Bridal Party - Love Stories

Everything you'll ever need to know about getting married and planning a wedding in the Washington, DC area.

Love Stories: Scott Doyle and Blake Keeley

By Marissa Conrad

Meet two native Washingtonians who know how to manage an office romance.

In high school, Blake Keeley knew only a few things about Scott Doyle: He was her friend’s older brother, he played lacrosse, and he was very, very cute.

“Scott went to Georgetown Prep, where my dad and brother went to school, and I went to Holton-Arms, an all-girls school,” she says. “But I had never met him.”

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Love Stories: Will Shimé and Angela Schmidt Shimé

By Marissa Conrad

Love Stories, a feature on the most romantic, surprising, or just plain quirky tales of love and marriage in Washington, is back! Read about a staged meeting that turned into a serious relationship, then check out our June issue—on sale May 22—for a special Love Stories package.

Angela and Will—just married!

Angela and Will—just married!

When Angela Schmidt Shimé sat down to dinner at her wedding reception last June, she was expecting the usual: A clink of a glass, a few words from the best man, then back to the meal.

But that’s not how they do it in Cameroon. Or, apparently, when you’re marrying a Cameroonian in Maryland.

“It was a tradition for Will that all of his friends and family would get up and say something, and give a blessing,” Angela says. “Every time one of his guests said something, one of mine would get up and tell stories. It turned into an hour of toasting.”

Before the ceremony, Will’s friends had also surprised Angela by bursting into a capella Cameroonian wedding songs that had guests on both sides of the church dancing.

Will, who works as an account executive, came to Washington from Cameroon in 11th grade to play football for Bishop McNamara High School, continuing on to college football at the University of Maryland. In 2003, he met Angela’s sister, who—knowing how stubborn Angela was about being set up—arranged for Angela, a director of global events for a Fairfax software company, to “run into” Will at a bar in DC. They stayed out dancing until 2 AM and started dating soon after.

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Seeking: Engaged or Just-Married Couples

By Marissa Conrad

Been to any great weddings lately? Or maybe you’re planning one yourself. Either way, The Washingtonian would love nothing more than to hear all the details of the big day. E-mail us at mconrad@washingtonian.com or jneal@washingtonian.com and give us all the details! Don’t be shy about sending a few digital snaps, too. You could be featured in our magazine or online.

Love Stories: Shahdy Ali-Hassan and Sahar Javadi

By Marissa Conrad

For this Washington couple, the third time’s the diamond ring.

Shahdy and Sahar on top of Corcovado mountain.

Sahar Javadi and Shahdy Ali-Hassan don’t like Valentine’s Day. They think it’s a cheesy Hallmark holiday that puts too much pressure on too many people. As Sahar puts it, “It’s just stupid.” So when she figured out that Shahdy, her boyfriend of two years, was going to be on company business in Brazil on February 14, 2007, she didn’t care . . . right?

“I was really mad,” says Sahar. “I knew he had my engagement ring. We went shopping for it in November. So at this point all I’m thinking about are opportunities for him to propose.”

She had been sure he was going to do it over New Year’s in Houston, at her brother’s house, in front of her parents. Nope.

In January, when she had to go to Los Angeles on a work trip and Shahdy said he would meet her out there, her hopes rose again. Shahdy, however, hadn’t even brought the ring along.

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Love Stories: Matt and Kristina Cowan

By Marissa Conrad

In this week’s Love Stories—a couple whose engagement night strayed a little from the script.

Matt and Kristina on a trip to California.

When Matt Cowan first saw Kristina Lane in August 2004, he knew nothing about her—except that he had to talk to her.

“My brother and sister-in-law had invited me to their church in Arlington,” says Matt, who had moved to Washington from California just a month earlier. “I’m sitting in the back of the church and I see this girl walk in, and she has this long hair and I’m mesmerized. The whole service I’m thinking, ‘How can I meet this person?’ ”

As the service ended, Matt kept his eye on Kristina . . . and watched her walk right over to his sister-in-law.

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Love Stories: Jamie Gillespie and Andrea Seltzer

By Marissa Conrad

In this week’s Love Stories—a couple whose first date involved his mom’s minivan.

Andrea and Jamie.

Jamie Gillespie and Andrea Seltzer got together the way most 16-year-olds do: He asked her to sit next to him at a party, which—obviously—meant he liked her. Then, he borrowed his mom’s minivan to pick her up for their first “date,” a hiking trip with another couple from Bethesda-Chevy Chase High School. One awkward phone call later (Jamie: “My friends asked me what we are.” Andrea: “My friends, too.” Jamie: “I want to say you’re my girlfriend.” Andrea: “I want to say that, too.”) and they were officially dating.

“We don’t really remember much else,” Andrea says. “Not in a mean way, but it’s not like you’re thinking your high-school boyfriend is the person you’re going to marry or anything.”

Of course not.

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Love Stories: Andy Levi and Niki Herr

By Marissa Conrad

Another Monday, another edition of Love Stories, a Bridal Party feature on the most romantic, surprising, or just plain quirky tales of love and marriage in Washington. This week, meet a couple with a picture-perfect engagement. Literally.

Andy and Niki on their engagement weekend.

Andy and Niki on their engagement weekend.

A picture may be worth a thousand words . . . but Andy Levi cared about only one of them.

He and Niki Herr had been dating for more than three years, ever since meeting on a spring-break cruise in college and deciding they wanted to keep their relationship going past the cute-boy/cute-girl spring-break standard (crazy, right?). At that point, Andy was finishing his senior year at Washington University in St. Louis and Niki her junior year at the University of Richmond. Eighteen months of long-distance romance later (he moved to Mexico, then DC; she went to Kansas City), Niki decided to take the plunge and move to Arlington. Now it was September 2007, they were living together, and Niki’s 25th birthday was coming up. 

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