Beth Kilgore, Author at Wedding411 On Demand

Lisa & Kevin: 10.04.20 Real Wedding

**Photographer:** Living Radiant Photography, **Wedding Venue:** Baltimore Museum of Industry, **Planner:** RCC Weddings & Events

Originally, we had planned a cruise to Alaska and my plan was to propose to Lisa sometime during that trip – I didn’t know exactly when so I was going to have to look for a good moment. Leading up to the trip I imagined proposing on a glacier, and then the thought of dropping the ring down an ice crevasse scared me to death!

Unfortunately, we had to cancel the trip to Alaska due to Lisa’s mom getting ill (mom is now fine), so that saved me from the whole “ice crevasse” situation.

After Mom was better, we planned a new trip to Asheville, NC to visit the Biltmore and, later, spend some time in a cabin enjoying nature. Again, I didn’t have an exact plan of when I would propose.

Our first night we decided to eat in the restaurant of the Biltmore Hotel. We dressed up and got a very nice table with a view of the Blue Ridge Mountains and Mount Pisgah. It was clearly the perfect moment, and I proposed before dessert.

I think the waiter was annoyed that I didn’t give him a heads up, so guys, maybe throw your waiter/waitress a hint at what might be going down so they feel prepared with a bottle of champagne!

It was a wonderful memory that we will cherish forever!

During the ceremony, we received a very welcome surprise as a water taxi with a bunch of friends floated just a short distance away and cheered to our wedding.

**Hair & Makeup**: #NoFilter Glam, **Wedding Gown**: Francesca’s Bridal

**Custom Shirt:** Christopher Schafer Clothier

For the wedding, we planned a date of October 4, 2020, before we knew what COVID was. As COVID hit we knew we would have a hard decision to make. We simply would not put our families and friends at risk.

We felt very strongly that we wanted to keep our planned wedding date, but knew deep down that we couldn’t have the big wedding we planned. So, we canceled the big event and planned a smaller outdoor event that we could be sure would be safe and easy to socially distance.

All of our vendors were great about the reschedule. We were very grateful and fortunate. It confirmed we made the right choices with our vendors.

The BMI was simply amazing handling our reschedule. They made it easy to move the big party to a year later and even made it possible for us to still be married on their dock with our small event on the date we planned! Amazing people!

We had our ceremony with 12 guests, then a quick toast, and a cupcake.

**Cupcakes & Champagne:** Zeffert & Gold Catering

During the ceremony, we received a very welcome surprise as a water taxi with a bunch of friends floated just a short distance away and cheered to our wedding. When we cut our wedding down to only 12 people from our original 125 they decided to make an “appearance” from the water. It was very fun and festive and provided a party atmosphere that we got a kick out of.

Lisa’s best friend and her husband drove from New Jersey to be at the wedding and they are the ones who decorated our car. They also tied cans to the back which made quite a ruckus driving through downtown Baltimore on our way to the Pendry where we spent the night.

We both are very happy we went forward with getting married on our planned date. It wasn’t the big party we planned but we really enjoyed it and now get to look forward to the big party one year later to celebrate!

Written by Lisa Bergman and Kevin Hughes

Participating Vendors:

Accommodations: Pendry Baltimore
Beauty: #NoFilter Glam
Caterer & Cupcakes: Zeffert and Gold
Ceremony & Reception: Baltimore Museum of Industry
Favors: Custom Facemasks from Etsy
Flowers: Scentsational Florals
Formal Wear: Christopher Schafer Clothier (custom shirt)
Invitations: Zola
Jewelry: Francesca’s (earrings)
Officiant: Reverend Andy Vineberg
Photography: Living Radiant Photography
Planner: RCC Weddings & Events
Rings: Radcliffe Jewelers
Shoes: Ivory Lace Vans from Etsy
Wedding Gown: Francesca’s Bridal

Alex & Jon: 10.24.20 Real Wedding

Photographer: Living Radiant Photography/ Venue: Gunpowder Golf Course

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!

Wedding Rings: Smyth Jewelers and Three Pillar Designs on Etsy

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.

