Oana & Roman chose a simply elegant palette of green & white for their St. Katherine’s Orthodox wedding, which was followed by a wedding reception at Restaurant 2941 in Falls Church, VA.

Wedding Invitation

Bride & Groom Getting Ready + Wedding Day Details

The wedding invitations from Minted featured lily of the valley, a favorite flower of Oana’s and delicate greenery.

Bridal Hairpiece Details

Custom Wooden Ring Box and other Wedding Day Details

Roman had an engagement ring specially designed for Oana.  The engagement ring features a diamond suspended between two sides of a coiled band full of channel set diamonds.

Custom Engagement Ring set in White Gold

Oana selected a couture Gemy Maalouf gown from Zoya’s Atelier, which she paired with a pair of white satin heels Sara Jessica Parker.

White Wedding Day Shoes with Bow by Sarah Jessica Parker

Hand Embroidered Romanian Wedding Veil

In addition to Oana’s traditional white veil, she also had an embroidered Romanian veil, which will come up again at the reception.

Wedding Dress Hanging in Bridal Suite

Wedding Bouquet in White and Green

Bridal Make-Up Application

Bride Getting Ready in Bridal Suite, Falls Church, VA

Wedding Dress on Hangar

Bride Getting Ready in Bridal Suite

The asymmetrical lace on this Gemy Maalouf dress made it feel so modern, yet kept the simple charm of a lace dress.

Mother of the Bride zipping the Wedding Dress

Wedding Day Perfume — Chance by Chanel

Black and White Bridal Portraits

Roman wore a custom Navy suit with a grey vest.

Groom Getting Ready for wedding at St. Katherine’s Orthodox Church

Groom Getting Ready for wedding at St. Katherine’s Orthodox Church

Groom Getting Ready for wedding at St. Katherine’s Orthodox Church

The box Roman used to propose to Oana featured a hand-painted motif painted by Oana’s father.

Hand Painted Wooden Engagement Ring Box

Wedding Ceremony at St. Katherine’s Greek Orthodox Church

St. Katherine’s Greek Orthodox Church in Falls Church features one of the most iconic interiors for any of the churches in northern Virginia.  The domed ceiling is covered in saints with gilded halos.

Ceiling of St. Katherine’s Greek Orthodox Church in Falls Church, VA

Wedding at St. Katherine’s in Falls Church, VA

Wedding at St. Katherine’s in Falls Church, VA

Wedding at St. Katherine’s in Falls Church, VA

Orthodox wedding ceremonies are steeped in tradition and symbolism.

Wedding at St. Katherine’s in Falls Church, VA

Wedding at St. Katherine’s in Falls Church, VA

One of the traditional elements of an orthodox wedding is the crowning ceremony.  The crowns, which are often referred to as Stefana are designed to symbolize the honor and glory being bestowed upon the bride and groom.  For more information on the crowning ceremony, you can read about it HERE.

Wedding at St. Katherine’s in Falls Church, VA

Wedding at St. Katherine’s in Falls Church, VA

Wedding at St. Katherine’s in Falls Church, VA

Wedding at St. Katherine’s in Falls Church, VA

Wedding Reception at 2941 Restaurant in Falls Church, VA

After the wedding ceremony at St. Katherine’s Orthodox Church, the couple and their guests headed over to Restaurant 2941 for portraits and the wedding reception.

While guests enjoyed cocktails on the patio, O & R joined me for portraits among the beautiful gardens at 2941 Restaurant.

It was a beautiful September wedding day and cocktail hour was held on the patio at Restaurant 2941.

The escort cards for the wedding reception featured the same lily of the valley motif as the invitations

For Oana & Roman, ensuring their guests enjoyed the food at their reception was a top priority, making Restaurant 2941 a top pick for their wedding reception.  The main dinning room was transformed into the perfect space for a wedding reception with centerpieces featuring white hydrangeas and greenery; gold chivari chairs; & white linens.

Restaurant 2941 has an in-house pastry chef and designed this classic all white wedding cake topped with flowers & greenery.

The Violinist and DJ Maxim worked together to create a beautiful ambiance.  Oana & Roman danced their first dance as the violinist roamed around the dance floor.

2941 Restaurant made for the perfect backdrop for the first dance with a mixed style of classic and modern.

Oana was then joined by her father for a father/daughter first dance.  Their dance was full of emotional candid moments.

Romanian Wedding Traditions

One of the Romanian traditions that Oana & Roman chose to do at their wedding was the show stealing.  Family members stole the bride’s shoe and then hid the bride away, asking a ransom for her return.  Since the groom had not brought a sufficient amount of cash to satisfy the pranksters, he was asked to dance for her instead.

The bride was returned, as was her shoe.

A quick break from dancing to cut the cake.

Another Romanian Wedding tradition, according to Romanian Insider, involves the god-mother removing the veil and instead tying a headscarf around the bride’s head symbolizing her transformation from a girl to a married woman.

Oana & Roman’s Northern Virginia Wedding Vendors:

Church: St. Katherine’s Greek Orthodox Church

Wedding Reception Venue: 2941 Restuarant

Wedding Photographer: Erin Tetterton Photography

Flowers: Le Chateau de Crystale

Dress: Zoya’s Atelier

HMUA: Asal Studio