Summer Wedding Ceremony at St. Peter Church, Libertytown MD ~ Kristen & Donald

How long after you were engaged did you get married?

We got engaged on April 24th, 2016. So we were engaged about 2.5 years before we got married. It would have been sooner with our original wedding date of September 16th, 2017 as we would have been engaged only a year and a half if we didn’t have to postpone it.

Top 3 tips for future couples:

1. If you are having trouble with color selection, go to your local hardware store and look at paint swatches. When you find your color, take multiple sample cards of the color and then you can give those to your vendors to help match your colors. It makes it so much easier than trying to a describe your color and makes it easy to match when you are picking out linens. All your vendors will be on the same page about your color choices.
2. Be patient with your vendors. They have many clients in addition to yourself so sometimes they may not get back to you right away. Be patient with them, and if you have to make changes on something be kind and give them as much notice as possible so they can make sure they can do what you are asking of them.
3.  A lot of people are going to have opinions on what you “should” and “should not” be doing at your wedding, and it may be hard to overcome. Just be patient and at the end of the day, it is YOUR wedding. Don’t lose sight of your vision for your wedding, and don’t let any negativity get you down.

Based on our wedding planning experiences, what advice would you give people who are still planning their wedding?

Budget talk is one of the biggest points of the wedding and trying to decide what details should be a bigger part of the budget. Photography is something you want to splurge on. Wedding photos can’t be recreated in the same moment so take time for them. Do not go cheap on your photography, it is a lasting memory. This is exactly why I picked Daysy as our professional photographer because I knew she would capture our vision, and she was worth every penny.

What adjective best describes your spouse on your wedding day?

Kristen: He was Happy

Donald: She was Glowing

How would you describe the style of your wedding?

Classic. There was not any major glitz or glam, I just wanted a classic style and the Sullivan Hall gave that to us. Beautiful large windows and a vaulted ceiling gave us exactly the atmosphere we wanted.

Where did you have your wedding? Why did you choose the location?

Our wedding was at St. Peter the Apostle Roman Catholic Church because this is the church parish Donald belongs to. They had a reception hall across the street which we liked and was very convenient. The church itself is newer and has beautiful stunning steps on the outside and big windows on the inside to make for wonderful photos.

Did you have a first look before the ceremony? If yes, how can you describe that moment?

We did not have a first look, but more of a “first touch”. In the room I was settled in, they opened the door halfway and I stood on one side of the door and Donald on the other. We couldn’t see each other but we were able to touch hands. It was very calming and just helped with any anxiety.

Kristen and Don wanted a quick connection before heading out to the ceremony, so we made it happen by hiding them from each other, and doing a “first touch”. It really helped them to release the tension, and providing eye tearing images!

What moment of your wedding day did you get anxious the most?

In the beginning because until we saw everything and each other. We were anxious in general if everything was finished correctly and if the flowers got to the church and just in general that everything was how we wanted it to be.

The best thing about the day for you, Kristen…

Besides officially getting married and kissing my new husband, the closing song at our reception was “Closing Time” by Semisonic, and at the end, Donald and I were dancing together and everyone linked arms and formed a circle around us and swayed back and forth as we all sung the words. It was awesome and something I will remember for the rest of my life.

The best thing about the day for you, Don…

For me, seeing Kristen walk down the aisle and officially starting our life at that moment was the best part of the day. Our reception was fun and seeing our friends and family there to support us was truly a blessing.

Tell us about your wedding day fashions.

Kristen: My wedding dress was purchased from TLC Bridal Boutique and an all lace fit and flare with cap sleeves and lace-up back. It took me 45 minutes to pick out my dress and I am still in love. It is very romantic. I wore some fake pearl earrings I purchased myself. My necklace was a pearl necklace I borrowed from my mom that my dad bought for her, and I wore her matching pearl bracelet my dad got for her for mother’s day one year. Very elegant, and I would not have worn anything else.

Donald: Went to Men’s Warehouse, picked out a tux, called it a day haha.

