The Oaks Waterfront Inn Wedding

Carlin and Justin are quite literally some of the best people I have ever met. It was an absolute pleasure to work with them for their wedding at The Oaks Waterfront Inn in Maryland. They are both so classy and sophisticated, yet so humble, fun, and genuinely kind. I know you will love the intimate and personal details of their wedding as much as I do!

Their Love Story

Carlin and Justin LOVE the movie Wedding Crashers. With this being said, Justin thought it’d be fun to surprise Carlin with a trip to the Inn at Perry Cabin in St. Michael’s, MD, where the movie was filmed. Now, this beautiful Maryland Inn is no longer remembered by the couple for the movie, but as the place where Justin dropped to one knee and proposed to Carlin.

With this sentimental attachment to St. Michael’s, Maryland, Carlin and Justin knew they wanted to get married in the same picturesque town where they got engaged. I absolutely loved the quaint feeling of this beautiful small town and its sentimental meaning to my couple.

Sentimental Wedding Details

For their wedding at The Oaks Waterfront Inn, the couple went for a classic and charming feeling with a blue and white color palette with a coastal influence.

Many details incorporated into the wedding day had sentimental value or a personal connection to the couple — for example, their custom-designed wedding crest by Simply Jessica Marie. The crest featured unique elements of Carlin and Justin’s love story, such as their dog, Fitz, their home states, their careers and home in Washington, DC, their favorite beverages, and more. It was the perfect detail for Carlin and Justin’s celebration!

Carlin also incorporated elements from the traditional saying “something old, something new, something borrowed, and something blue” into her planning.

Their “something old” was a family cake topper that has been used at family weddings since 1948. Carlin’s dress was her “something new,” a gift from her mother. The “something borrowed” was a gift from the groom’s mother – each diamond in the bride’s wedding ring set that Carlin hopes to pass on one day. Lastly, her “something blue” was a velvet ring box, which was the first item that Carlin bought for her wedding day.

The Chesapeake Bay Wedding Day

Before the ceremony, Carlin and Justin had an intimate first look where they read their vows to one another. After their first look, we went on to do their couples photos along the bay at The Oaks Waterfront Inn.

Carlin and Justin decided that they would not kiss during their pre-ceremony couples photos and rather save the moment for when they were pronounced husband and wife at the altar. However, during their portraits, I instructed Justin to dip Carlin and go nose-to-nose with her. Instead, he instinctually dipped and kissed her. He was absolutely shocked when he realized what he’d done. We all burst into hysterical laughter and managed to get adorable photos even still.

The Oaks Waterfront Inn Wedding Reception

For many of my couples, their first look is the moment they look forward to the most on their wedding day. However, Carlin and Justin were beyond ecstatic about their reception.

Carlin described that “the most exciting part of [their] day is that [they] have every person in [their] lives that matter most to [them] in one place.” Therefore, capturing all of their guests and the mutual love shared was important. I think it’s safe to say that these significant and loving moments were captured and will be cherished forever!

Carlin has always been the most sincere and caring person, and Justin ever-charismatic yet genuine. It was an absolute joy to work with them and be trusted to document their wedding day. If you are looking for someone to capture those fairytale moments of your love story in a timeless manner, I’d love to hear from you! Check out my wedding page for details on my creative process and what it’s like to work with me!

love always Avery