Carmela, a store merchandising manager, and James, a senior supply chain planner, first met about seven years ago. The duo were both working at H&M and on Carmela’s first day, a co-worker picked up on their instant chemistry. She told us “You two would look good together,” says Carmela, but they didn’t immediately start dating. It took about a year of them getting to know one another before they finally became an item and James planned an epic four-day-long first date. Carmela says the October weekend started with a romantic dinner and ferris wheel ride at The National Harbor, followed by a visit to the Baltimore Aquarium, then a friend-filled dinner at Filipino restaurant in DC, and ended with a chill night of Taco Bell and chatting for hours. The pair dated for three years before getting engaged and opted for a fall wedding in Northern Virginia. Check out their autumn wedding below for more details.
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The Seasonal Wedding Color Palette
Since the couple was planning a late-October affair, they decided to throw an Autumn-inspired wedding at the 1757 Golf Club in Dulles. Carmela says they chose to decorate their special day with fall colors such as rust and caramel, paired with tones of red, which is prevalent in their oh-so gorgeous burgundy floral ceremony arch. Keep reading to see what we’re talking about!
The Bouquets & Wow-Worthy Ceremony Arch
“Our florist did an amazing job mixing all the flowers together,” says Carmela. For her own bouquet she carried a lush arrangement of burgundy dahlias and scabiosa, plus terra cotta- and toffee- hued roses, paired with brown hypericum berries and fresh greenery eucalyptus. As for her bridesmaids, they carried white baby’s breath, so the bridal bouquet could have stand-out look.
Carmela says her favorite detail from her big day though was the floral arch where she and James exchanged vows during the ceremony. The arch was adorned with smilex vine, burgundy spray roses, terra cotta, hanging bright red amaranthus and was with accented with silver dollar eucalyptus. It was a show-stopper and proved to be a great place for portraits.
The Fall-Inspired Reception Featuring Korean Dessert and Late-Night French Fry Bar
After the ceremony, guests were invited to celebrate the newlyweds at the golf club’s grand ballroom. There, hors d’oeuvres, such as bacon-wrapped Scallops and coconut curry marinated chicken bites were passed and guests enjoyed a formal sit-down meal featuring entree choices of penne pasta, pan-seared top sirloin, or pan- seared salmon. Following dinner a Korean fruit cake from the Korean bakery, Jireh Bakery Cafe was cut and served. Carmela and James even surprised their guests with a late-night snack, too! “Our late-night bites were actually a last minute addition,” says the couple. “We literally added them during our final meeting with the venue!” Guests enjoyed the french fry station after dancing (and partying) the night away.
The Details:
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.
