Bride: Virdina Milfort
Groom: Kevin Gibbs
Occupations: Milfort, beginning law school in fall 2010; Gibbs, IT Administrator
Homebase: Washington, D.C.
Wedding Date: April 22, 2010
Wedding Location: The Decatur House, Washington, D.C.

A U Street Romance:If you’re searching for an example of “the new D.C.”, look no further than newlyweds Virdina and Kevin. The lovebirds met in January 2007 at a hip cafe in the District. Their first date was at Duke City restaurant which Kevin suggested even before he knew Virdina went to Duke University. “We had several dates soon thereafter all centered around the U Street corridor so that Virdina wouldn’t get lost,” explains Kevin. The couple became exclusive on the day after Valentine’s Day. “We have been inseparable ever since,” they profess.

Empire State of Mind: Kevin persuaded a few of Virdina’s girlfriends to help plan his surprise proposal on November 4, 2009. “We got engaged November 4, 2009 at the place we first met,” says Kevin. During that day, one of the before mentioned friends emailed all the girls that she got a fictitious promotion and was celebrating. Virdina had no clue that Kevin was going to be there. He had the DJ play Jay-Z’s “Empire State of Mind” because the first question he asked Virdina when they met was “Are you from New York?”. While Kevin was hiding, Virdina looked around at other women in the place to see if they were being proposed to. Unfortunately she couldn’t hear what Kevin was saying on the microphone during his surprise so he had to pop out from his hiding place and ad-lib his speech to her. Then he got down on one knee and asked Virdina to be his wife.

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(All photography by Observatory Photo and Documentary Associates.)

A Couple That Gives Back Together: In the midst of their wedding planning, Haiti — the country of Virdina’s birth — suffered a devastating earthquake. Virdina was obviously heartbroken and felt like solely sending money and supplies back home was not enough support for her beloved Haiti. “We had been mulling over places to visit; the oft-done and cliche Paris and Hawaii were mentioned as well as Bali. Yet, we still could not decide,“ recalls Virdina. “Kevin suggested we go to Haiti since we both want to help as much as possible. To know that he understands me without saying anything at all is pretty remarkable,” she adds.

TimeEco-Chic Nuptials: Virdina and Kevin were winners of the 2010 DC Green Consortium and therefore had their $50,000 wedding planned and executed by top bridal professionals for free!This affair certainly proves that it is possible to have a green yet stylish wedding. The couple pulled it all off — on Earth Day — with the expertise of wedding and special event designer Katie Martin. *Stay tuned next week for exclusive info on planning green friendly nuptials from Katie herself and other experts behind this fab wedding. Plus find out how to plan your own green wedding with a budget much less than fifty grand!

Take a look at past Tie the Knot Tuesday features here.

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