SoRelle Wyckoff and Michael Gaynor describe their Meridian House wedding as an “end of summer bash.” The pair married on the very last weekend of August last year and wanted to make sure their celebration felt like “a goodbye to a wonderful summer season,” explains the couple. For the color scheme, they chose chose orangey-reds and neutrals paired with pops of pink to evoke the feeling of summer coming to a close. They exchanged vows at St. Stephen and the Incarnation Episcopal Church and then invited everyone to a celebration at Meridian House. There they served a family-style dinner with a variety of seasonal dishes, and ended the reception with boozy milkshakes—an ode to bride’s favorite drink from college, the Bushwhacker—and ice cream cake! However, in typical end-of-summer party style, the fun didn’t stop there. After the reception, SoRelle and Michael continued the celebration with a karaoke-after party. Check out their wedding below to learn more.
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How They Met
SoRelle and Michael met at a Nationals baseball game, (Go Nats!), through mutual friends. The two had a few drinks at the Bullpen before heading into the stadium and ended up hitting it off immediately. They claim that they failed to watch a single play because they were so intrigued by one another. The pair went on a first date later that week at Compass Rose, and they’ve been together ever since. “We find it fitting that the Nats won the World Series the year we got married,” says the couple.
The Wedding Details
To create an end-of-summer wedding aesthetic, the couple got creative with their wedding-day signage. They hand-dyed their escort cards “to create an ombre effect” and also calligraphed guests names and seating arrangements on them. “We dyed the table numbers and bar menus as well, and they were held up by gold animal figures,” says the couple. They also passed out Koozies with a screen print of their cat, Kambei, leaning over the words ‘what a purrrfect pair.’ “BeardAndTeethApparel on Etsy sent dozens of sketches back and forth, and even used her own cat to get the position just right,” says the couple.
The Details:
Photographer: Emily Alyssa Photography | Venue: St. Stephen and the Incarnation Episcopal Church (ceremony); Meridian House (reception) | Event Coordinator: Cherry Blossom Events | Florist: Growing Wild Florist | Invitations: Cardlab Letterpress Company |Catering: Well Dunn Catering | Cake: Buttercream Bakeshop (wedding cake); Great American Cookie Co. (ice cream cake) | Hair and Makeup Stylist: Alison Harper Company |Bride’s Attire: Lela Rose Bridal from Carine’s Bridal Atelier | Groom’s Attire: Suit Supply | Bridesmaids’ Attire: Shona Joy | Groomsmen’s Attire: Men’s Wearhouse | Music/Entertainment: DC Fusion | Transportation: Awards Limo | Koozies: Etsy | Outdoor Lighting: DJ Dan
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.
