Jon and I were walking through Patterson Park in Baltimore very close to the home we shared together to meet his mom for Mother’s Day. Or so I thought. As we were walking, Jon stopped at the pagoda, which lies in the center of the park. He took my hands in his, told me he loved me and got down on one knee. It was such a beautiful moment in a place that meant so much to us. One of Jon’s college friends was there to photograph the whole thing and she later became our wedding photographer!
Our wedding story is extremely unconventional with many twists and turns since we got married during Covid. The original plan for our wedding was to have 125 guests, including extended family and friends, join us for a special day at Hunt Valley Country Club in Phoenix, MD. We secured our vendors very early on and thought that we were ahead on planning. And then in March, Covid hit. We were both hopeful that by October everything would return to normal and we would be able to have the wedding we both planned. But as we know, that didn’t happen. In July, we made the very difficult decision to postpone our large celebration until October 2021 and instead moved forward with planning a whole new wedding with only 25 people.
Jon’s brother, Adam, officiated and was able to add some personal touches to his usual sermon and blessings over the wedding. Our parents all gave their own speeches, sharing with us how special we are to them, and how well we work together as a couple. The most tear-inducing part came when Jon’s mom talked about how special it is to have her mom’s (Jon’s late grandmother) engagement stone in Alex’s ring.
We capped off the evening dancing with our closest friends and, eventually, a sparkler send-off at the end of the night, which made for some amazing photos. We are so glad to have Sarah’s amazing pictures to capture every moment, which we will never forget. And we get the added bonus of another wedding in October 2021!
Written By: Alex Munshaw
Accommodations: DoubleTree by Hilton Laurel
Bridesmaids Dresses: Bridal Suite Boutique
Cake: Factory Girl Bake Shop/ Cake Balls by Natalie
Caterer: Mission BBQ
Ceremony & Reception: Gunpowder Golf Course
Favors: Lathered and Lovely
Flowers: Radebaugh Florist
Formal Wear & Gown: The Black Tux
Hair & Makeup: Swept, LLC
Invitations: The Knot
Jewelry: Brilliant Earth (wedding necklace and earrings)
Officiant & Planner: Adam Munshaw
Photography: Living Radiant Photography
Rentals & Decor: Grand Rental Events and DIY
Rings: Smyth Jewelers (bride), Three Pillar Designs from Etsy (groom)
Shoes: DSW (bride and Steve Madden (groom)
Videography: Kenny Kings Media
Wedding Gown: Betsy Robinson’s Bridal Collection