Mary Bell Photography
The couple: Hannah Batong and Jake Owen
Occupations: PE teacher and UPS journeyman diesel technician
Wedding date: August 31, 2019
Number of guests: 75
Mary Bell Photography
Mary Bell Photography
Mary Bell Photography
// The Backstory
Hannah Batong doesn’t remember every detail about her first date with Jake Owen, which took place way back when the Calvert County couple was in high school, but she does remember being impressed by Jake’s ride at the time, a white Jeep Wrangler. Although the relationship didn't last long, Jake and Hannah remained friends, and eventually, in 2012, they resurrected their romance. "He's always made me laugh and we've always had a lot of fun together," Hannah says.
Mary Bell Photography
Mary Bell Photography
// She Said, "Are You Okay?"
Jake proposed to Hannah on the beach at Scientist’s Cliffs, in the neighborhood where she grew up. The couple had spent the day cruising on the Potomac River with Jake’s family, before wrapping up their visit with a solitary walk. The whole time, Hannah thought Jake was acting funny, but it wasn’t until she leaned in for a hug that she decided something was truly off. “Since he’s significantly taller than me, my ear was at chest level and I heard his heart beating out of control,” Hannah recalls. “I asked if he was feeling okay and received a ring as reply: “Hey! I’m trying to propose here!” he exclaimed. “I guess he was just nervous and trying to think of a good way to start,” Hannah says.
Mary Bell Photography
Hannah and Jake are not religious, so they researched nontraditional wedding ceremonies online to help them create their own plan for the day. One really distinctive decision they made was to walk down the aisle together. They chose “Sea of Love” by Cat Power for the processional, which included their brothers walking their mothers, their wedding party, and then their son carrying the rings.
Mary Bell Photography
// Scientist's Cliffs
Hannah always knew she wanted to get married in Scientists Cliffs. “It was an amazing place to grow up,” she says. “Besides the beach, there’s a community house where they hosted summer programs for kids, including craft days, movie nights, and epic capture-the-flag games. There was also a pool where I learned to swim, played sharks and minnows as a child, and eventually worked as a lifeguard and gave swim lessons to many children.”
Mary Bell Photography
Mary Bell Photography
// We Are Family
Hannah wanted the wedding to celebrate the union not only of her and Jake, but also Jake’s son Parker. Jake built a triangle arbor to represent their family of three, and Parker read a special adaptation of “A Lovely Love Story” by Edward Monkton during the ceremony, which Hannah personalized with fun details about her and Jake. Before the bride and groom exchanged vows, Hannah read a vow she wrote for her stepson. “All in all, the ceremony was 15 minutes, but every word was carefully selected and planned to be meaningful to us,” Hannah says.
Mary Bell Photography
Mary Bell Photography
// A Cozy Cabin
The Community House, where Jake and Hannah hosted their reception, is a log cabin. To complement the rustic brown interior, Hannah decorated with leaves and red, pink, and white flowers. “I didn’t want everything to be matchy-matchy, so I tried to keep it simple,” she says. She purchased bulk flowers and greenery from Weaver’s Farm and supplemented with clippings from the neighborhood and a few borrowed plants.
Mary Bell Photography
Mary Bell Photography
// Pork & Pies
Hannah thought about renting an ice cream truck, but ultimately ruled the idea out because of cost. Instead, friends contributed pies, which worked well with the farm-to-table theme that Hannah came up with after a family friend offered to smoke a pig for the reception. They kept the rest of the food seasonal and light “because the pork was rich and we knew it might be hot [outside.]”
Mary Bell Photography
Mary Bell Photography
Mary Bell Photography
Mary Bell Photography
Mary Bell Photography
Mary Bell Photography
Mary Bell Photography
// Her Advice
"Weddings are SO STRESSFUL! Planning, budgeting, managing any family or friend drama, making your own stuff, not going overboard, trying to enjoy it. I would have never been able to have a successful and enjoyable wedding without people to help me. I HAD SO MUCH HELP. Some was financial, but mostly it was help in donating time and making things. I think asking for help and trying to keep it simple and small (close friends and family) was the best course of action when trying to have a wedding on a tight budget.
Also, I wish more people would just do what they want for their weddings. I really felt like our wedding was perfect for who we are, and a lot of people told me this. It was authentic and I felt good about staying true to myself and what we valued as a couple instead of what other people might think or care about."
Mary Bell Photography
Mary Bell Photography
Mary Bell Photography
Mary Bell Photography
Mary Bell Photography
One detail Hannah wasn’t anticipating was the swing that a creative friend put together the day of the wedding. He wanted to plan something special for picture-taking, and Hannah supplied the lights and strips of white cloth. “I don’t know where he got the idea, but that’s what he came up with! It was so thoughtful and amazing!”
// The Details
Bride's gown: BHLDN //// Caterer: Shannon Twigg // Florals: Weaver's Farm // Flower crown: Gathering Garden // Groom and ring bearer's ties: For Your Special Day // Hair and makeup: Greene House Salon (Jessi Greene) // Koozies: Totally Wedding Koozies // Music: Pulsating Sounds (DJ Bart) // Photography: Mary Bell Photography // Rings: Smyth Jewelers // Save the Dates: Snapfish // Ties: For Your Special Day (groom and ring bearer), Mr. Farney Atelier (groomsmen)