Black, Slate Gray and White Filled This Modern Wedding at The Historic Post Office in Virginia

To celebrate their marriage, Madeline and Jemal's planned a modern-meets-romantic wedding at The Historic Post Office in Hampton, Virginia with a timeless color palette of black, slate gray and white. "We chose modern romantic because we love both the new and old. We wanted the theme to reflect the timelessness of our love, and yet our desire to always find and create new things. Our color palette was timeless black, gray and white. We incorporated green here and there to reflect my emerald green engagement ring," shares Madeline. Because of the pandemic, the couple kept the guestlist for their intimate event limited and focused on creating a personalized experience that they'll remember for years to come. "The most special moment of our wedding day was renewing our vows. We had a private ceremony 8 months prior to the wedding due to the pandemic, so we recited our vows again the day of. Our wedding party surrounded us by the river and it was a beautiful moment. I also wrote a song as my vows, so I was able to sing it again to my husband!" 

To bring the event together they included some of their favorite things: vinyl records, coffee and tacos. Additionally, even the riverfront venue was decided upon because of the special significance the location holds in Madeline and Jemal's love story. "I chose elements like deep olive tablecloths and black candlestick holders to contrast the delicate flowers," says Madeline. "The Historic Post Office is actually the venue I manage and coordinate within, so I wanted to complement the industrial venue as well. My husband made a triangle arch for our original ceremony (he actually burned it to make it black!), and we used that as a backdrop at the reception. Because we love music, guests signed vinyl records that had custom labels of our original wedding photos." In keeping with the day's personalization, "we had our favorite foods as a late-night snack—burger sliders (his) and fish tacos (mine)," says Madeline. "We gave each guest coffee bean bags from the location of our first date, Canvas Coffee House. Our cake had some of their coffee in it, too! One of my favorite parts of the entire event was during toasts. My husband surprised me with the third painting in a series of paintings he commissioned for us. It was a special moment!" 

Looking back on the wedding day, Madeline encourages to-be-weds to remember that "the most important thing is to stay true to why you are getting married—it's not to impress or please anyone else, but to celebrate your love. Do what makes you and your fiancé happy and what best represents you as a couple. And especially during these difficult times, remember that at the end of the day it's about the beginning of your union and not about the fanfare! Lastly, hire professional vendors who truly care about you—especially a great wedding coordinator."