Some weddings just really pull at your heartstrings a little tighter than most. Especially with these two lovebirds! Our Carriage House gardens set the backdrop for this breathtakingly perfect wedding day.
Valerie and Kyle said their vows under a beautiful September sky and surrounded by 70 of their closest family and friends. Seriously guys, this wedding makes most Pinterest boards look amateur! With beautiful weather on their side, the day was nothing short of gorgeous from the first look to the sparkler send off.
Valerie & Kyle- you were a dream! Thank you so much for letting us celebrate this special occasion with you! I wish you a lifetime full of much happiness and love!
Special thanks to Heather Chipps Photography for the breathtaking shots! Your talent capture the day perfectly!
Where did you two meet? What were your first impressions of each other?
Kyle and I met at work in Tyson’s Corner. We are both from the same small town in UpState NY and a friend thought we would have known each other- but we didn’t. After dating, we compared stories and it turns out we had met as lifeguards at a local YMCA and never had put two-and-two together! As soon as I saw him I knew I wanted to marry him, but he dodged me for 3 weeks before finally agreeing to go out for coffee with me. Our first date was coffee, then it turned into walking around Wegmans (typical upstate NYers we are…) and then we went for drinks at a bar near my house. It was a 4.5-hour long first date, and by the end of it, I think we both knew we wanted to be together and this was something special.
Where and how did he propose?
Kyle proposed at Paradise Springs Winery in Clifton in front of all my friends. Apparently, they all knew what he was doing that day, but I had no idea!
What made you choose Gramercy as your wedding venue?
So Kyle and I agreed to look up wedding venues that were B&Bs because I just love B&Bs, and they make for great venues because you can stay on property…so everything is easier. He took MD and I took VA. He found the Gramercy, so we scheduled a visit quickly. As soon as we parked our car and got out, I remember looking at Kyle and saying “Kyle, this is it. This is our venue.” And this was before I saw anything else. The gardens, the flowers, the trees, the grass, the seclusion…I just loved the entire look of the property before even stepping foot inside. Once we got inside, the deal was sealed. I loved the decor, I LOVED the rooms, and the Carriage House was perfect for our smaller wedding of 55 guests. The Courtyard was perfect for pictures, and I know it’s silly, but I loved the lights they had permanently strung up outside. Kyle would joke that even if we never got a florist, the wedding would look stunning because the venue itself already had decorations and flowers everywhere.
Favorite detail from your wedding day.
I believe my favorite part of the wedding day was getting a 5-star, 4-course breakfast delivered to the room I was getting ready in. I felt like a princess, and the food was phenomenal. I still keep thinking about the banana pancakes! Getting breakfast delivered like that- and displayed so beautifully- is something Kyle and I enjoyed the next day after our wedding, too. We loved it so much that we have agreed to come back for a weekend every year on our anniversary and get breakfast like that again.
Bridal dress designer and store, grooms attire designer and store name.
Dress: “Sylvia” WToo by Watters from Ann’s Boutique in Burke, VA
Grooms attire: Purchased at Brooks Brothers
Favorite detail from your wedding gown.
I had a beautiful train, and a big bow in the back of the dress. I wanted something simple, and that fabric was just stunning the second I touched it I knew it was my dress.
Abbreviated menu and favorite dish or specialty drink.
We had a main Chicken dish and Baked Ziti dish, with a side of mashed potatoes and grilled Mediterranean veggies. Bread basket and Cesar salad was available, too. Full bar was available, cake and cake pops were available for dessert. I made the cake pops myself and provided all the alcohol, but Chef’s Expressions was the caterer I used because they knew the venue so well since they work there so often, and I’m so glad I chose them. They knew the Carriage house wedding layout like the back of their hands. All my guests are STILL talking about how great the food was, so a shout-out to them!
One memory you won’t forget from your wedding day.
Standing under the string lights in the courtyard at night talking to my parents. I could hear the fountain in the background, all the lights were shining and made for the most romantic ambiance. It just looked like a wedding out of a Thomas Kinkade picture, and it was happening for real. I felt like the scenery was just so stunning, and just as Kyle had joked about before….without ANY decorations, a wedding at the Carriage house would look stunning on its own because of the venue itself.
Tips for newly engaged couples planning their wedding.
Start early (I started a 1 year and 6 months out), and pick out the top 2 things you know you’re going to care about the most for the wedding. For example, I knew I wanted phenomenal pictures and GREAT food….so those were the top two things I spent money on and focused on. I knew I couldn’t purchase every single thing I saw that I liked, and I had to budget, so I knew I would rather spend money on great food and pictures than say…$200 signs or a $5,000 dress. It’s so important to remember…you will only walk away from your wedding day with 3 things: your spouse, your rings (and your dress if you keep it), and your pictures. Keep that in mind throughout the whole process. Think to yourself…”2 years after our wedding will our guests remember how awesome our candles were? How pretty our centerpieces were? How good the cake was?” these are all things to consider 🙂
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Tags: B&B, Baltimore, baltimore county, bed and breakfast, ceremony, Chef's Expressions, couple, Garden, gardens, Gramercy, Gramercy Mansion, Maryland, md, realwedding, Stevenson, wedding, wedding reception, weddinginspiration, WEDDINGINSPO
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