Wedding Gown: Betsy Robinson’s Bridal Collection

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

Bridesmaids Gowns: Bridal Suite Boutique / Men’s Suits: The Black Tux

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

Julie & Joe: 08.22.20 Real Wedding

Photographer: Maddie Kaye Photography/ Venue: Turf Valley Resort

Julie and I met in high school as we both needed dates to each other’s senior proms. Moving ahead 10 years later, I guess you could say I took my time tying the knot, so to fix that…

Julie and I are members at the Maryland Zoo in Baltimore, and I somehow convinced her to spend the afternoon at the zoo in late January. It was freezing! My two brothers came along for the day to help take pictures of the special moment, and the proposal took place in front of the penguin exhibit. Thankfully there weren’t many onlookers due to the cold weather, and obviously, that didn’t stop the penguins from coming out for the perfect proposal backdrop for two animal lovers!

Our wedding day was the last time our entire family has been together in over a year. So the day really was special and not just the highlight of our year, but of our entire family’s.

We were engaged in Jan (pre-COVID), so when COVID hit in March, we had a couple of extra things to consider. We went through some difficult decisions like deciding whether to postpone the wedding and just doing a small celebration this year, reducing our guest count to accommodate Maryland crowd restrictions, changing locations/ballrooms to increase social distancing, etc. We decided we didn’t want to wait knowing there was the possibility we might not be able to host our wedding the following year as well, so Turf Valley worked with us to plan for a COVID friendly wedding and we hoped for the best in terms of Maryland restrictions not canceling us.

While planning around COVID made many things more challenging, it also provided us with some unique opportunities as Turf Valley worked with us by offering outdoor options to accommodate guests that might not have felt comfortable indoors. We hosted our rehearsal dinner poolside which is not a setting they’d typically offer for events, and for the wedding, our cocktail hour was also held outdoors on a lawn facing the golf course. Being outside in these settings turned out amazing and really helped make our wedding at Turf Valley unique.

Wedding Gown: The Bridal Boutique/Bridesmaids Gowns: Birdy Grey

It was stressful knowing that our day could’ve been canceled at any time, but we lucked out. Our wedding week arrived, and there were no new state restrictions preventing us from moving forward with our 170+ guest wedding (150+ of which were indoor guests). Even when the weather forecast predicted rain the entire afternoon of our wedding, we ended up having perfect weather and were able to use the outdoor area for our ceremony and cocktail hour. We really lucked out, and everything came together perfectly for a day/weekend everyone needed.

Our dogs, Oliver and Stevie, were also able to make an appearance while we celebrated the first half of the night outside. Shortly before joining us, we were told they were wandering the hotel hallways after they escaped from our hotel room sometime during the ceremony! Luckily, they were found by a hotel employee and brought over to us.

Our wedding day was the last time our entire family has been together in over a year. We are a very close, and very large family, as you can see in the family picture of which only my dad’s side of the family is pictured. So the day really was special and not just the highlight of our year, but of our entire family’s. My grandmother being able to attend for the outdoor ceremony and family pictures was a special part of the day.

As you can imagine, there was a huge relief after 14 days had passed and not a single guest had caught COVID.

Written By: Joe Mangione

My Nonna in the center dressed in pink, mother of 10 children and 37 grandchildren!

Accommodations & Reception: Turf Valley Resort
Beauty: Baltimore Bridal Hair (Hair), Gypsy Sol (Makeup)
Bridesmaids Dresses: Birdy Grey
Cake: Yia Yia’s Bakery
Entertainment: Tommy O’Keefe Music (Ceremony), Bachelor Boys Band (Reception)
Flowers: Scentsational Florals
Formal Wear: Nikolas Italy
Invitations: Zola
Photography: Maddie Kaye Photography
Rings: Smyth Jewelers
Shoes: Blue by Betsy Johnson
Wedding Gown: The Bridal Boutique

Raven & David: 09.06.19 Real Wedding

Photographer: Alana Renee Photography / Wedding Venue: Seasons at Magnolia Manor

Raven and David met on match.com in August 2015. After a few messages they hit it off but then David fell off the map. Come to find out, he got really sick for a few weeks. It was mid-September when I got a text from David and our first date was finally planned. We met for dinner at Longhorn Steakhouse at Arundel Mills Mall on September 19th.

Enjoying each other’s company, we started seeing each other more — going to different restaurants, hiking, wineries, the Circus, etc. Soon we discovered our love of food & became partners in the kitchen- Our Favorite Place! Many of you know the garden we have each summer, big enough to feed an army.

