Jenny and Brian knew each other “from a distance” in high school, but didn’t really connect until they bumped into one another at a concert several years later. Brian asked Jenny out for a drink, and two and a half years later, he popped the question. In July 2021, the pair married at the Goodstone Inn with a floral-filled “whimsical English garden party” theme, which included colorful, mix-and-match floral-print bridesmaids dresses along with white-and-green floral arrangements and table designs.
The property, they say, felt like an adult summer camp—they and their wedding party stayed in the four on-site cottages, each equipped with a golf cart, allowing the group to easily hang out between events.
In addition to three ring bearers and two flower girls, their ceremony included a host of other loved ones: one who sang “What a Wonderful World” as Jenny walked down the aisle with her dad, another who officiated; another who read an Irish blessing, and another who read the lyrics to a Bruce Springsteen song that Jenny’s dad once made her write an essay about for allowance—“the essay was horrible, but the lyrics were perfect,” says Jenny.
Other special details included the invitation suite, which featured elements of Goodstone Inn, the couple’s pup Ruby, and a custom crest that was replicated on the welcome bags, cocktail stirrers, matches, and more (and is currently framed in the newlyweds’ home), and Jenny’s dad’s wine boxes, which were used for the escort card table display as a nod to his notorious happy hours. For one more poetic touch: Jenny discovered that Middleburg’s motto is “Semel et Semper” which means “now and always”—a phrase she incorporated into paper goods throughout the weekend.
At the end of the night, the newlyweds treated their guests to a silent disco—a creative solution to a combination of noise ordinances and party-going night owls—with a DJ and late-night chicken fingers and fries. “It went from ‘elegant and whimsical’ to ‘boogie on down’ real quick,” says Jenny. Check out the photos from their big day below.
The Details
Photographer: Caroline Lima Photography | Venue: Goodstone Inn | Event planning and design: Alyssa Thomas Events | Florist: Steelcut Flower Co. | Invitations: Jolly Edition | Cake: Sweets by E | Hair and makeup: Amie Decker Beauty | Bride’s Attire: Lela Rose from Carine’s Bridal Atelier | Music: Right On Band | Transportation: Point to Point Limo | Videographer: Bowen Films | Tent: Sugarplum Tents
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.
