When Gavin Shafer Sun met Caroline Martin Jett, he at first wasn’t exactly overwhelmed by her charms. During an Oktoberfest party they both attended, they played Nails, a game that requires each participant to throw and catch a hammer in a different way to hit other people’s nails into a tree stump. “I thought, ‘Who is this annoying girl who keeps hitting my nail?’” Gavin recalls. Turns out it was more than a coincidence: Caroline, a vice president with Christie’s Auction House, had her eye on Gavin, an options trader with Spot Trading, so she kept aiming for his nail during the game. Her tactic worked, and the two struck up a conversation, during which they realized they had more in common than their choice of party game.
Two and a half years later, Gavin proposed during a walk by the Lincoln Center in front of the fountain prior to a vacation in the Dominican Republic. “Traveling is such a big part of our lives, and on the eve of another fun trip, it was only fitting to decide to embark on a bigger life journey together,” say the couple. Nine months later, they tied the knot in an intimate ceremony at DC’s Anderson House.
Details
Photographer: Eli Turner
Venue: Society of the Cincinnati, Anderson House
Event Coordinator: Pam Barefoot, Atrendy Wedding
Bride’s Gown: Lela Rose, Mark Ingram Atelier in New York
Hair: Giselle
Makeup: Lorna Basse
Groom’s Tux: La Rukico Tailors
Caterer: Occasions Caterers
Cake: Occasions
Cake Flavors: Mon Père French Brie; Carr Valley Marisa; Long Clawson white Stilton with cranberries; and Queso de España Tetilla
Cocktail: Pear martini with lemon and raspberry
Florist: Amaryllis
Flowers: Roses, hydrangea, dahlias, ferns, magnolia foliage, scabiosa, stock, rosemary
Music/Entertainment: Significant Others, Sam Hill Entertainment
First Dance Song: “I’m Coming Home” by Robert Earl Keen
Invitations: Cheree Berry
Bride’s Favorite Detail: “All of the personal touches were great, especially the cheese cake (Who cut the cheese? We did!), but most important were the vows we wrote for each other.”
Groom’s Favorite Detail: “The vows were great, but the band, the Significant Others, was amazing!”
Biggest Surprise: “The four-level human pyramid we made with friends during the reception, with the bride on the top.”
Decor Details: Lanterns glowing under the tent, the wedding cake made of cheese, the stump-like wood escort-card table covered in moss
Theme: Being in the Anderson house
Four Words That Describe the Wedding: Salubrious, heartfelt, personal, and fun
Honeymoon Spot: Negril, Jamaica
Where They Currently Live: Chicago, IL
