It was a day of pure joy after years of their globe-trotting friendship.

Nick and Abbie have a long history despite their youth. Their globe-trotting families threw them together in high school in Germany where a friendship started. Not always on the same continent, but always in touch, their friendship grew. Eight years later, the couple walked down the aisle of the breathtakingly beautiful Saint Mary of Sorrow Catholic Church and danced the night away at the Chantilly National Golf Club.

Photography by Lauren Dieckhaus

I know that every couple feels like royalty on their wedding day.

But Kathryn and Reynold definitely personified regal elegance that rivals the royals. It was like Old Hollywood and Old World nobility met at the steps of President Lincoln’s Cottage and fell in love. Kathryn chose bold burgundies for her bouquet, but the combination of textures and hues resulted in a soft floral femininity. The entire celebration was filled with autumn colors and timeless love.

New Year’s at the District Winery

Take a beautiful couple, an edgy venue and a glittery night in late December and you have all of the essential ingredients for a wedding celebration. Maggie & Brian chose the District Winery, a boutique urban winery set in the heart of DC’s Navy Yard community, for their celebration following a sacred ceremony at Our Lady’s Chapel at Gonzaga College High School. Classic Calla lilies paired with burgundy Van Dyke tulips and frosty Dusty Miller in Maggie’s bouquet. Soft Port Orford Cedar provided a touch of pine to boutonnieres, bouquets and centerpieces. And don’t you just love when Mother Nature provides a soft blanket of snow to capture Maggie enveloped in the vintage fur coat?

Photos by Gonzalez J. Photography & Design Studio

There is simple, timeless elegance in a white wedding.

It was the perfect May afternoon when Elizabeth and James were married on the patio of the Army Navy Country Club, overlooking an incredible view of the Washington Monument. Creamy white peonies and buttery roses headlined Elizabeth’s bouquet, complemented by the sea breeze blue dresses of her bridesmaids. Handsome in their black tuxedos, James and his groomsmen donned white freesia boutonnieres with matching black satin ribbon wrap on the stems. The ballroom was filled with crisp white linens, fluffy white hydrangeas and white tulips. A picture perfect day for a lovely couple!

Photos by Kristen Gardner Photography

Amanda and Klaas’ wedding celebration brought the sophistication of Old Hollywood to modern day Washington, DC.

On a beautiful November day, Amanda met Klaas at the altar of St. Matthew’s Cathedral, surrounded by friends and family witnessing their union. The celebration continued out the door and down the street to Constitution Hall. For her bouquet, Amanda chose coral-colored Juliette garden roses paired with succulents, burgundy ranunculus, seeded eucalyptus and ivory spray roses. Her bridesmaids, dressed in deep burgundy, carried Versillea roses. A beautiful day for a wonderful couple.

Veronica was a very busy woman.

Planning a wedding was clearly an extracurricular activity. So while juggling many responsibilities for loved ones, Veronica decisively chose the look and feel for their wedding day. Most importantly, she chose to marry a wonderful man, Ronald, who vowed a lifetime of commitment and joy.

Photography by Emily Clack Photography

A timeless estate rich in history seemed an appropriate setting for taking lifetime vows.

So on a warm August morning, Jennifer and Jason gathered friends and family at George Washington’s Mount Vernon for a lovely outdoor ceremony on the terrace of the historical inn. Using her mother’s wedding dress as the jumping off point for her flowers, Jennifer strolled up the aisle with a Victorian style bouquet featuring orchids, roses, lisianthus, fresia and daises. Jennifer cleverly labeled reception tables with names of early American presidents and included humorous presidential quotes about marriage and relationships. Tables were alternately decorated with a variety of cakes and August harvest fruits and flowers, in keeping with the ambience of our most famous colonial farm.

Witness Jennifer and Jason’s joy and happiness in the photos taken by Erin Scott Photography. It’s love in historic proportions.

Read Kind words from Jennifer >

Are we in the Blue Ridge Mountains or Italy?

Guests invited to Lauren and Ricky’s big day undoubtedly had similar thoughts as they arrived at Pippin Hill Farm and Winery—just eight miles from Charlottesville, Virginia. It’s easy to see why Ricky, a native Italian, was attracted to the venue. And, it’s no wonder why he fell in love with Lauren, who possesses as much inner beauty as outward glamour.

Photos by Elisa B Photography

Read Kind Words from Lauren