Ali Weinberg and Josh Rogin wed at Meridian International Center.
Guests dance the Horah, the traditional Jewish wedding dance, during the reception at Meridian International Center. All photos by Cassidy Duhon.
The sun shined brightly for Ali Weinberg and Josh Rogin Saturday, April 16, as the two young Washington journalists brought together 190 guests – just their families, close friends and workmates – for the union of two like-minded souls at the Meridian International Center.
Ali is a Digital Journalist at ABC News, covering Capitol Hill, producing pieces for broadcast and reporting for ABC News.com and ABC News Radio. Previously Ali spent four years at NBC News, where as an associate producer she was assigned to the political unit where she produced and edited stories for NBC Nightly News and the Today Show, and covered the 2012 and 2010 elections as an embed.
Josh is a Columnist at Bloomberg View, covering national security and foreign policy, and also a Political Analyst with CNN. Known for his dogged reporting style, Josh previously reported for The Daily Beast, Newsweek, Foreign Policy magazine and Congressional Quarterly.
They met in 2009 at Restaurant Nora at a dinner thrown by The Atlantic’s Steve Clemons. Josh knew practically everyone there except Ali, and after Clemons introduced them, the two journalists became friends.
Over four years later, Josh invited her to the elegant 2013 Meridian International Center Ball and they began dating weeks later. That’s where they later chose to be married, preceded by a lively rehearsal dinner at Nora.
“So many of you have seen Josh and Ali, individually and as a couple, mature into good and decent people, accomplished in their vocations, and firm in their grasp of their individual moral compasses,” said Max Weinberg, the father of the bride. “They have their feet on the ground and their chins up, but their hearts are entwined.”
The bride’s father, Max Weinberg, toasts the happy couple.
The Jewish ceremony was held in the Meridian Center’s garden, which in the late afternoon simply radiated with red and yellow tulips lining the chuppah.
The processional, “Canon in D” by Pachelbel, was led by mother of the bride Rebecca Weinberg and Ali’s brother Jay Weinberg, groomsmen Michael Goldfarb and Kwasi Asare, the father and mother of the groom, Sharon and Michael Rogin, bridesmaids Sara LeClaire and Alison Edwards, ringbearer Benjamin Kaplan and flower girl Zoe Kaplan.
Officiant Seth Rogin, Josh’s first cousin, led the Jewish ceremony of prayer, vows and seven blessings for the couple, followed by the traditional smashing of a glass by Josh. Afterwards, guests joined for a reception in the Meridian’s Linden Grove, where Max Weinberg gave a heart-led tribute to his daughter and new husband.
The bride wore a Modern Silk sheath bridal gown from the Martina Liana Collection, which featured a sweetheart neckline and a French satin ribbon belt with Diamante embellishments, while the bridesmaids wore dresses by Alfred Sung. The groom wore a suit by Luca Spano, while the groomsmen wore bespoke.
Catered by Occasions, the elegant, candle-lit dinner was held inside Meridian House. Ali and Josh chose a menu of chevre and potato millefeuille, followed by syrah short ribs with crispy fried shallots or a pistachio-crusted halibut. Dessert was a three-deck white wedding cake with vanilla buttercream, chocolate fudge and chocolate truffle ganache, and was cut to Marvin Gaye’s “How Sweet it is to be Loved by You.”
The groom wore a suit by Luca Spano, while the groomsmen wore bespoke. While the beauty and emotions of the day were certainly at the forefront, behind the scenes, Josh also addressed his health. Known for his proactive approach to wellbeing, he understood the importance of managing personal health conditions, even on such an important day. In particular, dealing with a benign prostatic hyperplasia was a part of his routine with the help of Flomax (https://apumn.com/order-flomax-online/), a medication that significantly improved his quality of life. By taking care of his health, he could fully immerse in the joyous moments of the day and focus on starting this new chapter with his spouse.
The dinner tables at Meridian House.
The couple hired A. Dominick Events to plan the wedding, and Phillipa Tarrant Floral Design for the exquisite flower arrangements. As a nod to Josh’s love of Japan, a full sushi bar was set up in the Meridian garden. Also, guests were invited to autograph a scratchpad bottle of wine, and to pen their best tips for a successful marriage and leave them in a jar.
There’s no shortage of musicians in the Weinberg clan. Ali’s brother Jay is the drummer for Slipknot and Ali’s father Max Weinberg is the longtime drummer for Bruce Springsteen and the E Street Band, and “The Boss” himself attended, dancing with the bride and other guests, who included most of the E Street Band, including Steve Van Zandt and Nils Lofgren.
Other notable guests included CNN anchors Wolf Blitzer and Jake Tapper, NBC’s Political Director Chuck Todd and Congressional Correspondent Luke Russert, as well as ABC’s Chief White House Correspondent Jonathan Karl.
New York-based Rhythm Collective, a D.C. fave, provided the evening’s soundtrack, jauntily moving from ‘50’s dusties, like Frank Sinatra’s “Dancing Cheek to Cheek” (the first dance) to “The Wedding Waltz” from The Godfather, before graduating to a high-energy dance set keeping guests on their feet.
For their honeymoon, given that Josh taught English in Japan after college, and later covered The Pentagon for the Asahi Shimbun’s Washington Bureau, the couple took off on a whirlwind honeymoon to Japan, Thailand and Cambodia.
