For Brooklynites Erinn Smart and Andrew McLeod a Virginia farm just off the Potomac provided the perfect setting for their rustic barn wedding, and a chance to escape the city for a laid-back ceremony and reception, complete with a Southern-style BBQ pit. Images below by The Happy Couple.
Follow B&G on Instagram | Like B&G on Facebook
Though they were just a year apart at Columbia, Erinn and Andrew never crossed paths on campus. It wasn’t until they both signed up for Match.com that the two connected. Their first date began with an impromptu walk along the Highline in New York City, followed by casual conversation at a nearby beer hall where they watched the World Cup and cheered on team USA.
Four years into their relationship, Erinn finished up work to find that Andrew had arranged for a car to pick her up and take her to their date that evening at the Riverside Cafe in Brooklyn. Andrew had snagged the perfect table from which to watch the sunset underneath the Brooklyn Bridge. After dinner, the couple went for a stroll along the Brooklyn promenade, reminiscing about that first impromptu walk together years back. After a heartfelt proposal (she said yes!), Andrew and Erinn returned to the restaurant for yet another surprise: Erinn’s family was there waiting to celebrate.
Erinn and Andrew wanted their wedding to convey their relaxed sensibility and be an easy-going event where family and friends could enjoy themselves. They settled on the Riverside farm on the Potomac, a beautiful, rustic venue in Leesburg, Virginia, with sweeping views of the countryside, and a total chance of landscape from their urban home.
After an intimate ceremony, guests were greeted with smells of a BBQ pit slow roasting outside the reception, held in a stunning barn packed with vintage signs and a live band. Andrew and Erinn kicked off an evening of dancing with a twirl around the floor to Frank Sinatra’s “The Best is Yet To Come,” before welcoming the rest of the crew onto the dance floor. Guests sipped his and hers drinks (Manhattan and Dark & Stormy, respectively) and waiting for the end of the night to cut into a stunning tiered carrot cake embellished with orange roses.
“We didn’t expect everyone to dance all night, but they did” says Erinn, “it was hard to get everyone off the dance floor!”
After the wedding, Andrew and Erinn honeymooned in Costa Rica before heading back to their home in Brooklyn.
VENDORS
Photographer: The Happy Couple | Event Coordinator: Lynn Iannizzi of The Finer Points | Venue: Riverside on the Potomac | Florist: Phileanor by Emily Howard Kudva | Caterers: Smokin Willy BBQ | Cake: Fluffy Thoughts | Bride’s Gown: BHLDN | Bride’s Hair: Bruce Johnson of Avatar Salon and Wellness Spa | Makeup: Nikki Fraser of Beauty ‘n the Bride | Groom’s Tux: Suitsupply | Transportation: Reston Limousine | Ceremony Music: Jerry Lynn Duo | Reception Entertainment: DJ Trey
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.
