Sections
  • News & Politics
  • Food
  • Things to Do
  • Washingtonian Events
  • Home & Style
  • Editors’ Picks
  • Events Calendar
  • Health
  • Longreads
  • Parenting
  • Real Estate
  • Shopping
  • Travel
  • Weddings
Reader Favorites
  • Subscribe
  • Neighborhoods
  • Newsletters
  • Directories
  • Washingtonian Events
Washington’s Best
  • Apartment Rentals
  • DC Travel Guide
  • Dentists
  • Doctors
  • Financial Advisers
  • Health Experts
  • Home Improvement Experts
  • Industry Leaders
  • Lawyers
  • Mortgage Professionals
  • Pet Care
  • Private Schools
  • Real Estate Agents
  • Restaurants
  • Retirement Communities
  • Wedding Vendors
More
  • Subscribe
  • Manage My Subscription
  • Digital Edition
  • Shop
  • Contests
  • About Us
  • Advertising
  • Contact Us
  • Jobs
© 2022 Washingtonian Media Inc.
Privacy Policy
All Rights Reserved
 Rss
Skip to content
Washingtonian.com
  • Search
  • Subscribe
  • Menu
  • News & Politics
  • Things to Do
  • Food
  • Health
  • Shopping
  • Home & Style
  • Real Estate
  • Weddings
  • Travel

  • Subscribe
  • Neighborhoods
  • Newsletters
  • Directories
  • Washingtonian Events
  • Trending Now in Weddings
  • Wedding News
  • DC Engagement
  • wedding venues
  • Food Trucks
  • Real Weddings
Weddings

She Loves Degas, So Her Prince Charming Proposed at the National Gallery

Written by Hayley Garrison Phillips
| Published on January 31, 2017
Tweet Share

Rachael Croft and Courtney Houston-Carter met on a fateful midnight subway ride in Boston. Five years later, Courtney would be proposing to Rachael in front of Degas’ Little Dancer at Washington’s National Gallery of Art. Their fairytale wedding (Rachael even wore a tiara!) was captured by photographers Michael O. Snyder and Barbara Oliviera of Michael O. Snyder Wedding Photography.

Like B&G on Facebook | Follow B&G on Instagram

This Princess Bride Wore a Tiara for Her Wedding at Antrim 1844 Rachael Croft

This Princess Bride Wore a Tiara for Her Wedding at Antrim 1844 Rachael Croft

This Princess Bride Wore a Tiara for Her Wedding at Antrim 1844 Rachael Croft

They met by chance. Rachael Croft was riding the Boston subway home late one summer evening when she noticed a elegantly-dressed man riding the same line. “As he chatted with a friend, I noticed he had a wonderful laugh,” Rachael explains. When they both switched lines at the same stop, she decided to approach him on the platform. “I felt like it would be a missed opportunity if I didn’t.”

This Princess Bride Wore a Tiara for Her Wedding at Antrim 1844 Rachael Croft

This Princess Bride Wore a Tiara for Her Wedding at Antrim 1844 Rachael Croft

This Princess Bride Wore a Tiara for Her Wedding at Antrim 1844 Rachael Croft

This Princess Bride Wore a Tiara for Her Wedding at Antrim 1844 Rachael Croft

This Princess Bride Wore a Tiara for Her Wedding at Antrim 1844 Rachael Croft

This Princess Bride Wore a Tiara for Her Wedding at Antrim 1844 Rachael Croft

This Princess Bride Wore a Tiara for Her Wedding at Antrim 1844 Rachael Croft

The well-dressed gentleman was Courtney Houston-Carter, and he was on his way home from a funeral. But despite the circumstances, when Rachael approached him, she made an instant impression. “I just happened to meet an interesting, intelligent, and beautiful girl randomly on the subway,” he recalls, “my mind was made up. I went home and asked her out to brunch the next day.”

This Princess Bride Wore a Tiara for Her Wedding at Antrim 1844 Rachael Croft

This Princess Bride Wore a Tiara for Her Wedding at Antrim 1844 Rachael Croft

This Princess Bride Wore a Tiara for Her Wedding at Antrim 1844 Rachael Croft

This Princess Bride Wore a Tiara for Her Wedding at Antrim 1844 Rachael Croft

This Princess Bride Wore a Tiara for Her Wedding at Antrim 1844 Rachael Croft

This Princess Bride Wore a Tiara for Her Wedding at Antrim 1844 Rachael Croft

This Princess Bride Wore a Tiara for Her Wedding at Antrim 1844 Rachael Croft

Rachael is a policy advisor for the National Economic Council in the White House, while Courtney works as a legislative assistant in the office of Senator Roy Blunt. Courtney knew he wanted to plan something truly special for Rachael when he proposed. He invited her to the National Gallery one evening under the guise of attending a fancy work event. They meandered through the galleries together until they reached an exhibit displaying Degas, Rachael’s favorite artist. As they paused in front of Little Dancer Aged Fourteen, Courtney got down on one knee and proposed. Because the museum was closing, the pair had to make a quick exit, and headed out for a late dinner to celebrate over Champagne.

