If you’re looking for a wedding with a few modern twists on an otherwise classic day, Grace and Dan’s wedding day is it! After another couple chose to reschedule their wedding originally on this date of 10/10/2020, the most popular wedding date of the year, Grace and her mom reached out to me just a few weeks in advance to see if there was any chance I was still available on this popular wedding date and I’m so grateful they did! These two had the sweetest intimate Catholic wedding ceremony in Silver Spring followed by some fun portraits at The Wharf in DC.

Grace and Dan got ready in separate rooms at the Courtyard by Marriott in Silver Spring, MD. When I arrived at Grace’s room first, the team from JSL Visions (one of my recommended vendors!) was finishing up their work on the wedding party. Grace chose an unconventional, super fun red lipstick as the main feature of her look and I love it! It fit her personality and her otherwise very classic look made the red lip work so well. The natural light in this room was perfect for the getting ready photos and made for great detail photos as well. They had a cute unique ring box made of clear acrylic and personalized in white font with their names and wedding date – it was a fun modern touch to otherwise very classic wedding details.

Once everyone was ready we were off to the church! Grace and Dan chose St. Michael the Archangel Catholic Church in Silver Spring, just a short walk away from the hotel. We got a lot of attention from strangers on our walk! Once we arrived, Grace was greeted by her father outside and they shared a hug before we moved down to the parish hall on the lower level of the church as the main church space is currently under renovation. With warm inviting tones throughout the space, beautiful chandeliers, and a beautiful image of Christ behind a classic altar at the front of the room, this space was perfect for an intimate family-only wedding ceremony.

I must admit this is now one of my absolute favorite wedding ceremonies I’ve ever had the pleasure of attending. Grace and Dan were literally surrounded by their family members during the ceremony – instead of a traditional seating arrangement where the bride and groom are at the front of the aisle or off to the side at the front and everyone else is in rows behind them, their small gathering allowed them to be flanked on each side with their wedding guests, side by side as the two families become one. The mass in the unconventional space reminded me of retreats in college, where we would celebrate mass in the living room of a beach house or the generic gathering space of a retreat center. This made the celebration feel private and personal. On top of that, the music was absolutely beautiful – there was a pianist and a cantor who performed beautiful renditions of reverent and romantic songs like Make Me a Channel of Your Peace and You Are Mine. I also loved that Grace and Dan chose a particular reading from the Book of Tobit for their first reading, where Tobias and Sarah pray together on their wedding night; that prayer is special to my husband and I as we chose to pray it together on our own wedding day in lieu of using it as our first reading as well because we find that reading and that prayer powerful and beautiful for newlyweds.

Once mass was over, we snapped a couple quick photos inside in front of the altar before moving the party outside to the front of the church for formal portraits. I especially loved capturing a few photos of the bride and groom individually here – Grace’s wedding dress had a long train that draped beautifully down the stairs.

Once we were finished with the formal photos outside the church, we drove down to The Wharf in DC for their mini wedding reception at the Canopy by Hilton. Their restaurant has a lovely terrace with a view of the Potomac and all the activity of the newly renovated Wharf below, as well as the lovely courtyard area where we took some bride and groom portraits. I love the cool modern look of the new glass building contrasting with the gorgeous greenery and floral foliage surrounding them; this setting looked clean and classic yet with a modern edge, which fit the tone of their day so well. The lighting around here was also great especially for being in the middle of the day, thanks to a little bit of cloud cover and the reflective buildings surrounding us! Grace and Dan were such a sweet couple and I love how the portraits turned out at the end of their special day.

Hotel: Courtyard by Marriott Silver Spring Downtown

Church: St. Michael the Archangel Catholic Church

HMUA: JSL Visions

Flowers: Costco

Dress: Town & Country Bridal in New Orleans, LA

Dress Alterations: Maria at Anytime Alterations

Bridesmaids Dresses: Revelry

Groom’s Suit: The Black Tux

Engagement Ring and Bride’s Wedding Band: Silver Spring Jewelry

Ring Box: Muujee on Etsy