Liz Fogarty Photography
Liz Fogarty Photography
William & Rachel
Chesapeake Bay Foundation | Liz Fogarty Photography
Wedding Date:: June 1, 2024; Number of Guests: 160; Bride’s & Groom’s Signature Cocktails: Aperol Spritz & Negroni
Rachel also designed the bar signage, menus, place cards, welcome bag itineraries, and ceremony programs herself. Her favorite was the sign for the three crush flavors.
Blind Date at Formal
William and Rachel both went to Washington University in St. Louis and met after being set up. Will’s friend, who was attending the boys’ fraternity formal with a friend of Rachel’s, secured the date for the dance. Despite meeting that night, the two don’t consider this blind date their first. Their first real date was seeing a Cardinals game together in St. Louis.
Understated, Coastal, and Organic
They always knew they wanted to get married on the water in Annapolis, where Rachel spent summers with her family. “We wanted a coastal vibe that celebrated the Chesapeake Bay, but without going too in-your-face.” Rachel, who is a graphic designer, and her mom, who has a penchant for interior design, both zeroed in on the tablescape. Together, along with her wedding planner, they created the organic table design of Rachel’s dreams. “I wanted the flower arrangements to look like you might have plucked them from the grounds of Chesapeake Bay Foundation.”
Love at First Sight
It only took Rachel one day of wedding dress shopping to completely fall in love with a dress. “I went to countless bridal stores in New York City with my mom and bridesmaids,” she recounts. “I kept comparing every dress I put on to the Anne Barge dress I tried on our first day of shopping.” From the start, both she and her mom had imagined a dress exactly like what she fell in love with: simple and elegant for a beach wedding.
Liz Fogarty Photography
Spotlighting Coastal Cuisine
For William, the food was one of the most important details. “We knew we wanted to incorporate crab somehow, and [Ken’s Creative Kitchen] is incredible,” says Rachel. The couple served mini crab cakes during the cocktail hour, which were easily awarded the best dish of the day. Bringing more of that Chesapeake coastal feel, William and Rachel also had a crush bar, where they served grapefruit, lemon, and orange crushes.
Non Stop on the Dance Floor
There was no shortage of memorable moments on the dance floor that night. The first dances took place before dinner, which included William and his mom doing an unrehearsed jive to “You Make My Dreams Come True,” which took everyone by surprise. Then, they invited guests up for a few songs to get everyone excited about the dance floor opening later in the night. At the end of dinner, the horn section of the live band walked and played through the dining room, encouraging everyone to follow them to the dance floor and start the party.
Liz Fogarty Photography
Buried for Good Luck
Despite having a rain plan, Rachel began to feel nervous about the weather leading up to the wedding. “[I] heard a story about burying bourbon at your wedding site for good weather.” So, a few months before, “Will and I buried a bottle of bourbon on the beach by our ceremony spot.” The ritual must have worked; the day ended up having weather better than they could have imagined. They ended up digging up the bottle right before the ceremony and it’s still sitting on their bar cart as a unique memento of a beautiful day.
Details:
Band/Entertainment: Lucy Black Entertainment, Luxe Band Florist: Sophie Felts Floral Design Hair & Makeup: Amie Decker Beauty Invitations/Save the Dates/Day of Paper: Annie Lloyd Designs Linen Rentals: Select Event Group Photographer: Liz Fogarty Videography: PaperBoys Planning: Anne Kelley Events & Design Drape/Stage/Lighting: Mark Henry Events Specialty Rentals: Pretty Little Wedding Co. Groom Attire: Ralph Lauren, purchased at Ralph Lauren Wedding Dress: Anne Barge, purchased at Kleinfeld’s
