Dawn & Brian @ Annapolis Yacht Club ~ Maryland Wedding Photographer
Wedding Gown: David’s Bridal
Bridesmaid’s Dresses: Lilly Pulitzer
Groom’s and Groomsmen’s Tie: Vineyard Vines
Photos: Annapolis State House and the Naval Academy
Flowers by: Rhonda Kaplan
Stationary Designer: Julia Collins of JC Wordworks
Cake: The Cakery
Event Location & Catering Manager: Annapolis Yacht Club – Roberta Nowell
Band: The Indie Annapolis Band
From the bride and groom about planning their wedding:
The wedding would have to be in the Annapolis area since it is where we both were raised, where we met and where we fell in love. The theme would have to be nautical since boating is our shared passion, and the Chesapeake Bay was the setting for our engagement. And the music would have to be awesome because our first date was a concert, and a concert is where we’d rather be when not on the water.
Brian and I met through mutual friends in 2009 and quickly discovered that we shared the same favorite musicians. It was only natural then that one of our first dates was a Ray Lamontagne concert. Little did we know that he would come to be the writer of our First Dance song – “You Are the Best Thing”.
We have many special memories while dating and boating on the Chesapeake over the course of the next 2 years, but one memory stands above all – the evening of our engagement. We were on a boat cruise to watch the weekly sailboat races, as it was our summer ritual to break up the work week. We were in the middle of the Bay and I noticed something floating in the water up ahead. As we approached and passed it, I saw that it was a really nice life ring and Brian suggested turning around to get it. I was on retrieval duty. I pulled it out of the water, inspected the topside – nice – and then flipped over and – BAM – “Will You Marry Me?”!!! I turned around in disbelief, assuming it was someone else’s, and found Brian on one knee with a ring in his hand. I, of course, said “YES!” and he quickly hoisted a “She Said Yes!” flag and popped the champagne. We went for a victory lap down Annapolis’ famed Ego Alley and were greeted by a literal wave of applause. We were excited to start the next chapter in our lives together..
