Amanda and Jared first met on an important phone call. Amanda, who works in human relations, was offering Jared a job at their mutual workplace. Exactly one year after that first phone call, they went on their first date! A few years later, Jared had special plans to celebrate Amanda’s 30th birthday. He arranged for her beloved sisters to fly in from Texas and California, hired a limo to carry her and her friends to a special wine-tasting dinner, and then, just before leading the crowd in a rendition of the “Happy Birthday” song, Jared got down on one knee and asked Amanda to be his wife. She was stunned, but managed to say “yes.” Amanda and Jared said their vows in Middletown’s Zion Lutheran Church and celebrated with family and friends at Catoctin Hall at Musket Ridge in Myersville. All the lovely moments were captured by Spence Photographics.
wedding
Stephanie Kopf Photography shared Magalys and Brians Real Wedding story with us:
“I have some great news for youuuuu” the planner sang to Maggie as she popped her head into the bridal suite. We had all been listening to the wind and rain batter the fogged window panes for a while, and when the planner exclaimed that the forecast had shifted and the storm was on its way out for the rest of the day, we all exhaled a collective sigh of relief.
Maggie and Brian vowed to spend the rest of their lives together at Ceresville Mansion, just outside Frederick. The ivy-woven altar, the lush greenery and classic architecture of the mansion surrounding it, and even the clouds that danced above us after the storm… it was all enough to set a tone of excitement and romance as Maggie slipped into her fairytale gown. While Maggie enjoyed the company of her adoring bridesmaids and family, Brian and his groomsmen put the finishing touches on their swanky getups in the room across the hall. After the storm kindly made its way elsewhere, Maggie and Brian were ready for their intimate first look. Brian had a chance to marvel at his stunning bride, and they shared a few quiet moments alone before everything got started. From then on, the day was a whirlwind of happy tears, joyous embraces from loved ones, and a heck of a dance party.
It all started with an e-mail to a girl who I had never met in person before. My mom had given me an email address and told me I should write first and say ‘hello.’ All I knew was that her name was Kim. First there were e-mail exchanges, then telephone calls and eventually our face-to-face meeting at her place in North Carolina. When I first saw Kim, she was wearing the prettiest white dress when she opened the door. She later confessed to me that it took her hours to prepare for our first date and that she was very nervous. I was definitely nervous, too. Every new memory we shared with each other has been special, from our first time having sushi together to eventually planning our wedding. Our paths were set so that we would one day meet each other and no matter how we got to this point, we ended up in each other’s lives as husband and wife.
Isn’t that just so sweet? We love their casual stroll downtown and how Daysy documented their love of Downtown Frederick. Thanks for sharing and congrats to Kim-Ngan and John!
Ashton Kelley Photography shared this lovely late summer styled shoot with us, to give our readers some extra inspiration. Here’s what Ashton had to say about her own inspiration:
Lindsay and Matt were married last December. They worked closely with planners from Elle Designs in Baltimore, and were the perfect couple to model for our “Blissfully Bohemian” styled shoot to end the summer. Many local vendors from Baltimore and the surrounding area offered time to make this peaches-and-cream dream come true, but the highlight was watching Lindsay and Matt be adorable, caught up in one another, and sharing their love with us. The two did not have a chance to do an engagement session, so I was connected with them as a way to do something more wedding forward. We all had a blast working together and they were a beautiful couple! The light was gorgeous, and so was the setting; it was a wedding photographer’s happy place.
:: Participating vendors ::
Ashton Kelley Photography
Elle Ellinghaus Designs
Francesca’s Bridal
Tuxedo House
Behind the Veil Bridal Hair and Makeup Artistry
EAlex Design (invitations)
Two Back Flats (heirlooms and extras)
Vintage Affairs (equipment rentals)
Violets Florist by Connie Clark
Allison and Dan fell in love during their college days at Virginia’s James Madison University. The spent many hours together, playing beautiful music as members of the Marching Royal Dukes. But then, they spent years apart until last Spring. They finally marched down the aisle together at St. John’s Catholic Church in Westminster, as husband and wife, and celebrated with family and friends at Morningside Inn in Frederick. Their lovely wedding was captured by Spence Photographics.
