Shannon and Ryan’s Art Gallery Wedding in D.C.

April 15, 2015
Abby Jiu Photography

Following a traditional church wedding, this capital-based couple and their guests celebrated in a raw space outfitted with splashes of red, geometric touches, and a nod to their favorite board game.

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The Couple

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For their one-year anniversary, Shannon Casserly and Ryan Doerr ventured from their home in Washington, D.C., to Myrtle Beach, South Carolina. They chose the vacation destination because they both love go-karts, mini golf, arcade games, and the like—or as Shannon jokes, because they’re both apparently still preteens. She had a hunch he was going to propose, but decided to sit back and relax. Then, when lounging on the balcony before heading out one day, Ryan asked her to grab his wallet for him. “It made me angry that he couldn’t get it himself,” she recalls. But when she returned, he was down on one knee. The proposal was simple and silly and felt fitting for the couple.

Exactly two years into their relationship, on April 26, 2014, before 120 guests, the pair made it official with a ceremony downtown at Holy Trinity Church and a reception in an industrial art space called LongView Gallery. The soirée was crafted with “enchanted forest in the heart of the city” vibes, splashes of red and copper, nods to their love of a certain board game, and geometric accents.

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The Stationery

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The invitation suite by Fig.2 Design in collaboration with Lindsay Letters Calligraphy was foil-stamped in copper. Envelopes with a herringbone liner added a graphic and geometric touch. Vintage stamps from Underwood Letterpress finished the suites off before they were mailed to guests.

“We both liked that it had a balance of feminine and masculine to it, so it felt like we were equally represented,” Shannon says of the stationery.

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The Fashions

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Shannon selected an Alma Novia dress. “I knew I wanted it to have a beautiful back and feel ethereal,” she says. “The moment I tried on this dress, I knew that was it.”

Ryan wore an Allure gray three-piece tuxedo.

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Statement Shoes

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Dark green Badgley Mischka pumps with embellished heels added extra flair to the bride’s ensemble.

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The Bridal Bouquet

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Sweet Root Village crafted the bride’s bouquet of poppies, bleeding hearts, ranunculus, hellebores, peonies, Queen Anne’s lace, and ferns, which was tied together with dupioni silk ribbon. 

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The Bridal Party

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Shannon asked her bridesmaids and maid of honor to choose short black dresses, so they could each show off their own personal style. The lone gent (her best man) in the bunch donned a black suit and skinny tie. 

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A Pop of Red

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The bridesmaids carried small bouquets of peonies, parrot tulips, anemones, poppies, ranunculus, and ferns.

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A Princess Dress

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“Payton is a mini Disney princess, and she has excellent taste in dresses,” Shannon says of her flower girl. “I just wanted her to pick something she loved. She and her mom (my cousin) sent me some options they liked and we decided together on the style. It was the cutest thing.” 

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The Ceremony

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The traditional ceremony took place at Holy Trinity Church, which Shannon’s family had been attending for years. “When I was with my dad and the doors opened so I could finally see my soon-to-be husband, I cried,” Shannon says.

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A Fun Change

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Postceremony, Shannon added a fascinator from Le Reve Bridal.

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The Reception Location

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For the time in between the midday ceremony and the reception, guests were given suggestions on favorite spots to visit and places to get lunch. The couple took portraits and went back to their hotel (The Liaison Capitol Hill) for lunch before the celebration continued at 6 o’ clock at LongView Gallery. The raw, industrial space provided a blank canvas to be transformed into the ultimate spot for loved ones to be together and party.

The front half of the gallery was used for cocktail hour, during which guests snacked on fig tartlets, goat cheese cucumber cups, bourbon shrimp and grits fritters, beef tenderloin crostini, and lobster wontons. Guests then moved further into the space for the seated dinner and dancing.

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Cocktail Hour

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Drinks were served with geometric stir sticks made by the couple’s event designer and planner, Laura Ritchie of Events in the City. The couple’s names were foil-stamped in gold onto gray napkins.

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A Custom Bar

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The couple played up their passions in the décor behind the 9-foot bar—particularly, their love of games, with a spotlight on Monopoly. A ceramic terrier, silver iron, and car were just some of the “oversized” pieces on display. Their calligraphed names were front and center thanks to an oversized decal adhered to the wall.

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Luxe Lounges

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Vintage-style furniture made for stylish seating areas. Red and copper throw pillows added color and even more comfort.

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Table Accents

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Geometric terrarium-style vessels held bright red peonies, atop a bed of ferns resting on an old book.

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The Escort Cards

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A wooden palette was repurposed for the escort-card display. The cards themselves (a collaboration between Fig.2 Design and Meant to Be Calligraphy) were tacked in with black upholstery nails. Moss, succulents, and ferns were added to bring life and color to the setup.

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The Table Numbers

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Events in the City and Sweet Root Village conceptualized custom table numbers. Old pieces of barn wood were cut down to size by a local artisan, and Meant to Be Calligraphy penned the table numbers on dark-gray cardstock. Copper wire held everything in place and added extra dimension.

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The Tables

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Long tables were set with a mix of chairs and benches. Modern arrangements of red tulips, sweet pea, anemones, and peonies ran down the middle, while planters of ferns, ivy, and bromeliads, in addition to hanging glass globes with tea light candles, hung overhead. Smoky gray votives also added a moody, industrial element to the scene.

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The Menu

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Dinner started with a buffalo mozzarella and panzanella salad. Boneless short ribs with red wine demi-glaze, and Chesapeake crab cakes with corn purée and tricolored carrots followed. To end on a sweet note, the chocolate espresso wedding cake was served.

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The First Dance

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Louis Armstrong’s version of “La Vie en Rose” played as the couple took their first dance as husband and wife.

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Big-Screen Bites

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Steal Our Popcorn Snack Bar Idea for Your Big Day

Ridgewells, the evening’s caterer, customized the late-night fare to play up the movie buffs’ affinity for the silver screen. On the menu: Mini Junior Mint sundaes, hot dogs, hamburgers, and of course popcorn.

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A Fond Farewell

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The newlyweds ran past their guests holding sparklers, to hop in their getaway car.

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A Classic Ride

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A vintage Rolls Royce, dressed up with a “Just Married” sign, drove the couple away to start their newlywed life.

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Sources

Credit: Abby Jiu Photography

Photography: Abby Jiu Photography

Locations: Holy Trinity Church; LongView Gallery

Event Planning, Design, and Coordination: Events in the City

Catering and Cake: Ridgewells Catering 

Flowers: Sweet Root Village 

Stationery: Fig.2 Design 

Calligraphy: Lindsay Letters; Meant to Be Calligraphy 

Music: DJ D-Mac 

Rentals and Production: Chicka Chicka Boom Boom

Additional Rentals: Party Rental Ltd.

Makeup: Claudine Fay 

Lighting: John Farr Lighting Design

Transportation:Regal Limousine; Limousines Inc. 

Valet: MJ Valet

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