Merav and Dmitri’s Jewish wedding was SO incredibly dreamy, if not for the personalized masks and “vaccine” shooters we’d never have guessed it took place during the pandemic.
We’re obsessed with their gorgeous venue, Larz Anderson House in downtown Washington, DC – a spot the couple had looked at and loved when they first started planning, but eventually rejected because it couldn’t accommodate their pre-COVID guest list.
Once the pandemic hit and they had to scale things down, though, the Anderson House became a viable option. We’re not sure which we love more, the lush garden where Merav and Dmitri held their outdoor chuppah or the beautiful ballroom they used for their reception. Don’t miss a single detail in Adam Mason’s luminous photos or Wise Films’ wonderful trailer.
We’re also in love with Merav and Dimitri’s fabulous ketubah by Smashing The Glass Recommended Vendor Ink with Intent. The couple searched long and hard for a ketubah that felt truly them, and when they stumbled onto one of Ink with Intent’s past ketubot featuring text printed over a picture of the couple, they knew that was the direction for them. Needless to say, the pair adore their ketubah, and it now graces a wall in their home as a special piece of art.
We’ll let the bride, who looked so elegant in Pronovias, take it from here…
How we met
Merav, the bride: Dmitri and I originally met in 2008 through a mutual friend, but we didn’t know each other well and only saw each other sparingly over the years. When he moved down to Washington, DC to start a data analytics company, we reconnected over coffee and we started working together to make the dream a reality.
Together, we worked at WeWork Chinatown (where we did our pre-wedding photo shoot!), 7 days a week, through holidays and snowstorms to build our company. Today, we have 40 employees and a growing business.
As our respect and trust for each other grew, so did our relationship. A year and a half after working together, we started dating. After 4 years of growing our company together, moving in, and adopting two cats, Dmitri proposed at a private dinner on a beautiful beach in Mexico.
Venue and wedding plans
We got married at the gorgeous Larz Anderson House in downtown DC – when we first started planning our wedding in the beginning of 2020, we had planned to have 170+ guests and booked a different venue to accommodate the crowds. But as we realized that we’d need to shrink our guest list significantly, we kept thinking about how much we’d loved the Anderson House when we’d visited the space.
The outdoor garden and the beautiful ballroom seemed perfect for a COVID wedding. One of the reasons why we loved it, aside from the architecture, is that it’s a hidden gem in DC and it was a joy to introduce it to our family and friends who’d never seen it before.
Vaccine Chic
Since we’re both busy, one of our priorities was to limit the number of decisions we had to make about our wedding. We used Sara Muchnick from SME Events, who did a fabulous job of identifying our key ideas and making them come to life. We had a palette of blues and purples and wanted to achieve a classic, but elegant look, while still having fun elements like personalized hand sanitizers and “vaccine” shooters.
Invitations
Since COVID created so many changes, we didn’t send out physical invitations. We used With Joy, a great free site that allowed us to select a color palette and theme and track our RSVPs.
Hair + Make-up
I used Updos for I Dos – they did my friend’s make-up and hair for her wedding and she looked stunning. Nicole and Jessica did my hair and make-up, as well as my friends’ and family’s and were absolutely fabulous to work with.
A Pronovias Dress
My dress was by Pronovias. I probably tried on about 30 dresses in stores because I wasn’t sure what I was looking for. I first found a silhouette that I liked, then figured out the elements that I wanted (lace, crepe skirt, low back, etc). Once I’d tried on the first 5 – 10 dresses, I noticed that I would get these positive or negative feelings about certain aspects of the dress and that helped me narrow it down. I found the dress that I wanted on Stillwhite.com, which is a great resource to buy pre-owned dresses.
Accessories
I bought tear-drop crystal earrings and my hairpiece from Etsy – I wanted the earrings to match my engagement ring’s shape, which also has pear-shaped diamonds in it.
Shoes
My shoes needed to be low heels because of my dress’s length, plus I needed to be ready to dance. I wanted an open-toe shoe for the summer heat with some lace to match the dress. I searched through a ton of websites and stores and ultimately found a great pair from David’s Bridal.
The handsome groom
My husband is the stylish one in our relationship – he had his suit custom-made from Alton Lane. He chose an orange lining with a dark blue brocade and completed the look with a white pocket-square and black bowtie. Even his shoes were designed to match his outfit!
Bridesmaids
I didn’t have bridesmaids in the traditional sense. I encouraged my two sisters and three best friends to wear what they wanted to and I love how each one of them chose an outfit that brought out their personalities.
Ceremony
We wrote our own vows and incorporated them into our ceremony – our rabbi spent time with both of us and incorporated our story into his speech, which was a great way for us to relive our journey with our friends and family.
