Celebrations at the Bay | Shelly Pate Photography
WEDDING DATE: November 8, 2020
NUMBER OF GUESTS: 100
BEST BITE: Lobster bisque
GUESTBOOK ALTERNATIVE: A signed skateboard
I LIKE THE WAY YOU SHOOT
Derek and Victoria started following each other on Instagram in 2013, via a model they both knew. As fellow photographers, they became easy Internet friends, but they didn’t actually meet face-to-face until two years later. “We eat, sleep, and breathe photography, so for our first date Derek set up a beauty photoshoot for me and then took me out to dinner,” Victoria says.
PASADENA
Victoria didn’t care much about planning, so it was a relief to her when Derek found Celebrations at the Bay, which is an all-inclusive venue. They both liked that the venue was on the water and close to their Baltimore home. “We thought it was the perfect spot,” Victoria says.
Victoria dreamed of a star-studded dress, but couldn’t find one that captured her vision, so she hired LILLIE Couture in Philadelphia to design a custom gown with tulle Victoria sourced from Germany.
BLACK EVERYTHING
Black is Victoria’s only color — she lives in an all-black house (inside and out) and exclusively wears black attire — so it was a no-brainer that she would have an all-black wedding. “Even the guests wore black and I didn’t even tell them to!” Victoria says. The aesthetic was celestial-inspired with unique DIY details, like a black moon backdrop Victoria built with her dad and sister.
FIGHT SONG
The couple’s first dance song was “ILYSB (Stripped)” by LANY and Victoria walked down the aisle to an instrumental version of “Can You Feel the Love Tonight” by Jack Jezzro, which was a complete surprise to Derek. “He survived childhood leukemia and The Lion King was the only movie that got him through all his cancer treatments,” Victoria says. “It was a major crying moment for everyone.”
THE DETAILS
Bride’s gown: Lillie Couture
Bride’s hair: Anna Cecchis Smith
Bride’s makeup: Talitha Collado
Catering: Catering by Uptown
DJ: BLM Entertainment - Brian Trace
Florals: The Drying Rack Co
Photography: Shelly Pate Photography
Venue: Celebrations at the Bay
