Inspired Vol. 3 | Spring/Summer 2015

p ns ire I d!

IN THIS ISSUE: Dw e l l i n g & D es i g n : B l e n d i n g H i s & H e rs DIY SEASHELL TEALIGHTS We Love: Nautical Details SHORE GOURMET: BLUEBERRY MOJITO

S P R I N G / S U M M E R 2 0 1 5 | I S S U E No. 3

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LOBLOLLY

from fields to rivers Three Premier Venues Private Weekend Rental Choose Your Own Vendors In beautiful Chestertown, MD Centrally Located between Baltimore, Washington D.C., and Philadelphia Airports

BrittlandEstates.com info@brittlandestates.com 410.810.7591

Lauren C Photography

PUBLISHER’S LETTER S P R I N G / S U M M E R 2 0 1 5 | I S S U E No. 3

Fresh. New. Change. All of these words

Spring is the time to enjoy refreshing, fruity

evoke the feeling of Spring to most of us. Forget

drinks. Spirit expert Joe Pietro, from Hair of the

about old man winter and welcome the longer

Dog Wine & Spirits, was kind enough to bring us

days, the warmer mornings and greener, well,

a wonderful recipe for a Blueberry Mojito, which

greenery! For us at My Eastern Shore Wedding,

gave us a great excuse to while away the day and

this time of year heralds the beginning of our

imagine ourselves sitting on a dock enjoying an

busiest season. After all, the Shore is resplendent

Eastern Shore sunset!

in every way providing a gorgeous backdrop for any wedding.

In this issue, we’ve focused on an extremely

All of us here at My Eastern Shore Wedding celebrate the wonderful couples who call the Eastern Shore “home” for their weddings. The

popular theme for many local weddings—all

creative vendor community, whose expertise is

things nautical. You’ll see this idea reflected in

so sought after by these same couples to make

everything from the venue to the details—check

their vision come alive, loves getting together to

out the real waterfront weddings in this issue.

share stories, ideas, and have a little taste of each

With details as varied as colorful flags, Old Bay

other’s specialties. Take a look on the next page

popcorn and dockside photos, there’s nothing

at our most recent get together at Kari Rider

that our brides don’t think of to carry through

Events’ new studio in downtown Easton.

this ubiquitous theme.

We LOVE how Dwelling and Design helped us highlight a common dilemma for many couples—how to blend their tastes when combining households. The talented and creative Fiona Weeks created three different looks, all built around one piece of furniture that our couple wanted to keep. Which is your fav?

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Cheers to Spring!

Stay in Touch:

114 NORTH WASHINGTON ST., SUITE 1 窶｢ EASTON, MD | 410.690.3606 InspiredIdeas@MyEasternShoreWedding.com

VENDOR SOIRﾃ右 at kari rider events studio

Inspired! m eet

THE TEAM

publisher MELISSA GRIMES-GUY art director CARA SMITH marketing manager BETSY GRIEVES cover photo by MELISSA GRIMES-GUY PHOTOGRAPHY

contributing photographers CHELSEA FLUHARTY PHOTOGRAPHY COTY JONES PHOTOGRAPHY MELISSA GRIMES-GUY PHOTOGRAPHY TOM MILLER PHOTOGRAPHY Photography by Tom Miller

COPYRIGHT ﾂｩ My Eastern Shore Wedding Inspired!. All rights reserved. Copyright of articles and photographs of My Eastern Shore Wedding Inspired! remain with the individual contributors and may not be reproduced without permission.

For more information, visit MYEASTERNSHOREWEDDING.COM

karirider.com

S T A Y CON N E CTE D

in a l l yo u r fav or ite pla ces

C D D

CD

MY EA S T ER N S H O RE WE DDI NG.CO M

table

of c o n t e n t s

S P R I N G / S U M M E R 2 0 1 5 | I S S U E No. 3

44

16 In Every Issue 4

Real Weddings

PUBLISHER’S LETTER

16

14

CARL & STEPHANIE Photography by Coty Jones

5 MINUTES WITH Robin Marrah

30

42

TREVOR & CRYSTAL Photography by Melissa Grimes-Guy

WE LOVE Nautical Details

52

SHORE GOURMET Blueberry Mojito

Vendor Features 44

DWELLING & DESIGN Blending His & Hers

Features 8 11

SAY YES: PROPOSAL STORIES We asked you how he popped the question DIY SEASHELL TEALIGHTS A nautical addition to your tablescape

42

y a S Yes!

