Occupations Jess is a TV news reporter; Matt is a director of marketing.
Wedding date January 3, 2025
Number of Guests About 60
Number of Attendants The couple only had a Best Man and a Maid of Honor. Their twin nieces were flower girls and their sisters served as co-officiants. Jess’ brother walked her down the aisle.
How You Met Matt and Jess met virtually on the dating app Hinge during the pandemic. At the time, Matt was staying at his parents’ place in Florida called The Villages.
(If you aren’t familiar with The Villages—it’s a retirement community. When Jess would tell people she was visiting her boyfriend in The Villages, they would ask, “How old is he?!”)
Things got a little tricky when Jess decided she was going to take a job in Baltimore to be closer to her family. However, when she moved, Matt stayed committed to pursuing their relationship and flew up for frequent visits. Eventually, Matt moved to Baltimore full-time. The couple now lives outside Washington, D.C.
The Engagement It all happened on August 18, 2023.
Days prior, Matt told Jess he made dinner plans with some of his friends who live in Baltimore. She didn’t suspect for a second that he was using those “dinner plans” to plan the perfect proposal.
The morning of, Jess asked Matt if he was going to propose soon. Matt told her “No,” saying that he couldn’t find the perfect ring for her.
After that, they had the best day exploring Baltimore, a city they had fallen in love with together. They visited a Jim Henson/Muppets exhibit at the Maryland Center for History and Culture and then grabbed a snowball in Hampden. When it came time for those “dinner plans,” Matt revealed he already bought a ring weeks prior. He got down on one knee outside their apartment in Canton.
Wedding Design Inspiration Matt and Jess wanted their wedding to pay tribute to the city they shared so many beautiful memories in. They selected True Chesapeake Oyster Co. as their venue because they loved its modern, industrial, chic vibes. The decor in the venue aligned perfectly with the colors they had already chosen for their wedding. The venue also suggested a floral designer who fit in perfectly with the aesthetic the couple desired.
To further pay tribute to what makes Baltimore so special, the couple wanted to have oysters at their wedding. True Chesapeake has its own oyster farm and serves extremely fresh, local oysters. They’re the best in town. They knew they would be in good hands because the restaurant’s chef, Zach Mills, was named Maryland Chef of the Year shortly before their wedding date.
What Was Unique and Special About Your Wedding Day Not many couples can say they got married in an oyster restaurant. They also loved that their wedding was small and intimate. Their wedding was truly magical. It lightly flurried throughout the day. The guests loved the snow, and everyone felt like it was good luck for the couple.
Matt and Jess broke with tradition and decided not to do a wedding cake. Instead, they had Taharka Brothers Ice Cream come out with their truck to feed their guests. Everyone loved it and didn’t mind waiting in line for a scoop on a January night.
Favorite Details Matt and Jess did their first look on the footbridge outside their venue that overlooks Clipper Mill Road. The photos from that moment are some of their favorites from the entire day. The couple loved the florals put together by Alyssa at Tilled Studio. The food at their cocktail hour was a huge hit. Guests enjoyed fresh oysters on a half shell, crab cake bites and a huge charcuterie board. Matt and Jess also had “his, hers and ours” signature cocktails. Matt’s was an espresso martini, Jess’ was a dirty martini, and they selected an Old Fashioned for their drink as a couple. Additionally, since the couple met on Hinge, they served cookies with the app’s logo on them at their wedding for guests to take home.
Most Unexpected Event On Your Wedding Day The beautiful snow! It was the perfect amount—enough to give the couple some very special photos but not enough to impact anyone’s travel.
Piece of Advice Be sure to lean in to all of the beautiful things that make Baltimore “Charm City.” We loved including all the special little details in our day. We also highly suggest the couple takes time out in the days leading up to their wedding to meditate together. We did. We felt it allowed us to stay present and truly cherish our day. Everyone will tell you that your wedding day will go by “so fast.” We didn’t feel it did at all!
BEAUTY Jaded Beauty by MJM (makeup); The Zhane Effect (hair) DAY OF PLANNER Anchor & Lace DESSERT Taharka Brothers Ice Cream FLORAL DESIGN Tilled Studio GROOM Shaw’s Covenant LOCATION & CATERER True Chesapeake Oyster Co. MUSIC DJ Mikie Love PHOTOGRAPHY & VIDEOGRAPHY Allen Cork Photography RINGS Brilliant Earth TRANSPORTATION Thoroughbred Transportation WEDDING OUTFITS Ava Laurenne Bridal (ceremony); Nadine Merabi Bridal (reception)