Tell us a little about yourselves!
We live together in Washington D.C. on Capitol Hill. We’ve been together for nearly seven years and met through a mutual friend. Love didn’t spark immediately but remained friendly for a few years before that same friend reconnected us at a dinner party. We got engaged summer of 2021 while vacationing on Martha’s Vineyard with Daniel’s family. Claire works in Branding and Marketing and Daniel is a Political Journalist.
Why did you decide to get married where you did?
The Cosmos Club is a storied, private social club located on Embassy Row in Washington, D.C. that we chose for a number of reasons: We love history and politics so we wanted to bring some of that into the wedding (members of The Cosmos Club over the years include presidents, Members of Congress, Supreme Court Justices, Nobel Peace Prize winners). The unofficial theme of the wedding was 'Moody Kennedys'. The estate itself is ornate, elegant, and timeless. Built near the end of the Gilded Age, the ballroom is reminiscent of Versailles’ Hall of Mirrors, and we also had full access to the gardens and other spaces. It required very little additional décor. And last but definitely not least, The Cosmos Club offers a relatively turnkey package, which was very important to the bride who was looking for a venue that did most of the heavy lifting.
How many guests did you have?
110.
Tell us about your outfits.
We kept it classic – Claire knew she wanted a form-fitting dress with a dramatic back (she detached the train for the reception and wore Justin Alexander), and Daniel wore a black tux from cufflinks from Senator Doug Jones, with his signature engraved on them. Claire's afterparty dress from Amsale was her favorite look – she had it altered from the original version, to be a bit shorter and incorporated a tulle hair bow that she purchased last-minute from Amazon. The wedding party brief was 'if the Spice Girls were going to a funeral' – so they all wore black with varying details, so they’d stand apart but also still complement one another.
What was the most important aspect for you, in terms of planning your wedding?
First was finding a venue that could offer a lot of on-site planning and support. We had looked at a number of other spots where we’d need to bring in everything on our own – linens, silverware, chairs, etc. Not only would that have eaten up the budget, it would have required way more logistical planning that we weren’t prepared to take on, even with a planner.
Second, was finding a photographer we really loved. We found Rachel Stenger who checked all our boxes - romantic, timeless, a little moody.
Were there any elements that were important for you to incorporate?
While we wanted a classic/timeless feel to our wedding, we also wanted to make sure it had some personality. As the wedding fell over Halloween weekend, we brought in a Tarot Card reader, Woven Psyche, for the reception (another nod to the The Cosmos Club) and provided masquerade masks for the dancing. We also opted for black-tie as we wanted to give our friends and family a reason to dress up and feel ultra glamourous for the night.
Any tips for couples getting married?
Figure out the things you care about early and focus on those first before you hit decision fatigue.
Photographer :Rachel Stenger @rachelstengerphoto | Ceremony Location + Reception : The Cosmos Club | Celebrant : The Honourable former Senator Doug Jones | Entertainment : String Poets + Wizer Productions (Bill Izer)@stringpoets. @wizerproductions | Planner : Kate Murphy from Snapped Events @snappedeventsdc | Flora : The Garden Studio @thegardenstudio.llc | HMUA : Vintage Veils @vintageveils | Catering + Beverages : The Cosmos Club | Cake : Buttercream Bakeshop @bttrcrmbakeshop | Tarot Card Reader : Woven Psyche @wovenpsyche | Wedding Dress : Justin Alexander @justinalexander | After Party Dress : Amsale @amsale | Groom’s Tux : The Suit Shop @suitshopofficial | Engagement Ring : Tiffany + Co. @tiffanyandco | Wedding Rings : Shelter
@shopshelter | Shoes : BHLDN from Anthropologie @anthropologieweddings | Pearl Bracelet : Vintage, borrowed from Bride's Stepmother | Hair Bow : Amazon @amazon | Wedding Party Attire : own black dresses + suits from The Tux Shop