LAS T IS S UE WE ASKED OUR BRIDES TO SUBMIT TH EIR SW E E T PROPOSAL S TORIES . H ERE AR E A FEW OF OUR F AVORITES !

CONGRATS TO EACH OF Y OU !

My fiancé Jason and I are both from the Eastern

with champagne and cupcakes. When we went back

Shore and are huge Washington Nationals fans. We

to our seats to enjoy the rest of the game, we received

had planned to take August 7, 2014 off work to go to a

congratulations from everyone around us! The game

day game. To me it was just another baseball game. We

went 13 innings but the Nats won with a walk-off home

got an early start, but little did we know it was Camp

run from Bryce Harper and the rest is history! We will

Day at the stadium so there were school buses galore.

be getting married this summer at my alma mater,

Traffic was horrible; it took us an hour and a half to

Salisbury University.

go 24 miles! Needless to say, I was not in a good mood

Desirae Green and Jason Dize

by the time we arrived at the stadium and had missed the first inning. When we got out of the car to walk up to the stadium I noticed Jason was carrying a black bag, which I thought was strange, but never asked any questions about it. He would not let that bag out of his site, nor would he let me put any of my stuff in it.

I looked at my ticket after it was scanned and was surprised to see that we weren’t seated in our normal

My fiancé actually made telling this story very easy by proposing using a website! All he had to do was ask me to look at my computer. The website has been updated to include the proposal that

section. Jason had surprised me with seats three rows

was caught on tape! I can’t wait to marry my best

behind home plate that also included access to the

friend!

restaurant! We found our seats and watched a couple of innings before heading inside for something to eat.

t h e s to rya b o u t u s . c o m

Charlotte Neild and Edwin Bramble

The hostess seated us at a corner table overlooking the Nationals indoor batting cages. Jason took out his bag and told me he had something for me. He then pulled out two Nationals hats, one for each of us and sized to fit. Mine said “Will You” and his said “Marry Me”! Of course I said YES! He pulled out the ring and there were lots of tears and hugs. Our waiter surprised us

WE L OV E HE A RING YOUR PROPOS AL STORIES! SUBMIT TH EM TO : I n sp ir edIdeas @ MyEas t ernShor e We ddi ng.com f or a chance to be f eatur e d!

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My fiancé Jared proposed on July 31, 2014.

Both of our families were getting together at my grandparents’ home on my family’s farm for what I thought was a ‘going away dinner’ for my boyfriend and brother. They would soon be traveling to Canada to work guiding hunting parties. After we finished dinner, Jared asked me if I wanted to go for a walk by the pond. As we were walking, he was pointing out birds in the pond and we stopped to look at a Green Heron and watch the sunset. When I turned around he was down on one knee and told me how much he loved me and asked me to be his wife. Of course, I said “YES” and he placed my dream ring on my finger. Our family was about a hundred yards away in the yard and cheered as we kissed. Then Jared said “Now you need to wave,” so I start waving at my family in the distance. He said “Not to them,” Chelsea Fluharty Photography

and pointed in the woods where I saw my cousin’s wife Chelsea coming out of the turkey blind with her camera. Jared had cleared a path through the woods and placed the turkey blind where we had one of our first “dates”. Chelsea had photographed our whole engagement! We returned to our family for hugs, kisses and dessert. We are getting married on May 30, 2015 on my family’s farm and our ceremony will overlook the exact spot where we got engaged.

Lindsay Dodd and Jared Thompson

KARIRIDER.COM | 443.534.4257 k a r i @ k a r i r i d e r. c o m

DIY

Photography by Tom Miller

SEA SHELL tea lights

Adding interesting and appealing light to your wedding is a noble and desirable goal. Beautiful lighting can enhance the total event experience and create a mood like nothing else. This issue’s DIY features a sweet and simple idea perfect for your waterfront wedding: seashell tea lights. We’ve used clam shells but you could just as easily use oyster shells or even crab shells. It’s a quick and easy way to add a little sparkle to your wedding tablescape.

