Daniel McGarrity Photography

It’s always that conversation that you remember, the one where there was always something else to say. When every single thing the other person said had some tone of familiarity to it and you couldn’t wait to hear, and share, more. The surroundings, in this case the second of the  Clinton Inaugurations Balls,  sort of fade away and all you can ever tell years later is how great it was to be around that person. Eventually pulled back to their companions they exchanged numbers.

We know how it works from there; we tell our friends and co-workers of the handsome new person, so full of passion and fire, and how we wouldn’t have moved from the conversation if wild horses had tried to pull us apart. Wayne let Andrew call first,  five days of chatting up the lovely man to all those around him, so that when the phone rang in the office, surreptitious glances and giggles filled the air. Better to meet in person for a coffee.

February in Washington D.C. can be a cold month, and coats need to be closed, or so Wayne is always told, a gallant Andrew wrapped Wayne in his scarf to ward off the chill. For those who own dogs or cats, that first meeting is always another time to hold the breath, Wayne’s Cocker Spaniel Tipper was to be the next test. Andrew, as many passionate people will relate, are animal lovers, that animal within always enjoys the animals around, suffice it to say, Tipper was as charmed as Wayne, and the wheels were set in motion.

Fast forward to Paris in 2009,  with the ring in his pocket, Andrew looked for the perfect place to put it on Wayne’s finger. Paris, most would admit, is a pretty perfect place to propose marriage to anyone, but always an attention to detail, albeit already on bended knee,  prompted the change in venue from in front of Arc de Triompe, a monument to war, to a little further down the Champs-Ellysees. Why begin a life together in front of a monument to war, when you have so much more to choose in the City of Lights.

So now we have a wedding to plan, timed in conjunction with the Cherry Blossom Festival, and in memory of Andrew’s time in Japan, a ceremony in the Meridian Hill Park in Northwest DC, and a reception at Meridian House, brought together family and friends from around the city and globe to celebrate the simplest of things, never wanting the other person to stop talking to us.

Please enjoy their images.

Many thanks to Jessica Patterson for making this event so perfect.