Classic Hotel Monaco Wedding

There was so much warmth and energy in this family, making it such a pleasure to work with Maggie and her mother on the flowers for their classic Hotel Monaco wedding! The vision was modern, in keeping with the reception site, overlaid with a classic, French formal garden feel. A tall order to be sure! Maggie carried a bouquet of classic ivory roses and white ranunculus studded with white phalaenopsis orchids. Eddie’s boutonniere was fashioned from a white phalaenopsis bloom from Maggie’s bouquet. The bridesmaids wore navy dresses against which the simple domes of ivory roses stood out as both a crisp and modern choice.

Photo by Mary Kate McKenna

Modern bridal bouquet with white orchids and roses

Photo by Mary Kate McKenna

Two striking altar arrangements in whites and greens flanked the ceremony area at Dahlgren Chapel on the campus of Georgetown University, each accented with touches of silver brunea pods and dusty miller. Chairs on both sides of the aisle held petite bouquets of roses, stock and spray roses accented with a mix of boxwood, salal and seeded eucalyptus.

Photo by Mary Kate McKenna

The clean palette of white and green continued to the classic Hotel Monaco wedding reception, where an elegant design greeted guests at the escort card table. A tall, fluted glass vase was topped with a classic design of white hydrangea, roses, stock and lisianthus peppered with a rich mix of foliages – lemon leaf, boxwood, and draping seeded eucalyptus. Dinner tables were centered with a low, square glass vase lined on the interior with boxwood. The design, inspired by French parterre gardens, featured a sculpted ring of boxwood surrounding a textured mound of white hydrangea, stock, roses, and lisianthus.

Photo by Mary Kate McKenna

Featured on United With Love

Ceremony: Dahlgren Chapel, Georgetown University

Reception: Hotel Monaco

Photography: Mary Kate McKenna

Videography: Monachetti Weddings

Florist: Petal’s Edge Floral Design

Cake: Fluffy Thoughts

Lighting: John Farr Lighting

Music: Broadsound

Makeup: Andre Chreky Salon

Hair: DryBar

Transportation: Reston Limo

Wedding Coordinator: Event Accomplished

Let’s talk about the “just a few extra blooms” request. Spoiler: there’s no such thing as extra in the world of flowers. Every stem you see, from delicate sweet peas and perfect ranunculus to lush roses, was bought with intention because flowers are literally our business. 🌸

The blooms for a single flat lay? Retail price any where from $20 to $75 and up. And. Up. Why the mark up? Because selling flowers is how we make our living. It pays the team, the rent, the cooler, transportation costs, and more. (It’s not just petals and poetry over here). Multiply that by 50 - 70 weddings a season and you’re looking at over $3k in gift blooms. That doesn’t include the myriad of other free blooms we get asked for: cake flowers, passing tray flowers, sample arrangements and more. That’s not generosity. That’s payroll.

Here’s how we handle it: We offer all our couples the option to include flat lay florals. If yes, we build it into the proposal so everyone wins. The couple gets their dreamy detail shots, the photographer gets beautiful product to work with, and we stay in business. Fairness (and beauty) for all.

No shade to photographers and other wedding vendors here. But boundaries are healthy. Everyone’s work deserves compensation. Be kind. Ask questions. Respect the craft. Love the results.

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Let’s talk about the “just a few extra blooms” request. Spoiler: there’s no such thing as extra in the world of flowers. Every stem you see, from delicate sweet peas and perfect ranunculus to lush roses, was bought with intention because flowers are literally our business. 🌸

The blooms for a single flat lay? Retail price any where from $20 to $75 and up. And. Up. Why the mark up? Because selling flowers is how we make our living. It pays the team, the rent, the cooler, transportation costs, and more. (It’s not just petals and poetry over here). Multiply that by 50 - 70 weddings a season and you’re looking at over $3k in gift blooms. That doesn’t include the myriad of other free blooms we get asked for: cake flowers, passing tray flowers, sample arrangements and more. That’s not generosity. That’s payroll.

Here’s how we handle it: We offer all our couples the option to include flat lay florals. If yes, we build it into the proposal so everyone wins. The couple gets their dreamy detail shots, the photographer gets beautiful product to work with, and we stay in business. Fairness (and beauty) for all.

No shade to photographers and other wedding vendors here. But boundaries are healthy. Everyone’s work deserves compensation. Be kind. Ask questions. Respect the craft. Love the results.

