Light, Airy Details Made for the Prettiest Spring Wedding in D.C.

In May of 2013, Emily Tiernan was ending a day spent watching the Kentucky Derby at a friend’s birthday dinner. “We were friends from childhood, but I didn’t know many other people at the party,” says Emily. Thankfully, another friend invited Emily to sit at her table—and sat her right next to Conor Malloy. “Conor’s phone was dead, so even though we’d had a great night, I wasn’t sure if I’d ever see him again." But Conor was persistent and tracked down Emily’s number, and the rest is history.

Two years later, at Sakonnet Golf Club in Little Compton, Rhode Island (where Conor, a college golfer, is a seven-time club champion!), Emily and Conor were playing their favorite hole. “We love to play the holes along the water at the end of the day, when it’s less crowded and the sunset views are spectacular,” says Emily. Little did she know, Conor was planning something other than golf: A proposal! He got down on one knee, with both of their parents watching with binoculars from his family’s home down the shore. Though Emily and Conor call New York home, they headed to the bride’s hometown outside of Washington, D.C., for their May 14, 2016, wedding. Their ceremony took place at the Emily's childhood church, followed by a formal reception for 260 guests at the Chevy Chase Club. “Some of my favorite childhood memories are at the Chevy Chase Club, which gave our wedding even more significance,” Emily explains. With Allison Jackson of Pineapple Productions at the helm and Kate Headley behind the camera, this gorgeous D.C. country club wedding is one you won’t want to miss.

The elegant, classic tone of the day was set with the couple’s invitations, a mix of calligraphy and modern block font tucked into an envelope lined with a black-and-white photo of some of D.C.’s most famous monuments.

Upon arrival, guests were greeted with a welcome bag full of Conor and Emily’s favorite treats: Georgetown cupcakes, granola from Baked and Wired, and Spindrift lemonades. A welcome note and cups were finished with the pair’s monogram, which featured details inspired by classic golf club motifs.

Emily paired her Vera Wang ball gown with white lace Manolo Blahnik pumps, the perfect match for the delicate lace on the bodice and skirt! “I had pieces of lace from my mom's and grandmother’s wedding dresses sewn inside it,” says the bride. She carried an all-white bouquet of peonies, garden roses, lilies, and tweedia, accented with geranium leaves and maidenhair fern.

The bridesmaids chose different Amsale dresses in a soft, icy blue. “I wanted them to look unified, but with 14 bridesmaids, I didn’t want to force them to wear the exact same dress,” Emily explains.

To match the pale blue of their dresses, the bridesmaids’ bouquets combined white roses with pale blue tweedia.

Conor and his groomsmen all wore classic tuxedos, which they dressed up with bowties that matched the bridesmaids’ dresses. “Conor’s dad was his best man,” the bride says. “He gave such an incredible speech at the reception!”

Even without the childhood connection, the gorgeous façade of Blessed Sacrament Church explains why Emily wanted to get married there!

“We used traditional vows during the ceremony, but wrote one another notes that we exchanged the morning of the wedding,” says Emily. Conor’s brother is a musician, so they added a special touch to the proceedings by asking him to play the organ.

As a reference to their love of golf (and their golf course engagement!), escort cards were engraved trophy placards displayed on oversized wooden crests, draped in greenery and white roses. Guests gathered at the club and sipped two signature drinks, the Southside and the Raspberry Gimlet, as they made their way through the ballroom and the more modern outdoor lounge area. “We transformed the terrace with antique chandeliers, neutral couches and furniture, and an antique silver bar where we displayed some of our favorite desserts,” says Emily.

Inside, guests were seated in the club’s vaulted ballroom at a mix of bare wood and linen-topped tables. Flowers followed a springtime palette, with centerpieces combining peonies, garden roses, ranunculus, and hydrangeas in shades of white and pink.

At the tables with blush textured linens, low centerpieces mixed peonies, hydrangeas, viburnum, and bay leaves, surrounded by taper candles. Others were decorated with tall arrangements of the same blooms in glass vases, surrounded by clusters of buds in rose gold julep cups.

Bare wooden tables were decorated with antique mirrored boxes that overflowed with flowers. Each place setting featured a platinum-edged charger decorated with paintings of leaves, as well as matching glassware. Instead of traditional place cards, light blue butterflies were perched on wine glasses.

For dinner, guests ate chilled corn bisque with poached lobster, followed by beef tenderloin and pan-seared salmon. Alongside the cream puffs and miniature crème brulées served on the terrace, Conor and Emily also cut into a vanilla wedding cake, frosted with buttercream and decorated with pink peonies.

“After the cake cutting, Conor surprised me by getting on stage with his brother and performing one of my favorite songs, ‘Whatever She’s Got’ by David Nail,” remembers Emily. For their honeymoon, the couple took a spectacular trip to St. Lucia, planned with a little help from the groom’s sister, who works for a boutique travel company.

“Even though it’s easy to get overwhelmed by the details, it’s important to remember why you’re getting married: Because you’ve found someone who you want to spend the rest of your life with, and that’s amazing!”