A Pastel, Oyster-Shell Inspired Wedding at The William Paca House

The bride's mom baked the cake, calligraphed the invitations, and even made her daughter's veil, which has us thinking... can we adopt her?!

Jessica Brannock + Leo Hoffman, III

Occupations: Archaeologist and digital marketing director

Wedding date: June 21, 2019

Number of guests: 75

Bouquet ingredients: Garden roses, anemone, ranunculus, astilbe, dusty miller, and eucalyptus

// What We'll Tell the Grandkids

When two different dating setups bailed on Jessica Brannock in the same week, the Salisbury University junior was completely prepared to fly solo for her sorority’s social. But friends don’t let friends dance alone, and so Jessica found herself with yet another blind date just days before the mixer. Leo Hoffman was good-looking, funny, and, most importantly, available. “We instantly hit it off, joking about ‘what we’d tell the grandkids’ the following day,” Jessica recalls.

// Backpacking Essentials

Five years later, while backpacking through Spain, Leo and Jessica arranged to meet up with a friend at the Plaza de Espana, presumably for a walk. Leo surprised Jessica by proposing in front of the fountain. “I could not believe he had carried the ring with him all the way to Spain without me knowing!” Jessica says.

// Shell Inspo

Because Jessica’s family is from Hoopers Island (a working watermen village on the Chesapeake Bay), incorporating oysters into the wedding decor was a must. The couple based their palette on the oyster’s interior, with splashes of dusty blue, light grey, and mauve. They tied in Annapolis’ history by doing their first look at the Maryland State House.

// “Messy" Hair, Don't Care

Leo had one big request for Jessica when it came to wedding planning: He was adamant that she wear her hair up with “messy” strands coming down. “I went back and forth on this since originally I wanted to have my hair half-up, half-down,” Jessica says. But, ultimately, she chose to trust her beau’s good judgment. “When I saw my hair in the mirror, I couldn’t help tearing up,” Jessica says. “At that moment, I truly felt like a bride.”

// A Salty Blessing

For their ceremony, Jessica and Leo asked Jessica’s parents to perform a Polish salted bread and wine blessing. “We felt it would be very meaningful to my grandmother,” Jessica explains. According to tradition, bread is presented to signify the parents’ hope that their children will never go hungry; salt serves as a reminder of life’s difficulties and the importance of enduring together; and wine symbolizes the parents’ wish that their children’s lives will be filled with joy and happiness.

// MVP M.O.B.

Jessica’s mother played a starring role in the day’s logistics, doing everything from baking and decorating the cake to using a wood etching machine to create custom oyster-embossed table numbers. “Since we financed the wedding ourselves, it was a really beautiful process of having friends and family come together to create gorgeous details,” Jessica says. The cake was Jessica’s favorite, a classic Southern pound, souped-up with three layers of Italian meringue and berries and topped with buttercream icing.

// The Details

Bride’s gown: Alvina Valenta (designer), Jennifer’s Bridal (shop) Bride’s hair & makeup: Dorsey Beauty Bride’s jewelry: BHLDN Bridesmaid dresses: Jenny Yoo, Show Me Your Mumu, and David’s Bridal Caterer: Main & Market Desserts: Mother of the bride and Main & Market Florals: Floret + Vine Invitations: Etsy Men’s attire: JoS. A. Bank Music: Boaté & Ajluni Duo Officiant: Memorable Moments with Marjorie Osorno D’Ambrosio  Planning & styling: Rachel Kelly Events Rings: Parisian Flea, Samuelson’s Diamonds & Estate Buyers