Jazz-age elegance meets Shakespearean drama. For the 2025 Folger Shakespeare Library`s Annual Gala, we channeled the Gatsby vibes and the Harlem Renaissance through gilded palms, white ostrich feathers, and rhythmic textures built for an evening of music and movement. This year’s celebration honored Shakespeare’s lasting place in American culture and welcomed new director Dr. Farah Karim-Cooper with a floral story full of swing and shimmer.⁣
⁣
Special thanks to Sarah Cissna of The Side Lobby for her inspired creative leadership. The night was a perfect blend of theater, history, and bold design. Events like this remind us that flowers don’t just decorate a room, they carry its soul.⁣
⁣
📍@folgerlibrary⁣
🍽 @designcuisine⁣
📷 @elmanstudio⁣
💐 @petalsedgedc⁣
📋 @thesidelobby

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Jazz-age elegance meets Shakespearean drama. For the 2025 Folger Shakespeare Library's Annual Gala, we channeled the Gatsby vibes and the Harlem Renaissance through gilded palms, white ostrich feathers, and rhythmic textures built for an evening of music and movement. This year’s celebration honored Shakespeare’s lasting place in American culture and welcomed new director Dr. Farah Karim-Cooper with a floral story full of swing and shimmer.⁣
⁣
Special thanks to Sarah Cissna of The Side Lobby for her inspired creative leadership. The night was a perfect blend of theater, history, and bold design. Events like this remind us that flowers don’t just decorate a room, they carry its soul.⁣
⁣
📍@folgerlibrary⁣
🍽 @designcuisine⁣
📷 @elmanstudio⁣
💐 @petalsedgedc⁣
📋 @thesidelobby

Some venues ask for flowers. Others demand a dialogue. At the Corcoran Gallery of Art (RIP), the room itself was a masterpiece. Marble columns, grand lines, and just enough shadow for drama. So we kept the florals monochromatic and structural: elegant white blooms along long tables, punctuated by candlelight. Soft folds of draped fabric enhanced the intimacy of an otherwise grand space. The result wasn’t just decoration. It was atmosphere. A moment where floral design became part of the architecture, and the room exhaled in light.⁣
⁣
📍Corcoran Gallery of Art⁣
🍽 @welldunncatering⁣
📷 @timmesterphotography⁣
💐 @petalsedgedc

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Some venues ask for flowers. Others demand a dialogue. At the Corcoran Gallery of Art (RIP), the room itself was a masterpiece. Marble columns, grand lines, and just enough shadow for drama. So we kept the florals monochromatic and structural: elegant white blooms along long tables, punctuated by candlelight. Soft folds of draped fabric enhanced the intimacy of an otherwise grand space. The result wasn’t just decoration. It was atmosphere. A moment where floral design became part of the architecture, and the room exhaled in light.⁣
⁣
📍Corcoran Gallery of Art⁣
🍽 @welldunncatering⁣
📷 @timmesterphotography⁣
💐 @petalsedgedc

Like Cinderella at the stroke of midnight, summer slipped quietly into memory. But not before giving us this moment. Alli & Graham’s floral arch spun from soft blues, creamy whites, and petal layers light enough to feel enchanted. Designed for their waterside ceremony at Celebrations at the Bay, this arch was pure storybook romance. No glass slippers required, just the kind of magic flowers can still conjure long after the clock strikes fall. Here’s to the gentler goodbyes, and to floral fairytales that don’t wilt at the word ‘season.’

📍@celebrationsatthebay
🍽 @catering_by_uptown
📷 @katefineart
💐 @petalsedgedc
💄@mimibtran
📋 @margobrightoccasions

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Open post by petalsedgedc with ID 17997773825692409

Like Cinderella at the stroke of midnight, summer slipped quietly into memory. But not before giving us this moment. Alli & Graham’s floral arch spun from soft blues, creamy whites, and petal layers light enough to feel enchanted. Designed for their waterside ceremony at Celebrations at the Bay, this arch was pure storybook romance. No glass slippers required, just the kind of magic flowers can still conjure long after the clock strikes fall. Here’s to the gentler goodbyes, and to floral fairytales that don’t wilt at the word ‘season.’

📍@celebrationsatthebay
🍽 @catering_by_uptown
📷 @katefineart
💐 @petalsedgedc
💄@mimibtran
📋 @margobrightoccasions

As baseball season wraps, we’re celebrating a win of our own: bringing Petal’s Edge floral magic to Nationals Park for a special event. While most days take us to historic houses and grand ballrooms, we love the chance to design somewhere unexpected. Because flowers don’t just belong in gardens. They shine in stadiums too!

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As baseball season wraps, we’re celebrating a win of our own: bringing Petal’s Edge floral magic to Nationals Park for a special event. While most days take us to historic houses and grand ballrooms, we love the chance to design somewhere unexpected. Because flowers don’t just belong in gardens. They shine in stadiums too!

When the bride wears black, everything else falls into place. At Lauren & Alan’s Hotel Monaco wedding, the candlelight flickered against layers of greenery, lanterns, and shadow. The palette whispered more than it spoke. White flowers wouldn’t have belonged here; this was a story told in texture, depth, and restraint.

There’s power in contrast: light against dark, softness against structure, the unexpected choice that somehow feels inevitable once you see it. The design was less about decoration and more about atmosphere. Mysterious, elegant, and entirely unforgettable.

📍 @monacodc
📷 @carlelixirstudio
💐 @petalsedgedc

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