Today’s Gatsby golden glam wedding was 8 years in the making. Aaron and Pauleesha began their love story in the Winter of 2010. Pauleesha was 17 years old at the time and Aaron was 20. She had just gotten a job at the Downtown Locker Room in Lakeforest Mall, where Aaron had previously worked for 2 years. Immediately upon seeing Aaron, Pauleesha was instantly attracted. Pauleesha caught Aaron’s eye too but the age difference posed as a struggle. Pauleesha and Aaron became friends and maintained that relationship for 2 more years.

While in school, Pauleesha would Facebook Aaron asking for him to get her shoes that came out. In the summer of 2012 after Pauleesha’s freshman year of college, they officially began to date. Their first date was to the National Mall and Museums. After this day, they were inseparable. When the summer was over it was time for Pauleesha to go back to school. When Pauleesha would go back to Georgia, Aaron would ride the Amtrak train 12-13 hours to visit her.

Pauleesha and Aaron married at the Philip Merrill Environmental Center in Annapolis, MD. The venue had a very rustic but classy feel to it that went with the 1920’s Great Gatsby theme. They decided to go with a Blush, white and gold color scheme to compliment the venue layout and wedding theme. The ceremony took place on the beach. Following their nuptials, hors d’oeuvres were brought to the beach with signature drinks. The brides signature drink was gin and pineapple juice mix and the grooms was a margarita. The reception was phenomenal with everybody eating, drinking, and having a good time. The cake was 4 tiers with cookies n cream, red velvet, and vanilla buttercream layers.

Do you have any advice for couples planning their weddings now?

1. Use as many of your friends and family that you can to also help you with your wedding needs.
2. Begin marriage counseling as soon as possible from getting engaged.
3. Relax and enjoy your wedding day because all the months it took to plan this event is only for a couple of hours.
4. If you are on a budget or are a frugal person like myself, shop around for the best price for your services. It can save you a lot of money in the end but will be time consuming. That’s why it is important to have a wedding planner and any other helping hands to assist.

The following Washington DC wedding professionals contributed to this Gatsby Inspired Wedding:

Photography: Bekah Kay Creative | Venue: Philip Merrill Environmental | Event Planning: BLU PRINT 2 EVENTS | Floral: DaVinci’s Florist | Videography: Bowen Films | Wedding Cake: Cakes by Rachel | Rentals: Rentals to Remember | Hair: Hair Majic By Sharonda | Makeup: Flawless looks by Anjjell Marie | Catering: Saucy Salamander | Wedding Dress: Kitty Chen Couture | Groom’s Attire: Lord West | Bridesmaid Dresses: Lulu’s | Submitted via: Matchology

For more wedding vendors, please visit our Washington DC area wedding vendor guide. For additional local ideas, check out our wedding inspiration galleries. Especially relevant would be our Washington DC area real weddings.