I will never say no to an East Coast wedding. Never. If an inquiry for a wedding back east hits my inbox (especially if it's in the Summer or on the water), I will do whatever I can to make it happen.
I love California weddings, I've shot all up and down the coast. However, as someone raised on the East Coast, there is nothing that compares to East Coast summers or being by the water in the warmer months.
When Kiki and Kevin asked me if I would fly back to shoot their wedding, it was an immediate yes from me. For some backstory, I actually worked with Kevin at a restaurant in Baltimore back in 2016. I never knew him well, but I was good friends with his older brother Brian, and his now wife, Ariel. Then in the summer of 2022, their whole family took a vacation to San Diego and asked if I would come down to take family photos. Again, automatic yes.
I saw Kiki and Kevin for the first time in years. The photo above is from that day. They told me that they had actually eloped in San Diego the summer prior but were still planning a celebration with friends and family. The following month after shooting their family photos, Kiki and Kevin reached out about their October wedding on the Eastern Shore of Maryland. I couldn’t say no.
They had their ceremony and reception at a beautiful home in Cambridge, MD that overlooked the Chesapeake Bay. It was a crispy fall day, sun shining, and leaves shifting from greens to yellows. The drive over the bridge down the winding roads that led into the driveway was one of the best parts of the day.
They had all of their friends and family stand around them as they said "I do" again with Kevin's brother officiating. The ceremony led into an incredibly fun, love-filled backyard wedding reception. They had games, couches under the tents, a beer boat, pranks played on the brothers, a pizza truck, speeches that would make you cry, a live band, and dancing that lasted til the very last song.
This day also meant I got to see good friends, photograph their kids, and celebrate right along side them. I'm always just as thankful I got to be the one to shoot the day, as they are for me shooting it.
