A Maximalist Disco Wedding With a Bold, Retro Color Palette

Lindsey and JC met in high school, where she was a cheerleader and he played football. More than a decade later, he surprised Lindsey with a proposal during their daily stroll with their dog. “It started as a normal afternoon walk, and ended with JC dropping down on one knee on top of our favorite neighborhood hill,” she says. “It was super sweet and intimate, but little did I know, he had a friend following us to photograph the whole thing. An hour later, he took me to my favorite local brewery where 30 of our closest friends and family were waiting for us to celebrate!”

The couple chose Rosewood Farms in Elkton, Maryland, for their 160-guest wedding on November 12, 2021. Lindsey, a wedding stationer, had “almost too many design ideas,” she says, but the couple did agree on a single focus for their day. “After over a decade together and having to postpone a year from our original 2020 date, needless to say we were ready to party and just wanted our day to be one big epic disco dream filled with love and all of our favorite people,” she shares.

With Taryn Blake Events, Lindsey and JC put together a “maximalist disco” day that included and orange and lilac color scheme, 1970s-inspired fonts, and a suggested dress code of sequins and shimmer. The bride explains, “We wanted our wedding to be an opportunity to let our people know how special they are and how truly lucky we feel to have all of them in our lives. What better way to celebrate than an excuse to dress up in your most extra outfit and dance the night away?" She adds, “You have to go into it knowing that trends and styles will come and go, but you’ll never regret doing it your way and having your wedding day reflect all the things that bring you joy.”

Here, see all the fun and groovy details as planned by Taryn Blake Events and photographed by Hannah Baldwin Photography.

As owner and designer at stationery company Bare Ink Co., Lindsey happily took over coordination of the couple’s paper suite, signage, and day-of papers. She and JC chose a 1970s-inspired color palette of avocado green and bright citrus with pale pink accents and a collection of fun fonts. “Everyone has always told me I was born in the wrong era, so I don’t think anyone was surprised when we told them we were going for a funky, maximalist ‘70s vibe,” she says. “[The invitation suite] included a pregame party playlist to set the tone.”

Lindsey’s Rue de Seine halter gown was “the complete opposite style of dress than I originally thought I wanted,” she says. “Isn’t that always how it goes?” However, while shopping with two of the most important women in her life, she decided to get out of her comfort zone and into the intricate lace dress with full circle skirt and tassel fringe. “I knew I wanted something bold and different so I had to try her on,” she says. “Of all the gorgeous dresses I tried on at Lovely Bride DC, the East gown was voted a favorite by both of my grandmas and I couldn’t argue—she was the one.”

She completed her look with Sunshine Tienda arched earrings and beachy waves. “Kacey Musgraves was the beauty muse for the day,” she says. Wander & Whimsy Florals created a free-flowing bouquet of dried flowers and grasses accented by ivory, tan, lavender, and terracotta blooms.

JC added two bold elements to his slate blue suit from Generation Tux: a “groovy” OTAA tie in an orange floral print and out-of-this-world socks. “He loves novelty graphic socks, so he wore ones with aliens on them, and gifted each groomsmen a different pair that reminded him of them,” says Lindsey.

For Lindsey and JC, a first look was “a no-brainer,” since it would allow them to spend their cocktail hour with their guests. “As soon as we saw each other, any nerves or anxious feelings immediately went away, and it was all excited smiles and laughs from there,” says Lindsey. “John surprised me with the cologne he wore in high school—Driven by Derek Jeter—for a sweet nostalgic moment! It was the first thing I noticed when we did our first look.”

The groomsmen wore Generation Tux suits in the same blue that John donned, with colorful orange-and-lilac ties from Frank & Buck. For her bridesmaids, Lindsey envisioned a “golden-hour rainbow of orange shades,” in a collection of styles and brands each woman chose individually.

“I made personalized denim jackets for each bridesmaid with their names and a fun fringe accent on the back, and gifted them orange floral UGG slippers to throw on once they were ready to ditch their heels on the dance floor,” she says.

