Chesapeake Bay Wedding from tPoz Photography + Jewel Hair Design
I love that this couple did not go the traditional autumn wedding way, but instead, showcased the beauty of the fall colors with a complimentary lavender. Capital LOVE. They dressed up the already fab Chesapeake Bay Beach Club in a way that totally surprised me, but absolutely moved me to clasped, giddy hands under my chin. Photographed by tPoz Photography (with our LBBer Natalie Franke on the second lens), the whole soiree, from Jewel Hair Design's masterpiece to the purple rain boots, was amazing. Click here to see it all!
From the lovely bride ... While I am an attorney by trade, event planning and design have always been beloved hobbies of mine and our wedding presented a wonderful opportunity to plan my biggest party yet! Before Robert proposed, I didn't have any visions of what this day would look like - except, I did know, and Robert readily agreed, that it must be a fall wedding. This season is our favorite and so we planned our day around what we think is both characteristic of the fall and a wedding - a festive spirit, fun with family and friends and warm, hearty food and drinks. As I am from Indiana/Pennsylvania and Robert is from North Carolina/Maryland (with family in Poland as well), we wanted a location nearby our now-home of Baltimore that would be a fun destination for our friends and family traveling from afar but a bit off the beaten path from the hustle of the city. We choose Annapolis, Maryland because we've also enjoyed its beautiful waterfront views, its rich history and its very welcoming community.
We were fortunate to find perfect venues to host our wedding - the sanctuary at St. Mary's Catholic Church reminds me of where my grandparents were married and the Chesapeake Bay Beach Club features stunning views of the Bay. Wanting to showcase the warmth of fall but not with typical fall colors, we selected a palate of dusty lavender, ivory and gold. From there I went a bit crazy with coordinating purple items - from the invitations by Laura Nehls, the flowers by Crimson & Clover and the bridesmaids' beautiful Monique Lhuillier dresses (I loved them so much I bought one as well!) to the table linens. I am so grateful for local blogs and Pinterest because they helped me discover the wonderful work of local and Etsy artists who helped bring our wedding day to life - from our amazing photographers Teri and Natalie to the beautiful design work of Laura Hooper (calligraphy) and Sara Metzger (seating chalkboard). I was also beyond spoiled to be able to work with Anna Maier/Ulla Maija head designer Charles Bunstine II to create a custom french alencon lace gown with covered buttons and removable lace straps at his NYC studio.
Robert was incredibly patient throughout the year that we planned the wedding as I asked his opinion on countless design ideas and put him to work stuffing guest hotel bags and tying bows on rosemary and lavender bundles for the tables. He also had his great own ideas for our attire, the cake and even the linens that made our final selections a really good reflection of our marriage - a collaboration. Much credit should be given to him and our friends (especially my wonderful bridesmaids who shared many, many hours of their time) and family for helping us along the way and as a result our wedding weekend couldn't have been more perfect! The sunshine came out in full blast and we loved introducing our guests to the town. We had a lot of fun at the bookend events of the weekend - the rehearsal dinner and a morning-after breakfast (my mom's brilliant idea so that we could see our guests one last time in a bit more relaxed atmosphere) - but our favorite moment of the weekend was the marriage ceremony as it seemed like in the midst of all the chaos, everything became still and we felt so present during the exchange of our vows. While we certainly have lots of advice to share with engaged couples (and many wonderful vendors to suggest too!), if we just had to share one thing it would be to plan a wedding ceremony that lets you breathe for more than just a minute and really appreciate the amazing journey you're about to embark on with your new spouse.
