We love that DC weddings tend to have such an innate sense of elegance to them, and Lee Spangler and Jonathan (Jon) Daniel’s celebration is no exception. They decked out their historic venue with jaw-dropping floral arrangements by Holly Heider Chapple that took their classic space to the next level. Check out these photos by Abby Jiu Photography that caught all the warmth and joy of their day.
Lee and Jon found love the new old-fashioned way: through an online dating service. After a brief message exchange, they met for drinks at a bar in Manhattan’s East Village. “We had beers, talked for hours, and made plans to spend the following day together on Jones Beach,” remembers Lee. He found Jon, now a high school math teacher, “handsome, humble, genuine, and passionate”; Jon’s first impressions of Lee, now a radiologist, were “warm, smart, cute, and smiley.”
Lee’s residency took them from New York to Pittsburgh, and new job opportunities brought them to DC. Nine years into their relationship, Lee picked up rings on the way home from the gym and proposed in the private garden of their Georgetown rowhouse—while still wearing his workout attire.
Come wedding day, a “brief and simple” ceremony was followed by a few festive hours of dinner and dancing. Bourbons were knocked back, well-wishes were exchanged, and cigars—a longstanding tradition of Jon’s late father at family events—were smoked.
VENDORS
Photographer: Abby Jiu Photography | Month-of Coordinator: Events in the City | Flowers & Event Design: Holly Heider Chapple | Grooms’ Attire: Suitsupply | Caterer: Design Cuisine | Cake: Maggie Austin Cake | Music: Nightsong, Entertainment Exchange | Invitations: Miss Merkle Design | Calligraphy: Meant To Be Calligraphy | Transportation: Limousines, Inc. | Rentals: Bella Villa | Lighting: Frost Lighting Company of DC | Honeymoon: Napa Valley and Big Sur
Sarah is the Editor-in-Chief of Washingtonian Bride & Groom, and writes about weddings, fashion, and shopping. Her work has also appeared in Refinery29, Bethesda Magazine, and Washington City Paper, among others. She is a Georgetown University graduate, lives in Columbia Heights, and you can find her on Instagram at @washbridegroom and @sarahzlot.