M AT E R I A L S : • Seashells • Tea Light Candles • Electric Wax Melter

1

2

Assemble your supplies on a clean surface.

Deconstruct two tealights per shell. Discard

Plug in wax melter to begin heating.

tin and set wick to the side.

3

4

Drop tea light wax into the warmer dish.

Pour liquid wax into shells and set aside

Heat according to directions with your

until completely cool and hardened.

warmer, or until wax is completely liquid.

Tip: Prop the shells up to keep level while pouring wax and during the cooling process.

(Ours took approximately 30 minutes).

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net

Blaine and Bethany Photography

inspired catering

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St. Michaels Maryland

Discover the Best Eastern Shore Wedding Professionals!

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HAIR & MAKEUP A RT I S T RY

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5 minutes

WITH R O B I N MA RRA H

TITLE: CO-OWNER & GENERAL MANAGER COMPANY: PATRIOT CRUISES ROBIN@PATRIOTCRUISES.COM 410-745-3100

COUPLES LOVE PATRIOT CRUISES BECAUSE The Patriot offers views of the scenic Eastern Shore that no other venue can! Our 65’ boat can host 149 guests for a very smooth ride while showing off the historic homes, beautiful estates, local wildlife, gorgeous scenery and spectacular sunsets. We team with exceptional caterers that offer any menu you desire and a full-service bar. Rehearsal dinners are an excellent way to show off our local beauty as the wedding weekend begins–cocktails on the upper deck and dinner in the main salon. After toasts and dessert, a return to the upper deck for the sunset before heading back into St. Michaels beautiful harbor. Weddings are special on the Patriot as our Captain can perform the wedding ceremony just before heading out of the harbor for the reception cruise. Many couples return to St. Michaels and the Patriot for their anniversaries to relive that special day.

THIS YEAR WILL BE our 6th season in business after purchasing this 46-year-old business in 2009.

I WORK BEST IN my home office organizing events and private charters... but I also love working on the boat and interacting with our guests! One never tires of the beautiful scenery working on the boat– seeing the sun set behind the Bennett Point lighthouse, the beautiful sights of the Wye or Miles Rivers, the mansions on Leeds Creek, or a bald eagle flying by.

MY BEST ACCOMPLISHMENT HAS BEEN finding happiness in both my personal and professional lives. By profession, I am a CPA and I continue to have a small tax practice with many long-time clients, and I am very proud of our successes with the Patriot and the joy it brings. I am also nearing 27 years of marriage with my favorite Captain and am loving life–especially our winter vacations to the places on our bucket list.

And last but certainly not least, we derive great enjoyment from our successful children and grandchildren.

I FIND INSPIRATION FROM our growing business and feedback and referrals from our guests that have made it so. We have worked very hard to have a stellar venue for rehearsal dinners, weddings or just a group of wedding guests joining one of our narrated historic cruises. The compliments abound about how the charter or cruise exceeded their expectations!

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Photography by Melissa Grimes-Guy

shore WE DD ING S

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CARL& STEPHANIE PHOTOGRAPHY BY COTY JONES

FRO M ST EPHANIE: Growing up in New Jersey with the Barnegat Bay in my backyard and the ocean blocks away, water quickly became an important part of my life. One of the first things that my mother said to me when I was moving to the area and first drove her over the Choptank River Bridge was, “Look Stephanie, it’s beautiful!

There is so much water! This will be perfect!”

Although we both didn’t realize then how much water there actually was in Dorchester County, she was certainly right. It turned out moving here to teach would lead me to a wonderful guy who has the same love and appreciation of the water as I do.

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Carl’s experience with water was mainly on

and I wanted to enhance the river’s natural

Chesapeake Bay workboats and mine was with

beauty so we went with a classic look of greens

sailboats, so Dorchester County blended both

and blues. With the help of great friends and

interests seamlessly. When we began planning

family who put together the centerpieces,

our wedding there was one thing we wanted,

popcorn bar, and final touches to the reception,

which was for the reception to be on the water.

the scene of our Eastern Shore wedding was set

The Choptank River was the backdrop for most

perfectly!

of the day which made planning a breeze. Carl

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We started the day getting ready at Blue Water

families and friends. One of the best parts of the

Farm, a beautiful farmhouse on the Choptank

day was when Coty stole Carl and me away to

River. We were married at Zion United Methodist

take pictures of just us. We not only had a blast,

Church and then finished with the reception at the

she got amazing shots of the sunset that night!

