What’s more appropriate for #Pride week than a rainbow wedding? Not much, as you’ll see from Sarah McClellan and Hosannah Malubay’s sweet celebration below, captured by Shenanagan Photography by Shelley Shearer and Ron Hanagan.
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When Sarah and Hosannah first met at the Virginia pottery studio they both worked at, it wasn’t love at first sight. In fact, Hosannah wasn’t really even in the market for making new friends, much less a relationship. But as months passed and Sarah persistently worked to get to know more about Hosannah, a friendship developed. From there, things transitioned so easily into a relationship that neither is totally sure what they’d identify as their first date.
They’d dated about two years when they planned to get together with friends at The Barns at Hamilton Station Vineyards for a day of drinking wine and live music. As the day was winding down, Sarah got on stage and started to sign the ASL words for Train’s “Marry Me” while the musician sang it aloud beside her. Hosannah at first just thought all the wine Sarah had drunk was motivating her to perform, but when she saw the ring, she realized she was being proposed to. “I am hard of hearing with no hearing in my right ear at all,” says Hosannah. “The fact that Sarah learned the sign language to propose to me was such a sweet gesture and made the proposal even more special and meaningful.”
A year later, Sarah and Hosannah returned to the winery where they’d gotten engaged to celebrate their wedding. Sarah had dreamed of a rainbow wedding her whole life, and the vision was brought to life with bridesmaid dresses and flowers in a spectrum of colors, along with pinwheels that lined the aisle leading to the altar, built by Sarah’s father. In a nod to her Filipino culture, Hosannah’s bouquet was accented with tiny pineapples.
An outdoor ceremony overlooking the Virginia countryside was followed by a reception in the barn, where the rainbow theme continued with each table featuring a different color. After dancing to “She Keeps Me Warm” by Mary Lambert and cutting into their rainbow-dyed wedding cake, the newlyweds departed with plans to honeymoon in Disney World.
VENDORS
Venue: The Barns at Hamilton Station Vineyards | Photographer: Shenanagan Photography by Shelley Shearer and Ron Hanagan | Event Coordinator & Caterer: Paula Kiley of Seasoned to Taste | Bridal Gowns: Leesburg Bridal & Tuxedo | Hair Dresser: Jennifer Mustachio | Makeup Artist: Devon Saunders | Cake: Darkness Batters | Cupcakes: Shugar Shugar | Florist: Event Studio | Music/Entertainment: Julie Cardiello
End the night on a sweet note with a wedding cake or dessert from one of Washington’s best bakeries.
Caroline Cunningham joined Washingtonian in 2014 after moving to the DC area from Cincinnati, where she interned and freelanced for Cincinnati Magazine and worked in content marketing. She currently resides in College Park.
