Photo: Lisa Blume Photography
Jamie Tricarico and Trevor Matese met in 2007 as sophomores at Georgetown University. Seven years later, they decided to move in together. The day they got the keys to their new home, Trevor popped the question, along with some champagne to celebrate.
When the two started planning their wedding, the bride was working full-time and going to school part-time, so Jaime admits working through the details could be stressful. Luckily, she had support from a team of three at Karson Butler Events to help bring her dream of a classic ballroom wedding to life. The couple invited 260 guests to share in the celebration, first for a ceremony at the Dahlgren Chapel of the Sacred Heart at Georgetown University, where they first met. “We wanted to provide our guests, many of whom were from out of town, with a quintessential D.C. experience,” Jamie says. With the reception venue just steps away from the White House at The Willard Intercontinental Hotel, they certainly succeeded. Lisa Blume Photography documented every last D.C. detail.
Photo: Lisa Blume Photography
The couple’s classic invitation suite played off the traditional style of their venue. “We literally personalized our wedding day by including our new, joint monogram on nearly everything,” Jamie says, so naturally their invites featured a navy blue version of the bride and groom’s initials.
It took just three tries for Jamie to find her wedding dress as she fell head over heels for the third gown she put on, a strapless silk Carolina Herrera ball gown with a bow and button detailing. “I wanted a timeless, simple wedding dress. The buttons and bow were the perfect amount of detail for me,” Jamie says.
She went the classic route for her accessories, too. Pearl bracelets, necklaces, and earrings were her statement pieces, and Jamie added a dash of bling in the way of a diamond bracelet and her late grandmother’s gold ring.
Jamie’s bridesmaids wore floor-length tulle gowns from Amsale in varying styles but the same navy hue. Each woman carried an arrangement of roses, peonies, lisianthus and greens, all tied with a classic navy and white striped ribbon.
This couple had often attended mass together as undergraduates, so it was only natural for them to exchange traditional vows in a Catholic ceremony at Georgetown University’s chapel. Wooden pedestals were placed on both sides of the altar and held large arrangements of hybrid delphinium, white roses, and peonies in glass containers.
For cocktail hour and their reception, Jamie and Trevor rented a mirrored laser-cut bar that was decorated with white urns of hydrangeas. Cocktail tables held small glass vases with garden roses, maidenhair fern, astilbe, peonies, and greens.
The foyer at the reception space featured small groupings of sofas, chairs, ottomans, and decorative pillows where guests could get comfortable. The focal point of the space was a large escort card display that was defined by boxwood topiaries in white urns on either side and featured the couple’s new joint monogram. “This was one of our favorite details,” the bride says.
A large white dance floor anchored the couple’s reception space, and the band riser was skirted in boxwood to tie in the cocktail hour décor. “The 12-person band kept guests of all ages dancing throughout the night,” the bride remembers.
When it was time for dinner, everyone was seated at round tables with gold trimmed place settings and tall candles.
During the party, guests sipped on fruity prosecco served with monogrammed wooden stirrers and headed to the antipasto display or raw bar for snacks. Those with a sweet tooth had no shortage of dessert options. In addition to Jamie and Trevor’s banana sponge wedding cake with chocolate fondant, each table had its own display of tarts, mousse cups, and macarons.
This bride has an important reminder for brides-to-be who are knee deep in planning. “Have fun and enjoy some of the lighter parts of wedding planning — like cake, food, and wine tasting!”
Ceremony Venue: Dahlgren Chapel of the Sacred Heart || Reception Venue & Catering: The Willard InterContinental Hotel || Wedding Planner: Karson Butler Events || Bride’s Wedding Dress: Carolina Herrera || Hair & Makeup: Amie Decker Beauty || Bridesmaids’ Dresses: Amsale || Groom’s Attire: Brooks Brothers || Flowers: Amaryllis, Inc. || Invitations: Crane, purchased at the Dandelion Patch || Calligraphy: Meant To Be Calligraphy || Music: Entertainment Exchange || Rentals: Party Rental LTD || Photographer: Lisa Blume Photography
Want more inspiration just like this? Then check out another couple’s Washington D.C. wedding in the video below.