Welcome Dinner

Paebaek

Wedding Day

Saint Dominic Church

Ceremony

Rose's Luxury

Reception

Our Wedding

It all began on September 16th, when a cute guy texted me to ask if I was free for dinner at our college cafeteria. I almost had to turn him down — I already had dinner plans — but fate had other ideas. The restaurant I’d booked accidentally overbooked and canceled my reservation. So instead, I said yes. That evening, we talked for hours over dinner, completely lost in conversation. From that fateful night on, we’ve been inseparable. Even with COVID restrictions that fall, love found its way. In the autumn of 2020, amid uncertainty and distance, we found something certain — each other. After graduating from the CIA, we spent a few years navigating long distance, making the most of FaceTime dinners and virtual date nights. The miles between us only made our connection stronger — and our love deeper. In 2023, TJ moved to Virginia, and we finally began the next chapter side by side. From a simple campus dinner to a life full of shared meals, laughter, and late-night takeout runs, our journey has been the sweetest recipe. We can’t wait to continue writing our story together — and we’re so excited to celebrate it with you!

Our Story

Photos

Caitlyn McDaniel

Briana Hollberg

Heather McDaniel

Jade Warner

Stephen Warner

River James McDaniel

Rhodes Fisher McDaniel

Stevie Warner

Cara Larkin

Tim Larkin

Wedding Party

What Is Black-Tie Attire? Simple Guide

25 Black-Tie Dresses to Shop Right Now

Read These Tips Before Renting a Tux

Guests are kindly requested to wear black-colored, black tie attire. Please wear formal wear as close to black as possible, if not black. Please no light colors (white, cream, beige) with the exception of men’s tux/suit shirts. Thank you!

Dress Code

Getting here

Airport Information 

Ronald Reagan National Airport (DCA) is the closest airport to the hotel/venues!

Arrival 

We kindly ask guests to plan to arrive on Saturday, October 31st, in the morning so you can join us for all of the wedding festivities! The rehearsal dinner is tentatively scheduled for 5:00 PM, followed by the Korean Ceremony, and we would be so honored to have everyone there in attendance. If you need help planning travel, please contact either Cathleen or TJ. Our numbers are listed below. Cathleen: (571) 269-7348TJ: (603) 965-5220

Departure

The wedding festivities end late 11/01. Please feel free to stay as long or as little thereafter as you would like. TJ and Cathleen will be departing for their mini-moon in the afternoon of 11/02. We will stop by the Hyatt hotel to hopefully say goodbye to everyone beforehand!

Accommodations

Please book your room by 10/01. We have 12 rooms available (more if needed). Each room is a double with two queens, so feel free to share if you would like! We have chosen this specific hotel due to the proximity to the ceremony location (2 min walking distance). This hotel also provides free breakfast and Wi-Fi! The rate is a discounted rate. Please book using the booking code above. Thank you!

Hyatt Place Washington DC/National Mall

Travel

A short walk from the Hyatt Place (about 10 minutes), the Smithsonian’s National Air and Space Museum offers fascinating exhibits on aviation and spaceflight. Admission is free, but timed-entry passes are required—reserve them online in advance. The museum is family-friendly and wheelchair accessible; check the website for current hours and special exhibits.

Smithsonian's National Air and Space Museum

A cluster of Smithsonian museums is just 10–20 minutes from the hotel. The closest include the National Museum of the American Indian, the Freer Sackler (Asian art), and the National Museum of African Art—each free to enter and with pleasant cafés. The National Museum of Natural History is the farthest of the group but still within easy reach; all are accessible by walking or metro.

Smithsonian National Museum of Natural History

Beautiful indoor and outdoor gardens! Free admission and only a 10-minute walk from the hotel.

United States Botanic Garden

Things to Do

Registry

History of the Paebaek Ceremony

The Tea Ceremony of the Korean Traditional Marriage Paebaek is a ceremony steeped in Korean tradition where the groom’s family formally accepts the bride into their home. Historically in Korea, the bride would move in with her in-laws; the ceremony symbolized the bride's paying respects to the groom’s family. Modern versions of the paebaek have given equal footing to the bride’s parents, fully including them in the ceremony historically only reserved for the groom’s parents and the couple. Recently, the ceremony is often performed alongside a traditional Western wedding.

What happens during a Paebaek Ceremony?

First, the couple will bow to both sets of parents. Next, they will serve ceremonial tea to the parents; after drinking, the parents will offer words of wisdom, marriage advice, and blessings. The couple will also bow to immediate family elders (in our case, Cathleen’s married siblings and a Korean aunt and uncle). Finally, the parents will toss jujubes and chestnuts into a ceremonial cloth held by the couple, symbolizing the number and gender of future children—chestnuts for daughters and jujubes (dates) for sons. During this ritual the couple will each hold a single jujube in their mouth and bite it in half; whoever finds the seed in their bite is said to "hold the power" in the relationship. We hope you can join us for this meaningful ceremony during the rehearsal dinner and maybe learn something new about Korean culture.

Cathleen & TJ

Cathleen & TJ

Dress Code

BLACK TIE

Ideas & Advice