Welcome back to the second half of Vanessa and Myles’ elegant wedding in Washington DC. If you didn’t already know, we love locally inspired wedding details ’round here, so when I saw that this super cute duo was inspired by the city for their “monumental affair” themed wedding, I got super excited! (Be sure to go back and check out their wedding ceremony in DC right here too – its so super sweet!) From their table numbers named after their favorite local spots to landmark chocolate favors, there’s lots of DC love tucked in throughout their cocktail-style reception! Don’t miss all the fun and gorgeousness captured by Procopio Photography right here…

From Vanessa: We had a number of conversations about what truly united us as one and what theme could capture our love. That’s when we decided on “A Monumental Affair.” Washington DC was one space that truly connected us! DC was where we were able to say goodbye to our long distance relationship and truly begin our lives together.

We skipped the plated sit down dinner with assigned seats and opted for more of a casual vibe. We really wanted people to be able to mingle and have a good time freely. We chose to have a cocktail style wedding with heavy hors d’oeuvres.

We looked for ways to incorporate not just DC, but “our DC” experience into every element of our wedding. The tables were named after places that we’d visited together or were important to us in the DC area (R Street, Shaw/Howard, Jefferson Memorial, Yale West, Alfred Street Baptist Church, and more!). We also used chocolate medallions imprinted with DC monuments as favors.

Vanessa’s wedding planning advice for other DC-area couples:

Sticking to a budget is great, but don’t be afraid to bend a little to have what you really want. We learned that eventually, but it would’ve saved us money, time, and unnecessary stress if we had kept that in mind from the beginning.

Thank you so much Vanessa and Myles for sharing your wedding reception with us! The following Washington DC area wedding professionals contributed to their wedding:

Venue: Carnegie Institution for Science
Officiant: Rev. Marcia Norfleet
Photography: Procopio Photography
Wedding Planner: Perfect Planning Events
Floral Design: Taylor & Hov Events + Design
Stationery: Wedding Paper Divas
Bridal Attire: Ellie’s Bridal Boutique
Veil: J-Picone
Jewelry: Kate Spade
Shoes: Badgley Mischka
Hair: Simone Fennell
Makeup: Jeff Enriquez
Bridesmaids’ Attire: David’s Bridal
Groom’s Attire: Men’s Wearhouse
Rentals: DC Rental
Catering: Main Event Caterers
Linens: BBJ Linen
Reception Music: David Lugo
Cake: Gateau Distinctive Cakes
Favors: Historical Chocolate Company

For more vendors, please visit our Washington DC area wedding vendor guide and for even more local ideas visit our wedding inspiration galleries or check out our other Washington DC area real wedding features.

Photo Credits: Procopio Photography

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