I am SO excited to share photos from Megan and Sam’s wedding because I have known these two for so many years!! Megan and I grew up literally just across the street from each other, went to middle and high school together, and even ended up both attending UMBC! Megan and I have been friends for so many years (you can read all about it on their engagement blog post!), and I feel so lucky to have gotten to know Sam recently as well. And not only am I so happy to have been a part of Megan and Sam’s beautiful day, but I also got to photograph Megan’s mom’s wedding just about a year and a half ago! I love this family so much, and it was so, so special to be there for Megan and Sam’s big day. And what an absolutely beautiful and special wedding this was!
Megan is a graphic designer, and she is so incredibly talented. Megan created all of invitations and other printed materials for the wedding, and they were so beautiful. And these special touches like that were clear throughout their day. For their guestbook, the couple asked guests to leave them notes that they could open and enjoy one their one, two, three, four, and five-year anniversaries. Isn’t that a fantastic idea? I wish I could go back to my wedding day and do the same thing! Those will be so special to read and enjoy each year as Megan and Sam celebrate their time together. These two also served a number of local Maryland beers, and celebrated with wedding cupcakes in addition to a wedding cake! Megan and Sam chose such cool, unique, and fun cupcakes – salted caramel, French toast (with candied bacon), and mixed berry. I have to admit – Kelsey and I shared a salted caramel cupcake on the drive home and it was SO good!
Megan and Sam also made a donation to the Maryland SPCA in lieu of favors as a way to honor their guests and give back. As an animal lover, I think this is just so great, and giving back on their big day is so very much Megan and Sam. This two are so giving, so loving, and so caring, and it was clear that their family and friends love these two so much! Both Megan and Sam have such sweet, supportive families, and they each have two siblings – Megan has two sisters and Sam has two brothers. It was also so nice to see Megan’s two sisters, Alison and Carly, and her mother, Melanie, at Megan and Sam’s wedding!
It is clear that these two thought carefully about every detail of their day, including Megan’s gorgeous dress! While I was photographing her pretty invitations (that Megan designed! She is so talented!) and Kelsey was photographing Megan’s wedding dress, Megan’s bridesmaids were joking that Megan tried on close to 100 dresses before she chose her beautiful lace one from BHLDN. I couldn’t help laughing because I tried on more than 70 wedding dresses before I chose mine as well! Clearly the time spent trying on close to 100 dresses was worth it, because Megan’s wedding dress was so, so stunning on her.
But in addition to creating an absolutely gorgeous wedding (with talented planner Liz Giles assistance!), Megan and Sam were so incredibly excited to be saying “I do” to one another. Just days before their wedding, Megan and Sam celebrated their seven-year anniversary. Yay! One of Sam’s groomsmen started his speech by congratulating these two on being together for seven years, but as the speech went on, that time went from seven years to 12, then 14, and then 16 years! It was so funny!
But being together for seven years means that these two not only are very comfortable around one another, but they know each other so, so well. Right after their first look, Megan and Sam exchanged gifts with one another. Megan gifted Sam a book of what she loves about him, with each page filled with notes and stories about how much he means to her. Sam gifted Megan a shadowbox with moving filmstrips from the first movie these two saw together on their very first date – Alice in Wonderland! It was clear that these gifts, like their wedding day, were well thought out and filled with meaning.
Megan and Sam, your wedding was such a special day, and I feel so honored to have been part of it. Kelsey and I loved celebrating with you and photographing these special moments during your day (even if I was photographing through tear-filled eyes during your beautiful ceremony!). Congratulations, Megan and Sam!! We love you two so much!
First look time! I love how happy they were to see each other :)
The sweet gifts these two exchanged :)
Beautiful bridal party!!
Sisters!!
And the brothers :)
Megan, you are such a beautiful bride! I love these two portraits!
I love these bridesmaids dresses – and they even had pockets!
I love this one of Sam and his groomsmen!
I love this!
We had about six minutes of beautiful sunlight – and we got such stunning pictures during that time!
Megan and Sam’s wedding ceremony was in the beautiful garden beside Rockfield Manor. 
Yay! Married!!
So cute!
Check out this gorgeous reception!!
Congratulations, Megan and Sam!!