When we went shopping for the engagement ring, David found “the ring” within minutes, he just knew it was it. I spent about an hour looking at all our options and in the end, it was David’s pick! Being the impatient person I am, I would wonder when & where David would propose.

We had talked about going to Medieval Times and so there was a Groupon deal and David said, “Baby, April 19th mark the calendar- 7 pm Medieval Times at Arundel Mills Mall” David bought the VIP package- which means early entry, picture with King & Princess, souvenir towel”… I said, “Ok baby, it’s on the calendar”. Just thinking it was a date night, I was looking all around the arena and the show was about to begin. The King needed to make some special announcements. The King said “Tommy got straight A’s, someone bought a home…. and the last one was: Lord David wants to ask Lady Raven to take his hand in marriage”. My mouth dropped and I basically blacked-out. Then I looked at David (Mr. 6 foot 6) who was trying to get down on his knee in the close seating space. I saw “the ring” on his finger, and whattaya know, I started crying. That’s when he asked me to be his Queen! 🙂

The weather reports were not looking too good 2 days out – the forecast was lots of rain, high winds. I was getting extremely nervous that my dream day with David would not be how we both envisioned. Somehow, someway, someone, something was watching over us.

Invitations: Etsy/Jewelry: Jared Galleria of Jewelry

The weather was looking pretty good for our wedding day. For those who may not know, Maryland can still have the summer heatwaves and it’s hurricane season. A week before our wedding day, Hurricane Dorian formed and there was a potential to interfere with our big day. With an outdoor ceremony planned, I was not too happy to hear this at all. We had thought of Plan B (just in case) but never did we think we would need to consider it. The weather reports were not looking too good 2 days out – the forecast was lots of rain, high winds. I was getting extremely nervous that my dream day with David would not be how we both envisioned. Somehow, someway, someone, something was watching over us. The morning of our big day there was light rain and it was overcast ~ I now was a nervous wreck~ but by the time my girls and I arrived at Seasons at Magnolia Manor, the sun started to peek through, the clouds started to clear, and the most beautiful blue skies and sunshine appeared!

Our pride-n-joy Spencer, the cutest Boston Terrier in the world was the “Ring Barker”. Unfortunately, on August 28, 2020, we lost Spencer to a degenerating disc/spine disease. We have many memories of our “Little Man” especially those from our wedding day!

Florist: Flowers by Wendy Carol

The weather could not have been more perfect- it was about 75 degrees with a slight breeze. We were overjoyed and so very blessed that this meant we would also have a gorgeous sunset. The sunsets pics at Seasons at Magnolia Manor were something we were looking forward and they are so glad they didn’t miss out on them!

Written by: Raven E.

Bridesmaids Dresses: Azazie
Cake: StoneHouse Cakery & Cafe in Taneytown
Caterer: Taste of Life
Entertainment: Santana Entertainment
Flowers: Flowers by Wendy Carol
Formal Wear: Men’s Wearhouse
Hair & Makeup: Christopher Williams/Makeup by Jenn Marie
Invitations: Etsy
Jewelry: Jared Galleria of Jewelry
Officiant: Jay Day
Photography: Alana Renee Photography
Reception Venue: Seasons at Magnolia Manor
Videography: Abidoodle Productions
Wedding Gown: Cameo Bridal

Haleigh & Dylan: 08.24.19 Real Wedding

Photographer: Morgan Elizabeth Photography/ Venue: Bohemia Overlook/ Wedding Planner: Janeen Kuser – Beemarried

Dylan and I started our journey together in July of 2009 and made it official on August 24^th, 2019! At the time of the proposal, we were living at home with his parents. I woke up in the morning to his mom stressing about a presentation she had later that day where she would be presenting a new product to her office. I helped her prepare for the presentation and headed off to work like normal. Dylan and I had plans to go to our favorite Mexican restaurant later that night, so after work, we got ready and headed to an early dinner. While at dinner Dylan received a phone call from his mom saying that she had accidentally left the sample products in the back of her car (which we were using that evening) and we needed to come to meet her right away. We left dinner and headed towards her location when suddenly we arrived at The Liriodendron Mansion in Bel Air. Dylan raced out of the car and I followed quickly behind him. As we rounded the corner of the outside gazebo Dylan had set up a stomp pad so when he hit it the lights turned on and the gazebo was decorated with hanging lights and pictures of us through the years!! I was totally caught off guard and was taking in the moment looking at the hanging photos when he knelt down and proposed J

I was initially worried to have a wedding on a summer’s day and a thunderstorm the night before definitely gave me a mini heart attack but I could not have prayed for a more perfect day! The weather was fantastic, the decorations turned out amazing, and we were surrounded by all of the people we love the most.

