Maryland Weddings

This garden fête by Sweet Tea Photography is full of such sweetness and goodness and all because of the hard work of the bride, groom and their friends and families.  It is a DIY beauty to behold with the talented group doing everything from the flowers to the catering.  The bride’s grandmother even sewed the adorable yellow bridesmaids skirts that the girls then infused with their own styles and personalities.  It’s the perfect example of how you can combine your personal beliefs and traditions with a fun style that is all your own.  Click here to see all the details!

Click here to see the entire gallery of images!

From the Bride…I took basically everything in my wedding from Style Me Pretty and other wedding blogs!  I wanted something relaxed and whimsical and really informal so people could just have a good time. Adam and I are pretty laid back people and I wanted our wedding to reflect that. As we were about to leave the reception, I was chatting with my friend and his wife and she said “I don’t know you very well but this wedding just seems so…’you'”. I guess that’s when I knew we had done it!

We wanted our wedding to be very “us” and also wanted it to be fun and entertaining for our guests. We put a lot of thought into the decor and thought that pennant flags would look great in the barn. Then we just ended up putting them on everything (the invitations, the quiz, the cake). We came up with the idea for the quiz as a way for people to get to know us, and some little things about our relationship. As it turns out, no one, not even our closest friends and family, knows anything about us! How disappointing! But we’re still glad we did it because overall I think people really enjoyed it (even if they all did fail miserably).

Adam and I are both Latter-day Saints (Mormons) and knew that a marriage in an LDS temple was essential to us. We believe that marriages must be performed in a temple by an authorized temple “sealer” (officiator) in order to last beyond this life. However, marriages which are performed in temples are very sacred and as such, only adult members of our church can attend. We both have many friends and family members who are not members of our faith so we decided to have an exchanging of rings ceremony in addition to the temple ceremony. It was important to us that those who could not attend the temple still be involved and witness some kind of commitment ceremony, even if we were already married.

I found the bridesmaid skirts that I wanted from another bride’s wedding. I knew they were perfect because they were simple, allowed each bridesmaid to personalize a little with her own top and shoes, and were long enough that my best friend, who is Muslim, could still wear the same thing as the other bridesmaids. I immediately knew I wanted to ask my grandmother to make the skirts. She had sewed bridesmaids dresses for one of her daughter’s wedding and a wedding gown for another so I knew she was the woman to ask! I loved having her make the skirts and she loved doing it. I also loved that every time I called her during the 4 or 5 months before the wedding she was busy working on skirts! It was the best wedding present she could have given me.

We had people from all over the country! 17 states total! I am originally from Virginia but Adam is from Washington State, so when we started planning the wedding in Maryland, we knew we would have to sacrifice having some of our loved ones there but we were so impressed with how many people made a real effort to be there. All 8 of Adam’s siblings…including a sister and her family from Alaska! Planning my wedding from Seattle was, in a word, “h e double hockey sticks”. I wouldn’t change a thing about our wedding but I feel like a lot of that was pure luck. It didn’t help that we were wanting to do everything ourselves which is hard to do from a few thousand miles away. Luckily, we had my sister living in VA who was more than willing to help and we came out two weeks early to do wedding planning like crazy.  In order to save money we didn’t hire a wedding planner, florist, caterer or DJ. I know, right?! It wasn’t easy but in the end we’re glad we did it this way and love how everything turned out!

Wedding Photography: Lisa Marie of Sweet Tea Photography / Wedding Gown: Custom Margot Eltsa / Bridesmaid Skirts: Bride’s grandmother / Groom’s Suit: Indochino / Groomsmen Attire: Their own / Ties: Etsy / Catering: DIY with help from friends and family + Honeybaked Ham + Costco / Flowers: DIY + Fields of Flowers / Hair Stylist: Rebekah, Friend / Make-up Artist: The Bride

Hold onto your hats because things are about to get uber pretty up in here. Of course, that is a given anytime the ladies of Amber Karson Events are involved. They have a way of whipping together the most beautiful of bashes. And the lovely images by photog extraordinaire Tara Welch are definitely adding to the pretty party. This Sugarloaf Mountain wedding is a little bit rustic and a whole lot of stunning and it’s made a happy home in the gallery for maximum viewing pleasure. See it all here!

Click here for the FULL wedding!

From Amber and Emily of Amber Karson Events… One of the first questions we ask our clients is to describe a typical weekend together – are they more likely to be at a local pub watching the big game, at Home Depot gearing up for a DIY project, or snuggled on the couch watching a movie.   The answers we receive quickly give us insight into the type of couple we will be working with.  Becky and Shaun answered they would likely be outdoors on an adventure hunting for vintage finds for the home they just purchased and were restoring.  We spent a good amount of time chatting vintage bottles, estate sales and local antique markets and knew right away the direction their wedding look would head!  Becky and Shaun have a great appreciation for their local community (Shaun even authored a book about their town’s history: Gaithersburg Then & Now) and rustic vintage isn’t just a trend they liked for their wedding.When coming up with a design concept, we worked with Becky on budget friendly ideas to incorporate their existing collection.  Projects like the barrel / old door table display and the petal toss cones Becky made using pages of an old book allowed our bride and groom to “hunt” for treasures in the months leading up to their wedding.

From the bride… My favorite part of the planning process was finding meaningful ways to include the talents of our friends and family like hiring a good friend’s band, using my boss’s world famous jam as a favor, and sourcing potatoes from a farmer I used to work for. The florist shop at The Behnke Nurseries Co. was where Shaun and I met while working our way through college – me tending the houseplants and running florist deliveries, and Shaun running the loading dock. I had always said if we got married I couldn’t possibly use anyone else! Behnke’s is like family to us! Our “best wedding décor find” was definitely Shaun’s bottle collection, which was used for all the centerpiece vases. He found each vintage bottle one at a time digging in old privvies and dumping grounds in the woods!” Your friends and family are your biggest asset! Know and use their talents – whether it’s arranging flowers, baking, or simply listening and keeping you sane. Trust me, most people want to help, but you have to ask!

Event Design + Planning: Amber Karson Events / Photography: Tara Welch Photography / Flowers: Behnke Nurseries / Location: The Comus Inn / Invitations: Bella Figura / Bride’s + Bridesmaids’ Dresses: J.Crew / Groomsmen Attire: J.Crew / Band: On The Bus / Guitarist: Chris Dunn of Classical Guitar Ceremonies Inc. / Cake: Classic Bakery / Hair & Make-Up: Red Door Salon

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

Aaron Snow is one of those photographers that I just can’t seem to get enough of. His images are always beautiful, thats a given, but it’s the emotion behind each photograph that really strikes a cord. And man oh man can he capture a great moment (or a billion). Connect The Dots Events is also at the top of my favorites list. Not only did they design and style one heck of a wedding day shindig but they also designed a rehearsal dinner that puts my own wedding to shame. Stop by the gallery for loads more from this Maryland beauty and all the rehearsal dinner snapshots you could dream of.

Click here to see the entire gallery of images!

