As fate would have it, Jessica Wickizer and Chris Moeder met due to the hospitalization of Jessica’s friend’s father. Chris was a surgical intern at the time and was the father’s doctor. Jessica’s friends immediately fell in love with Chris’ “warm personality” and knew he would make a perfect match for their good friend, Jessica. A week later, after Chris agreed to go on a blind date, Jessica and Chris met for brunch at Taverna and instantly hit it off.

After a few years of dating, Chris decided it was time to ask Jessica to be his wife in their most romantic shared spot—their living room. The couple had planned to have a nice evening out, so Jessica did not flinch at Chris wearing a suit. After Jessica asked Chris to zip up her sweater, she turned around to Chris on one knee. “It was the perfect proposal,” Jessica says. “Just the two of us in the room where we had spent almost every evening together for the past few years.” To celebrate Jessica’s answer, the newly engaged couple went to Eddie V’s and indulged the most appropriate way possible—with champagne and Godiva chocolate cake.

Jessica and her mother-in-law, Marsha, named their wedding theme “sophisticated elegance.” On April 7, 2018, the florals that adorned nearly every square inch of the ceremony and reception space were inspired by the invitations. “I saw the watercolor floral painting on the inside of our invitations and fell in love,” Jessica says. As for the fairytale-like floral arch Jessica and Chris were married under, Jessica attributes all of the credit to Marsha.

After the ceremony, per suggestion from their wedding planners, Jessica and Chris organized a private moment to reflect on their new marriage. “With all the hustle and bustle of the day, it’s easy to get caught up in the theatrics of it all,” reflects the bride. The couple shared a drink and a few appetizers as they basked in their first moments as husband and wife.

To keep the party alive at the end of the night, late-night snacks were served to energize the guests on the dance floor. Jessica and Chris took this idea from their vendors at Arlington Hall and Food Glorious Food. “Once they mentioned the sliders and fries, we were sold,” Jessica says. Unfortunately, Chris and Jessica were so focused on dancing that they missed their late-night snacking opportunity.

Chris and Jessica’s elegant evening ended humbly, similar to the moment Chris had proposed in their living room. The newlyweds said goodbye to their family and friends and traveled to their hotel room, where two boxes of leftover burgers and fries sat, thanks to their wedding team, allowing the two to sit back and enjoy a delicious late-night snack as husband and wife.