Aimee wanted her wedding to Ted be a “love letter to our relationship.” The couple, both Filipino with a love of food and travel, personalized every last detail of the menu and experience for their guests at Early Mountain Vineyards. Hosting a fall wedding was a priority for the couple and they selected a venue overlooking the Blue Ridge Mountains playing up the lush foliage and color palette it offered. Florals were by The Posey Detail and floral invitations by Citrus Co. and the beauty of the day is beautifully captured in these images by Elizabeth Fogarty.
What made the wedding special and unique?
I wanted our wedding to be a “love letter to our relationship”. At our core, Ted and I are consummate hosts, foodies and world travelers. We saw our wedding as the opportunity to share our personality and the experiences that shaped us as a couple with our guests. Every decision was purposefully made to craft a thoughtfully curated experience. Hosting a fall wedding was at the top of our list. It is our favorite season and I knew the lush, saturated tones of the fall foliage would be the perfect backdrop for our wedding. I was also remarkably picky about our venue because it would set the tone for our day. It was important to me that our guests experienced different moments of our day in different spaces. We selected Early Mountain Vineyards for that exact reason. We hosted cocktail hour in the beautifully decorated Tasting Room and the reception and ceremony in the Event Hall. Our wedding was held in the evening so the venue took on a lovely romantic glow that made our fall wedding dreams come true.
The food was also a top priority for us. Ted and I are both Filipino and food is a defining aspect of our culture. We also plan our trips around food! We worked with a local caterer to create a completely custom menu and curated cocktail selection. I worked for months and months researching recipes to pinpoint exactly what we wanted. We selected a menu that was elevated, yet comfortable. One of my favorite moments was seeing our guests take to our cocktail selection and enjoy the Aperol Spritz. We love turning people on to new foods and experiences.
With delicious food and the haze of the Blue Ridge Mountains in the background, our wedding was the most perfectly, imperfect day.
Tell us about the gown and where/how you found it!
I wore the Watters Alice gown in ivory. It was actually one of the first dresses I tried on. I tried it first at a boutique in Georgetown, DC and then again at Love Couture Bridal in Potomac, MD. I am notoriously a more conservative dresser so I was surprised when I fell in love with the form fitting silhouette of the Alice gown. It made me feel beautiful, elegant and just a little bit sexy. The modern, graphic lace detail was my favorite feature.
What were some touches added to make the wedding personal?
Our wedding was all about the special touches. My favorites were:
Our wedding cake topper was handmade by my mother. Baking and fondant work have been become a great hobby of hers. She recreated the magnolia flowers from our invitation suite.
Matchbox favor: As a designer, I’m a huge proponent of function over form. I wanted to give something to our guests that would be both useful and remind them of our special day. Ted and I love to collect matchboxes from restaurants. We designed two matchboxes to give a nod to the wedding and our love of Washington, DC.
Playing New Orleans jazz during cocktail hour: New Orleans is a city the holds a special place in both of our hearts. We visit every year. During cocktail hour, we played New Orleans jazz to pay homage to our favorite foodie paradise.
Bridesmaid dresses: I am a huge fan of the mismatched bridesmaid dress trend. I think it elevates the concept of matching dresses to look more purposeful and gives each bridesmaid the opportunity to share their personality. At the time, it was really difficult to find what I wanted in bridal salons. I had selected a dusty, slate blue color and no one had that color let alone varieties of that blue. In addition to wanting shades of this hard-to-find blue, I wanted each girl to wear different textures. A lot of conditions, I know! But I had a vision. I scoured the sale section of Nordstrom.com and purchased a variety of dusty, slate blue dresses that fit the bill. I set up a bridal salon in my own apartment and treated my bridesmaid to a homemade brunch. They selected their exact dresses for our wedding and my vision came to life. Each girl is wearing a different fabric/texture and I love the look of them together.
My veil: My veil was a nod to my favorite design era: Art Deco. I selected a custom-made Juliet Cap style veil to blend together the modern look of my dress and soft, romantic design of our wedding.
What was the most memorable part of the day?
The outpouring of love and support we felt throughout the entire day. Given that our wedding was a destination for all of our guests, we were so grateful for those who traveled near and far to celebrate with us. It truly was the best day of our lives.
Tell us how you met and became engaged.
Ted and I met right after college in April 2011 but our stories differ. I will say we met through a mutual friend while Ted says we met at a local bar.
One of the first things Ted learned about me was my love for food and design. The Kennedy Center is my favorite building in DC and they host a Sunday brunch in their Roof Terrace restaurant. I took Ted years ago to share one of my favorite DC experiences. Fast forward to 2017, Ted had slyly suggested that we go again in May. The day he proposed was a miserable, rainy day. I wasn’t sure I wanted to go anymore but Ted was adamant. We arrived at the top of the Kennedy Center and Ted asked me to go out on the roof terrace (in the rain) which I found so odd. (He had hired a college friend turned photographer to capture our proposal.) To my surprise, he got down on one knee and popped the question! It was a beautiful, special moment between the two of us that I’ll remember forever. Afterwards, we had brunch with our families who met for the first time.
Aimee & Ted // November 4th, 2017 from Altamira Film Co. on Vimeo.
Photography: Elizabeth Fogarty // Month of Coordinator: Dream Defined Events // Flowers: The Posey Detail // Invitations: Citrus Co // Venue: Early Mountain Vineyards // Dress: Love Couture Bridal (Watters- Alice gown) // Makeup and hair: First Look Artistry // Tux: The Black Tux // Catering: C&O catering // Ring Box: The Mrs. Box