Andrea and Matthew’s Burgundy Wedding
We're always giddy when Virginia based film photographers Michael and Carina send us one of their gorgeous weddings and today's beautiful autumnal celebration is no different. Today's feature is extra special because we've featured Andrea and Matthew's lovely Parisian engagement on the blog and you can find it here!
What first caught our attention was this couple's sweet love story. From friends to lovers, these two have quite the tale to tell and we adore how you can feel the love straight through the lens. We're enamored with the rich jewel tones in the florals by Flowers by Lisa and the lace bridesmaid gowns in almost a pale purple/grey color by Lulus. Be sure to read more from sweet bride Andrea towards the bottom, we know you'll be 'aww-ing' like we did...
From photographers Michael and Carina: "Andrea and Matthew flew us out to Paris for their engagement session last fall and their images were featured on Wedding Sparrow (link here).
Andrea wore a gorgeous textured gown and carried a lush bouquet with the most richly colored florals. The outdoor ceremony was accented by soft greenery and white flowers. The reception took place in a rustic barn, decorated with large floral pieces, floating wreaths and unique pieces, like blue glass cups on long barn tables.
The bridesmaids wore uniquely textured dresses; we always love seeing a different bridesmaids look! "
From the bride: "Matthew and I met during the fall of 2008 playing kickball in Washington, D.C. We had several mutual friends and we would always go out together as a large group on the weekends. It wasn't until a mutual friend had a birthday in 2011 where I realized that we needed to date. Taking the leap from friends to dating was scary, but I'm so glad we did. Matthew would say that this was his plan all along and well ... it definitely paid off. Over the last 5 1/2 years we've gone on numerous trips from Turks and Caicos, Jackson Hole Wyoming, to eventually our engagement in Paris in November 2015. I knew he was going to propose on the trip as we had scheduled our engagement session with Michael and Carina, but I didn't know when it would be. Friday November 20th, we drove from Loire Valley to Paris and he proposed in front of the Arc de Triomphe du Carrousel and Michael and Carina we able to capture our proposal! I was completely surprised.
Being a wedding photographer myself, it was quite difficult initially to decide on what type of feel we wanted the wedding to have. We knew we wanted fall in Virginia and we found our venue months before we actually got engaged. But the overall aesthetic took some time to decide on. I absolutely love the romance of Paris and really wanted to make sure everything was full of romance for the day. We chose Matthew's navy blue tux to match his beautiful dark blue eyes and my dress was actually not the original dress I chose, but I couldn't be happier with my final decision. The cathedral length veil was something that I really wanted to have. It reminded me of my grandmother's veil and it paired perfectly with my dress. I really felt beautiful.
My bridesmaids dresses were just the hint of gray that I needed to tie in all of my favorite colors for fall and we chose black tuxedos for the groomsmen. Once we had our venue, we really wanted everything to be as organic as possible. The setting is perfect for an outdoor wedding overlooking the Potomac River, complete with beautiful trees and the fall foliage had just started to turn. For our flowers, our florist has become a great friend of mine and I gave her the color scheme and told her to run with it. She created the most beautiful tables and all of the flowers were just perfect.
The most important part of the wedding for me of course was photography and for Matthew is was music. We've gone to at least fifty concerts together since we started dating and we fell in love with our band on one of our trips to the beach. We had an amazing time dancing the night away with our friends and families.
The entire day was just amazing despite the 40 mile an hour winds, but it definitely gives us a story to tell. We were still able to have our ceremony outside thanks to our amazing team of vendors and Michael and Carina captured some of the most amazing photos we will have for a lifetime. We are truly thankful to have such an amazing couple as photographers and friends."
Vendor Details
Photography: Michael and Carina Photography | Film Lab: Richard Photo Lab | Venue: Murray Hill | Dress: Watters | Wedding Planner: Kat – Dear Sweetheart Events | Tuxes: Groom’s Tux: Michael Thomas Custom Clothiers | Catering: Purple Onion | Pie: Pie Sisters Georgetown | Music/DJ: Laura Lea and Tripp Fabulous | Flowers: Flowers by Lisa | Officiant: Pastor Nathan Hanson | Rental Equipment: Faccia Fresca Vintage | Hair and Makeup: SAS Studio & Salon | Shoes: Manolo Blank | Veil & Hairpiece: Twigs & Honey | Jewelry: Vintage, Something Old (Ring – Grandmother’s Engagement Ring) | Groom: Watch - Movado | Invitations/Paper Goods: Karri Lee Designs | Signs: Letterfolk | Wax Seal: Stamptitude| Table Numbers & Seating Chart: DIY | Bouquet Ribbon: Silk &Willow | Accessories on Bridesmaids: Kate Spade | Bridesmaid Dresses: Lulus
