With gorgeous of pops of coral and navy, this nautical wedding in Annapolis celebrates the rich beauty of the water, with simple DIY touches from the happy couple. With the help of Amie Decker Beauty & Emily Chastain Photography, the bride looked gorgeous as she walked down the aisle. Her bridesmaids wore Plum Pretty Sugar robes and Jenny Yoo dress which perfectly complimented the color palette. You won’t want to miss a minute of this gorgeous day here!
From the beautiful Bride… Growing up in Virginia, I was captivated by the beauty of the Chesapeake Bay, and I always dreamed of getting married one day on its shores. Coincidentally, the man I would marry was growing up along the same shores, but just a bit north of me the whole time!
Scott and I met on a blind date set up by mutual friends while we were living in Washington, D.C. We frequently made trips together from D.C. to his hometown of Annapolis, Maryland. As I began to realize that I was falling head over heels in love with Scott, it became increasingly evident that I was also falling in love with the charming, historic town of Annapolis. After Scott proposed during a weekend getaway to Charlottesville, the vision for our wedding came easily for us. It was to be a day of family, friends, traditions new and old, and of course – the water. There was never a doubt that Annapolis would be the perfect place for our wedding day!
To Scott and me, it was very important to weave in aspects of both our families’ traditions. We chose to get married at St. Mary’s Catholic Church, where his family has been attending for decades. The Annapolis Yacht Club would make the perfect place to celebrate after the ceremony, and meant a lot to Scott as he and his family are active members there. To honor my family’s traditions, I chose to wrap my bouquet with a handkerchief sewn by my grandmother, who passed away shortly after Scott and I were engaged. I also took one of her hand-stitched embroideries and had it sewn into my wedding dress. It was a special way to have my “something blue” close to my heart.
The ceremony continued our blending of traditions. We had a “unity sand” ceremony where we combined sand from a beach near my home with sand from a beach near Scott’s to symbolize our lives and families becoming one. At the reception, we wanted to reflect our love of the water by accenting the evening with nautical touches. From start to finish, guests received the full Annapolis nautical experience by enjoying a raw oyster bar and cold Dark n’ Stormy’s all night. One of my favorite DIY details was providing guests with a Polaroid camera to use for our guest book. Our guests loved taking group shots and included them in a photo album we designed, and added their messages alongside the photos. It was so much fun to look through it the next day – and it’s still our favorite keepsake from the wedding. Another very special highlight for us was the honor of signaling sunset by firing the canon for Attention to Colors. This is such a special tradition at the Annapolis Yacht Club, and we were very fortunate to have incorporated it into our day.
Every detail of our wedding was chosen for a reason, and we couldn’t have asked for a better day. Even the fickle weather of the Chesapeake cooperated for us, something you can only hope for! I think the most vivid memory of our wedding day might be the final one! For our exit, Scott and I left on a friend’s beautiful Mast and Mallard yacht, and we were so exhausted, but blissfully happy. Looking back, we could see the outline of St. Mary’s grand steeple behind our friends and family on the docks waving and wishing us farewell. It was a magical night, and we would do it all over again if we could!
Photography: Emily Chastain Photography | Videography: Black Tie Video | Event Planning: Wedding Savvy Inc | Floral Design: Cache Fleur | Wedding Dress: Romona Keveza Legends | Cake: Cakes By Rachael | Invitations: Paper in the Park | Ceremony Venue: St. John Neumann Catholic Church | Reception Venue: Annapolis Yacht Club | Bride's Shoes: Kate Spade | Rings: Smyth Jewelers | Bridesmaids' Dresses: Jenny Yoo | Makeup: Amie Decker Beauty | Hair: Morgan Gerard | Band: Doug Segree Band | Rentals: 2Hands Studios Events | Robes: Plum Pretty Sugar