Lavender Wedding at the InterContinental - The Wharf

Rachel + Robby were married July 22, 2023 at the InterContinental - The Wharf in Washington, DC. They actually booked the venue site unseen! The bride's mom toured it with their wedding planner, SRS Events, and fell in love with the expansive windows overlooking the water. Mom, Susan, immediately envisioned their ceremony chuppah set against the windows and luckily Rachel liked it too via FaceTime! (The couple lived in NYC during the wedding planning)

Rachel envisioned a wedding full of shades of lavender and purples with modern touches. Her 8 bridesmaids selected mix and match champagne colored dresses and the men wore black tuxedos. Rachel selected the most gorgeous and unique gown from Love Couture Bridal, by the designer Eisen Stein Bridal. It was sheer, with delicate embroidery, and layers of tulle for the skirt - aptly named The Swan. She was a knockout in it! The mother of the bride is a jewelry designer, Susan Koehn Designs, and actually designed the engagement ring, wedding bands, and jewelry Rachel and her bridesmaids wore!

As a nod to their love story, Rachel shared she always got Robby a lollipop from the grocery store. So their planner came up with the idea to make a lollipop seating wall, with " How Sweet It Is to be Loved By You" at the top and the lollipops guided guests to their seats. A modern square invitation with their RR monogram informed guests of the modern and romantic fete. The modern RR also was used on the bars, menus and place cards. Lush purple florals lined the tables in the reception along with modern glass candelabras. The fairy lights installed by Dan Goldman Events illuminated the room beautifully especially as the sun set.

For the ceremony, a stunning gold chuppah strung with 100s of white orchids was the focal point of the ceremony. The couple's close friend became an officiant in DC and officiated their wedding for a personal touch. A string quartet played modern hits as guests arrived and the bride walked down the aisle to Here Comes the Sun.

The groom's mom had sadly passed away, and she was honored with a reserved seat in the front row and memorial sign. One of the most touching moments from the wedding came when the groom shared a special dance with all of his mom's close friends in lieu of a mother - son dance, dancing to Hey Jude. There was not a dry eye in the room!

Instead of a first look, Rachel and her girls walked up to the groom and groomsmen where Robby saw Rachel for the first time. It was a sweet and exciting moment with the wedding party and crowds cheering them on!

After a petite cake cutting and champagne tower pour into coupe glasses filled with cotton candy, the dance floor kicked off.

DJ Dan Goldman kept the party going all night, accompanied along by saxophonist Herb Davis. A mid-way dress change and into Converse sneakers along with a confetti pop and espresso martinis kept the party rocking!

Photography by Barbarah Pettula.