This Couple Hosted a Flower-Filled Rooftop Wedding Celebration in Downtown Washington D.C.

In May 2015, Lynn was living in Richmond, Virginia, where Stuart, who lived in South Carolina at the time, spent a lot of time for work. He was working for the United States Court of Appeals for the Fourth Circuit at the time; when he was in town, the two swiped right for each other on Tinder. Though Stuart had to leave before the two had the chance to meet in Richmond, they later decided to drive three hours each to Durham, North Carolina—a middle point—for their first date. "We both agreed that our first date was the worst first date either of us had ever had," Lynn laughs. Despite the fizzle, the two kept texting and decided to give it another try when they realized they were both planning to move to Washington, D.C. "And since then, we have never wanted to stop chatting with each other," Start says. "The rest is history."

In February 2020, the couple went on a trip to Japan and South Korea, and on the third day of their adventure, Stuart surprised Lynn with a proposal in a Japanese garden. When they returned home, the couple hired Noelle at Silk + Slate, who helped them plan a wedding and navigate the ever-changing pandemic. "Fortunately for us, the vaccine was rolled out shortly after we started signing our major vendors, so we were optimistic that the event would happen without too much disruption," Stuart says. The couple required proof of vaccination for vendors and all 51 guests and provided masks to keep everyone as safe as possible during their November 11, 2021 wedding. They chose the rooftop at the historical Riggs Hotel in Washington, DC, to host their ceremony and reception; they loved its delicious food and refined feel (it was once a bank!).

Font First

Lynn and Stuart are big fans of typography, so they knew they wanted their invitation suite to feature their favorite fonts; they kept the rest of the design simple. The save-the-dates were printed with a Helvetica font on white cardstock; for the invitations, the couple chose a letter-pressed suite with a modern look from Hall Creative Co. "We wanted a modern look without any script or cursive—this suite from was perfect," Stuart shares.

Fluttering Butterflies

After visiting several wedding-dress shops in New York and Washington, D.C., Lynn felt discouraged about finding something that felt just right. To help, Stuart began sending her options he thought she'd like, which is how she discovered designer Kaviar Gauche, based in Berlin, Germany. She decided on a flowing strapless number with butterfly appliqués on the tulle bodice; she customized it by adding straps with the same embellishments. "It was so light and comfortable. The silk against my skin just felt so luxurious," Lynn says. "It made me feel so pretty—I knew it was the one."

Finishing Touches

Lynn paired her gown with a veil for the ceremony and first look and wore a pair of Tiffany earrings that Stuart gifted her ahead of the big day. White Jimmy Choo pumps with black trim and pointed toe completed her big-day look (she changed into the sparkly pair for the party!).

Freeform Bouquet

Lynn held an airy bouquet with a freeform shape; it was filled with white florals and pops of sunset hues. The blooms included celosia, dahlias, garden roses, spray roses, ranunculus, lisianthus, larkspur, and snapdragons.

The Groom's Look

Stuart wore a custom gray suit from Sid Mashburn, his favorite clothing store in town. He also donned his go-to pair of black dress shoes, a JLC watch that was an engagement gift from Lynn, and a Shibumi Firenze tie. "I am an attorney, so picking out the right tie was a long process," Stuart notes.

The First Look

Lynn and Stuart shared their first look at the nearby National Gallery of Art, in front of glass pyramids. "It was the first moment that the wedding felt 'real' and tangible for me," Stuart says. "It was a cold, windy afternoon. The weather had a certain sharpness that accentuated the reality of getting married."

"Stuart cried when he finally saw me," Lynn adds. "Our photographer Lindley Battle captured it beautifully for us."

The Ketubah Signing

The couple had a Ketubah signing before the ceremony, a Jewish tradition that was a meaningful moment for the couple's families. "The Ketubah was a beautiful, simple design by Stephanie Caplan, and it will be a treasured object for us the rest of our lives," Stuart shares.

The Custom Chuppah

The couple worked with their planning team to source a black chuppah from Something Vintage Rentals; the structure was decorated with florals in the couple's sunset color palette and lots of greenery. Black trusses adorned with flowers were set up along the outer seats, while lit candles were placed in lanterns down the aisle.

Light and Endearing

Stuart walked down the aisle to "Happiness Does Not Wait" by Olafur Arnalds. Lynn, accompanied by her mom, followed; she processed in to a violin instrumental version of Taylor Swift's "Love Story." The pair's Reform Jewish ceremony included personal vows. "I wrote my vows keeping things endearing and light, with the intention of making Stuart laugh throughout with funny quips and inside jokes," Lynn says.

