Suzanne and Stephen have known each other for more than 20 years.
They met through the same circle of friends in middle and high school. Stephen drove Suzanne to school. Suzanne drove Stephen crazy. His best friend dated her best friend and somewhere along the way, Suzanne and Stephen became confidants.
They dated in college, then went their separate ways. Nearly a decade later, they found their way back to each other.
Their first date the second time around was in Old Town Alexandria. They jokingly called it “re-dating.”
From there, Alexandria kept showing up in their story. There was a date along the Potomac, a kiss at the top of Captain’s Row, and later, a proposal in a tucked-away gazebo garden. They eventually moved into a historic 1875 home in Alexandria.
By then, Alexandria was already such a big part of their story that getting married there felt like a given.
A Two-Day Wedding Weekend
Suzanne had spent years working as a wedding planner in Alexandria, so she knew what went into a large wedding. Stephen comes from a big family, which made the idea of a genuinely small guest list a little complicated.
They also knew a traditional wedding was not quite what they wanted. Eloping was not right either.
The answer ended up being a two-day wedding.
Friday was the larger celebration with family and friends at Hotel Heron for a more high-energy start to the weekend.
Saturday was different. The ceremony at the Athenaeum was family-only, followed by cocktails and a 35-person reception at the Above ALX Community Penthouse.
That gave Stephen and Suzanne room to celebrate with the larger group without making the wedding day itself bigger than they wanted it to be.
A Hidden Gem Above Old Town
For Suzanne, Above ALX was a hidden gem hiding in plain sight. Having worked in the same building, she was already familiar with the space and knew it could be the perfect setting for their wedding.
Perched above the streets of Old Town Alexandria, the penthouse opens onto a stunning rooftop with sweeping views of Alexandria and Washington, D.C.
With 35 guests, the venue offered just the right atmosphere for an intimate celebration, bringing everyone together in a space that felt both personal and elegant.
Then, there was the location.
Above ALX was about a three-minute walk from Hotel Heron, where guests were staying and where Friday’s festivities had taken place.
That became useful almost immediately. Especially for Uncle Justin. There he was rolling the decorations and cake in a wagon along Prince and Washington streets. And when Suzanne’s dad forgot the speech at the hotel, it was an easy walk.
With everything nearby, those little wedding-day hiccups stayed little.
The penthouse already had the practical pieces they needed, including the bar, catering kitchen, outdoor furniture, and sound system. From there they could make the space their own.
Keeping the Night Loose
Suzanne and Stephen wanted the wedding to feel like them: fun, energetic, organic, and a little unexpected.
They did not want the reception scheduled down to the very minute.
Guests could get a drink, sit and talk, head outside, come back in, dance, or spend some time taking in the spectacular view.
As the evening went on, guests drifted between the tables, dance floor, and rooftop with ease. This was exactly what Suzanne and Stephen had hoped would happen.
For Stephen, the accordion window wall became one of his favorite parts of the space. Once it was opened, the reception room and rooftop felt connected. No one had to choose between being a part of the reception or being out on the rooftop.
Seeing the Room Finished
Suzanne’s favorite detail was the florals and the room design.
She and Stephen knew what had been planned, but neither of them had fully pictured the finished room.
Then they walked in.
The florals, the long tables, the romantic chairs, and the rest of the design changed the feel of the space. What had been a familiar venue suddenly became magical.
Getting to see it for the first time as the bride and not a wedding planner was breathtaking.
What 35 Guests Changed
Suzanne and Stephen knew a two-day wedding was a bit out of the ordinary, but it ended up being exactly right for them. Having a smaller wedding on Saturday gave them something they had not expected: time.
With 35 guests, they could sit down and talk to people, enjoy dinner, dance, and actually be part of their own reception instead of feeling pulled from one conversation to the next.
The smaller guest list also suited the space. It felt lively and full, but never crowded.
The Father-Daughter Dance That Almost Wasn’t
Suzanne’s favorite moment came just before the father-daughter dance.
Her dad had originally chosen the Barenaked Ladies' "The Old Apartment” for their song.
The family had opinions, and after enough loving pushback, another song was selected instead. Then, about five minutes before the dance, Suzanne surprised her dad by changing it back to his original pick.
“Actually… let’s play the original song.”
They completely rocked out.
The last-minute decision ended up being one of Suzanne’s favorite parts of the wedding.
One Last Song
Stephen’s favorite moment came a little later, as the evening was winding down.
Everyone gathered around Suzanne and started singing what had become something of an anthem. The song may or may not have been “What’s Up” by 4 Non Blondes.
For Stephen, that was the moment.
Everyone was in one place, singing, laughing, and enjoying the last part of the evening together.
No big production. No carefully planned finale. Just everyone having a very good time making memories.
Choosing a Venue That Fits the Story
Looking back, Suzanne and Stephen would tell other couples to think more than a guest count and a list of amenities when choosing a venue.
For them, Above ALX worked because it fit the weekend they envisioned.
Their families could gather in one place. Guests could easily move between indoors and the rooftop. Hotel Heron was only a few minutes away. And all evening, Alexandria was right there around them.
After a first date in Old Town, a kiss on Captain’s Row, a proposal in Alexandria, and a historic home, the setting felt personal.
Above ALX was not simply where the reception happened. It became one more place attached to their story.
