A Formal, Winter Wedding at Willard InterContinental Hotel in Washington, DC
Beth Castoro (33 and a kindergarten teacher) and Stephen Varanko (33 and works for the US government) have known each other since they were in preschool. (Their parents once caught them skimming through a Playboy magazine as kids!) Years later, at her parents' annual Superbowl party, Stephen's mother dared Beth to mail a copy of Playboy to Stephen, who was living in California at the time. Stephen found the prank hilarious and the two reconnected. They dated for five years before Stephen proposed to Beth in front of the fireplace at their home. "I wanted a classic, romantic winter wedding with all white flowers," says Beth. "We chose the Willard InterContinental Hotel as our venue because of its elegance and rich history, with incredible details everywhere you looked." To complement the white flower arrangements of tulips, roses, hydrangeas, delphiniums and ranunculus, Beth and Stephen chose a color scheme of champagne, blush, gold and ivory. With the help of Jeanette Tavares from EVOKE, they transformed the already opulent ballroom at the Willard InterContinental Hotel into a truly breathtaking spectacle. The hall was draped in billowy white linens and tables were arranged with an assortment of beautiful metallic linens from La Tavola. Crystal chandeliers and elegant gold candlesticks illuminated the dining area and the checkered dance floor. Beth and Stephen's decadent ballroom wedding was gorgeous with its ornate details and amazing venue.