A Perfect Match
Beth and Dan both moved to Washington during the first Obama administration — she to start a career in healthcare law, he to attend law school while continuing to work in politics. Despite sharing Garden District as their favorite bar, their paths didn’t cross until spring of 2014, when the under-appreciated magic of a dating app matched them because of a distant, mutual Facebook friend.
Although there was an immediate sense of connection that led Dan to send a two-paragraph introductory message (wordy even for him) the vagaries of dating in their twenties meant that they would soon ghost each other. They deleted their apps to pursue less-successful relationships and political campaigns.
In January 2015 the stars finally aligned, and they again found each other online. Wasting no more time, they met for a magical evening at Right Proper brewpub and All Souls Bar in DC’s Shaw neighborhood.
They found in each other an ideal partnership. Beth’s indomitable happiness has helped Dan find joy in the everyday, and Dan’s gusto for life has led Beth on new adventures, near and far. So when following an extended absence from each other during the 2016 election, the topic of marriage first came up on a train ride in Italy, Dan says the decision was “molto ovvio” (very obvious).
Two Perfect Proposals
Dan proposed to Beth a few months later, after a day trip to Maryland wine country. He now claims this was a deliberate, subtle hint (MARRYland). When they returned home, Dan asked if he could show her a new pitch deck he had prepared for his startup. Instead, it was a PowerPoint proposal of marriage. She said yes!
Beth wanted a chance to pop the question too. The couple has made a custom of recreating their first date itinerary on subsequent anniversaries. For their 2018 anniversary, Beth began the evening by proposing to Dan, who also said yes! Beth then surprised him further by having their friends join them on the date to celebrate.
Their wedding invitations featured wheels as a nod to his love of biking and her wheelchair (Beth was partially paralyzed in a car accident at age 14 and went on to medal in the 2008 Beijing Paralympics).
The Big Day
Five years after they first met, Beth and Dan had their DC wedding. The couple was married in May 2019 at the LINE DC, a hotel housed inside a 110-year-old historic church in Adams Morgan.
They got ready at the hotel, Beth in a simple, modern wedding dress with lace cap sleeves and Dan in a dapper tuxedo with black velvet suit jacket. Never one to settle for the expected, Dan also wore festive black velvet loafers with champagne bottles. And authentic silver 1943 penny cufflinks added the perfect historic finishing touch.
And of course it wouldn’t be a DC wedding without a nod to politics. The couple took family photos in front of a mural at the hotel celebrating the historic number of women who ran for office in 2018.
A DC Wedding Ceremony with a View
The couple’s ceremony took place on the LINE’s rooftop. With panoramic views of the city, they needed no ceremony backdrop. It was a windy day, but the breeze couldn’t dampen their joy.
Beth entered to cello music, carrying a bouquet of brightly colored spring flowers. Matching florals decorated her wheelchair and filled the bouquets carried by her attendants. Beth’s bridesmaids wore long blush dresses and Dan’s groomsmen sported classic black tuxedos. Beth and Dan wrote their own vows for a ceremony that was both funny and touching.
A Reception Lush with Flowers
After a few rooftop photos, Beth and Dan joined their guests downstairs to celebrate. The couple wanted their reception to feel like there were “flowers coming out of the walls,” and I think we certainly achieved that.
Colorful flowers brought the room to life, including an incredible floral installation that formed a backdrop for Beth and Dan’s sweetheart table. A combination of low and elevated floral arrangements adorned the guests’ tables, which featured woven gray linens, mercury glass accents, and vintage-looking champagne glasses for a festive toast.
No detail went overlooked, and the three-tiered green cake with hand-painted gold florals was no exception.
The band kept the party going into the night, with guests dancing beneath clouds of baby’s breath flowers that hung over the dance floor.
And one detail not to miss is Dan’s outfit change. For the reception, he changed into a white tuxedo jacket with black lapels.
Both Beth and Dan were positively over the moon to celebrate in the company of their dearest family and friends. See photos from their beautiful day below, published in Washingtonian Magazine in January 2021!
It was our absolute pleasure to work with this wonderful couple to bring their DC wedding day to life. We wish Beth and Dan all the happiness!
Planning and Design: Havard Events & Design
Venue and Catering: The Line Hotel Washington DC
Photographer: Aimee Custis Photography
Florist: Sophie Felts Floral Design
Cake: Buttercream Bakeshop
Band: Out of Town Blues
Lighting: A2Z Music Factory
Hair and Makeup Stylist: Georgetown Bride
Photo Booth: District Selfies
Ceremony Music: Samantha Hegre
Paper: Typecase Industries
Bride Attire: Nordstroms by Nouvelle Amsale
Groom Attire: Suit and shoes from The Black Tux, pocket squares from The Tie Bar and cufflinks from Brooks Brothers
Havard Events & Design is a boutique wedding planning and design studio serving Washington, DC, and beyond. We specialize in timeless designs, obsess over the smallest of details, and create events that feel as good as they look.
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