// LIGHT IT UP
YOU CAN NEVER HAVE TOO MANY CANDLES! A WARM, ELEGANT AMBIENCE SUITS ANY SEASON— ESPECIALLY FALL.
You can never have too many candles! A warm, elegant ambience suits any season—especially fall.
Bride and groom Taryn Dorfman and David Vieweger knew the Mandarin Oriental, Washington DC (1330 Maryland Ave. SW, 202-554-8588; mandarin oriental.com) would be perfect for their dream fall wedding. “Obviously it’s beautiful, it’s elegant, but the biggest selling feature was the staff,” says Taryn. “Immediately the people make you feel special, and the service is incredible. Right away, I was like, ‘This is the place I want to welcome my family and friends to DC.’”
The couple turned to planner Tiffany Rivera of Simply Breathe Events (simplybreatheevents.com) and opted for a neutral palette with all-white flowers from Love Blooms (loveblooms here.com). Adding to the atmosphere in the hotel’s Oriental Ballroom, the head table, which accommodated the entire wedding party, was dappled with candlelight. “On that table were large crystal candelabras. I wanted it to be romantic and not have really tall centerpieces,” says Taryn. “We also kept the amber uplighting instead of bright colors.”
Adding to the glimmer, crystal resin Chiavari chairs with champagne shantung cushions picked up the candlelight throughout the ballroom. “The lighting, twinkling off the candles and the glass, gives you that feeling of warmth, especially in the fall,” says Hillary Hamm, associate director of catering sales for the hotel. “I think romance and elegance go hand in hand.”—C.C.