Cambridge Yacht Club, just down the street. With

The day was truly picture perfect and so much

Coty as our photographer, I was confident that

more than we could have imagined!

she would not only capture the beautiful colors of the Shore that day, but also the wonderful time we had celebrating our new life together with our

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v en d o r s photography | COTY JONES PHOTOGRAPHY ceremony | ZION UNITED METHODIST CHURCH reception | CAMBRIDGE YACHT CLUB girls’ prep site | BLUE WATER FARMS cake | BAY COUNTRY BAKERY florist | FLORALS UNIQUE DJ | BIG DAVE tuxes/gown | DRYDEN’S DRESS COMPANY bridesmaids’ dresses | BELLA SPOSA BRIDAL rentals | PARTIES ETC.

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shore WE DD ING S

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TREVOR& C RY S TA L

PHOTOGRAPHY BY MELISSA GRIMES-GUY

FRO M CRYSTAL: Our waterfront wedding was not only breathtaking because of the gorgeous weather and views, but also because my husband had grown up sailing that same river. When the day came, like most brides, I was a little panicked; I was worried about the day going as planned. And, I was VERY ready for the ceremony to start. A bride plans for this day for such a long time, if not her whole life, so some worry is expected. But the closer to "start" time we got, the less worried I became. I remember peeking out the window and being in awe at how beautiful everything looked and the excitement of marrying the man of my dreams.

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During the ceremony, it seemed as if time

celebrating with our family and friends. As if life

stood still—as if it were just the pastor, Trevor,

couldn't get more wonderful, Trevor and I made

and myself. An amazingly special feeling—finally

our grand exit by boat. However, this boat wasn’t

we were married!

just any boat—it was my husband's 1967 Boston

After the ceremony, the reception flew by!

During the wedding planning process, I felt like we had tons of time. But reality was different. The best part was that all our planning and worrying was worth it. We had such an amazing time

Whaler, handed down from his grandfather! As we made our exit, I remember thinking," Wow, our fairytale wedding really did come true"!

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v e ndo r s photography | MELISSA GRIMES-GUY wedding coordinator | JOAN CONNOR, TEMPTATIONS caterer | OCCASIONS CATERING transportation | GENE’S LIMOUSINE rentals | EASTERN SHORE TENTS & EVENTS florals | FLEURISH cake | BAY COUNTRY BAKERY

love we

NOTHING SAYS EASTERN SHORE LIKE THESE

NAUTICAL

D E TA I L S

CHEERS!

What better way to celebrate your recent nuptials than with a toast? These monogrammed wine glasses and tray make the perfect pair to do just that! Both shatterproof and lightweight, they’re the perfect addition to your next boating day.

Hampden Designs hampdendesigns.com

SWEET SAILING Give your guests something sweet to take away from your special day! Melissa of Bake My Day will create custom cookie favors in all shapes and sizes that are sure to send you sailing.

Bake My Day facebook.com/bakemydaymaryland

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HOOKED ON YOU This bright red cast iron crab hook stole our hearts! At 7”x5.5”, it’s big enough to be noticed and just right for hanging up a coat or apron. Pop into Chef and Shower for this and other nautical-inspired gifts. Or, use their registry and put this little crab on your wish list! Also available is navy blue and white.

Chef & Shower chefandshower.com

LEAN ON ME Soft and comfortable, we love these nautical pillows. See how Fiona of Dwelling and Design styled the flag pillow in our “Blending His & Hers” article (pg. 44).