From the Bride…I made the mistake of checking the weather about three hours before our ceremony – scheduled to take place outside, next to the Chester River – and was horrified to find that there was an 80% chance of thunderstorms.  As I began to picture our chuppah flying into the river, my dress covered in mud, and our entire wedding day in ruins, Sara England Cunningham, our genius wedding planner, reassured me that it would not rain; she would see to it.  Just like everything else about our wedding, Sara fixed the problem.  Our ceremony went off without a hitch, not a cloud in the sky (it only began raining once we were all under the tent, partying the night away, and having too much fun to even notice).  From the table settings to the placement of name cards, from coordinating with every vendor to becoming a friend and confidant, she made sure that our day was carefree and just, perfect.

While Sara built the day, Aaron Snow, our amazing photographer, captured each moment with care and discretion.  He managed to catch every important moment of the night, and looking at the photos, we got to see everything we missed – it was as if he froze the day and photographed every guest at different points throughout the night.  Beyond the guests, Aaron got beautiful shots of the delicious food – BBQ and delicious backyard picnic sides – the rockin’ band, our beautiful ketubah, and Brittland Manor. Thanks to Aaron and Sara we’ll be able to look back and always remember what an amazing weekend we shared with our closest friends and family.

Wedding Photography: Aaron Snow Photography / Location: Brittland Estates / Design + Coordination: Connect The Dots Events / Rentals: Eastern Shore Tents and Events / Floral Design: Anthony’s Flowers / Rehearsal Dinner Floral Design: Petals / Catering: Catering by Design / Rehearsal Dinner Catering: Gourmet By The Bay / Band: Urban Guerilla Orchestra / Stationery: Paper on Pine / Rehearsal Dinner Invites: William Arthur / Make-up Artist: Tara Miller / Wedding Dress: Vera Wang / Bride’s Shoes: Christian Louboutin / Ring Holder: Paloma’s Nest / Bridesmaids Bags: Oatmeal Lace / Invitations + Printed Materials: Paper on Pine / Ketubah: Naomi Broudo of Fresh Creations / Chuppah: Friend of the Bride + Groom / Tents + Tables: Eastern Shore Tents and Events / Pies: Sister of the Groom + Bakery House / Calligraphy: Wet Ink Calligraphy / Band: Wil Gravatt of Gravatt Entertainment

Up next is this super sweet and rustic, budget friendly DIY beauty photographed perfectly by Love By Serena. Each and every inch of this charming, little fete was lovingly created by the bride, her family, and friends and that’s really what makes a wedding truly special and unique, in my humble opinion. And the pretty, pretty dress on the bride? Yeah, she got it on eBay for 200 bucks! Now that’s truly budget friendly! See even more here.

Click here to see the entire gallery of images!

From Love By Serena…Everything about this wedding blew us away. The mind-blowing location (200 acres of pure goodness), the beautiful couple, the adorable DIY details…

We first met Samantha at her bridesmaid’s (Lindsay) wedding last year.  At the time, her and Anthony had recently gotten engaged. When they asked us about photographing their engagement and wedding, we were thrilled! We ventured out to Grasonville, MD (over the Bay Bridge – towards the Eastern Shore) for this beautiful affair at a Private Residence. Every part of this wedding was put together by someone close to the bride and groom (a very budget-friendly wedding). Samantha’s father hand-built the wedding arch, her mother handmade the roses (that would toss the rice), her aunt & uncle made the wooden wedding signs, and the entire property was being set up and decorated the whole week prior to the big day!  Oh – and Samantha found her wedding dress NEW on eBay for less than $200!  How amazing is that?!

Arch: Father of the Bride / Bridal Gown: eBay / Bridesmaid Dresses: Alfred Angelo / Catering: Anchor’s Aweigh / Ceremony Music: Nika Nauman / DJ: Kenneth White (DJ K Rock) / Floral: Rose Harrell + Jess Cotton / Hair: Sandra Young-Baker / Men’s Attire: Men’s Wearhouse / Wedding Photography + Cinematography: Love By Serena / Rice Roses: Mother of the Bride / Bride’s Shoes: Steve Madden / Transportation: Rod Harrell / Wooden Signs: Bride’s Aunt + Uncle / Venue: Private Residence

If my day to day life could look as pretty as this wedding by Adam Barnes Fine Art Photography, I would spend each waking moment even giddier than I already do. Believe me, that would be a dangerous (yet amazing) level of giddy. Although, after oohing and awing over all the cheery yellow details, the very handsome pooch, the flowers that joined forces with fruit to create greatness, the darling DIY touches, and that never go out of style, style that always makes me swoon – I think my giddy level is already moving quickly towards the danger zone this morning, and I am A OK with that! You can see all the reasons why in the full gallery of images!

Click here to see the entire gallery of images!

From the Bride…Deciding to get married in Annapolis was easy, since it’s the town where Graham went to college, where we met, were engaged, and where we have made many happy memories.  We chose two historic venues in the heart of downtown – a traditional English style garden and a classic college hall.  From there we knew that we wanted our wedding to be an intimate event that focused on our closest family and friends.  We included only things that we love and that are important to us, and left out anything that is not.  Quality seasonal food, regional wine, good music, and ample time to celebrate with our guests were priorities.

We wanted a combination of garden party, dinner party, and dance party.  We were happy to have an eclectic mix of elements – Scottish handfasting, Spanish guitar, bagpipes, Krispy Kreme donuts as a groom’s cake, a Bob Dylan reading – as long as everything reflected us.  Graham is a pilot in the Navy, but chose a summer suit instead of his uniform.  We did keep the tradition of cutting the cake with his ceremonial sword. We incorporated vintage and sentimental elements, but did not have a specific theme.

We used a palette of grey, white, peach, pink, soft green and blue, punctuated with pops of bright yellow.  Our flowers included fresh fruit and were displayed in milk glass that we collected during the course of our engagement.  The custom runners for the king’s tables and the seersucker table cloths were hand-made by my mom.  Many items were purchased from fabulous Etsy vendors. Other elements, such as table numbers, program fans, welcome boxes, place cards, menus, and the seating chart, were our personal labors of love.

Wedding Dress: Tara Keely via Pure English Couture Bridal House / Groom’s Attire + Groomsmen Attire + Bridesmaid Dresses: J.Crew / Ties: Tux and Tulle / Boutonnieres: Blue Flourish / Bridal Party Robes: Plum Pretty Sugar / Hair + Make-up: Updos for I dos / Caterer: Ken’s Creative Kitchen / Wedding Cake: SugarBakers / Floral Design: Flower Child / Invitations: Hobson House Design / Classical Duo: Chris Dunn Classical Guitar / DJ: Evan Reitmeyer, MyDeejay / Trolley: Discover Annapolis Trolley Company / Marriage Certificate: spread the love / Custom Linens: Mother of the Bride / Other Paper Goods: The Bride + Groom / Day of Coordinator: Megan Mills / Ceremony Location: Paca House + Garden / Reception Location: St. John’s College / Wedding Photography: Adam Barnes Fine Art Photography

There is no question I am somewhat obsessed with all things nautical. Groomsmen in blue blazers and khakis make me giddy and sailboats make me swoon. So when a wedding with so much nautical know how sails my way, let’s just say I am quick to jump on board. It’s classically elegant, yet fresh at the same time. And if you can even believe it – this beautiful venue, Silver Swan Bayside, was hit by a tornado a few days prior! You would never know it looking at all the gorgeous images by Corey Hendrickson, and there is even more to tip your topsiders to in the full gallery!

