“However, because we were on opposite schedules, we never saw each other, despite individually becoming close with the rest of the group,” Alli remembers. They finally spent some time together during junior year and saw sparks fly -- right before leaving to study abroad that spring. Alli went to Adelaide, Australia and Greg traveled to Cairo, Egypt, where he ended up being evacuated and sent to Rome instead because of the Arab Spring protests. “We began dating at the start of our senior year in 2011 as soon as we were both back in the country.”

Fast forward eight years to September 2, 2017: Alli and Greg’s wedding day when the happy couple and their guests experienced a full Catholic wedding mass at St. Peter’s of Capitol Hill, followed by the reception at The Dupont Circle.

They got the party started quickly, with a ballroom surprise inspired by a ‘90s one-hit wonder. “Our entrance was unforgettable! After moving all the guests into The Dupont Circle Ballroom, the band started the beat of the Proclaimers’ ‘I’m Gonna Be (500 Miles)’ as they introduced the wedding party, who lined the dance floor in the center of the room,” Alli recalls. “When Greg and I were announced, he pushed off and I hopped onto the back of his bike for a shaky ride into the room and onto the dance floor! After successfully navigating the entry, we passed off the bike to the Best Man and began our first dance. The band sang revised lyrics -- ‘I would bike 500 miles/ And I would bike 500 more..’ -- as we danced. About a minute into the song, our wedding party joined us as a chorus line, complete with high kicks and hand rolls. All of our guests were smiling and energized as we did our final ‘da da DA da’ before sitting down to the first course.”

Alli and Greg stayed in high spirits throughout the evening, enjoying all that The Dupont Circle team pulled off to make their wedding day perfect.

“It was the perfect mix of location, simple elegance and superb service. We knew we wanted a full-service wedding since we’d be out of the country until just weeks before the big day, but didn’t want a generic hotel venue that would have to be jazzed up with lighting, pipe-and-drapes and lots of decorations. The Dupont Circle had the perfect character for us, from the subtle lilac, zebra-print carpet to the elegant chandeliers and mercury glass mirrors. David Houde impressed us from our first meeting, making us feel like we were his only clients and customizing everything to our tastes. Greg’s family would all be coming from out of town, so we loved the option of renting out Level Nine to give them an unforgettable experience in D.C.!”

In fact, Alli adds, their big day felt like a dream.

“The Dupont Circle succeeded in giving us the wedding of our dreams. The hotel’s simple elegance, boutique approach to events and stellar service made the wedding planning process a breeze. David was a joy to work with! We couldn’t have wished for anything better for our wedding.”

Get to know the happy couple

Hometown: Alli is from Ft. Washington, MD and Greg hails from Summit, NJ. They currently live in Capitol Hill.

Occupation: Greg just started work as a Bikeshare Planner contracting with local counties for Capital Bikeshare expansion, and Alli works in fundraising with the Smithsonian Institution Office of Advancement while moonlighting as a Birthday Safari Guide at the zoo on weekends.

Fun fact: Alli wore her grandmother’s wedding dress from 1957 for the ceremony, which was lovingly restored and restyled by her mother. "The timing could not have been more perfect, as we were married within two weeks of both our 6-year dating anniversary and Alli’s grandparents’ 60th wedding anniversary. We honored their love and commitment with a surprise cake on the dance floor after an anniversary dance."

Alli + Greg’s wedding dream team:

Ceremony dress: Custom design by the bride’s mother, Christine Feddersen, using the bride’s grandmother’s dress from her wedding in 1957
Reception dress: Adrianna Papell
Photographers: Napoleon and Thomas from Roman Grinev Photography
Flowers: All in the Details Floral Design
Band: In Full
Cake: Rare Sweets
Makeup: Ida B. Slaughter
Hair: Markella Prather

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