Spring Microwedding in Washington, DC | Jessica and Justin

One of the most meaningful things about eloping is having the freedom to ask yourselves what you actually want your wedding day to feel like, then build the experience around that. For Jessica & Justin, that meant staying close to home in Washington, DC. It was the city where they met, dated, built a home together, and created so many of the memories that led them here, so they wanted it to be a part of their elopement day too.

They wanted an intimate wedding day that felt focused on the two of them and the marriage they were beginning. During planning, Jessica shared that reading deeply personal vows in front of a large group didn’t feel comfortable to her. At the same time, they had a small group of family and friends they genuinely wanted to celebrate with. So instead of choosing one or the other, they created space for both.

They spent the first part of their wedding exploring DC together, exchanged handwritten vows privately in Rock Creek Park, had their legal ceremony at Constitution Gardens, grabbed pizza from one of their earliest dates, and later joined their closest people for an intimate dinner celebration. It was relaxed, personal, a little adventurous, and completely rooted in the life they had already built together.

A Love Story That Started in Washington, DC

Jessica & Justin originally met on Tinder, where Jess made the first move with what Justin lovingly described as a terrible legal pun. They had their first date at Provision 14. On their second date, they wandered around Navy Yard and grabbed pizza from Wiseguy Pizza (which is something we included in their elopement day). Their third date brought them to Eastern Market, where they shared their first kiss.

Eventually, they built a home together around Eastern Market and Capitol Hill with their cats, so when they started imagining their wedding day, it made sense that they wanted to keep the experience local. Their original ideas included their neighborhood, Capitol Hill, Eastern Market, the National Mall, Bartholdi Fountain, and other places around the city that already held meaning for them. That is one of my favorite things about Washington, DC elopements.

You don’t necessarily have to travel across the country to find somewhere meaningful enough to get married. Sometimes the place that matters most is the one where your story is already happening!

Getting Ready at Home and a First Look in Their Neighborhood

Jessica’s wedding morning began at their condo in Washington, DC, while Justin got ready separately at a local hotel down the street.

A few family members spent time with Jessica at the condo as she got ready, and I photographed the little details they had intentionally chosen for the day. They had customized bookmarks, their wedding invitation, a wildflower seed pack party favor, and more! Jessica and Justin put a lot of thought and effort into curating a special experience for their guests who attended their micro wedding. They made goodie bags with these items for guests! Jess had even personalized a pair of high-tops with their wedding date, which was a surprise for Justin!  

Those details are such a good example of how even a small wedding can still feel incredibly thoughtful. Intimacy doesn’t mean stripping your day down to nothing. You can still include the sentimental pieces that make the experience feel personal to you.

Jessica and Justin also have four cats, so, of course, we included them in the getting ready photos! After Jessica was done getting ready, the guests left for their hotels and explored DC before changing for dinner later that evening. If you need a checklist to give your family for things to do or see in DC while visiting for your wedding, I’ve got you! That’s one of the exclusive client planning resources that I give my couples. Visit here to learn more about how we can work together! 

Once they were both ready, Jessica & Justin met for their first look in their own neighborhood. Jess showed him the surprise high-tops, which he LOVED, and they shared a few quiet moments before heading into the city.

Rather than immediately starting at one of DC’s most recognizable landmarks, their wedding began in the place they actually called home.

Private Vows Surrounded by Nature in Rock Creek Park

From there, Jessica & Justin headed into Rock Creek Park. We included this location because they both love being outdoors and regularly walked and ran there, so it was already a meaningful part of their life together.

We walked through the woods until we reached the stone bridge overlooking the creek, where they pulled out the vows they’d handwritten for one another. And then they got to have one of the most emotional parts of their wedding day completely to themselves. 

Jessica had told me during planning that reading personal vows in front of a group, especially knowing she might cry, made her uncomfortable. So they gave themselves permission to keep that part of the day completely private. They could slow down, listen to each other, cry, laugh, hug, and actually take in what they were saying without worrying about anyone else watching. I, of course, also stepped back and captured the scene from a distance, so they could have that moment truly alone.  

