Melva & Emmanuel married April 17, 2021 at the Conrad Washington DC hotel. Their wedding was originally featured in the August 2021 issue of Washingtonian. See the details below.
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Melva, who calls DC home, and Emmanuel, from Paris, had a cinematic meet-cute. He was having a preshow dinner at Shaw Tavern when she sat down next to him. They clicked, and before Emmanuel left to catch the performance, he offered to meet her at the same place, same time, the following night. Melva says they were immediately “all in,” navigating the pandemic together soon after. “One evening in the quiet of our home, Emmanuel presented the ring, and I said yes because in many ways, through every obstacle, we had already said yes to each other.”
The pair focused on creating an experience for their 12 wedding guests, including decadent table settings, a custom French menu, and wine pairings that connected to Emmanuel’s family in France. They splurged on music, joking that they had more musicians than guests, including a string trio, vocalists, and a pianist. They cut a cake in the shape of the Eiffel Tower and treated guests to Ladurée macarons and small jewelry boxes that held petals for the petal toss.
The Details
Photography: Ana Isabel Photography • Planning and design: LaJoy Plans • Florist: Sarah Khan Event Styling • Menus: Oh Eleven Studio • Cake: Buttercream Bakeshop • Hair: Cosmo Crush • Makeup: Makeup with Jossy • Bride’s attire: Maggie Sottero custom from ICON Bridal • Groom’s attire: Calvin Klein from Macy’s • Music: Lucy Black Entertainment • Rentals: Select Event Group • Napkins: BBJ Linen
Amy leads Washingtonian Weddings and writes Style Setters for Washingtonian. Prior to joining Washingtonian in March 2016, she was the editor of Capitol File magazine in DC and before that, editor of What’s Up? Weddings in Annapolis.
