A Gourd-gous Waterfront Wedding With Trivia and Fortuneteller Place Cards

Rebecca Dalton and Zach Gonnsen met at a Halloween party, and basically married at one, too. (No, their guests did not come in costume, but pumpkins of all shapes and hues were a fixture at the elegant Oaks Waterfront Inn wedding, which took place October 20, 2018.)

It was Halloween 2014: She was the Golden Snitch, he was Pac-Man. A zealous friend had decided these two were a couple in the making, so when Rebecca, who was new in town, threw a costumed housewarming party, her friend insisted that Zach come along, too. Introductions were made, intrigue developed, and a week later the attorney and systems engineer went on their first date, where they quickly bonded over a love of alt-rock, among other things.

Three years later, the pair traveled to Seattle to meet Zach’s niece. A day trip to San Juan Island resulted in more than just good views — Zach had a ring! Upon their return to Washington, D.C., the newly engaged Rebecca toured virtually every waterfront venue within two hours of the city., ultimately selecting the Oaks Waterfront Inn because of its stunning setting. The couple also liked the idea of having their families and bridal party able to stay in one spot for the whole weekend.

Rebecca found her dress at a bridal shop in Phoenix, with her dad serving as her wingman. She chose a cap sleeve gown by Madison James, which, ultimately, made her feel “the most like a bride.” To complete her look, Rebecca wore her grandmother’s turquoise ring, an heirloom piece passed to every female cousin before her wedding.

Zach and Rebecca both love fall, and they picked a color palette to match: red for bridesmaid dresses and orange and white as complimentary colors. Their florist bought 54 live pumpkins to serve as centerpieces, and Rebecca and her mom raided their holiday stash to complete the look, adding more than 30 ceramic, woven, and velvet gourds.

If Jack-O-Lanterns were a motif, games were a secondary theme. Rebecca, Zach, and his sister spent an entire afternoon folding 150 fortunetellers, which they used as reception place cards. The fortunetellers contained fun facts about the couple, like their favorite food (frozen pizza) and their first vacation (the Finger Lakes). They had lawn games aplenty for cocktail hour entertainment, but the real contest was their reception trivia game, which pit table against table, with the winners receiving mini bottles of Champagne.

Another crowd favorite was the couple’s handpicked playlist, which featured alt-rock anthems like “Ocean Avenue” by Yellowcard, “Fat Lip” by Sum 41, and “Sweetness” by Jimmy Eat World.

Besides a traditional wedding cake, Rebecca and Zach had a cookie table, loaded with homemade treats from their families, including snickerdoodles, ginger snaps, and (of course!) candy corn cookies.

BRIDE'S GOWN Madison James HAIR & MAKEUP Beautiful Discovery Salon JEWELRY Givenchy, Pure Rain Designs, and Swarovski SHOES David Tate BRIDESMAID DRESSES JJ's House FLORALS Sweetbay Flowers INVITATIONS Basic Invite MUSIC C&J Entertainment PHOTOGRAPHY Laura's Focus Photography VENUE The Oaks Waterfront Inn VIDEOGRAPHY A Treasured Wedding RINGS Mervis