A Classic, Summer Wedding at the Potomoc Point Winery in Stafford, Virginia

A Samantha Cooper (26 and a veterinary staff intern at Georgetown University) and Matthew (Matt) McIntee (27 and a lieutenant in the United States Navy) threw a summer celebration full of pastels, rustic accents and personalized details, like a mini Darth Vader replica to represent Matt’s favorite movie and a table with photos of all the couple’s loved ones who had passed away.

“Family is so important, and to be able to look at pictures of my grandparents’ wedding and compare them to my own, that is a very special feeling,” Samantha says of saying “I do” in the same church as her relatives.

Samantha and Matt married at the Washington National Cathedral, where Samantha’s grandparents and several family members had exchanged vows.

The couple’s cake was made to look like a tree that had their initials carved into the bark-inspired icing. “Matt has made us carve our initials into a tree on every hike we’ve been on,” the bride says. “He even proposed on a hike!” Other rustic touches included a wood backdrop for the escort cards.

“I married Matt because he truly is the most amazing man—honest, moral, funny, kind and intelligent,” Samantha says. “I wanted our wedding to highlight these things.”n intimate wedding at the grand National Cathedral and reception at Potomac Point Winery in Virginia.