Nica and Andrew exchanged vows in front of a larger-than-life window on the mezzanine of the Line hotel on Halloween 2020. Afterwards, they celebrated with an intimate dinner for eight. Their wedding was originally featured in the August 2021 issue of Washingtonian. See the details below.
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After connecting on Bumble, Nica and Andrew met at Compass Rose, where they bonded over their adolescent emo phases, poetry studies, and fast-food cravings. They chatted straight through the kitchens closing and shared McDonalds chicken nuggets on a bus bench at the end of the night. Four years later, on that same bench, Andrew says he clumsily pulled out a faux McNugget ring box I made out of clay and asked Nica to marry him.
The couple pushed pause on wedding planning when the pandemic hit, but after Nica found her gown online and bought it on a whim, they decided a Halloween wedding would be too memorable to pass up. They married silhouetted by the Line hotels mezzanine window in the company of six guests (plus more on Zoom). Because one of Nicas brothers couldnt make it, a cardboard cutout stood in. It was hilarious to see the cutout in the corner of our eyes and be startled to see it standing there throughout the night, says Nica. Its also fun to play Wheres Daniel? when we look through our photos. The reception table added to the moody fall aesthetic, with tapers and votive candles; black plates; bud vases and ikebana-inspired florals; and gold-tortoiseshell silverware.
About the Location
“For any weddings inviting over 25 guests,” says wedding planner Tiffany Rivera, having a ceremony in front of the Line’s original stained glass windows from the century-old historic church it was built from, “would be nearly impossible due to the lack of space. However, for Nica and Andrew’s eight-person wedding, not only was it doable, but we had the space visually and financially to create a free-standing asymmetrical arch filled with muted fall colors that framed the base of the towering stained glass.”
The Details
Planning and design: Simply Breathe Events Florist: Love Blooms Cake: Jisoo Cake Design Hair and makeup: JKW Beauty Brides attire: Safiyaa from Moda Operandi, Elim Boutique (tailoring) Grooms attire: The Black Tux Videographer: Sage and Silhouettes Rentals: Something Vintage Rentals Menus and place cards: Minted
Photographs by Emily Gude
Amy leads Washingtonian Weddings and writes Style Setters for Washingtonian. Prior to joining Washingtonian in March 2016, she was the editor of Capitol File magazine in DC and before that, editor of What’s Up? Weddings in Annapolis.