Colleen and Rodney | Elegant Wedding | Eklridge, Maryland

Colleen and Rodney were Married at the Elkridge Furnace Inn.

How long have you guys actually known each other, and how did you meet?

December 1st, 2018 was our first date. We met on Bumble, November 15th, 2018. So talked for a few weeks before meeting in person. December 1st was our first date. We met at Bertucci’s for dinner, which is also where our wedding rehearsal was. We wanted to keep it full circle. Jimmy Buffet music was also a big part of why we met.

Tell me about your wedding! What was the inspiration behind your decoration?

All the Jimmy buffet music. We had to weave it in somewhere because that is what brought us together. We tried bringing in a lot of Disney themed ideas as well.

Let’s talk about your wedding decor. How did you decorate? Was any part of the decor DIY?

It was kind of a little bit of both. I looked on Pinterest for ideas and then I kind of just went off of that. The centerpieces, the frame, and the table numbers, I made numbers online, and then we just printed them out and put them in frames. A lot of it was based on stuff I saw on Pinterest. I was able to find a Cinderella carriage centerpiece and just had to get it.

Tell me about that dress! Where on earth did you find it? It was BEAUTIFUL!

Columbia Bridal was the second store I went to and that was the very last dress I tried on. To be honest, after trying on about 12 dresses at that store, I knew that was the last one. There was another one before that that I was set on, but then I got to that dress and I put it on.

At this point I was like, yeah, this one’s the winner. I actually found it exactly one year to the weekend before the wedding – his mom was in town. So his mom came as well with my mom and the matron of honor all dressed up. What sold me I think it was the style. It’s funny because I was totally against the ball gown style. I wanted something kind of a little flowier and then my matron of honor was like,

“Oh, you should try ballgown. Ballgowns look nice and pretty.” She had a ball gown, so she was kind of biased towards ballgown dresses. So I tried a few on, but they were all so big; I didn’t want anything too huge or long with what you would think of in a princess dress. But I liked that one, I just felt like it was the perfect dress because first of all, I love the shoulders. I liked the off the shoulder look and the v-neck too. I loved that. And I loved the train too. I felt kind of like a Disney princess, but I still kind of felt elegant.

Rodney, in five words exactly. What went through your mind as she was walking down the aisle.

“Wow, she looks completely perfect.”

What were the florals like at your wedding? How did you feel when you first saw your bridal bouquet?

The flowers were from The Pedal Pusher in Glen Burnie. We wanted the decoration to be kind of basic. Saint Augustine’s already so beautiful that you don’t need a lot of things going on. And then I remember, I think we looked at one of the weddings that you did at Saint Augustine. They had just two white flowers on the altar. So we thought we’d do something small just for the back altar.

When they dropped the flowers off, I had completely forgotten about them. I forgot flowers were a thing because my mind was so focused on other stuff. When they brought them in I was just amazed. I couldn’t really picture what the flowers were going to look like. I had described to them what I wanted, but I couldn’t picture it altogether. When they brought them in, I thought, “Yes, this is exactly what I wanted.” They were really good at listening to what I wanted and making sure it was perfect.

What was going through your head the morning of your wedding?

It was, Oh, it’s 4:00 AM. 4:00 AM. So I was still waking up, but I was super excited. My nerves didn’t really hit until I got in the limo and then I started freaking out. I don’t like a lot of attention on me. Once we were in the limo, I was just so nervous. I have never been that nervous in my life. And even in the church, when we were waiting, I was like, Oh my gosh, I’m going to have a panic attack. But then as soon as I saw him, I was fine. As soon as they opened the doors and I saw him, I was much, much better. I didn’t worry about everyone around us looking at me. I was excited and I wasn’t nervous at all.

What marriage planning advice do you have for anyone who is planning their wedding?

Make sure you voice your opinion. When we were planning, we had a lot of opinions, which I’m sure happens with every couple. We add a lot of opinions and we felt like our voice wasn’t being heard and like our opinion wasn’t being heard. When we would put our thoughts into actual words, people could tell what we were envisioning. So make sure you voice your opinion and don’t let family members or bridesmaids or groomsmen try to change what you want. Also, make sure your photographer can also be a therapist, so when things get crazy, we can go for a walk, take some pictures and get re-centered again.

 

Ceremony: St. Augustine Church

Reception: Elkridge Furnace Inn

Hair and Makeup: JoJo Maguire Designs

Engagement Session: Swan Harbor Farm

 

www.tylerrieth.com