My planner, Janeen Kuser – Beemarried, helped guide me through every step of the wedding process and made the entire day of feel like a dream. Her experience and her team were wonderful.

Honestly, I’ve dreamed about marrying Dylan since I stole his hat at a sweet 16-birthday party and it was more magical then anything I could have ever dreamed.

Hair: Blondes that Blend (my sister Kelsey and her friend Ashley)/Makeup: Kaitlin Utz

It was a very special moment to have my sister, my maid of honor, my best friend and the person I trust the most be able to do my hair for my wedding.

Dylan and I read our own vows to each other, which I received a lot of great feedback from our guests that it was their favorite part of the day. Our ceremony was held outside where we had the saxophonist playing by the water fountain, corn hole, and a few other games available, the cigar bar (which was very popular) and mini hors d’oeuvre’s being passed by waiters.

Our reception started off with a round of shots placed at everyone’s seat so we could start off the night with a cheer to us! I was VERY blessed because my Mother in law, Susan Tipton, and I made most of our decorations! My father in law, Keith Tipton, made all the wood signs from scratch. Sue and I designed the signs using her Cricket and then with the help of some friends and family we were able to pretty much make ALL the decorations ourselves! This was probably my favorite part of the wedding planning process – being able to see our visions become a reality.

A very special moment for me was being able to dance with my dad. We started off dancing to “Daddy’s Little Girl” by Michael Buble but after about a minute in we broke out into our favorite rap song we use to sing growing up called “Jail House Rap” by Fat Boys.

Honestly, I’ve dreamed about marrying Dylan since I stole his hat at a sweet 16-birthday party and it was more magical then anything I could have ever dreamed.

Written By: Haleigh T.

Flowers: Twisted Vine Wedding & Event Rentals

Bridesmaids Gowns: Lulu’s/ Men’s Suits: The Bridal Boutique

Hair & Makeup: Blondes that Blend/Kaitlin Utz
Bridesmaids Dresses: Lulu’s
Cake: Dessert by Rita’s
Caterer & Linens: Events Catering
Ceremony & Reception: Bohemia Overlook
Entertainment: Thomas J. West (saxophonist)/DJ Thad
Flowers: Twisted Vine Wedding & Event Rentals
Formal Wear & Gown: The Bridal Boutique
Invitations: Zazzle
Jewelry: Etsy
Officiant & Planner: Beemarried
Photography: Morgan Elizabeth Photography
Shoes: Etsy
Transportation: First Student Charter Center
Videography: Greg Bishop

Kimberly & Brett – 07.11.20 & 10.11.20 Real Wedding

**Photographer: KimberlyDeanPhotos.com / Wedding Dress: David’s Bridal in York, PA / Suit: Boscov’s**

On 12/21/19, We were at Ocean Casino & Resort in Atlantic City, we had been dating for 3+ years & had been given the “Warning for Stalling”…(Note: Brett is one of the varsity wrestling coaches at Hereford High School ) Kimmy had just had Foot Surgery & was on a Wheelie-Cart, we had just come back from a brief “walk on the boardwalk”…I left her in the lounge overlooking the Ocean & the Lit-up Ferris Wheel…I took our coats up to the room & came back w/ an “Early Christmas Present” since she had given me an Arcade Game early. When she opened the Ring Box, I got down on a knee & proposed, TOTALLY SURPRISING HER!

Wedding was originally planned for 7/11/20 at Wisehaven Event Center in York, PA, but due to Governor Wolf’s COVID Regulations was moved to 10/11/20 at Wisehaven & then when he limited inside guests to 25 again, we had to move it to Brown’s Orchard, outside + the reception in their large Tented Area!

We did get married on 7/11/20, in our backyard with our parents present

**Blue Diamond Engagement Ring: Keith Nusinov Jewelers**

and then had our wedding and reception on 10/11/20 (Brett’s Lucky #).

Tractor & cart ride for the bridal party from the Bridal House to the ceremony spot!

