This Chesapeake Bay Maritime Museum Wedding Proves Sunflowers Are Never Boring

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Real Weddings

TAG, YOU’RE IT

Hannah Hierstetter did not come to Scott Guenther’s rescue when he fell off his bike; she started giggling. The eighth grader was unimpressed by this cute boy and his failed trick, although she did promptly invite him to a neighborhood flashlight game that same evening. Within a few hours, the crush was established: Scott showed up conspicuously early, Hannah stole his hat — which she still has — and several weeks later, Scott asked Hannah to flip her claddagh ring upside down as an official mark of their coupling. The pair dated through high school and college at West Virginia University, before buying a house together in Locust Point in 2016.

SUNSET PIER

A year later, the pair headed to Key West for a vacation with friends. On the first evening, the group gathered to watch the sunset. Scott asked Hannah to take a picture with him, before pointing out a sailboat on the horizon — Did she see it? She turned to look, and when she turned back, Scott was down on one knee. “It was the most unreal moment because after 11 years together, I did not think he would be able to surprise me!” Hannah says.

A VENUE WITH A VIEW

Hannah and Scott love being outside, so they wanted to find a venue with a view. “And the Chesapeake Bay Maritime Museum was the perfect fit,” Hannah says. They had 123 guests show up to their tented reception, which was catered by one of the venue’s exclusive partners, Garden & Garnish. They served crab cakes, caesar salad, stuffed chicken, potatoes and asparagus.

YELLOW AND BLUE FOR WVU

The hardest aspect of planning for Hannah and Scott was keeping their guest list small. The easiest? Selecting colors.“Our theme was yellow and blue for WVU!” Hannah says. Which takes us to her favorite moment of the day: Singing Country Roads with the WVU flag. “I think every single wedding guest sang at some point during the song,” she says.

Hannah and Scott’s ring bearer was extra little, so they had him carry a ring pop, instead of the real rings. Fun fact about the ring bearer pillow: It was made out of a vintage t-shirt Scott’s mom had saved from a school field trip he took to St. Michael’s, which was the location of their venue.

HONEYMONEY

Instead of presents, Hannah and Scott invited their guests to give them something nice for their 14-day honeymoon through Europe. “It was totally worth it,” Hannah says. Of the trip, which included stops in Dublin, Rome and Barcelona, her favorite place they visited was Venice.

Bride’s attire: Amanda Ritchey Bridal / Bride’s hair: Gina Mazza / Bride’s makeup: Makeup by Farren / Bridesmaid dresses: K & B Bridals / Catering, cupcakes and decor: Garden & Garnish / Day of Coordinator: Emily Schupbach / Florals: Monteray Farms / Invitations: Just Ink on Paper / Menswear: Amanda Ritchey Bridal / Music: It’s Your Day DJ / Photographer: Candace Nicole / Rings: Blue Nile