Gayle + Erich | Mary’s Hope on Church Cove | Holiday Inn Solomons

Sometimes, no matter how many sun dances you do and prayers you say, it will rain on your wedding day. It rained on my wedding day, and it rained last Saturday for Gayle and Erich’s lovely wedding at Mary’s Hope on Church Cove. People were dry at the beginning of the ceremony, and slightly less dry at the end (thank goodness for indoor receptions!) but despite the rain, they ended up married – so mission accomplished!

At one point, Gayle told me a story that I have to share. Her father passed away when she was 8 years old, and as we all would, she stashed a box with several mementos away in storage. When she woke up on her wedding day and realized she didn’t own a button up shirt, a slight panic set in. (Full disclosure: I had to research later why a button up shirt was important – and the panic now makes perfect sense). Then she remembered that one of those old mementos was her Dad’s red and black flannel button up! Digging it out, Gayle happily wore it throughout the morning as a reminder that her Dad was there with her in spirit. Along those same lines, her “something blue” was a blue silk tie (also Dad’s) wrapped around her bouquet. It’s these little things that make every wedding unique, and each a blessing to photograph.

Here are a few of my favorites that tell the story of their day. For anyone out there worried about it raining on their wedding, just remember – the photos will still be fantastic, and you will still be married! Enjoy! 🙂

4:00 PM, April 25th. The watch that Erich gave Gayle was pre-set to the time and date of their vows. Bonus points!

The first time that they saw each other was at the ceremony. As much as I advocate for a private, pre-ceremony first look, these first-look moments in front of all of your friends and family are still amazing.