This fall wedding was one of the grandest weddings I’ve ever shot. It took place at the Daughters of the American Revolution (DAR) building and Watergate Hotel in Washington DC, had epic libraries for cocktail hour, bride and groom portraits at the Thomas Jefferson Memorial, dinner under historic columns in the Portico next to hundreds of candles and flowers, a view of the Washington Monument, a ballroom dance my couple had practiced for months for their first dance, TEARS upon tears, the best reception dancing you’ve ever seen, and a couple tying the knot after 10 years together.
Jill and Kevon’s wedding day started at the Watergate Hotel in Washington, DC. It was such a historic and luxurious hotel to shoot the getting ready portion of the day. After Jill and Kevon got ready, we escorted them to Watergate’s rooftop to share their first look, which was so special. After the first look we all took Lyfts to the Thomas Jefferson Memorial and Tidal Basin. The Jefferson Memorial is my favorite memorial to do shoots at, so I was thrilled that Jill and Kevon wanted to carve out extra time in their wedding day to shoot here! We got some incredible at the Jefferson.
The the Daughter of the American Revolution building in Washington, DC was a DREAM to shoot. I graduated high school at this incredible building, so when I received an inquiry with the DAR as the venue I couldn’t believe it. The DAR occupies a FULL city block and ranks as one of the largest buildings of its kind. This place is HUGE and filled with so many ballrooms, humbling auditoriums, grand libraries, historic balconies and rooms. After the Jefferson, we did more bride and groom portraits at the DAR.
Jill and Kevon’s wedding was very untraditional. They did two cocktail times, one for 30 minutes before the ceremony, and another for 30 minutes after the ceremony. Jill actually wore a different dress for the first cocktail session and then changed right before her ceremony. For the ceremony, the room was split in half and chairs were placed to face the center of the room. Jill and Kevon entered the room on opposite sides and walked towards each other, came together in the middle, gave a speech together, and then sat on two chairs in the middle of the room. They had a friend in a middle chair as well talking about their relationship. They also had each of their kids give a short speech, as well as several friends, and had one of their friends who is a professional singer perform for them. It was beautiful. After the ceremony, guests went back to the cocktail area in the library and Jill and Kevon gave another toast and mingled. Dinner was then served in the portico outside at the DAR, which was absolutely GORGEOUS. Each table had stunning arrangements of flowers, candles, and plants. Instead of having table numbers, each table was one of the original colonies. For Kevon and Jill’s first dance, they performed a BALLROOM dance that they had been practicing for MONTHS with a professional dancer, who they invited to the wedding. They did an incredible job! The rest of the night was spent dancing, snacking, and spending time with friends and family. It was a wonderful day.
Oh, fun fact: Jill is the mom of one of the high school seniors I photographed a few years ago. So this wedding was so incredibly fun and special for me. I love this family.
Photographer: Angelika Johns Photography
Planner: Brielle Davis
Videographer: Sam Shots
Dress: Love Couture Bridal
Hair and Makeup: JKW Beauty
Cake: Blue Lace Cakes
Invitations: Artisan Matchmaker
Venue: Daughter of the American Revolution Constitution Hall
Catering: Corcoran Caterers
Colors: Burgundy, ivory, black, and royal blue
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