This Wedding’s “Indulgent” Dinner Included Butter-Poached Lobster Over Gnocchi With Truffle Cream and Black Caviar

Sarah, a public relations manager for a law firm, and Stephen, a program director at Cato Institute, connected over their shared Broncos fandom at a mutual friend’s birthday party on a boat on the Potomac. The morning after the boat ride, Stephen called Sarah to invite her to brunch at Courthaus Social. A year and a half later, Stephen proposed after another brunch—this one at Filomena—while walking along the Georgetown waterfront. Sarah says she blacked out, overwhelmed by emotion, and was brought back only by the joyful honks of nearby boaters. 

Their wedding theme, they say, was about capturing the spirit of DC with a classic, black-tie feel. “We wanted the day to reflect the city we love—elegant, timeless, and full of character—while giving our guests a formal and unforgettable experience in the heart of the nation’s capital.” For the seating chart, they wrote personalized letters to each of their 68 guests, and at the tables, guests found their place with individually monogrammed napkins. Dinner—“a true celebration of indulgence”—started with butter-poached lobster over potato gnocchi and topped with a rich truffle cream and black caviar. Entrees included a choice of steak au poivre with peppercorn sauce or a grilled mahi-mahi. Other favorite details included an espresso martini tower; dessert that included a wedding cake layered with candy-bar crunch and coffee tiers, plus a cheesecake; and a romantic getaway in a vintage 1967 Rolls-Royce Princess—the last one a “splurge,” they say, “made everything feel even more magical.”

See the photos of their big day below.

Wedding 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.