Their love story as told by Julia:

Zach and I met almost 7 1/2 years ago, volunteering for one of our University’s mission trips. Deciding to give up our spring break, we hopped on a plane with 20 other students we’d never met and headed to New Orleans to build houses with Habitat for Humanity. Fate would have it that Zach and I were assigned seats next to each other on the plane. We dated throughout college, studied abroad in Rome, Italy, moved to Florida for our first jobs and then finally settled in Washington, D.C.

Zach proposed on the most beautiful day in April. Tricking me into thinking he was taking me to a concert, we took a stroll past our favorite hideaway in D.C. — the Spanish Steps! They’re a small replica of the ones in Italy and it always reminds us of our time abroad. Zach reached into his backpack and grabbed out some homemade beignets. Yes… he got his hands on a Cafe du Monde beignet recipe to remind me of when we first met in New Orleans. This is the point I realized he was planning to propose! After he got down on one knee, I realized two of our best friends were hiding taking photos and waiting with champagne. It was the perfect treat to an already perfect proposal. Not to mention he still took me to the concert later that night.

There’s so much that I love about Zach, but mostly I love his generous, passionate and kind heart. He’s the type of person who stops to buy a homeless man a soda or pickup a friend when they’re down. He can be shy at first, taking it all in, but he has the best sense of humor (and can tell puns for days). Zach has always supported me no matter what. I’m so grateful that I’ve found my adventure buddy to explore the world and share my life with!

Ceremony Venue | St. Mary’s Annapolis

Reception Venue | London Town & Gardens

Dress | Pronovias

Florals | Sweet Root Village

Planning | Soiree by Souleret

Makeup | Makeup by Kevan

Hair | Makeup by Ana B

Band | Bachelor Boys Band

Cake | Kirsten’s Cakery

Catering | Zeffert & Gold

Invitations | Minted

Rentals + Lighting | Party Plus

Videographer | D.P. Weddings

Bridesmaid Dresses | Hayley Paige

Groomsmen Attire | Generation Tux