A Christmas Market-Themed Wedding in Washington, D.C.

Chandler and Dan credit Hinge for bringing them together back in 2016. They made their relationship official a year later after sharing their first date in Arlington, Virginia. By the fall of 2022, Dan was ready to propose (in Amsterdam!). “I was raised in Wassenaar, the Netherlands, so Dan took me back for the proposal,” Chandler says. The couple first held an intimate wedding ceremony at St. Peter’s Church on Capitol Hill, the church Chandler was confirmed in, before holding a second ceremony and reception at a social club in Washington, D.C. They invited 120 guests to join them for their “Christmassy, not Christmas”-themed wedding on December 9, 2023.

Inspired by the Chanel Fall/Winter fashion show from 2018, Chandler and Dan worked with Francesca (Francie) Leme from Lauryn Prattes Events, who pulled off their vision of a winter holiday party in the forest. “I didn’t want to see any white—I wanted it dark and moody,” Chandler says. “We really leaned into a Baroque-inspired, regal, and Dutch Masters influence, with a color palette of crimson, burgundy, hunter, black, and gold.”

The couple had a ballroom ceremony followed by a cocktail hour complete with an escort display modeled after the outdoor holiday markets shoppers meander through in Europe. Read on to see all the ways the couple incorporated nods to the bride’s childhood memories in Holland, their shared love of art, and the Christmas spirit into their wedding design in these photos by Abby Jiu Photography.

Chandler and Dan’s wedding invitations set the tone for their moody holiday celebration. The bride’s favorite artist is Rembrandt, so they incorporated one of his paintings—that is displayed at the Rijksmuseum in Amsterdam—into the paper design. They added a lion motif to their welcome party invitation as a representation of the Netherlands (it’s the country’s animal); the floral motif on the suite was pulled from a tablecloth pattern the couple saw in Amsterdam. The border design, on the other hand, was modeled from the ornate architecture of the venue’s ballroom, where their ceremony would take place.

The day before the wedding, the couple hosted a welcome party. “This was where the Christmassy part really came in,” Chandler says. “Francie found fun little gingerbread men and bows to go on the cocktails, which were such a big hit.” They served Dutch 75 sips—a twist on French 75s, the bride’s favorite. They also offered the “Channy Found Her Manny” which was a twist on a Manhattan, and a a “White Christmas Chantini,” an eggnog -based signature cocktail.

Chandler wore the wedding dress she wore to her church ceremony (pictured above), which was a Rebecca Vallance gown with a square neckline, long sleeves, and bow detail.

On Saturday, Chandler stepped into a tulle and silk Vera Wang ball gown with a tiered skirt and subtle floral pattern. She flew to the Netherlands to go dress shopping with her maid of honor; she chose the dress in March 2023 and flew back to get it in July. “I had completely forgotten how large this dress was, so my husband and I had to run around Amsterdam trying to find a suitcase large enough to put it in,” Chandler remembers. “Looking back, it makes me laugh, but in the moment it’s safe to say that I was not laughing.”

She accessorized with tulle gloves, a ruffled Voir Bride veil, and her mother’s diamond ring and Tiffany earrings, which were a gift from her dad.

Chandler doesn’t wear a lot of makeup and usually wears her hair down, so she went with a natural beauty look that was closest to her everyday style; she held a vibrant bouquet of moody red florals with pops of mauve.

Chandler’s maid of honor, Sarah, borrowed her favorite vintage Halston dress; the rest of her bridesmaids chose black, floor-length, sleeveless gowns (and her bridesman opted for a classic tuxedo). All attendants held held petite versions of Chandler’s bouquet.

Dan wore a custom cashmere tuxedo paired with an Hermés tie and a dark floral boutonnière; he spritzed on some L’Homme by Yves Saint Laurent as the finishing touch. Groomsmen matched him in tuxedos to fit the event’s black-tie dress code.

Chandler and Dan shared a first look before the wedding ceremony began. “We thought it would be fun and a moment for us to be together and alone,” Chandler says.

For the ceremony, a Christmas forest was replicated inside an ornate ballroom; the aisle was decorated with lush greenery, vibrant red florals, and black and gold chairs. Two 15-foot trees with crimson blooms were brought into the space to frame the couple during their vow exchange. “We opted to enhance the venue’s red curtains instead of competing with them,” says Francie.

A string quartet handled the ceremony’s score, which started with “One More Light” by Linkin Park for the wedding party’s processional. Chandler later walked down the aisle with her dad to “Nuvole Bianche” by Ludovico Einaudi. After a short and sweet service and a kiss, they joyfully recessed back up the aisle as husband and wife.

Chandler and Dan opted to extend their cocktail hour. “This is the most fun part of the wedding!” Chandler says. “The ceremony is over and you have time to be with the people that came to celebrate you. We wanted this to last as long as possible.”

The bar was decorated with the floral motif seen in the couple’s invitation suite and trailing installations of red flowers and greenery. They served “Old Man Dan” cocktails (which were old fashioneds), vodka martinis, and Dutch 75s.

During the interlude, guests enjoyed the venue’s famous popovers and mushroom tart appetizers, while a DJ with a live saxophonist provided entertainment. “Francie suggested a Christmas market for our cocktail hour, which was my favorite part of the holidays growing up,” Chandler says. “She had it built and had ‘Happy Holidays’ written on top in Dutch.” Guests sipped on hot cocoa in custom cups (that matched the bar!) and found their tables for dinner on escort tags tied to miniature Christmas-themed houses and ornaments.

The ornate ballroom was transformed to create the dramatic, moody aesthetic Chandler envisioned. Round guest tables were topped with textured linens in a deep crimson shade to play off the room’s curtains; the head table was placed in the center of the space and stood out thanks to a sequined floral linen and oversized red centerpieces that spanned its length.

Centerpieces were composed of large berry and amaryllis flowers and displayed on gold pedestals. Taper candles in varying shades of red were placed in gold holders adorned with satin bows.

Crocodile patterned chargers in red at the head table and green at the guest tables were paired with white and gold ornate dinner plates, gold cutlery, and gold rimmed glassware. Each place setting had a custom folio menu inspired by Chandler and Dan’s invitation suite.

Chandler and Dan’s wedding cake was inspired by a still life painting by Dutch painter Jan Davidz de Heem. The tiered confection incorporated dark hues with both a vibrant painted flower design and fresh floral embellishments for a 3D effect. They chose strawberry shortcake and Cookie Monster flavors.

The couple’s guests watched on as the newlyweds shared their first dance to “Every Breaking Wave” by U2. Dan and his mom swayed to “Sunshine On My Shoulders” by John Denver and Chandler shared a dance with her dad to “Daddy’s Angel” by Tony Carter.

For the dancing portion of the evening, the ballroom was flooded in red uplighting; guests were on their feet all night long, until the reception’s end. At that point, Chandler and Dan headed to Mission Dupont with their wedding party for an after-party. “When we first started talking back in 2016, I was texting him from Mission Dupont,” Chandler says. The couple made sure to grab a photo in their wedding attire at the very same table where that text conversation took place.