Luxe Ballroom Wedding That Looks Straight Out of Versailles
Today’s luxe ballroom wedding may look like the set of Marie Antoinette, but our favorite part about it has to be the raw emotion Jill + Mike share. Just wait til you see the way he looks at her as she walks down the aisle! And cue all the happy tears. Ruffled vendor, Lisa Blume Photography, captured all these happy moments through timeless frames replete with elegance + authenticity. And the fleurs from Eight Tree Street are abundant in rich hues of burgundy, petal pink, forest green and ivory. There’s so much to admire in the gallery below, so we’ll get off our soap box + let you see for yourself now!
Jill and Mike first met freshman year of college at a party at MIT (Jill attended Boston College and Mike attended MIT). They were friends throughout college and even crossed Alpha Phi Alpha Fraternity, Inc. and Alpha Kappa Alpha Sorority, Inc. the same semester of junior year. Upon graduation, they relocated to New York City. They grew closer and went on their first date in 2012. In 2014, Jill moved to Washington D.C for a year and while she was away they remained friends. In May 2015, Jill returned to New York City and within the first month back, Mike persistently reached out to Jill. By August 15, 2015 they were officially a couple. They’ve been inseparable since and reside in Brooklyn with their dog Pops.
From the bride, Jill: My favorite wedding detail was the photos of my family members at our entrance table. I have been doing an extensive amount of genealogical research over the past few years on my family and found many amazing photos dating back to even some of my 3rd great grandparents. Mike’s mother also does genealogy research on his side of the family and she sent me their family photos. I framed each picture around a matte white frame and provided a caption at the bottom of each photo identifying who each person is. I surrounded the photos of our family around the table cards at the entrance of the venue so when people picked up their table card they could also look at our family history. Our family members were thrilled to see photos of relatives and to pay homage to our ancestors.
Another favorite detail was our wedding favors. My dad is Chief Innovation Officer at Coca-Cola and we are a proud Coca-Cola family! I wanted to show him some love by having classic coke bottles that read “Share a Coke with the Thompsons, September 7, 2019” as a wedding favor for guests to take home.
Mike and I chose our venue on the day we got engaged. My cousin is a member of the Cosmos Club, a private social club in Washington, DC. Only minutes after our engagement he told us that we should have it there. I looked up pictures of the Cosmos Club at that moment and immediately said YES! Mike’s dad and my dad are both from Washington DC originally and since I don’t really have a hometown from all the moving I did while growing up, DC was a perfect place to have the wedding. In addition, my paternal grandmother lives in DC and she is 95 years old and I wanted to make it easy for her to attend the wedding.
My favorite memory from the wedding was our ceremony. Seeing Mike’s reaction (we didn’t do a first look) while walking down the aisle was such a magical moment. I also loved being able to look at each other and read our vows – it was as if no one was in the room. It was such a special moment to be able to convey our love to each other. Our ceremony was officiated by Rabbi Mark Novak and my pastor Gregory Pollard. They did an amazing job blending our faiths and each tradition that we did during the ceremony was so beautiful and meaningful.
Our wedding was truly a reflection of our personality. It combined faith, family, and fun!! Our ceremony was very religious and traditional, our photos after the wedding centered around family (we took a large family photo that included anyone related to Mike and I), and dinner and dancing was filled with lots of music, cheering, and laughter!! Mike and I also paid homage to our Sorority and Fraternity. We are members of the first black Greek letter Sorority and Fraternity – Alpha Kappa Alpha Sorority, Inc and Alpha Phi Alpha Fraternity, Inc. Our joining these organizations in college is what mainly connected us as friends in college so it meant a lot to honor the traditions of our beloved organizations together. We wanted everyone who attended our wedding to feel loved and special!! We had a photo booth, a mac and cheese bar during cocktail hour, and a late night snack bar with burgers, chicken tenders, and milk shakes! We provided flip flops for the women during the dancing portion of the wedding. We really wanted our guests to feel loved ?
Isn’t this ballroom wedding venue in Washington DC an absolute dream?! From the ornate moldings to the picturesque artwork, we feel completely transported to a European paradise. If you love the aesthetic of this venue, be sure to check out this luxe wedding with a monochromatic floral tunnel next!
Wedding Vendors:
Photography: Lisa Blume Photography
Month-of-coordinator: Dailey Forte Designs
Venue: Cosmos Club
Florals: Eight Tree Street
Videographer: Rivion Weddings
DJ: DJ Reem
String Quartet: Nakisa Karimian
Photobooth: Pixilated
Cake: Buttercream Bakeshop
Wedding Dress: Pnina Tornai
Bridal Boutique: Kleinfelds
Tux: The Black Tux
Hair Stylist: Jennifer Hargrove
Makeup Artist: GlamQui