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Chesapeake-Inspired Wedding at Silver Swan Bayside

April 18, 2019

Madison & Kevin found their DIY wedding inspiration in the natural elements surrounding the Chesapeake Bay, and decided that the perfect setting for their nautical nuptials was the Silver Swan Bayside! The driftwood from local beaches was used for the centerpieces, and the couple included organizations that touched close to their hearts in lieu of wedding favors. Does it get any better than this rocky shoreline view?

From Simply PicturesqueThis couple and their fun wedding day truly do not disappoint! I believe Madison and Kevin’s summery nautical themed wedding stands out amongst the rest because of every single breathtaking detail. From handmade “messages in a bottle” to a raw oyster bar, their wedding is full of fun surprises! And to top it off? Madison incorporated meaningful touches that truly defined them as a couple. Madison and Kevin chose the beautiful Silver Swan Bayside to say their “I Dos”. They specifically chose this location as it felt like home to them–Kevin being the avid fisher and Maddie having grown up near the waterfront felt like it was the perfect spot! Once finding their perfect location to become husband and wife Kevin, Madison, and Madison’s mother scouted every beach on the Eastern Shore to hand pick over a hundred pieces of driftwood, which they bleached and set beautifully around the venue. Their seating charts were messages in a bottle that contained a real shark tooth or a piece of sea glass that Madison’s mother collected off the shores of Chesapeake Beach over the years. Inside the bottles, guests found that the message stated that in lieu of favors, sizable donations had been made to the American Lung Association (Kevin’s father is a lung cancer survivor), the Alzheimer’s Association (in honor of Kevin’s grandmother passing a few short weeks before their wedding), and lastly, a donation to the Chesapeake Bay Foundation (as it’s a very important cause to Madison). Lastly, Madison and Kevin looked through resources of My Eastern Shore Wedding while planning their wedding day. Every vendor came together respectfully and happily to create a smooth and beautiful day for Madison and Kevin–who truly deserve such happiness! They are an incredible couple with big smiles and even bigger hearts! Together the team of vendors created the perfect summer nautical theme for their special day!

From the bride, Madison: Despite it being an October wedding, we were aiming for a breezy summery feel as Kevin isn’t a fan of the heat, and I can’t stand cold weather. We chose a waterfront venue because we love the water and we wanted a comfortable and nautical feel to our wedding. It was important to us to have a good DJ with a lot of dancing, and we were so happy that our dance floor was full all night! In planning the actual ceremony, it was important to each of us to have our siblings involved. My sister read a letter written by my paternal grandmother to our grandfather the night before their wedding, and Kevin’s brother read a poem by Richard Bach that really spoke to us. My brother was kind enough to lead our crazy cute pup up and down the aisle. During cocktail hour we had fresh-shucked oysters, because my dad always shucks them for us and Kevin and I love them! Kevin grew up with his family playing games, so our guest book was made up of personalized Mad Libs our guests could fill out. Our centerpieces consisted of nautical knots to hold the watercolor table numbers, a mix of white hydrangeas, pink roses and dahlias in a rope-wrapped vase that we had crafted. We made candles and bleached the driftwood for our tables, too. We spent months traveling every beach along the Chesapeake to collect our favorite pieces!

VENDORS:

Photography | Simply Picturesque
Venue | Silver Swan Bayside
Florals | Willow Oak Herbs
Officiant | Rhonda Cooper
Rings | Colonial Jewelers
Hair & Makeup | The Brushing Bride
Videography | Andrew Jay Films
DJ | Steve Moody DJ
Wooden Sign | EastBrook Woodworks
Table Numbers | Minted
Stationery | Lagana Printing
Men suits | Tuxedo House
Bridal Gown | Betsey Johnson Bridal
Girl’s dresses | David’s Bridal
Oyster Bar | ProShuckers Seafood Catering

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