Dress: Olsen by Rime Arodaky

Where: Georgetown, Washington DC.

Studio: New York

Tell us a little about yourself?

I’m Liz and I work in Sales Operations at the corporate office of a German Car Company.  I am originally from Ohio, but moved to Washington DC about 8 years ago and that is where I live currently.        

How did you meet your Groom?

Chris and I met through mutual friends.  He played football at a small college in Ohio with some of my high school friends.  When we both ended up moving to Washington DC, our friends thought we should meet up so we did!  Our first date was taking my dog, Kai, for a trail walk in upper Georgetown at sunset. 

In hindsight, walking in the woods at night with a stranger probably wasn’t the best idea, but it ended up working out!

     

How did you come across The Mews?

I started browsing Pinterest for wedding dress inspiration and came across a short sleeved dress by Rime Arodaky that I loved.  It seemed very simple and on the more casual side. 

I saw that The Mews in NY sold that designer and knew I had to go there to try it on.  I ended up going to the boutique and not liking the dress from Pinterest but loving another Rime Arodaky dress with long lace sleeves.  The dress I ended up picking fit my venue much better than the short sleeved dress.        

What styles were you channeling whilst dress shopping?

I wanted something more simple, easy, a little boho and modern.  When I started wedding dress shopping, I knew I was getting married in a warehouse, so wanted to channel something very raw and edgy.  

    

Tell us about finding your perfect Wedding dress?

I wanted to have fun and try on every option possible.  I knew I would end up in something more relaxed, but wanted to make sure to rule out the things I had a feeling I wouldn’t like.  So, I definitely had a long day of trying on dresses, but when I put on the dress that I bought, I could not stop smiling.  I felt great in it, it complimented my figure and was exactly what I was looking for. 

The style of the dress was absolutely perfect and my family and friends knew!  That day I went home without it, but couldn’t stop looking at it in the pictures I took.  I ended up going back 2-3 weeks later to purchase it and was very happy I did so.      

Where did your wedding day take place? Was there any themes or inspiration behind your day?

Our ceremony took place at Holy Trinity Catholic Church in Georgetown, Washington DC.  Our cocktail hour and reception took place in DC at Dock5 which is a large industrial warehouse. 

My ceremony was very traditional, so one of the main themes of the reception was to break tradition.  I wanted something edgy, velvety, warm with greenery, and modern with hints of boho.  I loved the idea of jewel tones and mismatching bridesmaid dresses with black being a main highlight color to pull everything together.   

I didn’t want any flowers on the tables and just wanted the decor to be very dramatic with tons of candles.  The romance of a candle lit space was absolutely perfect.   

Also, I would say I wanted a nice “battle” between a masculine and feminine vibe for the space, so we added greenery above the dance floor and had greenery and floral climbing up some of the poles surrounding the dance floor. 

What did he wear?

Chris wore a burgundy velvet tux jacket, black pants, white dress shirt, black knit tie, and black velvet loafers.     

What was your favourite detail of the day?

I have 3 favorite details. 

The first would be decor – our cocktail napkins pulled in my dog, Kai, by putting a picture of her on the napkin with a cute note that said “Cheers! Love, Kai”. 

The second would be the florals.  My bouquet which consisted of anemones, burgundy peonies, white and champagne roses all with longer “wild” stems which was amazing.  The greenery on the tables with tons of candles was perfect.  The florals and greenery crawling up some of the support beams in the space was so delicate and the perfect addition to a masculine space.   

The third would be the leather jackets that were added.  I had all my girls and I bring leather jackets if we got cold.  It made for some killer, edgy photos that turned out so great! 

What advise would you give out to a bride to be about finding the perfect dress?

I would say to stay true to your style and who you are.  The people you bring dress shopping will know you well, but trust yourself and trust that you will make the right decision for the big day.  
    

Words of wedded wisdom?

Try to be present through the wedding day because it goes by very quickly!