We love how Lauren Cafferty and Jonathan (Jon) Mahaffey mingled vintage with modern in their nuptials—from the sweet “Cheers” cocktail stirrers to the gold wax seals on the menus. Their lovely day was captured on camera in the images below by Jodi & Kurt Photography.
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It was an eight-year path to marriage for real estate broker Jon and attorney Lauren, who met at a South Carolina Gamecocks football tailgate. He was a “camo-wearing, gun-toting Southern guy” studying political science at the university; she was “very much the product of growing up outside of a big city” and a journalism student, but easy conversation (and old-fashioned curiosity) fueled an attraction. Don’t say something dumb, Jon remembers thinking. She’s from DC. He asked her to lunch four times before she finally agreed to dinner.
Seven years later, Jon proposed at Middleburg’s Goodstone Inn. “The peaceful farm setting was the perfect way to relax and get away from our usual hectic day-to-day lifestyle,” says Lauren. During a stroll around the property, Jon got down on one knee and pulled out a stunning solitaire ring.
The early-fall wedding had a distinctly vintage vibe—wax seals on the menus, dining tables named for former presidential members of the venue, antique mirrored trays glimmering atop the cocktail tables. Lauren wore her mother’s veil, and the couple’s shared love of Gamecocks football was woven into the day with vintage South Carolina stamps on the invitations and garnet decor at the reception.
After partaking in the cigar bar and bourbon, ginger ale, and lime cocktails, the celebration came to a close. After driving off in a 1957 Bentley, the newlyweds honeymooned in Moorea and Bora Bora in French Polynesia.
VENDORS
Venue: Congressional Country Club | Photographer: Jodi & Kurt Photography | Event Coordinator: Lauryn Prattes and Stephanie Economides, Lauryn Prattes Styling & Events | Flowers: Holly Heider Chapple | Bride’s Gown: Paloma Blanca, Hannelore’s (now closed) | Hair: Hair by Giselle and Carola Myers Makeup & Hair | Makeup: Carl Ray | Groom’s Tux: Vera Wang, Men’s Wearhouse | Catering & Cake: Congressional Country Club | Transportation: Limousines, Inc. and Regal Limousine | Music: Jump Street Band, EastCoast Entertainment | Invitations: Winifred Paper | Calligraphy: Laura Hooper Calligraphy | Cigar Bar: Castañeda Cigars
Find the perfect setting for your “I do’s” on our list of the area’s best wedding venues and reception spaces.
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.
