Today’s couple is very special. Lauren and Joe met while serving active duty as Military Intelligence officers in the Army in 2014. After a 9 month deployment to Iraq, they decided to tie the knot during a simple civil ceremony to be recognized by the Army knowing they would have a big wedding down the road. Well, “down the road” happened this past October and oh boy, was it big!
The ladies got to enjoy some quality girl time to start the day off…
…but before they knew it, it was time time get dressed! How gorgeous is Lauren in her one shoulder ball gown?! And the light pink peep toes…LOVE!
I also love the blush tones she chose for her maids.
The couple did a first look before the ceremony because…heck, they were already married! Lauren says it was a great expereince anyway because it was time the two could spend together before the day got hectic. How cute is Joe’s face?!
Then, they hopped into their party bus (um, so awesome) and headed to St. James Catholic Church for their ceremony.
Time almost stopped as Lauren’s dad walked her down the aisle. “I kept telling myself I was already married so I wouldn’t cry,” Lauren said, “but I lost my marbles. My dad is my biggest hero and supporter and knowing he literally led me to this big day started the waterworks.”
Joe’s face when he looks at her! Lauren, I’m about to lose my marbles, too!
The ceremony ended and they were pronounced husband and wife! Again!
Holy goodness, they are cute!
That viel!
Their wedding party looked like a fun group. So cool/convenient that all Joe’s groomsmen are in the military! They already had handsome outfits!
They had a grand reception inside the Marriott in Falls Church, VA.
Every detail was perfection!
How cute is their guest book, or should I say picture, below?
Great idea to add a little whimsy to the day and create a keepsake!
Speaking of whimsy, photo booths are a must these days y’all and this couple did it right! Lauren, you make a cute shark!
First off, Lauren and Joe, thank you for your service! Second, thank you for having an epic and inspiring wedding day!
From the Bride:
What was your favorite detail from the day? “My favorite detail of the day… geez that’s hard! I don’t know that a lot of people got to see the finished product, but a great small detail was our guest fingerprint print. It almost brought me to tears the next day when I saw how beautiful it was. Thankfully Mike got a picture! Seeing how, completely unplanned, 100 people that did not all know each other could put together something that would hang forever in our home was so special.”
What advice would you give to a bride to be? “Since I work full time, and honestly work 60+ hour weeks, my biggest advice would be to plan early and don’t sweat the small stuff on your big day cause no one knows what it was “supposed” to look like. I got wrapped up in super small details at first and had to learn to let go and let my vendors do their job, that’s why I was paying them! As long as you give them the general idea of what you wanted, let them run with it and make something beautiful. They have lots of experience! And if you can afford it, I highly recommend a “day of planner”. I could not afford a full on wedding planner but the day of planner took the stress off my mom and I, who planned the entire wedding. She had our timeline and kept us in check, it was awesome! That seems like simple advice but it really helped me. Also, don’t go cheap on your photographer and get the videographer! You won’t remember so much of the day and they give you the lasting memories. Sorry that was more than one piece of advice lol.”
Photos by M Kropf Photography
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