Kelley and Tyler’s Westminster Maryland wedding this past Saturday could not have been more beautiful. Kelley is a sweet friend of mine that I met in choir at college! One year we roomed together on choir tour, and it was such a sweet time! Our two other choir tour roomies were also at the wedding! Our friend Jocelyn was a bridesmaid (whose wedding I shot in New York last year!) and Elisa (one of my bridesmaids!) sang “The Bridegroom Cometh” as Tyler welcomed his beautiful bride down the aisle.

I absolutely love Kelley and Tyler’s story. In college, Kelley and I often commiserated with each other about our woes in the love department, hah! It wasn’t until after college that Kelley and Tyler reconnected. You see, they actually grew up together at the same church back in their hometown in Maryland! After college, they realized that the person they’d been looking for was right there too. It is so obvious from their photos that Tyler just adores Kelley.

The details of this Westminster Maryland wedding came out absolutely STUNNING. Get this – Kelley MADE her bouquet HERSELF. Yep, that’s right. I am so in love with it!! It tied in perfectly with the bridesmaids dresses and the rest of the details throughout the day. One of my favorite parts of the day is shooting detail shots. These images are where you can see just how wonderfully your theme and plan comes together. Everything looked expertly coordinated, but Kelley and her parents actually did most of the work themselves, along with a FANTASTIC team of ladies from the church. They worked tirelessly to get the reception arrangements and the reception hall together and it. was. magical. There are so many detail shots in this post! Everything came together so wonderfully.

Kelley is without a doubt the most selfless bride that I’ve ever had the honor of photographing. Her glorious bouquet? She didn’t keep it for herself, but gave it as a gift to her mom. We planned to go to two locations after the reception: one that was special to her, and one that was special to her mom. There were SO many people that came to celebrate with them, so they ended up leaving a little later than planned, and we were running out of light fast because of the weather. So we could only choose one location. You know which one she picked? The one that was special to her mom. Some sweet girls picked some wildflowers for Kelley during the reception, and since she gave her bouquet away, the wildflowers are what she carried with her during their getaway! That’s just how kind and thoughtful Kelley is.

I could not be happier for Kelley and Tyler. The weather was foggy and misty, but that didn’t steal their joy one bit. We had a beautiful time of love and laughter, and Kelley’s attitude and selflessness humbles me. Enjoy this blush and lavender Westminster Maryland Wedding!

Special thanks to my second shooter and Maryland native, Annette Senio!

Dress: Cinderellas Brevard, NC
Venue: Calvary Baptist Church Westminster, MD
Florals: Kelley’s family ordered hydrangeas and roses for Kelley’s bouquet direct from growers in South America; greens and other  roses were purchased at Costco and Safeway, and specialty flowers (including thistle, the national flower of Scotland, and lavender roses) from Potomac Floral in Silver Spring. Kelley and her mother worked with the ladies of the church to design the arrangements. They were truly breathtaking!

Westminster, Maryland Wedding in Blush and Lavender

     

Kelley’s family is Scottish, and her bouquet was wrapped in a pink ribbon along with her family’s tartan pattern! 

Kelley made this bouquet herself and I just can’t get enough of it!

    

Tyler’s groomsmen got these totally fab shades from Tyler, and Kelley’s brother wore another piece of the family tartan in his pocket when he walked down the aisle.   

I am obsessed with the coordination of these colors!!!

Kelley was so excited about her long sleeves!! Aren’t they gorgeous? 

I can’t get over her earrings and still her BOUQUET.   

Kelley’s engagement ring is one of the most beautiful rings I’v ever seen. Set in rose gold, her ring itself makes a rose! There is a larger diamond on top surrounded by smaller diamonds, and the prongs look like leaves. There is also a leaf pattern on the band!! Tyler’s ring is also surrounded by rose gold.

Kelleys maid of honor, Marie, is a talented artist! She gifted Kelley and Tyler this beautifully scripted handwritten copy of their wedding vows which they signed during the ceremony.

   

The Ceremony

All of the flowers were FRESH thanks to Kelley’s parents!!! So many people from the church helped bring their floral visions to life!!!

Friends of Kelley and Tyler played the Trumpet Voluntary during the seating of the mothers and grandmothers.     

At the end of the ceremony, the congregation sang “It Is Well With My Soul,” a favorite hymn of the couple. It was so powerful and moving. 

The bridal party rang bells after Kelley and Tyler’s first kiss as husband and wife!

The Reception

Now on to the reception details!!! They turned this church fellowship hall into a magical place! I am obsessed with the succulents on the table that went home with the guests as wedding favors.

And don’t even get me started on the FOOD! It was SO GOOD. So many desserts and hors d’oeuvres and it was amazing.

The table settings were so elegant! They had antique china and glassware.

How many girls does it take to bustle a dress? About this many. 🙂 

During the reception, the lights were dimmed and twinkling lights and candles illuminated the space!

The maid of honor, Marie, gave a beautiful and moving speech honoring Kelley and Tyler. There was not a dry eye in the place! She summed up her feelings perfectly at the end when she said she was “100% happy” because the “person she loved the most was marrying the person she respected the most.” Great job, Marie!  

Kelley and Tyler had SO MANY people show up to celebrate with them. The reception lasted over two hours without any dancing or games because they wanted to talk to and greet as many people as possible!

Instead of a bouquet toss, Kelley had a special bouquet made for her grandparents whose marriage is still strong after 68 years.

I love doing parent portraits at receptions! They spend so much time, effort, and money putting together the most special celebration for their children. They deserve a portrait all dressed up, too! Annette, my second shooter, captured these shots of the parents! Annette is a friend of Kelley’s mom, so that made it even more special! 

And now for the rose-petal getaway! 

Post-reception portraits in Mt. Airy Maryland

After the reception, we went to Kelley’s parents house to take some extra portraits. They are sitting on a rock that Kelley and her brother have taken many photos on over the years as they grew up!! 

Every bride deserves a “veil blowing in the wind” shot! My husband, Matt, helped me with this one. 🙂 

This field is owned by Kelley’s grandfather! 

Congratulations, Kelley and Tyler!