This Princess Bride Wore a Tiara for Her Wedding at Antrim 1844 Rachael Croft

This Princess Bride Wore a Tiara for Her Wedding at Antrim 1844 Rachael Croft

This Princess Bride Wore a Tiara for Her Wedding at Antrim 1844 Rachael Croft

This Princess Bride Wore a Tiara for Her Wedding at Antrim 1844 Rachael Croft

This Princess Bride Wore a Tiara for Her Wedding at Antrim 1844 Rachael Croft

This Princess Bride Wore a Tiara for Her Wedding at Antrim 1844 Rachael Croft

This Princess Bride Wore a Tiara for Her Wedding at Antrim 1844 Rachael Croft

This Princess Bride Wore a Tiara for Her Wedding at Antrim 1844 Rachael Croft

This Princess Bride Wore a Tiara for Her Wedding at Antrim 1844 Rachael Croft

Rachael and Courtney wed a year-and-a-half later at Antrim 1844 Country House Hotel. The outdoor wedding took place under a romantic trellis woven with peonies and English Garden roses in an array of pink, peach, and yellow. For the ceremony, they each selected a poem for Rachael’s younger brother and sister to read aloud. Rachael chose [i carry your heart with me(i carry it in] by E.E. Cummings and Courtney chose She Walks in Beauty by Lord Byron.

This Princess Bride Wore a Tiara for Her Wedding at Antrim 1844 Rachael Croft

This Princess Bride Wore a Tiara for Her Wedding at Antrim 1844 Rachael Croft

This Princess Bride Wore a Tiara for Her Wedding at Antrim 1844 Rachael Croft

After the ceremony the pair retreated indoors, where banquet tables were laid with garlands of greenery and taper candles, and the couple danced under a chandelier draped in sage. They gave away petite boxes of pink and gold macarons as guest gifts, and family and friends toasted the couple with pink champagne and peach Bellinis. Then guests lined up with sparklers to give the newlyweds a festive send-off before they embarked on a honeymoon to Italy. “I could tell from the moment we started talking on the subway platform that she was a kind and generous person,” says Courtney. “I knew that she was someone I wanted to spend more time with.”

VENDORS

Photographer: Michael O. Snyder and Barbara Oliviera of Michael O. Snyder Wedding Photography | Wedding and Reception Venue: Antrim 1844 Country House Hotel | Event Coordinator: Mary Ann Fisher of Antrim 1844 Country House Hotel | Bride’s Gown: Stella York from Ellie’s Bridal Boutique | Bride’s Shoes: Jimmy Choo | | Groom’s Tux: Rented through Generation Tux | Wedding Rings: David Yurman | Hair & Makeup: Up Do’s for I Do’s | Cake: Starry Night Bakery | Florist: Wicked Willow Event Florals | Catering: Antrim 1844 Country House Hotel | DJ: Ian Lade of Digital Sound Services | Ceremony Music: harpist Elaine Bryant of Harp Shadows | Invitations: Minted | Welcome favors: Macarons from Sweet Hearts Patisserie

More: Antrim 1844 Country House HotelDegasHotel WeddingMarylandMaryland WeddingNational Gallery of ArtOutdoor WeddingPrincess WeddingSpring WeddingTaneytownTiara
Love love? Share Rachael and Courtney's story!
Share Tweet
Hayley Garrison Phillips
Assistant Editor

Hayley is an Associate Editor at Washingtonian Weddings. Previously she was the the Style Editor at The Local Palate, a Southern food culture magazine based out of Charleston, South Carolina. You can follow her on instagram @wandertaste.

Most Popular in Weddings

1

A Year After Eloping, This Couple Celebrated With Friends And Family

2
clever-wedding-ideas

50 Clever Wedding Ideas to Make Your Big Day Stand Out

3

7 of DC’s Favorite Couples Tell Us How They Met

4

Prepare to Be Filled With Love (And Envy) Over This DC Couple’s Insanely Stylish Engagement Shoot at The Apollo

5

You Can Now Get Married at the Smithsonian! Here’s Our Quick Guide to the New Venues

Washingtonian Magazine

July 2022: Summer Music Guide

July 2022: Summer Music Guide

View Issue
Subscribe

Follow Us on Social

We'll help you live your best #DCLIFE every day

Follow Us on Social

We'll help you live your best #DCLIFE every day

Related

PHOTOS: Barack and Michelle Obama Visited the National Gallery of Art

Fantastic Foodie Getaways

The Foodie Travel Guide to Cambridge, Maryland: Where to Eat, Drink, and Stay

Jazz in the Garden Makes Its Big Return May 20

More from Weddings

A Year After Eloping, This Couple Celebrated With Friends And Family

An Elegant Nature-Inspired Winery Wedding With a Persian-American Flare

This Flower-Filled Wedding Featured an Ikebana Escort-Card Display and a Parisian-Inspired Vintage Phone That Served as an Audio Guestbook

At This Vineyard Wedding, the Bridesmaids Wore White Off-the-Shoulder Dresses of Their Choice

In This “Love Is Love”–Themed Wedding, Guests Waved Pride Flags as the Brides Recessed Up the Aisle

To Keep the Party Going, This Couple Served Dessert—Boozy Slushies, Ice Cream Sandwiches, and Funfetti Cake Pops—on the Dance Floor

This Simple, Secret-Garden–Themed Wedding Featured 10 Guests and a Locally Sourced Four-Course Dinner

14-Foot Trees Flanked the Indoor Ceremony of This Black-Tie Wedding

© 2022 Washingtonian Media Inc.
All Rights Reserved.
Washingtonian is a participant in the Amazon Services LLC Associates Program, an affiliate advertising program designed to provide a means for sites to earn advertising fees by advertising and linking to Amazon.com.
Privacy Policy and Opt-Out
 Rss
Get the best news, delivered weekly.
By signing up, you agree to our terms.
  • Subscribe
  • Manage My Subscription
  • Digital Edition
  • Shop
  • Contests
  • About Us
  • Advertising
  • Contact Us
  • Jobs