Potted Plants Were the Star of This Mediterranean-Meets-Napa Themed Labor Day Wedding Design

Natalie, a commercial real estate finance professional from Alexandria, and Holden, a financial advisor from Hagerstow, met on a fall trip to Deep Creek Lake planned by a mutual friend, and sparks flew. She was drawn to his friendly warmth; he to her bubbly energy, and life-of-the-party personality. The timing wasn’t right, but three months later, they were together.

About a year after a first date with drinks on Bethesda Row followed by dinner with friends in DC, Holden dropped Natalie off at the airport for a work trip, and then drove directly to her parents house (when she was in the air and couldn’t see his location), to ask for their blessing to propose. Later, he popped the question while the two were on one of their regular walks on the Capital Crescent Trail, which Natalie calls their “happy place.” 

For their Labor Day weekend wedding, the duo wanted a “Mediterranean Napa” theme that blended Italian-garden-party charm with relaxed California wine country vibes. They chose the culinary garden at the Salamander for the venue, then leaned into natural textures and soft neutral hues with white umbrellas, olive branches, and a wine-inspired seating display with tables named for wine varietals. “I had so much fun debating whether our friends were more of a viognier or a nebbiolo table,” says the bride. The punny head tables, she adds, were named Grand Cru, and a bottle of wine was placed at each table for guests to sign in lieu of a guest book. “Now we have a full case of wine, marked with memories and messages, to open on future anniversaries.”

Under a clear-top tent and next to a white-and-brown checkered dance floor, tables were lined with greenery-filled floral arrangements in various terracotta, stone, and ceramic pots, then set with candles, woven wooden chargers, and, instead of traditional place cards, custom ribbons printed with each guest’s name tied around green linen napkins. Gold cutlery, green glasses, and menus with a handwritten-style script completed the tablescapes.

In keeping with the theme, Natalie told her beauty team that she wanted to feel like she’d just stepped out of a warm, beachy, Italian perfume commercial, opting for a soft, polished blowout with a flip that she says felt classic but modern, and natural, glowy makeup. She also wore a splurgy signature scent she chose for the occasion. “I wanted to find a scent that would forever transport me back to our wedding day—something sexy, mature, and timeless. One afternoon my sister and I snuck out from work and went scent sampling. I was on a mission to find something that felt like the Mediterranean in a bottle, and we found it in a bottle of Prada. Now I wear it on special occasions and every time I do, Holden will say, “Are you wearing your wedding perfume?” It kicks things up a notch a year later!”

They asked guests to wear bright, printed dresses and earth-tone suits, and skipped the formal Champagne toast at dinner to instead serve chilled rosé at the ceremony, which they say set the tone for a relaxed, joyful celebration. On a picture-perfect day, Natalie says the hue of the wedding cake was a bit of a surprise—the green not quite the shade they’d envisioned in keeping with the rest of the palette. “We laughed, rolled with it, and now lovingly refer to it as our “alien cake,”” says Natalie. The first bite was perfect!” Other favorite details of the day included a sushi tower, which was chosen in honor of Holden’s late mother who loved sushi and miso soup; bottles of wine with custom artwork gifted to each guest from Natalie’s uncle’s Napa vineyard; a band they say kept the dance floor packed and had them screaming for ‘one more song’ at the end of the night; and bridesmaids bouquets tied with lace from Holden’s parents’ wedding day.

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.