First 2009 Wedding!

Congratulations to Courtney and Sam - our first couple to be married in 2009! The day started out at the Loews Hotel where Courtney was getting ready. Courtney arrived to the chapel in a limo, accompanied by her parents and bridesmaids. The ceremony took place at the Naval Academy Chapel  which was still decorated for Christmas. Sam and his groomsmen arrived to the chapel well ahead of time which allowed them to get ready (or nervous!) with plenty of time to spare.

After the ceremony, we were able to take some photos of Courtney and Sam in Bancroft Hall, away from the cold outdoors!

Little did Sam know that Courtney had a surprise planned before the couple went to their reception. They took a detour in downtown Annapolis and visited Buddy's  Sam had really wanted barbecue for the reception, so Courtney placed an order ahead of time and got Sam some ribs to-go! I'm pretty sure he was very excited!

The reception was held at the Chesapeake Bay Foundation. The cocktail hour was held in the late afternoon, just in time to enjoy the sunset. Immediately upon arriving to CBF, Sam and Courtney changed into traditional Japanese wedding attire. Sam's family is from Japan and as a wedding gift to those family members who could not be present, the couple took photos outside of CBF in their traditional Japanese clothing. Sam's mom made certain that everything looked perfect for the photos! After being announced into the reception, guests were asked to be seated for dinner, which was catered by Company's Coming  The couple offered the options of chicken and salmon for their guests. The best men and maid of honor gave toasts as salads were served and dinner followed. Neither Courtney nor Sam are huge cake fans, so they opted for something unique - a "cake" of Krispy Kreme Doughnuts !

What a nice way for Courtney and Sam to start out the New Year together! Below is a slideshow of their sneak peeks!