Washington Nationals Player Trea Turner’s Detail-Filled Wedding in D.C

Every couple hopes their wedding day will be a home run—and this one was actually a grand slam! On November 10, 2018, Washington Nationals shortstop Trea Turner married his college sweetheart, Kristen Harabedian, in true D.C. style. The couple, who met as athletes at North Carolina State University in October of 2011 and were engaged in June of 2017, wanted to give their loved ones a taste of D.C. history. To do that, they selected the historic St. Joseph’s Catholic Church for the ceremony and the National Museum of Women in the Arts for the reception. “St. Joseph’s is more than 140 years old, and we felt its history and Capitol Hill location would create a really unique experience for our out-of-town guests,” explains the bride. As for the reception site? “The National Museum of Women in the Arts is stunning, with world-class exhibitions and three spacious floors that our guests could explore throughout the evening," she adds.

The pair turned to Allison Jackson of Pineapple Productions to help plan their celebration, as they split their time between D.C. (where Trea plays) and Florida (where Trea trains). “Allison knew the perfect vendors for us to use, and helped us get things done while we were in town to make the long-distance planning easier,” Kristen says. With the help of Allison, they settled on a palette of blush and deep pink roses (Kristen’s favorite!), paired with the deep navy and fresh greenery that Trea prefers. “It really balanced the romantic details we chose,” says the bride.

Unexpected modern touches (and a few fun surprises!) completed Trea Turner and Kristen Harabedian's wedding, so keep reading for all the exclusive details. Lucky of us, Kate Headley was on hand to capture all the exciting moments—and more than a few baseball surprises!

On the big day, Kristen donned gold Jimmy Choo pumps, and Trea traded in his cleats for dress shoes—after a quick photo op!

The groom wore a custom navy blue suit from STITCHED, which he paired with a matching tie and a white rose boutonniere. The suit was customized with a tone-on-tone print on the lapel, while the inside was printed with the couple’s engagement photos. (What a creative idea!)

Trea gave his guys Peter Millar suits and asked them to wear pink ties to match the rest of the day's color scheme.

Kristen shopped everywhere along the eastern seaboard, finally finding her Pronovias gown in Miami. The plunging neckline was topped with sheer lace, while the skirt was made with sleek and simple silk. “The gown actually had a matching lace-edged cape, but we turned it into a classic veil," she says. She also carried a lush bouquet of garden roses and ranunculus accented with eucalyptus and pink ribbon.

The couple (and their wedding party!) visited the city's museums to take portraits that felt representative of their day. Kristen’s bridesmaids all wore blush pink one-shoulder dresses from Dessy, paired with textured bouquets of roses, ranunculus, and astilbe in shades of pale pink.

The couple both grew up in the Catholic church, so they opted to exchange traditional vows. “We didn’t have a first look before the ceremony,” says Kristen. “The moment when I walked down the aisle with my dad and saw Trea for the first time is one I’ll always remember!”

After the traditional church ceremony, the newlyweds led guests to their modern reception venue. "We used all three floors of the museum so that we could have separate spaces for cocktail hour, dinner, and dancing,” Kristen says. “Our guests got to see some of the museum’s spectacular collection of work by woman artists as they moved between spaces.”

The night's festivities kicked off with a selection of playful bites by Occasions Caterers, including fried chicken paired with miniature bottles of Tabasco and mini tacos with mini Patron margarita slushies and Negra Modelo beers.

Guests also toasted with two additional cocktails: A "Modern Old Fashioned "(pear brandy, Wild Turkey bourbon, simple syrup, lemon juice, and bitters) and "A Vine Divine" (Belvedere vodka, lemon juice, simple syrup, white cranberry juice, and champagne). There were also delicious sweets to be had, including strawberry chili-flavored cotton candy.

As a nod to the art museum setting, escort cards were hand-painted on miniature canvases and set on grey easels.

Dinner tables were topped with blush and ivory linens and dressed up with gold and black accents like scalloped gold-rimmed chargers and dinner plates. Each centerpiece included blush and ivory garden roses, hydrangeas, eucalyptus, and dusty miller.

At the head table, a dramatic display of baby's breath framed the newlyweds and their wedding party. The couple served a menu of Porterhouse steak with cognac sauce, potato risotto, and grilled vegetables.

After dinner, guests headed to the dance floor to find even more food in the form of a spectacular dessert display: a spinning carnival wheel! It featured trays of caramel corn, doughnut s’mores, cinnamon bun waffles, maple-bacon funnel cake, and miniature chocolate cream pies.

And that's not all! Trea and Kirsten also had a five-tiered wedding cake made with layers of chocolate cake with vanilla buttercream and chocolate chip cake with cookie dough and milk crumbs. It was placed on a lucite box—repurposed from the escort card display—with an arrangement of fuchsia roses inside.

An acoustic guitarist played “Perfect” by Ed Sheeran for Trea and Kristen's first dance before a DJ took over (and their guests flooded the dance floor). "Our DJ is also the DJ for the Washington Nationals!” adds the bride.

“When the reception was over, the DJ invited our guests outside for our sparkler exit, while Trea and I stayed behind,” Kristen says. “Once everyone was gone, we had one last dance to ‘Marry Me’ by Train in the empty venue, taking a few minutes to let it all soak in.”

Looking back on their epic D.C. celebration, the bride has this been-there-done-that advice for other couples planning. “There are so many moving parts in a wedding, so we tried to really focus on our top priorities and not worry about the little details,” she says. “Those things have a way of working out the way they’re supposed to!” (We'd have to agree. Congrats, Trea and Kristen!)