Intimate Elopement and Small Restaurant Wedding Reception in DC: How Michelle & Alex Did Both in One Day

Michelle and Alex knew for a long time that a traditional wedding wasn’t for them. What they wanted was something intimate, relaxed, meaningful, and shared with the people who mattered most, without the pressure of a room full of people watching their every move.

So they planned something different. In the morning, they had a private ceremony with just their immediate family. They spent the afternoon exploring Georgetown together, then took a nice break at their condo with sandwiches and time to relax. That evening, they hosted a small restaurant wedding reception with fifty of their closest friends and family.

All of this happened in one day, giving them two very different experiences without ever feeling rushed or pulled in too many directions.

Their day is one of my favorite examples of how you can blend an elopement and a micro wedding into one intentionally designed experience. If you’re curious whether this could work for you, keep reading!,

Their Love Story

Michelle and Alex met in a way that many great love stories begin. Their friend Zhao had known Alex since middle school and ended up going to college with Michelle. They crossed paths a few times before Zhao brought Alex to Michelle’s 24th birthday party, and something clicked.

They dated long-distance for a while, with Michelle in Boston and Alex in DC. They even managed a trip to Nice and Paris together before Michelle eventually moved to DC, and they made their relationship official. Alex proposed during a walk along the cliffs in San Diego, overlooking the water and a colony of sea lions. It was a perfect moment for them.

When it came to their wedding, they were clear on what they didn’t want. In their own words:

“Neither of us loves being the center of attention, and we have never quite felt like the pomp and circumstance of a full wedding was very us. We like the idea of an intimate wedding to be able to share our vows without the pressure of a very public setting, and then still being able to celebrate through a nice dinner with our close friends and family.”

They didn’t want to choose between a private, meaningful ceremony and celebrating with their loved ones. They just didn’t want both squeezed into one overwhelming event. If any of that resonates with you, you’re in the right place.

The Plan of Their Day

Before diving into the details, here’s a quick overview of how their day went:

• Morning: Getting ready at their condo with family and close friends + first look.
• Late morning: Intimate ceremony at the Spanish Steps in Georgetown with immediate family
• Early afternoon: Newlywed portraits around their fave streets and Georgetown University campus, and stopping for lunch at Wisemiller’s
• Midday: Break back their condo, an introvert’s dream reset
• Evening: Reception at Gravitas with a cocktail hour on the rooftop, marriage license signing, golden hour photos, dinner, and speeches with 50 guests

The whole day was covered in eight hours, making it seamless and relaxed from start to finish.

If you’re wondering how a day like this actually gets planned from scratch, I break the whole process down step by step here: Elopement vs. Wedding: You Don’t Have to Choose

Getting Ready + The Rooftop First Look

I arrived at Michelle and Alex’s condo as Michelle was finishing her hair and makeup. Starting the day in someone’s own home is always special because it’s filled with their things, their comfort, and, in their case, their loved ones, too. The atmosphere was warm and relaxed as they got ready together.

Their condo was filled with framed photos and keepsakes from years of adventures and travel together. I began by photographing the details they wanted to remember, like their rings and vow books, along with a few of my vintage postcards showing their DC locations. These small details matter more than people realize. 

The rooftop offered a wonderful setting for a private first look, where they could see each other for the first time in their full wedding attire. It was so sweet!! 

The Ceremony at the Spanish Steps 

We originally planned a different ceremony location, but a few issues came up in the months leading up to the wedding. We worked together to change plans and chose the Spanish Steps in Georgetown, which turned out to be a beautiful spot for their intimate elopement ceremony, surrounded by their immediate family.

And here’s where I’ll step into photographer/planner mode for a second and tell you that we made sure to get permits for the new location, and that made all the difference. On the day of the ceremony, another wedding couple arrived at the same time with a full photo and video team. Since Michelle and Alex had the permit, there was no awkward standoff or stress. We had the space, and the other couple did not.

This is why I always strongly recommend getting permits for ceremony locations, especially if you have guests. A local elopement photographer (like me) who knows the area and understands the permit process is truly invaluable in these situations.

Michelle and Alex chose to self-officiate, which is one of my favorite options for couples who want the ceremony to feel completely personal. They led the ceremony together, sharing their vows in front of their immediate families.

Washington, DC, is one of the few places you can marry yourselves in the United States. Check out this blog post for step-by-step instructions on how to self-officiate your ceremony in DC: Self-Officiating in Washington DC: What Is It & How Do You Do It?

After the Ceremony

After their first kiss as a married couple, I always make space for the moment to just be and give you the time to soak in that “just married” feeling with loved ones after the ceremony. 

Most couples at big traditional weddings barely get that window of time. They’re often rushed into a receiving line or whisked away for photos, and the real feeling of “we just did that” gets lost in the rush. I make sure to build in that pause on purpose because it’s one of the most important parts of the day.

Once they’d had that time, we gathered everyone for a few group family portraits. Then guests headed off to explore DC or rest before the evening, and Michelle and Alex got the rest of the afternoon to themselves.

Elopement Portraits Around Georgetown

One of my favorite parts of designing a personalized elopement day is including locations that truly matter to the couple, not just places that look good in photos.

For Michelle and Alex, that meant Georgetown University, where Alex attended and spent many of his DC years. We wandered campus together, took photos in the spaces that felt familiar to him, and then made our way through the Georgetown streets before stopping for subs at Wisemiller’s Grocery & Deli.

We took some beautiful photos in the area, picked up their sandwiches, and went back to the condo.

This is what makes a wedding day truly feel like yours. It’s not just about beautiful backdrops, but about the places, moments, and small rituals that belong to you. Anyone can take pretty photos at a famous landmark, but I care about capturing the full story of who you are together.

