• Real Weddings

Although their special day was riddled with showers, Dave and Lillian didn't let a few sprinkles dampen their disposition. They continued with their original plan of an outdoor ceremony and magically the rain relented! Fresh flowers and touches of navy blue decorated Dave and Lillian's lakeside nuptials at the Woodlawn Farm - a breathtaking historic estate on Maryland's southern peninsula.
The reception that followed was held in a large tent and included dinner, dancing and pie! You can view so much more of this moist Maryland wedding by visiting the full gallery here, all amazingly captured by Kate Ignatowski Photography.

From the Bride:The rain was the hardest part to come to grips with leading up to the wedding - it was the only thing I cried about a couple days beforehand because it really was out of my control. But, right before our first look - Dave sent me a really sweet note and pointed out that on several important milestones in our relationship it's been raining - including our first date, a bike-ride into DC and the day he proposed to me outside in a garden. Just that change in perspective alone really made it feel that the rain was more special than disappointing!

From Kate Ignatowski Photography:Lillian was SUCH a classy bride – from her fashion, to the way she sweetly gifted her mom, dad and bridesmaids to the way she handled the cloudy forecast. I couldn’t get enough of her elegant lace dress, a 2012 Modern Trousseau. She accessorized her dress with a simple ruffled band made by her mother and wore her grandmother’s gold and pearl bracelet and earrings.

She gifted her maids on the day with gold leaf and pearl bracelets, which they loved wearing. Lillian and her maids held bouquets wrapped in maroon velvet filled with pink, purple and yellow flowers. The maids’ bouquets popped beautifully against their blue BHLDN one-shoulder dresses.

The guys had velvet as well in their boutonnieres. Dave wore a navy blue suit to match the rest of the decor and his groomsmen wore light gray suits with blue ties.

It was supposed to rain on their outdoor wedding all week, but we were super lucky and it only rained while they were getting ready and during their tented reception! The couple was determined to have their wedding outside, and it all worked out beautifully.

The outdoor ceremony was held on a lush lawn overlooking a serene lake at the beautiful Woodlawn Farm in Southern Maryland. Handwritten wood signs labeled the different areas the wedding took place - including an adorable "I Do's" sign at the ceremony location.
Elegant lanterns and large mason jars filled with gorgeous, colorful flowers lined the ceremony aisle. An assortment of small glass jars filled with even more vibrant flowers hung from a tree limb creating a simple, stunning backdrop for the couple's nuptials.

From Kate Ignatowski Photography:They kept their table settings clean with lots of candlelight and flower arrangements in wooden boxes, which the groom handmade (every single one!) They set navy napkins on the guest’s favor – wrapped up cookies handmade by the mother of the bride and the best man. Another highlight of the reception was the assorted pies – flavors included Butter Pecan Apple Crumb and Banana Cream – yum!

From the Bride:We loved every minute of our wedding weekend so we don't feel that would have changed anything! I did forget to put my veil, not even realizing it until the reception started - my mom didn't even notice! It would have been nice to wear it, but it also was fairly windy during the ceremony so it was probably for the best.

The only other thing I can recall is that our guest book did not get signed as much as I had hoped. I had made a nice book with our engagement photos from Shutter-fly and really wanted people to write notes - but I think everyone was rushed past it before the ceremony and the DJ did not really announce it much during the reception.

What I can say is that it was really difficult to not go over our budget and in the end we ended up doing it. We can share a few good estimates on some things: Decorations are hard, but maybe $500 total - materials and cedar wood for the flower boxes and wooden signs were about $65 total and we handmade them. I also bought some used decorations from another bride, and votives and candles at an online discount, printed signage and table numbers from a vendor on Etsy, some frames from Ikea, the pie signs and menu board were less than $10 total to make.
Programs: $75 - Dave's awesome sister designed and made these beautiful programs (including a fun word search she created).
Flowers: $700 - we bought them fresh cut from a local flower farm and assembled the centerpieces and other flower decor ourselves the day before with the help of mothers, grandmothers and bridesmaids. Also, we actually had more than enough flowers - almost too much - but they were gorgeous and perfect for us.
Pie's: $315 for 18 pies. They were ridiculously amazing and had not a slice left by the end of the evening.
Stationery: $425
The top three most expensive things we spent money on was the venue rental (we had the whole property for the weekend, including accommodations for our immediate families and bridal party), the caterer and then our rentals (tent with sides and liner, chairs, tables, portable restroom, lighting, etc).

• Cake: Mom's Apple Pie
• Caterer: Expressions of St. Marys
• DJ: DJ Scram
• Dress & Apparel: BHLDN
• Flowers: Weavers Flowers | Jewelry: Grandmother's | Flower Box Centerpieces: The Groom | Wood Signs: Handmade
• Groom & His Men: Suit Supply
• Hair: KC Felton
• Makeup: Blend Event
• Officiant: Creative Weddings
• Shoe Designer: Something Bleu
• Tent Rentals: Bailey's Party Rentals
• Venue: Woodlawn Farm
• Wedding Dresses: Modern Trousseau