A Duke Chapel and Washington Duke Inn Wedding

Tonya and Jerel were married last July at the beautiful Duke Chapel followed by a reception at the Washington Duke Inn. I knew from the moment I met Tonya and her mother, that this was going to be a wedding to remember! Tonya has great style and knew that she wanted to create a classic wedding but, with contemporary and modern touches.

It all started with fabulous invitations from Paper Cafe. The custom calligraphy and gold gilded edges set the tone for the wedding day. So much in fact, that even though this was a destination wedding, almost every invited guest attended!

We had a big surprise on the Thursday before the wedding when I received a phone all from Duke Chapel. A portion of the ceiling had fallen, in the front, and in the middle of the aisle. For safety they quickly erected large scaffolding that ran the width of the chapel and covered several of the front pews. While an unfortunate circumstnace, Tonya and Jerel handled the situation with grace and understanding. And it is a now a perfect example to all of my clients that even a mistake can become something beautiful. In fact, their amazing wedding video by Inkspot Crow highlighted a touching homily by Father Mike that compared the scaffolding supporting the chapel to Jesus supporting their marriage in the years to come.

After the ceremony guests were greeted at the Washington Duke Inn with Wedding Cake Martinis and a live Jazz trio which set the energetic tone for the evening. When it was time for dinner, the doors were opened to show the stunning ballroom. Tonya chose neutral linens which allowed the gorgeous flowers by Tre Bella to really stand out.The tall arrangements of white dendrobium orchids mixed with lower arrangement of fuchsias, greens, and purples gave the room a classic but, contemprorary flair. For dinner guests enjoyed a first course of shrimp cocktail, followed by spring greens with strawberries, feta, pecans, and a pink champagne vinaigrette, and then a main course of grilled filet and lump crab with whipped potatoes, haricot verts, and sauce bodelaise. After dinner it was time to get the party started! Big Blast and the Party Masters gave an incredible performance that kept guests on the dance floor all night. And as a late night surprise, Tonya and Jerel served chicken and waffles. A perfect way to finish an evening to remember!