Beautiful Antique China & Greenery Filled Barn Wedding in Maryland

I am head over heels for Austin and Andy’s beautiful wedding day. They held their ceremony in a church, followed by a reception in the barns at Steppingstone Museum in Maryland. Their vision was to create a day centred on the things they hold dear to their hearts, with antique china and greenery taking centre stage in the decoration. They also prioritised their top three elements (which by the way is a great way to begin your wedding planning) of photographer, food and DJ. They stayed true to their initial vision and followed it through thanks to this approach.

There are so many wonderful parts to their day I think you will love. The super stylish outfits, a gorgeous window seating plan, fabulous bouquets and a bourbon bar to name just a few. These sensational images are courtesy of L. Hewitt Photography and we are just so thankful to be sharing them with you today.

The Proposal

We were set up on a blind date by Andy’s friend from college who happened to be my boss at my internship. He had just moved to Nashville and I was just about to graduate college. He became the “string to my balloon” as I navigated those post grad waters. I keep him wild and he keeps me grounded. After a few bamboozled attempts in one weekend, I was so unaware I unintentionally kept foiling his plans that weekend. Andy caught me completely off guard after dinner downtown by dropping on one knee in Bicenntial Park. Our close friends were waiting at an apartment near by with hugs and champagne.

The Vision

The aesthetic started with plates, my O’pa (grandfather) was an antique collector and he had an affinity for beautiful china, my mother already had a substantial collection so I asked her if it we could do a complete mix of china as table settings for guests, she had 80 plates to start and made it her mission to collect 100 more by our wedding day. Andy and I love antiques and had just bought a house so all the decor for the wedding was collected and then repurposed into our house. As an east coast girl marrying a southern Kentucky gentleman we incorporated some southern elements into our day-complete with a bourbon bar. Going into the day we were most excited for the party-we wanted our family and friends to have FUN! The party was fantastic but the ceremony goes down as our favorite part of the day, it was the moment that time stopped, it will be the moment we reflect on years down the road. My godfather/uncle read a marriage prayer written by my father’s grandfather, it’s been read at all of our family weddings-I can listen to that prayer and go back.

The Flowers

I wanted simple and natural, I instantly gravitated towards greenery. I trusted my florist to build beautiful bouquet, my only request was anemones be incorporated to balance the black bridesmaid dresses.

Your Outfits & Accessories

In my dress hunt my grandmother made the statement “there are only two moments in the day when all eyes are on you, as you go up the aisle and back down- make a statement!” I picked my dress on those wise words. If you live in the D.C./ Baltimore area, Garnish Boutique is a dream and Mia is the fairy godmother. I designed my prom dress based on an Amsale design so it was serendipitous that I selected the same designer for my dress. It was classic with a bohemian spirit, I want to be buried in that dress when I’m gray and old-I loved it. I wore flats so I could dance the night away and run around the steppingstone grounds. Andy loves a well tailored suit and unlike me he is very practical. He wanted to pick a suit that could then be fitting to wear to work down the road. It was a hunt to find the right green tie, we learned green comes in many shades. He worked with a designer on Etsy to create the right tie.

The Details & Decor

My mom discovered me writing lists as a small child in church, I was making lists about decor and “renovations” for my future wedding. Fast forward 20 years as a bride, I saw the beauty of my childhood church- I wanted the hanging lanterns and original stain glass windows to speak for itself. As an event planner, I wanted a natural canvas to host our wedding reception-I wanted to fill the barn with long tables and greenery and beautiful long stemmed candles. The only color coming from the mismatched china and greenery. All of the antique accessories, plate ware and tablescapes were collected by my mom. The bar was handmade by both of my parents, they brought each of my crazy wedding dreams to life.

Food & Entertainment

Living in Nashville, Andy and I are spoiled with incredible food adventures and access to amazing chefs-it’s safe to say we are major foodies. The food on our wedding day was very important, it just clicked when we met Jon and Eileen with Pairings Bistro. They shared a passion for local food creations and good wine. I run a non-profit that develops culinary arts programs for high schools and when I learned Jon hires high school students from ProStart-it felt like the right fit. Adding the midnight snack was delightful surprise for our guests. You can’t host a wedding for “Kentucky folks” with out a good spread of the best bourbon KY has to offer. One of Andy’s favorite parts of the wedding was his custom bourbon bar. We met our DJ, Jason Wallace with District Remix at my brothers wedding four years ago, he knows how to make a party burst with music and life. Next to the venue, his schedule determined the date of our wedding, we knew we couldn’t throw a party without his help. To say it was hot on our wedding day would be an understatement- under the direction of Leah & Jason they moved the dancing out of the barn. The highlight of the party was dancing under the stars.

Advice For Other Couples

I tell newly engaged friends, as you formulate the budget and plan to your big day-pick your top three. Everyone’s top three elements on their day will be different but that’s where you start and keep going down the list. If all else failed, I would be happy with “my top three” photographer, food and DJ-whatever your three may be, the rest will fall into place.

Credit Where Credit Is Due

Oh so lovely!

Thanks ever so much to Austin and Andy for sharing their amazing celebrations with us xo Lou