Nicola, a high school Latin teacher from Massachusetts, and Andrew, an MBA candidate from Omaha, met studying abroad as undergraduates in Rome. For their first date, they went for gelato, and six years later, Andrew proposed, Nicola says, “on a cozy, Sunday Saturday morning in bed with our dog Rufus.”
For their May wedding, the pair wanted their neighborhood to serve as the backdrop. “We lived on the Hill for five years, and all of our memories are there,” says Nicola. “I didn’t look at any other venues because I always knew we would get married at Eastern Market!” They stuck to their favorite Capitol Hill spots for the other wedding events too: an engagement party at Joselito’s, rehearsal dinner at Beuchert’s, and an after-party at Fight Club.
As a teacher and grad school student, they say, they were “acutely aware” of their budget during the planning process. Among their cost-saving measures, they say, were the return-address stamp Nicola bought rather than having their return addresses professional printed; the DIYed paper items they had printed at Staples; the dress Nicola bought on on clearance at BHLDN; and the potted plants and trees that they rented and repurposed from the aisle and ceremony backdrop to the reception centerpieces. “I’m really proud of us for all our hard work and for pulling off our beautiful day with what we had,” says Nicola.
Nicola says her favorite parts of the day were Rufus’s tuxedo, and the readings at the ceremony, which included Latin poetry (“Horace’s Ode 3.30, to be specific,” Nicola says, “if any of my students read this, they know how much I love this poem!”), plus the priest’s speech from the series finale of Fleabag. “I also loved our song choices,” says Nicola. “We walked down the aisle to “The Night Me And Your Mama Met” by Childish Gambino, the recessional was “Loving Is Easy” by Rex Orange County, and our first dance was “Can’t Take My Eyes Off You” by Lauryn Hill.” Andrew’s favorite part was the late-night menu at the afterparty. “It was clear everyone was in need of some food after all the dancing and signature cocktails, and the french fries, nachos and half-smoke pups were the perfect thing.”
For their honeymoon, the pair went back to Rome. See the details from their big day below.


























The Details
Photographer: Haley Day
Venue: Eastern Market North Hall
Coordination: The Coordinated Collective
Florist and rentals: Modern Foliage Designs
Invitations: Minted
Catering: Eat and Smile Catering
Hair: Rose & Sparrow Salon
Bride’s attire: Anthropologie
Groom and groomsmen’s attire: J. Crew and Bonobos
Music: Dan Goldman Events
Ca