Click here to see the entire gallery of images!

From the Bride…Jeff & I wanted a theme that reflects who we are as a couple: preppy, classy, and fun. We love being on the water, so we went with “nautical chic”. Our “must haves” included a waterfront venue, live band, and great food. Most importantly, we wanted to make sure that our guests would have a great time. We fell in love with the waterfront Silver Swan Bayside and booked it right away. Our colors were navy, white, and a touch of yellow. Jeff & the groomsmen looked the part in their Vineyard Vines ties, Navy blazers, and Sperry Topsiders. I wore Priscilla of Boston (which I customized during alterations), and my bridesmaids wore JCrew dresses. We picked “white and fluffy” flowers, and used mason jars for a rustic nautical touch. We carried our “white and fluffy” look through to our cake, a lemon coconut cake covered in fluffy white buttercream icing and coconut shavings. The Maryland Sage String Trio set the scene for the ceremony, and Winn Brothers Band rocked the reception. To make the reception a little more personal and fun we created a navy/white/yellow candy bar, got custom coozies, and a photobooth!

Jeff & I met in college at Salisbury University, and we have been inseparable ever since! We have truly built our lives together, growing from college kids to a now married couple. We have watched each other graduate with our Bachelors and Masters degrees and then successfully launched our careers. We spend our free time playing with our dog, Teddy, hanging out with our friends, and traveling. We truly compliment each other, and share the same passion for life, fun, and the water.

From Corey Hendrickson…Also, to add that amazingly the venue was hit by a tornado a few days before the event! When I went for the site walk through on Friday, there was a lot of construction going on to fix the roof, doors, and broken glass. When I drove up there were trees down and the surrounding neighborhood looked ravaged.  Cindy was so calm, it was incredible! The venue also did an INCREDIBLE job of getting everything back together in time, it looked great and nobody would have ever known.

Wedding Photography: Corey Hendrickson / Floral Design: Flower Follies / Event Planning: Your Day, Your Way / Location: Silver Swan Bayside / Wedding Cake: Cakes by Fiona / Band: The Winn Brothers Band / Wedding Invitations: Allison Barnhill Designs / Photobooth: Five Star Amusement / Bride’s Shoes: Enzo Angiolini / Wedding Dress: Priscilla of Boston

I must say, I have a total bride crush. The dress, the bangs, the lipstick – complete perfection in my books and so fitting for this masterpiece of laid back Maryland festivities. Not to mention that Love Me Do Photography got down with their bad selves and shot the heck out of this wedding. There were seriously way too many pretty images for one post so the gallery is a must and Map Lovers rejoice! There are a bevy of maptastic beauties to stare at. Just click here.

Click here to see the entire gallery of images!

From Love Me Do Photography…Claudia and Nick had a really elegant, but still rustic wedding in Southern Maryland.  The location at Woodlawn Farms was perfect.  It provided a beautiful place for the bride, groom, family  and friends to stay for the weekend as well as  a picturesque ceremony site overlooking the bay and a huge outdoor space for lawn games and mingling.  Claudia looked amazing in her Jenny Packham vintage style dress. The couple were able to put so much of themselves into their wedding.  They bought flowers from a local farm and assembled them themselves. They made all the jam and sauce favors/place settings for their guests as well as the mason jar candles  (using wax from old candles bought on freecycle) on every table.  They also made the table runners and table numbers with wooden hearts and an old copy of Romeo and Juliet.  Claudia and Nick are about to embark on a year long trip around the world, so they used a 1912 atlas as their guest book. Guests would stamp a page with a tandem bicycle stamp and sign.   They did not have a bridal party, but a large group of friends who all helped out and got to stay at Woodlawn.  It was such a fun wedding to photograph.

Venue: Woodlawn / Catering: Dionysus Kitchen / Desserts: Kristin Martin / DJ: KC Higgins “Mr. KC” / Flowers: Scarborough Farms / Rentals: Bailey’s Rentals / Wedding Dress: Jenny Packham via Rizik’s / Headband + Cufflinks: Etsy / Wedding Photography: Love Me Do Photography

Up next is this gorgeously elegant, yet super fun and festive Baltimore wedding. I love how they juxtaposed the seriousness of the dark wood and drama of the inside with the fun and playful bright pops of color in the flowers by Crimson and Clover Florals. There to capture all the unique details of the day was Andrew Reilly and my favorite part, hands down, is that amazing dining room. It’s beyond gorgeous. Find your favorite part here in the gallery!

Click here to see the entire gallery of images!

From the Bride…When Mike proposed to me I was thrilled!!!! We had been together for four years and were living together in New York City. I was super ready to take the next step and spend the rest of my life with him. I was so excited to start wedding planning although I had no idea where to begin. I have to admit, I am not the most creative person! I began by reading different wedding blogs and became obsessed with SMP. I started to get different ideas, but had no clue how I was going to execute my vision. But I must say, planning this wedding became a labor of love!

One of the first things we did was hire a wedding planner. She helped me organize our ideas, choose vendors, and offered a great deal of support along the way. While we had many professionals involved in the planning and execution, we also had a nice combination of DIY projects (believe it or not) and personal family touches.

Picking the venue was not easy. We had a hard time finding a place that was not a hotel and not outside (Baltimore weather is very unpredictable). The Engineers Club was the last place we went, and we fell in love with it. We knew right away that we wanted to have the ceremony in the Atrium and use long picnic style tables in the main ball room. For the decorations, we wanted it to be fun and colorful and informal. We wanted small flower arrangements in vintage bottles and a non-traditional wedding cake. Everything came out perfect!!!

Wedding Photography: Andrew Riley Photography / Cinematography: Black Tie Video / Flowers: Crimson and Clover Floral Design, Inc. / Event Planning: Kate Beck Events / Location: Engineer’s Club / Wedding Invitations: We Heart Paper / Wedding Dress: Cymbaline / Linens: Table Toppers / Wedding Cake: Sugarbakers / Groom’s Suit: Hugo Boss / Bridesmaid Dress: JCrew

I love this next wedding because it’s simple and classic but with a twist of fun, bright pops of color in the yellow flowers and blue bridesmaid dresses. And I’m secretly dying over the bride’s shoes. How stinking cute are they?! Sent into us by the amazing folks at Jubilee Photography this wedding is a cross cultural experience like no other. And I’m now officially obsessed with finding out more about the Thai water ceremony in which older guests pour water over the bride and groom’s hands while dispelling marital love advice. How cool is that? See all that and more here in the gallery!

Click here to see entire image gallery!

From Jubilee Photography: College sweethearts Alyssa & Seth live and work in gorgeous San Francisco, but when it came time to plan their multi-cultural wedding, Alyssa had her heart set on her hometown of Baltimore. The couple, who are as sweet as they are low key, opted for a casual elegant affair with a touch of whimsy at the breathtaking Evergreen Museum & Library in Baltimore, Maryland.

