If you’ve followed us for a while, you know that black and white wedding color palettes are always a vibe. Naturally, when Marilyn & Matthew reached out to book our team for their final final day-of details, we couldn’t have been more excited. Their DC wedding venue, formally known as the Mandarin Oriental and now Salamander DC, made the perfect blank slate for their gorgeous black and white wedding aesthetic. We think you’ll love the Peruvian accents and elegant wedding decor as much as we did, so we can’t wait to share a few of our favorite wedding photos on the blog today!

A DC Wedding Worth the Wait

Due to the pandemic, Marilyn and Matthew hosted an intimate ceremony at the DC War Memorial to be officially married on September 26, 2020, making the decision to postpone their reception to August 14, 2021 surrounded by family and friends. It’s safe to say, micro wasn’t going to cut it!

Black Never Goes Out of Style

While we love a first look with family beforehand (as you can see above), can we also talk about how sweet this bridal reveal is?! We are also kind of hoping that black bridesmaid dresses never go out of style. If you want something your ladies might actually wear again, we think this is as close as it gets!

St. Matthews Cathedral Wedding Ceremony

Once they were ready, Marilyn and Matthew headed to St. Matthews Cathedral to officially exchange their “I Do’s”. After a traditional Catholic wedding ceremony (in an absolutely beautiful church), Marilyn and Matthew were pronounced husband and wife and exited the church to an abundance of streamers (and cheers from their family and friends!). From there, they headed to their DC wedding venue (the Mandarin Oriental, now the Salamander DC) to take some absolutely epic DC wedding photos.

Wedding Portraits and To Veil or Not to Veil

Although we always leave the decision up to you, it’s hard to look at these photos and not be team veil. Marilyn’s cathedral veil was absolutely breathtaking. Their photographer, Becca B Photography, captured their portraits beautifully. By choosing a central DC wedding venue, they were also able to capture some absolutely iconic DC landmarks in the shots!

Cocktail Hour + Peruvian Inspired Escort Wall

After their wedding portraits, it was time to relax and enjoy some signature cocktails and a fun popsicle stand to help beat the heat! One of our absolute favorite decor pieces from Marilyn and Matthew’s wedding day was their escort wall. The two of them wanted to include some unique Peruvian touches to represent her heritage, so Marilyn drew the idea on a piece of paper and her husband-to-be brought it to life (he literally built the wall himself). To top it off, Marilyn’s grandmother brought miniature llamas all the way from Peru for the guests! It was the perfect nod to Marilyn’s culture.

Black and White Wedding Decor + A Joyful Wedding Reception

One thing we are passionate about here at Simply Breathe Events, is planning weddings that are both beautiful and a lot of fun. Nothing puts a smile on our faces like watching our wedding couples have a great time. With that said, we also love the pretty details and feeling of luxurious linens. For Marilyn and Matthew, we also absolutely loved the elegant look of their white and black wedding color palette and we enjoyed lighting every single one of those gorgeous taper candles. It was a wedding reception to remember!

Another DC Wedding for the Books!

As we hope you can tell, we couldn’t have loved the opportunity to be a part of Marilyn and Matthew’s wedding day more. If you are currently looking for a DC wedding venue, and are in the beginning of the wedding planning process, we would love to hear from you. Learn more about working with the SBE team here, or connect with us directly here and let’s get started!

DC WEDDING VENDOR TEAM

DC Wedding Planner: Simply Breathe Events

Photographer: Becca B Photography

Videographer: Shutter & Sound Films

DC Wedding Venue: Mandarin Oriental Hotel DC (Now Salamander DC)

Wedding Ceremony Venue: St. Matthews Cathedral

Florist: Edge Floral Event Designers

Wedding Attire: Global Bridal Gallery

Tuxedo: The Black Tux

Bridesmaid Dresses: BHLDN

Hair & Makeup: MAB Artistry

Band: Bachelor Boys Band

Photo Booth and Uplighting: Dan Goldman Events

Invitations: Minted

Transportation: Point to Point Limousines Inc.

Tiffany Rivera is a DC & NYC Wedding Planner & Event Planner. For more of SBE’s latest weddings, check out Zoe and Joe’s wedding at La Vie.