Industrial Distillery Wedding with an Emotional First Look

We are in Maryland for Bonnie and Christopher’s industrial chic distillery wedding today, which was held at McClintock Distilling on a beautiful Autumn day. The story of finding their venue is really lovely and it really is as though fate intervened as the building is a favourite of Bonnie’s. I have to say they made it look stunning with their décor choices, think pretty blooms, long wooden tables and personal touches… wow!

I also just adore their attire, Bonnie wore a lace and tulle gown with long sleeves and a dramatic train, while Christopher opted for a tux for a formal and stylish look. They looked amazing. Do look out for a romantic first look, pretty flower arch backdrop, fun portraits in the streets and stylish stationery too.

Thanks to much to Nessa K Photography for sharing with us these fabulous images.

The Proposal

Christopher planned a week of self-care surprises. Each day I was left with a card/gift that told me the surprise. That week I was treated to a hair cut, nail appointment, eyebrow threading, and was gifted a film camera I had wanted for a while. On that Saturday, he took me to a painting class and dinner and when we got home, our living room was decorated with string lights, and using pictures from the five years of our relationship, he had “Will you…” spelled out on the floor. When I turned around (balling my eyes out) Christopher was on one knee!

Budget

$22,000ish

About Your Wedding

Christopher: Here’s a little funny story. Bonnie danced all night long! But, when she dances she is notorious for snapping her fingers on her right hand. So the morning after the wedding, we went back to the venue to clean up before we left for our honeymoon. She was complaining about her finger hurting and we both looked down at it and saw a HUGE blister. We laughed and wrapped it up, but that’s a fair warning: be careful of how much you snap while dancing on your wedding night!

Bonnie: Our wedding was so incredibly fun. We set it up all on our own, we picked out every single detail: from the string lights to the candlestick holders, we enjoyed every moment and cleaned up the next day. Something about being a part of the planning, set up, and clean up makes it seem more like it is a part of you–not just another big party. The whole wedding was a reflection of our 6 years of being in a relationship and that is what made the day so perfect and timeless.

The Planning Process & The Vision

I am an event manager and control freak so it was a no-brainer that I would be planning my entire wedding. I started with the dress and type of venue I wanted and went from there. I found my dress on the first try–lucky, I know! It was the first dress I put on and I knew it was the one but I had to be 1000% sure so I continued to try on 5 other dresses but ended back in the original one.

The Venue

McClintock Distilling. I knew I wanted an industrial, historic venue located in the heart of our hometown, Frederick, Maryland. We searched and found nothing close to what I was envisioning. We were about to sign the contract on a venue I didn’t love.

BUT something magical happened. We were walking to the ‘I will settle for this’ venue when I saw that my favorite historic building in Frederick had a ‘coming soon’ sign in the window. I literally stopped in my tracks, whipped out my phone, pulled up the website for McClintock Distilling, and found their email. A week later, we signed the contract for my dream venue, in my favorite building in my hometown.

The Vows

We decided to write our vows. It seemed like a great idea at first, then became daunting, but during the ceremony as we read our promises to each other, it was absolutely perfect. We are so happy we stuck with it and wrote what was in our hearts. We even said similar things without even knowing it! That’s how you know you’re meant to be, right? 😉

The Caterer

Finding a food vendor was definitely the most difficult part. I didn’t want a traditional sit-down service or a buffet. When I came across a Salvadorian food truck, I knew it was the one. I’m half Salvadorian and LOVE the food so it felt like the perfect touch. Plus, the food truck was pretty and helped people engage and interact with each other!

The Details & Décor

I rented tables, chairs, plates, and glassware from a lovely company. I wanted long farm tables to accommodate our 60 guests. I chose to go with real wood tables so we could avoid renting tablecloths and they would bring warmth to our industrial venue. All other decor and design pieces I thrifted or made! I found antique chairs to create the ‘living room’ lounge area, candlestick holders, books, cake stands, glass bottles, crates, and so much more from thrifting. Hunting for the perfect items was one of my favorite parts and it was something Christopher and I could easily do together.

Memorable Moments

Christopher: Our first-look was my first favorite of the day. I had no idea what Bonnie’s dress looked like but I knew she would look absolutely beautiful. When she tapped my shoulder, I turned and was stunned. I cried, she cried, we kissed, hugged, laughed, and danced. That moment was perfect.

Bonnie: There are so many moments, it’s hard to pick just one! But, I would have to say our walk through the city after our ceremony was surreal. My sisters bustled my dress and we were off! We strolled the streets and sidewalks, danced in alleyways, saw people we knew. We were taking a picture in the crosswalk when the light changed, neither of us knew which direction to go, so we both started to pull, but I pulled harder and Nessa captured THE BEST moment of the day! That image captures it all. The joy, the carelessness, the beauty, the love, all in one single moment! Definitely my favorite part of the day and image from the wedding!

The Honeymoon

A week in Rome, Italy!

Advice For Other Couples

Decide what is important to both of you before you start booking vendors and carve out time on the day of the wedding to be alone with your partner!

Credit Where Credit Is Due

Just so beautiful.

Bonnie and Christopher, thank you both so much for sharing your really special wedding with us xo Lou