Rain was a present threat the entire week, with forecasters predicting torrential rains like the weekend before, but the clouds parted and the sun came out just in time for the couple, who had really wanted a breezy, outdoor ceremony. Alyssa chose a bright and fresh color palette of Daffodil Yellow, Turquoise and Grass Green. The tables were decorated with freshly cut bouquets of Yellow Spring Flowers-Hyacinth, Daffodils, Tulips, and other pretty florals nestled in mix and match glass jars & vases.

The ceremony was a combination of cultures and  faiths, with the first part adhering to Seth’s Jewish background, followed by an incredible Thai Water Pouring Ceremony honoring Alyssa’s heritage. The Chuppah was hand-made of Bamboo and Ferns, and held up by family and friends, and after the Jewish Rite, Alyssa & Seth were greeted by all their guests who took part in the tradition. the pouring of water is the most important part of the Thai wedding ceremony as it signifies the couple officially becoming husband and wife. Traditionally, this was all that was required to validate the marriage.

During the ceremony, the bride and groom kneel together, and a holy string is draped from one head to the other, forming a circle and connecting the couple. This symbolizes their spiritual union. They then ” Wai ” by clasping their palms together in the traditional prayer-like gesture while one by one, guests walk up and pour a conch shell full of sacred water over the couple’s hands while offering a blessing or marital advice. The water ceremony is usually performed by all guests older than the couple, with the grandparents and parents proceeding first, followed by relatives and friends of the family.

Everyone retired to the carriage house for amazing food, served in stations, so that guests could mingle and eat, and followed by the first dance, everyone participated in Ramwong, a Thai Folk dance literally meaning to Dance in a Circle! Guests enjoyed a variety of cupcakes and candy, as well as a signature strawberry cocktail served in a Mason Jar.

Photography: Jubilee Photography / Dress and Shoes: J.Crew / Ring Bearer Bowl: Paloma’s Nest / Hair and Makeup: Nicole Gentile and Nicole Crumpler Studio 921/ Flowers: Ellen Frost, Local Color Flowers / Catering: Melanie Brzozowski, Chef’s Expressions / Cupcakes: Georgetown Cupcakes / Rentals: Select Event Rentals / DJ:Absolute Entertainment – Jason Wallace / Ceremony and Reception: Evergreen Museum and  Library / Event Coordinator : Sky Blue Events

Can I just attest to the fact that we absolutely LOVE the trend of colorful gems acting as engagement rings? It’s something so unique, so fresh, and so beautiful – and we really hope it’s here to stay. If your favorite color is red, why not have your ring, which is the one accessory you’ll wear every single day, be a ruby? Or if it’s blue, follow this Maryland bride’s lead and wear a magnificent topaz ring for the rest of your life. This entire day, captured brilliantly by Jonathan Hanson for Readyluck, seemed to be built to let the ring shine in all it’s glory, and we couldn’t be anymore smitten if we tried. So take your time, let the topaz wash over you, then meet me in the gallery for more.

After eight years of adventures together, Mike decided to make it official during a vacation in Kauai. He popped the question on a sandy beach with a stunning blue topaz ring right before our anniversary dinner as the sun was setting and the surfers dotted the ocean. It was so picture perfect that I forgot to answer his question! At some point later, over cocktails with umbrellas in them, I said yes.

We really felt it was important for our guests to have a good time and knew that hiring the band Swingin’ Swamis would do the trick. As a video editor and art educator, respectively, Mike and I also wanted to make sure that we had great photographs, and Jonathan Hanson of Readyluck did not disappoint.

We took our inspiration, loosely, from the work of artist Joseph Cornell, who artfully and poetically juxtaposes pre-existing images and ideas to create something new. So our wedding had a vintage-inspired and eclectic look and feel. For example, I asked my bridesmaids to find blue vintage dresses with brocade designs. And instead of place cards, we provided magnets depicting vintage images of things we enjoy (i.e., bicycles, books). Guests were invited to find the image depicted on the magnet at the reception tables. Also, Cornell uses a lot of blues and yellows in his work, and those were the colors we chose for our wedding.

My favorite moment of the wedding was also one of the biggest surprises. My mom surprised us by singing a touching rendition of “Sunrise, Sunset,” accompanied by my aunt on the guitar. They had been practicing in secret, and their performance brought tears to many guests’ eyes – especially mine.

Band: The Swingin’ Swamis / Dress: Nicole Miller / Cake: SugarBakers Cakes / Flowers: Fleur de Lis / Venue & Catering: Belmont Manor House / Photography: Jonathan Hanson for Readyluck

A wedding is a celebration of a very special love. This Massachusetts wedding is not only that, but is a true labor of love. The organic farming couple cultivated the both flowers and food for the big day (how’s that for the ultimate DIY?) The dress was made by the bride’s mother. The bride’s veil had pearls meticulously sewn on by her mother and close friends. The entire celebratory day was held at the farm where this couple pour out so much of themselves. I could swoon for days. Paul from Studio Foto sent us these amazing images of one of his oldest friend’s wedding – but there were so many phenomenal images, there was no way we could do it justice. Take time to take it all in, to read the heartwarming story from the bride, and then click here for more.

From Krystal, half of Studio Foto … Paul (the other half of Studio Foto) and Sarah (the lovely bride) have known each other since they were little, and I’ve known Sarah for as long as I’ve known Paul. It was amazing to be there, not only as friends to witness their marriage, but as their “fotographers,” capturing a really special day in the life of this beautiful couple. Their wedding was so personal, homemade and heartfelt.

Almost everything about their wedding was DIY. Ella, Sarah’s mum, made her daughter’s gorgeous wedding gown by hand. She and her friends came together to hand stitch the pearls onto Sarah’s veil, and Ella even decorated a pair of darling ballet flats to adorn Sarah’s feet on her wedding day. All the food and flowers were locally grown (lots on the couple’s own farm). The entire wedding took place at the farm, making it even more special.

Check out Studio Foto’s blog for Part 1, Part 2, and Part 3 of this wedding!

My husband and I run Red Fire Farm, a wonderful certified organic farm in Western Mass, where we grow all kinds of vegetables, flowers, some fruit, and eggs from pasture-raised chickens. Amidst the seasons of getting the CSA farm shares all harvested, and winter markets full of bounty, and our crews running smoothly, we weren’t sure if we’d have time to get married in any proper way. I thought at first we could just go to the courthouse and check it off our list!

On our farm there’s this field we call the Faraway Little Hill field, down a bumpy farm road, over a stream, bordering on the old beaver pond and a neighbor’s woodland. The natural world, the land, living ecosystems and outdoor beauty, have always been the strongest source of spirituality for us. When I asked myself what place I wanted to create a marriage, I saw it had to be outside. The Faraway Little Hill Field fit the bill just right.

In the spring, we planned and planted a garden there, in a semi-circle, to be the backdrop of the ceremony. We used plants that would be in bloom for our wedding date in September, and every week of the summer went up to weed and water and fix things together.

