I told you that we would be looking Parisian today! Suzanne and Andrew’s fall wedding ceremony from Natalie Franke Photography embodied a beautiful affair, but their reception takes us to the city of love! La Tour Eiffel made its appearance in the centerpieces, faux suitcase favors were ready for a romantic trip and French macaroons anchored the cake. And guess what was hidden inside the mini-sized luggage? Lottery tickets, in hopes that the 11-11-11 wedding date would bring luck to their guests! I wonder if anyone hit the jackpot!?

From Suzanne: I wanted the magic of Paris (where we fell in love) with lots of gold and glamorous candelabras and Eiffel Towers, but with a touch of old-school/vintage (which the ballroom provided). There’s something nostalgic about vintage that i wanted to encompass my wedding..i wanted that to be the feeling guests got when they thought of our wedding.

One of my favorite details was the favors. Handmade paper “suitcases” with gold/copper heat embossed Paris stamps on them + our wedding logo that i designed and turned into a stamp with an orange ribbon handle (the main wedding color) – with lottery tickets inside with the hope that 11-11-11 would be lucky for people!

I loved that we were able to get all of our guests to make a wish with the candles we had handwritten notes on (all 125+ of them!) at 11:11pm on 11:11:11. It was the final touch to our perfect theme: “Fall in Love in Paris: Make a Wish on 11-11-11”

Suzanne’s advice to other DC-area couples:

Make sure you write down who got you what in a spreadsheet as soon as you receive presents so that you can keep track for thank yous later! (Learned this the hard way – still trying to track things down)

The following Washington, DC area wedding vendors contributed to Suzanne and Andrew’s wedding:

Ceremony: Holy Rosary Church
Reception & Catering: Belle Haven Country Club
Photographer: Natalie Franke Photography
Floral Designer: Laura Francis, Floral Presentations
Day of Coordinator: Friend of Bride, Pergrin Pervez.
DJ/Band: Friend of the Couple, Jon Read.
Invitations: Crane & Co
Videographer: Friend of the Bride, Jesse Edoro.
Vintage Car: Alabaster’s Antique & Classic Rolls Royce
Bridal Party Transportation: Manhattan International Transportation
Washington DC Wedding Cake: Georgetown Cupcake
Washington DC Cake Topper: Alexandria Pastry Shop
Hair: Valentino
Makeup: Carla Della Torre Dakin
Wedding Dress: Maggie Sottero for Kleinfeld Bridal
Bridesmaids Dresses: Liz Fields Bridal
Groom & Groomsmen Attire: Jos. A Bank
Bridal Shoes: Badgley Mischka
Bridal Accessories: Bridals by Lori

Don’t forget to visit our vendor guide for more fabulous Washington, DC area wedding professionals or our real wedding gallery for more beautiful Washington, DC area weddings!

Photo Credits: Natalie Franke Photography

Submitted via Two Bright Lights