Love in the Vines

Crushing grapes + cape veils at a Kent Island wedding.

The couple: Kayla Pierson + Chris Sui

Wedding date: October 16, 2020

Number of guests: 100

// How They Met

Matchmaking is not dead! Although Kayla’s friend (and eventual officiant!) Cherie did not know Chris herself, she had heard good things and had a hunch that Chris might be cute for Kayla. Chris’ mutual friends agreed, and thus the friend of a friend of a friend connection came to be. Only, it wasn’t seamless. Chris was wary of a blind date experience, so instead, he invited Kayla to hang out with him and his wing-people. “It was horrible!” Kayla recalls. “Everyone in the group knew why we were there and it made for an awkward evening,” Kayla adds. Between the loud karaoke and some unfortunate seating, the pair hardly spoke to each other. “Luckily, I called the shots on the next date,” Kayla says, “and when we finally went out, just the two of us, we had a great time!”

// B.Y.O. Vendors

Kayla and Chris started their venue search in Kent Island because they wanted to book an outdoor, waterfront wedding that wasn’t too far from either of their families, who live in Maryland and Delaware. They liked Cascia Vineyards’ simple, yet beautiful setting and the fact that the venue didn’t restrict them to a list of pre-approved vendors.

// A Canvas Non-Negotiable

Renting a sailcloth tent was on the couple’s to-do list from the very beginning of their planning process. “We loved the soft look it gave from the outside and the airy feel on the inside,” Kayla says. “Since the sailcloth tent was so beautiful itself, very few extra decorations were needed.” They solidified their coastal theme with dusty blue Adrianna Papell dresses for the bridesmaids and fishing lure details on the groomsmen’s boutonnieres. “Fishing is a major hobby of Chris’ and also something we enjoy doing together,” Kayla explains. “Since fishing is such a huge part of him, we thought the [lures] would make a fun, unique piece to represent him on our wedding day.”

// Tipsy Truck

Since Cascia Vineyards is an outdoor venue, Kayla and Chris had to come up with their own plan for a bar. A little scrolling on Instagram quickly solved that dilemma, however, when Kayla discovered Magnolia Lounge, a vintage 1964 West Coast Truckster turned mobile dry bar. “We loved working with the owner Erin Nooman, who was creative, responsive, and, above all, genuinely nice!” Kayla says. The truck, which has four taps, was stocked with beer, Prosecco, and two mixers made by Erin — an apple cider and a pear punch, which guests could add liquor to or drink straight. 

// Superbride

For Kayla, picking a bridal shop was easy; she went to the same boutique where her sister bought her wedding dress. “We fell in love with the owner of the store, who was personable, knowledgable and, above all, honest,” Kayla says. When Kayla arrived for her appointment at Gamberdella, she had a vague idea of what she was looking for: a simple, fitted gown with straps and a low back. Of course, the first dress the attendant brought her was the one. To complete the outfit, Gamberdella’s in-house seamstress helped Kayla design a custom cape veil based on images she had seen on Instagram.

// Say Ha!

Kayla and Chris were impressed by many of their vendors, but the one that stood out to them the most was their photographer Vince Ha, with his wife Amy, who was his second shooter. “Vince was there for us 110%,” Kayla says. “He made us and our whole bridal party feel very special and so comfortable in front of the camera.” Besides providing clear posing instructions (which Kayla says the "not very photogenic" newlyweds “desperately needed”), Vince and Amy set up a reception slideshow to provide a sneak peek of the couple’s getting ready moments, assisted guests with lighting for selfies, and even consulted on outfits for Kayla and Chris’ engagement session.

// The Preservation Plan

One piece of advice Kayla has for couples planing now is to think ahead about preserving their bouquet. “This was something we didn’t think about until the morning after the wedding,” Kayla says. “Once we realized how amazing it would be to preserve my bouquet, we started making phone calls trying to find a place that could work with us on a design. It turned into a slightly stressful few days that could've been avoided had we already had a plan in place."

Bride's gown: Mikaella (designer) + Gamberdella Bridal (shop) / Bride's hair: JKW Beauty / Bride's makeup: Makeup by Crista / Bridesmaid dresses: Adrianna Papell / Cake: Little Village Bakery / Caterer: Rouge Catering / Day of Coordinator: Kate's the Key / Florist: J. Starr's Flower Barn / Invitations: Refined422 via Etsy / Music: John Paul DeCesare (ceremony) + DJ Ricky of Crow Entertainment (reception) / Officiant: Cherie Conrad / Oysters: Johnson Bay Oysters / Photographer: Vince Ha Photography / Signage: SaraBee Calligraphy / Tap truck: Magnolia Lounge / Tent + rentals: Eastern Shore Tents and Events