Whimsical Decatur House Wedding

Prominently located a stone’s throw from the White House and around the corner from the Hay Adams Hotel, the Decatur House is one of the oldest surviving buildings in Washington, DC and one of three remaining homes in the country designed by neoclassical architect Benjamin Latrobe.

And this past July, our team descended upon the property for a wonderful and whimsical Decatur House wedding! Balloons, lovely lavender hues and smilax and ruscus foliage were just the beginning of this seriously beautiful wedding. To start, Michelle wanted a profusion of whites and lavenders purples with lots of texture – lavender, roses, lisianthus, scabiosa, clematis, and eucalyptus formed the start of this lush, textured floral palette. Alex’ boutonniere complemented Michelle’s bouquet, featuring a white lisianthus blossom accented with lavender and eucalyptus.

As guests arrived, they were welcomed into the carriage house by a gray drapery with smilax organically trailing up the sides. The design framed the unusual focal point of this whimsical Decatur House wedding – an installation of large and small balloons in ombre purple hues! Mixed with greenery elements along the balloon strings, the design anchored the back wall to create an altar.

Photo courtesy Petal’s Edge

The cocktail hour took place along the outer perimeter of the courtyard tent. Eucalyptus foliage circled the cinch points of the highboy tables for a garden-inspired look, while informal bud vases of lavender and purple wedding blooms sat atop the tables. We loved the seating chart framed by balloons, continuing the whimsical wedding element. A 16-foot kings table anchored the tent, with round tables ringing the dance floor. A mix of bud vases with purple floral and silver mercury glass votives ran along the middle of the table, while three oversized white jumbo balloons sat above the table, connected with the lightest greenery garlands. The round tables alternated between silver lanterns ringed with eucalyptus foliage holding a large white balloon and classic glass footed bowls with a rich mix of summer blooms in shades of lavender and white.