This field is indeed far away, so we had to figure out how to get everyone out there. One of our neighbors has a hay wagon, so we hooked that up to the tractor, and planned timed rides down to the field leaving from the barn, which everyone got details about in the invitation. There’s also a path, and walking outside is a beautiful thing, so we made a hand-drawn map as part of the program.

Planning our wedding started with the food, naturally, because we are farmers. It was the easiest part! So the wedding had to happen at the peak of vegetable season. It was easy to think about the dream meal – and very hard to say no to any of our favorite vegetables! Everything we grow has charms and delicious potential, and we had to whittle it down to our favorites, finding ways to showcase their best features in ways that would be somewhat simple to prepare and serve.

I think weddings, in many of their facets, are a celebration of community, and an affirming of community. For us it was very important to source the parts of our wedding from people and farms that we care about. In so many ways this is strengthening.

Photography: Studio Foto / Catering: Locally grown food from Red Fire Farm, Hillman Farm, West Country Cider, & Wine Trail in the Finger Lakes. Cooking by Isis Masoud, Devon Johnson, and Brendon Fitzgerald / Flowers: Organic flowers from Red Fire Farm designed by Joanne and Carol Norris / Location: The Faraway Little Hill Field at Red Fire Farm / Reception Location: Red Fire Farm / Invitations: DIY / Shoes: DIY / Dress: DIY

A pretty in pink, black and white vintage Maryland wedding. Did your heart rate just increase slightly? What if I were to tell you Michele Damon Events worked with the stunning couple to plan and design this too-lovely-to-believe fête – would the butterflies in your stomach start fluttering? The smile on your face is about to increase tenfold when you realize Our Labor of Love photographed this wedding. This wedding that has so much scrumptious eye candy, we can’t help ourselves – we’re giddy. Giddy with excitement over sharing this pretty parade with you today. And believe it or not, there’s even more in the gallery.

From Michele Damon … I met Kristen and her mom two years prior to wedding and they already had a game day plan: she would marry outdoors, under a garden canopy of flowers and candles. Kristen who is a very mod girl with a closet full of unique shoes, said it had to be vintage and intimate even though we were inviting 200 people.

Over the course of the following two years, Kristen and her mom became the antique, thrift store, yard sales queens, scoring the best items you could ever hope to have. Within these great finds (10 boxes to be exact), were a mannequin, her grandmothers cocktail table and 19 feet of lace.

The perfect dress was found at Kleinfield and the first one she tried on. We used flowers in blush shades and complimented them with “king and queen decor” to fit their rock and roller personalities.

The Historic Mansion was the perfect backdrop for the outdoor ceremony and cocktail hour and the amazing glass atrium ballroom went from an elegant dinner to a fun party with many of the guest camped out at Smilebooth all night. At the end of the night, Kristen & Devin exited thru a blaze of sparklers and were whisked away in their vintage Rolls Royce.

Photography: Our Labor of Love / Cinematography: Blue Sky Films / Flowers: Wicked Willow / Event Design & Planning: Michele Damon Events / Ceremony Location: Newton White Mansion / Reception Location: Newton White Mansion / Invitations: Little Bit Heart / Dress: Kleinfield / Shoes: Christian Louboutin / Cake: SugarBakers / Linens: Select Event Rentals / Photo Booth: Smilebooth / Officiant: Parker Sutton / Entertainment: My DeeJay

The pretty patrol was on full force for this Maryland wedding. With the help of Pineapple Productions, this bride and groom put together quite the garden wedding. Patricia Lyons shared some great images of the day… fresh florals, charming paper products (from the adorable Just Paper and Tea), and refreshingly yummy Mint Julep’s made for a day this darling couple will never forget. And the same goes for us – weddings like this are a good reminder as to why we’re called Style Me Pretty. The loveliness does not stop here, either – check out the gallery for more!

How much do you LOVE the Carolina Herrera dress from Carine’s Bridal Atelier?

From Allison with Pineapple Productions … Jessie and Louis met while working in London, and they have spent a lot of time traveling together through England and beyond. Jessie wanted a wedding look that mixed natural garden elements with formal styling. I started visualizing lovely English country homes with old walled gardens, boxwood hedges, brick paths, climbing roses and terraced lawns. We started talking about these sorts of details and suddenly we realized we had landed on the idea of a Secret Garden inspired wedding.

The ceremony was held at All Saints Episcopal Church, an intimate stone church where Jessie’s parents had also been married. We introduced natural garden elements at the church by adorning candlestands with touches of cream, white, and green flowers and boxwood accents. Garlands of greenery were placed on wrought iron stair rails, and altar arrangements rested on stone columns.

The reception took place at the nearby Chevy Chase Club. Guests sipped Pimm’s cups and Mint Juleps, while deer were seen grazing on the horizon as the sun set, during the outdoor cocktail hour. Calligrapher Arney Walker used natural magnolia leaves, picked and collected by Jessie’s mother, as the escort cards.

The ballroom was styled in such a way that guests would feel as though they were dining in a garden under the stars. The tables were covered in stone grey linens, and the centerpieces incorporated four different garden looks. Some tables had ball and cone topiaries covered in boxwood, others had miniature greenhouses. Other designs featured grey wrought iron stands covered with flowers at the base and the top, and the final design – my personal favorite – used wire obelisks with sweet peas climbing through them. For a starry night look, we projected swirling celestial patterns on the ceiling.

After guests had danced the night away, they were invited outside the club to say their goodbyes to Jessie and Louis. When they made their way through the crowd toward a vintage getaway car, guests tossed cones of petals as a surprise. Jessie, in turn, surprised everyone else by handing her peony bouquet to an adorable, thrilled young cousin, ending the special night with a perfect family memory.

Event Planning: Allison Jackson, Pineapple Productions / Floral Design: Jack Lucky Floral Design / Caterer & Venue: Chevy Chase Club / Photographer: Patricia Lyons Photography / Band: Free Spirit through Entertainment Exchange / Linens and Rentals: DC Rental / Wedding Cake: Chevy Chase Club / Cupcakes: Georgetown Cupcakes / Invitations: Just Paper and Tea / Calligraphers: Written by Esther and Arney Walker Calligraphy / Transportation: Reston Limousine / Stage and Flooring: All Stage and Sound / Wedding Gown: Carolina Herrera through Carine’s Bridal Atelier / Bridesmaids Dresses: Vera Wang / Ceremony Venue: All Saints Episcopal Church

Sometimes it’s a perfect detail that really gets me. Other times it’s a fabulous dress, a gorgeous photograph or the most lovely cake on the planet. But today, it’s the story. It’s a tear jerker for sure but one that I think we can all learn from. Plus, it’s one of the sweetest, prettiest weddings we’ve seen and is overflowing with steal-worthy deets. Pink, peony filled, totally girly steal worthy-deets. Click here to see so much more.

Click here to see the entire image gallery!

