A Colorful, Rustic Wedding at Riverside on the Potomac

Claire and Roger intersected at the bourbon bar of a mutual friend’s wedding in Kentucky. She had spotted him in the groomsmen lineup, and Roger says he was shocked to have such an “amazingly beautiful” woman approach him. For their first date, Claire flew from DC to Colorado to visit him at his home. Two and a half long-distance years later, he proposed on a hike he recreated from that first weekend together.

Get more Washingtonian Weddings inspo

Newsletter | Instagram | Facebook | Pinterest

At their “cozy, colorful, bucolic” wedding, the palette incorporated shades of papaya, coral, mango, Carolina blue, and classic blue. Details included the living-room-style lounge spaces the couple decorated with family mementos; passed preceremony apple cider and Morello-cherry/cucumber lemonade; and an elaborate floral display at the fireplace, the focal point for the ceremony. Naturally, as a nod to the moment they met, the couple set up a bourbon-tasting bar. Their five-­tier cake was decorated with pressed flowers arranged from top to bottom in rainbow hues. Another highlight, they say, was the band­—their energy, along with their all-black clothing and light-up shoes. When the dancing stopped, guests welcomed a late-night treat of Duck Donuts, sliders, fries, and milkshakes.

The Details

Amy Moeller

Fashion & Weddings Editor

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.