Meridian Hill Park DC Wedding // Sallie & David

On a sunny Saturday afternoon nearly two and a half weeks ago, I met Sallie and David at their DC apartment. While their friends began to arrive at their apartment building, they finished up their preparations. Their sweet pup, Ollie, looked sharp with a custom floral collar by Twinbrook Floral.

Sallie and David originally planned a large wedding celebration with family and friends in downtown DC. Due to the pandemic, they had to adjust their plans. May 30, 2020 would be their wedding day, it just looked a little different now!

As Sallie finished getting ready, I met her upstairs. Upon walking into their apartment, I was overwhelmed by all of their gorgeous wedding flowers. They had several tables full of beautiful bright blooms. Her bouquet was so unique and included the Birds of Paradise flower. Google that one, I don’t often see it on wedding days. I photographed the flowers while she finished the final touches on her hair. Her bridesmaids grabbed their bouquets and everybody made their way to the building lobby while the groomsmen waited outside. Sallie and David shared a sweet first look as she walked out the doors. She looked stunning in her long flowing veil and classic wedding gown.

The plan was to walk to Meridian Hill, a local DC park within walking distance from their apartment. The group attracted a lot of attention as they began to make their way down the street. People were cheering, clapping, and wishing them congratulations. I either ran ahead or trailed behind to capture candids of the wedding parade making their way to Meridian Hill.

Even more people greeted them with cheering and excitement once we arrived at the park, especially since they had several more friends anticipating their arrival. They picked a spot at the top of the park that overlooked the area and everyone set up for the ceremony. Their officiant organized the group and several friends held iPhones to both record the ceremony and livestream it for all of their family and friends watching over Zoom.

Sallie and David exchanged heartfelt, personal vows and then shared a kiss as newlyweds. Everybody cheered and then they popped a bottle of champagne. We took several quick portraits and then photos of the whole group. Their family and friends on the Zoom call shared several toasts and congratulations.

The whole day was a beautiful reminder that no matter the type of wedding celebration, the love and marriage shared between the couple are the most important.