This wedding had me at that adorable ring bearer. Sweet little ring bearers in the cutest duds ever plus puppies? Kryptonite. (You can even catch a few of his sweet dance moves in the fantastic highlight film). So now that I’ve professed my adoration for that adorable ring bearer, I’ve got two more to make. Yep, I’m feeling sappy today. The highlight film from CinemaCake Filmmakers. You HAVE to block out a few minutes of your day to watch this. And I mean block out – because it is so intimate, you totally feel like you’re right there with this beautiful bride and groom on their big day. And you’ll cry. At least I did. And finally, I must profess my total and utter love for this Maryland wedding, captured brilliantly by Susan Stripling Photography. It’s so romantic and beautiful, filled with some of the most perfect little details I’ve ever seen. See all those pretty little deets in the full image gallery!
I just can’t wait to show you the highlight CinemaCake sent our way – so before we get too far into the affair, here we go. Warning – grab some tissues. And I hope your mascara is waterproof.
[iframe http://player.vimeo.com/video/28374818 601 338]
CinemaCake Filmmakers on Vimeo.
Evan shocked me when he proposed in Monte Carlo in 2007 – so much so that I thought he was kidding. On the flight home I immersed myself in wedding magazines and lived wedding all the time. Our plans became so big, so overwhelming we both took a step back and said we want simple and we want elegance. At this point I found Style Me Pretty and it was my “ah ha!” moment.
I wanted to merge my simple upbringing in rural Pennsylvania and our busy city lifestyle in Baltimore. I wanted elegance with a touch of whimsy. As a child my parents vacationed in Saint Michaels, MD at the Inn at Perry Cabin. I have fond memories of watching the sailboats from the patio and chasing my sister through the gardens. I realized this place felt like home and this was where I wanted to be married.
Our wedding of 120 could not be accommodated indoors so we resorted to an outdoor tented reception and ceremony. My ceremony was rained out so the Inn quickly turned one of their indoor spaces into a ceremony site. Candles filled the room with a rose petal runner and copper lanterns lined the aisle. My florist made huge flower and moss balls which were relocated from the lawn to the ceremony site and then moved to the tented reception. They added that touch of whimsy I was looking for. My florist also made hanging cones from birch bark that were intended to hang from the tree branches along with small glass globes illuminated with tea lights. The birch cones were relocated to the tent and filled with David Austin roses. Although it was not the waterfront ceremony we were expecting, it turned into something beautiful and warm–and believe it or not– a welcomed surprise despite the rain.
My Watters & Watters dress looked handmade and vintage and paired perfectly with my red Valentino d’Orsay pumps. My husband wore a blue and white striped suit with a gardenia boutonnière. My bridesmaids wore beige colored linen, knee length dresses and carried bouquets of cream hydrangeas.
I hired the fabulous Susan Stripling to freeze the day and CinemaCake to capture the moving visuals. At the entrance to our tent we hung place cards on an old barn shutter I found at an antique shop. The place cards from Kate Spade had sayings that read “Playing Footsie is Encouraged” or “Save room for Dessert”.
One of my favorite childhood movies is Alice in Wonderland, and to add to the whimsy theme we lined champagne glasses and attached coffee stained hang tags that read “drink me,” which our guests enjoyed. The kids table was outfitted with oversized lollipops and small trinkets to keep them busy. I really loved the tissue poms I found on Etsy and bribed my attendants’ with wine and kind sentiments to help make smaller poms into napkin rings. Most of the women at the wedding actually wore them as bracelets after dinner.
I would say the home run of the evening was our photo booth from Baltimore Photo Booth Company. They provided props and I honestly could not fathom the amount of joy it would bring my family. Everyone, including my 80 year old grandmother, was in the photo booth laughing hysterically. They were able to take home a souvenir and the photo booth company also gave my husband and me a book with a copy of each photo taken that evening. We had an after party by the huge fireplace inside the inn. I had rented couches and the Inn provided pillows and blankets. Everyone enjoyed rum spiked cider, peppermint hot cocoa and roasted s’mores. It was a great end to a fabulous day.
Photography: Susan Stripling Photography / Cinematography: CinemaCake Filmmakers / Flowers: Mary Ruth Chapin / Event Planning & Design: The Bride & Groom / Venue: The Inn at Perry Cabin / Entertainment: MyDeejay & Sage String Quartet / Shoes: Valentino d’Orsay / Dress: Watters & Watters / Photo Booth: Baltimore Photo Booth