Wedding Photography: tPoz Photography | Second Photographer: Natalie Franke Photography | Ceremony: St. Mary's Catholic Church | Reception + Catering: Chesapeake Bay Beach Club | Floral Design: Amy Epstein of Crimson & Clover Floral Design | Officiant: Father Kevin Milton of St. Mary's Catholic Church | Cake: SugarBakers Cakes | Wedding Invitations, Programs, Menus, Cake/Drink Cards, Sparkler/Guest Book Sign, Drink Sign, Thank You Poster: Laura Nehls of Letter Box Ink | Seating Chalkboard: Sara Metzger | Calligraphy for Place Cards and Rosemary Signs: Trial by Cupcakes | DJ: Devin Alexander of MyDeejay | Linens: Party Rental Ltd. | Wedding Dress: Custom Gown by Charles Bunstine II of Anna Maier Ulla-Maija | Bridal Salon: Hitched | Bride’s Veil: Erin Cole | Bride’s Shoes: Lulu Townsend | Bride's Boots: Joules | Bride’s Earrings: Nadri | Hair: Julie Flury of Jewel Hair Design | Makeup: Ryan Krasney of Blend Event | Bridesmaid Dresses: Monique Lhuillier | Groom’s Suit: Hart Schaffner Marx | Groom + Groomsmen’s Ties: Nordstrom | Rings: Eric Nacht of ES Nacht Design | Flowergirls Dresses: US Angels | Direction and Mr/Mrs Signs: Splendid Events | Gold Votives, Pillows, Blankets, Tic-Tac-Toe: Bride's Own | Guest Book: Shutterfly | Lanterns, Entryway Tablecloth: Crate & Barrel | Cornhole Boards and Bags: Made by Bride's Aunt and Uncle | Blanket Basket: Pottery Barn
We were fortunate to find perfect venues to host our wedding - the sanctuary at St. Mary's Catholic Church reminds me of where my grandparents were married and the Chesapeake Bay Beach Club features stunning views of the Bay. Wanting to showcase the warmth of fall but not with typical fall colors, we selected a palate of dusty lavender, ivory and gold. From there I went a bit crazy with coordinating purple items - from the invitations by Laura Nehls, the flowers by Crimson & Clover and the bridesmaids' beautiful Monique Lhuillier dresses (I loved them so much I bought one as well!) to the table linens. I am so grateful for local blogs and Pinterest because they helped me discover the wonderful work of local and Etsy artists who helped bring our wedding day to life - from our amazing photographers Teri and Natalie to the beautiful design work of Laura Hooper (calligraphy) and Sara Metzger (seating chalkboard). I was also beyond spoiled to be able to work with Anna Maier/Ulla Maija head designer Charles Bunstine II to create a custom french alencon lace gown with covered buttons and removable lace straps at his NYC studio.
Robert was incredibly patient throughout the year that we planned the wedding as I asked his opinion on countless design ideas and put him to work stuffing guest hotel bags and tying bows on rosemary and lavender bundles for the tables. He also had his great own ideas for our attire, the cake and even the linens that made our final selections a really good reflection of our marriage - a collaboration. Much credit should be given to him and our friends (especially my wonderful bridesmaids who shared many, many hours of their time) and family for helping us along the way and as a result our wedding weekend couldn't have been more perfect! The sunshine came out in full blast and we loved introducing our guests to the town. We had a lot of fun at the bookend events of the weekend - the rehearsal dinner and a morning-after breakfast (my mom's brilliant idea so that we could see our guests one last time in a bit more relaxed atmosphere) - but our favorite moment of the weekend was the marriage ceremony as it seemed like in the midst of all the chaos, everything became still and we felt so present during the exchange of our vows. While we certainly have lots of advice to share with engaged couples (and many wonderful vendors to suggest too!), if we just had to share one thing it would be to plan a wedding ceremony that lets you breathe for more than just a minute and really appreciate the amazing journey you're about to embark on with your new spouse.
Wedding Photography: tPoz Photography | Second Photographer: Natalie Franke Photography | Ceremony: St. Mary's Catholic Church | Reception + Catering: Chesapeake Bay Beach Club | Floral Design: Amy Epstein of Crimson & Clover Floral Design | Officiant: Father Kevin Milton of St. Mary's Catholic Church | Cake: SugarBakers Cakes | Wedding Invitations, Programs, Menus, Cake/Drink Cards, Sparkler/Guest Book Sign, Drink Sign, Thank You Poster: Laura Nehls of Letter Box Ink | Seating Chalkboard: Sara Metzger | Calligraphy for Place Cards and Rosemary Signs: Trial by Cupcakes | DJ: Devin Alexander of MyDeejay | Linens: Party Rental Ltd. | Wedding Dress: Custom Gown by Charles Bunstine II of Anna Maier Ulla-Maija | Bridal Salon: Hitched | Bride’s Veil: Erin Cole | Bride’s Shoes: Lulu Townsend | Bride's Boots: Joules | Bride’s Earrings: Nadri | Hair: Julie Flury of Jewel Hair Design | Makeup: Ryan Krasney of Blend Event | Bridesmaid Dresses: Monique Lhuillier | Groom’s Suit: Hart Schaffner Marx | Groom + Groomsmen’s Ties: Nordstrom | Rings: Eric Nacht of ES Nacht Design | Flowergirls Dresses: US Angels | Direction and Mr/Mrs Signs: Splendid Events | Gold Votives, Pillows, Blankets, Tic-Tac-Toe: Bride's Own | Guest Book: Shutterfly | Lanterns, Entryway Tablecloth: Crate & Barrel | Cornhole Boards and Bags: Made by Bride's Aunt and Uncle | Blanket Basket: Pottery Barn