Real Wedding: Monica and John

Monica and John are the quintessential DC couple. They met on the first day of law school orientation and got engaged the day after taking the bar exam almost three years later. When it came to the wedding, the duo decided on a June garden theme at the Meridian House in the heart of Washington.

The ceremony took place in the picturesque outdoor space, with a reception that followed indoors. Theme colors—purple, pink, and blue—were interwoven throughout the wedding, from flowers on the altar to elegant table settings, and fun decor details included Chinese lanterns and Mad Libs. The couple recalls their custom-made ketuba, and their personalized wedding vows. “It was definitely nerve-racking to pour our hearts out in front of our guests, but it made for one of the most memorable moments of the wedding,” says Monica.

The bride worked with A. Domenick Events on the details and decor. “John and I really wanted to make sure the little details of the wedding reflected our personalities and relationship, and we worked hard to make sure that things we love were integrated into the day,” she says. Inspired by their travels around the world, the couple customized each escort card with vintage stamps they handpicked from a flea market in Paris; they used framed photos from their vacations in London, Nice, Croatia, and Thailand as table numbers, and served an Italian sparkling red wine instead of Champagne for toasts. For the honeymoon, the globetrotters jetted off to South Africa.

As for the wedding dessert, they nixed traditional cake for heart-shaped ice cream cake and ice cream sandwiches. And what’s a wedding without a nightcap? Monica and John surprised their guests with the arrival of the DC Slices food truck, a happy—and delicious—way to cap off a love-filled celebration.