Oh to be a guest at this wedding. I would have loved every second of it. The details are perfection and the gorgeous farm setting couldn’t be more charming if it tried. But you know what I really love? This couple. Every gorgeous image captured by Kelsey Kradel Photography shows two people hopelessly in love, and that, my friends, gets me every single time. See even more here.
From Kelsey Kradel Photography… I am beyond excited to share this lovely Maryland mountain farm wedding with you! A West Virginia country girl and a Brooklyn city boy got married on a sweet summer day on a beautiful country farm in the mountains of Maryland.
From the Bride… We chose a summer Saturday on the 17th as the 17th had meaning to us considering we had met on St. Patrick’s Day two years prior. I was living in Nashville, TN at the time and visited a college friend in New York City on a whim. It was a combination of the high energy of the city that day and an instant attraction that neither of us could deny that turned into that kind of love you only see in the movies, except it was real. Ten months later after hours upon hours of phone conversation and flying back and forth, I packed up my belongings and left the south for New York City. He proposed 3 months later with a rose gold and champagne diamond ring as we were sitting outside of our apartment while the Beach Boy’s “God Only Knows” played on the radio.
Since four of our friends were getting married before us that year we wanted our wedding to have a different vibe and atmosphere so it wouldn’t feel redundant for some of our guests. Our main goal was to keep things simple, relaxed and most importantly an all around good time. Instead of the location being in one of our hometowns – mine, a small town in West Virginia, his, Staten Island, NY we decided to venture to Maryland to “meet in the middle”. Chanteclaire Farm was the first place I found in my search for a venue and the only place I visited. On 100 acres of hills, the 1870 Barn was filled with so much character and charm and I immediately imagined a warm summer evening that would be unforgettable! The venue then became the inspiration – rustic, romantic, and casual.
Our wedding day wasn’t necessarily non-traditional, but we really just played by our own rules. The night before the wedding we stayed together in the farmhouse on the property and drank champagne. We met each other right before the ceremony for a “first look” by the pond with only our photographers there to capture the moment. We had decided from the beginning not to have a bridal party but incorporated our friends and family in other ways. One of them being asking one of our good friends to marry us so he got ordained online a few weeks before which wasn’t known to our guests until he walked to the altar to begin the ceremony!
Our 150 guests were shuttled to the farm from a nearby hotel and were taken down the long tree lined drive. They were greeted at the front of the barn with spiked sweet tea and lemonade and were escorted to the outdoor ceremony site in front of a small pond and giant oak tree. The altar was at the end of a stone path adorned with wooden crates full of baby’s breath and tea stained lace curtains that were tied with twine. We wrote our own vows for the short ceremony that brought on some laughs and happy tears! Guests were then able to gather in the lower level of the barn for a cocktail hour or sit outdoors on the patio on couches made of hay bales covered in linen while we greeted everyone as Mr. and Mrs.
The reception followed on the main level of the barn that was outfitted with antique furniture and three large crystal chandeliers. I chose a variety of flowers in hues of white, peach and blush which filled rusted tin cans and antique bottles on each of the tables. The food was homemade in the in-house kitchen and had a southern flare – Apple and brie stuffed chicken, string beans and roasted sweet potatoes followed by homemade peach and apple pie. The cake was also made in-house which was lemon with vanilla butter cream and raspberries.
We decided to have a live band play for us not only because they were a favorite to watch in New York but also because we had watched them together the night we had met. They gave us an incredible rendition of the Beatles “Don’t Let me Down” for our first dance and then took over and really turned the night into an amazing party that kept everyone on the dance floor. We ended the night with our guests in front of the farmhouse around a bonfire cooking hot dogs and s’mores. The weather was perfect, our photographers were amazing and the staff at the farm went above and beyond! The entire day and night were exactly as we had imagined and we left the farm the next day (with leftover homemade pies in tow) completely overwhelmed with love!
Photography: Kelsey Kradel Photography | Florist: Posy Pittsburgh | Wedding Dress: Wtoo - Jasmine | Cake: Chanteclaire Farm | Invitations: Sarah Elizabeth Arts, Etsy | Catering: Chanteclaire Farm | Hair & Makeup: By The Bride | Band: Man Down, Staten Island, NY | Favors: The Knot Wedding Shop | Dress Boutique: Lovely Bridal Shop | Fabric Dyeing: Metro Dyeing | Garter: GarterQueen | Guest Accomodations: Wisp Resort, Deep Creek Lake, MD | Shuttle Service: County Caravan, Deep Creek Lake, MD | Wedding: Chanteclaire Farm