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Nicole + Michael’s wedding – October 13, 2012 – Vienna, VA and Washington Golf and Country Club, Arlington, VA

Finally–a swimming bride! That sounds like an odd statement but considering how immersed my family has become in swimming over the last 4-5 years I felt like I’d met kindred spirits in Nicole and her mom. Nicole is a swim coach for York Swim Club in Arlington, a group that my kids see often at swim meets in the metropolitan area. We both live in the world of swim practice, meets, chlorine and carpools. Nicole’s bridal party was a great reflection lasting friendships formed at the pool—they all were swimmers. I have great admiration for these coaches who like teachers play such a critical role in the lives of the young kids they spend time with daily.

Enough about swimming, on to the wedding! Nicole and Michael picked a glorious fall day to get married in their hometown of Vienna. I was a little jealous of the groom and groomsmen who got to go to the Vienna Inn before the ceremony. That’s another long story for a different blog post but I used to hang out there—more for the atmosphere than the famous chili dogs.  The day started with a lovely ceremony at Vienna Presbyterian Church followed by a little hiking around the church for portraits and then the trip to Washington Golf and Country Club for the reception. It’d been a couple years since I’d been there and I was happy to make good use of the white Adirondack chairs and the balcony with columns overlooking the golf course. And one last swimming note and maybe a cautionary lesson for me…those swimmers (and everyone else there) know how to have a good time. The dance floor was packed all night long and yes, I saw the York group having a particularly good time!!

Ceremony Vienna Presbyterian Church, Vienna, VA

Reception Washington Golf and Country Club, Arlington, VA, 703.524.4600

Florist Kathy McGuiness  703.523.3114

Hair  Betsy Allen – 703.389.0280

Make-upMarti Wright  703.282.1347

Band Keynote – 410.697.4931

Cake Pastries by Randolph 703.243.0070

Amy + Jude’s wedding – July 17, 2010

I’m not sure I’ve seen a more nervous groom than Jude. We were the first ones at the church for his wedding to Amy. I’m glad he had the rings to twirl on his fingers to keep him occupied. I’m also glad that they decided to see each other before the ceremony. In a change from my usual first look, Amy snuck up on Jude as he waited outside the church. Once he saw Amy, he just beamed. And any trace of nervousness was gone. Their ceremony at the Unitarian Universalist Church of Arlington was flooded with light and as their friend conducted the ceremony, it was made much more personal by retelling the story of Amy and Jude’s courtship through the social groups at the church. And the significance of the little bears that Jude carried with him during the ceremony. Amy and Jude were very committed to having a green wedding. The flowers were delivered that morning from a local farm and I loved the flower seeds as guests for the gifts. Another whimsical touch was the crayons and paper for everyone (not just the kids) to draw and make notes for the couple. And the colors of purple and yellow made the room pop.