Puppy Love

As "Dreams" by The Cranberries played (the song is from the score of one of Stuart's favorite movies, Chungking Express), the couple made their way back up the aisle with their two dogs. Mozzy Mozzarella, the Maltese, and Tobi Tobiko, the Chihuahua, wore custom floral collars that matched Lynn's bouquet. "It was very important to have our dogs with us at the wedding and they had a good time," Lynn says. They hired DC Dog Handler to bring the pups to Lynn's suite as she got ready; they came along to the the first look, too.

The Place Cards

Stuart's favorite font is Garamond, which the pair included on their place cards, menus, and table numbers. With such an intimate guest size, the duo was able to personalize their escort display—they wrote meaningful messages to each of their guests," notes Noelle, their planner. These folded notes were displayed on an acrylic stand studded with geometric shelves.

Sipping and Snacking

A DJ played some of the couple's laid-back favorites during the cocktail hour; guests snacked on passed appetizers including duck rillettes with plum sauce and mini spring rolls and grazed on their raw bar. Two signature cocktails, the Aviation and the Batanga, and an open bar rounded out the interlude's offerings.

Winter Sunset

At the reception, long white waterfall tables were placed together to create two extensive stations. Ceramic bud vases with white blooms and taper candles placed in glass votives flanked metal installations punctuated with floral swags repurposed from the chuppah. According to Noelle, the party décor spoke to "Lynn's colorful taste" and "Stuart's minimalist tendencies:" "They selected the perfect balance—sunset hues hanging above and wintery neutrals on their tabletop," she says.

The Place Settings

Earthy matte ceramic plates anchored the place settings, which featured gold flatware and deep navy velvet napkins. The couple worked with Emily Baird Design for the day-of stationery; dinner menus featured a Helvetica font.

Asian and Western Flavors

Lynn and Stuart customized their dinner menu to mix Asian and Western flavors. The meal began with a coconut milk buttercream squash soup, the groom's favorite. Guests chose between a soy miso-glazed salmon served with ginger scallion rice, braised short ribs served with polenta and spiced carrots, or a creamy risotto dish with fall vegetables for their main course.

Bubble Tea Time

After dinner, the couple served bubble tea from SecreTea, a local shop. "We did a bubble tea tasting in advance to select the flavors, which was enormous fun," Lynn says. They offered lemon black tea with aiyu jelly, lychee green tea with cheese foam, cold brew coffee with brown sugar, coffee jelly, and cheese foam, and lychee black tea with cranberry and boba.

An Outfit Change

Lynn and Stuart changed into Ao Dai outfits that were custom-made in Vietnam (Lynn pulled out those sparkly Jimmy Choo for the big reveal).

Taylor Swift Serenade

Both Lynn and Stuart are Taylor Swift fans, so "Lover" was an choice for their first dance. Later, Stuart and his mother and Lynn and her younger brother swayed to the singer's hit, "Best Day."

Cake Buffet

Lynn loves cake—so she asked for an entire cake buffet come dessert. They ended up with four confections, all of which were frosted with vanilla and finished with gold leaf foil, sugar flowers, and chocolate drips.

And just in case that didn't cut it (pun intended!), the pair also served chocolate funfetti cake pops dipped in dark chocolate and graham cracker bars with chocolate and honey meringue. The food didn't stop there: At their after-party, they offered sliders and savory southern biscuits, a nod to one of the bride's favorite baked goods. "We were very serious when we said our goal was to not have any guests leaving hungry," Lynn says.

Sources

Photography, Lindley Battle
Venue, Riggs Hotel Rooftop
Wedding Planning and Event Design, Noelle Ahmad-Snedegar, Silk + Slate Co.
Flowers, Holly Heider Chapple
Invitations, Hall Creative Co
Save-the-Dates, Black Wolf Press
Paper Products, Emily Baird Design
Officiant, Rabbi Deborah
Bride's Gown, Kaviar Gauche
Bride's Veil, Etsy, Lord & Grey Bridal
Bride's Jewelry, Tiffany
Bride's Shoes, Jimmy Choo
Bride's Hair and Makeup, Shine Tina
Groom's Attire, Sid Mashburn; Shibumi Firenze; JLC
Music, Peter Kuyatt, District Remix
Catering, Café Riggs
Cakes, Buttercream Bakery
Rentals, Something Vintage Rentals; Nuage Designs
Bubble Tea, SecreTea
Ketubah, Stephanie Caplan
Dog Handler, DC Dog Sitter