Visually, Rock Creek Park adds an interesting contrast to a Washington, DC elopement. One minute you can be surrounded by monuments, row houses, and busy city streets, and the next you are walking beneath trees beside flowing water and old stone bridges.

You don’t necessarily have to choose between a city elopement and a nature elopement here. DC lets you experience a little bit of both. If you’d like to see some amazing Washington, DC, elopement location ideas, check out this blog!

An Intimate Wedding Ceremony at Constitution Gardens

After their private vows, we headed toward the National Mall for their legal ceremony at Constitution Gardens. Their friend Brad, who is a judge in DC, joined them to officiate. It gave this part of the day an entirely different feeling from the private vows they had just shared in Rock Creek Park.

They had already protected that vulnerable, emotional moment for themselves. Now they could officially get married in the middle of the city they loved. When they had their first kiss and were officially announced married, people cheered from all around the pond! It was such a cool moment! Jessica and Justin had even specially prepared healthy duck food to feed the ducks after this ceremony.  

Washington, DC gives couples a lot of flexibility when it comes to how they structure a ceremony. Jessica & Justin chose to have their friend officiate, but DC also allows couples to self-officiate, which can be such a meaningful option if you want your ceremony to feel even more private or personal.

You can learn more about How to Self-Officiate Your Wedding in Washington, DC here!

Wedding-Day Pizza From One of Their First Dates

After officially getting married, it was time for pizza. But this wasn’t just a random lunch stop. Jessica & Justin went to Wiseguy Pizza in Navy Yard, the same place they had gone on their second date.

Years earlier, they had wandered around Navy Yard together while their relationship was still brand new and grabbed pizza. Now they were back as newlyweds! They picked up their food, headed toward the waterfront, ate together, and popped champagne with a view.

This is one of my favorite parts of their whole wedding because it says so much about what makes an elopement personal. Your wedding-day activities don’t have to be elaborate just because it is your wedding day. You don’t need to fill the timeline with things that sound impressive if they have nothing to do with you.

Go get your favorite pizza. Stop at the coffee shop you visit every Saturday. Walk through the neighborhood where you had your first date. Do something you genuinely love doing together. 

Those are the moments that turn a beautiful wedding day into YOUR wedding day. Another great example of such a micro wedding day was Kaitlyn and Chad’s day in DC. They got married at a stone bridge in Rock Creek Park, took photos with their dog Lucy at a park where they often spend their weekends, and celebrated at their favorite neighborhood pizza shop, a place they go so regularly that they know the owners personally. 

Celebrating With Family and Friends at Little Pearl

After spending so much of the day focused on each other, Jessica & Justin met their family and friends for an intimate evening celebration at Little Pearl. Their guest list was small and intentional, filled with the people they truly wanted there. This part of the day let them celebrate their marriage with their people without giving up the quiet, intimate moments they’d wanted earlier. 

They had custom place cards waiting for guests and incorporated a ring-warming ceremony, one of the most meaningful formalities they had planned. Their rings were passed among their loved ones so each person could hold them and offer a blessing or intention for their marriage before the rings came back to them. Then everyone settled in for drinks, appetizers, dinner, cake, and speeches.

Even their cats made another appearance through their custom cake topper, which featured the two of them as a bride and groom with their cats. It was a small detail, but it made the celebration feel even more like them. Jessica & Justin’s micro wedding is a perfect example of how including family in your elopement doesn’t mean sacrificing the intimate experience you wanted in the first place. You can protect certain moments for yourselves and invite your loved ones into others.

And if you’re wondering how to include your family and friends in your elopement day, I’ve got you covered! If you are looking for more ideas for what the celebration portion of your day could look like, I also have a full guide to elopement reception ideas.

Getting Married in the City Where Your Love Story Happened

When I look back at Jessica & Justin’s wedding, one of my favorite things about it is how connected everything was to their actual relationship. They got ready at home, and then exchanged vows in a park where they already spent time together. They got married with Washington, DC, surrounding them, ate pizza from one of their first dates, and ended the day around a table with the people they loved.

