Dina & Tom

Location: St. Stephens Church and the Baltimore Yacht Club

Florist: Perzynski and Filar

Cake Artist: Yia Yia's Bakery

Visionary Art, meet Serious Dance Party

You may remember the pre-wedding photos of AJ and Jackson (the dog). Though Jackson was adorable in his doggie tuxedo, he was not quite the groom AJ had in mind. On the day of the wedding, AJ looked even more radiant in her wedding dress than the first time we saw her, and Graham was the handsome groom.

AJ and Graham picked a truly unique venue for their wedding celebration. The American Visionary Art Museum in Baltimore has over 4,000 pieces of art in their permanent collection (shown on a rotation of approximately 50 works at a time). At the time of AJ and Graham’s wedding, an exhibit of PostSecret postcards lined the spiral staircase. AJ and her father walked up the “aisle” - making their way from the bottom of the spiral and stopping just short of the last step. The ceremony took place on the stairs, allowing for an interesting perspective. Guests lined the balcony railings and overlooked the couple as they said their vows.

The reception directly followed the ceremony. It took place in the Tall Sculpture Barn, located a few steps away from the ceremony site inside AVAM. Formerly a whiskey warehouse and now an event venue for AVAM, the room is expansive and has 45-foot ceilings. The decor was totally original and impressive. Created by AJ herself, it was a true exhibition of the bride’s artistic talent.

The decor was very detail oriented, and perhaps my favorite was the addition of a caged bird on top of the cake! But don't worry - no birds were hurt in the cutting of this cake!

Yellow and red lights illuminated the checkered floor and radiated a club-like atmosphere that inspired all guests, young an old, to make their way to the dance floor!

Guests danced enthusiastically until it was time for the bride and groom to depart. They exited through a pathway of friends and a shower of bubbles.

Marie & Fred

Marie and her parents came to meet with us a year ago and I was really struck by how enthusiastic and excited they were about Marie and Fred's wedding plans. The meeting was a lot of fun and we were thrilled when they let us know that they had chosen us to document the wedding day!

The ceremony site was up in the air initially, and then a few months later I got an email letting me know that they'd chosen the Baltimore Basilica. Officially, it's called the Basilica of the National Shrine of the Assumption of the Blessed Virgin Mary. Wow. That is a mouthful. A long name for a beautiful place. I went to scout the Basilica since it was our first time photographing a ceremony there and I noticed how gorgeous and light and airy it is. Light and airy is rare among enormous intricate Catholic churches/cathedrals/basilicas. I just stood around saying "preeeettttty" to myself. LOL.

Here's Dena's account of the day, which is more entertaining than mine LOL.

As we left Annapolis, ominous black clouds welcomed us onto the highway. The closer we got to Baltimore, the more threatening they became until finally, we found ourselves in the midst of a torrential downpour. By the time we got to the Baltimore Basilica, the rain continued at a fairly steady rate, and the bridal party was ushered into the church underneath umbrellas!

The Basilica is a gorgeous, recently restored, 200 year old church, situated in the heart of Baltimore. The church staff was gracious and very accommodating.

With Sam and Jen already in their positions on the ground level, I set about finding the highest balcony. After trekking up several flights of steep stairs, I discovered that the doors were locked. Quickly, I ran down the stairs and back up on the other side, relieved to find this door to the balcony was unlocked. Note to self (and future visitors to the Basilica) only use stairs on the left-hand side of the building! In these few minutes of stillness, I began to suspect that I was either really out of shape, or there was no air-conditioning in the church! I'll stick with the latter, and say that all the hot air does indeed rise. The architecture of the church is truly impressive, and the rotunda, vaulted ceilings, and lengthy aisle made for a both a beautifully dramatic entrance and an inspiring ceremony.

By the end of the ceremony, the rain still had not lessened, but the guests crowded excitedly outside the church to welcome Marie and Fred through the sword arch. Marie, Fred, and Jen were lucky to be scooped up by the limo.

Sam however, found himself clutching the gold umbrella and making a mad dash for the car, which was a block away. Everyone scrambled to their cars as quickly as possible, eager to continue celebrating at the reception.

Marie and Fred wanted some photos at the Naval Academy, and by the time we made it there, the rain had nearly stopped. Sam and Jen were able to get some nice photos of the couple at several locations at Bancroft Hall.

For over a year, Marie had her heart set on getting a photograph on the rocks at the Chesapeake Bay Foundation. After a little convincing, Fred put on waders and carried Marie through the water and out to the rocks.

Marie gave us a heads up early in the evening that her family would be dancing to “Cotton Eye Joe” during the reception. Little did we know that this “family tradition” was no ordinary dance. When the first notes of the song began, guests took turns dancing acrobatically with a chair! It definitely won the award for the most original dance interpretation of this popular party song.