the Shadow Room in Washington, D.C. in September 2008. Brian was out for a coworker’s birthday, and Erin was celebrating her (now) sister-in-law’s birthday. The two crossed paths out on the dance floor and immediately bonded over a mutual love for Kanye West. Erin and Brian exchanged numbers and decided to meet for a happy hour date a couple of weeks later. To both Erin and Brian’s happy surprise, the two had more in common and more to talk about than ever imagined–the date lasted for hours. They decided to elevate their next date to dinner and quickly started making more and more plans: movies, sporting events, concerts, parties, and eventually decided to spend time together during the holidays. By January, Erin and Brian had made it official.
The Engagement In December 2013, Brian and Erin were planning a party to celebrate Erin’s 33rd birthday. Brian was planning to propose right before the guests arrived. On the morning of the party, Erin woke up with a terrible cold and she told Brian to let everyone know the party was cancelled. Panicked, Brain suggested she take a nap. When he woke her up, he had the ring in hand. Suddenly Erin was feeling a lot better! Erin and Brian decided to keep the party plans on and in the middle of the party Brian surprised everyone with news of the engagement and showed a video of friends and family from out of town offering congratulations.
Wedding Design Inspiration Inspired by their venue, The Flag House, Erin and Brian chose to play up the existing classic aesthetic but with an additional pop of whimsy. The couple wanted primary colors that were bold and cheerful to create a vibrant, fun feel for the wedding. Creating a common thread among the colors, helped give off an overall cohesive feel and established a consistent palette. For example, the couple’s bright yellow accents during the cocktail hour faded naturally into a softer lemon yellow in the dining room for dinner, and the royal blue accent color on their wedding stationary was mimicked by the dramatic blue up-lighting to set the right party dance tone for after dinner. The boldness of the color palette was balanced out with more simple and classic details such as white roses and white china. Most of all, from the stationery to the ceremony to the reception, the bride and groom wanted humor and personality to shine through to give our guests an experience that felt like them.
Wedding Design Inspiration Inspired by their venue, The Flag House, Erin and Brian chose to play up the existing classic aesthetic but with an additional pop of whimsy. The couple wanted primary colors that were bold and cheerful to create a vibrant, fun feel for the wedding. Creating a common thread among the colors, helped give off an overall cohesive feel and established a consistent palette. For example, the couple’s bright yellow accents during the cocktail hour faded naturally into a softer lemon yellow in the dining room for dinner, and the royal blue accent color on their wedding stationary was mimicked by the dramatic blue up-lighting to set the right party dance tone for after dinner. The boldness of the color palette was balanced out with more simple and classic details such as white roses and white china. Most of all, from the stationery to the ceremony to the reception, the bride and groom wanted humor and personality to shine through to give our guests an experience that felt like them.
What was unique and special about your wedding Erin and Brian’s officiant, Kiana Hebron, asked the couple to each email her the top five things that they loved about each other but not to shares the lists with one another. Kiana saved the lists and read them aloud during the ceremony. Some were silly and cute, while others were serious and thoughtful; Erin and Brian felt it was so special to share the experience of hearing the lists read aloud for the first time with our guests. The couple also exchanged their own vows in addition to traditional vows.
Favorite Details The playlist! The music was the most important detail for Erin and Brian. The couple always wanted to have a 90’s dance party, and figured what better time? While the music wasn’t exclusive to the 90’s, “throwback” was definitely the theme. Erin and Brian spent many weekends selecting more than three hours worth of songs, the majority from the past several decades, with a sprinkle of summer 2015 hits for good measure (Trap Queen, anyone?), that were equal parts nostalgic, dance-worthy, and family-appropriate. The couple researched several deejays and eventually found someone they felt truly got their vision and made it all work better than they could have ever imagined. The dance floor was packed all night. But the cherry on top was Erin and Brian’s entrance song, “Touch the Sky” by Kanye West and a homage to their first meeting.
Most Unexpected Event on the Day of the Wedding The relentless rain. Although it hadn’t rained in weeks, it poured all day long on Erin and Brian’s wedding day. As a result, the couple decided to move their ceremony indoors, but agreed the weather never dampened their excitement.
Piece of advice Be true to yourselves. Do what makes you happy because your mood sets the tone throughout the planning process and the big day.
Erin & Brian
Erin & Brian
Honeymoon destination Tamarindo, Costa Rica Beauty Krystin Locantore of Hair Design by Krystin (hair); Jen Mallare (make-up) Bridesmaids Tadashi Shoji lace sheath in Marina blue with nude shoes from Nordstrom and silver jewelry of their choice Cake Catering by Uptown Caterer Catering by Uptown Flowers Pops of Plum Groom and Groomsmen’s attire Pronto Uomo two-button gray suits and silver pocket square, with matching vests and ties in varying colors. The groom wore a sliver vest and tie, groomsmen wore yellow vests and ties, the dads wore blue ties with no vest at Men’s Wearhouse Invitations DIY Location The Star Spangled Banner Flag House Music My Deejay Officiant Kiana Hebron of Ceremony Officiants: Rev. Laura C. Cannon and Associates Photographer Anna Reynal Transportation N/A Wedding Dress Maggie Sottero Couture from Betsy Robinson’s Bridal Collection