A Gilded Christmas Wedding at the St. Regis

Ashley, a doctoral student in clinical psychology, and and Daniel, a consultant, met as freshman at a Vienna high school. They both played basketball, and one day sitting with her teammates watching Daniel play, Ashley says, she “called dibs.” Eight years later, Daniel proposed in the living room of their first apartment together.

The halls of their early-January wedding venue were decked for Christmas, which played well into the couple’s theme the couple playfully dubbed “Dark, Moody, Mary, Queen of Scots,” with a color scheme of emerald green, plum, deep red, gold, and ivory. The vision, Ashley says, was inspired by the plates, and they set out to include as much texture as possible from the different florals, velvet touches, mismatched glassware, etc. “It felt so rich, regal, and elegant,” says Ashley. In keeping with the wintery vibe, dinner began with a crab and corn chowder, and one of the signature cocktails was a “Winter in DC” cranberry mule. A second signature drink—Ashley’s grandfather’s favorite—was a surprise to honor him. For a late-night snack: sliders and milkshakes. Other sentimental touches that honored their families—a priority for the couple—included the acoustic processional played by Ashley’s brother; officiating by Daniel’s uncle; readings by each of their mothers; and a surprise dance: Ashley with Daniel’s father and Daniel with Ashley’s mother. “Because we met so young,” says Ashley, “almost everyone at the wedding knew both of us and our families are really close. We wanted to honor that.”

See the details of their Christmastime wedding below.

The Details

Amy Moeller

Fashion & Weddings Editor

Amy leads Washingtonian Weddings and writes Style Setters for Washingtonian. Prior to joining Washingtonian in March 2016, she was the editor of Capitol File magazine in DC and before that, editor of What’s Up? Weddings in Annapolis.