Thank you

for celebrating with us

Official photos are coming soon.
For now, check out #dojoweddingdc on Instagram.

We love y'all <3

The stars aligned

October 2013

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The stars aligned

October 2013

On Saturday, October 12, 2013, I was photographing yet another show at Echostage. The show was Dash Berlin, one of my favorite artists. At around 3 A.M., a fan yelled over to me and asked me if his friend could "go up on stage." Considering I'm asked for backstage access all the time, I just looked at the girl and the dude (who was dressed as a bear, no less) and simply said "No."

I walked back to where I was standing as my buddy Roberto was on closing duties that night and continued to enjoy the music. After a few minutes, I looked back over at the girl whose friend wanted on stage. She was really darn cute. So I walked back over and asked her why she wanted to go on stage. Her response was pretty priceless. I believe she said, "I want to go on stage?" to which she then said, "I dunno, I'd just like to see what it looks like up there." Not being able to turn down such a beautiful face, I said, "Let's go." She also seemed genuine in her response, which said to me it wasn't just another fangirl trying to get access.

After a few minutes on stage, I started talking to this girl about what she does for a living. She said her name was Jo Anne and she was a web designer, to which I replied I had a photography website that needed help. We tried to view it on my phone and well... it wouldn't load. So I gave her my card in hopes we could get together to talk about the site and maybe design me something new (and something that loads better on mobile). Let's be real honest here... she was probably one of the prettiest girls I had ever laid eyes on, so I was also really hoping for another chance to see her and talk to her. The fact that she could help me with my website was a bonus and a good excuse to reach out to her.

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Getting serious

Everything in between

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Getting serious

Everything in between

A week or so went by and I was tagged in a photo by Jo Anne's friend (the bear). That's when I went digging a bit and found her Facebook profile. I sent her a friend request and immediately got a message from her. After some general conversation, we agreed to talk about my website, but I also invited her to join me at another Echo show. A week after that we finally went to dinner to discuss my website, but something funny happened at dinner. We never actually talked about my site. It's not that I didn't intend on discussing the site, but that we just got along so well and enjoyed each others company so much that the conversation just flowed naturally. I didn't really want the night to end. The next night was Halloween. I was shooting Passion Pit at Echostage and Jo Anne was going to a costume contest. We decided to meet up after that at Lima. Again, I didn't want the night to end, so it was this night that I decided to just kiss this incredible woman.

Weeks passed. Jo Anne and I spent pretty much every weekend together, going to shows, going to dinner, kissing like high school kids parked outside my apartment. I knew this was different. Never did I feel so comfortable with someone. Never had I ever felt a love come so naturally. We would find ourselves literally just staring into each others eyes for hours. I know it's cliche, but I knew in the first few months of dating Jo Anne that I wanted to marry her.

Fast forward to December 2014. JoPo and I were heading to Las Vegas for a weekend getaway. We had no agenda; just go to Vegas to enjoy ourselves, eat good food and visit with some local friends. Our relationship had been a dream up to this point. The last night we were in town, we went to dinner at Gordon Ramsey's Steak. We both sat at dinner, holding hands, staring into each others eyes. It was that moment that I decided I wanted to propose. There was absolutely no reason not to. I was in love. I found the woman of my dreams. Now it was time to make it official and put a ring on her finger.

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Happiest new year

December 2014

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Happiest new year

December 2014

I spent much of December looking at rings. I had a plan. I would either propose to her at the end of a tour I was going on with Andrew Rayel, or I would propose on the beach in Mexico. The ideal thing was to do it on the tour, but I had to find the proper ring. We went back and forth to Tysons Corner for Christmas shopping. Little did she know I was picking out the right ring and then having it sized. I got it back on Christmas Eve and had to somehow keep it hidden as we walked around the mall. I then put the ring in the bottom of my camera bag under a lens. I spent Christmas with Jo Anne and then flew to Dallas for a show. Leaving her that Christmas was the hardest thing I've ever done. But knowing that I would return to DC having proposed to her is what kept me going. I flew to Dallas, then to Calgary, then to NYC and then to Vancouver. Jo Anne met up with me in NYC and then came on the last leg of the tour to Vancouver. Here is where the story has a cool little twist. I had planned to propose two days after the tour ended as JoPo and I explored Vancouver. But Andrew Rayel and his tour manager, Roger, insisted I do it with them in town and they would help.

So on December 31st, 2014, Andrew, Roger, Wissam, Kristen, Jo Anne and I ventured out to a place called Capilano Suspension Bridge. The plan was to do some video and photo work for Andrew. But we also had a little proposal plan. With Andrew out on the bridge, Wissam put a wireless mic under my jacket and in my camera bag. We filmed Andrew like normal and I moved to the center of the bridge. It was a moment when Wissam knew he could get the shot that he asked Andrew to move to one side. Jo Anne had no idea any of this was happening. I looked to my left and saw Wissam was ready with the camera. To my right was Roger keeping random tourists from coming on the bridge. I pointed toward a waterfall off in the distance and that's when I went down on one knee and proposed to the woman of my dreams. When she turned around, she was completely surprised and thankfully she said yes.

We got engaged in one of the most beautiful parts of the world with some of our closest friends in the dance music industry. It was fitting that it all started at a show and then the proposal came on New Year's Eve just before another show. I got to ring in 2015 with my fiancee.

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Bridesmaids

Aries Chung

Matron of Honor

Far far away, behind the word mountains, far from the countries Vokalia and Consonantia, there live the blind texts. Separated they live in Bookmarksgrove right at the coast of the Semantics, a large language ocean. A small river named Duden flows by their place and supplies it with the necessary regelialia.

It is a paradisematic country, in which roasted parts of sentences fly into your mouth. Even the all-powerful Pointing has no control about the blind texts it is an almost unorthographic life One day however a small line of blind text by the name of Lorem Ipsum decided to leave for the far World of Grammar.

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Ceremony and reception

The Osprey's at Belmont Bay

401 Belmont Bay Dr Woodbridge, VA 22191

Formal attire Free lot parking

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Sunday brunch

The Zabala's Home & Garden

1315 Horner Rd Woodbridge, VA 22191

Garden party attire Free street parking

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Schedule

Exchange of Vows

Cocktails & Mingling

Dinner & Dancing

Sunday Brunch

Where To Stay

We're staying at the Hampton Inn nearby and we'd love for you to join us!
Reserve your room by September 25th to get the "Poblete/Van Sant" group rate.

Free shuttle service between hotel and venue available on Saturday.

Registry

Our wish is to celebrate our wedding with close friends and family, so for reals, your presence is present enough! However, it's hard for us to turn down useful gifts, so if you must insist on giving us something, we suggest monetary gifts or from the following lists:

when you know who you wanna spend the rest of your life with you wanna start the rest of your life as soon as you can : Dierks Bentley

Add To Our Story

Capture memories at any point during the festivities and post them to Instagram or Twitter using #dojoweddingdc and they will be projected throughout the reception.