Ketubah
We spent a lot of time looking for a ketubah that felt like us – I stumbled upon a ketubah from Ink with Intent that was printed on a picture of the couple and loved the idea. Not only would we have a completely unique ketubah, but we’d be able to hang it up and have a picture of us as well.
Chuppah
We wanted a floral chuppah to match the garden setting and Philippa from Flowers at 38 did a fabulous job with a white rose overhang across the top of the structure.
Our Music Choice
Dmitri walked down to ‘Happy’ by Pharrell Williams, while I walked down the aisle to ‘All My Days’ by Alexi Murdoch. After the ceremony, ‘My Type’ by Saint Motel played during the recessional. Our first dance was to ‘I Love You Baby’ by Frank Sinatra, the father-daughter dance was to ‘In My Life’ by The Beatles and the mother-son dance was to ‘La Vie en Rose’ by Mireille Matheiu.
Flowers
Philippa from Flowers at 38 was our florist and she completely got the look that we were going for. For my bouquet, I wanted a cascade of flowers, including orchids, in the blue and purple palette of our wedding. The dinner centerpieces were multiple small vases, each with one flower type, which created a more modern look while also allowing guests to see each other across the table.
Photographer and videographer
Adam Mason was the first person we booked for our wedding. We absolutely loved his portfolio – the way he plays with light and captures emotions was exactly what we wanted for our wedding. Plus, his laidback and warm nature helped us feel really comfortable around him.
Adam recommended Wise Films for our videographer and they absolutely knocked it out of the park. We wanted a film that incorporated the energy and love that we felt, both from people at the ceremony and watching from abroad. They were even able to incorporate some Zoom shots from our family and friends who were unable to attend, which we are so thankful for.
Food and Cake
We used Main Event Caterers and got so many compliments on the food. We went with a fresh, lighter menu to help compensate for the DC summer heat, including a salad with fresh berries to start with and finished with a strawberry mousse cake. We decided against a wedding cake, given the COVID circumstances, but did finish the night with an ice cream bar, which was a huge hit!
Entertainment
DJ Craig Wood from Perpetual Sound LLC kept the whole wedding going, from the ceremony to the (masked) dancing. Craig listened to our music preferences and emcee’d our entire wedding with charm. There were so many little things that he took care of that made it easy for us and our guests to enjoy the day.
Favors
Given that we were getting married during a pandemic, our favours were all COVID-related. We had personalized masks, small hand sanitizer bottles, and gave everyone a refreshing “vaccine” shooter when they arrived.
Extra details
I think one of the most unusual facts about our day is that we did our initial photo shoot at our office. It was really fun to walk around in our wedding outfits and remember all of the hours that we spent in that space getting to know each other and working with one another. We had napkins with fun facts about us as a couple and had an ice cream bar to top off a festive night.
Honeymoon
We haven’t gone on our honeymoon yet, but are looking at some options for the future.
Advice to couples currently planning their wedding
Be as prepared as possible and then let the chips fall where they may. Trust your instincts when it comes to making wedding decisions. If you’re having a wedding during COVID, send out a detailed email with the steps you’re taking to keep everyone healthy and the expectations that you have for your guests. We wanted everyone to be able to celebrate comfortably and safely and a lot of our guests thanked us for being so transparent and thorough.
Plus, most importantly, no one fell ill because of our wedding. If you have a small ceremony, you may want to plan a picture with all of your guests or even take some time to take pictures with them individually. Those pictures are great to send out with thank you cards. Also, bring some games during morning prep! My sister brought Bananagrams and we had a great time playing a few rounds while we were waiting to get made up.
MERAV & DMITRI’S LITTLE WHITE BOOK
Photography – Adam Mason Photography
Videography – Wise Films
Ketubah – Ink with Intent {offers 10% discount to all members of Smashing The Glass’s Brides Club}
Wedding planner – SME Events
Venue – Larz Anderson House
Bride’s dress – Pronovias found at Stillwhite.com
Bride’s accessories – Etsy
Bride’s shoes – David’s Bridal
Groom’s attire – Alton Lane
Hair + Makeup – Updos for I Dos
Flowers – Flowers at 38
DJ – Perpetual Sound LLC
Catering – Main Event Caterers
Stationery/Invitation – With Joy
Rabbi – Rabbi Bruce M. Lustig
Wedding Submission Services – Published & Pretty
If you’re a Jewish or Jew-ish bride-to-be, you’ll want to join Smashing The Glass’ Brides Club. Guided by the world’s number 1 Jewish wedding expert, Karen Cinnamon, Brides Club is the private community for Jewish and Jew-ish brides that removes wedstress and indecision and gives you what you need to plan with confidence during these uncertain times. Join our Brides Club here.