The groom and groomsmen had custom made sunglasses with their names and their role in the wedding engraved on them.

We were the FIRST Wedding Ceremony & Reception to ever be held at Brown’s Orchards’ New Wedding Venue!!

Having Brett’s Boss & Friend of 25 years, Hereford Athletic Director, Mike Kalisz, do such a heartfelt introduction to the Wedding was VERY TOUCHING & BEAUTIFUL!

**Venue: Brown’s Orchard**/**Flowers: Flower World**

Our Cake Topper was the Batman Symbol. Kimmy picked the cake décor & Brett got to have his childhood Super-Hero as part of the wedding. Many guests commented that it was a cool touch!

The fact that in spite of all of the 2020 Corona Virus Fears, Protocols & Restrictions, (& having to wear stupid masks during a Wedding) 125 of Our Friends, Family & Co-Workers still came out to celebrate our Special Day!

One of the Coolest Parts about Our Special Day, besides having so many close Family & Friends there to celebrate with us, was ending the experience back at the Bridal House of Brown’s Orchard with the Owners of 2 Local Small Businesses, Mary Brown & Betti Saubel. Mary had stayed to let us back in to get our things from getting ready in the morning and Betti Saubel stopped by on her way home to see how Our Day went and how we liked the Cake they had made for us! At 8 pm on a Sunday Evening, That’s Small Town Living!

Written By: Kimberly & Brett

Hair & Makeup: Shaheen David & Brooke Mohammed
Bride’s Gown & Bridesmaids Dresses: David’s Bridal
Cake: Saubel’s
Caterer & Venue: Brown’s Orchards
Entertainment: DJ Chris Hart
Flowers: Flower World (York, PA)
Formal Wear: Boscov’s
Invitations: Shutterfly
Photographer: KimberlyDeanPhotos.com
Rings: Keith Nusinov Jewelers, Kay Jewelers, Zale’s
Videographer: Tom & Cammy Littlejohn

Nicole & Benjamin: 10.10.20 & 10.11.20 Real Wedding

Venue: Morningside Inn /Photographer: Amanda Leah Photography / Gown: David’s Bridal/ Suit: Jos. A Banks

We had two weddings technically. From the start of planning in 2018, we wanted the date 10/10/20. I always wanted a Fall wedding and 10 is my lucky number (we are both born on the 10^th). However, it is significantly more expensive to have a Saturday wedding and we could have more freedom working out the timeline with our venue if we had a Sunday wedding. So we chose to get legally married on 10/10 with our bridal party and very close family then have a big party the next day.

Wedding Rings: Brilliant Earth/ Wedding Jewelry: Sarah Walsh Bridal Jewelry (pearl earrings and teardrop necklace, hair pins)

Hair:: JKW Beauty / Makeup: Kate Face Beauty

I was so proud of myself with how much in advance I had everything booked and planned out. Then COVID happened. We spent a long time contacting our vendors and deliberating on what to do next. Ben worried that his grandmother would not get to see our wedding if we pushed it back. 10/10 became a definite source of comfort because even if the world completely shut down, we decided we would sign our marriage license on that day.

We were members of music groups in college and a lot of our friends from those groups were at our wedding. Some of the guys and groom got together and sang “Goodnight sweetheart” to me in the middle of the dance floor. It was so cheesy and perfect.

Once I had been assured with the precautions, we left it up to our guests to decide what was best for them and what they felt comfortable with. 10/11 ended up being a good bit smaller than we first envisioned and I absolutely would not change it for the world (rain and all).

Cake: Sage Bakery (3 layer cake with a raspberry fault line and gold detailing

I had so many people tell me that our wedding was a little piece of normalcy that really comforted them during a period of so much isolation.

Written By: Nicole L.

Nicole carried a locket with her grandmother’s photo in her bouquet

Signs were crafted from pallets and words designed using the Cricut.

Hair & Makeup: JKW Beauty & Kate Face Beauty
Cake: Sage Cakery
Caterer & Venue: Morningside Inn
Entertainment: Soundsations
Favors: Melissa Weyforth
Flowers: Cross Creek Farm
Formal Wear: Jos. A. Bank
Invitations: Shutterfly
Jewelry: Sarah Walsh Bridal Jewelry
Photography: Amanda Leah Photography
Rings: Brilliant Earth and Happy Laulea
Wedding Gown: David’s Bridal