Hoping to find unique ways to incorporate your beloved pet into your wedding-day theme? Look no further! This vibrant wedding at the American Institute of Architects is filled with adorable ideas. The couple, Katherine and Tony worked with their planner, Sugar Taylor of Sugar Taylor Co., in order to find creative ways to highlight their two dogs, HeiDou and Doufu and the end result is a must-see. “We were living in New Hampshire at the time and we just didn’t think it was feasible for the two of us to plan the wedding nor put that on the rest of our families,” explains the couple, adding that this led us them to finding designer Sugar Taylor. From the invitations, to the linen napkins, to the dance floor, the addition of the pups added a personal touch to Katherine and Tony’s special day.
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How the Couple Met
Despite both growing up in Maryland, the couple didn’t meet until they both lived in Louisville, Kentucky. They connected on Bumble, and after chatting briefly, they agreed to meet up at a local coffee shop. “Katherine isn’t the best at texting,” says Tony, adding that he wondered if she would even show up at all. So, he brought a book to read while he waited just in case. However, he was pleasantly surprised when she did arrive and the two were instantly smitten. Within weeks of that first date, Katherine says she knew she wanted to marry Tony. They dated for about two years until they got engaged.
The Puppy-Filled Wedding-Theme
The couple says that originally their wedding-day aesthetic centered around the fall season, since they were decorating with lots of Autumn blooms and colors. “But over the course of Sugar doing the design and as our date approached,” says the couple, “the theme morphed into our dogs, HeiDou and DouFu.”
The Custom Wedding Attire
“The wedding dress was an unintended splurge,” says Katherine. Adding that she really wanted to find a jumpsuit and then have a detachable skirt made to wear for the ceremony. However, she had trouble finding the perfect jumpsuit and decided to create a custom jumpsuit with a skirt instead. She worked with her designer, Modern Trousseau to create the ultimate look and even paired the jumpsuit with a ultra-cool jean jacket to add some fun to her reception attire.
The Signature Drinks and Cake Toppers
Along with their custom print of their dogs, which was seen throughout their wedding decor, the couple also decided to have some fun with their signature drinks and include their pups’ names for each drink.
As for their wedding desserts, they had seven different selections of cakes, with one main confection, a delicious carrot cake that was topped with a felted custom cake topper of their dogs.
The Details:
Photographer: Kristen Gardner Photography | Venue: American Institute of Architects | Planning, Design, Florals & Invitations: Sugar Taylor Co. | Catering: Spilled Milk Catering | Cake: Baked & Wired | Hair Stylist: UpDos for I Dos | Furniture and Rentals: Something Vintage Rentals | Bride’s Attire Modern Trousseau | Groom’s Attire: Brooks Brothers | Bridesmaids’ Attire: Bloomingdales |Music/Entertainment: Sound Nation
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.
