Heather Ryan Photography
Grace Kording + Seth Montgomery
Naval Academy Chapel | Heather Ryan Photography
WEDDING DATE: December 17, 2022
NUMBER OF GUESTS: 110
HER BOUQUET: 35 lbs of cascading roses, greens, and pine cones
Heather Ryan Photography
“Our wonderful photographer Heather Ryan brought a sense of calm to the day. I trusted her experience shooting at the Academy and knowing where to take us to get the most impactful images. The grounds are grandiose, but her images make them feel intimate.”
FLYING, TOGETHER
Seth met Grace at the Melting Pot in Pensacola, Florida, the only single man at a birthday party full of flight school girls. But both were too busy flying solo - Seth, Ospreys in San Diego, and Grace, Growlers in Whidbey Island - to pursue romance; instead, they became “sporadic” friends. When a Navy training took Grace to Seth’s home base two years later, she texted him to catch up. Halfway through the dinner reunion, Grace asked Seth how he had found the restaurant. His reply? “He said he asked a guy at work where to take a girl on a first date!” Grace recounts. “My fork was suspended in midair holding a plump serving of spaghetti bolognese when Cupid came down and shot me with the love arrow.”
Heather Ryan Photography
GOING TO THE CHAPEL
The Naval Academy Chapel was at the top of the couple’s venue list, since Seth is an Academy grad and Grace, who hails from Baltimore, has meaningful memories there, too. “We knew our guests would enjoy the beauty of Annapolis around Christmas and have plenty of sights to see!” Grace says.
NOT A PLANE RECEPTION
Grace had a royal wedding fantasy, but aviation was the high-key theme. Seth spent 100-plus hours creating 16 model aircraft centerpieces, to display all of the aircraft the Montgomerys, their friends, and family members had flown. Another nod to their shared vocations was a wooden propeller, which they used as a guestbook. The couple’s save-the-date, designed by Seth, depicted a EA-18G Growler and MV-22 Osprey flying in formation, “which would probably never happen in real life, but made for a memorable and meaningful image,” Grace explains.
Heather Ryan Photography
IN LOVE WITH THE ’80S
A former pageant girl, Grace wanted a “grand, fabulous, and just a touch over-the-top” look for her wedding. In lieu of a veil, she wore her mother’s 1986 bridal tiara. “I grew up playing with it and knew it would be just the accessory to capture my royal wedding fantasy,” she says. Getting the veil cleaned was no small undertaking, involving trips to three dry cleaners and a bridal restoration specialist. For her gown, Grace headed to Mary’s Designer Bridal Boutique, the same shop that designed her high school graduation dress in 2011, in search of something avant-garde. “When I spotted a Victorian “crumb catcher” neckline paired with a 32-layer skirt, I knew I had found the one,” she says.
A MELODIOUS THANK YOU
One of Grace’s favorite details from her wedding was the music. She processed down the aisle to “Amazing Grace,” a hymn beloved by her parents. “That moment was my little ‘thank you’ to them for helping me plan such a special wedding,” Grace says. For the mass, singer Rosemarie Schwer performed the couple’s favorite hymns, including “Ave Maria,” “Be Thou My Vision,” and “Eternal Father.”
Heather Ryan Photography
The Montgomerys’ biggest splurge was transportation. “A shuttle service for our guests to get on and off the Yard was a must – we wanted to make our guests as comfortable and relaxed as possible!” Grace says.
NEWLYWED ART
Grace commissioned Annapolis artist Cink DeVeas to create a sketch of the Naval Academy Chapel with the couple’s name and wedding date for their reception. “The framed piece adorned the fireplace during our reception, and I love knowing that it was in the room with us on our wedding day,” she says. “It is now part of a gallery wall in our San Diego condo, where the propeller is also proudly featured.”
THE DETAILS
Accommodation: The Graduate Hotel Bride’s gown: Mary’s Designer Bridal Boutique Bride’s hair: Casey Hudson, 20 Ridgely Salon Bride’s jewelry: Louis Vuitton (earrings) + Tiffany & Co. Elsa Peretti (necklace) Bride’s shoes: Dolce Vita Cake: Main & Market Entertainment: DJ Paul Entertainment Florist: Flowers by Donna Transportation: Chesapeake Charter Venue: The Naval Academy Chapel + The Naval Academy Club
