Brooke Michelle Photography
Wylder Hotel Tilghman Island | Brooke Michelle Photography
WEDDING DATE: October 23, 2021
NUMBER OF GUESTS: 95
NO WORDS
Kelly and Dwaine matched on Hinge and had their first date at a ramen bar. Initially, Dwaine was so quiet that Kelly was worried he wasn’t having a good time. But his reserved demeanor was a cover for his surprise. “He later told me he was shocked that he had finally found someone he could see himself spending the rest of his life with,” Kelly says.
THE WYLDER HOTEL
Early in their relationship, Kelly and Dwaine attended a friend’s wedding in Cape Cod, which ended up providing a lot of the inspiration behind their own celebration. While they chose to stay closer to their Virginia home, they set out to find a venue that captured that casual, coastal ambience. They found the Wylder Hotel and fell in love with its lush green lawn, sailboat scenery, and chic crab shack restaurant. “It was the perfect mix of classy coastal, with a laid back ‘no shoes necessary’ kind of feel,” Kelly says.
Brooke Michelle Photography
To add a touch of fun to the ceremony, Dwaine and his groomsmen arrived by boat. The Wylder Hotel helped coordinate the charter of Working Girl from St. Michaels.
PETTI CLOSE
Kelly picked her dress years in advance—the only problem was that it was way outside her price range! She took the essence of her dream gown and headed on down to BHLDN, where she was able to find a gown with a lace bodice and similar silhouette. “When I tried it on, it wasn’t love at first sight because something wasn’t quite right,” she says. “I realized that it needed a little more fluff and body in the skirt, so I purchased a petticoat to go underneath. After that it was finally the dress that I had been dreaming of!”
THEIR FAVORITE SONGS
A big John Legend fan, Kelly knew she wanted to do her first dance to one of the R&B star’s lesser-known songs. While making Valentine’s Day dinner, Dwaine suggested “Stay With You”—the sweet lyrics reminding him of their upcoming promise to “stay with you…through the ups and the downs.” For the processional, Kelly alluded to her love of rom-coms with the Crazy Rich Asians version of “Can’t Help Falling in Love” by Kina Grannis.
Brooke Michelle Photography
Dwaine insisted on a fall wedding because, in his words: “I sweat too much to be outdoors in a suit on my wedding day in the summertime.”
HOMEMADE HOMILIES
One of the couple’s favorite memories from their wedding was writing their own vows and having Dwaine’s dad officiate the ceremony. “[While both tasks] were a little daunting, it made our wedding feel so much more personal and meaningful to us,” Kelly says.
DANCE ALL NIGHT
Kelly and Dwaine anticipated spending the majority of their night out on the dance floor, so splurging on a live band instead of a DJ was a no-brainer. “We both love the energy that a live band brings to a wedding,” Kelly says. That Dwaine joined the band onstage to perform his go-to karaoke song only made the decision even more worthwhile. “It was goofy and playful and the perfect way to end the night!” Kelly says.
Brooke Michelle Photography
THE DETAILS
Bride’s gown: BHLDN Bride’s beauty: Vintage Veils Cake: Mill Stream Farm Charter boat: Working Girl Charters Entertainment: Gold City (Chase Entertainment) Florist: Sherwood Florist Photography: Brooke Michelle Photography Table numbers + signage: Amy Scripts Calligraphy Venue: Wylder Hotel Tilghman Island
