A Colorful, Italy-Inspired Wedding at the Fairmont Hotel in Washington, DC

As Vanessa Angelo (28 and a product marketing manager) and Michael Goldman (37 and the president and owner of a commercial service firm) began planning their Florentine-style spring wedding, they were drawn to bright colors. The couple especially loved a blue-and-red print by the Italian paper company Rossi 1931 that they used for an envelope liner. “Our colors really originated from the Florentine Lilies paper in our invitations,” Vanessa says. The event design took off from there, with shades of poppy, denim, gold and black all over their West End soiree. At the Fairmont Washington, DC, the couple put lemon trees in the courtyard, draped the ballroom in navy velvet and added their monogram to a black dance floor. The eclectic color combo worked: “It looked incredible,” Vanessa says. The bride carried anemones, peonies, ranunculus, hellebores and garden roses. Vanessa and Michael held a ceremony in the round. “Having all of our guests surrounding us felt so intimate,” Vanessa says. Vanessa’s mom made sashes for the flower girls by cutting up a Dolce & Gabbana scarf. The carrot cake with cream cheese frosting sat on a stand wrapped in the signature paper. At cocktail hour, waiters carried Florentine trays with a Limoncello-prosecco drink dubbed “La Dolce Vita.” A dinner of pasta and short rib followed. Vanessa wore statement Fallon earrings and sparkly Louboutins. In the ballroom, tables had red, blue or gold cloths and different plates, flatware, glasses and chairs. “We definitely took a risk mixing three different linen styles,” Vanessa says. “We wanted everything to look cohesive, yet still full of life and color.” The couple danced to “‘Til Kingdom Come” by Coldplay.