Coastal Maryland Wedding on Chesapeake Bay

Maya Jones and Joseph Strzempka were introduced in college and continued to date long distance for several more years. Despite the miles, the couple spent many weekends together, with one of their favorite pastimes being trips to the Philadelphia Museum of Art. The most memorable day at the museum ended with Joe on one knee at the front steps.

Since the wedding venue overlooked Chesapeake Bay, the bride and groom opted to have their invitations, designed by graphic designer Mallory Roynon, reflect the nautical setting with gold text, navy envelopes, and a traditional red wax monogrammed seal.

Maya wore a strapless, ivory gown with a sweetheart neckline from Vera Wang. She finished her look with a chapel-length tulle veil.

“There are so many details that made me fall in love with my dress,” the bride says. “The layering of lace, tulle, and organza adorned with an overlay of laser-cut silk flowers gave the dress a level of subtle sophistication and uniqueness. Above all, the dress was timeless and classic.”

The bride wore vintage-inspired diamond and pearl droplet earrings that accentuated the classic silhouette of her gown.

Maya’s bridesmaids wore strapless, navy blue dresses from J.Crew and carried lush bouquets of roses, hydrangeas and carnations arranged by Ultimate Designs.

Joe and his nine groomsmen sported classic black tuxedos from The Black Tux, and white rose boutonnieres.

“Our reception tent was magical,” the bride says. “We rented a vintage sailcloth tent that gave our reception a beautiful, old-world charm. I wanted our wedding to be simple and elegant. I didn’t want the décor to take away from the view of the bay.”

“My favorite detail of wedding decor was the antique card catalogue that we used at the reception,” the bride says. “Joe’s Aunt Lyn uses the catalogue as an accent piece in her living room and I’ve always admired it. I knew it would a perfect detail for our wedding, especially once we added flowers and candles. Joe and I are both educators, so the catalogue subtly hinted toward our profession.”

For added ambiance, clear blue mason jars filled with tea light candles dotted the venue with dreamy lighting.

Maya wanted to incorporate an element of true Southern charm, so she ensured the reception tables included antique flower vases filled with bright carnations, tea light candles, and gold-painted seating numbers.

For the seated dinner, the bride handwrote each of the guest's names and table numbers on blush pink cards.

As with most social-media savvy couples, the bride and groom selected a wedding hashtag, #joeandmaya, for their guests to use throughout the night. The hashtag was displayed in a gold frame by the guest book that greeted wedding guests as they arrived.

“We had a Smith Island cake bar and guests were able to sample each one during dessert,” the bride says. “Smith Island cakes are the official dessert of Maryland. They have about twelve extremely thin layers of cake and icing, and they are incredibly moist. Susan Raske is a renowned pastry chef in the Chesapeake area and she created seven cakes, each with a different flavor, shape, and size.”