Our First Wedding Anniversary
On December 29th, my husband and I will be celebrating our first wedding Anniversary. We had a large church wedding with over 180 people. Of course, some things went wrong, and there was some wedding stress, but once a saw my husband during our first look, everything melted away.
Getting Ready…
My bridesmaids and I started the day early for hair and makeup in our matching button downs. When the photographer arrived, she took some beautiful detail shots and captured us together popping champaign. My favorite part of getting ready was when my dog Lupo arrived with his handler.
First Look…
Patrick and I had our first look with the Baltimore Inner Harbor as our backdrop. Once I saw Patrick, every bit of stressed melted away and I was excited to get photos with our dog as a family. We also got most of our wedding party shots. The weather was unseasonably warm and the sky and water made every photo look dreamy.
Ceremony…
We got married at the church I grew up attending. I always wanted to get married there when it was decorated for Christmas. Our family friends sang, and my Man of Honor played the Wedding March from The Sound of Music when I walked down the aisle. The entire ceremony I felt humbled by all the people that were there to support us.
Reception…
We held our reception at Haven Street Ballroom in Baltimore. We needed a venue that would fit our guest count (we invited a little over 200 people) but also fit into our budget. Haven Street allowed you to use any caterer and bring your own alcohol. A lot of venues make you use a specific caterer which due to the lack of competition can be expensive. Our main goal was that everyone was on the dance floor, and no one left hungry.
To make sure everyone was out on the dance floor we took dance lessons and did a fun choreographed dance. We started out dancing to “A Million Dreams” from The Greatest Showman and then started dancing to “Shut Up and Dance” by Walk the Moon (we went to a Walk the Moon concert for our first date). Halfway through we invited everyone to join us on the dance floor. From that point on the dance floor was packed the entire night.
To make sure everyone had plenty to eat, we did food stations so the food was served hot and everyone had a lot of options. We also had donuts served throughout the evening and served snowballs and pizza at our after party.
Favorite Moments…
Our Wedding was so much fun. I love how our guests continue to tell me how much fun they had. Patrick and I were on cloud nine after everything was over. Some of my favorite moments included seeing our dog Lupo, getting a royal wedding inspired picture with the kids in our wedding, group photos, and being in our own world on the dance floor.
