Michael and Ariana met in 2013 while attending Salisbury University. “We were both at a concert and our paths crossed. We instantly hit it off. We danced the afternoon away together and had so much fun. I ended up asking Michael to be my date for my sorority formal. He said yes, and we’ve been together ever since.”
Michael proposed in 2017 while visiting Ariana’s family for Thanksgiving. “Although it was a bit chilly, my dad suggested we go down to Leonardtown Wharf to take some photos. It wasn’t too long before I suggested we wrap things up and head home. We posed for one last photo, but really my dad was taking a video. Next thing I know, Michael was getting down on one knee.”
The couple had planned for a June wedding, but COVID-19 led to pushing it back until October. ”After all the waiting, planning, and anticipation of our special day, it was quite devastating when we realized we had to postpone our wedding. But we made the best of it.”
Eighty guests, including a nine-person wedding party, attended their ceremony at St. John the Evangelist in Downtown Frederick. ”The church did a great job at blocking off every other pew to allow for social distancing and family units were asked to sit together.”
Michael and Ariana chose a color palette of blush and navy blue with white flowers and greenery. “Although we switched from a June wedding to a fall wedding, we kept our color palette but added some burgundy to add some fall color.”
Michael wore his late father’s Maryland State Police pin inside his suit jacket, and Ariana gifted him a photo charm of his father that said “In my heart, forever” that he also wore in his jacket. Their florist used lace from the wedding dress of Ariana’s mother to wrap around her bouquet.
Michael is a Physician Assistant in Frederick and Ariana is a registration specialist for a meetings and event planning company. They currently reside in Frederick.
First dance: Grow Old – Florida Georgia Line
Honeymoon: Charlottesville, Virginia
Vendors
Getting Ready: Hilton Garden Inn Frederick
Ceremony: St John the Evangelist Roman Catholic Church
Reception: Springfield Manor**
Catering: Carriage House**
Photography: Melissa Barrick Photography
Coordinator: Sherry Weedon Events
Rings: Colonial Jewelers **
Dessert: Stone House Cakery**
Flowers: Abloom**
Hair & Makeup: Poetically Brushed by Kim
Entertainment: Shew-sical Entertainment**
Lighting: WoW Event Lighting**
Transportation: A Touch of Class Limousines
**FrederickWeddings.com member