Arielle Goldberg and Matthew Houlihan's Washington D.C. Wedding

Every product on this page was chosen by a Harper's BAZAAR editor. We may earn commission on some of the items you choose to buy. The San Jose-based pair (who both serve as directors of the Bay to Bay Volleyball Club) wanted to incorporate California's effortless feel into their East Coast wedding. The result? A

Every product on this page was chosen by a Harper's BAZAAR editor. We may earn commission on some of the items you choose to buy.

The Couple

pThe San Jose-based pair (who both serve as directors of the Bay to Bay Volleyball Club) wanted to incorporate California's effortless feel into their East Coast wedding. The result? A laid-back yet black-tie affair in the nation's capitol./pAdam Barnes

The San Jose-based pair (who both serve as directors of the Bay to Bay Volleyball Club) wanted to incorporate California's effortless feel into their East Coast wedding. The result? A laid-back yet black-tie affair in the nation's capitol.

The Stationery Suite

p"We wanted something very simple and classic, and we both have really been into marble everything lately, so we decided to get a custom marbled liner for each invitation," explained Arielle. Keeping to their color palette of black and white, the couple worked with a href="http://www.paperzest.com/" target="_blank" tabindex="-1"Paperzest/a to create their stationery suite./pAdam Barnes

"We wanted something very simple and classic, and we both have really been into marble everything lately, so we decided to get a custom marbled liner for each invitation," explained Arielle. Keeping to their color palette of black and white, the couple worked with Paperzest to create their stationery suite.

The Location

pArielle and Matt chose to wed at a href="http://www.dar.org/national-society/about-dar/national-headquarters" target="_blank" tabindex="-1"The National Headquarters of the Daughters of the American Revolution/a. Located right next to The White House and The Washington Monument, the venue provided guests with a quintessential D.C. experience./pAdam Barnes

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The Welcome Gift

"Since we had a lot of guests flying in from out of town, we thought a welcome gift would be great when they checked into their hotels," says Matt. Keeping with their marble theme, little welcome boxes had custom chocolates that said "Welcome to Washington" created by a href="http://www.buttercreamdc.com/" target="_blank" tabindex="-1"Buttercream Bakeshop/a.Adam Barnes"Since we had a lot of guests flying in from out of town, we thought a welcome gift would be great when they checked into their hotels," says Matt. Keeping with their marble theme, little welcome boxes had custom chocolates that said "Welcome to Washington" created by Buttercream Bakeshop.

The Fashion

p"I had my eye on an Alexander McQueen gown when we first got engaged, but I didn't know if it would be acceptable to wear, since it wasn't your typical bridal gown," said Arielle, "I went to San Francisco to try on wedding gowns and realized very quickly that I am NOT a bridal gown girl. So, after thinking about it I realized that I needed to just order the Alexander McQueen dress and see how I felt after trying it on—it fit perfectly, and I completely fell in love!" Keeping her look simple and classic, Arielle wore nude Christian Louboutin pumps and David Yurman jewelry. Matt looked dapper in a Vera Wang tuxedo, velvet bow tie, and black velvet loafers./pAdam Barnes

"I had my eye on an Alexander McQueen gown when we first got engaged, but I didn't know if it would be acceptable to wear, since it wasn't your typical bridal gown," said Arielle, "I went to San Francisco to try on wedding gowns and realized very quickly that I am NOT a bridal gown girl. So, after thinking about it I realized that I needed to just order the Alexander McQueen dress and see how I felt after trying it on—it fit perfectly, and I completely fell in love!" Keeping her look simple and classic, Arielle wore nude Christian Louboutin pumps and David Yurman jewelry. Matt looked dapper in a Vera Wang tuxedo, velvet bow tie, and black velvet loafers.

The Bridesmaids

pArielle's six best friends from college served as her bridesmaids, and wore different black dresses from a href="https://www.aliceandolivia.com/" target="_blank" tabindex="-1"Alice & Olivia/a, a href="http://www.normakamali.com/" target="_blank" tabindex="-1"Norma Kamali/a, a href="http://www.nicolemiller.com/" target="_blank" tabindex="-1"Nicole Miller/a, and a href="http://www.halston.com/" target="_blank" tabindex="-1"Halston Heritage/a./pAdam Barnes

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The Bridal Bouquet

p"From the beginning, I knew I wanted to go with white flowers," said the bride. "We had a mix of different flowers, but my favorites were the fringe tulips." a href="http://sweetrootvillage.com/" target="_blank" tabindex="-1"Sweet Root Village/au /ucreated her clean, white bouquet, which also included smilax vines, garden roses, spray roses, ranunculus, peonies, and a mix of greenery./pAdam Barnes

"From the beginning, I knew I wanted to go with white flowers," said the bride. "We had a mix of different flowers, but my favorites were the fringe tulips." Sweet Root Village created her clean, white bouquet, which also included smilax vines, garden roses, spray roses, ranunculus, peonies, and a mix of greenery.