Lindsey and JC considered Rosewood the perfect backdrop for their elegant, colorful ceremony. They added thrifted rugs and rattan lanterns to create an aisle between rows of white chairs, and created a backdrop of arched panels in shades of orange which highlighted floral arrangements of roses and dried flowers hues of white, terracotta, and lilac. “We wanted to bring an explosion of color to the beautiful blank canvas of Rosewood,” says Lindsey. Custom signs welcomed guests to the ceremony and asked them to stow their cell phones during the event.

As Lindsey’s father escorted her down the aisle, the instrumental theme from Jurassic Park played as a surprise for JC. During the ceremony, Lindsey and JC’s officiant read paragraphs the couple had written about their feelings for each other. “JC’s words included lines like, 'Every day with you feels like a movie,' and mine included a quote from Ted Lasso, ‘If you're with the right person, even the hard times are easy.’”

The moment just after they exchanged vows was Lindsey and JC’s favorite of the day. “After we said ‘I do’ and turned around to see all of our favorite people in the whole world in one room cheering back at us—I get goosebumps just thinking about that moment,” she says. Hearing their recessional—“That’s Love” by Chance the Rapper—brought the moment home. “I couldn’t tell you how many times I listened to that song in the car by myself just daydreaming of the moment,” says Lindsey. “So when it finally happened, it was just a feeling of absolute pure joy that I think you can see pretty clearly on our faces in the photos of us walking back down the aisle. Seriously, [it was] the happiest moment of our lives.”

During cocktail hour, guests relaxed on retro lounge furniture, sipped the couple’s movie-inspired signature cocktails, and left voicemails on the newlyweds’ audio guestbook.

The newlyweds incorporated their love for film throughout their reception, including on their escort display wall. “Individual mounted pockets held a movie ticket leading to tables named after our favorite films,” says Lindsey. “For cinematic effect, each pocket also included retro 3D light-refracting glasses that made for a trippy light show when entering the reception space."

Inside the reception space, says Lindsey, “The aesthetic was completed by an Instagram-worthy photo op moment featuring Polaroid cameras, a custom-built wallpapered backdrop that held our ‘Can You Feel The Grubbs Tonight?’ neon sign, and the funkiest couch [that felt] straight out of a 1970s living room.”

An overhead installation of hanging disco balls and tinsel chandeliers added retro sparkle to the reception space, where orange velvet table linens and lavender napkins made a bold statement. “Our head table flipped the palette with lavender velvet linens and orange napkins, tied with mini disco balls and personalized drink tags with hanging tassels,” says Lindsey. “Centerpieces featured a mix of tapered candles, repurposed bridesmaid bouquets, and an assortment of votives for a super glowy vibe.”

Baker Sarah McCook created the couple’s Funfetti cake with Oreo buttercream filling—and designed the color scheme and pattern herself. “We gave her zero direction and let her creativity run wild, and she totally went above and beyond any expectation,” says Lindsey. “She made us an iconic, two-tier, ‘70s shag carpet cake that had us speechless.”

Lindsey and JC set a “shine brighter than a disco ball” dress code that “encouraged bold colors, fun patterns, sequins, and sparkles,” she says. “Our guests absolutely delivered, embracing the fun theme, and fit right in with the groovy aesthetic." The bride adds, "Our amazing DJ Kevin Garrity absolutely brought the night to life. Everyone was on the dance floor, which was exactly what we wanted.”

The couple added one final play on their name with “GrubbsHub” branded takeout boxes, filled with chicken tender and french fries, that they handed out as guests left for the after party.

Another favorite moment came at the end of the evening, as the couple stayed on the dance floor with their guests instead of making a newlywed exit. “When the lights came on, we were circled by all of our guests chanting our name in the most unprompted surreal moment,” says Lindsey. “There’s no way to fully prepare yourselves for the surreal, overwhelming amount of love you’re going to feel—it’s an experience unlike any other that you’re going to want to relive over and over.”