Imagine all the things you’d like your wedding to be…elegant and timeless…intimate and personal…a day filled with love and warmth. Amara and Jared’s wedding was all those things, and more. A meaningful ceremony was followed by a lovely afternoon celebration at Amara’s parents’ beautiful home. And just like the wedding itself, Amara’s dress was the perfect vision of classic sophistication. Enjoy!
Amara + Jared | June 25, 2011 | Mclean, Virginia
The ceremony
Our ceremony was held at St. John’s Episcopal Church in McLean. We wanted to keep it simple, so there were only about 100 people, and the only decoration was two big bouquets of mock orange behind the altar. It was an Episcopal ceremony; the tone of the passages we chose was extremely open and inclusive. Two people close to us performed the readings, and the groom’s sister, who sings professionally, sang during the ceremony. It was so very special, and added to the intimate, family-centered feeling.
The reception
The reception took place in the garden of my parents’ home. Again, we wanted to keep it simple and elegant, and not too long, so we had just cocktails and heavy hors d’oeuvres. We had a wonderful jazz band (who happened to have played at the Obama inauguration!) that gave the whole party a relaxed and luxurious feeling. The father of the bride, the best man, and the maid of honor all gave lovely, earnest toasts which made the afternoon feel even more personal. Before leaving, I tossed the bouquet on our front steps, and our guests tossed flower petals at us as we made our way to our “just married” car. Since it was an afternoon reception, we knew not everyone would want to eat cake during the party, so we had 110 small cakes for everyone to take as favors.
The way Amara felt in her wedding gown
Feminine, classic, and beautiful.
Why she decided to sell her wedding dress
Most importantly, I hope my dress can make another bride feel as beautiful and charmed and graceful as it made me feel. Secondly, I don’t tend to get very attached to objects, and we have literally thousands of stunning pictures to remember the whole event. We’re going to be moving several times in the next few years, and I don’t want to keep my dress sealed in a big box taking up space in the closet–I want it to have a life!
