a fall wedding! and a baby!

not both at once :)

A few weeks ago, just as fall color was starting to take hold, but before summer weather left completely, my little sister, Monique, got married! It was an incredible day!

My older sister and I had agreed to do the flowers and decorations, but the month leading up to the wedding I was really sick and mostly in bed. (We are SO excited to be expecting our 4th (!!!!) baby. I can hardly believe it's true. We feel incredibly blessed, and our kids are THRILLED! However, pregnancy is tough for me, and it wasn't a surprise that I had to spend a large chunk on bedrest.)

BUT the week before the wedding my health miraculous turned for the best, and I was able to enjoy the beautiful day as well as do all the flowers. I really feel so blessed that the sickness, intense as it was, only lasted a short while. I feel that being able to function normally now is really a mini miracle--yay!

Anyways....We learned how to make flower crowns--a "must" in my daughters' minds--and had so much fun at the flower shop, picking and arranging! The crowns were actually super simple. We used thistle, hypericum berries, and seeded eucalyptus and wound them with florist tape around a wire--voila!

For the centerpieces and bouquets, we started with seeded Eucalyptus and thistles and queen anne's lace, and then we added in silver brunia berries, something that looked like oversized lambs ear, and David Austin Juliet roses. Usually roses aren't my favorite, but these are incredible! I forget what the tall furry green things are...To fill out the table, we added the extra cuttings in jelly jars. So happy with how it all turned out.

The reception was in the upper part of Darlington House in Dupont circle, which was perfect for a intimate wedding. The room is lovely, and didn't need much aside from candles and flowers



Monique gave us free reign. She really is what every bride ought to be--totally joyful, fully present to the moment, and refreshingly non-dramatic when it comes to sweating the small stuff...and even the big stuff...like being almost an hour late to her own wedding :)))) any other bride would have melted down, but Mo isn't just any bride. Love her!

Her joy translated into a total blast on all fronts, and made the decorating part even more fun. Whenever I'd call to ask her a question, she'd say some thing like, "O I trust you and I'm so excited to see what you do!"--DREAM client!

the ceremony was in SE DC at Assumption, a beautiful old Catholic church that my older sister has been helping the pastor restore. She's an artist, and did all the paintings that you see below...

The wedding was a slice of heaven, just like the gorgeous couple....

I took no less than 1500 pictures, but most of my favorites are of the kids....they make fun parties even more fun, picturesque, and awesome (something I didn't fully appreciate when they were all in the toddler years, but relish now....and wish I could keep them from growing so fast...)

when the night got long, disco naps were taken...

my husband and brother-in-law played a little tribute in lieu of a toast....my mom, who may love them more than her own children has lobbying for them to start a band for years--singing son-in-laws :)--every family party, she asks them to bring their guitars....and good sons that they are, they finally obliged. Great debut boys!

and then the dancing began...

Monique and Jonny (LOVE this new bro!) stayed a few extra days before flying back to San Francisco where they live, and they totally spoiled us! Jonny is the rockstar chef de cuisine at Quince (but he's probably the most humble person I've met and would never let on that he's a total badass), and he and Monique (who is also quite accomplished with her culinary skill...they met working together in a couple of restaurants in New York) created an incredible feast for our families. Perfect end to a perfect weekend! Now we are attempting to lure them back to east coast....