They didn’t need to travel somewhere they had never been before to create an adventurous or meaningful elopement. They got to experience their own city differently for a day, and I think there is something incredibly special about that. Years from now, they can walk through Rock Creek Park and remember reading their wedding vows beside the water. They can go back to Wiseguy Pizza and remember sitting there in their wedding clothes just after getting married. They can walk through the National Mall and know that somewhere among all those ordinary days they spent living in DC is the day they got married. 

That is the beauty of creating a wedding experience around places that already mean something to you.

Their Engagement Session Before the Wedding

Jessica and Justin booked me not only to capture their elopement but also their engagement session! It gave us another opportunity to document this season of their relationship before the wedding day itself.

I offer engagement sessions as add-ons to my elopement and micro wedding packages, and I love them for a few reasons. You get more photos of the two of you in a completely different setting and season of your life, and you also get a chance to be in front of my camera before your wedding day.

That can make everything feel a little more familiar when the day arrives, especially if being photographed isn’t something you do all the time.

An engagement session can also be another chance to choose somewhere meaningful to you, whether that is your neighborhood, a favorite date-night spot, somewhere outdoors, or simply a completely different side of DC from the places you are planning to visit on your wedding day.

Jessica and Justin’s Kind Words

“I loved working with Juliana. She was there with us at every step of the way, rolling with our indecisiveness and providing helpful suggestions as we planned out an elopement day that felt meaningful to us. She was always easy to get in touch with, and her advice was helpful and very much appreciated.

When it rained for our engagement pics and I thought the day would be ruined, Juliana arrived with clear umbrellas and a smile. She proved that rainy photo shoots can be fun.

On our elopement day, Juliana’s texts of support and calming presence were exactly what I needed to stay grounded and enjoy every moment. She was easygoing, professional, and just a delight to be around.

And I can’t believe I’ve written this much without mentioning how beautiful her pictures turned out! It felt like Juliana truly made an effort to get to know us as a couple throughout this process, and that paid off immensely when we received photos that took us right back to that wonderful day. Not only that, but Juliana managed to capture a few moments that I’d missed or forgotten about (she even got a few close-ups of our pets, which was an awesome discovery as we went through the final gallery).

Juliana really heard what we were looking for, and helped us craft a meaningful elopement day while capturing every special moment. I’m so grateful that we will be able to look back at her photos for years to come.”

Planning Your Own Washington DC Micro Wedding

Your Washington, DC micro wedding or elopement day doesn’t have to look exactly like Jessica & Justin’s.

Maybe the places that matter to you are completely different. Maybe you are dreaming about exchanging vows at the DC War Memorial, wandering through an art museum together, having cocktails at your favorite bar, exploring Georgetown, spending the morning in Rock Creek Park, or meeting your family for dinner somewhere you love.

Or maybe you are coming to DC from somewhere else entirely and have no idea where to begin. You don’t need to have all of that figured out before reaching out!

As a Washington, DC elopement photographer, part of my job is helping you take the feeling you want for your wedding and turn it into an experience that actually works. I help with personalized location ideas, trusted vendor recommendations, permit guidance, activities, timeline creation, transportation and logistics, backup plans, and all of those little details that help your day feel seamless.

Because ultimately, your elopement isn’t about checking off a list of the “best” places to take wedding photos in DC.

It is about creating a day where you can slow down, be present with each other, do things you genuinely love together, and walk away feeling like this could not have been anyone else’s wedding.

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

• Photo coverage options that range from 4 hours to multiple days 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!

I would love to help you create a day that gives you space to be present with each other while still making room for the people you love. Learn more about my packages here! 

To inquire about working with me, fill out this form and schedule a FREE consult to tell me what you are dreaming up!  

The Wedding Vendors from This DC Spring Micro Wedding

Dress & Veil: Modern Trousseau in DC

Tux/Tie/Cufflinks: Suitsupply

Watch: Daniel Wellington

Officiant: Bradley N. Garcia of the US Circuit Court Appeals for the District of Columbia

Hair and Makeup: I Do Artistry

Florals: Sola Flowers by the The Paisley Moon on Etsy

Cake: SweetsbyE

Private Driver: DC Path Transportation Services

Cake Topper: Mudcards on Etsy

Calligrapher: TheBrushingBride on Etsy

Cocktail Napkins: GB Design House

Venue: Little Pearl DC