2020 started with a bang and as we all know it pretty much went downhill from there. It was a crazy year for couples planning to get married and by early March uncertainty was the name of the game. Couples had to add questions to their lists like “will we still be in lockdown?”, “will family be able to travel”, “how many people can we have at the ceremony?”, “will we have to wear masks?” “will my venue even be open?” “what if one of us gets Covid?” and on and on. Needless to say it was a stressful time for couples and vendors alike as we all tried to navigate these uncharted waters as best we could. Many couples opted to postpone their wedding all together, some chose to just go to the courthouse and others decided to trim things down to meet Covid restrictions and go ahead with it anyway, maybe  having a larger celebration in 2021 to make up for it.

Liam and Ellie and their families were looking forward to their June wedding in Harper’s Ferry at St. Peter’s with the reception celebration at the Bavarian Inn following. But as things unfolded around the country and the world, it soon became clear that this was not going to be possible. Liam is from upstate New York and most of his friends and family would need to travel to Maryland for the wedding. The venue unfortunately had to remain closed over their date and gatherings in general were restricted to very small numbers. They were faced with a decision – to get married but on a much smaller scale, or wait until the following June. They both were graduating from UMD in May and Ellie had a job lined up in Georgia while Liam had plans to attend grad school following the wedding. In the end, they decided with their families to go for a small family backyard wedding with the ceremony at Ellie’s church (St. Paul’s in Damascus). It was sad that most of their extended family and friends would not be able to attend but these two were ready to be married and move on with their life together. All the more reason to have beautiful photos to share afterwards!

I respect any decision that a couple makes but I was so happy that Liam and Ellie decided to go for it! It turned out to be the sweetest day…so perfect and special. I don’t think it could have been any better. What made it more special for me is that Ellie’s family (the McFarlands) are our neighbors. We live on a street full of wonderful people and while they couldn’t attend the wedding or the reception, there was a parade down our street after the ceremony with Ellie and Liam sitting on the back of Mr. McFarland’s convertible and all of the neighbors came out to blow bubbles and wish them well. It was small town living at it’s best! The parade ended with a stop at our “famous” local ice cream shop (Jimmie Cone) on the way back to the McFarland house. The McFarland’s had set up a reception area in their garage complete with linens, flowers, a cake and slideshow. Outside their yard was the perfect backdrop for a family celebration of young love. The patio served as the dance floor, patio tables held yummy appetizers and the family chickens proved to be a popular visiting spot. There was so much love, joy and laughter and while Ellie looked gorgeous and Liam so dapper, it was such a comfortable and relaxed time. The day had all the elements of a beautiful wedding just on a very intimate scale and it was perfect. I am so happy for Jerry and Megan and honored that they asked me to capture this wonderful day for their daughter (who I’ve known since she was a little girl!). Liam’s parents and family (the Smiths) were also lovely to meet and get to know. It makes all the difference going into marriage knowing you have a strong family to support you and Liam and Ellie have just that as they embarked on their new adventure as husband and wife and head out into the world to make their mark. 2020 may have thrown some shade, but this wedding proved that it couldn’t get us down!

Flowers| Monica’s Floral Designs

Dresses| David’s Bridal   Tuxes| Kohl’s