Real Weddings: Janelle and Matt

Janelle and Matt first met at happy hour at Rugby in Georgetown. Just over a year after he proposed at one of their favorite restaurants, Montmarte on Capitol Hill, the couple married at St. Peter’s Catholic Church, with a reception at Dumbarton House in Georgetown.

“I wanted our wedding to feel ‘casually elegant,’ ” says Janelle. “Matt grew up on Capitol Hill, and I grew up in Middleburg, Virginia, in horse country, so we hoped to combine those experiences throughout the day.”

“The reception decor was elegant and warm with a color scheme mainly featuring cobalt blue and burnt orange,” says Janelle. “One of my favorite parts of the evening was walking into the reception tent and seeing everything come together. It was incredible.”

Instead of signing a traditional guestbook, the couple’s 140 guests placed their fingerprint in orange, blue, or green ink and pressed it on a drawing of a tree, leaving their initials and a small note, as well.

“Each fingerprint looked like a leaf on a tree—it was fantastic!” says Janelle.

The evening’s menu was written on chalkboards, and guests spent the evening dancing to a variety of tunes—from the Allman Brothers to Lady Gaga.

“I’ll always remember dancing with Matt to ‘Jackson’ by Johnny Cash before we cut the cake,” says Janelle.

Two cakes—a bride’s and a groom’s—were served. The bride’s cake featured tiny pearls and a sugar calla lily topper, while Matt selected a Tiffany glass design.

The couple made a donation to the Northern Virginia Therapeutic Riding Program, an organization that provides therapeutic riding lessons to children and veterans with disabilities, in honor of their guests.

“At each guest’s place setting was a small muslin bag,” says Janelle. “Inside was a note about the organization and a green bracelet with NVTRP’s name on it.”

Kim Forrest

Andrew Beaujon

Senior editor

Andrew Beaujon joined Washingtonian in late 2014. He was previously with the Poynter Institute, TBD.com, and Washington City Paper. He lives in Del Ray.