Carnegie Institution for Science Wedding: Hunter + Joanna

Mantas Kubilinskas

Sep 13, 2016

3 min read

Updated: 8 hours ago

Hunter and Joanna fencing on the stone steps between tall columns at the Carnegie Institution for Science

Joanna and Hunter were such a kind, wonderful couple to photograph. Professional fencing trainers from Washington, DC, they got ready at Hotel Rouge before their wedding at Carnegie Institution for Science. This is their original wedding gallery.

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A note about the setting: This is an archival wedding story. The former Carnegie administrative building later became Qatar’s embassy, as described in the official October 2025 announcement. These photographs document Hunter and Joanna’s celebration; they do not establish current wedding rental or photography access at the building.

Black and white photo of bridesmaids getting ready at Hotel Rouge before Hunter and Joanna's Carnegie wedding

Black and white portrait of a woman with curled hair, another face in the mirror behind, getting ready at Hotel Rouge

Black and white photo of a smiling woman in a pale shirt getting ready at Hotel Rouge in Washington, DC

Woman holding a magazine and a phone while getting ready at Hotel Rouge before Hunter and Joanna's wedding

Woman laughing beside a bed while holding an open book in her lap

Close portrait of a woman playfully sticking out her tongue

Woman in a leopard-print robe wearing a small net veil in her hair

Women in black dresses gesturing and talking beside a bright window

Hunter and Joanna’s original wedding gallery

Hotel Rouge was the preparation location for Hunter and Joanna’s wedding. The celebration then moved to Carnegie Institution for Science.

Woman holding a lace wedding gown on a hanger while touching her chin

Bride smiling with a red rose bouquet outside a stone building, with a man in a white jacket behind her

Bride and man in a white dinner jacket crossing fencing swords beneath large stone columns

Low-angle view of women carrying bouquets up stone steps, with long shadows beside column bases

Bride holding a rose bouquet on a curved staircase with a dark railing

Women gathered beneath marble columns, with one pointing upward beside the bride wearing sunglasses

Overhead view of wedding guests on a curved staircase above a checkered floor

Bride laughing with a red rose bouquet and a light-colored wrap in a room lined with bookshelves

Man in a white dinner jacket carrying a man in a black suit against a pale stone wall

Documentary moments and directed portraits

My approach is documentary first, with editorial direction when it helps. I watch for gestures, reactions, layers, reflections, architecture and small in-between moments, then give guidance when a portrait needs a cleaner composition or stronger light.

For your own wedding, decide which people and parts of the day matter most before building a portrait list. Leave room to reach the chosen locations, gather family and return to the celebration. Your photographer and venue can help work those transitions into the actual schedule.

Person reading a newspaper in an armchair beneath striped window shadows

Women in black dresses laughing beside a mirror, with one lifting a leg

Wedding party leaning along a balcony railing beneath a tall white wall

Women in black dresses holding red rose bouquets beside a staircase railing

Side view of women holding rose bouquets, with one adjusting her earring

Bride carrying red roses and walking arm in arm with a man in a black tuxedo among standing guests

Bride and groom holding hands beneath a canopy decorated with printed squares

Bride and groom walking between applauding guests, with the bride laughing

Wedding guests watching and raising a phone to take a photograph beside rows of chairs

Planning photography for your own DC celebration

You do not need to arrive knowing how to pose. I give simple direction when needed and leave space for movement and interaction. A gallery can help you judge the balance of portraits and candid coverage you want, while your own date, venue access and priorities shape the plan.

Confirm permitted portrait locations and a weather alternative with your booked venue. A photograph from an earlier wedding does not guarantee the same access, light or available room for a later event.

Bride and groom seated at a reception table with their hands clasped near their faces

Close-up of hands passing a microphone above seated reception guests

Close-up of two people holding hands around a red rose beside a reception table

Guests clinking wine glasses above a floral centerpiece while two men embrace in the background

Man in a black tuxedo dancing with guests beneath pale columns

Musician in a blue suit and white cap playing bass guitar among dancing guests

Man in a white shirt and black suspenders raising both hands while holding a drink on the dance floor

Bride smiling with a drink beside dancing guests, with one woman raising an arm

Bride spinning on the dance floor with her skirt flaring as guests watch

Bride and groom dancing closely beneath pink-lit columns, with a keyboard player in the background

For another Washington, DC setting, see this wedding at The LINE Hotel. Its photographs tell a different celebration’s story.

What an archival Carnegie wedding gallery can still show

Hunter and Joanna's photographs belong to a particular moment in Washington, DC, and the location's use has changed since their wedding. I would not present this building as a venue you can simply reserve today. What the gallery does show is how a celebration can unfold across getting-ready rooms, a formal setting and the movement between them.

I like to look at a complete older gallery for its rhythm, not just the strongest portrait. Does the photographer notice the people around the couple? Are there frames that connect one part of the day to the next? Do the formal photographs sit naturally beside the unguarded moments? Those are useful questions no matter which current venue you choose.

If you are planning a DC wedding now, start with a place that actually accepts your event and ask about the spaces included, timing, access and weather backup. Then bring me the parts of Hunter and Joanna's gallery that you respond to. We can use the feeling as a reference without promising to recreate a setting or an exact photograph that belongs to a different time.

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About the photographer: Mantas Kubilinskas photographed the original wedding gallery shown here.