Wedding at The Lodge at St. Edward Park

wedding

9/25/26

Maya and Joe’s wedding at The Lodge at St. Edward Park was basically what happens when a Smithsonian girl with incredible taste gets married and refuses to make a single boring design choice. Deep red florals, sculptural arrangements, fruit-covered tables, multiple bridal looks, mariachi, and a little paparazzi moment by the end of the night. It felt part museum exhibit, part fashion editorial, and still completely like a wedding where everyone was there to have a good time.

Maya originally found me on Instagram, and when we hopped on Zoom, we immediately connected over our cats. Very serious wedding business. She and Joe had been set up by friends in San Diego, and Joe later proposed in Paris, which makes perfect sense once you see these two. Of course the couple with impeccable style and a wedding that looks like this got engaged in Paris.

There was also a lot more intention behind this day than simply making it look good. Maya works at the Smithsonian and supports women in history, so having an all-female vendor team was really important to her. As a woman in the wedding industry, getting to be part of that team was pretty damn cool.

An Artful Wedding at The Lodge at St. Edward Park

The Lodge provided the exact backdrop this wedding needed. Its historic architecture brought in that old-world element without requiring them to turn the wedding into a theme, while the lawn gave them plenty of space to do something completely different with the ceremony and reception design.

And yes, late May decided to be hot. Thankfully, the sunshine looked incredible, the ceremony was beautiful, and the umbrellas for guests ended up being both practical and ridiculously cute. Sometimes the weather gives you lemons. Sometimes it gives you great light and an excuse to accessorize.

Maya is a fashion girl, and there was absolutely no chance she was going to show up in something forgettable. Her ceremony gown had a structured corset, dramatic off-the-shoulder neckline, and a full skirt. She paired it with pearls and a bow veil, keeping everything classic without playing it safe.

And one dress was obviously not enough. She changed looks throughout the night, including a sleek sequined reception skirt paired with her corset. Each outfit felt different, but they all still felt very Maya. By the time the sunglasses came out, and she and Joe were dodging the camera like we were waiting outside a Paris nightclub, we had officially entered their paparazzi era. Naturally, I supported it.

The wedding design had that same sense of personality. The florals were dramatic, with deep burgundy, rust, red, cream, and greenery arranged in these sculptural shapes. The tables brought in pears, grapes, pomegranates, and dark plums alongside delicate floral arrangements and vintage-inspired paper details.

It had a little bit of that Dutch still-life feeling—rich colors, fruit, flowers, interesting shapes—but translated into a modern wedding. Every detail contributed to the overall look. Everything felt curated. It was sophisticated.

First look in front of The Lodge at St. Edward Park

Mariachi, Family, and a Very Good Party

As much as I could talk about Maya’s outfits and those tables for an unreasonable amount of time, some of my favorite parts of this wedding had nothing to do with the design.

During his speech, Maya’s dad surprised her by singing with his friends. Then Maya got to return the favor.

Maya is Mexican, and she had secretly arranged for a mariachi band to come out for their father-daughter dance. Watching her surprise her dad with something so connected to their family and culture was easily one of the sweetest parts of the day.

Maya and Joe cared about the details, but not more than the people. They could have a beautifully styled reception and then go screw around in the photo booth. Maya could wear a seriously incredible gown and still spend half their portraits laughing with Joe. The day could feel editorial without requiring everyone to stand around looking serious for the sake of a photo.

That’s always where I think the best wedding galleries land. Give me the fashion. Give me the wild florals and ridiculously good tables. Absolutely give me multiple outfit changes. But also give me Dad singing during his speech, the surprise mariachi band, friends losing it during the reception, and the two of you laughing so hard you forget I’m standing there with a camera.

Maya and Joe somehow packed all of that into one very hot, very stylish May wedding at The Lodge at St. Edward Park.