Lauren and Johnny – A Marriott Ranch Wedding and Rappahannock Cellars Reception

Wedding

Nov 16, 2016

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When I first met with Lauren and Johnny, I connected with them immediately. I love their love story…perhaps because they are such a down-to-earth, fun couple…the kind you can see yourself on double dates with and laughing over crazy stories. The kind of couple you can call when you need Johnny to help fix your broken faucet and you need Lauren to come make you laugh at how much the parts cost…then enjoy some s’mores around the fire together. Perhaps it’s because their love story mimics my own a bit. My husband and I were friends first for a couple years and there is something so special about a love story when you start off in the “friend zone” for a while. And my husband is a handy guy who is good at just about everything…with all those great qualities…level-headedness, loving, forgiving, fmaily-oriented, smart, faithful…all the things Lauren loves about Johnny. So I really have enjoyed serving this couple and seeing how genuine their love is…it has been such a joy!

Lauren is not only a stunning bride and Johnny’s best friend, but she is also the girl her baby sister looked up to and wanted to be growing up. In fact, when she pulled out Lauren’s diary during her toast, you can get an even better glimpse as to why…despite Lauren’s surprise, she was laughing too…not angry at her little sis, but excited and maybe scared to hear what she was about to read. And she picked the perfect exert. She shared how Lauren once wrote a diary entry in which she spoke of her ideal future husband. Some of the requirements were “Southern Gentleman,” “handy,” and “must be able to make good apple butter.” One look at their homemade apple butter favors confirmed that Lauren had hit the jackpot!

And Johnny is also a man of many talents. Not only is he incredibly handy, but he is well loved by Lauren’s family. He has some incredible southern charm (and style…check out that wooden bow tie!). And he designed Lauren’s engagement ring himself! I kid you not, friends. Did you see their matching rosegold bands?

So it comes as no surprise that these two would chose the gorgeous Fall mountains of the Virginia Blue Ridge as the backdrop for their Marriott Ranch wedding with a reception celebration down the street at Rappahannock Cellars. And I can’t say enough about their bridal party and families. They were so much fun, so incredibly helpful and joyful and so happy to celebrate the beginning of a new adventure for Lauren and Johnny.

I feel like I would be slighting you to not share their love story and proposal story as written by Lauren, followed by some amazing wedding professionals who, along with their family and friends, helped to make their day so very perfect!

The LOVE story:

“Johnny and I met 9 years ago, introduced by our mutual friend Erica. Erica and Johnny grew up together in Fairfax and Erica and I became instant friends at our first jobs at an architecture firm out of college. Johnny and I would hang out at group events but never spent time together just the two of us. Johnny first made a move 9 years ago when I invited him over to discuss a kitchen renovation. He thought that was code for “oh she likes me, I’m going to make a move!” I took it to mean, “hey I want to renovate my kitchen and you are handy!” Seven years, and a whole lot of bad dates later, I finally came to my senses and realized Johnny had all the qualities I was looking for in a guy; smart, caring, funny, charming, family oriented, trustworthy, handy, and an all around wonderful man. Our first unofficial date just the two of us was at Olley’s Trolley in DC after a friend’s going away party. Two days later Johnny upped his game and took me out to Ruth’s Chris steak house. He showed me a 7 year old notepad of his that he found when cleaning out his room. In the notepad it said, “Learn more about Lauren. She seems like a really cool girl. Ask her out on a date.” … and the rest is history. :)”

The PROPOSAL story:

“I knew from our second date that I was going to marry Johnny. I’d been on enough bad dates to know I had just hit the jackpot. We were immediately both so comfortable with each other that it was so natural and easy, we didn’t need to try to make it work we wanted to try. Seeing the other person happy is what makes both of us happiest. From the beginning I said, it’s not a matter of if, only a matter of when we get married. After returning from a Thanksgiving trip in CA to visit my family and about half a dozen questions from people about when we were getting married Johnny and I had a talk to make sure we were both on the same page. Johnny said after the holidays he wanted to go look at rings together because he was really nervous about picking out a ring I liked and saving enough. December 19th, my 32nd birthday Johnny ends up having to work all day. Comes home so we can go out to dinner and maybe meet Erica and her husband at a bar afterward, all our other friends were already gone for the holidays… or so I thought. Johnny proposes to me after dinner at a wonderful restaurant in Old Town Alexandria, Magnolia’s on King. We then head out to meet Erica at the bar, but instead Johnny had for the last month been planning a huge surprise party bus with all our friends who thought it was all for my birthday… a surprise for all of them that he proposed too! Our first stop was Olley’s Trolley in DC and then on to 3 other bars in DC where he had planned cake and champagne at one. The best birthday ever, the best night ever, the best fiance ever. He kept it all a secret for almost 3 months when he first started designing the ring.”

Ceremony Venue: Marriott Ranch

Reception Venue: Rappahannock Cellars

Florals: Lauren Giordano

DJ: Nate Clancey with I’m the DJ

Wedding Gown Designer: Allure by Madison James

Wedding Dress BoutiqueL Global Bridal Gallery

Accessory: Various Etsy Shops

Wooden Tie: Oliver and the Sea

Hair and Make Up: Sara Dodson with A Vanity Affair

Officiant: Mary C. Sullivan

Caterer: Marriott Ranch

Stationery: Wedding Paper Divas

Favors: Homemade Apple Butter

Reception Decor: DIY

Wine: Rappahannock Cellars

Michelle Lieb with Lieb Photographic is a Charlottesville Wedding Photographer, Culpeper Wedding Photographer, Fredericksburg Wedding Photographer, Alexandria Wedding Photographer, Washington DC Wedding Photographer, Williamsburg Wedding Photographer, High Country Wedding Photographer and a wedding photographer in the surrounding areas.

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