Unique Daytime Brunch Wedding Makes for a Heartfelt Day

Wedding Venues

This couple seriously took to heart the idea that your wedding day can be exactly what you make it. There isn’t a formula or a rule book you have to follow in order to plan a perfect day that’s created for you. It’s perfect because you two were the ones to plan it! See how this wedding day plan took a unique turn when this couple chose to design a brunch wedding.

Just The Right Spot for a Brunch Wedding Day

Once Anne and Chas decided to go for a non-traditional brunch wedding timeline, their first step was to find the right spot. Many of my couples often don’t realize that choosing your DC wedding venue doesn’t necessarily have to be a new location.

These two already loved going on dates at Primrose, a wine bar in the NE Washington, DC neighborhood of Brookland. The couple were drawn to the overall vibe and decor, appreciating a spot that is classy yet relaxed. The Primrose bar owners describe it as a “French-inspired wine bar and bistro” with a “whimsical, feminine design” that is “a vision of Parisian romance in a neighborhood setting.”

The space feels quaint and offers a mix of textures and colors in the restaurant decor. The floor-to-ceiling windows also let in ample natural light which is amazing for wedding day photography! There is space both indoors and outdoors with a fully enclosed patio. The interior is covered with hardwood floors and accented by hanging floral chandeliers.

It’s such a beautiful space that not much was needed in their decor. They utilized mostly DIY wedding decorations that coordinated with the colors of the restaurant using the green-colored bar as the main backdrop. Fall colors were the selected wedding color palette starting with Chas’ forest green suit. The couple loves this time of year (it was an October wedding) and the dark fall colors matched the venue perfectly.

The bride’s mom took charge of the wedding floral arrangements and worked with the couple to create the wedding signs and reception decor. Friends also coordinated and handled the wedding music playlist making for a very collaborative event.

Primrose Restaurant DC Quick Facts

In-house staff and catering perfect for a brunch wedding.
The space accommodates 50-120 guests when utilizing both the dining room and patio space (this wedding had 90 guests).

When a Wedding Day Doesn’t Need to Follow The Rules

What Anne and Chas really wanted from their celebration was that it felt like one big hang out with all of their favorite people. It truly was! This began with neither side having a wedding party and getting ready instead with close friends and one sibling (the groom’s brother). Prior to the ceremony, Chas also joined cocktail hour while guests were arriving.

What followed was the unique wedding ceremony idea of guests surrounding the couple on either side of an informal wedding aisle. The father of the bride walked her into the restaurant while the groom’s niece handed over the wedding rings. A close friend of the couple held the only official role of the day as their wedding officiant.

I appreciated how intimately their day was spent doing their favorite things with their favorite people and actually getting to chat with everyone! It was such a pleasure getting to know the couple through stories told by their loved ones. I felt like I had made 90 new best friends by the end of the day!

Why A Brunch Wedding is The Best Choice

The brunch buffet provided by La Vie only added to the overall relaxed and genuine feel of their day! It never was about the food (even though it was amazing!), instead it was about the casual tone that a brunch wedding set for the entire experience.

It was such a treat working with Anne who is also a fellow wedding photographer in DC. Throughout her work she has repeatedly witnessed firsthand how the wedding day can so easily get away from a couple. That’s why private moments and intentional wedding planning matter so much! This bride wanted to concentrate on celebrating in a zero-stress environment simply having fun with her people.

The couple created a very loose, go-with-the-flow wedding day timeline that the style of a brunch wedding reception fit perfectly. These two value candid moments the most and wanted to prioritize documentation of having fun with their guests. It was the warm tones and candids that initially drew them to my wedding photography so that was our focus.

Anne loved that she could almost feel some of my photos and wanted that for her own day. As she put it, “photography is important to me because I love people and visuals that tell a story.” It was clear from the start that these wedding photos mattered because their people mattered. This made for a day filled with so much love that is always so easy to capture.