Allura and James’ Morrison House wedding was a day that perfectly told their story and showed their personalities. The couple booked H&L on November 30, 2023 and had high hopes for getting married on their ideal date, April 20, 2024. They were referred by another happy wedding customer and said “once we met Maya, we knew she was the one we wanted to work with!” They met at Penn State at a social for students in their major and officially took notice of each other when we played each other in beer pong. They got married a few days after their 10 year dating anniversary!
From the get-go they were a delightful couple to work with – calm, down-to-earth, decisive, and very appreciative. They are also Maya’s neighbors – they bought the house she and her family rented from 2015-2018! It is clear they love being goofy and quirky together, which shines through when they are together. Fun Fact: Maya had no idea Allura was so emotional and sentimental – to say she cried a lot on her wedding day is an understatement!
About their wedding day
It was important for Allura and James to curate a guest experience that highlighted their favorite aspects of our hometown of Alexandria with intentional, impactful personalized touches that were true to them! They really wanted to showcase their beautiful life they are building in Old Town Alexandria (they recently bought a house). So they chose to do everything related to Old Town. The rehearsal dinner was at Mia’s with the ceremony and reception at Morrison House. We brought in Goodies Custard, a local custard and sweet shop, that they love to provide the dessert – custard and ice cream sandwiches.
They knew they wanted to have the wedding locally in Old Town Alexandria because they wanted to share their home with their many friends and family who were traveling for the wedding. Morrison House in particular was the perfect space for all of the wedding events. Perfectly situated off King St, and it was the most comfortable option . Allura said “having it at a hotel made it feel like a really special sleepover with all of our favorite people!”
To highlight Allura’s Chinese heritage, they had a Chinese tea ceremony. They shared with us later that the Chinese tea ceremony was the most heartfelt part of the weekend. There were a lot of happy tears as they were officially welcomed into each other’s families and becoming a unified family.
From a design perspective, their aesthetic was classic, timeless, and romantic. They opted for full florals in white and pink hues, gold accents, and candlelight. One of our favorite parts of this day was they had Typewriter Poets onsite to write poems for guests!
How they chose their wedding attire is also so fun and unique:
Allura knew she wanted an A line silhouette so that she could eat and dance, but was open to styling. She purchased the dress at Ellie’s Bridal Boutique at their November sample sale! She actually bought the first dress she tried on and had a wonderful experience from initial purchase to her final fitting. Getting a dress on sale allowed her to splurge on what she really wanted— white satin Jimmy Choo Romy 100’s. Allura insisted on buying James a custom shirt and suit! She got a ring, so it was only fair that he receive a wearable gift that he can enjoy and use for years to come! They had passed Dash’s shop on King Street for years, so it felt like the perfect place to buy a suit for their Old Town wedding!
We absolutely loved planning this Morrison House wedding! Thank you to Allura for this kind review!
We were originally referred to Honey and Lavender Events by a happy wedding customer and we heartily recommend Maya’s team to you!
On a day as singular and significant as your wedding, you don’t want to just hope your vision comes to life or leave anything to chance. Honey and Lavender Events was our perfect partner in all aspects of our wedding journey.
We opted for the full service planning package and couldn’t be happier with our experience. It was a true partnership between us and Maya’s team— she was always game to incorporate our fanciful ideas (and usually already had a few ideas of vendors who could execute them!). The end result was a day to remember (for all the right reasons!) and a celebration that was unmistakably ours.
It’s worth noting that we experienced 0 stress in the final week leading up to the wedding. Maya was instrumental in assembling a dream team of vendors who were masters at their craft that we knew we could count on. Her thorough, thoughtful approach throughout the planning process inspired our utmost confidence and allowed us to fully enjoy the big day with our guests.
Even though we don’t plan to celebrate another wedding, we won’t hesitate to entrust Maya and her team with our family’s most treasured occasions moving forward.
Need help with your planning? Contact us today!
Vendor Team:
Planning: Honey & Lavender Events
Photography: Ivy and Quartz Photography
Florals: House of Jeanne Flowers
Venue and Catering: Morrison House
Desserts: Goodies Frozen Custard
Ceremony Music: Bialek’s Music
Band: Irresponsible
Typewriter Poetry: Typewriter Poets
Favors: Baked by Braegs
Officiant: Wedding Ceremonies By Jeff
Hair and Makeup: Modern Bridal Studio
Rehearsal Dinner: Mia’s Italian Kitchen
Getaway Car: Rolls Wedding Limos
Bride’s Dress: Ellie’s Bridal Boutique
Groom’s Suit: Dash’s of Old Town
Cocktail Napkins: And So Illustrations
Stationery: Minted
