Mary + Kyle
December 28, 2019
How they met
In May 2016 Mary graduated from JMU and moved to Northern Virginia for her first job. Kyle lived close by in D.C. The two met through mutual friends and decided to go on a date. Mary says “The food was awful but the company couldn’t have been better. We didn’t want the date to end! We went to the National Harbor, rode the ferris wheel, and had our first kiss. We’ve been inseparable ever since!”
The proposal
Kyle proposed to Mary in Topsail Beach in front of their friends and Mary’s sister on Memorial Day Weekend in 2018. Since Kyle joined the military soon after they met, the couple had been separated many times over the years and they both knew they could make it through anything, together! “He entered his first deployment with a fiancee and we just finished his second deployment as husband and wife!”
The wedding day
“We chose Dec. 28th because Kyle is in the Marine Corps and it is a guaranteed time frame that the military has time off. It turned out to be the best decision we ever made! Honestly, I can’t think of anything better than the Cathedral and the Jefferson Hotel at Christmas time!” Their classic and timeless wedding theme was consistent throughout the entire day. There was a traditional Catholic ceremony, followed by a reception at the beautiful and historic Jefferson Hotel. This venue has been a special place to Mary’s family all her life. She even remembers running the halls as a kid to visit her Aunt Kate that worked there. She recalls, “Going to the Jefferson was like going to Paris!”
Regarding their meal, Mary says, “Of course the food was spectacular as always. The Jefferson never misses a beat when it comes to good. Another theme for the wedding is that I wanted people to feel like they were a part of our families.” The cake was a holiday inspired spice cake with cinnamon brown sugar filling and buttercream icing but the sweets didn’t stop there! There was also a churro bar with fudge, ice cream, and the works!
Wow factor
“What we really wanted to wow our guests with was actually just having an overwhelming feeling of love. My father really captured the guests with his speech.” Also, after the father/daughter dance they surprised their guests with a family dance to You’ll Be In My Heart. There was a lot of crying and hugging but it was a lot of love. Halfway through, Mary’s father got Kyle and his family to join along. “This was what wow’ed the guests and there wasn’t a dry eye in the room. Honestly, this is what I wanted. I wanted it to just feel and be authentic and I think it was.”
Best piece of advice
“The best piece of advice is to relax and enjoy. Life is imperfect. 9 times out of 10 something will go wrong and the day will still be perfect. Sometimes the unplanned moments are the best moments of all! Focus on love and remain authentic and true to who you both are.” And Mary would like to thank her youngest brother John Saxman who was by her side on their wedding day. “I couldn’t have gotten through the day without him and I don’t think he knows how much he truly made my day perfect!”
