Chalk this one up to love: Seeking a creative way to divide their spacious venue into distinct ceremony and reception spaces for their May 9, 2015 wedding at the University of Washington’s Mary Gates Hall, Colin Miller and Wesley Miller (same last name before and after marriage) turned an online trend into a stunning chalkboard altar with just a few coats of paint. “We found pictures online of chalkboard walls being used as wedding photo-booth backdrops and decided to make something similar to split the room and create a focal point for an altar, too,” says the pair. Crafted by the creative Capitol Hill–based duo (Wes is in sales; Colin is an interior designer) over several weekends from two 4-by-8-foot pieces of MDF board and chalkboard paint, the board also paid tribute to their respective lineages via chalk inscriptions on each side of the altar, with Colin also lending his artistic touch to a custom monogram design.
