“We don’t really remember the first time we actually met, but we had a spark as soon as we started spending more time together,” says Kelly. Since they met through work in D.C., Chris and Kelly crossed paths often. After a few months of meetings and work events, Chris asked Kelly out on a date. “He first asked me out in front of the Library of Congress,” Kelly shares, “which is why we incorporated the Library of Congress stamp on our Save the Date.”
Chris proposed a day before Kelly’s birthday, surprising her with a road trip to a cabin in the Blue Ridge Mountains. Chris prepared a meal comprised of memorable meals they’d cooked together throughout their relationship. Then he popped the question. “We barely got to eat because we were so excited to share the news.”
What was the best planning advice you received?
The best advice we received was not to sweat the small stuff, and that only we would notice if something went wrong or was missing! That really put us at ease on the wedding day so we could just enjoy everything instead of worrying about any small hiccups.
What aspects of your wedding most reflected your personality?
Kelly: The ceremony definitely reflected us as a couple; we chose readings that emphasize the importance of working as a team in a marriage. We also chose to incorporate cherry blossoms in our stamps and as a large part of the floral arrangements as a nod to our DC life. I actually ran the Cherry Blossom 10 Miler a few weeks before the wedding! I think what most reflected our personality though was our guests. We had so much fun seeing everyone get to know each other and let loose, and we were honored so many people made the trip for the wedding.
Did you incorporate any personalized components into your wedding ceremony?
Kelly: We had a family friend of mine play the processional for me and my dad on bagpipes. My family is Irish (I’m actually a dual citizen), and Chris’ family also has an Irish background, so it was a great nod to that heritage. Almost everyone said that’s when they started crying at the ceremony! We also included a tribute to Mary, which is a tradition in Chris’ family. Ave Maria is sung while the couple makes an offering (in our case, flowers) to a statue of Mary during the mass.
What was the easiest planning decision you made? The most difficult?
The easiest decision we made was the date. It was two years to the day after we got engaged! The hardest decision was probably the guest list. People had told us it was one of the hardest things, but we didn’t really appreciate that insight until we started creating it. But it all turned out perfectly, we were surrounded by everyone we would want to be surrounded by on our big day.
We chose readings that emphasize the importance of working as a team in a marriage.
Kelly
It all turned out perfectly, we were surrounded by everyone we would want to be surrounded by on our big day.
Kelly
What moment from your day stands out the most in your memory?
Between the cocktail hour and the reception we had about ten minutes just to ourselves in a separate room. It was so nice to actually take in the moment together and really spend time just the two of us on our wedding day. We had a private champagne toast and practiced our first dance. Plus, we had a spread of the cocktail hour food so we could eat!
Which aspect of your wedding was the most unique?
Christopher: Kelly’s mom has always wanted to be a backup singer, so we asked the band to get her on stage with the band for a song. It was great to see her so excited and surprised! We also had a vintage taxi as Kelly’s arrival car and our getaway car. We loved the nod to New York and had incorporated a taxi motif on our invitations and day of pieces, so it all tied together nicely.
Is there anything you would do differently?
Honestly, no! While it was stressful and overwhelming at times, everything came together so beautifully we wouldn’t have had it any other way.
Kelly’s mom has always wanted to be a backup singer, so we asked the band to get her on stage with the band for a song.
Christopher
Everything came together so beautifully we wouldn’t have had it any other way.
Kelly & Christopher
Credits
- Second Shooter Josh Strauss
- Planning Cynthia Holt Events
- Cake & Catering Gotham Hall
- Floral Design By Yena Designs
- Hair & Makeup Once Upon a Bride
- Lighting Bentley Meeker Lighting & Staging
- Music New York City Swing
- Stationery Bella Figura
- Venue Gotham Hall, NYC
With a graduate degree in painting, Nathan Smith brings a distinctly compositional sensibility to his work at The Day, where he is also known as the house philosopher. Having extensive experience living internationally, Nathan has a special ability to pick out the unique beauty of varying cultural traditions—something he is able to do whether the wedding is in New York or a more exotic destination.
