Patrick McWeeney and Thomas Bugas first crossed paths in college at Virginia Tech. In a twist of fate, the two met on the first night of college when Patrick—meeting up with a friend at a nearby dorm—decided to knock on a hallmate’s door. Little did they know, on the other side was Thomas.
Two years of friendship ensued, and after six years of dating, the pair got engaged at the Central Park Conservatory. Patrick asked Thomas to marry him just days after they moved into a new apartment on the Upper East Side. “It was the second week, so we were just getting settled in, and Patrick insisted we take our dog, Marvin, on a walk to Central Park on that Friday after work,” Thomas notes. “We deviated from our usual route and ended up at the Central Park Conservatory where Patrick popped the question. It was a perfect moment.”
Once engaged, the pair immediately knew where they would host their October nuptials. “For the venue, we knew we wanted to be in Washington, D.C. as both of our families are close to the area, and we’ve both lived there at separate points in our lives,” Thomas explains. “We looked at multiple options but when we walked into the Four Seasons in Georgetown, we instantly had an excited feeling of relief as it was the perfect size, location, and mixture of indoor/outdoor that we were looking for. It was also a blank canvas, which allowed immense opportunity for creativity!”
After they settled on a venue the aesthetic fell into place seamlessly. “From the beginning, our aesthetic was incredibly influenced by florals, drawing particular inspiration from Raf Simons’ Dior Couture shows and more recently, Glossier’s retail floral installations,” Patrick shares. “You can’t quite take the fashion influence out of me!”
Laura Held of Ida Rose Events helmed the planning process for the wedding weekend, and Emma Lee Graf set the tone with a custom invitation suite.
“We’ve always loved the heightened style and classic elegance of a Ralph Lauren Purple Label tuxedo, so the outfits were a bit of a no-brainer for us,” Thomas shares of their wedding wardrobe. Thomas chose a white dinner jacket, and Patrick wore a black tuxedo—each with shawl lapels. As for the wedding party, there was a mix of classic black tuxedos and black dresses to match. Roxanne Assoulin added the color by way of jewel-tone earrings. On the day-of, everyone readied with Caitlyn Meyer.
On October 7, 2023, Patrick and Thomas wed in a courtyard lined with Sweet Root Village florals. “Outside of me almost putting Thomas’s wedding band on the wrong hand,” Patrick laughs “the ceremony went off without a hitch and it was incredibly special having our dear friend, Kelsey, officiate and both our older sisters share a few words and a reading.”
Following a lively exit as newlyweds and a few portraits with photographer Nikki Daskalakis, Patrick and Thomas headed to the reception which was expertly detailed with vibrant florals and BBJ La Tavola tablescapes. Escort cards featuring the couple’s Cavapoo, Marvin, led guests to their seats.
A Moroccan-inspired salad and sea bass were served as loved ones gave speeches. “My sister, Aidan, gave a boisterous toast for Thomas and me,” Patrick shares. “She has a background in theater and stand-up comedy, so some might recall it more of a roast than a toast!” The newlyweds danced to Mariah Carey’s “Always Be My Baby,” before guests joined in.
After the mother-son dance, the dance floor was officially open. “Music for the first part of the night and into the first few hours of dancing was by Sound Connection, a fantastic band in the Washington D.C. area,” Patrick says. “After they finished, we transitioned to a DJ to close the last few hours, with a playlist curated by Thomas to emulate our many nights of dancing at some of New York’s finest gay bars and nightclubs!”
After an evening spent celebrating, the grooms headed off to Taormina, Sicily, for their honeymoon. The two spent the following weeks lounging on the beach basking in the bliss of it all.
