What a Year 2020 Was!!!

While most of my 2020 weddings were postponed until 2021, some of my 2020 couples went ahead with their plans to wed!

In February, before we even knew of a thing called COVID, Kenzie and Ian celebrated their union at Linganore Winecellars on Leap Day (February 29, 2020!). Their dark purple and light grey colors were lovely for a winter wedding. The whole day was beautiful. They treated guests to a wonderfully choreographed first dance! And, Kenzie’s stepfather made bottles of wine for the guests’ favors! (pc: Kelly Mitchell Photography)

Then . . . . we waited, and we waited! My spring weddings all postponed, one to August 2020, when we were able to have Kerri & Hakeem’s beautiful wedding outside at Martin’s West in Baltimore. Their red, white and black wedding was elegant and fun! During their ceremony, they incorporated the Unity Heart ceremony, which I hadn’t seen before! Following COVID guidelines, ceremony seating was spread apart. For the reception, we were able to use two of the ballrooms at Martin’s West so the guest tables could be well over 6’ away from each other, with just 6 non-family-member guests at each table, and all were to wear face masks when not at their dinner table. This was my first time working at Martin’s West, and it was very nice! (pc: J McClean Photography)

September brought two beautiful weddings. The first wedding was the marriage Melissa & Keith in the Purcellville area of Virginia. While their guest count was about 70% of the original guest list, a fun time was had by all! The day began with a lovely ceremony a gorgeous Roman Catholic Church, followed by a beautiful wedding reception at Rose Hill Manor in Leesburg, VA. Social/Physical distancing was strongly encouraged, which was easy at the church, because it has such a large sanctuary; guests were also asked to sit in least 6’ from the aisle within each pew. The wedding party processed and recessed in single file and wore masks during the ceremony, too. It was a beautiful day and evening, so after dinner, most guests spent the evening outside, dancing the night away under a huge tented courtyard! (pc: Kaitlyn Phipps Photograhy)

My second September wedding was at Prosperity Mansion in Detour. Rather than reduce their guest list, Emily & Mark opted to rent a tent to go alongside the semi-permanent tent already installed at the venue. Emily and Mark rounded up lots of family and friends to help with decorating the space before going to their respective rooms to get ready for the wedding! Ceremony seating was spread apart, in groups of 2-3. Reception seating had 5-6 guests at each table (except for tables with guests who lived in the same household). The dance floor was filled most of the night and guests were very good about wearing masks at all times (when they weren’t eating/drinking!). (pc: Brad Barnwell Photography)

Two fabulous weddings in October ended my 2020 wedding season. The first, held at Montagu Meadows in Westminster, was for Kim and Alyssa. Their casual wedding day (guests were encouraged to dress comfortably – jeans and flannels were the attire for the day!) focused on fun and family. In fact, Kim’s 2 brothers and Alyssa’s 3 children made up the wedding party. That was my first wedding at Montagu Meadows and it was fabulous!! (pc: Marck Your Memory Photography)

My last wedding of the year was in Annapolis on the water at a private residence. A nice warm day gave way to Shara and Jerry’s wedding festivities! I believe she’s the first of my brides to carry a pageant bouquet and it was perfect for her look! Their wedding ceremony was sealed by incorporating a wine ceremony that really represented them as a couple. Another first for me was to have an oyster shucker during the cocktail hour! It was fascinating to watch him work! The reception was held down the hill from the house and was right along the water. Their clear-top tent was perfect for the almost-clear night sky for them and their guests to dance and celebrate!! (pc: Willow Roots Photography)