A Black-and-White Vineyard Wedding With Late-Night Dim Sum

Nicole, an HR manager from San Diego, and Ara, a graphic designer from Chantilly, met on Hinge. They say they went in with their “expectations low and wine consumption high,” but they hit it off at Barrel Oak Winery. Ara was drawn to the way Nicole’s smile lit up a room; he won her over with with his patience for her dog, and his family values.

A couple of years later, Ara proposed on a hike. Fittingly, they held their May wedding at winery: Blue Valley Vineyard in Delaplane, Virginia. The theme for the day was “elegantly comfortable,” and the affair was decorated in black, white, and gold—including all-white florals with trendy, show-stopping anemones. 

Nicole’s favorite detail was their “selfie” escort card wall; Ara’s were the Dabke Drummers that performed at the reception. Other favorite highlights of the day: the small photo of Nicole’s grandparents that was clipped into her bouquet, and the sparkler exit at the end of the evening. The menu was personalized to include a Korean barbecue taco cart, raclette pizza with a Guinness shooter, and Buffalo deviled eggs to start—and for late-night bites, a dim sum cart was “a total hit!”

In addition to a salted-caramel wedding cake, a dessert bar included chocolate-covered cookie dough bites, tiramisu, and a pear-and-pistachio cake. Following the wedding, Nicole had her flowers preserved through Queen & I. Check out the photos of the black-and-white affair below. 

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.