Taylor and Joe! You two are the most effortlessly cool people I have quite possibly ever met. I know that if they are reading this, they will adamantly deny their ‘coolness’ but they each have this unassuming way about them that just makes them magnetic. This was clearly evidenced by their friends and families at their wedding – their bridal party was just the most fun, and Taylor has the best ever girl squad.

We spent the morning at the Chateau Inn & Suites, and Taylor even humored me when we briefly went into a room they were preparing for someone else (they gave us permission!!). We had the best time getting her into her gorgeous backless dress, and then heading over to Divine Park so she could see Joe for the first time (and also grab some photos with their sweet beagle puppy Pogey!).

Before the wedding, Taylor and I had bonded over dogs and stationary (let’s be real – some of the most important things in this world), and I knew when I officially met them for the first time at their engagement session that they were special.

How did you meet?

We met through mutual friends while Joe was in medical school at Georgetown and I was working in clinical research at Georgetown. (So we’re excited to be coming full circle and moving back to Washington DC in July, as Joe will be finished with his medical training and starting as an attending anesthesiologist at Georgetown in September!)

What was the proposal like?

Short version: Joe proposed while we were on a beautiful vacation in Anguilla!

Longer version: We were on vacation in Anguilla, and we had plans to have dinner on the beach. It rained briefly during the afternoon, and the beach dinner got cancelled. Joe played it cool and got us a new dinner reservation. When we were getting ready to head out to dinner, there was a knock on the door. Joe said it was the taxi and asked me to answer it. I did, and room service was there with a bottle of champagne! I was genuinely confused and thought they had the wrong room, or maybe the wrong time, since we were about to leave for dinner. Still confused, I figured we could put it in the fridge to enjoy later, so I led room service in to set down the tray. When I turned around, Joe was down on one knee. Obviously I said yes, and it turns out dinner wasn’t until later, so we were able to enjoy the champagne on the balcony watching the sunset over the ocean.

What is your favorite thing to do together?

We love to go to the beach with our dog and have a nice quiet weekend. We also love cooking new pasta recipes at home and going out to new restaurants!

What is your best tip for couples planning their weddings?

Since our wedding is on the 19th, we had a date night on the 19th of each month while we were wedding planning. It was a fun way to celebrate being engaged and have fun making plans. Enjoy it, and make your planning decisions based on what you and your partner want. Don’t worry too much about traditions or what others think you should do!

Creative Team:

Photography: Kelly Sea Images | Venue: The Mill Lakeside Manor | Hair: Sweet Hair Peace | Make-Up: Make Me Up Eva | Floral: Sage Home & Floral | Bride’s Gown: Jenny Yoo & Alterations by Zatsarina Fashion | Band: Silver Arrow Band | Cake: Chocolate Carousel