Sometimes life takes us away from our roots. Relationships, jobs, and new opportunities call us and give us a beckoning to new places. But coming back home always has that certain feeling of reassurance. So when new jobs took Kelly & Matthew away from their stomping grounds, they knew they wanted to come back to their hometown of Washington DC for their engagement session and to showcase their love!
from the photographer, Megan Harris: “Kelly & Matthew chose to come back to their old home of Washington, D.C. for their engagement session, which turned out to be a beautiful, brisk morning for a stroll around the Thomas Jefferson Memorial! We were holding out for the cherry blossoms this year, but the gorgeous architecture and early light made everything fall right into place for this beautiful couple, who clearly make getting up early look like a breeze! I loved that they chose bolder outfits that complimented each other and the location so well. Being with these two was just the perfect start to the day!”
How did you two meet? What were your first impressions of one another?
We met at a mutual friend’s Halloween birthday party. Kelly was dressed as a cat (super original..) and Matt was a man riding an inflatable ostrich (super original, for real!).
Tell us a funny story relating to your wedding day or relationship!
When Matt first asked Kelly for her number, he put her name in his phone as “Kelly Cat”, based on the costume she was wearing that night — this is still how she’s in his phone today and has become one of the go-to’s out of the many nicknames he has for her.
Describe a hurdle you had to overcome in your relationship or during your wedding planning.
Matt took an exciting job opportunity in the summer of 2018 that moved us from Washington DC to Miami, FL. Having both grown up in the DC area, moving away from our deeply rooted friends and family – not to mention in the middle of planning a wedding – was a challenge we embraced together.
Any special ways you incorporated your family or family history into your wedding day?
After lots of consideration, we decided to forgo the traditional wedding party for our wedding day. Our families are featured in our processional and Kelly is spending the day getting ready with her mom and soon-to-be-mother-in-law in effort to spend as much time with family as possible. We want to share these special moments with the family who has shaped who we are and we can’t wait to create memories that will last a lifetime.
What part of your wedding day was/is most important to you?
Our goal is to have as much fun with our guests as possible. As a couple who has spent countless date nights seeing concerts and live shows, having live music be a big part of our day was important to us. We’re so excited to dance the night away to a live, energetic band. We also decided to secretly take dance lessons to learn some moves for our first dance. This will be a surprise to our guests, who probably aren’t expecting much more than a sway from us! Our song choice, This Must Be The Place by the Talking Heads, is fun and upbeat and we can’t wait to start the party off with a bang.
What is the best thing you’ve learned from one another?
Matt says Kelly has taught him quiet confidence — that confidence doesn’t have to be loud and overstated. Kelly says Matt has taught her to enjoy cooking. She doesn’t have to just eat her old stand-by, a can of black beans, for dinner (but sometimes it’s still a good lunch on a busy day)!
What is your favorite thing about each other?
We love to laugh. No matter the activity, we always have fun together.
What was your favorite part about planning your wedding?
Deciding on our our ceremony script helped us deeply reflect on our love and relationship and reminded us what this big event is really all about. Outside of the sappy stuff, every decision for the day was made with one goal in mind: how to have the maximum amount of fun possible with friends and family. This is a celebration!
If you had one piece of advice for other couples, what would it be?
So cliche, but so true: Don’t sweat the small stuff.
What is the most honest thing you can say about love?
Don’t take it for granted. Appreciate every moment and be grateful you get to experience this life together.
Photographer: Megan Harris Photography / venue: Thomas Jefferson Memorial, Washington, DC / film lab: The FIND Lab
Publisher at The White Wren and Bajan Wed, Award Winning Photography + Videographer at Live View Studios, Dad, 80s music lover, crunchy health advocate
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