The Groomsmen

pMatt's groomsmen, including his brother, Arielle's two brothers, and his three best friends, looked sharp in their tuxedos from a href="https://tuxedo.menswearhouse.com/verawang.do" target="_blank" tabindex="-1"Vera Wang/a./pAdam Barnes

Matt's groomsmen, including his brother, Arielle's two brothers, and his three best friends, looked sharp in their tuxedos from Vera Wang.

The First Look

Arielle and Matt took photos on the balcony of their bridal suite at the a href="http://www.marriott.com/hotels/travel/wasjw-jw-marriott-washington-dc/" target="_blank" tabindex="-1"J.W. Marriot Hotel/a and later at DAR.pbr/pAdam BarnesArielle and Matt took photos on the balcony of their bridal suite at the J.W. Marriot Hotel and later at DAR.

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The Ceremony Location

pThe ceremony took place on the portico of DAR with the Washington Monument in the background and was anchored by a large tree for décor. "After choosing a location like DAR, it was almost like it didn't matter what we put there because it was already so beautiful," says Arielle./pAdam Barnes

The ceremony took place on the portico of DAR with the Washington Monument in the background and was anchored by a large tree for décor. "After choosing a location like DAR, it was almost like it didn't matter what we put there because it was already so beautiful," says Arielle.

The Walk Down the Aisle

pArielle's father walked her down the aisle as a string quartet played "Samskeyti" by Sigur Rós./pAdam Barnes

Arielle's father walked her down the aisle as a string quartet played "Samskeyti" by Sigur Rós.

The Ceremony

pDuring the sunlit service, Arielle and Matt exchanged traditional vows. /pAdam Barnes

During the sunlit service, Arielle and Matt exchanged traditional vows.

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After the Vows

pFollowing the ceremony, on the other side of the portico, a string quartet played as guests enjoyed different Northern California wines and ate a variety of hors d'oeuvres including fried macaroni and cheese bites, raw zucchini lasagna, glazed beets with mozzarella, and raspberries and brie./pAdam Barnes

Following the ceremony, on the other side of the portico, a string quartet played as guests enjoyed different Northern California wines and ate a variety of hors d'oeuvres including fried macaroni and cheese bites, raw zucchini lasagna, glazed beets with mozzarella, and raspberries and brie.

The Seating Chart

pa href="http://gritandgraceinc.com/#story" target="_blank" tabindex="-1"Grit & Grace/a created the blackboard seating chart that sat atop a clear easel draped with greenery and surrounded by black candles. "Having the seating chart was a last-minute decision, and it turned out to be a really cool addition to the wedding," said Arielle./pAdam Barnes

Grit & Grace created the blackboard seating chart that sat atop a clear easel draped with greenery and surrounded by black candles. "Having the seating chart was a last-minute decision, and it turned out to be a really cool addition to the wedding," said Arielle.

The Reception

pThe seated dinner took place in a room connected to the portico, allowing guests to pass through and be both inside and outside during the event. Two long tables were decorated with vibrant eucalyptus from a href="http://sweetrootvillage.com/" target="_blank" tabindex="-1"Sweet Root Village/a, which provided enough greenery to forgo florals. Candles in smoke glass vessels provided elegant décor and a warm glow. The room's architectural details and high ceilings added the finishing touch./pAdam Barnes

The seated dinner took place in a room connected to the portico, allowing guests to pass through and be both inside and outside during the event. Two long tables were decorated with vibrant eucalyptus from Sweet Root Village, which provided enough greenery to forgo florals. Candles in smoke glass vessels provided elegant décor and a warm glow. The room's architectural details and high ceilings added the finishing touch.

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The Mother of the Bride

pArielle and her mother, dressed in a href="http://www.badgleymischka.com/" target="_blank" tabindex="-1"Badgley Mischka/a, took photos at DAR. "My mom has always been my biggest supporter," said the bride. "Throughout the months leading up to the wedding, she kept assuring me that I needed to choose what I liked and not to worry about what anyone else thought. Even though that was really difficult for me, I think it's probably something that everyone goes through and it was advice I stuck to."/pAdam Barnes

Arielle and her mother, dressed in Badgley Mischka, took photos at DAR. "My mom has always been my biggest supporter," said the bride. "Throughout the months leading up to the wedding, she kept assuring me that I needed to choose what I liked and not to worry about what anyone else thought. Even though that was really difficult for me, I think it's probably something that everyone goes through and it was advice I stuck to."

The Dinner

For dinner, guests ate baby arugula with garden strawberries, beef short rib, short smoked salmon, and asparagus spears with velvety mashed potatoes prepared by uMain Event Caterers/u. Afterwards, instead of serving a traditional wedding cake, s'mores on a stick were passed with berries and cream. Following dessert, the newlyweds and their guests walked over to the after-party location—which happened to be right nearby, with a backdrop of the Washington Monument and White House at night.Adam Barnes

For dinner, guests ate baby arugula with garden strawberries, beef short rib, short smoked salmon, and asparagus spears with velvety mashed potatoes prepared by Main Event Caterers. Afterwards, instead of serving a traditional wedding cake, s'mores on a stick were passed with berries and cream. Following dessert, the newlyweds and their guests walked over to the after-party location—which happened to be right nearby, with a backdrop of the Washington Monument and White House at night.

