Hamilton Photography Kent Manor Inn Photographer | Stevensville, MD | Katharine & Tommy - Hamilton Photography| Weddings, events & portrait photographer serving Annapolis, Baltimore, and Washington D.C.

Having a beach wedding is many couples dream, but with the sand, wind, sun and difficult accessibility, it can be a real struggle to plan. The Historic Kent Manor Inn on the Eastern Shore of Maryland, helps wedding planners avoid the beach venue struggle.The 220-acre property offers a beach theme all-in-one venue, situated perfectly to make even a large guest list wedding feel intimate. This is exactly why Katharine and Tommy chose this beautiful Chesapeake Bay location.

Today was the big day. June 22, the ideally iconic summer wedding day for the Mid-Atlantic USA. The ladies gathered in one of the historic rooms at the 200 year-old inn. Clad in dark blue silk floral robes, the ladies got their hair and make-up perfected. Katharine’s dress, hung in the floral curtained window. It was a sheer lacey dress, form fitting until a train encircled the bottom. Buttons ran down the back, hugging Katharine’s natural curvature. Her mother straightened her tulle veil, bordered in scalloped lace. When choosing the flowers for the wedding, first Katharine choose the flowers for the bridesmaids, blush pink and peach roses, baby green hydrangeas and lavender. She then, played her bridal bouquet off of that, but in a whiter version of flowers. Simple and elegant.

Meanwhile in another suite, the groomsmen, prepped. They buttoned up jackets and reminisced about fun times while sharing a few beers. Tommy wore a dark grey suit with a black bow-tie and the groomsmen were dressed in a lighter grey donning lavender bow-ties.

Everyone was dressed and ready to go. We walked out into the summer-greened property of Kent Manor. The bride and her entourage were first up for photos, followed by the men. Then it was time for what would become one of the favorite moments of their wedding, the first-look. Katharine stood in a shady grove of trees, back turned, dress flounced and bouquet in hand. A few feet away Tommy entered the garden and strolled up behind his bride. Katharine’s face was lit by a huge smile as she turned around to hug her groom. A beautiful moment frozen in their memories forever.

The excitement was contagious and the photos taken before the ceremony were lit up by the love these two have for each other. Although they could have held each other all day, we had a ceremony to go to!

The ceremony was held outside in the garden of the Inn. There was barely a cloud in the blue sky and the water glistened with sparkles of sunshine. On the arm of her father, our beautiful bride walked over a quaint white bridge, down the brick-laid path and up to her groom waiting in front of a gazebo draped in flowers. The ceremony was lovely and gave all the feels as we watched this couple gaze deep into each others eyes as they exchanged rings and vows.

A kiss to seal the deal and off to the reception, held in the Inn’s Waterfront Garden House. This room of glass walls offers views of the gardens and the waterfront. It is such a stunning place!

The guests enjoyed a cocktail hour and now waited for the newlyweds to enter the reception. The tables were decorated in lavender, sweet green and white flowers and center pieces of orchids and floating candles. Spring had just curtailed and summer was upon us, that’s what these details embodied.

Katharine and Tommy entered the room. The guests stood and cheered while the husband and wife took each others hands onto the dance floor. “Do you remember when we first met?… Over ten years have gone by… We can’t rewind, we’re locked in time, But you’re still mine, Do you remember?”, sang the lyrics from their favorite Jack Johnson song. They chose this song because they had been together for 10 years and the lyrics played for them.

Speeches were given by the maid of honor and best man that gave this couple happy emotions and felt intimate even though the room was full of guests.

The wedding cake was simple and elegant, white tiers with lacy piping, topped with fresh flowers. They paused to cut into the cake and gently fed each other a bite. Katharine’s grandmother whispered some eternal advice into her granddaughter’s ear before we headed out onto the water for sunset photos.

The sunset was late, the latest it will be the whole year. The blue sky gave way to an orange glow and the water reflected. Katharine and Tommy giggled and kissed as we captured the final moments of their day. We know they will alway have beautiful memories stored in their heads, but they will also have those memories captured in photos forevermore.