Ellie and Nicholas got married at Longview Gallery, one of my favorite non-traditional wedding venues in DC. They were such a unique couple - their wedding hashtag was #acrosstheaisle - a nod to the fact that she’s a Democrat, and he’s a Republican. You can’t get more DC than that!! Their day started with some photos in the area (by the incredible Sarah Gormley). After a beautiful ceremony, they had cocktails in the back gallery while we flipped the ceremony space into the dining room - so they could eat the incredible meal from Well Dunn! Dancing and sweet treats (including mini Jeni’s ice creams…yummm) followed. He is in the military, and they honored that part of him not only by using his sword for the cake cutting, but with their cake toppers (incredible yoga soldier statues! Yoga for her, soldier for him). My most favorite detail, however, was their “guest book” - two posters for guests to sign: one of Reagan, the other of Obama.

Enjoy this awesome DC wedding! And congrats again Ellie and Nicholas!

Ellie and Nicholas’s Vendors:

Venue: Longview Gallery

Coordinator: Katie Wannen, The Plannery

Caterer: Well Dunn

Photographer: Sarah Gormley

DJ: DJ Evan Reitmeyer

Florist: Uncloudy Studios

Ceremony Music: Tiffany Rose Violin

Hair/Make-up: Ariel Lewis

My sister recently participated in a very non-traditional wedding. Before I share the details (which are ridiculously amazing, FYI), I wanted to talk about why I think non-traditional weddings are so important - for everyone. Even those who don’t consider themselves “off-beat.”

Here’s the thing: I think when making major life decisions - marriage, kids, career - it’s important to question. Why do you want to do something in a particular way? What might it look like? What are the other options? And beyond the questions, perspective is key. Understanding where your point of view is coming from, what traditions you’re drawing from, why you envision something a certain way is important.

People who break from tradition make us think. They make us question. Would I ever want a wedding like that? A marriage like that? A job like that? Seeing non-traditional choices reminds us that the choices are there. That choices do exist in this world - a world that often makes us feel like we have none or that things have to be done a certain way. They let us take a step back and realize how many creative, crazy, fun options there are in life.

Long story short, I find weddings like the one my sister participated in to be really refreshing and a helpful way to blow your mind while also establishing your own opinions. You can’t know what you like and what you don’t unless you actually ask the question. Until you consider other possibilities. And hell, this wedding is NOT for everyone. In fact, one might argue this wedding was truly for this couple and this couple only. But it definitely made me think. And more importantly - smile.

So - speaking of things that inspire and make you question - my sister has always done that for me. She’s always pushing herself to try new things - rollerderby, rock climbing, and she recently did some aerial classes. One of her friends from that class asked her if she’d be interested in being a zombie at a wedding. You read that right. A zombie wedding.

Here’s the deal - the bride and groom staged a fairly traditional-looking ceremony. They wore a white dress and a suit, and an officiant began with some traditional (but funny) vows. Halfway through the ceremony, zombies emerged from the sides and started attacking the bride and groom. The bride and groom tore off their costumes (yes, these were tear-away bride and groom wear), to reveal zentai suits and starting battling the zombies. I’m sorry, but that just makes my day.

And that was only the beginning. My sister had this to say about the whole experience: “It was very fun, liberating (I got to look ugly at a wedding!), fun for the guests (many people asked if they could have their pictures taken with us afterwards), and probably the most individualized commitment ceremony ever (aerialist performances, videos of the couple, their favorite band played, and both the bride and the groom wore fabulous evening gowns for the dinner and dancing)” - I told you this was non-traditional!

I don’t have photos of the whole shebang (yet! hope to share some once they're available), but thought I’d leave you with pics of my sister as a kick-ass (and really scary) zombie as well as this final thought: this wedding was pretty extreme - but whether you’re considering zombies, or just considering non traditional centerpieces - remember to entertain the possibilities and ask the questions that will lead you towards a wedding that is truly yours. Sometimes exploring non-traditional paths can lead you towards your own path. That's true for weddings, and for life.

Ellie and Nicholas, Longview Gallery, Washington DC Wedding

Why non traditional weddings matter (a.k.a. what zombies can teach us all)