The Place Settings

pa href="http://www.paperzest.com/" target="_blank" tabindex="-1"Paperzest/a created the marble-themed menus, which rested on top of white dinner plates that were decorated with a small sprig of greenery./pAdam Barnes

Paperzest created the marble-themed menus, which rested on top of white dinner plates that were decorated with a small sprig of greenery.

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Bridal Beauty

pArielle opted for a tousled low-slung chignon that was minimalist enough for her aesthetic, yet complimented the effortless feel of her California-vibe inspiration./pAdam Barnes

Arielle opted for a tousled low-slung chignon that was minimalist enough for her aesthetic, yet complimented the effortless feel of her California-vibe inspiration.

The Sources

pstrongPhotography, /stronga href="http://www.adambarnes.com/" target="_blank" tabindex="-1"Adam Barnes Photography/a/ppstrongLocation, /stronga href="http://www.dar.org/national-society/about-dar/national-headquarters" target="_blank" tabindex="-1"National Headquarters of the Daughters of American Revolution/a/ppstrongEvent planning, /strongLaura Ritchie of a href="http://gritandgraceinc.com/#story" target="_blank" tabindex="-1"Grit & Grace/a/ppstrongCatering, /stronga href="http://www.maineventcaterers.com/" target="_blank" tabindex="-1"Main Event Caterers/a/ppstrongStationery/strong, a href="http://www.paperzest.com/" target="_blank" tabindex="-1"Paperzest/a/ppstrongFlowers, /stronga href="http://sweetrootvillage.com/" target="_blank" tabindex="-1"Sweet Root Village/a/ppstrongVideography, /stronga href="http://bowenfilms.net/" target="_blank" tabindex="-1"Bowen Films/a/ppstrongOfficiant, /stronga href="http://www.cedarbrook.org/" target="_blank" tabindex="-1"Matthew McCabe/a/ppstrongMusic, /stronga href="https://www.samhillbands.com/bands/lone-rangers" target="_blank" tabindex="-1"The Long Rangers/a/ppstrongRentals,/strong a href="http://www.dcrental.com/" target="_blank" tabindex="-1"DC Rental/a/ppstrongBride's gown,/strong a href="http://www.alexandermcqueen.com/us" target="_blank" tabindex="-1"Alexander McQueen/a/ppstrongBride's accessories,/strong a href="http://us.christianlouboutin.com/us_en/" target="_blank" tabindex="-1"Christian Louboutin/a (shoes); a href="http://www.davidyurman.com/" target="_blank" tabindex="-1"David Yurman/a (jewelry)/ppstrongHair, /stronga href="http://www.bridalhairbyremona.com/" target="_blank" tabindex="-1"Bridal Hair by Remona/a/ppstrongMakeup, /stronga href="http://carlraymakeupartist.com/" target="_blank" tabindex="-1"Carl Ray Makeup Artist/a/ppstrongBridesmaids' dresses, /stronga href="https://www.aliceandolivia.com/" target="_blank" tabindex="-1"Alice & Olivia/a; a href="http://www.normakamali.com/" target="_blank" tabindex="-1"Norma Kamali/a; a href="http://www.nicolemiller.com/" target="_blank" tabindex="-1"Nicole Miller/a; a href="http://www.halston.com/" target="_blank" tabindex="-1"Halston Heritage/a; Illusion Band/ppstrongGroom's suit, accessories, and menswear, /stronga href="https://tuxedo.menswearhouse.com/verawang.do" target="_blank" tabindex="-1"Black by Vera Wang/a/ppstrongChocolates, /stronga href="http://www.buttercreamdc.com/" target="_blank" tabindex="-1"Buttercream Bakeshop/a/pAdam Barnes

Photography, Adam Barnes Photography

Location, National Headquarters of the Daughters of American Revolution

Event planning, Laura Ritchie of Grit & Grace

Catering, Main Event Caterers

Stationery, Paperzest

Flowers, Sweet Root Village

Videography, Bowen Films

Officiant, Matthew McCabe

Music, The Long Rangers

Rentals, DC Rental

Bride's gown, Alexander McQueen

Bride's accessories, Christian Louboutin (shoes); David Yurman (jewelry)

Hair, Bridal Hair by Remona

Makeup, Carl Ray Makeup Artist

Bridesmaids' dresses, Alice & Olivia; Norma Kamali; Nicole Miller; Halston Heritage; Illusion Band

Groom's suit, accessories, and menswear, Black by Vera Wang

Chocolates, Buttercream Bakeshop

Headshot of Martha Stewart Weddings

Whether in-book or online, Martha Stewart Weddings is an endless source of chic ideas and inspiration for those seeking to create and curate one-of-a-kind celebrations filled with personal touches. Blake Lively & Ryan Reynolds, Kate Bosworth & Michael Polish, Chrissy Tiegen & John Legend and most recently, Jamie Chung and Bryan Greenberg (just to name a few) have all turned to MSW to share their ceremonies and detail-filled receptions in their pages. Now, they’ve teamed up with BAZAAR to share highlights from their most of-the-moment real weddings.

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