Handcrafted Maryland Wedding: Kelsey + Kagan

bride and groom

Kelsey + Kagan were married at a lovely little church in Maryland followed by a super fun reception at a local community hall. Kelsey is a manager at Anthropologie, so it’s no surprise that she completely transformed the space with tons of rad, handmade details. Kagan pitched in big time as well, building all the planters for reception + helping Kelsey craft things like the giant gold heart that hung behind the head table.Ā According to the lovely bride, Everything was made by our hands – and in the end, our wedding felt like a celebration tailor-made just for us.

And you would never know it, but their pre-wedding portraits took place in front of an abandoned insane asylum! Sometimes the places you’d least expect can make a really cool backdrop for your photos.

Big thanks toĀ Sarah CulverĀ for the lovely photos + congratulations Kelsey + Kagan!

BHLDN shoes

ring box

bride with flower crown

bride with flower crown

mismatched lace bridesmaids

mismatched lace bridesmaids

romantic pink bouquet

bride and groom

bride and groom

wedding party

reception house

chalkboard seating chart

chalkboard seating chart


Kelsey + Kagan created such a fun environment for their reception. I just love it!

chevron table runners

silver confetti heart

wooden box centerpieces

oh happy day bag

menu

chevron table runners


And I’m obsessed with these adorable gold-painted animal cake toppers! (And they’re a super easy DIY, similar to this post we shared recently!)

animal cake toppers

first dance

saw

Our Favorite Memory From The Wedding

Hands down, it was sawing a log with my new husband. Just after our engagement, Kagan had said that the only thing he wanted for our wedding was to saw a log together, a German wedding tradition. Now, this didn't exactly match up with all of my picturesque Pinboards, but I hestitantly agreed, hoping he'd forget about it. He didn't, and I am so glad! It was a good reminder that weddings can be beautiful but also fun, silly even.

animal cake toppers

cutting the cake

Our Advice To Those Planning Now

Prioritize!! Allocate your expenses early on - especially if you're on a budget! I placed photography at the top of my list, followed closely by food and music, with things like wedding cake (we don't even like cake) and my dress (I got lucky - my dream dress wound up being $500) at the bottom. It also made things much easier when I prioritized my time - the things that were most important we tackled early on; this made it much easier to let go of anything that was unfinished or "imperfect" once the rehearsal rolled around (I gave myself a cut-off, and you should too!)

photography: Sarah Culver // venue name: Ceremony at St. Paul's Anglican Church, Reception at Historic Baldwin Hall, Millersville, Maryland // wedding dress: Vera Wang White // hairpiece: Flowers by Eden // bride's shoes: Seychelles "I do" // bridesmaid dresses: Thrifted, Asos and H&M // groom attire: Vera Wang Black // paper goods: Bride, chevron runners from Paper Source // catering: The Main Ingredient // cake: Wegmans Ultimate White Cake // music: Mixing Maryland // floral design: Flowers by Eden // cake topper: Sian Keegan

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