It’s hard to describe our wedding without first talking a bit about our past. Paul and I met one summer day over a decade ago.  We were neighbors in a small neighborhood in MD, met through a mutual friend and started a romance in high school that seemed like it would last forever (you know how young love can be!).  But, it didn’t…..college happened, Paul moved to Pittsburgh to attend Carnegie Mellon and I went to D.C. to go to Georgetown.  We remained friends, but also started lives of our own and moved on.

Fast forward 6 years and 3,000 miles to the California coast and it’s where Paul and I reconnected.  He had moved there for graduate school at Stanford and I had gotten a job out here after finishing my Masters program.  We met for a date, he cooked me dinner, and 11 months later of our “Round 2” as we call it, we were engaged!  It was Christmas morning 2008, and it was a bittersweet holiday that year. My mother had just been diagnosed with Stage 4 lung cancer and was about to start chemotherapy treatment New Years morning. The engagement was both a surprise (happy one of course) and a much needed source of joy for our families.  My mother was so incredibly happy for us and having seen how much Paul and I had grown up since the days when we were young 14-year olds in love, she was excited for our future and for the wedding. Sadly, she died 4 months after she was diagnosed in April 2009 after a brave and strong fight.

Needless to say I was devastated after my mother’s death, but wedding planning seemed to provide a happy distraction and a time to really show how love can conquer all- something my mother really believed in.  We had a tight budget, but I was determined to design a wedding on my own that really reflected Paul and my personalities- young, vibrant, and full of love. Planning a MD wedding (where most of our family and friends live) from CA proved to be a difficult task, but in the end the wedding was everything we could have hoped for.  It was a casual, yet elegant summer wedding- filled with love and emotion and of course homage to both of my parents who could not be there that day (my father passed away when I was 5).  I knew I wanted an outdoor ceremony so likely an evening wedding- East coast heat in June is the worst- so we set out to look for places that had outdoor space and fell in love with Grey Rock Mansion.  They provided a beautiful garden area that was perfect for the ceremony and since Paul and I are not very religious, we asked a good friend from Stanford, Linus, to marry us and he did an amazing job.  The ceremony included reflections of our past, our present and just the right amount of humor.  One of my favorite moments about it though was when my brother walked me down the aisle. It was so special to have him there with me when our father couldn’t be, and when he whispered “I love you” when we got to the end of the aisle and I saw Paul, I knew everything was going to be all right.

Other details of the day and wedding include invitations designed by my amazing cousin, a graphic designer, and letter-pressed by a local company I found tucked away in Chinatown in San Francisco. We also got a photobooth for our guests to use for our guestbook –everyone had a blast with it!  I designed the centerpieces myself by getting these whimsical table squares off Etsy and my sister spray painted wood numbers we also got off Etsy.  I collected milk vases for the whole year and a half we were engaged- getting them from Ebay, Craigslist, flea markets, and anywhere else I could find them. My florist- a friend of one of my bridesmaids and who so generously did the work for free- filled the vases with all my favorite flowers: peonies, dahlias, spider mums, roses, etc!  We stuck to the soft palette of light pinks, ivory, yellow, and peach and placed 3-4 vases on each table.  I choose homemade caramels from Mouth Party (a local Baltimore company that donates some of it’s proceeds to cancer research) as the favors and stuck hand stamped cards on each box that let guests know we also donated to the American Cancer Society in their name in honor of my mother.  The place cards were hand calligraphied by an amazing vendor on Etsy on these fun paisley cards I bought from Wedding Paper Divas, which I custom colored to match the lime green and pink color palette of the wedding.  My amazing college friends hung all the lanterns I had collected over the last year in the tent and made it look so dreamy inside!  My favorite detail though was a antique locket I tied around my bouquet that had a picture of both my mother and father in it. Having a part of them with me that day calmed me and gave me a great sense of peace.

We danced the night away with our guests and our amazing photographer, Meaghan Elliott, captured every moment so beautifully (at 6 months pregnant I might add!). From getting ready to the sparkler exit her pictures reflected how much joy and love there was that night.

Our wedding was magical.  It showcased so much of who Paul and I are and how far we’ve come.  And, my closest friends kept telling me how “me” the wedding design was from the dress to the details.  In my speech to our guests I said:

“Tonight is about celebrating love and my mother would have been the first person to tell you that we aren’t anyone in this world without the people who we love and who love us back.  So, this is a very personal thank you from me to all of your– thank you for being there for me this past year, for comforting me and grieving with me, but most importantly for loving me.”

Our wedding was certainly about love and I can honestly say I married the love of my life!

Wedding Photography: Meaghan Elliott Photography / Flowers: Kathy McCormick / Wedding Ceremony & Reception Location: Grey Rock Mansion / Catering: Simply Elegant Catering / Wedding Invitation Design & Paper Goods: Vincent Lee, Cousin of the Bride / Wedding Invitation Printing: Culture Lite Printing / Bride’s Shoes: Nina / Wedding Dress: Melissa Sweet / Groom & Groomsmen Attire: Men’s Wearhouse / Bridesmaid Dresses: Priscilla of Boston + Alfred Sung + Watters & Watters + David’s Bridal / Favors: Mouth Party Caramels / Photobooth: Party Booths / Wedding Cake: Artistic Desserts / Calligraphy: Dancing Pen Calligraphy / Bridal Bouquet: Crimson and Clover Floral Design, Inc. / Place Cards: Wedding Paper Divas / Table Squares: Darling Damask / Wooden Table Numbers: Blue Mountain Crafts / Bride’s Shoe Clips: B. Poetic / Bride’s Hair Flower: xoxoDesigns / Jewelry: J.Brown Jewelers

So lovely. That is really the best way to wrap up this, well…lovely, affair by Sea Studio Photography. The gorgeous waterside Washington backdrop and the traditional, yet personal, vibe make for absolutely stunning images that make my heart flutter a bit. And we all know there is nothing better than a little heart fluttering, so be sure to check out the lovely full gallery of images for even more.

click here for the full wedding gallery!

The last thing I expected during a September trip to Victoria B.C. for Brandon’s birthday was for him to pop the big question! The true romantic and planner that he is couldn’t have made it any more perfect – on a bridge at sunset, on his birthday.  His proposal set the tone for our wedding the following August. We wanted an outdoor waterside venue where we could fill the space with personalized touches and where our guests could have a fantastic time. Brandon found a venue before he proposed that he thought we both might like. On our first visit to The Inn at Port Ludlow we fell in love with it.  Located about an hour outside of Seattle by ferry, the Inn sits on the water and has views of both mountain ranges. In addition, the staff was fantastic and was more than happy to help us achieve our dream wedding.

Our wedding weekend began with golf for the guys and an outdoor catered BBQ under a tent for our guests who had come from all over the globe (Alaska, Washington, Los Angeles, Atlanta, Canada, and Spain). The night was filled with lots of laughter, stories, smores, banana boats (secret family recipe), food, and drinks.The next day we were treated to clear skies – a pleasant surprise since it had rained the day before.  After a full day of getting ready and lots of photos on the golf course it was time to head back for the ceremony. I remember taking a moment before walking down the isle with my dad to look around at the reception tent and setting. It was beyond gorgeous. Every detail was perfect from the chandelier and table numbers to the lavender hydrangea centerpieces surrounded by candlelight and candy buffet. To me it screamed romantic. It was everything Brandon and I wanted.

