So happy to be here!

Hello EAD readers! My name is Nole, and a little over six months ago I was lucky enough to marry my husband on a sunny afternoon over the Memorial Day weekend at an historic manor just outside Washington, DC. I am so excited to be guest blogging this week on EAD, and to share with you some of the inspiration and planning behind our little garden wedding.

Before we get into the posts, I thought I’d tell you a bit more about us and our wedding!

My husband and I met in graduate school while studying international affairs back in 2005. We’re both complete policy wonks with a shared desire to learn and experience as much in the world as possible. Together we’ve traveled to Egypt and Peru, and separately we’ve traveled to several countries in Europe and Africa. Our shared love of all things international was a large part of the inspiration behind our wedding, from our invitations to the dinner menu. I also have a love for all things paper (particularly letterpress) and run a blog called (Oh So) Beautiful Paper dedicated to showcasing beautiful paper goods and design – from wedding invitations to note cards to calendars.

So a little bit about our wedding. From the very beginning, my husband and I planned our wedding like an extended dinner party with family and friends. We kept vendors to a minimum, did as much DIY as possible, and defined our priorities way ahead of time and the concentrated the majority of our budget on those priorities. We wanted to keep things personal, super-informal, and with a sense of movement throughout the afternoon and evening. And most of all, we just wanted everyone to relax, have fun, and enjoy each others company…

That’s just a small teaser — I’ll be back soon with more details from our wedding!

{all photos by Punam Bean}