Weddings

A Flash Mob and a Surprise Duet — Here’s How to Throw the Ultimate Wedding at the Fillmore

Sarah and Tyler held an unforgettable celebration at the Fillmore in Silver Spring.

All photography by Lock and Company Photography

Sarah Conte and Tyler Herman’s Fillmore wedding was filled with surprises. The couple, who met while working together at a local theater, knew that their big day would include special performances inspired by their venue. “We got married in a rock concert venue, and we kind of ran with that,” they say, noting that the even included several performances scattered through, including a surprise performance by their guests! From the parade led by their Rabbi during the veiling ceremony, to the couple’s cover of “Do You Love Me?” at the reception, this Fillmore wedding definitely didn’t lack entertainment. Check out their wedding below, and watch their wedding video, to get a glimpse of their spectacular celebration.

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The Wedding Fashion

Sarah opted for two wedding dresses on her big day. For the Jewish ceremony, she stuck to a traditional look, similar to what her mother wore on her wedding day, wearing a sheath V-neck dress accessorized with illusion lace sleeves. After the ceremony, she changed into something more unexpected, and donned a fitted gown covered in crystal embellishments. Tyler also looked handsome in a black tuxedo paired with a white bow tie.

As for their wedding party, bridesmaids wore matching marine-blue gowns in satin and groomsmen wore tuxedos paired with handmade bow ties. Fun fact: Sarah made each bow tie from leftover fabric from the bridesmaid dresses!

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The Ceremony

Before the ceremony, the couple did a Bedeken, which as Sarah describes it, is “like a Jewish first look.” Sarah was upstairs as Tyler was with their Rabbi signing the Ketuvah, the wedding contract. After they signed it, the Rabbi said to everyone, “the only job we have today is to bring joy to the bride, and help this guy get there!” The Rabbi and their family and friends then started singing as they led Tyler up the stairs. This was one of Sarah’s favorite moments from their Fillmore wedding. She could hear the singing as it drifted up the stairs and when Tyler and his entourage finally arrived everyone started dancing and congratulating them before heading off to the ceremony.

The ceremony also included other Jewish traditions, such as a Chuppah canopy, a prayer shawl and breaking of the glass. Bridesmaids helped decorate the Chuppah during the ceremony. Instead of carrying bouquets, they carried a single-stem rose and added it to the Chuppah after they walked down the aisle.  “We tried to create a space where everyone contributed to helping us start our new life together,” the couple explains.

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How They Got Engaged

“We went on a beautiful tour of eastern Europe in the summer of 2017,” the say. On their last night, while visiting Budapest, Hungary, they were walking by the Hungarian Parliament Building. “It was stunning and all lit up,” Sarah remembers. As they stopped to take a few pictures on a nearby bench, Tyler surprised Sarah by dropping to one knee and proposing. “He had been carrying around the ring all day, bare in his pocket, repeating what he wanted to say.”

 

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The Fillmore Wedding Reception

“We wanted to create a fun and elegant night to remember forever,” the couple explain. So, for their Fillmore wedding they splurged on booking a killer band. “They were amazing and worth every penny,” Tyler says, adding that the band, Free Spirit, even allowed guests to join them on stage to sing along. Tyler, an actor and performer, arranged for the newlyweds to sing a duet together during the reception. They sang a couple of originals as well as a cover of “Do You Love Me?” before Sarah took the lead and surprised Tyler with a solo performance! “She had, in secret, gotten voice lessons, communicated and rehearsed with the band, and told no one except the wedding planner,” Tyler says. And that wasn’t the only unexpected performance! At the end of the night, a mass-orchestrated flash mob took place on the dance floor. All in all, the wedding was filled with music and dancing with loved ones.

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The Details:

Photographer & Videographer: Lock and Company Photography | Venue: The Fillmore Silver Spring | Coordination: ETC Coordinators | Florist: Sweet Root Village | Invitations: Cohen Printing | Caterer: Rouge | Hair & Makeup Artist: Hair & Makeup Artistry by Claudine LLC. | Bride’s Attire: Anomalie (ceremony dress); Calla Blanche (reception dress) | Bridesmaids’ Attire: Bari Jay | Groomsmen Attire: The Black Tux | Music/Entertainment: Free Spirit 

jacqueline-tynes
Assistant Editor, Washingtonian Weddings

Jacqueline comes to Washingtonian with close to five years of digital content experience and SEO best practices. She previously was a senior editorial associate at WeddingWire, specializing in wedding fashion, and before that, an assistant at Vow Bride. Originally from Norfolk, Virginia, she now lives in Columbia Heights.