Julie + Sean: Maryland Waterfront Wedding

In September 2017, Sean and Julie were married at Herrington on the Bay. The wedding ceremony took place on the beach in the Herring Bay Gardens and their spectacular wedding reception was held in the Yacht Club. Read more on their special day including photos from their wedding and the story of how they met, their wedding planning process, and what advice they’d give to other couples about to get married.

How They Met

Before their freshman year of college at Virginia Tech, they met at an orientation camp. After noticing their nametags had the same hometowns, they realized they went to rival high schools. They saw each other a few times over the following semester, but it wasn’t until the Spring that Sean worked up enough courage to ask Julie to his Military Ball. The rest is history!

The Engagement Story

After college, Sean had 18 months of Submarine Officer training in Charleston, South Carolina. At the end of his training they received orders for Hawaii and his family and Julie went to Charleston to celebrate his graduation. Julie perhaps should have been suspicious when he also invited her parents and sister! Sean and Julie had dinner at the first restaurant they tried once moving to Charleston; he popped the question there!

Wedding Planning Process

They were engaged for 14 months and had to plan the wedding from Hawaii. Julie’s mom and sister were their “unofficial wedding planners.” Living in the Maryland/DC area, they were able to visit venues, take videos, be the taste-testers, and meet with any of the vendors that needed a one-on-one meeting.

“I am forever grateful for their help.” – Julie

Big Day Recap

In a lot of ways, Sean and Julie saw their wedding also as a reunion. They asked Sean’s Grandfather to marry them, so it was guaranteed they’d all laugh during the ceremony. Though their best decision was to have a separate table for the bride and groom. As they put it, “sometimes you just want a few minutes to quietly talk over a meal without the crowd.”

What about the details?

The vision for this wedding was nautical. Julie had always loved weddings on the water, and with Sean being in the Navy, they thought bringing some nautical flair to the wedding would be the perfect touch. They had a wooden anchor as the guest book, tied ropes around the cocktail tables, and table numbers were supported by knotted ropes. Their “save the date” was a photo of them by the water, and we had an anchor symbol with their initials on all of the invites and programs. To top it off, they also included a sword arch in the wedding ceremony.

Wedding Advice

The best piece of advice Sean and Julie have is to have a planning timeline; make a list of what you have left to do, and what date you would like to have it done by. Don’t forget to enjoy it!

“Sometimes it may be stressful, but if you ever need a break, take a step back and remember you are planning one of the most amazing days of your lives.” – Julie

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