The setting was beautiful but we decided to add special personalized touches to make it more us. Personalized water bottled and wine were placed in guest’s rooms. Wood signs from Etsy with Mr. and Mrs. on one side and thank and you on the other were used for our thank you cards and placed on our seats at our table for two. Our wonderful photographers created a guest book for us with our engagement photos and I added ‘B’ and ‘K’ mugs with flowers and silver letters from Anthropologie to the guest book table. Inspired by our photographers we added more initial mugs with flowers to our candy buffet that spelled out SWEETS. Our candy buffet had every purple candy I could find and was put together by our wedding planner. My mom also created kits for kids to keep them entertained with silly bands, slinkys and coloring supplies. I added my Boppa’s Bronze Star to my bouquet to make sure he was there with us that day and carried a handkerchief with my initials during the ceremony. My maids gifts were initial necklaces with a lavender bead from Etsy. I also added a lavender sash to my dress to match Brandon’s tie. It was very important to us to include family and friends in our ceremony and therefore we asked a close friend to marry us and my cousin to recite I Carry Your Heart With Me by E.E. Cummings. The ceremony was very memorable – we laughed, we cried and passing boats honked in celebration.

After the ceremony the string trio continued to play throughout the cocktail hour where drinks and appetizers were served. Guests were then escorted into the tent for dinner and dancing. The evening ended with an exit through sparklers and an after hours indoor dance party, featuring my husband’s famous dancing! Our wedding was far better than either of us could have imagined. We can’t thank our amazing guests and vendors enough for helping to make our special day an experience we’ll never forget.

For all the brides on a budget out there, here is a wedding that is just as budget friendly as it is beautiful. Full of fun DIY projects, contributions from friends and family, and a Modern Trousseau dress the bride found at a consignment shop (someone needs to tell me just where that consignment shop is!) – this wedding just goes to show just how far a little creativity will go. Not to mention the bride’s talented friend, Rebecca of Hales Studio, gave the bride the gift of timeless images – all of which you can see in the full gallery.

click here for more adorable DIY images!

From Rebecca of Hales Studio…Angela and I went to College together so when I heard she was engaged I couldn’t resist offering to photograph her wedding. It was a great day and so lovely to be a part of such a special day in a friends life. Angela and Chris’ Baltimore wedding was filled with do it yourself ideas. Angela wasn’t going to spend a lot of money on her dress but couldn’t refuse the Modern Trousseau dress she found in a consignment shop! It needed no alterations as if it was made for her.

Every detail was done on a budget right down to her flowers. Angela had a friend do all the flowers for her wedding. All the succulents were from her Maid of Honors garden in California and the grooms parents garden! They were carefully dug up, packed and shipped to Baltimore. They were put into beautiful center pieces which Angela found all the glassware at Thrift Stores. The delicious sangria was made by her maid of honor and brought in for the reception! Even their cake was something special. The baker donates all her profits to a DC nonprofit that fights human trafficking! This wedding was so lovely and just proves you don’t have to spend a fortune to have a gorgeous wedding.

Dress: Modern Trousseau / Bridesmaids Dresses: J. Crew / Photography: Hales Studio / Cake: Olivia Doherty, ojdoherty@gmail.com / DJ: Karl with C & J Entertainment / Venue: Overhills Mansion, catered and owned by Whitehouse Caterers / Flowers: Designed by Christine Sohns, chrissysohns@yahoo.com purchased from Potomac Floral / Officiant: Rev. Laura Cannon / Wedding Coordinator: Kristina Lynn Wedding and Events / B&B: Wayside Inn

Since Christmas is only a few days away, we thought we would pull out some extra pretty, extra fabulous weddings to devour. Consider it an early gift from Style Me Pretty. And don’t forget to take a looky loo at the galleries where the gifts keep on giving with even more fabulous images from each and every wedding featured.

To get the festivities rollin, we are going to delve into this perfect little number shot by Alisandra Photography. It is such a great mix of preppy meets nautical meets chic and there is even an adorable scottie dog to boot. He seems right at home in this Maryland soiree as are our nautical loving sensibilities. Be sure to pop on over to the gallery for more from this oh so lovely wedding.

see the FULL wedding here!

We met in front of my freshman dorm at Georgetown. Both new to the varsity sailing team there, my family’s neighbor in the tiny town of Oxford, Maryland somehow knew both of us (Andrew’s from San Diego!) and immediately predicted that we would end up together. His forecast seemed dubious, but two years later, we were indeed together. Five years and lots of travels, sailboat racing, skype phone calls, cross-country driving, fun adventures, and a move later, Andrew proposed at the Lincoln Memorial after our usual post-work Thursday night boatracing with former teammates on the Potomac. Teary-eyed and smiling, we surprised our buddies who were eating at Booey’s in Georgetown afterwards and turned a regular summer Thursday night into an epic time celebrating together with some of our favorite people.

We knew we wanted our wedding to be just as fun, relaxed, and meaningful as our engagement. So we chose Oxford, Maryland, where I had spent lots of time on the water growing up. We chose our church because it had an intimate, semi-circular setup, an amazing gospel choir that would sing for us, and a very personable and welcoming pastor and congregation. Our reception venue was an easy pick, since the TAYC was where I learned to sail and was in a great spot on the water. Some other things we knew we wanted to include were my grandfather’s 1960’s convertible from Germany, vintage-y touches in the decor and photography, Eastern-shore flavors in the food, a “polaroid” photo booth complete with mustaches on a stick and other silly props, a blues-y motown band that would get everyone dancing, our friend’s grandpa’s historical boat for the after party, and each of our favorite colors, blue and green. The photographer was also an easy choice, since Ali and I were photo school classmates and have shot together, so I knew she would do a fantastic job.

Andrew and I ended up going DIY with a lot of the details for the wedding: the programs and menus, the calligraphy for the invitations (a talent of Andrew’s that I never knew about!), the green and white flower ball for the center of the ceiling, the ceiling decoration, the table numbers, a painted canvas (with our initials and a cool pattern in white and green) to cover an unwanted display case, the favors/escort cards (Old Bay Seasoning wrapped with twine, a hand-edged tag, and cool printed fabric), the photo booth and album, the place cards (oyster shells from the shore in front of my parents’ house, with names written in gold, a family tradition at dinner parties), the tissue paper pom poms for the reception room, etc. It all came together beautifully, with the help of our wonderful parents, bridal party, and vendors. It was SUCH a good day!

Photographer: Alisandra Photography / Ceremony: Water’s United Methodist Church / Reception Venue and Catering: Tred Avon Yacht Club / Flowers: Fabulous Flowers by Ingrid Blanton / Band: The Moonlighters / Dress: Judd Waddell / Bridesmaids dresses: J.Crew / Groom suit: Brooks Brothers / Cake: Peace of Cake / Ice Cream Cart: Scottish Highland Creamery / Bride’s Makeup: Shaune Hayes / Hair: Oliver Michaels Salon / Day-of-Coordinator: Corrie James

It doesn’t get much better than the next wedding…an adorable, handmade fairytale with some of the coolest photographs by L Hewitt Photography.  I love a good story…especially one with a happy ending…and the one that accompanies this homespun affair is super sweet.  Plus this crafty couple pulled it off for under 10K in just 5 weeks! Click here for even more DIY details!

