When Covid Foiled Their Plans, This Navy Couple Tied the Naut

Real Weddings

After two years of planning their dream wedding, Devani and Elliott were worried that a backyard micro wedding might be disappointing, so instead they chartered a yacht for their small, big day.

The couple: Devani Smith and Elliott Speirs

Wedding date: August 28, 2020

Number of guests: 34

/// How They Met

Devani and Elliott met in Annapolis in 2016; Elliott was entering his junior year at the Naval Academy while Devani was home from the University of Richmond for her summer break. Shortly after meeting, Devani took a gamble and invited Elliott to her family’s annual crab feast. Fortunately, the young mid made a good impression, and four years later, Devani’s parent’s property was exactly where the pair planned to tie the knot — if only covid hadn’t thrown a huge wrench in everything.

/// From Quarantine Blues to the High Sea

When Maryland’s regulations began to intensify, Devani and Elliott decided to bump their wedding date (June 27) to August 28, hoping that a few months would be enough time for the covid situation to normalize. They also had to sacrifice their initial vision, as many of their original vendors were unavailable for the second date. The third blow came when it became obvious that covid was here to stay, and the couple made the difficult call to cancel their “big day” in lieu of something much more intimate. They were both disappointed and worried that a micro wedding, especially one at home, would feel like a far cry from the grand celebration they’d spent two years planning. But Devani’s mom saved the wedding when she came up with an incredible Plan Z. “She was the one who spearheaded the idea to charter a yacht and with her help, we were able to book our dream boat,” Devani says. “Once we toured the Raven, it was easy to switch our mindset from having a rustic wedding to a nautical one.”

Color scheme: Various shades of blue with sage and gold accents

Groom’s responsibility: Hiring a DJ + ordering the wedding flag

Best bite: Mini chicken and waffles with a bourbon maple glaze

/// Her Best Advice

“My biggest non-regret was having an intimate wedding,” Devani says. Friends and family were  (obviously) missed, but at the end of the day, she was glad to be married. “My advice for other couples planning a wedding now is to just roll with it — the punches, changing regulations, fear and anxiety — and just follow your heart and do what feels right. As long as you marry the love of your life, your day is going to be the best day.”

/// Credits

Bride's gown: Morilee by Madeline Gardner (designer), The Bridal Boutique (shop)

Bride's hair: Hair Hustlers (Ashley Hoyle)

Bride's makeup: Bridal Glow with Victoria O

Cake: Blue Crab Cupcakes

Catering: Palate Pleasers

DJ: Pasadena Sound

Florist: Maher’s Florist

Officiant: Bride's brother, Ethan Smith

Photographer: Jen Harvey Photography

Venue: Watermark Yachts

Videographer: Rickey Film and Photo