Dwelling and Design dwellinganddesign.com

dwelling &d e s i g n BLENDING HIS & HERS

Getting married is such an exciting time! You share so many common interests, like your love for sailing, beaches, art, and enjoying life. But when it comes to decorating, you may not be on the same page. What do you both have that’s worth keeping? We all know you don’t really want to bring that dingy old recliner that he loves into your new place. What if you have one nice piece of furniture and all the rest has seen better days? We asked the talented Fiona Weeks of Dwelling and Design in historic downtown Easton to imagine a few creative solutions that would solve this very common problem. Using items readily available in her shop, she showed us just how easy it would be to build three new looks starting almost from scratch. Here are three different water-inspired living rooms based on that one piece you both agree upon–a navy blue sofa.

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T h e I nn e r H a r b o r S t y l e Contemporary art, vibrant yellows, and a dash of sophistication all combine in this eclectic living room setting. The bold strokes in the painting command your attention while the small splashes of red render a subtle nod to the seafaring life you both enjoy.

Achieving this look requires the use of large striking pieces, preferably in one color, and limiting the patterns so as not to distract from the art.

Nautical Mixed Media Art 60”x36” $1250 | 36” Round Wedding Cake Table $1365 | Mirrored Accent Table, Gold $158 | Navy Porcelain Lamp $240 | Ceramic Garden Stool, Yellow $129 | Small Round Frame $48 | Glass Box, Yellow Large $54 | Flag Pillow $145 | Brahms Mount Herringbone Throw $235 | Whiskey Decanter $180 | Yellow Bedside Tray Square $39 | Decorative Bead Strand $32-$64

T h e C o a s ta l S t y l e Watery blues mixed with accents of sun-bleached woods bring to mind the comforts of the sand and sea. Transforming your living room into a coastal retreat is easy. Use mostly soft blues and sandy beiges, allowing the navy sofa to anchor the room.

Accessorize with beach treasures such as shells, water-inspired art, glass net floats and perhaps a shore bird or two.

41”x41” Blue Art $558 | 36” Square Geo Glass Cocktail Table $763 | Bardini Throw, Cobalt $230 | 20”x20” Seaglass Pillow $144 | 24”x18” Okumi Pillow $159 | 20”x17” Sailboat Canvas Pillow $188 | Wood Dresser Box (used as a table) $168 | Seeded Glass Lamp $291 | White Moss Balls $10 ea. | Ceramic Dove $82 | Large Clam Shell $365

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The Nautical Style What could be more nautical than navy blues with white, bold stripes and accents of red? This is a fresh, easy and modern approach to a nautical room. Boating references are apparent with the addition of an anchor pillow and a pair of oars mounted on the wall. The ottoman was upholstered to imply a sailing flag.

Just keep in mind that the key to this look is restraint (and be careful to avoid the whimsical)!

Convex Art 24”x30” (two shown) $328 ea | 38” Square Double Center Stripe Ottoman $1622 | Curved Bureau with ribbed Top Drawer $1880 | Small Column, Whitewashed $1680 | Seramis Temple Jar $248 | Java Temple Jar $226 | Anchor Pillow $44 | Striped Throw $85 | Small Oar (2) $98 ea | Misc. Board Games $16-$36 Photography by Melissa Grimes-Guy

find us on

443 •786 •6616

Make your Rehearsal Dinner an Eastern Shore experience!

433 Kent Narrow Way N. | Grasonville, MD 410-827-9500 | harriscrabhouse.com

SHORE

gourmet

wo w yo u r g u e s t s w ith this f r e s h a n d f ru i t y

s i g n at u r e c o c k ta i l

Photography by Tom Miller

BLU EB E RRY M OJITO Try this tasty and refreshing cocktail from the suggestion box of Joe Pietro, owner of local favorite Hair of the Dog Wine & Spirits in Easton. His Blueberry Mojito made us think of warm summer nights beside the pool or dining “al fresco� in one of the charming towns on the Shore. Easy to make and easy to drink. Enjoy!

10 large mint leaves

1 1/2 oz. light rum

10 blueberries

1 oz. fresh lime juice

3/4 oz. simple syrup

1/2 oz. club soda

Muddle mint, blueberries and simple syrup in a cocktail shaker. Add ice, rum and lime juice and shake until thoroughly mixed. Strain into an ice-filled glass and top off with club soda.

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s e e y o u n e x t t i m e!

FALL/WINTER 2015

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Photography by Melissa Grimes-Guy