A Sparkling Beginning
Megan Wright and Justin Kondos wanted their wedding to reflect their fun-loving personalities, and so it did—from a surprise fireworks display to whimsical hand-painted signs that welcomed guests during the April 2014 ceremony and reception at a Virginia resort.
THE COUPLE: Megan, 27, grew up in Potomac and graduated from Connelly School of the Holy Child in Potomac. Justin, 27, is originally from Odenton, Maryland, but lived in Yorkshire, England, and Alice Springs, Australia, during his childhood. Justin works as a technology consultant for Red Hat Inc. in Chevy Chase and Megan is a registered client service associate with UBS Financial Services Inc. in Washington, D.C. The couple lives in Bethesda.
THE WEDDING: The wedding and reception were held April 12, 2014, at Lansdowne Resort in Leesburg, Virginia.
WHERE THEY MET: The couple met and hit it off at a holiday party in Georgetown just before Christmas in 2010.
FIRST DATE: Their first date was on New Year’s Eve, a week after they met. Justin and his friends had purchased tickets for a party at the Madhatter Bar in Washington, D.C., and Justin invited Megan as his date. They danced and celebrated all night; the highlight for Megan was their first kiss after the countdown to midnight.
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THE PROPOSAL: Justin proposed during dinner in a private wine cellar on the Greek island of Santorini.
WEDDING THEME: The theme colors were light coral and champagne.
NUMBER OF GUESTS: 150
WHAT MADE THE EVENT SO SPECIAL: “We wrote the entire ceremony ourselves, and read our own vows,” Megan says. The couple’s harpist played a new, cheery version of “Over the Rainbow” for the bridal party processional and guests tossed flower petals as the couple left the ceremony. Megan surprised Justin by giving his nephew, the ring bearer, a cute sign to wear that proclaimed “Uncle Justin, here comes your girl!” as he walked down the aisle.
FAVORITE MOMENT: The couple surprised their guests with a fireworks display—no one else knew it was planned except Megan’s parents. “The fireworks blew all our guests away. We introduced the bridal party at the end of the cocktail hour, which was held outside on the terrace, while our guests waved sparklers. All our friends and family thought sparklers were the ‘big surprise’ for our entrance,” Megan says. “But we actually had a fireworks technician waiting out on the golf course grounds. Once we made it through the sparkler tunnel, we shared a kiss, which cued the amazing fireworks. It was a fairy-tale ending to the ceremony and cocktail hour, and a perfect way to kick off the reception.”
COST-CUTTING TIPS: Wedding decorations included handmade items purchased from small shops on the website Etsy. Hand-painted wooden signs directed guests to the ceremony, which added to the personalized feel of the wedding.
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SOMETHING TO LAUGH ABOUT: Though the couple had taken a few ballroom dance classes before the wedding, Megan froze and forgot most of the steps during their dance. Justin managed to cover for her before anyone noticed.
GOWN: Megan wore a strapless, floating tulip-and-rose lace ball gown from Vera Wang that she bought at The Bridal Salon at Saks Jandel in Chevy Chase.
PHOTOGRAPHY: Justine Ungaro Photography
THE HONEYMOON: Bora Bora Pearl Beach Resort & Spa, Bora Bora
THE DETAILS: Flowers were provided by Nosegay in Washington, D.C.; catering, Lansdowne Banquet Services; the cake, Cakes Plus in Laurel; wedding day coordination, Natalie Seng, Designed Perfectly Events; invitations, Precious Invitations; programs, ECR Designs; hair and makeup, Stylist to Go; rentals, Superlative Events and DC Rentals; and music, Doug Segree, Dan Huynh from Premier DJ Services, and harpist Melissa Tardiff Dvorak.
All photos by Justine Ungaro Photography.