Describe any personal or special touches that helped make your wedding memorable:

I had a memorial frame at the welcome table to my reception. Both of my grandfathers had passed away as well as my dad. I wanted to have pictures of them so they could be there in spirit with me. I found all the best pictures I had of them and put it on display to share with everyone some of the most important people in my life.

What was your color palette and wedding style? What inspired it? Tell us about the flowers, stationery, and decor you chose.

Again I wanted a classic style. The venue walls were neutral so I could get away with a bright color palate. I chose my favorite color which is blue. It is a very bright ocean blue and went well with white napkins, and my centerpiece with was a small white lantern and surround of small baby’s breath and Queen Anne’s lace which is a very delicate flower. My flowers were roses, with white calla lilies, baby’s breath, and blue hydrangea, all some of my favorite flowers.

Tell us about your cocktail hour and reception! What was on the menu? Did you have any special entertainment?

Our menu was one of the easiest decisions. Anyone who knows us knows we like to eat. BBQ it was! I wanted food that people were going to dig into and go for seconds and thirds. Good home cooked brisket, chicken, and mac and cheese was on our minds.

With our reception, I just wanted music to get everyone up and dancing and having a good time, the open bar did help with that a little bit 🙂

Which element(s) of your day best reflect you as a couple? What did you do to make guests feel special?

The whole ceremony and reception were just all about love, family, friends, faith, and a good time which is what we are all about. We were most happy to just have all our family and friends together to celebrate with us because that was more important than anything.

What was the most fun detail of your wedding to plan?

We really enjoyed picking out the food and doing the food tasting. I felt like I was actually eating dinner and just wanted to keep eating. Our food was catered by P.I.G.S. BBQ and was the best BBQ I’ve ever had.

What was the most difficult detail of your wedding to agree upon?

The most difficult was deciding whether to have a full Catholic wedding mass or just a wedding ceremony because our opinions on the matter were the opposite.

Who caught the bridal bouquet?

My twin sister and maid of honor caught my bouquet. I didn’t even try to throw it to her,, it honestly just fell right into her hands. It was also funny because her boyfriend ironically caught the garter. We swear we didn’t plan to throw it to either of them, it just happened.  

Who decided on the wedding song for walking down the aisle and why?

I decided my song to be Jesu Joy of Man’s Desiring; I sang this song in high school choir class and I fell in love with it the first time I heard it. I also learned how to play the part of it on piano and it is such a beautiful song. The intro, in particular, is so angelic and delicate and I thought it would be perfect.

What is the worst thing that happened on your wedding day, and the best thing that happened?

Kristen: Honestly, there really wasn’t a “worst” moment just a few hiccups. I think our caterer didn’t realize we were cutting the cake so we have no knives or plates ready, but we went with it.

The best thing was finally saying I do to each other which we have waited so long to do.

Donald: Another thing for both of us that we couldn’t control was the weather. It was very hot and humid, and at times taking pictures in the sun was so uncomfortable because we were in heavy clothing and just sweating but we worked through it.

After the day has passed, would you have anything you have done differently?

Kristen: I would have had someone alert the caterer that we were getting ready for cake cutting. Also, some people missed how to do our photo guestbook and it got confusing so I think we would have had someone doing the picture for everyone to make it easier.

Donald: If we had more time I would have taken more time to sit down and eat, and enjoy the moment with each other longer.

How did you feel when the wedding planning was all over?

Relieved that we had no more planning to do and just so happy that we were finally married.

Attention: if you were a guest at this event, please visit the private gallery on this link.

Vendor Love…

Photography: Daysy Film & Photo

DJ: Shewsical DJ

Florist: Blossom & Basket Boutique

Hair: Glam Bridal Beauty by Ashley Chin

Makeup: Glam Bridal Beauty by Ashley Chin

Officiant: Deacon Jerry Jennings of St. Peter the Apostle Catholic Church

Dress: TLC Bridal Boutique

Bridesmaid Dresses and Shoes: Jjshouse.com

Accessories: Jjshouse.com, and borrowed

Groom’s Attire: Men’s Warehouse

Caterer: P.I.G.S BBQ

Cake: Cakes to Die For

First Dance Song: Head Over Boots by Jon Pardi

General Decoration/Rentals:  Blossum and Basket Boutique