The Couple. Josh, 28, and Kelly, 25, met by way of a setup that almost went awry—twice! Kelly’s sister met Josh through a coworker, but when she asked if Josh was single, he thought she was asking for her. “Once it was determined that she wanted to set Josh up with me,” Kelly says, “a happy hour was arranged and we were both invited.” Yet, “in what I’ve come to discover is typical Josh fashion,” Kelly says, Josh arrived late. Still, it was meant to be. “Josh asked for my number that night and the rest is history!”
The Proposal. Knowing that some of Kelly’s best childhood memories were of seeing Disney on Ice with her family, Josh surprised her with tickets. To make a day of it, they walked around D.C. and checked out the monuments before dinner. “After the National Mall, we walked to the Lincoln Memorial,” Kelly recalls. As if Josh wasn’t nervous enough, just when he was about to pop the question they heard a cheer coming from the steps behind them, leading him to fear someone else had beaten him to a proposal of their own. Kelly turned to realize that, in fact, a wedding had just taken place, and when she turned back, Josh was on his knee with the ring.
The Venue. Kelly and Josh chose the Chesapeake Beach Resort and Spa for the wedding after falling in love with the view during a pre-engagement unch. “To be honest, when Josh suggested that we take a walk on the docks outside [that day], I thought it would be the moment he proposed! It was not, so I went home with a full belly and naked finger!” Still, the view made quite the impression. “We knew that any wedding we could have there would be beautiful,” Kelly says.
The Ceremony. Though the weather tried its best to work against them—and even warranted a 15-minute rain delay—the storms stopped just long enough for the ceremony and cocktail hour. Kelly and Josh exchanged personalized vows under the wedding dome, flanked by three idesmaids and four groomsmen, in front of 120 guests. Instead of a unity candle or sand, Josh and Kelly opted for a stone ceremony. Each guest was given a tiny stone upon arrival. During the ceremony, the officiant explained that the stones represented each person’s life path and how they came to be a part of Kelly and Josh’s journey. “She asked that each person make a wish for our future,” Kelly says. “As the guests left, they returned the stones to a pretty glass jar that we now have displayed in our home.” Additionally, Kelly and Josh found selected modern blessings for their marriage and asked seven couples and individuals to read them. “It was such an honor that they all agreed to stand up and give a blessing for us and our marriage,” Kelly says.
The First Dances. For their first dance as husband and wife, Josh and Kelly chose Blake Shelton’s “God Gave Me You.” “I was surprised that Kelly made it through the entire ceremony without crying, since she cries during other people’s vows on [the TV show] ‘Four Weddings,’” Josh says. “Our first dance started, and suddenly she lost it.”
“I have no idea what happened!” Kelly says. “I was so excited for the wedding the whole day that I didn’t cry once, but the opening of the music hit me hard. Listening to the lyrics and thinking of how they really apply to us made me a little emotional.”
For the father/daughter dance, Kelly went an unconventional route and selected “It’s Only a Paper Moon” by James Taylor. “I know it isn’t a traditional dance song, but it reminds me so much of my dad,” Kelly explains. As a child, she’d traveled for soccer tournaments, and her dad often drove. “We’d put music on in the car and sing the entire trip. One of our favorite CDs was the soundtrack to “A League of Their Own,” and this song always required at least one additional play. Everytime I hear it, I am reminded of some really wonderful memories of my awesome dad.”
A Favorite Detail. Sewn into Kelly’s dress was a heart-shaped piece of a shirt that had belonged to her grandfather.
The Honeymoon. Josh and Kelly waited a week before jetting off to the Sandals Royal Plantation in Ocho Rios Jamaica. “Having that week in between just to relax and decompress was wonderful,” Kelly says. “It also meant that we didn’t have to pack for a week’s vacation in addition to everything else we had to do for the wedding!” In Jamaica, they went on boat excursions and climbed Dunns River Falls, in addition to enjoying some R&R. “Our friends paid for us to have a couples massage while we were there,” Kelly says, “and any remaining stress from the wedding completely melted away after that.” On their last evening, they enjoyed a private candlelight dinner. “It was the perfect way to end a wonderful week.”
Venue:
Chesapeake Beach Resort and Spa, Chesapeake Beach
Florist:
Black Eyed Susan Florist, Gam ills
Cake/Desserts:
Sweet Sue’s Bake Shop, North Beach
Caterer:
Rod 'N' Reel, Chesapeake Beach
Dress:
Alfred Angelo/David’s Bridal, Glen Burnie
Bridesmaid dresses:
David’s Bridal, Glen Burnie
Men's attire:
Men’s Warehouse
Jeweler:
Jared Galleria
Stationer:
Wedding Paper Divas
Favors:
Tins from BeachThemeWeddingShop.com;
Salt Water Taffy from Old Town Candy Company, North Beach;
Labels printed at home
Videographer:
Wedit
Photographer:
Krista A. Jones Photography
Hair/makeup:
Chesapeake Beach Spa Resort
Officiant:
Reverend Mary Rahall of From this Day Forward, Waldorf
first dance:
“God Gave Me You” by Blake Shelton
father/daughter dance:
“It’s Only a Paper Moon” by James Taylor
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