Elizabeth & Ben

Occupations Elizabeth is a development production coordinator at Blue Sky Studios; Ben is an airline captain for Atlas Air. 

Wedding date June 9, 2018 

Number of Attendees 150 

Number of Attendants 8 Bridesmaids, 7 Groomsmen, 2 Flower Girls and 2 Ring Bearers

How You Met I met Ben at my 24th birthday party on a tugboat-turned-bar called The Frying Pan in New York City. It resembled the tugboat at The Baltimore Museum of Industry where our reception was held. We have good luck on tugboats.

The Engagement We got engaged on a trip to Woodstock, New York. Ben woke me up that Saturday by sliding a ring on my finger. We spent the morning in our pajamas celebrating together, calling family and friends and sipping champagne for breakfast.

Wedding Design Inspiration We were inspired by our hometowns of Baltimore and Edgartown on Martha’s Vineyard, so we combined nautical and industrial elements. Our color palate was inspired by the blues and grays of the vineyard sky with pops of burgundy inspired by a red biplane Ben used to fly at Katama Airfield when he was young. The artist, Riley Sheehey, who created our save the dates, MLC Designs and Steelcut Flower Co. all brought our vision to life with unstructured florals, gold lanterns, oyster escort cards and simple white linens. When choosing a venue, The Baltimore Museum of Industry had a deck on the water and an airplane hanging over our heads, which sealed the deal.

What Was Unique and Special About Your Wedding Day Seeing our friends and family come together from all over the country to celebrate our union was truly special. We were honored that our friends involved in arts and in aviation adjusted their crazy schedules to be with us. One of our friends flew in from Vanuatu, while another sang at The Tonys the next day. They still made time for cake and our sparkler send off which meant a lot to us.

Favorite Details It’s funny how traditional details almost seem new again. I wore my mother’s dress that was purchased at John Sims Boutique in Pikesville in 1981 and her heirloom veil from Brussels. We said traditional vows, and relied on Martha’s Vineyard and Baltimore charm to make our guests feel at home. This included Chesapeake Bay oysters on the harbor, Chilmark Chocolates as favors and a killer 10-piece band that played the best rendition of “Shout” we have ever heard. Our Officiant, Reverend Timothy Brown, S.J. also had our close family and friends write him letters about us which made our ceremony feel intimate.

Most Unexpected Event On Your Wedding Day A storm came through in the afternoon and cleared up just in time for pictures. Another surprise was during our ceremony, there were many times when we sat quietly together on the altar. Ben pulled out a picture of our cat James to make me laugh. It was truly thoughtful and created a secret moment just for us even in front of all of our loved ones.

Piece of Advice It is easy to get caught up in the whirlwind of the day but remember that this celebration is about your marriage and the life you are creating together. We took a moment to look out on the harbor before our first dance. When we turned around to see the band start playing and the dance floor fill, it was a great opportunity to let all of the joy and love from the day wash over us. We also recommend hiring a wedding day coordinator. Anna Lance made sure everything was organized and timed out perfectly, so we could enjoy our time together with family and friends. As a coordinator in film and an airline pilot, we really appreciated her attention to detail.

Accessories Smyth Jewelers (bride’s earrings and groom’s cufflinks) Beauty Heather Hudgins at Baltimore Brow Bar (makeup); Wave Hair Trends (hair) Bridesmaid Gifts Art by Cris Clapp Logan Bridesmaid Gowns  Jenny Yoo Bridesmaid Robes Plum Pretty Sugar Cake Graul’s Market Caterer The Classic Catering People Flowers Steelcut Flower Co. Groom J.Crew  Honeymoon Excellence Playa Mujeres, Mexico Invitations and Day Of Details MLC Designs Location Corpus Christi Church (ceremony); Baltimore Museum of Industry (reception) Music Canterbury Strings with soloist Jeannie Regan and trumpeter Luis Engelke (ceremony); ‘Round Midnight of Entertainment Exchange (reception) Officiant Reverend Timothy Brown Photographer Pat Furey Photography Save the Dates Riley Sheehey Transportation Thoroughbred Videographer Reflexion WeddiNg Day Coordinator Anna Lance Events Wedding Dress Bride wore her mother’s vintage wedding dress and heirloom veil for ceremony; BHLDN for reception Wedding Dress Restoration and Alterations Juliya’s Custom Tailoring & Alterations Wedding Favors Chilmark Chocolates, Martha’s Vineyard Wedding Rings The Jewel Boutique, NYC