Arrivals at WWI Memorial
On the breezy, summer day of July 27, 2024 Marcus & Nicholas were married at the DC World War I Memorial before friends and family. Marcus & Nick both studied architecture and had an affinity for the aesthetic of this particular memorial. The cover of their wedding programs even contained a drawing of the Memorial done by Marcus. As loved one's trickled in, the vibe was joyous. Compared to recent summer heat waves, this particular day felt much more relaxed and cool. After the sister-of-the-groom set up a webcam to accommodate those who could not attend in-person, the ceremony was set to begin.
Ceremony at the DC War Memorial
The grooms entered the structure and circled around the perimeter of the inner chamber unaccompanied.
At the start, the rings were passed around the room to be blessed by each person in attendance.
Excerpt from Marcus' vows: "Over the last 12 years you have made my life infinitely more rich and shown me sides of myself I didn't know existed. You bring light to my days".
Excerpt from Nick's vows: "I promise to be there for you in the next phases of a life together, wherever the wind may take us".
Group portraits
Couples' Portraits
The grooms were clear during our planning meeting that they wanted to spend only a few short minutes on couples' portraits so they could join their guests at for cocktail hour. We moved swiftly, but thoroughly through the DC War Memorial before hailing a cab and heading down the Prince St in Alexandria, VA and the facade of the Athenaeum.
Cocktail Hour at athenaeum, VA
Guests gathered in the rear courtyard of the Athenaeum for libations and socialization. The guests were treated to oeur d'oeuvres (empanadas, smoked sausages, fruits, and cheese) catered by Old Blue BBQ, Alexandria and an open bar as they caught up played games, and looked at old photos of the grooms through a vintage View Master. Each guest was also given their own personal sketchbooks as a memento from the couple, who wanted to share their love for sketching and architecture.
Reception at Athenaeum, Alexandria
The walls of the Athenaeum featured works from DC's Artomatic expo, featuring some of the best paintings from local DMV area artists. The dinner was catered by Old Blue BBQ, Alexandria. As dinner was served, the fathers-in-law gave heartfelt speech and first dances were had with the mothers. The whole group was gathered on the dancefloor for a big photo before the DJ dropped the beat and the dancing began!