Katie and Joe were married last Saturday at Saint Augustine Church, and then celebrated their wedding with family and friends at Celebrations at the Bay in Pasadena, Maryland. It was such an honor for Kelsey and me to photograph this sweet couple’s wedding!! My husband, Justin, who owns Last Avalon Films, filmed their wedding, and I can’t wait to see the highlight film!
Katie and Joe met in college and now, seven years later, they are celebrating their wedding!! Katie and Joe are such a great pair; these two are both so kind, thoughtful, and funny. And while they are both organized and punctual, they are so easygoing. It has been so fun getting to know these two this past year, and Kelsey, Justin, and I loved celebrating with them last week! Katie and Joe are very thoughtful and kind people, and it is clear that they are incredibly loved. Their wedding day was filled with friends and family who were all so happy for them.
When I arrived at Katie’s parents’ house, Katie was so excited – and SO organized! Katie is such an organized person, and she had thought of everything – which is so awesome! Katie had the most beautiful vision for her wedding – just wait until you see her beautiful jewelry and invitations and her pretty table centerpieces at the reception! She gathered beachy items like sand dollars and sea glass for styling, also, which made for the prettiest pictures. Katie gifted her bridal party pretty silk robes and bracelets, and she gave her parents the sweetest gifts, including embroidered handkerchiefs and picture frames. Meanwhile, they gave her a matching necklace to her beautiful blue earring and bracelet set!
Katie and Joe live in a gorgeous restored historic home in Elkridge, and while Katie got ready at her parents’ home in Columbia, Joe and his groomsmen – and Bailey the dog – got ready for the big day at Katie and Joe’s home. Joe gifted his groomsmen tomahawks, and the guys used them to open beers! Later, Joe’s parents came over (and Bailey was so disappointed that they didn’t bring her a treat; apparently, she has learned that whenever they visit she gets a treat!). J I also loved getting to know Katie and Joe’s dog, Bailey, last fall at their engagement session. Bailey was SO good (and she is so photogenic!), and on the wedding day, she was just as calm and happy! Katie and Joe love Bailey so much – and it is easy to see why! The beautiful church where Katie and Joe got married is close to their home, so we were able to stop by the house for some quick photos with Bailey – which is so special to have!
Katie and Joe included so many fun traditions during their wedding reception; after first dances, speeches, and the bouquet and garter toss, Katie and Joe shared some Polish wedding traditions. First they were served food and wine by their mothers, and then Katie had her veil removed and a Polish bonnet was attached, and on Joe’s head they placed a silly hat. Then, these two had an apron dance, with the first dance going to the highest bidder – Katie’s father! At the end of the apron dance, Joe tossed his wallet into the apron, picked up Katie, and carried her outside – where we took a little break for some gorgeous sunset pictures (just wait until you see these!). We got such a gorgeous sunset!! Katie and Joe’s day had the most perfect weather!
And Katie and Joe’s reception was fun in so many ways! When Katie and Joe cut their wedding cake, the DJ asked the maid of honor and best man to come stand beside them. Little did they know, Katie and Joe weren’t planning on feeding the wedding cake to each other… instead, just as they were about to taste the cake, they both turned and shoved the cake in the best man, Tim’s, face! But Tim was such a good sport about it (he even high fived Joe afterward!), and he cleaned off afterward by jumping off of the dock into the Bay with a few other guys! Katie amd Joe’s entire wedding party was so helpful, kind, and excited for the two of them. Some weddings I get to spend more time with the wedding party than others, and I loved getting to know this group! They are all so nice! And one of Katie’s bridesmaids, Meg, is a friend of Kelsey’s from college! Such a small world! They were so excited to see each other and catch up during the wedding reception. And what a great reception it was! Toward the end of the evening, the DJ handed out glowsticks, which everyone had SO much fun with, and throughout the night, the dance floor was PACKED! This was a REALLY fun wedding! These two have a huge group of friends and family, and everyone had a blast on the dance floor and relaxing and chatting outside on the beautiful deck overlooking the dock. At the end of the night, Katie and Joe’s guests formed a tunnel that these two ran through on their way out. And now, Katie and Joe are celebrating their honeymoon!! Congratulations, Katie and Joe! Kelsey, Justin, and I loved getting to know you two, and we feel honored to have you two as friends now!! Enjoy starting this new, exciting chapter in your life!
Katie had SO many beautiful pieces of jewelry, including a few sweet gifts from Joe! :)
Meanwhile, Kelsey photographed the guys and Bailey! These are the tomahawks that Joe gifted her groomsmen :)
I love this one with Katie and Joe’s getaway truck!
Wedding ceremony time!
Married!! Yay!
I love this one SO much!!
Katie, you are such a beautiful bride!!
How incredible are these flowers? Katie’s maid of honor’s sister created all of the gorgeous bouquets!
So pretty!!
This was such a fun wedding party!!
Katie and her brothers :)
I love this!!
This was such a beautiful reception!
I love this one!
These is an all-time favorite!! Kelsey trekked down the beach to take these gorgeous shots from very far away! :)
Kelsey took this gorgeous shot too! I LOVE this one!
Back to the reception – and what a FUN party it was!!
Congratulations, Katie and Joe!!