Not many couples choose to host a morning wedding and lunch reception but my June was full of them! Hsiao-Wei and Paul decided to keep their day centered on the ceremony, with a wedding at the historic chapel at Vienna Presbyterian Church and a simple but beautiful tented lunch reception at Hunter House at Fairfax County’s Nottoway Park - two of the most simple but elegant, classic wedding venues in Northern Virginia.

The day started at the chapel, where the bride and groom each finished getting ready before a quick first look. It was a sweet moment shared between just the two of them, obviously calming nerves and reminding the two of them of the reason for all the hustle of the day. While I’m more traditional in usually preferring the excitement of waiting to see the bride and groom’s reaction to seeing each other at the wedding ceremony, this was the perfect example of when a first look is just the thing the couple needs to stand ready and proud at the altar, and it was beautiful to see just how much Wei and Paul love each other and were ready to go into the chapel after their first look.

The historic chapel at Vienna Presbyterian Church is a simple but beautiful space. It was filled with light thanks to the big windows and light interior, and a cozy size that made everyone feel like part of the ceremony even from the back of the chapel. The ceremony was fairly short but still focused on their Christian faith and beauty of marriage with readings and some words from the preacher before the vows and exchanging of rings. At the end, the bride and groom got to pause at the back of the chapel to ring the church bell in celebration which was super fun!

After some brief family portraits, we moved just down the road to Hunter House for the reception, which was pulled together by the amazing Moriah at Detail Savvy Events. The historic house had a personalized and fun cocktail hour set up, featuring Taiwanese/American flags, a donut display, colorful cupcakes, and photos of the bride and groom and their family all around the room. Everyone moved out to the tent in the backyard for beautiful music from a string trio, a delicious lunch, and beautiful toasts. Because Hsiao-Wei’s family is from Taiwan and flew over for the celebration, her brother served as an unofficial translator during the speeches - which made for lots of laughs.

After the food, toasts, socializing and cake cutting, Hsiao-Wei disappeared to change into a Taiwanese-inspired exit outfit that was absolutely beautiful and fun! We spent more time wandering around the reception as the bride and groom enjoyed time with all their friends and family together in one place, then enjoyed a fun bubble sendoff to end the afternoon.