One Couple's Simple Urban Minimony at Maketto in Washington, DC
Although the pandemic forced Phil and Kellen to postpone their larger wedding celebration, they didn’t want to wait to get legally married. The couple decided to have a minimony in Washington, DC. The color palette, decor and stationery at the minimony also subtly hinted at was to come at their bigger wedding in Palm Springs, California. A starburst motif was threaded through the paper products (a nod to their destination wedding venue) while the design was anchored by a vibrant yellow-and-blue color palette, the same hues that were on deck for their sequel wedding.
When it came to actually exchanging vows, only Phil’s sister and brother-in-law were present, with his sister officiating. The chance to gather more loved ones in person was a highlight of their sequel wedding. “We had a nice symmetry in our officiants thanks to our siblings. For our wedding in California, we asked my brother to do the honors,” explains Kellen. After their intimate vow exchange, they celebrated with a limited number of friends at the restaurant Maketto in Washington, DC. During their restaurant minimony reception, the couple was able to video chat with the loved ones who weren’t able to attend in person.
"We originally planned our celebration for October 17, 2020, but decided in July 2020 to do a microwedding in Washington, DC, and save the California event for when it was safer to travel and gather," says Phil. "Waiting until October 2021 paid off since by that point the COVID vaccines were readily available around the country."
One of the signature cocktails on offer at the microwedding, a vodka soda with a splash of cranberry and pineapple juice, carried over from the couple’s minimony menu. As Phil’s go-to, it was a must for both events: “It’s a nod to my typical order at the bar after dodgeball games,” he says.
"During our microwedding, we started a fund to help us prepare to get a puppy. From those gifts, we were able to bring home our basenji puppy, Michael, and he has been the light of our lives since we brought him home in February 2021."
"One benefit of doing two wedding celebrations is that we kind of knew what to expect for our California wedding and applied lessons learned from our DC microwedding. Specifically, we knew how to be present, but also eat, during the night and knew not to overload our day with too much activity. Getting to apply those “do-over” lessons from last year made for a really perfect wedding weekend for us both. Also, while the pandemic made everything more difficult and frustrating from a planning perspective, the gift was that we were truly able to be a bi-coastal couple and have a bi-coastal wedding, with ceremonies the two places that mean the most to us. While we didn’t expect it, these are memories that we will cherish forever."