Click here for even more DIY inspiration!

When Daniel and I first got engaged, we had no idea when our big day was going to be- we were in no particular rush, and hadn’t even thought about what kind of wedding we wanted. But those days of being engaged were some of the happiest days of our lives, and we quickly realized why: Taking that step into announcing to the world our intent toward one another drew our attention back to how much we truly loved each other and wanted to spend the rest of our lives together. This realization led to something kind of silly: One day, while talking, we just said “I can’t wait to marry you”….then there was a pause, and then, “Let’s just do it tomorrow!” Well, we didn’t do it the very next day, but we pulled off the wedding in a record 5 weeks- from designing invites to walking down the aisle. This short time-frame, and the fact that I’m a student on sabbatical, also meant that we had almost no savings whatsoever, so armed with a total budget of under $10,000, we took on every D.I.Y. project conceivable- a challenge mostly exhilarating and at times, extremely overwhelming. Every hand-painted invite, every boutonniere, lantern, and place card was lovingly assembled by me and Daniel.

Once we set a deadline for ourselves, everything kind of started falling into place. After surveying a handful of venues in the area, when we finally saw Woodlawn Manor, it was simply love at first sight for us both. Nestled in rural Maryland, among rolling meadows, complete with barns, grazing horses, fireflies that lit up the night, and a magnificent manor house built in the 18th century, it was the perfect place for us to celebrate the day with our nearest and dearest. We wanted the wedding to be intimate, un-stuffy, joyful, and a reflection of who we were as a couple. My parents, whom I hadn’t seen in *two years*, flew in all the way from India so they could be a part of our big day. Months and months of missing one another culminated in a single day bursting with sentiment. It was a bittersweet moment; they were so very happy for us, and so sad that they had missed so much. In spite of a few hiccups along the way (like forgetting to walk down the aisle with the bouquets we had stayed up until 3am to make), the day was, for the most part, everything we had wanted it to be. Unfortunately, someone forgot to give me the memo that said “You pulled it off! Now relax and enjoy your day!”, and so, as it turns out, our wedding day went by in an adrenaline-rushed blur for me, and in the weeks following the wedding, I realized things had happened to me on that day that I couldn’t even remember!

Fortunately, our photographer Leah Hewitt did such a brilliant job capturing the essence of the day.  Every smile, tear and anxious glance was laid out for us to relive and to cherish forever, and I just couldn’t be more thrilled! What’s more, Leah’s husband Marc actually officiated our wedding, and we felt blessed to be able to integrate another happily married couple into our day, for good luck. My favorite part of the day? There were actually two. The first was when I arrived at the venue from the salon, and saw nearly all our friends, Daniel’s coworkers, cousins, and my little brother, helping put things together last-minute. There wasn’t an idle hand in sight. I’ve heard people say they would never “inconvenience their guests by making them help out”, but it wasn’t like that. Everyone who banded together seemed genuinely happy to be so directly instrumental in making the day a success. Our friend Anna made all the desserts (including three wedding cakes!), my maid of honor Erin hand-drew the “guest tree”, almost everyone pitched in, and that made Daniel and me feel truly loved and special. The second part was our ceremony. Walking down the aisle towards my husband-to-be, I was trying to remain composed and look pretty, but I just couldn’t hold back the enormous ear-to-ear grin I had plastered on my face. Then, when reciting our vows, I was suddenly overcome with another kind of emotion- I started bawling, and could barely keep it together. The next hour or so was just an emotional roller-coaster ride, and thinking back to it today, I chuckle and I know that I wouldn’t change a thing. The music, the people, the history and charm of the old manor house, and most of all, the smiles on everybody’s faces, made it a magical evening to remember!

Vendor Credits: Photography: Leah Hewitt of L Hewitt Photography and Natthapol Wonsaroj / Venue: Woodlawn Manor / Catering: Basikneads Catering / Music: Katie Ribik and Logan Kraft

We see a lot of weddings around here and each one is gorgeous in its own right but the weddings that we positively adore and can’t quite seem to get enough of are the home-spun affairs. The weddings that are built from the ground up by friends and loved ones. This Maryland wedding is one of those beauties and it is about as sweet as they come. From the homemade cakes to the head over heels in love couple, we just can’t seem to shake our wedding crush. And the photography? Beyond. Adam Barnes was on hand to capture all the love and he did so to complete and total perfection. Wedding Art is what we like to call it. There’s even more gorgeous to pore through in the gallery so be sure to have a looky-loo.

see every last beautiful detail here!

Adam Barnes not only captured the gorgeous images, but he switched up his cameras and caught even more of this beautiful day…

From the Bride…

Our wedding took place at Running Fox Farm in Chestertown, Maryland. We fell in love with the venue, especially knowing that we would be doing everything ourselves, it gave us a great place to start! We loved the open fields, the rustic feel of the barn, and the elegance of the manor. It was really important to us that our guests felt involved and close to us. Matt is from California, and I am from Maryland, so we had guests traveling from all over the country. The whole property has such a romantic and intimate feel to it, which is exactly what we wanted for our wedding day.

I had such an exciting and unique opportunity in that I was able to design and help create my wedding dress! This was such a fun experience. I love lace and tulle, and the seamstress, Suzanne, did an amazing job of bringing my vision for the dress to life. It was my absolute dream dress, and it held so much sentimental value knowing that I helped create it. One thing that made our wedding incredibly special was all of our friends and family that were so willing to share their gifts and talents with us. Matt’s dad is a pastor, and he officiated our wedding. My sister-in-law’s mother, Janae, is incredibly talented and worked with me tirelessly on the design of the wedding. My friend and bridesmaid, Lauren, made our wedding cake. A family friend is an electrician, and he strung all the chandeliers and lights from the trees. The list goes on of the amazing people that shared their gifts with us. At one point during our reception, Matt and I just stopped and looked around, so incredibly humbled and thankful for the people that helped make our day so amazing. The details and planning were fun, but looking back, I remember how easy it was to get caught up in them. In the end it didn’t matter because on that day, they were exactly that: details. The details and design of our wedding wouldn’t even be in existence had I not found an amazing man who asked me to spend the rest of my life with him. On the day, our vows, our family, and friends there supporting us, surpassed everything else.

Photography: Adam Barnes Fine Art Photography / Ceremony: Running Fox, Chestertown, MD / wedding cake was made by a friend (and bridesmaid) Lauren Petri / All the cakes were made by a family friend, Maureen Czebotar / Tarts: Whole Foods in Annapolis / Flowers: Dawn at Severna Park Florist / Event design: Bride and Janae May (family friend) / Invitations: Bride and Wade Smith (friend) / Shoes: Ann Taylor / Dress: Designed by Bride, made by Suzanne Reams