How did you two first meet — and when did you just know it was something special?

We first met in 2017. Michael and I worked together when we both lived in NYC. We became fast friends and stayed friends for a number of years, even after we both left NYC — me for social work school and him for law school. He visited me in Colorado for a week, and I think we both thought there was a spark, but nothing happened.

Fast forward a year, and we made plans to have dinner together in NYC when we both happened to be there visiting friends. We had dinner together, and then when Michael was walking me home, we shared our first kiss. We actually knew very quickly that we had something special. Everything just felt easy, like our lives fit together perfectly.

Tell us the proposal story — we want all the juicy, teary-eyed details!

We had a trip planned for Italy. We had gone through the ring process together, so it wasn’t a huge surprise that we were planning to get engaged. We had even started planning the wedding together, even though we weren’t yet engaged.

But Michael did surprise me. The night before we had to go, he called me up to our roof, ostensibly to help him move a table. When I got up there, he had set up a huge flower display and then got down on one knee to pop the question.

How did you land on your wedding location and venue, and what inspired the overall vibe?

We knew we wanted to do something in DC. Convenience for us and for our guests was an extremely high priority. From there, we knew we wanted something that took advantage of the season — we wanted to get married in May or June.

At first, we looked at outdoor venues, but we couldn’t find one that was conveniently in the city and could accommodate our guest count. Our planner pointed us toward the Fairmont in DC because it has an all-glass ballroom that is above ground. The light just poured in, and we knew we could add enough flowers that it would feel like a garden in spring.

Describe your wedding day style — from the fashion to the flowers. What inspired your choices?

We wanted our wedding day style to reflect the overall vibe we were hoping for at each point in the evening. For the ceremony, we went with a more classic greenery look to keep the focus on us and our families during that meaningful moment.

Then, during the room flip, the space was filled with colorful florals so that when guests walked in, they immediately knew it was time to have fun and dance. The same idea carried into the fashion choices — especially my afterparty dress. I had said I wanted to look like a disco ball, and the second I tried on the mirrored Retrofête dress, I knew it was the one.

And of course, we kept the energy going later in the night with passed espresso martinis and bubble guns.

What was your favorite personal detail from the wedding day — big or small — that made the day feel so you?

Having our entire family up on the altar with us for the actual wedding ceremony was so special. Michael’s brother actually officiated the wedding, but our entire family had different roles during the ceremony.

My 89-year-old grandmother even did a prayer with me, which was incredibly meaningful and a moment I will never forget. Having them up there made the ceremony filled with love and even more amazing than it would’ve been otherwise.

Now that the dust has settled, what moment from your wedding stands out as your absolute favorite — and why?

Well, this one is easy — I got to crowd surf! I had told Michael before the wedding that I wanted to jump into the crowd off our stage.

Our band was amazing and really brought the energy all night long. We were dancing on the stage with them, and at one point my friends came to the stage and started telling me I should do it! Luckily, we had a huge crowd in front of the stage, and I just went for it. It was the thrill of a lifetime.

What was something you stressed about that ended up being totally fine (or even perfect)?

I think so many of the small details felt enormous in the moment — like the invitations, the envelopes, the types of vases, etc. But in the end, all of those individual pieces came together to create something truly magical.

Looking back, I honestly think that even if we had made different choices, the outcome would have been just as special. When you spend a year planning something, it’s hard not to focus on every single detail. But truly, what mattered most was the people we were with and how much fun the night turned out to be.

Biggest curveball you faced while planning — and how you handled it?

Perhaps a self-imposed curveball, but about halfway through planning I decided to completely change our color scheme. We had originally planned on a classic white-and-green palette, but as things progressed, I realized it didn’t quite feel like us. It just wasn’t a true reflection of who we are as a couple.

So we decided to embrace more color, which meant reworking everything from the florals to the tablescapes. Luckily, everyone was supportive — only minimally annoyed with me — and helped bring this new vision to life. In the end, it felt so much more like us.

What was your favorite registry item, and what’s something you’d totally skip next time around?

It’s hard to choose a favorite registry item, but I’m definitely most grateful for the things we use regularly — like upgraded kitchenware, new towels and linens, and a great carry-on suitcase.

One thing I was hesitant to register for, but was encouraged to, was a few nice picture frames. They ended up being perfect for displaying some of our favorite wedding photos.

We also registered for upscale dinnerware for entertaining, which I’m sure we will appreciate down the line — but for now, it hasn’t gotten much use since it doesn’t quite match our more casual lifestyle at the moment.

If you could give one piece of advice to couples just starting to wedding plan, what would it be?

Make it all about having fun! It is so easy to get lost in all the details and the little things, but we always kept focused on our north star of throwing a great party.

Put yourself in your guests’ shoes — what is going to make them get out of their chairs and stay on the dance floor the whole night long?

At the end of the day, you might remember all the little details (although, you probably won’t), but your guests will only remember how much fun they had.