Josh, from Oregon, and John, from Massachusetts, met in 2018 on the dating app The League, while both were living—about three blocks from one another!—in DC. John reached out to Josh, who had referred to himself in his profile as “Phil Dunphy in Training,” and the pair met up for a first date at the Line DC hotel. When it came time for their engagement, it was important to John that Josh ask John’s parents permission before proposing. Josh called John’s mom, who missed the call but returned it that evening—while Josh and John were watching TV together. Josh ran upstairs to take the call privately, but ultimately “spilled the beans” when he returned to a really confused John. After a little back and forth, they say, Josh asked John to marry him.
For their wedding day, the grooms say they started the planning on very different pages: Josh loves a crowd and the spotlight and would have invited everyone in his contacts list, they say, whereas John would have been happy to elope, and wanted an intimate vibe. Ultimately they found middle ground, they say, compromising with a celebration size—110 guests—that suited them both. They chose a winter date in February, a historic venue in their beloved neighborhood of Adams Morgan, and decided on a subdued color palette that would complement both. Among the highlights were photos of their parents’ and grandparents’ weddings on display; photos of themselves at ages that corresponded to each table number; and a flower-covered huppah—honoring Josh’s Jewish heritage—that incorporated moss at the bottom to give the illusion that it was growing from the ground. Josh’s favorite detail was using the lace from his mother’s dress as a pocket square; John’s favorite detail was wearing the watch his grandfather got while he was deployed in France in WWII. After dinner, the newlyweds sliced into wedding cake from the Cakeroom, which they say they visit often in their everyday lives. See the details of their big day below.
The Details
Photography: Alex McCormick
Venue: Meridian House
Coordination: ETC. Coordinators
Florist: True Floral Artistry
Invitations: Minted
Caterer: Occasions Caterers
Cake: The Cakeroom
Josh’s attire: Enzo Custom
John’s attire: Canali; Berlin’s (Charleston)
Music: Bryan George Music
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.
