The Great Marsh Estate in Bealeton, Virginia, set the scene for an elegant Bridgerton-inspired wedding with florals by Muna Coterie member, Flower Guy Bron, and an a-line princess gown by Essense of Australia.
On a snowy day in February 2015, André and Joyce met on OkCupid. Drawn to a photo of Joyce in a little black dress, André messaged first. A fun exchange of messages followed and André eventually invited Joyce out for Happy Hour at Grillfish in DC.
He wanted to sit at the bar to take advantage of the happy hour specials, but there was only one seat left so they sat at a table for dinner instead. André quickly forgot about the price difference.
Their conversation flowed effortlessly and when he discovered Joyce had never been to Eighteenth Street Lounge, they went there after dinner and took an impromptu Tango class together. Not wanting the night to end, they hopped around to a few other spots before finally calling it a night.
Looking back, Joyce recalls thinking: “If nothing romantic grew from this date, I hoped we could be good friends.” Luckily, their dates continued, and their friendship and love grew. On September 2nd, 2015, they became official, and on September 2nd, 2023, they became Mr. and Mrs. Smith!
Keep scrolling for more on Joyce and André’s love story (including their proposal!), and photos from their elegant wedding at the Great Marsh Estate.
- Couple: Joyce Jones and André Smith
- Occupations: Joyce is a Talent Acquisition Manager and Andre is a Senior Software Engineer
- Wedding date: September 2nd, 2023
- Wedding location: Great Marsh Estate Bealeton, VA
Quick Facts:
- Bridesmaid gifts: I gave my bridesmaid a gift along with my proposal box. It included a customized candle, glass, & Christmas ornament.
- Groomsmen gifts Andre gifted his best man with his suit for the wedding.
- Gifts for one another: We were each other’s gifts :)
- Ceremony entrance song: I walked down the aisle to “Chevaliers de Sangreal” by Hans Zimmer and Andre walked in using the Mandalorian theme song, to which he got a huge ovation.
- First dance song: We danced to “Find Someone Like You” by Snoh Aalegra.
The proposal…
In May 2022, André & Joyce took a trip to London and France. On their first day in London, André told Joyce he wanted to check out Hyde Park and Kensington Gardens before brunch. After exploring Kensington Palace and its grounds, they went to the Italian Gardens in Hyde Park where Joyce started obsessing over a fountain that overlooked a small pond.
André suggested that they take a selfie there, which was a strange suggestion coming from him. He set up his phone on a selfie stick with a tripod extension. He told her it was going to be a timed photo, but it was really a video. André rushed up to Joyce’s side and started to pose with her when suddenly he turned towards her and proposed. Neither of them can recall exactly what was said but she said yes!
Wedding attire:
I wanted a bohemian/princess vibe for my wedding dress. So I chose a dress I would describe as an a-line/ballroom gown with lots of beading, lace, and a large train. I also wanted a very dramatic cathedral veil that continued the lace and beading style. Both the dress and the veil were by Essense of Australia.
My dress has a blush undertone to the off-white lace. My shoes were by Manolo Blahnik and matched the dress theme with lace and gorgeous rhinestone straps. During the middle of our reception, I changed into a white flapper dress by Nadine Merabi with lots of sequins and beaded tassels. It was very fun to dance in.
André chose a very light lilac three-piece suit. He didn’t want to go with a traditional black tuxedo. The suit was by Suit Supply and his shoes were by Allen Edmonds.
What was the wedding shopping experience like for you?
I enjoyed my wedding dress shopping experience very much. I went to four retailers in the Washington DC area. Ultimately, I purchased my wedding dress at Ellie’s Bridal Boutique located in Alexandria, VA and my veil was purchased at The Bridal Room in McLean, VA.
I was surprised at how quickly I found my wedding shoes. I was looking online at Saks Fifth Avenue and found them almost immediately. As soon as I saw my shoes, I knew they were going to be perfect with my bridal look.
André’s wedding shopping occurred a bit closer to the day of our wedding than mine of course. He had been a long-time customer of Suit Supply and he knew that he wanted to work with them. His suit was highly customized and he had a smooth process with the Suit Supply team.
Setting the scene for love…
The ceremony…
Here comes the bride!
Did you incorporate any culture into your wedding?
We didn’t incorporate culture into the wedding, more so themes. We both love music and so we incorporated the different genres of music throughout our wedding. For our ceremony entrances, we used soundtrack music from movies/TV shows. For our cocktail hour, we used house music to create a lounge feel. And during our reception, we used classic jazz during the dinner and then pivoted to R&B and Hip-Hop right after.
Reception space…
Sweet details…
What is your best memory from your wedding?
Our entire ceremony was definitely our top favorite memory. We loved our officiant and André had an awesome entrance down the aisle to the Mandalorian intro music. Another one of our favorite memories was the garter removal. André really got into it by doing a semi-striptease that had all of our guests laughing. And then there was a moment when we had a mini mosh pit with our guests to “Smells Like Teen Spirit”. So much fun!
What is the best wedding advice you can give to engaged couples?
Work with a wedding planner. Many planners offer month-of services. We worked with someone who was very helpful throughout our entire planning process and her services kicked in about 8 weeks before the wedding. She really pulled all of our planning together and made our day go seamlessly.
If the wedding planning is becoming too stressful, you are doing too much. The wedding planning shouldn’t be overly stressful and should have lots of fun elements. At the end of the day, the wedding is about you and your partner, and your planning should reflect that.
Also, if you are newly engaged, don’t rush right into wedding planning. Take some time to take in this special moment in your life together. ENJOY YOUR ENGAGEMENT!
Looking for more Bridgerton inspiration like this wedding at the Great Marsh Estate?
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Vendors:
- Photographer: JB Elliott Photography
- Wedding Planner: Wedding Muse
- Venue: Great Marsh Estate
- Floral Designer: The Flower Guy Bron
- Bakery: Buttercream Bakeshop
- DJ: The Masters of the Ceremony
- Beauty: Christin Birckhead
- Hair Stylist: Carla Pressley
- Dress Designer: Essence of Australia
- Reception Dress Designer: Nadine Merabi
- Brides Shoes: Manolo Blahnik
- Bridesmaid Dress: The Reformation
- Tuxedo: Suit Supply
- Officiant: Wedding Ceremonies By Jeff
- Invitation Designer: Zola
- Design and Decor: Bride and Joy
- Caterer: Serendipity Catering & Design
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