Midday Break Ahead of The Small Restaurant Wedding Reception

Alright, I want you to pay special attention to this part.

Michelle and Alex took their Wisemiller’s sandwiches back to their condo, sat down, shared a meal, and rested for a couple for a little bit before the reception. No photography or timeline pressure. Just two introverts on their wedding day, recharging before a bigger social event.

In their own words, it became one of their favorite parts of the day.

I always recommend some sort of break on your elopement day and build it into your timeline on purpose. No matter how much you love your guests, hosting a dinner for people takes energy. If you’ve been busy since early morning with getting ready, the ceremony, portraits, and exploring, you’ll be running on empty by 6 pm if you don’t take a break.

This is one of the things that sets my approach to elopement and micro wedding timelines apart. Traditional weddings are often planned down to the minute, with every hour scheduled and no breathing room. Couples sometimes barely remember eating or sitting down on their own wedding day.

My timelines are naturally flexible. There are times when I’ll guide you to get the photos we want, but there are also times when I step back and let you be present with each other. Sometimes, like during this break, I put the camera down completely so you can truly relax.

You are allowed to rest on your wedding day. In fact, I’d argue it’s one of the best things you can do.

Small Restaurant Wedding Reception at Gravitas

Rested, fed, and genuinely excited, Michelle and Alex went to Gravitas, an industrial-style restaurant in DC with a beautiful rooftop, for their evening reception. Guests arrived upstairs for the cocktail hour, where they watched Michelle and Alex sign their marriage license, making it official in front of their friends and family. 

And since we took all the portraits, couple’s photos, and meaningful location photos earlier in the day, Michelle and Alex were able to be fully present at their cocktail hour. They didn’t have to leave for a long photo session while guests waited or miss out on conversations they were looking forward to. They got to be there, talk with their friends, and enjoy the moment.

Being able to enjoy your own cocktail hour is one of the most underrated benefits of this kind of wedding day. Many couples complain about missing this part at traditional weddings, but it’s completely avoidable when your day is planned thoughtfully.

The golden hour on the rooftop provided beautiful, warm light for candid, casual group photos with guests. Then everyone moved downstairs for dinner, welcome speeches, and toasts, which was a perfect mix of heartfelt and celebratory moments. I finished my photo coverage as the first course was served, so they could enjoy the rest of the evening together.

Why This Timeline Worked So Well

Michelle and Alex’s day was a success because every part of it was planned around who they truly are. They are two people who love each other deeply, value quality time over big displays, and needed a wedding day that gave them space to be present, connect, rest, and celebrate in their own way.

This kind of day tends to be a perfect fit for couples who:

• Want both a private, meaningful ceremony and a real celebration with guests, without having to sacrifice one for the other
• Feel overwhelmed by the pace and performance of big, traditional weddings
• Are introverted, or simply know themselves well enough to know they’ll need some breathing room in the middle of the day
• Want their wedding to feel intentional and personal, not like something they were expected to do
• Care about actually being present for their own wedding day

You may also want to check out: Guide to Building an Intentional Elopement Timeline

What The Wedding Couple Says

“We absolutely loved working with Juliana – would 100% recommend her to anyone looking to do a smaller wedding or elopement. We hired her for 8 hours, which covered a small private family-only ceremony, photos in the Georgetown neighborhood, and a dinner with ~50 friends & family.

We got our sneak peeks back within just 2 business days, and they were gorgeous and far exceeded our expectations. They perfectly captured the vibe we were going for and felt very authentic to us.

Plus, you don’t just get an amazing photographer, but you also get a thoughtful, detailed planner and thought partner! We knew we wanted to do something small and intimate, but hadn’t figured out all the details. Juliana worked with us along the way to brainstorm locations and schedule out the day. A few examples of how she went above and beyond:

– We pivoted the month before our ceremony between two locations, and she very easily rolled with the changes and adapted our schedule by the next day.

– Our ceremony was slated to happen around the government shutdown, and she proactively reached out to recommend that we get our marriage license squared away early, saving us a potential hiccup.

– She recommended scheduling in a break during the day between photos and dinner, and that ended up being one of our favorite parts of the day! We would not have thought to do it otherwise, but it was so great to get some quiet alone time and recharge before dinner with friends & family.

And, she’s fun to work with! She kept us at ease and relaxed the whole day (and in the lead-up to the day), which definitely helped with capturing authentic photos and moments.”

-Michelle & Alex

Ready to Design a Day That Feels Like Yours?

This is exactly the kind of day I specialize in helping couples design. Not a template or a package you need to fit into, but a real, intentional plan built around your relationship, your personalities, and what actually matters to you.

Also, you don’t need to have everything figured out before you reach out. Most couples come to me with a feeling of “we know we don’t want the traditional thing, but we’re not sure what we do want”, and that’s the perfect place to start. 

I’ll help you turn that feeling into a clear, doable plan that feels natural, meaningful, and completely your own. The kind of day you’ll wish you could live all over again.

Every Elopement and Micro Wedding Package with Juliana Wall Photography Includes:

• 4 hours to two days of Photo Coverage with me, Juliana
• In-depth questionnaires, so I can truly get to know you and help create a day that feels right.
• Sneak peeks within 3 business days, so you have gorgeous photos to share ASAP.
• Personalized planning assistance – helping you with locations, permits, vendors, and timelines.
• A private online gallery – to easily download, share, and order prints of your photos.
• Photographer’s travel costs included 
• A new adventure buddy!

Whether you’re local or flying in from across the country, you deserve a wedding day that feels like home. Let’s create something unforgettable together! Learn more about my packages here! 

To inquire to work with me, fill out this form and schedule a FREE phone call.