Nikki & Nick’s Wedding at the National Museum of Women in the Arts
In the months and weeks leading up to Nikki & Nick‘s wedding at the gorgeous National Museum of Women in the Arts, I had the pleasure of getting to know this beautiful couple. Both Nikki and Nick possess relaxed and easy-going demeanors, balanced with the gift of clear and concise communication skills. Crafting the details of their wedding with the couple, along with their wonderful planner Cassie Harwood with Sara Muchnick Events, flowed easily and smoothly. When their beautiful early-August day arrived, everything was perfectly lined-up and in place. According to a finely-detailed and carefully-reviewed plan, once the Museum’s Great Hall was set and ready for the ceremony and the Mezzanine ready for the cocktail hour to follow, it was an absolutely majestic sight to behold. The Photographer-extraordinaire Kurstin Roe was onsite early and ready to expertly capture the magic.
The ceremony began with the family and bridal party processing down the aisle to a dramatically uplifting version of “Stand by Me” by the Kingdom Choir from the Royal Wedding of Prince Harry to Meghan Markle. Escorted by her father, Nikki’s bridal processional followed the slow, smooth cadence of the deeply emotional “Still” by Seinabo Sey. Under the Grand Hall’s magnificent chandelier the couple were stunning as they exchanged their vows and were pronounced husband and wife. Nikki and Nick recessed to a special-edition instrumental version of Coldplay‘s “Fix You” that I edited to suit the triumphant feeling that they wished to evoke. As they strode joyously and confidently back down the aisle, now married, the guest were on their feet cheering wildly!
While the guests were upstairs on the second level Mezzanine enjoying cocktail hour, the Grand Hall was transformed into a glorious reception space. With spectacular white floral arrangements atop each table courtesy of Alexandria, VA’s ‘The Enchanted Florist‘ and with our uplighting perfectly highlighting the grandeur of the architecture, the room was ready. Once the guests had found their seats, Nikki and Nick cascaded down the opposing marble staircases to “Tale As Old As Time” from the Beauty and the Beast and met in the middle of the dance floor for their first dance. The couple began with a dramatic slow dance to James Vincent McMorrow‘s version of Steve Winwood‘s “Higher Love” before shocking the crowd by transitioning effortlessly into a salsa dance to Mark Anthony‘s “Vivir Mi Vida”. People went wild!
As the impeccable food by Well Dunn Catering graced the tables, the time to open up the dance floor and party was drawing near. This was an especially exuberant group of family and friends who wanted to hear a mix of popular music from the 60’s through today from the U.S. as well as Latin America and the Caribbean. The crowd was ready to party and we went all out! Particular crowd favorites ranged from Don Omar‘s “Danza Kuduro” and Elvis Crespo‘s “Suavemente” to Lizzo‘s “Juice” and the Isley Brothers‘ “Shout”.
It was an absolute pleasure being a part of this momentous celebration of this incredible couple’s love for one another. Sending my best to Nikki and Nick and wishing them a lifetime of happiness, joy, prosperity and love!
