A visual wedding story

Shawni & Ben

The DAR · Washington, DC · June fifth

Shawni & Ben

The DAR, Washington. June fifth. The day, as it happened.

Chapter I

The Venue

Memorial Continental Hall, the DAR · Washington, DC

They both fell for it the moment they walked in, and knew this was the one. One block west of the White House, the Daughters of the American Revolution keep a Beaux-Arts landmark in white marble: thirteen columns along the portico, one for each of the original colonies, with a clear line of sight to the Washington Monument. On the fifth of June, it was Shawni and Ben’s.

Black and white, guests gathered beneath the towering columns of the portico, a lantern overhead and the Monument in the distance

Cocktail tables and gold chairs under string lights and a white umbrella, set against the marble facade

Tables set beneath a tall fanlight window, sconces lit, guests out on the sunlit terrace beyond the glass

The bar glimpsed between two columns, bottles and flowers laid out under string lights against the dark trees

A single linen draped cocktail table with a small shaded lamp, standing between the columns before the arched glass doors

Black and white, guests in cocktail attire mingling among the giant fluted columns, an American flag in the sun

Chapter II

The Styling

A welcome sign at the door, calla lilies by the armful, three tiers of cake, and tables set beneath the barrel vault. Timeless, elegant, the hall dressed for the evening.

A draped fabric sign welcoming guests to the wedding of Ben and Shawni, arrivals passing between the columns behind it

The bouquets resting in glass cylinders along a white mantel, calla lilies and orchids beneath a gilded mirror

Three tiers of piped buttercream on a lace stand, doubled in the gold framed mirror behind the cake table

Round tables dressed in white with callas and taper candles, the tall arched windows glowing behind them

Arrangements of white roses, callas and chrysanthemums on tall white pedestals along the marble balustrade

Rows of bamboo chairs waiting for the ceremony, a folded wooden fan laid on every white cushion

A framed watercolor propped on the gift table beside a glass card box, envelopes and a bowl of favors

A round table set in white before the dark double doors, brass sconces lit on either side

The hall set for dinner, round tables and gold chairs on the herringbone floor beneath the ornate vaulted ceiling

A drink handed across the bar cart, a framed menu propped among the bottles and silver trays

Trays of cheese, crudites and cured meats laid out along the balustrade, stacked plates catching the sun

A bartender in sunglasses working under a white umbrella, bottles crowded in front of him and the sun flaring behind

Black and white, the hall in motion, guests blurred around the set tables and a flower girl crossing the foreground

Chapter III

The First Look

Ben waited at the balustrade with the Monument for company, nervous and unable to wait another second to see her. Shawni crossed the terrace behind him, and when he turned, he was stunned, wide-eyed, wow. The wedding party watched through the windows in beautiful awe.

He turned around…

Black and white, the groom standing at the balustrade with his back turned, the Monument ahead of him

The bride crossing the terrace toward the groom's turned back, the Monument waiting in the distance

He has just turned, the groom grinning at the bride, her hands resting on her hips in lace sleeves

The groom reaching for the bride's hand on the terrace, both of them laughing in the midday sun

The groom dipping the bride into a kiss on the terrace, the Monument rising behind them

Black and white, the bride in sunglasses laughing at the balustrade while the groom looks up at her holding her train

Black and white, the groom waiting alone at the balustrade, seen through the panes of the terrace doors

Black and white, through the glass, the bride crossing the terrace toward the Monument with her train carried behind her

Black and white, the couple kissing at the balustrade after the first look, the Monument over his shoulder

Black and white, the wedding party watching from a dark room, faces lit by the bright terrace windows

Black and white, guests pressed to the tall window, a little girl watching the celebration out on the terrace

The bride stopped just behind the groom at the balustrade, the moment before he turns around

Chapter IV

The Wedding Party

Laughter on the couch, bottles cracked around the table, and one very sharp lineup at the front door.

The groom and his groomsmen in black tie on the marble steps, a chandelier glowing in the doorway behind them

Black and white, groomsmen straightening their bow ties in the mirror above the marble mantel

Groomsmen clinking green glass bottles across the table, one of them still in his chair

The bride laughing with her eyes closed, veil and pearls catching the flash, groomsmen mugging behind her

The bride and her bridesmaids collapsing into laughter on a bench against the teal damask wall

Three bridesmaids standing with their bouquets during the ceremony, guests seated in the foreground

Bridesmaids holding bouquets of purple and white calla lilies, an orchid bouquet at the edge of the frame

Chapter V

The Ceremony

A warm, bright summer day, and thanks to the hour it was called, the whole ceremony sat in cool shade while the sun stayed out beyond it. Under the flag, in front of everyone they love: the mothers walked, their nieces and nephews came down the aisle as ring bearers, the vows held steady, and the whole terrace let go at the kiss, the Monument behind it all, watching them marry.

The whole ceremony from the back row, guests seated beneath the flag, the couple far ahead and the Monument over the trees

Black and white, a woman in a satin gown walked in on a tuxedoed arm, a dog watching from its lead

Black and white, an older guest looking up from his seat, holding fast to the groom's hand

Black and white, the bride coming down the aisle in her long veil, guests on their feet on either side

A ring bearer in a little black suit trotting down the aisle mid wave, another following far behind in his vest

The bride carrying her callas between the towering fluted columns, her veil back and a smile already going

The ceremony from the balcony above, the wedding party fanned out to either side and a ring bearer crossing the stones

Black and white, guests on their feet applauding, an open fan raised in the middle of the row

The bride laughing through a tear during the vows, a bridesmaid behind her wiping her own

The groom pulled into a long hug at the front of the ceremony, guests smiling from their chairs

The exchange of rings, her lace sleeve against his watch, white flowers over their shoulders

Black and white, the groom reading his vows from a folded page, a microphone held close

The Monument over the trees in the late sun, guests gathered in the shade below

The kiss under the trees between pedestals of white flowers, a small boy watching from his chair

Chapter VI

The Reception

Then the terrace turned into a dance floor. The DJ kept the whole place lifted, heart-shaped sunglasses came out, drinks flowed while the bartenders worked at the top of their game, and the wedding party stayed head over heels for the two of them all night. A crowd that would not sit down, and one last kiss on the balustrade.