Photography :: Spence Photographics
Ceremony venue :: St. John’s Catholic Church, Westminster
Reception venue :: Morningside Inn
DJ :: Soundsations
Hair stylist :: Kasey O’Hara, The Hair After
Make-up artist :: Gypsy Sol makeup
Flowers :: Blossom and Basket Boutique
Cake/Cupcakes :: Starry Night Bakery
Transportation :: Lasting Impressions
3 Reasons to Include Your Photographer During the Planning Phase
Photo and words by Jenna Shriver Photography
Planning ahead can truly make or break your wedding day experience. And the one crucial person to include in the planning process (other than your future spouse, of course!) is your photographer. If you do, you will ensure the following:
1. You will get images of all the major events you want captured. When you and your photographer work together to plan your wedding day timeline, she can advise you on the best time of day to plan for your most anticipated photos, in your location of choice. Maybe you’re getting married at a beautiful Frederick countryside venue and “the shot” you want is of you and your new spouse with the Catoctin Mountains in the background. The best way to ensure you will get this image is to communicate with your photographer. She can figure out sunset time on that day so that lighting will be at its absolute best. If you include your photographer in the timeline planning, she can tell you how to make sure she’s there for the important photos you want, such as your planned grand exit. Many couples forget to factor in travel time from the ceremony to the reception location, which often cuts your bridal party portrait taking time short. Your photographer can offer suggestions so this won’t happen.
2. You and your photos will benefit from optimal lighting situations. For outdoor ceremonies, most photographers would advise couples not to plan the ceremony mid-day (when the sun is at its highest and brightest) or after dark (of course). The sun can cast extremely harsh shadows on your face mid-day, and no matter how much Photoshop prowess your photographer has, the images will not be their best. After dark, your photographer will need to use flash to light the subjects in photos. If you love natural light images with little to no artificial lighting, then this scenario is not ideal. Regardless, if you communicate your timeline well with your photographer, he or she will be able to bring any additional equipment needed to capture your day.
3. The day will run smoothly when all vendors know each other and are working together. Have you hired a wedding planner or day-of coordinator? If so, encourage your planner and photographer to chat before the wedding day. It may even be a good idea to plan an in-person meeting if possible. If your coordinator works for your venue, then he can educate your photographer ahead of time on venue policies and share his knowledge of the venue. If you don’t have a planner or day-of coordinator, then your photographer can be your best ally in helping your day to stay on track by allowing him to communicate with the DJ or band, and other vendors so the day will be stress-free for you.
Photos by Brian Virts Photography
For many brides and grooms, one of the most meaningful moments at their wedding reception is the dance with their mom or dad. It can be full of meaning and tears or laughter and fun. No matter what, it’s an important tradition at many weddings, so we asked our readers and Facebook fans to share with us their favorite memories from their dance with their mom or dad.
My father died in 2005, so I danced with my mom at my wedding. It started with “Because You Loved Me,” by Celine Dion and then it transitioned into “She Bangs,: by William Hung. (You know, the horrible version that was his audition on “American Idol”). “She Bangs” was my dad’s favorite song, so I kept it a secret and when the music changed at first my mom wasn’t sure what was going on, but once she recognized the song she had a blast dancing to it. And it was a fun (and uplifting) way to keep my father in my day. – Katelyn Keegan
We danced to a “Sound of Music” classic, “Edelweiss,” with my dad. We sang the whole time! It’s our favorite family movie! - Lara Knepper
My husband and I ended up running away to Lake Tahoe and got married… I would have done “My Girl,” by The Temptations; my dad used to sing that to me all the time. - Sharon Wresche Brent
I surprised my dad by picking one of his favorite John Prine songs, “It’s a Big Old Goofy World.” I have been getting him tickets to see John every year for Fathers’ Day for a long time. – Jessica Latos
For many years when I was younger, my dad would rock me to sleep singing “Sweet Baby James,” by James Taylor. I surprised him at our wedding by playing that song for our father/daughter dance… it was a really happy, emotional moment. That song has always been special to me because of the memories from my childhood, and now even more so. -Briana McPherson
I made a playlist and put it on a thumb drive to send to my dad so he can pick out the song (you know…pre-approved from my list…) for us to dance to. – Rebecca Jo Dick
My dad and I danced to his favorite song, “What a Wonderful World.” In my head, for months and months, I had this idea we’d both be crying and emotional. But when it started my dad said to me, “Hey, last time I heard this song was at a funeral!” and I laughed and then we just chatted the rest of the song while we danced. It’s funny how we can plan our weddings all we want, but you just never know how things will pan out! - Mary Kate Battles